MINI Cooper JCW Targets Back-to-Back Nürburgring 24 Hours Victories

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MINI and Bulldog Racing are heading back to the Nürburgring 24 Hours—not to bask in the glow of last year’s SP-3T class victory, but to defend it. After their 2024 triumph, the team is returning to the Green Hell with a bold new look, proven hardware, and an eye on back-to-back wins.

A Rolling Sketchbook Meets the Green Hell

The first thing you’ll notice this year? The livery. MINI’s latest endurance racer trades in traditional corporate graphics for a hand-drawn, “moving sketchbook” aesthetic, courtesy of MINI Design and BMW’s Designworks in collaboration with Deus Ex Machina. This black-and-white visual treatment is part art project, part marketing move—and it’s hard to ignore. From the bodywork to the team’s race gear, Deus’s urban surf-meets-motorsport vibe runs deep.

Underneath the ink, the car is all business. The Bulldog Racing JCW is fitted with a full suite of genuine MINI John Cooper Works accessories—front and roof spoilers, side skirts, C-pillar trim, and more—finished in gloss black. In a refreshing bit of authenticity, these aren’t bespoke race parts; they’re available on the road-going F66/F67 MINI JCW models. What you’ll see flying down the Döttinger Höhe this weekend isn’t a one-off prototype—it’s an evolution of a car you can buy.

Building on a Growing Legacy

If MINI’s 2024 SP-3T class victory seemed sudden to casual observers, readers of MotoringFile will know otherwise. It was the result of a deliberate, multi-year campaign that began with Bulldog Racing’s radical GP-based entry in 2022. That car, a testbed for both endurance racing and brand positioning, laid the groundwork for the team’s current JCW program.

More importantly, it signaled MINI’s intent to carve out a serious presence in modern endurance racing—a fitting next chapter for a brand with deep motorsport roots that trace back to the Monte Carlo Rally in the 1960s.

The Challenge Ahead

The 53rd Nürburgring 24 kicks off on June 21, pitting more than 130 cars against the Nordschleife’s unforgiving 25.38 km circuit. With 170 corners and nearly 300 meters of elevation change per lap, the Green Hell remains one of the toughest tests of driver, machine, and team endurance anywhere in the world.

For Bulldog Racing, this marks their third consecutive Nürburgring 24 entry—and arguably their most challenging. The SP-3T field is deeper than ever, and class victories here are earned through relentless consistency, not just outright pace. Whether the team’s new livery and refined aero package translate to another win remains to be seen.

Between Marketing & Motorsport

It’s easy to get distracted by the aesthetics—Deus collabs, sketchbook liveries, stylish team kits. But beneath the marketing sheen, this program matters. MINI and Bulldog Racing are building a genuine endurance racing effort, one that serves as both a proving ground for the JCW brand and a subtle reminder that MINI’s motorsport story is far from over.

As we’ve written before on MotoringFile, this isn’t about nostalgia; it’s about relevance. Racing at the Nürburgring gives MINI engineering insights that filter down to the street—and delivers a credibility boost no amount of lifestyle marketing can buy.

Final Thoughts

For MINI, the Nürburgring 24 Hours has been more than a spectacle over the last five years—it’s a proving ground. Seeing the F66 win last year was incredible. But it was an odd race full of fog and yellow flags. Can MINI win again under different circumstances? We’ll find out in just under two weeks.

Quick Facts:

Race	53rd Nürburgring 24 Hours
Start Date	June?21, 2025
Car	F66 MINI JCW, Deus livery
Team	Bulldog Racing (factory supported independent team)
Target	Defending 2024 SP?3T class victory

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