If there is one car that we look forward to test drive it soon, then it has to be the all-new, hot hatch, MINI John Cooper Works GP. The racing-inspired MINI was featured at the 2019 LA Auto Show and by the looks of the crowd, it managed to win them over.
Featuring a 225 kW/306 hp 4-cylinder turbocharged engine and a maximum torque of 450 Nm at a speed of 1 750 rpm, the MINI racing car accelerates from zero to 100 km/h in just 5.2 seconds. MINI says that it will produce the new MINI John Cooper Works GP in a limited edition of 3,000 units. Delivery to racing enthusiasts around the globe will get underway in March 2020.
So what makes the new GP so special, aside from the impressive power output? Let’s list some of them: model-specific kinematics and elastokinematics, specially tuned suspension springs, newly designed swivel bearings and a new braking system.
The design has also been optimized for maximum performance. The MINI John Cooper Works GP comes with a large roof spoiler with double wing contours, model-specific design of the front apron surround known as the Blackband and a front spoiler lip. In addition, the front apron has particularly large air intakes.
The JCW GP includes large and strikingly flared wheel arches consisting of a thermoplastic substructure and an outer shell made of carbon fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP).
Inside, the 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 by 3D printing.
The 300-hp front-wheel-drive car can run the Nürburgring in under eight minutes, Mini USA says. The MINI JCW GP will start at $45,750, not cheap, but apparently worth every penny.
