This mean-lookin’ electric Mini blasted around the ol’ Nürburgring-Nordschleife in nine minutes, 51.45 seconds, hitting a top speed of 116.19 miles per hour. Not bad for a battery-powered racer. The car is about 400 pounds lighter than the Mini EV that was released for testing a few months back. It’s also lower, has race suspension, and a lower final drive ration for faster acceleration out of the corners. The 150-kilowatt motor puts out an equivalent 204 horsepower and gobs of torque at any RPM. The driver, former Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters racer Thomas Jäger, had this to say about the car:
“I’ve driven this circuit many times, but never in such an extraordinary car,” Jäger said in a statement. “The power of the electric motor has an incredible effect, as you can access its full reserves of torque at all times. Another element of this fascinating experience is the lack of noise from the drivetrain. All in all, that was certainly the cleanest and quietest race lap I’ve ever driven.”
See? Electric cars can be damn fun.
Source: Wired Autopia