Hankook Tire is the exclusive tire supplier for the MINI John Cooper Works GP

Hankook has specially developed a range of tires for the MINI John Cooper Works GP, limited to 3,000 pieces. Hankook has equipped them exclusively with the new, summer, ultra-high performance UUHP Ventus S1 Evo Z tires. For those looking to experience the performance of the MINI John Cooper Works GP, Hankook also offers the Ventus TD road and track tire (TD stands for Track Day - "Tire for track days") designed to test the maximum performance of a car on the race track. To achieve the highest level of driving safety in the new MINI John Cooper Works GP in cold weather, the vehicle is equipped with the Hankook UHP winter tire I * cept evo2 W320 (a) from Hankook.

The development engineers of MINI and Hankook ensured the readiness of the car and summer tires of the Ventus S1 evo Z and Ventus TD, testing their racing performance on the challenging tracks in Nardo (Italy) and on the legendary Nordschleife circuit (Nurburgring, Germany). The new MINI John Cooper Works GP is the British brand's fastest road-approved model with a 306 hp engine. accelerates from zero to 100 km / h in just 5.2 seconds. Outstanding handling, best lap times as well as impressive dry braking capabilities are key features that have focused on all three tires that Hankook supplies for this extraordinary MINI. “It was not only a great honor and responsibility to be the sole supplier of tires for this rare vehicle with racing genes - our engineering team welcomed the news with great enthusiasm,” says Klaus Krause, Head of European Research and Development Center, Hankook.

Although all tires are specially designed and adapted for this elite MINI model, the Ventus S1 Evo Z from Hankook is so new that it only introduces us to the next generation of Hankook UUHP tires. The Ventus S1 Evo Z heralds a new era of high-tech Hankook tires optimized for sports cars requiring even more traction and cornering performance without compromising tire durability and driving safety. For this tire, Hankook used a newly developed silica-based rubber compound that bakes longer at lower temperatures. The new rubber compounding technology influences the tire's handling characteristics and thus the performance of sports cars such as the MINI John Cooper Works GP - the leader in its class.

Thanks to the asymmetric tread pattern and the increased tire-to-road contact patch, cornering accuracy is improved. Particular attention has been paid to the outer shoulder of the tread pattern, as it carries the most stress when cornering. Reducing the number of center grooves from four to three has increased the tire-to-road contact patch and therefore improved driving performance. At the same time, the developers provided an improved water drainage system for tire operation on wet roads. Wide grooves and rigid tread blocks are a design solution that improves the tire's performance in different road conditions. The use of aramid cord instead of conventional nylon cord provided superior strength characteristics and significantly increased tire life. This allows you to withstand a significant load on the tire during acceleration and deceleration of the car, as well as minimize the deformation of the belt pack during high-speed cornering. Taking into account its exceptional sporting characteristics, the tire provides an appropriate level of comfort. Hankook currently only manufactures the Ventus S1 evo Z for the MINI John Cooper Works GP, but the tire will soon be available in other sizes, mainly for the original equipment of premium sports cars.

Typically, the compounding, design and know-how of a racing tire are kept secret from the public. But Ventus TD engineers share some of them as an exception. The required markings allow the MINI John Cooper Works to be legally driven on public roads: that is, you can drive to the race track on normal roads without changing tires or using a special vehicle.

Tire labeling includes the following certifications: E4 for the European Union, defining standard metrics such as tire grip, noise and rolling resistance, as well as certifications from Taiwan, Brazil, Gulf States and DOT safety standards and UTQG, adopted in the United States. Creating a product that unleashes its full potential on the racetrack, while remaining a reliable partner on the road, has become a major challenge for Hankook's engineers. The result of this process is a tire that provides excellent handling even in extreme driving. Braking performance is in perfect balance with grip and handling. While the design and tread design is primarily based on a racing tire, the Ventus TD, designed for MINI, uses a rubber compound and design that integrates both racing and standard road tires. The specially designed profile allows the use of the full width of the treadmill, which in turn provides maximum traction, best lap times and high performance on the track. Although priority has been given to dry performance, the tread pattern ensures the tire can be used on wet surfaces.

A car like the MINI John Cooper Works GP shouldn't be locked in your garage for the winter. That is why the ultra-high-performance winter tires Hankook Winter i * cept evo 2 with a sophisticated asymmetric tread pattern are now part of the Original MINI. The tire is specially designed for the road conditions of mild winters in Central and Western Europe and provides excellent handling on wet and dry road surfaces, as well as good grip and braking performance on snow.