HRH Prince Leopold to pilot MINI E around the Nurburgring Nordschleife

It is going to be a silent day when His Royal Highness Prince Leopold of Bavaria takes to the wheel of a MINI E Race this coming Saturday morning at around 11:00 am. The former racing royal will lap the Nürburgring's Nordschleife at race speed, driving this small electric car. An example of the model already appeared on the track's time sheets (video above) in April.

The MINI E Race features the same 150 kW (201 bhp/ 204 PS) electric motor from the normal MINI E, but with a number of modifications. These include a special lightweight body, a roll cage, KW Variant 3 coilover suspension, rear diffusers, a rear wing and a mechanical multi-plate limited-slip differential.

The Prince is really looking forward to the experience of pitting the silent 'green' MINI against the infamous Green Hell. A video of the lap will be available on WCF soon after the event.

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Blue blood, Green Hell and a silent race car.

Munich/Nürburg. A month ago, the MINI E Race became the first electrically-powered vehicle to tame the legendary Nürburgring-Nordschleife at race speed. Now the BMW Group is about to repeat this tour de force before the massed ranks of spectators at the 24-hour endurance race - relying on blue blood to accomplish it. This Saturday, 15 May, His Royal Highness Prince Leopold of Bavaria will get behind the wheel to clock up a fast - but virtually noiseless - lap of the "Green Hell".

"I'm really looking forward to this outing, particularly being able to feel the immense power of the electric motor. In my career as a racing driver I have had the honour of driving some of the most beautiful and celebrated vehicles in motor racing history. The MINI E Race represents a seamless continuation," commented the former DTM racing driver and great-great-grandson of King Ludwig I of Bavaria.

The MINI E Race is a modified race version of the series-production MINI E. To ensure optimal performance and safety out on the race track it features a special lightweight body and roll cage. Individual components such as the suspension, brakes and tyres are likewise race-specification. Other than that, the car draws almost entirely on the standard technical make-up of the MINI E. It shares the 150 kW/204 hp electric motor that is fed with energy from 5,088 lithium-ion battery cells.

The starting signal for the Nordschleife lap by HRH Prince Leopold of Bavaria will sound at around 11.15 hrs on Saturday, immediately after the MINI Challenge race that is also taking place on the support card of the 24-hour event. A video of the demo lap will be available online at approx. 18.00 hrs on the day on the YouTube channel www.youtube.com/MINI.

Model-specific conversions

Interior

Recaro Pro Racer (HANS) CFRP seat, 6-way safety harness (3-inch), suede leather steering wheel 320 mm diameter

Roll cage

Bolt construction (lightweight) CrMo4, approx. 35 kg incl. mounting materials

Transmission

Mechanical multi-plate limited-slip differential with 40°/50° ramp breakover angle, 55 Nm preload

Engine

Adjusted engine management settings

Suspension

KW Variant 3 coilover suspension, tuned to the higher axle loads of the MINI E Race with modified damping characteristics and adjusted springs

Exterior

Diffusers, rear wing, CFRP body parts

Safety

Integration of special race ABS
Differentiated main switch concept

1 as a result of the lower ride height and weight reduction; allows smoother and more stable handling
2 as a result of the longer gear ratio
3 as a result of changes to the control electronics