Nürburg-based Bulldog Racing celebrates its N24 success with a unique Mini John Cooper Works
Following its success at the 2023 Nürburgring 24 Hours, private German racing team Bulldog Racing has partnered with Mini to celebrate its achievements with a track-focused, road-going special. Achieving the best ever 24-hour race result for the Mini marque with a second place finish, the Nürburg-based racing team has applied various track-focused modifications to the latest Mini John Cooper Works to mark the occasion.
The new model features the same 2-litre turbocharged four-cylinder as the racer, with power at 228bhp and 236lb ft to match the ordinary JCW – paired to a standard six-speed manual gearbox, the 0-62mph sprint is likely to come in at the same 6.3sec. While a new Remus exhaust system offers a more characterful sound, interior changes and chassis tweaks are what really set it apart.
KW’s V3 suspension setup is fitted at all four corners, providing an increase in grip, stability and front-end bite thanks to adjustable compression and rebound damping. Each car fitted with this setup is individually calibrated and aligned by the team’s expert drivers on the Nürburgring itself, a key final element often missed in mass-produced performance cars. To match the uprated chassis, the Bulldog Racing Edition also comes with new 205-section Pirelli P Zero rubber wrapped around a set of lightweight 17-inch OZ HyperGT wheels, reducing unsprung mass.
Speaking of mass, the model goes without rear seats, swapping them for the ‘Stern Performance Parts Clubsport’ package for a considerable drop in weight. A new strut bar is now fitted across the rear of the cabin to retain rigidity, with a net also included to keep luggage in place.
Bulldog Racing Managing Director Alexander Schabbach, said: ‘Finishing in second place and achieving the first podium for MINI after a gruelling 24 hours was a great achievement. The moment we crossed the finish line, the idea of sharing this moment with our fans was born. Our biggest challenge in developing the Bulldog Racing Edition was to keep it as close as possible to our race car while making sure it is still road legal.’
Both inside and out, the model features numerous nods to the Bulldog Racing brand, most notably a large roof decal to match the racer. Inside, there’s also a unique plaque displaying the date of each example’s Nordschleife setup, with the racing team logo also featuring on the B-pillar, centre caps and steering wheel.
While this particular example is based on a factory-fresh car, Bulldog Racing will apply its touch to any current-generation JCW built from 2014 onwards. Customers can specify builds with or without certain elements to suit their needs, but regardless of the setup, a Nordschleife shakedown comes as part of the package.
Pricing is specific to each build, but with prices for a standard Mini John Cooper Works starting at £32,755, expect to pay in the region of £40,000 with all options ticked.
