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JCW GP is fastest MINI ever

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New 306hp MINI John Cooper Works GP revealed in LA.

After plenty of teasing, we've now got the full rundown on the fastest road-going production model of MINI in the history of the marque. This is the John Cooper Works GP, and it has received its world debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show.

Capable of 265km/h

The 2020 MINI JCW GP is based on a three-door JCW, but uses the 306hp version of the 2.0-litre TwinPower Turbo four-cylinder petrol engine, which has already seen service in the Clubman JCW and the BMW X2 M35i.

That means 306hp between 5,000-6,250rpm and a fulsome 450Nm of torque from 1,750-4,500rpm, enough to punch the JCW GP from 0-100km/h in 5.2 seconds and on to a derestricted top speed of 265km/h - hence why it's the fastest MINI yet built. It should also sound good, as it has its own bespoke, throaty exhaust system with twin 90mm centre-exit pipes poking out at the rear. Channelling all that power to the front wheels is an eight-speed Steptronic Sport automatic gearbox (with a model-specific shifter and paddles on the steering wheel too) that's hooked up to a mechanical limited-slip differential that can provide up to 31 per cent locking effect. To keep this engine from overheating and supplied with oil even during the hardest of driving and cornering, the coolant system and the oil sump have been specifically designed for the JCW GP.

Lightened, stiffer, aerodynamic

It's not just straight-line speed that the GP will be known for, though, rather its handling prowess. It's a strict two-seater only, the rear bench junked in favour of a huge aluminium strut brace in the back, which is finished in Chili Red. Reduced sound-deadening further strips weight, while the suspension has been overhauled and stiffened, with the whole car dropped 10mm closer to the deck when compared to a 231hp JCW. Stopping power is handled by four-piston fixed front, single-piston floating rear callipers gripping 360x30mm discs, the JCW-branded brake shoes also painted in Chili Red like the strut brace. Lightweight forged 18-inch alloys weigh less than 9kg apiece and are wrapped in 225/35 R18 high-performance tyres for maximal grip.

Externally, the JCW GP's lurid body addenda all goes to optimising its aerodynamic balance. There are cooling ducts driving air to the engine and the brakes, while the double-contour roof spoiler, the front apron surround (known as the Blackband) and the leading-edge splitter all play their part in reducing lift. That rear spoiler, by the way, has a reversed-wing profile to provide the maximum downforce with the lowest possible drag. The keen-eyed among you might spot the extended wheel-arch surrounds, which are made of carbon-fibre composite and which bear the consecutive numbers of the limited build run of just 3,000 JCW GPs - so anything between '0001' and '3000' will be displayed here.

Any colour you like...

Beyond the high torsional rigidity, lightweight construction and aerodynamic slipperiness of the MINI JCW GP, externally there is just the one colour - Racing Grey metallic. This is contrasted with Melting Silver metallic on the roof and door mirrors, then more of that Chili Red flashing for the cross-member on the hexagonal radiator grille, the lower air intake inserts and the inside of the roof spoiler. Discreet GP logos can be espied front and rear, on the sides of the rear spoiler and in the door sill finishers, as well as that stylised, lengthened GT graphic running along the bottom of the doors (which is finished in Rosso Red metallic matte-effect). Finally, topping all this off are some black details, like the headlamp surrounds, the central radiator grille, the rear lights (complete with Union Jack emblem again...), the fuel filler cap and the door handles. Even the MINI logos front and rear, and the bonnet intake, are finished in black.

Inside, while the fitment of just two sports seats in Dinamica/leather is enough to get the pulse racing, there's more of the red, silver and black detailing to tie the cabin in with the bodywork and up the ambience further. The passenger dash bears the production number of the JCW GP in question, with 3D printing to get the desired effect, while the Nappa leather steering wheel has a 12 o'clock marker and red stitching as well. Optional features for the MINI JCW GP include climate control and the Connected Navigation Plus package, while the standard kit includes a digital instrument cluster mounted on the steering column.

Third instalment

This is the third MINI to wear the fabled 'GP' badge, after the 2006 MINI Cooper S with John Cooper Works GP Kit and the 2013 MINI John Cooper Works GP. Both of these two had similar looks to the 'GP3', as it will come to be known (when the GP2 launched in 2013, it retconned the original into the GP1 among MINI enthusiasts), and they employed 218hp engines for potent performance. Both became much sought-after collectors' items, thanks to just 2,000 examples being constructed of each. Following its LA premiere, the MINI JCW GP(3) will go into production at MINI Plant Oxford in England, with the first cars scheduled to reach eager customers in March 2020.

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Published on November 19, 2019