JCW Challenge Car details

Sections: JCW | MF Feature | Motorsports | R56 (Hatch) Jun 30th, 2008 24 Comments

While at MINI Takes the States in Boston, I had the opportunity to crawl in, on and around the JCW Challenge Race Car with camera in hand. While I was taking photos, I also got some great information.

Mechanically, this is a Factory JCW MINI. The engine, transmission and clutch are from the Factory car you’ll be able to buy later this month. The brakes are the same 4 piston brakes of the JCW car. The wheels are OEM JCW wheels that you will be able to order with your Factory JCW car.

Once this car is built, it’s sent out “body in white” for it to become a race car. The interior is completely stripped except parts of the dash and the emergency brake boot (which is odd) and all of the safety equipment is installed. One feature that I wasn’t familiar with is the air jacks. There is a quick-release air jack in the boot where you plug in an air hose and the entire car raises. A nice feature for a race car to be sure.

When and if this car comes to the United States, it won’t be cheap. With current exchange rates, US$90,000 isn’t out of the question. And, before you start doubting whether or not it will come to the States, everyone I talked to from MINIUSA is trying very hard to not only bring this car over, but also have a reason for it to be here.

Still have to wonder how much interest there would be in this car. $90K is a lot of money. Couldn’t this also be done with a Factory JCW MINI for quite a bit less? Or would it be worth it to you to have a turn-key racer right from the factory?

Written By: DB

eager2own

Based on your description of the vehicle, I cannot see how the $90k could be justified – go factory.
Eliot R.

I am not completely sure, but the Ford Racing track-ready Mustangs sell for a good deal less than that 90,000 dollar figure you’re tossing around. You have to be very loyal to the MINI brand to go for the Challenge car.
lovethecorners

Well at least it has real cup-holders, which is more than I can say for what my R53 has… So the concept is at least feasible for the American market!

But with all seriousness, I’ve seen one or two local R53s with full roll-cage and mods and I think they were well under the 90k mark. I would have to assume that it was also the effort of creating a machine that the makers valued more than the final price.
C4

The depreciating Dollar could partly explain why this car sells for US$90K.
Jon

This is still more of a car than a Factory car, although one could probably bring a JCW Mini to very comparable stats. However when/if we get the Mini race series in the states the car would make perfect sense for spec racing.
Alan Smithee

Those AP Racing brakes are clearly not the standard street car re-badged Brembos.
http://www.motoringfile.com/ O(=^=)O Capn

Ha! It still has cup holders, I guess MINI didn’t want to disappoint the masses and get a low score from JD Powers!
C4

It is critical to have a place to put down your latte while doing 150MPH,
Brian

Does the 90k pay for the car or do you get factory backed help as well?
Victor

The AP racing setup has floating discs. Total not the same brake as just a standard 4 pot Brembro Caliber.

http://tit.smugmug.com/photos/276001038_2gqMx-XL.jpg

I wonder how much else is wrong with your info source? Cause i am pretty sure the clutch and pressure will be different, to take the abuse of competition.
http://www.smartboxusa.com/chicago GSKChicago

Anytime you see a car with a built in slot for a big fire extiguisher, you know it’s something special. :)
dnor72

Does the Challenge car have the eLSD or a mechanical LSD?
http://www.ausmotive.com Liam

From memory, the MINI CHALLENGE cars sell in Australia for around AU$80K (plus associated running costs of course), so in theory, at least, you should be able to get one in the US for less than that. (Currently our dollar is around 90-95USÂ¢.)

They are purpose built race cars and maybe you could fit the air jacks, suspension, brakes and roll cage for less if you bought yourself a factory JCW off the showroom floor, but would it actually be worth the hassle?

Mind, in Australia a factory JCW retails for AU$48,800 plus taxes and registration, so perhaps US pricing is significantly less for the same model?
http://www.gbmini.net Ian C.

Remember it’s price is NOT $90K, that’s just a guess. Remember also that the car won’t be road legal …
Charlie

Where did you come up with the figure of $90,000 ? That’s crazy. No one—not even me–is going to buy the car at that price, even if it included a truckfull of spares—which it doesn’t.

The price when originally announced by MINI last September was 41,930.00 EUR or 66,028.18 USD at today’s exchange rate. It sure hasn’t crept up by enough to even come close to $90k.

Of course this is all pure speculation–whether or not the car will make it into the USA as race car –since the DOT nixed it ever coming into the country via the manufacturer with a VIN.

If anything, they could arrive here as street cars and then be converted to racers in the US a la the never-got-off-the-ground Porsche Carrera Cup series in 1992.
rkw

If anything, they could arrive here as street cars and then be converted to racers in the US

Why would they do that? I believe these cars are not road legal even in Europe. They were built solely to create the MINI Challenge series.
nuvolari

Does the Challenge car have the eLSD or a mechanical LSD?

I think you know the answer to that one…
http://dbmini.us DB

Does the Challenge car have the eLSD or a mechanical LSD?

Just like the Factory JCW, this will have the eLSD.

You know when you see a built in space for a large fire exitinguisher that the car is special!

Not just a space, but there was a tank in the passenger side.

Where did you come up with the figure of $90,000 ? Thatâ€™s crazy. No oneâ€”not even meâ€“is going to buy the car at that price, even if it included a truckfull of sparesâ€”which it doesnâ€™t.

The price of US$90K came from MINIUSA.

I was also wrong about the brakes. All apologies. I looked at this photo from the Factory JCW, instead of this one. It has the same wheels as the Factory JCW MINI and didn’t look for the lack of treads or the yellow of the Dunlop on the tires.

Still working on finding out about the suspension.

Keep in mind too that this car will not be street legal in the United States. They would have a tough time getting it certified without airbags or a passenger side seat.
Paul Autry

No MINI Challenge exists in America so where would you drive the car and for what reason? $90K? I could name a dozen out of the box cars this car wouldn’t have a chance…for a lot less money.

I love MINI’s but this one is a joke!

Call
Todd

I think the confusion on the price is this – the correct US estimate should be around $60K but when talking, someone mentioned $60K and then thought that was 60K Euros which is equal to about $84K USD. There should be a correction to the $90K US estimate. It should read $60K USD estimated retail price.

The whole point is moot anyway because this car will not be landing on US soil anytime soon at $60K or $90K.
Mozza

dnor72 Jun 30th, 2008 Does the Challenge car have the eLSD or a mechanical LSD?

nuvolari Jun 30th, 2008 I think you know the answer to that oneâ€¦

DB Jun 30th, 2008 Just like the Factory JCW, this will have the eLSD.

This made me chuckle, methinks nuvolari would have put his house on it having a mech diff. :-).
nuvolari

Very true, Mozza. :) Glad I didn’t lose the house, but I will wait for confirmation on this. I suppose if everyone must run eLSD, then no one is at a disadvantage.
nuvolari

Oh, and I suppose the E92 M3 has an eLSD. What? It doesn’t? It has a real mechanical LSD? But why?
Victor

So are the stock MINI floor pans seam welded also?

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