2018 Mini John Cooper Works Buggy

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Mini John Cooper Works Buggy

The British car manufacturer MINI and the German X-raid Team have launched into the final preparation phase for the Dakar Rally 2018 with the presentation of their current racing cars. For the first time MINI and X-raid will face the challenges of the most demanding long-distance rally in the world using two different types of drive. In addition to the further advanced version of the all-wheel drive MINI John Cooper Works Rally, which, at its debut appearance, came in sixth overall at the 2017 Dakar Rally, the rear-wheel drive MINI John Cooper Works Buggy will head into the opener stage on 6 January 2018 in the Peruvian capital of Lima.

More determined than ever before, MINI and X-raid are aiming to continue their joint success story which brought them four consecutive overall victories from 2012 to 2015. "With these two cars we have the most powerful MINI family that ever raced at the Dakar Rally", said Sebastian Mackensen, Senior Vice President of MINI, at the presentation in Paris.

The reason why a second vehicle concept was developed lies in the specifics of the Dakar Rally rules, which, in their current form, give two-wheel driven cars certain advantages. X-raid Team Manager Sven Quandt gave the go-ahead for building the MINI John Cooper Works Buggy in February 2017. "This has been the biggest project in our company's history so far and we have worked extremely hard at it", he said at the vehicle presentation.

The MINI John Cooper Works Buggy is powered by a 3.0 litre inline 6-cylinder diesel engine generating and output of 250 kW/340 hp and a maximum torque of 800 Nm. The transmission and drivetrain as well as the engine's turbocharging technology, which is based on the BMW TwinPower Turbo, have been completely newly conceived. The MINI John Cooper Works Rally uses the same engine. The specially designed tubular steel frame provides maximum protection for driver and passenger in extreme situations. A specifically designed body made of carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) and Kevlar is stretched over the frame. The authentic buggy-look exterior has been designed in close cooperation with MINI Design and aerodynamically optimised.

https://www.netcarshow.com/mini/2018-john_cooper_works_buggy/

 

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Mini To Tackle Dakar 2018 With AWD … And RWD!

Mini has revealed that it will tackle the 2018 iteration of the Dakar Rally with two different types of drive.

The BMW-backed automaker will again team up with the German X-Raid Team. But, in addition to fielding an updated version of the familiar all-wheel-drive Mini John Cooper Works Rally, the team will run three rear-wheel-drive Mini John Cooper Works Buggy cars.

So, what’s the reason behind the second vehicle concept? Well, the automaker says the answer “lies in the specifics of the Dakar Rally rules”, which now give two-wheel-driven cars certain advantages (such as the option of greater suspension travel and weight reductions) over all-paw variants.

Both the Mini John Cooper Works Rally and the Mini John Cooper Works Buggy are powered by a 3,0-litre inline six-cylinder diesel engine generating 250 kW and 800 N.m.

The team for the Dakar 2018 will comprise seven cars. The three Mini John Cooper Works Buggy vehicles will be piloted by Mikko Hirvonen, Bryce Menzies and Yazeed Al-Rajhi, while the driver seats in the Mini John Cooper Works Rally cars will be occupied by Orlando Terranova, Jakub Przygonski, Joan “Nani” Roma and Boris Garafulic.

The race kicks off on January 6, 2018 in Lima.

http://www.carmag.co.za/speed_post/mini-to-tackle-dakar-2018-with-awd-and-rwd/

 

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Mini John Cooper Works Buggy targets Dakar Rally win with rear-drive layout

New rear-wheel-drive Mini joins incumbent all-wheel-drive Mini John Cooper Works Rally

Mini has created a hardcore new rally vehicle, the John Cooper Works Buggy, which it has assigned the arduous task of competing in the 2018 Dakar Rally.

The all-new competition model, co-developed with longstanding Mini rally partner X-Raid, eschews the all-wheel-drive layout of the incumbent Mini John Cooper Works Rally (pictured bottom) for a rear-drive system.

Rear-wheel-drive cars, while sacrificing ultimate traction in some parts of the rally’s near-5500-mile route through South America, are allowed, according to the event’s regulations, to run with larger wheels and higher ground clearance.

These technical advantages, as well as the weight saving possible with a two-wheel-drive car, have convinced Mini to develop the new Buggy with the intention of winning the Dakar Rally, which takes place between the 6 and 20 January and tasks entrants with racing from Peru to Argentina.

Like the JCW model, the Buggy uses a 3.9-litre straight-six diesel engine with BMW’s Twinpower Turbo technology. The unit delivers 335bhp and 590lb ft of torque to the wheels.

The Buggy uses a tubular steel frame with bodywork made from carbonfibre-reinforced plastic and Kevlar.

Mini and X-Raid have already tested the Buggy on varying off-road terrain in Hungary and Morocco, during which time team manager Sven Quandt said: “ the car never had to stop once due to a technical problem, which is really quite remarkable”.

Despite the Buggy’s target to win the event, Mini believes its all-wheel-drive JCW Rally still stands a chance. It finished sixth in this year’s race, but the 2018 model has received a new chassis and enhanced suspension travel.

“There are tracks and types of terrain where an all-wheel-drive car has advantages,” added Quandt of the JCW Rally. “What's more, our car is extremely reliable.”

Mini last won the Dakar Rally in 2015, the last of a four-year winning streak for the brand. Peugeot won the 2017 event with the 3008 DKR, and the French brand will return for 2018 with nine-time World Rally Championship champion Sébastien Loeb in its line-up.

The 2018 event, the 40th Dakar Rally to be held, is expected to be Peugeot’s last. Loeb’s second place in 2017 marked his best finish at the rally to date.

https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/...ggy-targets-dakar-rally-win-rear-drive-layout