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Mini John Cooper Works GP revealed as two-seat ultra-hot hatch

Mini John Cooper Works GP revealed as 302bhp, two-seat ultra-hot hatch

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Mini has revealed its most hardcore road car yet – the Mini John Cooper Works GP.

Having been confirmed for production last year and teased in a series of images since, the hotly-anticipated Mini has finally broken cover in road-ready guise.

Though easily recognisable as a product of the British firm, it doesn’t take much to realise this is no regular Mini Cooper. Hugely flared wheel arches made from carbon fibre-reinforced plastic are present on all four corners of the car, while its front bumper takes on an extremely aggressive look.

A twin-exhaust exhaust setup sits centrally in a new diffuser, while an eye-catching rear wing sits at the top of the car. Distinctive 18-inch, four-spoke alloys hark back to previous GP models and the look is completed with a grey and red livery.

  • Mini John Cooper Works GP - front | The Car Expert
  • Mini John Cooper Works GP - rear | The Car Expert
  • Mini John Cooper Works GP - top rear | The Car Expert
  • Mini John Cooper Works GP - interior strut brace | The Car Expert

Under the race car-esque bodywork sits a 2.0-litre turbocharged engine, producing 306hp and 450Nm of torque — equalling the latest Mini Clubman John Cooper Works for the title of most powerful Mini ever. Power is sent to the front wheels via an eight-speed automatic gearbox, resulting in a 0-60mph time of five seconds flat while a 165mph top speed is said to be possible.

There’s more at play than just looks and a big engine, though. A number of chassis-stiffening enhancements have been made, while a model-specific suspension setup sees the car sit a centimetre lower than the regular John Cooper Works. A new high-performance brake setup helps slow the car back down, too, while a ‘GP’ mode has been introduced to the stability control system which unleashes the car’s full potential.

The most notable change inside the car is the removal of the rear seats, making the GP strictly a two-seater. In place of the back row is a large strut brace for improved chassis stiffness, with weight savings also achieved as a result.

Sports seats feature and are finished in a Dinamica/leather upholstery combination, while the steering wheel is trimmed in Nappa leather with a 12 o’clock marking and sits in front of 3D-printed metal paddle shifters.

Just 3,000 examples of the Mini John Cooper Works GP are slated for production, with UK pricing kicking off at £34,995. Order books for the car are now open, with the first examples set to be built in March.

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Ryan Hirons
Ryan Hirons
Articles by Ryan Hirons are provided for The Car Expert by PA Media (formerly the Press Association). They include test drives of the latest new cars and features on various aspects of automotive life.