ARTICLE

Mahindra BE 6 Formula E Edition Leads the Indian Racing Festival in Goa

A Silent Star on the Racing Grid

Loud. Savage. Awesome. That’s what we instinctively think of when we picture a race car on the track. And you’d be right, except if you were present at Manohar International Airport in Goa during the Indian Racing Festival street race which was held recently, you would see that standing in stark contrast on the grid, ahead of the F4IC race cars with their 1.3-litre turbocharged engines roaring was… silence. An EV makes for an odd choice of safety car – except that the BE 6 Formula E Edition isn’t new to the race track. And neither is Mahindra.

Mahindra's Legacy in Motorsport

Mahindra has always had strong roots in motorsport, dating back to the days of the Himalayan Rally in the 1980s. There was also the time when the Mahindra Adventure team was an unstoppable force in the Indian National Rally Championship, and in more recent times, Mahindra Racing has been putting on an impressive performance in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.

Why the BE 6 Formula E Edition Was Chosen as the Safety Car

Leveraging Mahindra Racing’s involvement in Formula E and motorsport, Mahindra went on to introduce the BE 6 Formula E Edition – a sportier avatar of its electric SUV, and it is this version of the BE 6 that was deployed on track as a safety car (and medical car) for the IRF races in Goa

What Does a Safety Car Do in Motorsport?

For those of you unfamiliar with the concept, safety cars are deployed on race tracks to limit the speeds of the race cars, and they are driven at a specific speed so that the marshals can step out safely on the track to either retrieve damaged / broken race cars, or to pick debris off the track post a racing incident. The slower speed of the safety car bunches up the drivers behind it and no cars are allowed to overtake it.

BE 6 Formula E Edition: Performance Built for the Track

The safety car used in the IRF Goa street races, the BE 6 Formula E Edition, was visually identical to the car that you see in the showrooms, save for the lights mounted atop the roof. The mechanicals remain unchanged too, with the Mahindra continuing to pack in a 79kWh battery pack and a powertrain that produces 282bhp and 380Nm. Floor the throttle and 100kmph comes up from standstill in a claimed 6.7 seconds, with the EV accelerating all the way to a top whack of 202kmph. The claimed MIDC range is 680km, but that figure is academic considering the nature of the car’s on-track duties.

How an Electric SUV Redefined the Safety Car Role

Over the years, we’ve seen some cool vehicles being deployed as safety cars in Formula One and MotoGP, but seeing a safety car from an Indian manufacturer in a motorsport series that attracts global talent is definitely a commendable moment. An interesting thing about the BE 6 Formula E Edition is how well-suited it is to be a safety car. It has the speed and the dynamic chops to be hustled and to keep race cars at bay. From a purist’s POV, the lack of an exhaust note means it doesn’t overshadow the race cars, and it definitely looks as cool as the race cars themselves.

The Future of Electric Performance and Racing

Come to think of it, the BE 6 could potentially be a great machine to spawn off a one-make championship from, kicking off a sparkhead’s life in the fast lane.