The MINI Electric Pacesetter is headed to Brooklyn as the official Safety Car for the 2021 ABB New York City E-PRIX, the sixth stage of the FIA Formula E championship series set to begin on Saturday, July 10. The race will be the MINI Electric Pacesetter’s U.S. debut, following its official track debut in Rome earlier this year.
The MINI Electric Pacesetter concept, built on the new MINI Cooper SE and born out of the creative minds of MINI Design, BMW Motorsport, the FIA and the Formula E, is a bridge between MINI‘s historic motorsports legacy and its forward-thinking venture into electrification. The MINI Electric Pacesetter will be easily recognizable on the track in its matte silver finish and a high gloss wrap with a two-color gradient of Highspeed Orange and Curbside Red, while retaining iconic MINI features such as its circular headlights.
“It’s exciting to see the MINI Pacesetter make its way to the Brooklyn Formula E circuit right in the backyard of our U.S. headquarters,” said Mike Peyton, Chief Motorer & Vice President, MINI of the Americas. “The MINI Pacesetter as the official Safety Car for the Formula E race series gives us the perfect opportunity to showcase the combination of electrification and performance that is uniquely MINI.”
While not among the vehicles competing this at this weekend’s race, the MINI Electric Pacesetter boasts a powerful 135kW drive system that can accelerate the vehicle from 0 – 62 mph (0-100 km/h) in 6.7 seconds. Relevant to its performance needs as a safety car, the MINI Electric Pacesetter can also reach a 75 mph (80-120 km/h) time of 4.3 seconds. The vehicle’s is also 286 lb. (130kg) lighter than the standard MINI Cooper SE, allowing the Pacesetter to nimbly navigate the track when intervention is needed on race day.
Heading into its fifth race in the 2021 Formula E season, the MINI Electric Pacesetter will be driven by Bruno Correia, who has served as the FIA Formula E Safety Car driver since 2014.
