Mini F56 GP3 - yes the weird one with arch spats!
Discussion
I’m starting to update a few of my interesting cars on here.
My R8 thread here:-
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
So following my ownership of 2 x GP2s it’s safe to say I am a fan of the package. Fast AF, very playful (you need to be on your toes when pushing on), and interesting enough to use as a Sunday morning hoon as well as a full day on track.
Which is what I did with my other ones:-
Fast forward to the end of 2023 and I start looking for another fun car to add to the garage. Originally I wanted another M2 Comp (I’ve owned 3 X M2s so far), but after seeing the Mini F56 in Goodwood prior to its release and also speaking to the racing driver who took it up the hill, my attention got more serious!
Generally the reviews are a mixed bag for a number of reasons, mainly because of the auto box and torque steer due to 300+hp, aggressive camber and effective Torsen mechanic differential. So no surprise there. It is indeed a track day car and needs to be treated that way on the road.
I got to work looking and found a great example being sold in BMW Southport. Completely standard, with additional touring pack, low mileage, great condition with all the benefits of a main dealer sale. I managed to get the next service thrown in as well as 2 years warranty. Residuals are impeccable on these, believe it or not but they are are not far off the cost of the M2 Comp (of not the same).
So here was #1266 on collection day. January 2nd, dreadful weather, sleet, rain, wind and standing water. I live in North Wales so decided to take a detour around some local legendary roads. Obviously I couldn’t push on but I wanted to understand the ‘feel’. First thoughts were, fit and finish was of very high quality, much better than the GP2. Dynamically, very track biased, the aggressive geo was apparent as it hunted the camber in the roads. Turn in sharp with some feel, HUGE power - I can see why this was/is the fastest FWD car in a straight line, not ideal when it’s so wet.
I decided enough was enough and get the new addition home, safe in one piece!
Already I had ‘changes planned’! For next instalment.
My R8 thread here:-
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
So following my ownership of 2 x GP2s it’s safe to say I am a fan of the package. Fast AF, very playful (you need to be on your toes when pushing on), and interesting enough to use as a Sunday morning hoon as well as a full day on track.
Which is what I did with my other ones:-
Fast forward to the end of 2023 and I start looking for another fun car to add to the garage. Originally I wanted another M2 Comp (I’ve owned 3 X M2s so far), but after seeing the Mini F56 in Goodwood prior to its release and also speaking to the racing driver who took it up the hill, my attention got more serious!
Generally the reviews are a mixed bag for a number of reasons, mainly because of the auto box and torque steer due to 300+hp, aggressive camber and effective Torsen mechanic differential. So no surprise there. It is indeed a track day car and needs to be treated that way on the road.
I got to work looking and found a great example being sold in BMW Southport. Completely standard, with additional touring pack, low mileage, great condition with all the benefits of a main dealer sale. I managed to get the next service thrown in as well as 2 years warranty. Residuals are impeccable on these, believe it or not but they are are not far off the cost of the M2 Comp (of not the same).
So here was #1266 on collection day. January 2nd, dreadful weather, sleet, rain, wind and standing water. I live in North Wales so decided to take a detour around some local legendary roads. Obviously I couldn’t push on but I wanted to understand the ‘feel’. First thoughts were, fit and finish was of very high quality, much better than the GP2. Dynamically, very track biased, the aggressive geo was apparent as it hunted the camber in the roads. Turn in sharp with some feel, HUGE power - I can see why this was/is the fastest FWD car in a straight line, not ideal when it’s so wet.
I decided enough was enough and get the new addition home, safe in one piece!
Already I had ‘changes planned’! For next instalment.
Edited by christurbo on Sunday 10th March 09:01
CoolHands said:
Yes I remember your gp2. Love these, please post some daytime pics when you get a chance. I only have an R55, if I had the money I would get one of these.
Don’t worry, this thread will become pic overload. I’ve been tardy updating my ownership so far, however there have been a few road trips and upgrades done to date. I just need to pull my finger out to post! You have a nice car by the way. I got quickly to work on some minor changes that I wanted to make the next day.
First thing was swapping out the radio controlled car look for the a shorted part which is available from Mini.
Then added some Motech 10mm spacers and longer bolts as the OEM setup is so tucked in with the wide arch spats.
I changed the chrome belt line for the OEM Mini gloss black version. Fitting was simple as long as you knew which direction to pull on each section (they are different depending on which section).
Then finally (for this instalment) decided to polish up the exhaust tips.
Then took it to my secret 13 mile route through some of the best roads around here. The last time I got the heart rate up that high driving was in the GT3.
First thing was swapping out the radio controlled car look for the a shorted part which is available from Mini.
Then added some Motech 10mm spacers and longer bolts as the OEM setup is so tucked in with the wide arch spats.
I changed the chrome belt line for the OEM Mini gloss black version. Fitting was simple as long as you knew which direction to pull on each section (they are different depending on which section).
Then finally (for this instalment) decided to polish up the exhaust tips.
Then took it to my secret 13 mile route through some of the best roads around here. The last time I got the heart rate up that high driving was in the GT3.
Edited by christurbo on Saturday 9th March 09:47
Trying to tame this little maniac on a 3hr+ / 155 mile tour of Snowdonia. With wet roads, sleet and temps hovering over 0.5-1.0 degrees it was very white knuckle!
Crazy how the temperature changes so quickly as you ascend into the mountains and conditions become icy.
Ffestiniog is as fun as ever though.
It managed to put a huge smile on my face again and it inspired enough confidence for it to be ‘tested’.
Observations:
- The auto box is great, it’s no DSG or PDK but it works great.
- The steering wheel is VERY busy due to the diff hooking up and it following camber in the road. This makes it exciting and rewarding when you get it right. But another reason why the Auto box is necessary, you dont have time to take your hand off the wheel.
- Steering feel isn’t bad for an EPAS.
- Brakes are incredible, no surprise when you see the size of them. Unfortunately they smoked a little at the end of a hot run so may review pad compounds in the future. Maybe Carbotech.
- Steering wheel is far too fat, need to sort this out.
- Grip isn’t that progressive on the limit and you need to be quick due to short wheel base. The Hankooks may need to go.
- The looks are head turning, just like the R8……
- It’s rapid, as discovered when I met a GTR.
I also got a great ‘GP’ number plate too.
Until next update
Crazy how the temperature changes so quickly as you ascend into the mountains and conditions become icy.
Ffestiniog is as fun as ever though.
It managed to put a huge smile on my face again and it inspired enough confidence for it to be ‘tested’.
Observations:
- The auto box is great, it’s no DSG or PDK but it works great.
- The steering wheel is VERY busy due to the diff hooking up and it following camber in the road. This makes it exciting and rewarding when you get it right. But another reason why the Auto box is necessary, you dont have time to take your hand off the wheel.
- Steering feel isn’t bad for an EPAS.
- Brakes are incredible, no surprise when you see the size of them. Unfortunately they smoked a little at the end of a hot run so may review pad compounds in the future. Maybe Carbotech.
- Steering wheel is far too fat, need to sort this out.
- Grip isn’t that progressive on the limit and you need to be quick due to short wheel base. The Hankooks may need to go.
- The looks are head turning, just like the R8……
- It’s rapid, as discovered when I met a GTR.
I also got a great ‘GP’ number plate too.
Until next update
Edited by christurbo on Saturday 9th March 10:20
Interesting ….. the day after I posted this thread PH decided to write an article on the GP:-
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
Anyway, next up was the side indicators. The ones that came with the GP are the traditional amber bulb design which doesn’t look that sleek with the rest of the car and stood out.
I had 3 options:
1. Aftermarket bulb design scuttles that are smoked
2. OEM latest mini LED JCW scuttles
3. OEM latest mini all black and plain scuttles
I decided on option 3, as it should disappear into the car instead of standing out, plus have LED which is what the GP has for front and rear lights.
The only thing I needed to buy in addition to this was Bimmercode and also a Bluetooth ODB module to change the coding from halogen to LED.
Whilst at it I made some minor modifications to the rear light clusters so that they were always on even with the lights off in daytime, also the DRL brightness to 100%.
This was the outcome:-
Next up …. I need to sort out this FAT steering wheel. It’s awful.
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
Anyway, next up was the side indicators. The ones that came with the GP are the traditional amber bulb design which doesn’t look that sleek with the rest of the car and stood out.
I had 3 options:
1. Aftermarket bulb design scuttles that are smoked
2. OEM latest mini LED JCW scuttles
3. OEM latest mini all black and plain scuttles
I decided on option 3, as it should disappear into the car instead of standing out, plus have LED which is what the GP has for front and rear lights.
The only thing I needed to buy in addition to this was Bimmercode and also a Bluetooth ODB module to change the coding from halogen to LED.
Whilst at it I made some minor modifications to the rear light clusters so that they were always on even with the lights off in daytime, also the DRL brightness to 100%.
This was the outcome:-
Next up …. I need to sort out this FAT steering wheel. It’s awful.
Next was the steering wheel.
As said before, in true BMW fashion, the steering wheel is far to girthy (ooo er). When you are used to slim wheels with minimal padding such as the GT3/4 you realise how much feeling you lose through these squishy wheels. I’m not sure where the fad came from.
So like other M cars I’ve owned, I got in contact with Jack from Royal Steering Wheels to discuss spec.
I chose:-
- Black Alcantara 9040
- Red stitching
- Red Alcantara centre strip
- Padding removed so thinner
Red accents spec’d to match the GP. Normally they send you their wheel and when replaced you send them the old one. However I wanted to keep the GP wheel incase I ever sell it. So I found a JCW wheel for sale and used that as the replacement.
Order placed and it arrived just as I wanted.
Removing the wheel wasn’t as easy as others because of the design of the retaining spring. After some swearing and perseverance it all came out.
Then I needed to swap the switch gear and paddles. The paddles on the GP are great. They are 3D printed metal and feel amazing when being used with a nice positive click. Unlike what came standard on the R8 (and all other fast Audi’s!).
The results are brilliant. It’s as thin as the original wheel design will allow but makes a difference when pushing on. Modern cars are not huge on feel but every change like this helps by removing the sponginess.
For those wondering why alcantara when it is supposedly hard to keep nice…. I find it easy to maintain regularly with a microfibre and Sonax Alcantara cleaner.
[url]
As said before, in true BMW fashion, the steering wheel is far to girthy (ooo er). When you are used to slim wheels with minimal padding such as the GT3/4 you realise how much feeling you lose through these squishy wheels. I’m not sure where the fad came from.
So like other M cars I’ve owned, I got in contact with Jack from Royal Steering Wheels to discuss spec.
I chose:-
- Black Alcantara 9040
- Red stitching
- Red Alcantara centre strip
- Padding removed so thinner
Red accents spec’d to match the GP. Normally they send you their wheel and when replaced you send them the old one. However I wanted to keep the GP wheel incase I ever sell it. So I found a JCW wheel for sale and used that as the replacement.
Order placed and it arrived just as I wanted.
Removing the wheel wasn’t as easy as others because of the design of the retaining spring. After some swearing and perseverance it all came out.
Then I needed to swap the switch gear and paddles. The paddles on the GP are great. They are 3D printed metal and feel amazing when being used with a nice positive click. Unlike what came standard on the R8 (and all other fast Audi’s!).
The results are brilliant. It’s as thin as the original wheel design will allow but makes a difference when pushing on. Modern cars are not huge on feel but every change like this helps by removing the sponginess.
For those wondering why alcantara when it is supposedly hard to keep nice…. I find it easy to maintain regularly with a microfibre and Sonax Alcantara cleaner.
[url]
Edited by christurbo on Sunday 10th March 14:06
NeilAndHisMini said:
Watching with interest, as a GP2 diehard (108k miles of fun so far).
Was initially rather cynical about the GP3, not helped by MINI's rather arrogant attitude towards potential buyers, but talking to a couple of owners in the last year or so has changed my mind somewhat to the point where I can maybe see one in my future.
My advice is keep an open mind, remember most social media outlets, magazines, etc follow suit on the reviews. I take things like that with a pinch of salt and test things for myself. Glad I did with the GP. The reason why it won't appeal to the masses is because it is tough to extract performance. Mainly because the chassis and setup is pretty aggressive/focused and will bite you if you are not considerate to your inputs. Unlike most performance cars these days, you can't just plant the throttle and lift off thinking that the car will work it out for you when you've overstepped the boundaries. Think old school French hot hatch (stripped) but with over twice the power. But if you can peddle its so rewarding when you get it right. Was initially rather cynical about the GP3, not helped by MINI's rather arrogant attitude towards potential buyers, but talking to a couple of owners in the last year or so has changed my mind somewhat to the point where I can maybe see one in my future.
Nelka said:
Love these!
I need back seats though, so my JCW will have to do.
JCW is a fantastic package and with some choice changes to the chassis / diff you could get a similar feel I am sure.I need back seats though, so my JCW will have to do.
PistonbrokePaul said:
I'm a big fan of these, oddly enough I looked at your's when it was at BMW Southport but couldn't justify the additional cost over my 140 so it's great to see the purchaser has a thread I can follow vicariously!
From memory did yours have the passenger side screen in the dash? I did look at a couple and didn't realise it was an option from factory?
Well I am glad you didn't pull any triggers! Took me a while to find one I was willing to buy. From memory did yours have the passenger side screen in the dash? I did look at a couple and didn't realise it was an option from factory?
No it didn't, it came with the only optional extra which is the Touring Pack (mandatory in my opinion as that provides creature comforts, decent lights, and aircon.
The amazing passenger display is aftermarket (but on my list), it provides all sorts of MI such as oil temp, etc. etc.
Court_S said:
I really like these; the reaction has been mixed to them but I think they look great. In the flesh, they’re quite an imposing thing.
The new wheel looks great; can’t fault RSW having had five wheels and various bits of trim done by them now.
Ditto - I've used Jack's services for so long, on all of my M cars, other GPs, was considering it on the R8 but think I will stick with leather (for now).The new wheel looks great; can’t fault RSW having had five wheels and various bits of trim done by them now.
Living in North Wales and being the kind of PHer who enjoys their cars all through the year (no garage queens here), I decided to pull out the nice plush GP branded carpet mats and swap them for some OEM Mini rubber mats. I have full rubber mats in the Disco and it makes cleaning so much easier.
I actually prefer them to the GP mats.
I actually prefer them to the GP mats.
Next up was the arch spats.
They are an unusual design and made of recycled carbon fibre. I wasn’t sure at first but weirdly I now love them (in person). From afar they make the stance of the GP look like a wide bodied challenge car. This is the reason why you need to fill the arches out more.
One of the design flaws of these slats is that they have vented sections that love to collect small stones which have been flicked up by the rubber. They tend to sit between the spat and the bodywork. This is less of a practical issue because Mini installed PPF to stop any scratches or paint damage. The PITA is removing said stones. Blast with a pressure washer whilst pulling the arch slightly usually did the trick, and some GP owners even used an improvised tool to pull them out.
Being the resourceful chap I am I decided to get to work and try a ‘fix’.
I pulled the rear spats off. They are held with a combination of BMW red and grey trim clips. I ordered some replacements incase I broke some (I did).
I then bought some dense neoprene foam that was self adhesive. I filled in the gaps with the foam which acts as a barrier to stop debris getting in.
Worked a treat.
They are an unusual design and made of recycled carbon fibre. I wasn’t sure at first but weirdly I now love them (in person). From afar they make the stance of the GP look like a wide bodied challenge car. This is the reason why you need to fill the arches out more.
One of the design flaws of these slats is that they have vented sections that love to collect small stones which have been flicked up by the rubber. They tend to sit between the spat and the bodywork. This is less of a practical issue because Mini installed PPF to stop any scratches or paint damage. The PITA is removing said stones. Blast with a pressure washer whilst pulling the arch slightly usually did the trick, and some GP owners even used an improvised tool to pull them out.
Being the resourceful chap I am I decided to get to work and try a ‘fix’.
I pulled the rear spats off. They are held with a combination of BMW red and grey trim clips. I ordered some replacements incase I broke some (I did).
I then bought some dense neoprene foam that was self adhesive. I filled in the gaps with the foam which acts as a barrier to stop debris getting in.
Worked a treat.
So at this stage in ownership I had only used the GP for the odd weekend morning blast through pretty winters conditions which were wet and cold (and even icy).
So even though I was in an ok position to understand the dynamics, I hadn’t rung its neck, so to speak….
Fast forward and we had a dry spell. It was still cold (sub double digits on a thermometer), but it was dry!
It was great to finally be able to use full throttle in lower gears for once. What a thing. I’d argue it would be one of the fastest things out there in a similar class (or even higher!) on B Roads. Yes it’s firm but you soon learn to manage that.
One thing to note, you forget how terrifying lift off oversteer is at higher speeds. Due to the very firm and tight damping/spring rates and questionable road surface (maybe tyres too), the GP leapt into one of the biggest angle drifts I’ve done in a FWD car and that included track! It was a fast off camber downhill turn and it decided to let go very quickly. Luckily a few jabs of opposite lock and full throttle down and it graciously corrected itself and ploughed on. Sure heart rate was 180+bpm! That why GT3/4 and R8s are so much easier to drive hard in my opinion, power oversteer is a lot easier and predictable to control.
This is why I bought this little monster…. So much fun and the exact qualities I want from a fast car. They should be a challenge to tame and this can only make you a better driver.
I’m sure the Hankook S1 Ventus EVO tyres are superb in the warm dry conditions, or maybe for a bit of track work, but they won’t work for me. I like a tyre that can manage most conditions, e.g the MPS4S etc ….
So tyres are now on the ‘list’
I also gave the GP a little detail but I post separately on what I have been doing in that area.
So even though I was in an ok position to understand the dynamics, I hadn’t rung its neck, so to speak….
Fast forward and we had a dry spell. It was still cold (sub double digits on a thermometer), but it was dry!
It was great to finally be able to use full throttle in lower gears for once. What a thing. I’d argue it would be one of the fastest things out there in a similar class (or even higher!) on B Roads. Yes it’s firm but you soon learn to manage that.
One thing to note, you forget how terrifying lift off oversteer is at higher speeds. Due to the very firm and tight damping/spring rates and questionable road surface (maybe tyres too), the GP leapt into one of the biggest angle drifts I’ve done in a FWD car and that included track! It was a fast off camber downhill turn and it decided to let go very quickly. Luckily a few jabs of opposite lock and full throttle down and it graciously corrected itself and ploughed on. Sure heart rate was 180+bpm! That why GT3/4 and R8s are so much easier to drive hard in my opinion, power oversteer is a lot easier and predictable to control.
This is why I bought this little monster…. So much fun and the exact qualities I want from a fast car. They should be a challenge to tame and this can only make you a better driver.
I’m sure the Hankook S1 Ventus EVO tyres are superb in the warm dry conditions, or maybe for a bit of track work, but they won’t work for me. I like a tyre that can manage most conditions, e.g the MPS4S etc ….
So tyres are now on the ‘list’
I also gave the GP a little detail but I post separately on what I have been doing in that area.
It was a nice Sunday afternoon here in Wales, I’ve just done a morning of MTBing so thought a nice spirited drive in the GP would be a great way to end the weekend.
I wish I hadn’t bothered…….
I took a route through Snowdonia, then about 10 miles away from home I decided to take a different way back on a road I hadn’t been on for a long time, but I knew it was fun.
I came around a bend and I was faced with some pretty large potholes to the left of the road, naturally I veered to the right (there was no oncoming traffic, the road was dead), but then experienced a loud BANG, bounced the GP in the air slightly then it pulled me hard to the right.
I manged to control it however instantly I knew something was wrong. There was a lay-by meters away so I pulled into the right slowly letting it roll to a stop.
The dash flashed up “air loss” call emergency services (or something like that). I stepped out and found the front tyre completely flat with a large slice on the sidewall. Sh!t.
Whilst on the phone to wifey I then walked to the rear and discovered that the rear tyre had been slashed too!
I booked a recovery from BMW Assist and decided to find out what had caused it. As you can see the tarmac around the cat eye had worn away causing the metal to protrude, then guessing a mixture of low profile tyres and stiff suspension meant that it cut through the tyres (yes both of them!).
The recovery chap came within a max of 20 mins. What a gent! He was told by BMW the GP had to go to BMW, no doubt so they could fleece me for £££ to replace the tyres. So I managed to persuade him to drop it off home.
So whilst it was sat at home feeling sorry for itself, I got set to work deciding on my next steps.
A - need to check if rims had been damaged (hopefully not as they come as a set and are £3k.
B - opportunity to replace the Hankooks for something much better for my use case.
C - do I remove the wheels and put them into storage and buy something more to my taste, preserving the OEM wheels until / if I move the GP on.
Until next post. Extremely low profile tyres 😂
I wish I hadn’t bothered…….
I took a route through Snowdonia, then about 10 miles away from home I decided to take a different way back on a road I hadn’t been on for a long time, but I knew it was fun.
I came around a bend and I was faced with some pretty large potholes to the left of the road, naturally I veered to the right (there was no oncoming traffic, the road was dead), but then experienced a loud BANG, bounced the GP in the air slightly then it pulled me hard to the right.
I manged to control it however instantly I knew something was wrong. There was a lay-by meters away so I pulled into the right slowly letting it roll to a stop.
The dash flashed up “air loss” call emergency services (or something like that). I stepped out and found the front tyre completely flat with a large slice on the sidewall. Sh!t.
Whilst on the phone to wifey I then walked to the rear and discovered that the rear tyre had been slashed too!
I booked a recovery from BMW Assist and decided to find out what had caused it. As you can see the tarmac around the cat eye had worn away causing the metal to protrude, then guessing a mixture of low profile tyres and stiff suspension meant that it cut through the tyres (yes both of them!).
The recovery chap came within a max of 20 mins. What a gent! He was told by BMW the GP had to go to BMW, no doubt so they could fleece me for £££ to replace the tyres. So I managed to persuade him to drop it off home.
So whilst it was sat at home feeling sorry for itself, I got set to work deciding on my next steps.
A - need to check if rims had been damaged (hopefully not as they come as a set and are £3k.
B - opportunity to replace the Hankooks for something much better for my use case.
C - do I remove the wheels and put them into storage and buy something more to my taste, preserving the OEM wheels until / if I move the GP on.
Until next post. Extremely low profile tyres 😂
mikebradford said:
That's very unlucky.
However ive just had 2 separate flat tyres within a week both caused by screws.
Amazing how inconvenient getting new tyres is.
The potholes here in North Wales are getting worse and that's on our popular roads too, I hope they patch them soon.However ive just had 2 separate flat tyres within a week both caused by screws.
Amazing how inconvenient getting new tyres is.
Leins said:
What a nightmare OP. Can you contact the council and seek them to cover some of the costs? It might spur them into action on repairing it. As bad as it is in a car, god forbid a biker hit that cats-eye for any reason!
Lovely car btw. I adore my GP1, and will get it out to play now soon since spring has arrived, but the GP3 seems a whole different level of animal
Yes, reported to Denbigshire council, not hoping for a lot to be done though. The GP1 is awesome, true classic and should be a keeper for sure. Lovely car btw. I adore my GP1, and will get it out to play now soon since spring has arrived, but the GP3 seems a whole different level of animal
cornish said:
I sort of bought one of these just before lockdown in that it was all ready to pick up and then Covid hit so I decided to cancel the order.
Was behind one on Saturday (you weren’t in Bristol were you?) and must admit I quite liked it. It had a very similar plate to yours and was an impressive site on the road.
Currently in the market for a fun weekend car as I let the GR Yaris go last year as I wasn’t using it. Have had a look around and for about £30k you can get a GP3 but at that price the one I saw had 60k miles.
Will see what is about and may end up in one of these.
They do have a lot of road presence as they are much wider than the JCW so have a very interesting silhouette, just like an RS6 does (which you can’t capture on camera). Was behind one on Saturday (you weren’t in Bristol were you?) and must admit I quite liked it. It had a very similar plate to yours and was an impressive site on the road.
Currently in the market for a fun weekend car as I let the GR Yaris go last year as I wasn’t using it. Have had a look around and for about £30k you can get a GP3 but at that price the one I saw had 60k miles.
Will see what is about and may end up in one of these.
Quite a few cancelled orders for the same reason, bad timing for Mini.
I can highly recommend the GP if you are a drivers, driver. It won't be a planted AWD plough with all the electronic nannies to get you from A to B without breaking a sweat. It will make you earn your way (that's what I love!). Test drive one, but I guess you won't be able to push on in a test drive to experience its qualities.
Edited by christurbo on Sunday 17th March 21:31
Next update
So whilst the GP was out of action I decided to accelerate some TLC in the wheel arches.
The plan:-
1. Remove rust off the brake disc hats. Then painted with high temperature silver paint. Also remove rust off any metal work/bolts if I find any.
2. Apply Bilt Hamber Touchless foam to the arches and get most of the crud off
3. Apply Bilt Hamber Surfex HD to degrease and further remove stubborn grime
4. Apply Bilt Hamber AutoWheel to remove all remaining metallic debris
5. Lanoguard protection both the spray and also grease for bolts and areas that could be prone to rust
6. Ceramic coat the calipers and surfaces, like my newly painted brake disc hats, inc the exhaust tips. I use R-evolveX. This will make maintenance super easy going forward.
The brake discs looked a bit worse for wear but this was mostly from them standing around and having surface rust, so worth tidying up vs replacing at this point. There was less than 0.5mm wear on front and rear so much less than the 1.6mm tolerances set by BMW. Brake pads need sorting soon though.
The next day after the paint had dried I got to work on the cleaning. First stop Touchless, I agitated it with a brush as you can see it was cruddy from all the Welsh winter roads. Then Surfex HD and finally AutoWheel.
Quick dry with the beast
Finally nice and clean
Then some proper protection - Lanoguard. I used this on the Discovery last year and its amazing.
Finally the finishing touches with some R-evolveX, one of the toughest ceramic coatings out there for wheels and parts like calipers, etc.
This should keep the GP protected without it becoming a garage queen.
Next up the GP needs to get back on the road..... So wheels???
So whilst the GP was out of action I decided to accelerate some TLC in the wheel arches.
The plan:-
1. Remove rust off the brake disc hats. Then painted with high temperature silver paint. Also remove rust off any metal work/bolts if I find any.
2. Apply Bilt Hamber Touchless foam to the arches and get most of the crud off
3. Apply Bilt Hamber Surfex HD to degrease and further remove stubborn grime
4. Apply Bilt Hamber AutoWheel to remove all remaining metallic debris
5. Lanoguard protection both the spray and also grease for bolts and areas that could be prone to rust
6. Ceramic coat the calipers and surfaces, like my newly painted brake disc hats, inc the exhaust tips. I use R-evolveX. This will make maintenance super easy going forward.
The brake discs looked a bit worse for wear but this was mostly from them standing around and having surface rust, so worth tidying up vs replacing at this point. There was less than 0.5mm wear on front and rear so much less than the 1.6mm tolerances set by BMW. Brake pads need sorting soon though.
The next day after the paint had dried I got to work on the cleaning. First stop Touchless, I agitated it with a brush as you can see it was cruddy from all the Welsh winter roads. Then Surfex HD and finally AutoWheel.
Quick dry with the beast
Finally nice and clean
Then some proper protection - Lanoguard. I used this on the Discovery last year and its amazing.
Finally the finishing touches with some R-evolveX, one of the toughest ceramic coatings out there for wheels and parts like calipers, etc.
This should keep the GP protected without it becoming a garage queen.
Next up the GP needs to get back on the road..... So wheels???
Wish said:
I was looking for one last year. The same car is still for sale today on autotrader.
It’s got a roof decal (not my cuppa tea) can’t believe it’s still for sale, it’s become a sport now to see when it sells.
It looks in good condition with only 6,000 miles. Private sale.
It’s because of the shoddy reviews that most publications / sources mimicked. I think they are a true drivers car (forgetting the manual box) and a GP worth collecting for years to come. The sheep’s loss is our gain! It’s got a roof decal (not my cuppa tea) can’t believe it’s still for sale, it’s become a sport now to see when it sells.
It looks in good condition with only 6,000 miles. Private sale.
Ps… a lot of the handling characteristics are down to the rubber that Mini spec’d as OEM. But I’ll get onto that soon.
Update …..
So after the extensive arch clean, a fresh set of Protrack One lightweight alloy wheels arrived from Germany.
They are very short on stock so I had to compromise on the offset. But actually this worked out in my favour explained later.
Spec was 18x8 ET45 in Gloss Anthracite. Relatively lightweight at just under 8kgs which matches the OEM forged alloys.
I couldn’t wait to see what the looked like so offered them up to the GP.
I also had to order a set of TPMS, I was keeping the OEM wheels in storage so didn’t want the faff of swapping things over.
OEM BMW units are not cheap.
The GP sheds a lot of brake dust so I wanted the best rim protection and sealant out there to make maintenance easy once on. So I got hold of some Revolve X v2. Litterally armour for wheels and nothing can stick to it! You may remember I applied it to the calipers and exhaust.
I got to work applying and also fitting the TPMS remembering to torque them to 8nm.
The wheels were coated and left to set for 24hrs. Then I took them to my local Protyre to get some rubber fitted to them.
This was an opportunity to ditch the OEM Hankooks for something more capable in all weathers. Not just on flat, smooth and dry circuits!
I’ve always opted for Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S where I could for my cars in the past. However it seems times have moved on and there is a new leader in town. The Continental Contact Sport 7.
I read the reviews, watched the video review from Tyre Reviews and decided to pull the trigger and take a punt.
A common mod most GP owners do is increase the profile of the rubber for a more compliant ride and to provide a little extra protection against our awful roads. So I went up from a 35 profile to a 40 profile. This also fills the arch a little aesthetically.
This is where I encountered a problem. The spigot rings sent with the rims were an incorrect size for the hub. They sent a 66.1mm (suited to VAG) when I needed a 66.6mm. They just wouldn’t fit on. Massively disappointed.
A few days later the new brown spigot rings arrived!
The standard offset of the GP is ET39, which is fairly sunk into the massive arches. I wanted an ET35 to push them out a little. I had to settle on an ET45 as this was the only size manufactured at this time. This gave me more options to play with the final offset my using hub centric spacers.
Cut a long story short, I used multiple sizes and settled on 15mm front and 20mm rear. So effectively an offset of ET30 front (-9) and ET25 rear (-14). Perfect!
I took the GP out to drive and test there were no wobbles / vibration before coming back to base to re-torque the nuts.
I then took it out to test it dynamically around the famous welsh roads where I live near in North Wales.
OMG! Transformed….! NO torque steer at all. No tramlining. The ride is so compliant, it feels like I’ve fitted some really high end dampers. Front end grip is nice and direct and it is just so much more confidence inspiring allowing me to push on in places I couldn’t before.
I feel Mini missed the trick here with the GP specing the Hankooks. If they had spec’d a MPS4(S) or a Goodridge Contacts Sport 7 then the media reviews would be so different!
So after the extensive arch clean, a fresh set of Protrack One lightweight alloy wheels arrived from Germany.
They are very short on stock so I had to compromise on the offset. But actually this worked out in my favour explained later.
Spec was 18x8 ET45 in Gloss Anthracite. Relatively lightweight at just under 8kgs which matches the OEM forged alloys.
I couldn’t wait to see what the looked like so offered them up to the GP.
I also had to order a set of TPMS, I was keeping the OEM wheels in storage so didn’t want the faff of swapping things over.
OEM BMW units are not cheap.
The GP sheds a lot of brake dust so I wanted the best rim protection and sealant out there to make maintenance easy once on. So I got hold of some Revolve X v2. Litterally armour for wheels and nothing can stick to it! You may remember I applied it to the calipers and exhaust.
I got to work applying and also fitting the TPMS remembering to torque them to 8nm.
The wheels were coated and left to set for 24hrs. Then I took them to my local Protyre to get some rubber fitted to them.
This was an opportunity to ditch the OEM Hankooks for something more capable in all weathers. Not just on flat, smooth and dry circuits!
I’ve always opted for Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S where I could for my cars in the past. However it seems times have moved on and there is a new leader in town. The Continental Contact Sport 7.
I read the reviews, watched the video review from Tyre Reviews and decided to pull the trigger and take a punt.
A common mod most GP owners do is increase the profile of the rubber for a more compliant ride and to provide a little extra protection against our awful roads. So I went up from a 35 profile to a 40 profile. This also fills the arch a little aesthetically.
This is where I encountered a problem. The spigot rings sent with the rims were an incorrect size for the hub. They sent a 66.1mm (suited to VAG) when I needed a 66.6mm. They just wouldn’t fit on. Massively disappointed.
A few days later the new brown spigot rings arrived!
The standard offset of the GP is ET39, which is fairly sunk into the massive arches. I wanted an ET35 to push them out a little. I had to settle on an ET45 as this was the only size manufactured at this time. This gave me more options to play with the final offset my using hub centric spacers.
Cut a long story short, I used multiple sizes and settled on 15mm front and 20mm rear. So effectively an offset of ET30 front (-9) and ET25 rear (-14). Perfect!
I took the GP out to drive and test there were no wobbles / vibration before coming back to base to re-torque the nuts.
I then took it out to test it dynamically around the famous welsh roads where I live near in North Wales.
OMG! Transformed….! NO torque steer at all. No tramlining. The ride is so compliant, it feels like I’ve fitted some really high end dampers. Front end grip is nice and direct and it is just so much more confidence inspiring allowing me to push on in places I couldn’t before.
I feel Mini missed the trick here with the GP specing the Hankooks. If they had spec’d a MPS4(S) or a Goodridge Contacts Sport 7 then the media reviews would be so different!
Update
So the GP was due its ‘big’ service today which also included:-
- Oil and Filter Change
- Air Filter
- Cabin/Microfilter
- Spark Plugs
- Brake Fluid
This was a main dealer service and I opted for Halliwell Chester to do the job.
Luckily I negotiated this in with the deal so it was FOC.
I also asked them to do a 4 wheel alignment, which was prudent considering I had just hit a raised cat eye and took out 2 tyres. I don’t want the new rubber to wear uneven and it’s nice having piece of mind knowing it’s setup as it should be. This was around £125 but I believe they use a Hunter alignment system so worth it.
They had a nice system where I was ushered into a drive through system, I hopped out of the car, received some compliments from the service assistant, handed over the keys, went inside, grabbed a flat white, agreed the scope of works, then got handed the keys to my loan car.
It was a new Mini Cooper with JCW styling bits.
I loved its looks and quality of cabin etc (on par with the GP). But god, it was a gutless wonder. No torque, very lazy revving, no top end. I looked up the performance and it made sense.
-1.5l petrol engine
-3 Cylinder
-134hp
-0-60 8:1 seconds.
Ah….. so it’s a good little commuting car that looks like a JCW hot hatch! 50mpg too.
Nice rear diffuser
The GP was collected.
I had some warning notes in the documentation regarding unusual grease/wax applied to the suspension parts. I explained it had been Lanoguarded to protect from corrosion and the blank look I had back was priceless!
It’s now sitting sweet with new wheels, rubber, fluids and all wheels pointing where it should be. So I took it for a cheeky blast on the long way home to celebrate.
How strange I have been more passionate about this little terror than much more expensive exotica I have/owned.
So the GP was due its ‘big’ service today which also included:-
- Oil and Filter Change
- Air Filter
- Cabin/Microfilter
- Spark Plugs
- Brake Fluid
This was a main dealer service and I opted for Halliwell Chester to do the job.
Luckily I negotiated this in with the deal so it was FOC.
I also asked them to do a 4 wheel alignment, which was prudent considering I had just hit a raised cat eye and took out 2 tyres. I don’t want the new rubber to wear uneven and it’s nice having piece of mind knowing it’s setup as it should be. This was around £125 but I believe they use a Hunter alignment system so worth it.
They had a nice system where I was ushered into a drive through system, I hopped out of the car, received some compliments from the service assistant, handed over the keys, went inside, grabbed a flat white, agreed the scope of works, then got handed the keys to my loan car.
It was a new Mini Cooper with JCW styling bits.
I loved its looks and quality of cabin etc (on par with the GP). But god, it was a gutless wonder. No torque, very lazy revving, no top end. I looked up the performance and it made sense.
-1.5l petrol engine
-3 Cylinder
-134hp
-0-60 8:1 seconds.
Ah….. so it’s a good little commuting car that looks like a JCW hot hatch! 50mpg too.
Nice rear diffuser
The GP was collected.
I had some warning notes in the documentation regarding unusual grease/wax applied to the suspension parts. I explained it had been Lanoguarded to protect from corrosion and the blank look I had back was priceless!
It’s now sitting sweet with new wheels, rubber, fluids and all wheels pointing where it should be. So I took it for a cheeky blast on the long way home to celebrate.
How strange I have been more passionate about this little terror than much more expensive exotica I have/owned.
Edited by christurbo on Saturday 6th April 08:39
PRO5T said:
I’ve ran those tyres a lot, they really are good but completely switch off at around 6-7 degrees so just watch them in the winter months.
Also plastic spigot rings, be careful they don’t melt. A mate had some on his clio 182 and kept losing wheels because of them-I got him some alloy ones fabricated. No idea on how they’ve become popular.
Yes - mixed feedback on the plastic spigot rings. I think if I was doing heavy track work I’d use the aluminium ones. Also plastic spigot rings, be careful they don’t melt. A mate had some on his clio 182 and kept losing wheels because of them-I got him some alloy ones fabricated. No idea on how they’ve become popular.
The CS7 cannot be as bad as the rock hard, slippery Hankooks. Dutch finders! He he.
Nelka said:
Superb!
The Conti’s will be going on my JCW when the time comes. The OEM Pirelli P Zeros are horrendous in the cold/damp.
Great idea … fairly cost effective for the performance too! Nice car by the way. The Conti’s will be going on my JCW when the time comes. The OEM Pirelli P Zeros are horrendous in the cold/damp.
TameRacingDriver said:
Love it. Really interesting to read your impressions, as they don't always get great reviews, but it's clearly a car with charm. I have an F56 JCW and I love it a lot more than I thought I would coming from a BBR MX5, and I can relate to that feeling of getting out for the first time when it's dry, I feel like I've waited ages for that, and when you can actually get some grip, the car is a little hooligan in the lower gears. I'm actually finding I like the Mini the longer I've owned it which is unusual for a car. They've definitely got some character, and as you say, you need to actually drive it well to get the best out of it.
My friend has raced in the Mini Challenge and loves the package - such a great chassis in my opinion. But yes, they can bite!Thanks for the other comments, I’m very happy with it!
Update
The arch gaps on the GP were starting to bother me. The GP 2 (2013) came with Bilstein coilovers with H&R springs as standard, which meant that this wasn’t a problem with that car.
Unfortunately the GP comes with fixed dampers and springs. I’m guessing the expensive and time consuming warranty replacements that Mini had to honour for the Bilsteins made them think twice about introducing them to the 2020 GP.
I didn’t fancy going all out (just yet) and spending £3k+ on full coilovers so set about research on springs. It seems that AST are the main supplier for the GP but they are pretty much made to order due to how rare the GP is. Also they are based in Europe so I would be looking at a 2 month lead time just for springs.
So in the end I bit the bullet and went back to H&R. I’ve used them in the past with good results. Firm, fairly progressive, so can’t be as bad as what I have now. The GP is notoriously firm.
Kit ordered, collected and I set to work on fitting them.
The job was fairly easy. I took my time because I enjoy doing jobs like this. Big version of Lego.
Jacked up
I then removed the sway bar bolt, pinch bolt, used a spreader tool to loosen the hub so that I could work the damper loose. Important to keep the strut bolts connnected so that I could lever it off.
Once the strut was free I set to work taking the unit apart.
I gave the shaft some hyper wiper treatment
I shortened the OEM bump stops prior to realising H&R put some smaller ones in the kit! Doh.
Really easy to built back up with the right socket so that you can torque the top hat nut to spec. PS…. Virtual Beer tokens to the person who can guess the deliberate mistake in these pics.
As you can see the GP springs are of similar length (uncompressed) to the H&Rs. Actually H&Rs look longer.
I was lucky because I had the BMW Mini F56 workshop manual TIS so had all the torque specs for each bolt which is something you don’t want to guess!
All fitted.
Next was the rear….
Look how much longer the H&R springs are on the rear.
Loads of people have issues getting the rear springs out on an F56. Simple solution is de-load the ARB then remove the sway bolt. The arm will just flip down once you take the damper bolt out. Simple.
Lanoguard doing its job, but can’t help feel it looks a bit crappy as the wax has made all the crap off the road stick to it.
Springs in
This was the finished result straight after dropping it back to the floor. Springs have not settled so it will drop marginally again over the next week.
It always amazes me how such a subtle change can make the overall look of a car so different.
After doing a tentative drive on a local road to check all was fine (it was!) I decided to get up early and hit the Welsh roads (some the best!
I was not hoping for anything transformative through just springs and I was happy to report that they didn’t make it worse! Compliant and didn’t hit any bumpstops even on hard compressions. Truly engaging drive with such a pointy front end. 3 hours had passed in a blink of an eye.
I LOVE OWNING THIS CRAZY THING!
Some before and after shots
The arch gaps on the GP were starting to bother me. The GP 2 (2013) came with Bilstein coilovers with H&R springs as standard, which meant that this wasn’t a problem with that car.
Unfortunately the GP comes with fixed dampers and springs. I’m guessing the expensive and time consuming warranty replacements that Mini had to honour for the Bilsteins made them think twice about introducing them to the 2020 GP.
I didn’t fancy going all out (just yet) and spending £3k+ on full coilovers so set about research on springs. It seems that AST are the main supplier for the GP but they are pretty much made to order due to how rare the GP is. Also they are based in Europe so I would be looking at a 2 month lead time just for springs.
So in the end I bit the bullet and went back to H&R. I’ve used them in the past with good results. Firm, fairly progressive, so can’t be as bad as what I have now. The GP is notoriously firm.
Kit ordered, collected and I set to work on fitting them.
The job was fairly easy. I took my time because I enjoy doing jobs like this. Big version of Lego.
Jacked up
I then removed the sway bar bolt, pinch bolt, used a spreader tool to loosen the hub so that I could work the damper loose. Important to keep the strut bolts connnected so that I could lever it off.
Once the strut was free I set to work taking the unit apart.
I gave the shaft some hyper wiper treatment
I shortened the OEM bump stops prior to realising H&R put some smaller ones in the kit! Doh.
Really easy to built back up with the right socket so that you can torque the top hat nut to spec. PS…. Virtual Beer tokens to the person who can guess the deliberate mistake in these pics.
As you can see the GP springs are of similar length (uncompressed) to the H&Rs. Actually H&Rs look longer.
I was lucky because I had the BMW Mini F56 workshop manual TIS so had all the torque specs for each bolt which is something you don’t want to guess!
All fitted.
Next was the rear….
Look how much longer the H&R springs are on the rear.
Loads of people have issues getting the rear springs out on an F56. Simple solution is de-load the ARB then remove the sway bolt. The arm will just flip down once you take the damper bolt out. Simple.
Lanoguard doing its job, but can’t help feel it looks a bit crappy as the wax has made all the crap off the road stick to it.
Springs in
This was the finished result straight after dropping it back to the floor. Springs have not settled so it will drop marginally again over the next week.
It always amazes me how such a subtle change can make the overall look of a car so different.
After doing a tentative drive on a local road to check all was fine (it was!) I decided to get up early and hit the Welsh roads (some the best!
I was not hoping for anything transformative through just springs and I was happy to report that they didn’t make it worse! Compliant and didn’t hit any bumpstops even on hard compressions. Truly engaging drive with such a pointy front end. 3 hours had passed in a blink of an eye.
I LOVE OWNING THIS CRAZY THING!
Some before and after shots
Edited by christurbo on Sunday 21st April 22:56
The test driver said:
Absolutely cost was the major factor in this decision, but it was more off of the F56 JCW challenge specials the decision was made rather than GP2's.
Great to see a GP3 being well looked after like this though, a lot of the characteristics you're mentioning were bought up during development validation and sign off.
Worth hanging on to as I suspect it will be the last ice GP built.
I have had an itchy trigger finger on the Megane Mk4 Trophy R, however after researching the owners club and forums it seems they are not reliable and customer service is not great. The GP ticks boxes with German quality and support whilst being special enough to keep me interested. Great to see a GP3 being well looked after like this though, a lot of the characteristics you're mentioning were bought up during development validation and sign off.
Worth hanging on to as I suspect it will be the last ice GP built.
I came back to it after parking at a petrol station and a girl (who came out of a Fiesta ST) was asking loads of questions about it, made me smile because only the R8 got that kind of attention out of all my other nice cars!
Nelka said:
Nice update. Quite fancy a touch of lowering on my JCW...
Most folk seem to go for Eibach, but I've also used H&R before with decent results too. The fact that H&R supply new bump stops tends to make me think they've put a bit more thought into it.
Car looks fantastic.
I’ve used both Eibach and HR in the past with great results. HR sit a little lower than Eibach on the F56 platform (or so I’ve been told). Most folk seem to go for Eibach, but I've also used H&R before with decent results too. The fact that H&R supply new bump stops tends to make me think they've put a bit more thought into it.
Car looks fantastic.
TameRacingDriver said:
I do as well but am reluctant as lowering springs alone usually make a car ride and handle worse (even if the owner thinks it's better initially, it's usually emporers new clothes). I'd like to go for KW Street Comfort coilovers, which are supposed to be absolutely fantastic, but I just can't justify spending the £2k they cost to supply, fit and set up properly.
I’ve rarely installed reputable springs such as Eibach/HR that have compromised the ride to be noticeably poorer than OEM. I have also ran coilovers on a few cars both OEM and aftermarket, and their appeal is the infinite adjustability to get that perfect performance for the individual requirements you may have, e.g a bumpy Welsh B Road vs ultra smooth and fast track day. Also high end dampers mean a much more plush / and composed feel with the right setup.
It’s comical as I run Öhlins on both my MTB bikes and the suspension on one of my bikes cost c. £3k alone. Yet the car spec is not far off that. I am looking into coil overs for the GP (preferably Öhlins), but at the moment I don’t feel there is something bugging me that bad to warrant the expense. It’s a great setup for B Road blasting in my opinion.
roadie said:
The car looks even more mega now and good to hear the positive feedback on performance also.
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