The new Mini JCW GP wants to be the new king of the Nürburgring...

…among production cars with two-wheel drive

The new Mini John Cooper Works GP, or Mini JCW GP for short, is taking far too long to arrive. So much so that any sign of its official debut or images, even under camouflage like the ones we bring you today, feeds the desire to drive one of the most extreme hatchbacks of recent times.

And we don’t hesitate to say this, because everything points to it being so.

While the competition focuses on performance and efficiency, the new Mini JCW GP promises anything but discretion.

Starting from the brutal prototype that previewed the main lines of the future production car, where every element that could be enhanced was grotesquely exaggerated, the version that will reach the road can be glimpsed almost effortlessly in the photo album of one of the test mules of the Mini John Cooper Works GP that Mini has already put to work on the Nürburgring circuit.

This car is a weapon for circuits, both for track sessions or trackdays and for excursions along the most exciting and demanding routes in the world, such as the Green Hell itself.

And so, it is no coincidence that this car was displayed during the latest edition of the 24 Hours of Nürburgring, held over this same weekend.

An unrivalled showcase

While those responsible for comparable models from other brands insist that their priority is not to assault the Nürburgring-Nordschleife record lap time, Mini makes no secret of its interest in having its new, extreme Mini JCW GP bid for the crown among the fastest two-wheel-drive cars to complete the 20.8 km.

Currently, the new king of two-wheel-drive cars is the Renault Mégane RS Trophy-R, which set a sparkling 7:40.100. For now, Mini admits that this new version has already gone under 8 minutes, something worth noting since its predecessor set a time of 8:23.

And, to whet your appetite, nothing better than a preview video:

https://youtu.be/TGcd8oIuVXg

Power, lightness and aerodynamic efficiency

The three keys to the new Mini will be based on a policy of weight reduction, maximised aerodynamic efficiency and unprecedented mechanical potential.

For the occasion, the new car will feature the four-cylinder TwinPower Turbo engine, producing more than 300 CV to propel this little giant-killer around the German circuit. Or along the route of any location where one of the 3,000 units being assembled places its four wheels on the tarmac.

As Mini has confirmed that the new Mini JCW GP will be manufactured from next year in a limited series of just 3,000 cars.