It’s one of the smallest cars on the road but has as much torque as a pickup truck and hurtles you from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.2 seconds. It hits a 265 km/h top speed and it costs P4.8 million.
It’s the incredible MINI John Cooper Works GP—the fastest ever street-legal MINI—and it is now in the Philippines.
Only 3,000 units of this incomparable MINI was produced and only six will make their way to this country.
“The new MINI John Cooper Works GP is a rarity with racing genes and sets new benchmarks for performance in the premium compact car segment,” said Jeff Lizardo, General Manager of MINI Philippines. “Due to overwhelming interest in the months leading up to its arrival, all six units in Philippines are now reserved,” Lizardo revealed.
An intense and purist race-ready feel is conveyed by what is by far the most powerful engine ever to be used in a 3-door MINI. The go-kart handling delivered by the car’s suspension is further fine-tuned based on John Cooper Works’ comprehensive racing expertise and by a chassis that is optimized in terms of lightweight construction, torsional stiffness and aerodynamics.
The new MINI John Cooper Works GP offers unrivalled sporty flair and overwhelming agility. On both road and racetrack, this combination has been a constant source of sporting highlights: from the first Mini Cooper and winning the British Touring Car Championship to the three overall victories in the Monte Carlo Rally, the MINI Challenge racing series, achievements in the Dakar Rally and the latest generation of the John Cooper Works models.
The MINI John Cooper Works GP’s engine generates 75hp more than the already lightning-quick MINI JCW. It completed a lap of the Nürburgring in less than eight minutes – almost half a minute faster than its direct predecessor.
Upgrades to the new MINI John Cooper Works GP include a thoroughly reworked 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine with MINI TwinPower Turbo Technology, generating 306hp and 450Nm (in a wide spread from 1,750-4,500 rpm), and mated to a sports exhaust system that emits a pleasant growl when cruising and transforms to a racecar-like roar when the revs climb. Power is coursed via 8-speed Steptronic sports transmission with paddle shifters and a mechanical differential lock for the front wheels.
Almost every component of the suspension has been changed, with new springs, dampers and stabilizers, suspension lowered by 10mm, widened wheel tracks, a high-performance sports brake system, and an extremely rigid body structure, engine and suspension connection.
One can identify a MINI JCW GP model with its special front and rear aprons, roof spoiler with double-wing contour, and powerfully flared thermoplastic/carbon-fiber wheel arch covers (a first time this material combination was used by the BMW Group). The new MINI John Cooper Works GP is the BMW Group’s first production car to feature an exposed matt CFRP coating. The individual numbering with the numbers “0001” to “3000” is applied on the front wheel arch panels by means of a new paint transfer process.
All MINI John Cooper Works GP models come in the exclusive Racing Grey metallic. The roof and side mirror caps are finished in contrasting Melting Silver metallic. A cross-member on the hexagonal radiator grille, the inserts in the lower air intake and the inside of the roof spoiler are finished in high-gloss Chili Red. Meanwhile the GP logos on the front and rear, the outer sides of the roof spoiler and the door sill finishers, as well as the foils above the side skirts, are finished with a stylized “GP” in Rosso Red metallic matt.
A striking contrast is provided by the black finish of the headlamp surrounds, the central radiator grille and rear lights, the fuel filler flap and the door handles, as well as the inlay on the hood and the MINI logo at the front and rear. The black inlays on the headlamps and the maximally darkened Union Jack rear lights emphasize the uncompromising sporty flair of the John Cooper Works GP.
Inside, it has a model-specific 2-seater cockpit. Standard equipment includes John Cooper Works sports seats in Dinamica/leather combination with silver side edges, red accentuation seams, a GP badge underneath the integrated headrests and red belt straps. The interior trim on the passenger side bears the numbering of the respective vehicle. This is produced individually for each of the 3,000 vehicles via 3D printing.
The John Cooper Works GP’s leather steering wheel also acquires its exclusive character from accentuations produced using the 3D printing process. The red accentuation seams and steering wheel rim made of soft nappa leather featuring a metal center marking for the 12 o’clock position, were created using the additive manufacturing process.
The shift paddles on the steering wheel are likewise 3D-printed in metal. In addition to the GP logo, a characteristic honeycomb structure can be seen on the paddle surfaces. Color accents in the otherwise dark cockpit are provided by the red GP logos on the floor mats, matching double stripes on the gear selector and the Chili Red painted aluminum load protection bar behind the seats, which prevent luggage from slipping forward under hard braking.
The standard trim also includes a digital instrument cluster on the steering column. The high-resolution 5-inch color screen shows the road speed both numerically and on a scale. A GP logo is permanently shown at the top of the screen.
The track-ready sports brake system comprises 4-piston aluminum calipers (in Chili Red and with the John Cooper Works logo) on the front wheels. The system has a direct, clearly defined pedal feel. The JCW GP is fitted with 18-inch forged alloy wheels with high-performance 225/35R18 tires made specially for the car.
Without a doubt, the MINI John Cooper Works GP is the ultimate evolution of one of the world’s most iconic and enduring automobiles. At least for now.
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