ANN ARBOR, April 20, 2010 – Jackie Stewart called the Nürburgring-Nordschleife circuit in Munich, Germany “The Green Hell.” Many race car drivers include it among the most challenging, toughest and most dangerous tracks in the world.

At this famed German track, BMW recently completed a test of the all-electric MINI Electric E Race, a modified race-spec version of the standard MINI E.

Former DTM racing driver Thomas Jäger from Munich completed a lap of the legendary 20.8 km “Green Hell” in the MINI E with a time of 09:51.45 minutes while hitting a top speed of 187 km/h.

“The length and profile of the Nordschleife place extreme demands on the technology of our electric car,” said the BMW Group’s Peter Krams, who headed up the project. “But the MINI E Race met this considerable challenge with great authority. The aim of this unique undertaking was to provide an impressive showcase of the great potential of the MINI E and its environment-friendly drive concept.”

Jäger, the MINI Challenge champion in 2006, said he has driven this circuit many times, but never in such an extraordinary car.

“The power of the electric motor has an incredible effect, as you can access its full reserves of torque at all times,” said Jäger. “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.”

MINI engineers made modifications to the E before running it on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife track, including a special lightweight body and a roll cage. Of course, the suspension, brakes and tires are also race specification.

The MINI E is part of BMW Group's project to launch a fleet of some 450 all-electric cars for private use in everyday traffic. The MINI E is powered by a 150 kW/201 hp electric motor. Power comes from a lithium-ion battery developed specifically for the MINI E. Range is about 100 miles.

The rollout plan of MINI E includes offering it to selected private and corporate customers in California, New York and New Jersey. BMW Group also partnered with the City of New York and provided 10 MINI E electric vehicles to add to the city's fleet.