The new Mini John Cooper Works GP will have over 300 horsepower
Good news for fans of fast Minis – the fastest of them all is now just weeks away from going on sale, hard on the heels of a debut scheduled for Los Angeles on 22 November. The third-generation of John Cooper Works GP models, the 2020 edition is the first Mini to break the 300-horsepower mark – and the first production Mini to get under eight minutes for a lap of the Nürburgring Nordschleife.
Like the 2006 JCW GP and the 2012 JCW GP, the latest giant-killer from Oxford is a limited-production model that comes towards the end of the current Mini’s lifespan; Mini would like us to think of it as a future classic rather than a run-out special, however. Both previous GP generations, of which 2,000 were made of each, have a following with aficionados and enjoy a price premium over regular JCW cars in the used market.
There will be 3,000 of the new one for worldwide consumption, Mini has confirmed, with a price in the UK of £33,895. That’s almost £8,000 more than a Mini John Cooper Works so what does the GP edition give you for your money, apart from a bit of exclusivity?
Power, for one thing. The new GP gets 306PS (302bhp) which is a healthy 70 horses more than the standard JCW. The engine is a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo, UK-made but BMW originated and the same TwinPower unit as used in the M135i. BMW’s little scorcher gets from 0-62mph in 4.8 seconds so that will be the time for the Mini GP to beat – at this stage, Mini isn’t giving any performance figures.
But it is saying that the 2020 GP will get around the Nürburgring in less than eight minutes. The previous GP (with 215bhp) did it in 8 minutes 23 seconds – hot stuff at the time for a smallish front-driver – so the new one promises to be streets ahead.
In this it is showing all the signs of having grown up into a properly sporty little track car, with for the first time the power to match its John Cooper Works racing-derived chassis and aerodynamics. No details of that as yet, but suffice to say the last GP with its bespoke JCW suspension was a big hit with drivers.
It’s likely to deliver on the looks front, too, building on styling cues introduced with the last GP – and complete of course with union flag-inspired rear lights. Officially the car is still wearing its disguise but one thing we can be sure of: it will have a big wing on the roof. The whole package might not be as in-your-face as the GP concept of 2017 – with its low and wide look, big front and rear aprons and air scoops – but it should still have plenty of sporting purpose on show.
The GP concept also majored on saving weight with lots of lightweight materials, and we can expect the production version to follow in its footsteps and trim back the regular JCW car’s 1,300kg. It is not yet known if there will be a stripped-back two-seat-only interior option which Mini has offered with the GP in the past.
The best little driver’s car yet and a new high point in Mini Cooper track ability? Watch this space…