Arden Creates Street Legal MINI Challenge Cup Car

Arden MINI Challenge Cup car

Jaguar tuner to compete in MINI Challenge

By Christopher Jackson
April 8, 2009 12:44 PM
Filed Under: European, MINI, Motorsport, Tuners

As the market for "premium compacts" begins to get more respect (perhaps driven in part by the need for more fuel-efficient vehicles that still provide exclusivity and luxury for well-heeled consumers), some exclusive tuning firms are turning their attention to smaller vehicles than they've traditionally worked on. One such tuner is Arden, whose focus has been on modified Jaguar and Land Rover products since 1981. Though it's going small, the German tuner has been sticking with British vehicles (of a sort), and has just released a modified MINI Cooper aimed at drivers who consider themselves "gentlemen and ladies."

Arden's modified MINI takes its inspiration from E. Piro (not to be confused with Emanuele Pirro), multiple winner in the MINI Challenge's "Gentleman Driver" class for racers over 50. Based on the MINI Cooper S, the Arden MINI is heavily influenced by the MINI Cup racers, and the company will be competing in the 2009 series with Piro at the wheel with the car pictured.

The Arden MINI gets a sport suspension, lightweight 8x18-inch Arden Design alloy wheels and a steel sport exhaust. Performance upgrades are available for the 172-horsepower 1.6 liter turbocharged engine as well. The MINI's interior is spruced up with Connolly leather, noble wood and carbon fiber trim. Like Arden's other products, the materials are hand-processed in-house.

We don't have any additional details yet, but expect more info closer to the car's projected fall-2009 release date.

Source: Arden via autoblog.nl

Press Release (Click to expand)

A MINI for a Gentleman - Arden enhances MINI

Since 1972 we of Arden, who are specialized in the refinement of British automobiles and have made ourselves a world-wide name particularly as modifier for Jaguar and made Range Rover vehicles, have now discovered our passion for MINI cars.

The road version desired is based on the Cup vehicle, which is running the MINI Challenge 2009 driven by the repeated winner „of the Gentlemen Driver" E. Piro.

The target group of the Arden MINI is the so-called Gentlemen and Ladies Driver, who appreciated the compact sportiness and the British flair of the MINI in their youth. The goal of this project is the perfect combination of exclusivity, sportiness and understatement.

High-quality materials like Connolly leathers, noble woods and carbon are used exclusively and are processed by hand in our internal upholstery department. Beside the high-quality interior refinement we offer primarily classical modifications such as sport suspension, increase in output and wheels.

The Arden MINI is based on the MINI Cooper S. With the finely tuned sport suspension we put our focus on highest possible comfort without neglecting sportiness. A special high grade steel sport exhaust as well as extremely light 8x18" aluminum rims in the new Arden Design are only some of the further Arden modifications.

A Cup car under the applicant license of Arden Racing takes part in this season European MINI Challenge at the following runs:

17th - 19th April 09 Hockenheim
22th - 24th Mai 09 Silverstone (GB)
5th - 7th Juni 09 Hockenheim
10th -12th Juli 09 Nürburgring
7th - 9th August 09 Nürburgring
4th - 6th September 09 Oschersleben
18th - 20th September 09 Sachsenring
2nd - 3rd Oktober 09 Salzburgring (A)