Mini has announced
pricing details of the John Cooper Works GP hot hatch in the UK, which starts
from £ 34,995 and will be officially revealed in its final production form at
the LA Auto Show this month. The new John Cooper Works GP was created to
celebrate the brand’s 60th anniversary and will be powered by a turbocharged
2.0-liter with 302 HP, which sounds like the same unit featured in the
BMW M135i. An eight-speed automatic transmission is rumored to be the only option.
This will make the
new JCW GP the most powerful road-legal model in Mini’s history, in addition to
the most aggressive as it’ll feature dramatic bodywork that includes fender
extensions, a deeper front splitter, a big rear diffuser and a sizeable roof
spoiler.
Mini has paraded
camouflaged development cars in front of the public earlier this summer at the
Goodwood Festival of Speed and at the Nurburgring, where it has already set a
lap time of under 8 minutes. The exact lap time is expected to be revealed at
the LA Auto Show, during the model’s premiere. An image of a fully uncovered
Mini JCW GP has been already shared online.
The £ 34,995 price
tag brings the new Mini John Cooper Works GP pretty close rivals such as the
Mercedes-AMG A35, the Audi S3, the Renault Megane RS Trophy and of course the
closely related BMW M135i.
The Mini will be much more exclusive than any of its rivals, as only 3,000 examples will
be produced in total. It would also be lighter and more nimble than most of the
aforementioned hot hatches, given the size difference and its hardcore
character.
