EVENTS AND SHOWS
MINIS TAKE OVER
In 2017, Lohen attended a couple of events within the MINI Calendar. One of the biggest of the year was the MINIs take over event, which took place at Goodwood Motor Circuit. This event was run in support of St Barnabas House Hospice Charity, who specialise in end of life care for adults with life-limiting conditions, and over £2500 was raised.
With more than 100 MINIs in attendance, there was plenty to see and do. Our Track Car Polar Bear accompanied our team on the trade stand, which was displaying a range of high-end performance products sold online and fitted at Lohen, while our demo car Chilli was showing off what she can do on Goodwood’s historic track. Both Chilli and Polar Bear are Gen 2 R56 Cooper S MINIs that have produced highs of over 270 bhp. Currently, Chilli has a hand built fully forged engine, a Quaife Automatic Torque Biasing (ATB) differential and TTV clutch kit that was specifically designed to tolerate the higher than standard Torque output, an Akrapovic exhaust system and a vast range of other modifications that work together to produce approximately 278bhp and will certainly leave a smile on the face of anyone who drives her.
MINI fans from all over the world flocked to Goodwood to see what the MINI scene has to offer, and with the perfect photo opportunity on offer, MINIs of all ages, shapes and sizes gathered on Goodwood’s famous straight to mark this occasion.
Check out our YouTube video to see all the major happenings from the day and give us and like and subscribe while your there!
DYNO DAYS
The Lohen dyno day has almost become an event in itself, for the last couple of year we have always hosted one event in April, however in 2017 we hosted two dyno days. The first took place on the 8th April and saw an increased number of F56 present and on the dyno one managed to produce a massive 325.4 bhp and 447.7 Nm of Torque. Milltek Sport supported this event and bought with them their Stage 2 Ford Focus RS which made 387.7 bhp and 581 Nm of Torque. Their racing simulator was also available allowing our visitors to try their hand at setting the fastest lap around their favourite track. Our second dyno day took place on the 7th October and saw a number of stand out car make power runs on our Dyno. We saw an R55 Cooper S with a fully forged engine and a relatively rare R60 JCW Countryman make an appearance on our Dyno. Polar Bear took centre stage again, this time on display in our workshop for the public to see. A short video of this day has been uploaded to our YouTube page, click the link below to watch and don’t forget to like and subscribe!
RACING
LOHEN AT TIME ATTACK
Last year we competed in the Time Attack Championship, which has recently become one of the biggest events in the motorsport calendar as it takes place at some of the biggest race circuits across the country. The Time Attack Championship was introduced in 2006 and combines the art of car tuning with some of the best drivers in order to set the fastest lap times.
Representing Lohen out on the track throughout all the Time Attack rounds has been Polar Bear (MINI R56 Cooper S). The go-cart like handling of the MINI makes her the perfect partner out on the track. Built and developed in house, Polar Bear utilises some of the highest quality parts on the market, which have helped her produce highs of 300 bhp and 446 Nm of torque. In the drivers seat this season has been our Managing Director Andrey Magiy and despite a shaky start to the season, pulled it out of the bag and set some great lap times, he has been able to release Polar Bear full potential when needed.
You can read all about our Time Attack experience and see the full spec of our track car in more detail by checking out some of our other blog posts.
NEW PRODUCTS
At Lohen we are always looking to offer some of the best products on the market, so product development and testing opportunities are crucial to bring you the best. In 2017 we launched a vast range of new products for the Gen 1, 2 and 3 MINI. TTV Racing worked with us to develop an organic clutch kit that was designed to tolerate the higher than standard power output that is often seen in highly tuned Gen 2 MINIs. The development of this clutch kit has meant that this clutch kit can withstand approximately 475 Nm of Torque meaning it is perfecting for those highly tuned MINIs.
With the help of Manic Motorsport, in 2017 we also launched Generation 3 re-mapping for the Cooper S and JCW. With your help, last October, we got some F56’s in our workshop for some test maps and some good results were recorded for both manual and automatic transmission MINIs. So what can you expect? A Stage 1 ECU Tune looks to deliver around 265 bhp and 440 Nm of Torque, while Stage 2 produces around 280 bhp and 480 Nm of Torque and will certainly leave a smile on your face. The introduction of the Generation 3 re-mapping option has allowed us to introduce other products that focus on performance, since Generation 3 Mapping was introduced; we have launched the Lohen Gen 3 Performance Packages and the Lohen Ghost Spec.
WHAT TO EXPECT IN 2018?
In 2018, we are going to be out on the track once again competing in the Time Attack Championship. This year we will continue to develop our track car to make improvements that will allow us to put more pressure on our competitors.
2018 Time Attach Timetable:
- Round 1 & 2 – Cadwell Park (06/05/2018)
- Round 3 – Brands Hatch (24/06/2018)
- Round 4 – Oulton Park (28/07/2018)
- Round 5 & 6 – Pembrey (18/08/2018)
- Round 7 & 8 – Snetterton (15/09/2017)
- Round 9 – Rockingham (14/10/2018)
There is a lot more to come in 2018, so keep your eyes peeled. All information will be posted to our social media sites and in our newsletter so make sure you sign up and follow us, otherwise you’ll miss out!