Mini has released teaser pictures of it’s limited edition John Cooper Works GP which is powered by a 220kW turbocharged four-cylinder engine, making it the brands most powerful car yet produced.
Only 3000 units will be produced according to Mini. It says anyone who gets the chance to take a seat in one of these exclusive cars can look forward to pure driving fun.
This was the promise offered at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 2017 when the Mini John Cooper Works GP Concept was first presented.
Large front and rear aprons, a striking roof spoiler and the extensive use of lightweight materials left no doubt as to the concept vehicles sporty ambitions.
Serial production development for the John Cooper Works GP is now entering its crucial phase – namely on the race track, where whole-vehicle testing is to be carried out in the course of the next few months.
Drawing on John Cooper Works expertise, the suspension developed specifically for this model will be precisely adapted to the exceptionally high output of the new engine.
Rigorously defined aerodynamic properties and an optimised weight go together with the relevant drive and suspension technology to create an optimum all-in package for thrilling performance characteristics.
Focused application of motor racing technology and expertise lays the foundation for new records in the fight against the clock. The benchmark here is the top athlete of the last MINI generation.
The Nürburgring-Nordschleife lap time achieved by the predecessor model of the new Mini John Cooper Works GP was 8:23 minutes– faster than many a sports car from the higher segments.
Mini has quite a tradition of leaving supposedly superior competitors behind it.
In the hands of Formula 1 designer John Cooper, the classic Mini itself matured to become a small but high-speed racing machine that regularly beat the big players at their own game – not least with its three outright victories at the Monte Carlo Rally.
The new Mini John Cooper Works GP is based on the principle of tapping into the brands sporting genes to create a superior racing machine – in fact it embodies this notion in its most extreme form.
Its predecessor was produced in a limited edition of 2000 vehicles, as was the Mini Cooper S with John Cooper Works GP Kit which came out back in 2006.
Both have since become much-coveted collector’s items. And the new model is already being eagerly anticipated by fans of the Mini and John Cooper Works brands.
“The fastest Mini in our brand history – which now goes back 60 years – is an expression of pure racing passion,” says Mini product and launch management vice president Thomas Giuliani.
“We are well aware of the enormous fascination for the Mini John Cooper Works GP, not just from the reactions to the concept vehicle but also from past experience: after all, every one of its predecessors was completely sold out even before the official market launch.”
Join the conversation