MINI John Cooper Works GP, the most aggressive and sporty variant of the British city car

The name of John Cooper, Formula 1 designer, is very closely linked to the MINI brand since the launch of the classic model in 1959. From time to time a MINI John Cooper Works variant has appeared, and now it is time to see a new one, framed within the GP badge the British brand has launched, in which the MINI John Cooper Works GP takes third place.

It was at the Los Angeles Auto Show that this version of the popular British city car was shown, of which only 3,000 units will be built, and whose lucky owners will be able to start enjoying from March 2020.

Sporty and dynamic exterior

The exterior look is quite spectacular, with a front diffuser that has its own name, Blackband, and a rear spoiler that can be seen even from the front, to emphasise its sporty look. The carbon fibre in strategic places, together with the glossy Chili Red and Rosso Red colours and the matt Racing Grey bodywork, completes this dynamic and attractive image.

A MINI must have other touches of colour that contrast with the bodywork, which is why the roof and the outer mirror caps are finished in silver. To set it apart from the rest of the MINI range, the exterior parts that are normally available in chrome are finished in glossy black on the MINI John Cooper Works GP.

The 18-inch forged alloy wheels are very light, weighing less than 9 kilos, and are fitted with 225/35 tyres. Four-piston fixed-caliper aluminium disc brakes are fitted to the front wheels, while the rear wheels have single-piston floating-caliper brakes.

Powerful and efficient engine

Under the bonnet, the sporty touch has also been applied, using a 2.0-litre engine with MINI TwinPower Turbo technology capable of delivering 306 CV, an increase of 75 CV over the standard MINI John Cooper Works. The maximum torque is 450 Nm, a figure reached at 1,750 rpm.

The top speed of the MINI John Cooper Works GP rises to 265 km/h thanks to the removal of the speed limiter. All of this gives an 0 to 100 km/h acceleration in 5.2 seconds. The 8-speed automatic gearbox can also be operated manually using the steering wheel paddles, which makes the car more practical and more enjoyable to drive.

The steering is improved with various settings, such as the inclusion of GP mode, which adjusts the behaviour of the engine and brakes. In addition, the ride height has been reduced by 10 mm, along with changes such as a reinforced crankshaft with a larger main bearing, specific pistons, bushless connecting rods and a torsional vibration damper with optimised cooling.

Sporty interior

Inside, the aim has been to continue the sporty and active image. The sports seats have the look that the car wants to emphasise, including silver sides with contrasting red stitching, the GP badge under the headrests and other elements that seek that effective contrast.

At the rear, the seats have been removed and replaced with a red-painted safety bar, to offer more protection during track days, if that is how you want to enjoy this model. In addition, a 6.5-inch screen is included for the infotainment system and another 5-inch screen for the instrument cluster.

And, as this is a limited edition of 3,000 units, each one will be numbered and the buyer will know exactly what their serial number is, giving it an even more exclusive touch.