Mini John Cooper Works Coupe racer announced

It's fair to say Mini has had a few fingers in the motorsport pie. Today, TopGear.commers, it has extended another stubby digit by revealing the Mini JCW Coupe racer to Earth.

The newly borne front-wheel-drive racing coupe will take its place on the grid on the tortuous, forested walls of the Green Hell this weekend; it's going racing at the Nurburgring 24hrs.

A ‘specially-tuned' version of the turbocharged 1.6-litre four-pot JCW engine develops 250bhp and 243lb ft of torque (on overboost), while top speed is indicated at 150mph. As expected, it gets a racing exhaust system, stiffer KW Suspension race setup with adjustable shocks and an adjustable front strut brace, together with an aero package consisting of a front spoiler, rear diffuser and adjustable rear wing to help generate crucial downforce.

Mini has also packed some happy helpers of the electric variety on board too, including a ‘race' ABS system and a specially tuned DSC control unit, while inside you'll find a full roll cage welded to the body, bucket seat and six-point safety belt together with an F1-style head and neck support. There's even a pneumatic jack and electronically controlled fire extinguishing equipment too, and the whole shebang weighs just 965kg.

We'll be reporting live from the Nurburgring race this weekend, but don't expect it to be a foregone conclusion: five different manufacturers have won the last five VLN series preceding the 24hrs, so it'll be a belter. Stay tuned for live updates...