Munich. The North Loop of the Nürburgring,
20.8 kilometres of motor-sport history, was once named the “Green
Hell” by three-times Formula 1 World Champion Jackie Stewart. It is
still the regular venue for ultimate endurance tests even 43 years
after the last Grand Prix race for automobiles was held there. Every
new model of the MINI brand has to put its performance characteristics
to the test on the challenging circuit located in the Eifel mountains.
And the legendary circuit is just the right testing ground for the new
MINI Cooper SE (combined fuel consumption: 0.0 l/100 km; combined
electricity consumption: 16.8 – 14.8 kWh/100 km; combined
CO2 emissions: 0 g/km). It puts the car’s exceptional
qualities to the test by requiring it to master completely new
challenges. However, rather than hoping for lap records, the first
all-electric vehicle from the British premium automobile manufacturer
is looking for records of a very different nature. Maximum efficiency
and a high level of sensitivity in the right foot are needed if the
new MINI Cooper SE is to negotiate the “Green Hell” in Green Mode
without touching the brake pedal.
The new MINI Cooper SE is the first electrified model from the BMW
Group in which the driver can individually determine the extent of
recuperation and the associated deceleration effect. Depending on the
mode selected, the electric motor supplies more or less energy back to
the high-voltage battery as soon as the driver takes their foot off
the pedal. The braking effort associated with toggling the electric
motor to engage generator operation is correspondingly high or low.
The technological innovation offers the incentive for a very special
type of challenge. How fast can the new MINI Cooper SE take curves
like the right hander at the Bergwerk (mine), the Caracciola-Karussell
(carousel) or the right-left switchback from the Stefan-Bellof-S going
on to Schwalbenschwanz (Swallow’s Tail) without the driver having to
touch the brake pedal a single time?
Ideally, the new MINI Cooper SE would complete the efficiency test on
the Nürburgring in Green Mode. Alongside a comfort-related
characteristic steering curve, this setting for the MINI Driving Modes
also encompasses a rather less spontaneous response from the actuator.
There is also an option to activate the Green + Mode using the
right-hand toggle on the characteristic switch panel beneath the
central instrument. This additionally deactivates the automatic
climate control and the seat heating in order to save more energy. The
recuperation mode is selected with another toggle switch to the left
of the start/stop button. This enables the driver to use the one-pedal
feeling typical of the new MINI Cooper SE to suit their individual
preferences in order to increase the dynamic performance and
efficiency simultaneously in all-electric driving round fast bends.
The level of brake energy regeneration and hence also the
deceleration can be harmonised with the driving style and to suit the
track profile. Timely toggling ensures soft recuperation ahead of
extended bends and full energy recovery with corresponding
deceleration ahead of tight curves without the driver’s foot having to
touch the brake pedal. If we take Brünnchen (Small Well) as an example
at kilometre 16, professionals recommend approaching the sharp
right-hand corner on the left-hand side of the track and starting to
turn into it at an early stage. The full recuperation performance is
necessary here in order to avoid being carried over the curbs at the
left-hand edge. Conversely, slow deceleration is adequate before the
second right-hand curve of this circuit section, particularly since
there is hardly any time to put pedal to metal. This takes drivers
energetically into the Eiskurve (Ice Bend) and they emerge full of
verve in the direction of Pflanzgarten (Plant Garden).
Anything that goes on the Nürburgring will also provide the
additional portion of driving fun in everyday traffic that is so
typical of the MINI style for local zero-emission mobility.
Model-specific displays in the cockpit of the new MINI Cooper SE also
help during fast changeover between sharp and wide curves when
selecting the most appropriate recuperation mode. A standard setting
is the particularly intensive brake energy regeneration that results
in negative deceleration of 0.19 g. The change to soft recuperation
with a value of 0.11 g is confirmed by feedback in the digital
instrument cluster of the new MINI Cooper SE. Furthermore, only one of
the two LED light fields is still active in the recuperation display.
At the same time, a yellow LED lamp lights up at the front of the
toggle switch.
The first lap in the “Green Hell” already reveals the extent to which
the two-stage recuperation increases driving fun in tandem with
efficiency. This becomes evident directly behind the Galgenkopf
(Gallow Hill) bend. Here the new MINI Cooper SE can make good use of
all the energy that has been stored in its high-voltage battery during
recuperative deceleration instead of being expended while braking.
Nothing now stands in the way of a brilliant finish over the Döttinger
Höhe (Döttingen Height).
In case of queries, please contact:
Press and PR
Matthias Bode
Press Officer Production Communication
MINI
Phone: +49-89-382-61742
E-Mail: matthias.bode@mini.com
Andreas Lampka
Head of Communication MINI
Phone: +49-
89-382-23662
E-Mail: andreas.lampka@mini.com
The values of fuel consumption, CO2 emissions and electricity
consumption shown were determined according to the test procedure
defined in the European Directive VO (EU) 2007/715 in the version
applicable at the time of type approval. The figures refer to a
vehicle with basic configuration in Germany and the range shown
takes account of optional equipment and the different size of wheels
and tyres available on the selected model. These factors can change
during the configuration.
The values of some vehicles are measured according to the new
WLTP (Worldwide Harmonised Light-Duty Vehicles Test Procedure) and
converted to NEDC (New European Driving Cycle) for comparison
purposes. The taxes or other duties for these vehicles may be based
on fuel consumption and CO2 emissions data which differ from that
shown here.
Further information on official fuel consumption and official
specific CO2 emissions of new passenger cars is given in the
‘Handbook of fuel consumption, the CO2 emissions and power
consumption of new passenger cars’, which can be obtained free of
charge at all sales outlets and from Deutsche Automobil Treuhand
GmbH (DAT), Hellmuth-Hirth-Str. 1, 73760 Ostfildern-Scharnhausen,
and at https://www.dat.de/co2/.