A brand-new Mini Electric Pacesetter inspired by JCW will take part in the Formula E Rome stage on April 10, 2021. The safety car has a stub instead of the front grille, as well as widened fenders, a special splitter, and a large rear wing.
Just like the Cooper SE, the Electric Pacesetter has 184 PS (181 hp / 135 kW). The torque maxes out 10 points above the Cooper’s at 280 Nm (207 lb-ft). Nothing is said about the battery, but we know that the donor car has a battery rated at 32.6 kWh nominal capacity (28.9 kWh useful).
Getting from zero to 100 km/h (62 mph) takes 6.7 seconds (SE: 7.3 seconds), and accelerating from 80 to 120 km/h (50-75 mph) takes 4.3 seconds (SE: 4.6 seconds). The gas-powered Mini JCW rocking a manual transmission and 231 PS (228 hp / 170 kW) is still marginally faster to one hundred (6.3 seconds).
Despite the added body kit and safety cage, the safety car weighs no more than a regular SE. In fact, at 1,230 kg (2,711 lbs) total, it weighs 130 kg (286 lbs) less. Other notable mods include tweaked suspension, wider wheel span, and Mini JCW GP wheels and front brakes.
It remains to be seen when the safety car becomes the next-gen JCW hatchback, but ‘sometime later this decade’ sounds realistic enough.