Mini Cooper S GP what are they like?
Discussion
Pip1968 said:
handbraketurn said:
But presumably that means these do not fit the GP as it is a R53 motor. R53 presumably designating the change from turbo charger to R56 supercharger?Pip
BTW R53 is supercharged and R56 is turbo
dodgydave said:
I had a GP for four years, bought from new.
Really great small car, only two seats obviously, but you get a much bigger boot in compensation.
I px-ed mine for a C63 Merc, and wished I hadn't. The mini was a lot more fun.
Thanks Dave I came from a R35 GTR and the Mini is more fun I would agree Really great small car, only two seats obviously, but you get a much bigger boot in compensation.
I px-ed mine for a C63 Merc, and wished I hadn't. The mini was a lot more fun.
I absolutely LOVE my GP. I went from a fairly highly modified Fiesta ST to something a little more serious!
The wheels do tend to suffer with peeling.. a few of mine have bits of bubbling on the black parts.
Oh and if you get one with run flats... DITCH THEM!! I actually started to wish I hadnt bought the car because the ride was so damn crashy (coming from a Fiesta lowered on Eibach springs, then Gaz coilovers & finally KW's) but when I had the Falken 452 fitted, (there are other tyres out there, that's just all I could stretch to on my budget) the difference was very noticeable. For the change in ride quality and the cost of a can of tyre gunk to sit in the car, its the one thing I would say you have to do.
It gets a bit of attention mainly because people dont really know what it is. Yes you'll suddenly be aware that there are SO many Mini's out there but this one just looks fab. Its one reason why I chose it to replace the ST.. still small, proper power behind it and unusual!
I was lucky with mine that it still had the Newman cam fitted, smaller pulley, shift light and R56 big brakes
Oh and the fact that mine was a former PH car which I drooled over many times helped too lol
The wheels do tend to suffer with peeling.. a few of mine have bits of bubbling on the black parts.
Oh and if you get one with run flats... DITCH THEM!! I actually started to wish I hadnt bought the car because the ride was so damn crashy (coming from a Fiesta lowered on Eibach springs, then Gaz coilovers & finally KW's) but when I had the Falken 452 fitted, (there are other tyres out there, that's just all I could stretch to on my budget) the difference was very noticeable. For the change in ride quality and the cost of a can of tyre gunk to sit in the car, its the one thing I would say you have to do.
It gets a bit of attention mainly because people dont really know what it is. Yes you'll suddenly be aware that there are SO many Mini's out there but this one just looks fab. Its one reason why I chose it to replace the ST.. still small, proper power behind it and unusual!
I was lucky with mine that it still had the Newman cam fitted, smaller pulley, shift light and R56 big brakes
Oh and the fact that mine was a former PH car which I drooled over many times helped too lol
Hey guys, I owned a Mini GP for 8 Months - A Fantasticly Fun Car To Drive!! What was great is putting many performance cars to shame. The GP actually has a modified chassis and engine (block I think) than the standard R53 S JCW had. There are MANY mods you can buy for them from Shrick Cams, Uprated cc Injectors, Lightened Supercharger Pulleys, Exhausts, Front/Rear Strut Braces, and ofcourse the cosmetic JCW parts from Mini (Carbon gearstick, Carbon handbrake and JCW floor matts I purchased).I purchased parts from Coastal Racing who are very knowledgable guys. My GP was dyno'd at 265 BHP, but had a horrible tendancy when changing up from 2-3, 3-4th on full bore of *Snatching* where it would decide to pull either to the left of the right...not a fun characteristic with a hedge or on coming traffic the other side! Ha!
The only reason I sold it was that the miles were climbing up to 50k and I decided I fancied a change from driving like a hooligan everywhere! Depreciation was very low - but I am suprised how cheap you can pick them up for now - so maybe it was a good thing I moved mine on when I did. It is an excellent tool - individual looks, limited number, superb performance, great track toy (personally didn't track mine) and I attained 40 mpg driving it sedatly (hard to believe). Servicing costs are very cheap compared to other cars of similar performance. Seems like I'm talking myself into buying another one!
As for noise - I'd say it is certainly louder on the motorway than a standard Mini (due to lack of rear seats) however you can comfortably hear someone whilst talking on Bluetooth. It is very comfortable car on the motorway, cruising easily at high speeds. The recardo seats are comfortable with height adjustment and heated seats, ride is not too crashy! Obviously with 30/35 profile tires it is no limousine, but it was no where near as back breaking as my Z4M. It was blisteringly quick in acceleration where you'd swear the speedo was infact the rev counter, and top speed exceeds that of where most people would be happy to go.
The new GP looks great - but considering what you can pick a 2nd hand one up for these days,and considering many GP's have been tuned way above the 215bhp the new GP will come with - it makes you question paying the high price tag. The supercharger whine was highly addictive, and the pop/crackle from the exhaust was a lovely treat too! Make sure you buy a good one, not someones track toy, and HPI check as they are known for being stolen (Mainly for the engine/parts mind) and to ensure that someone has not stuffed it and patched her back up. Don't let a high owner car put you off too much, as they are the sort of car that the novelty can wear off for many people and they fancy moving on. So long as you purchase one with FSH, and has been cared for you should be all good. I've seen many Mini Main Dealers selling them on for great value for money at competitive prices, and the plus side is you get a warranty for piece of mind....enthusiast owners sometimes ask a premium as they try to recoup upgrade costs, or believe they are worth more than they are.
If you guys have any questions in particular you'd like to know about send me a PM. Post pics of your purchases too! Hope this helps, and I haven't rambled on too much =P
The only reason I sold it was that the miles were climbing up to 50k and I decided I fancied a change from driving like a hooligan everywhere! Depreciation was very low - but I am suprised how cheap you can pick them up for now - so maybe it was a good thing I moved mine on when I did. It is an excellent tool - individual looks, limited number, superb performance, great track toy (personally didn't track mine) and I attained 40 mpg driving it sedatly (hard to believe). Servicing costs are very cheap compared to other cars of similar performance. Seems like I'm talking myself into buying another one!
As for noise - I'd say it is certainly louder on the motorway than a standard Mini (due to lack of rear seats) however you can comfortably hear someone whilst talking on Bluetooth. It is very comfortable car on the motorway, cruising easily at high speeds. The recardo seats are comfortable with height adjustment and heated seats, ride is not too crashy! Obviously with 30/35 profile tires it is no limousine, but it was no where near as back breaking as my Z4M. It was blisteringly quick in acceleration where you'd swear the speedo was infact the rev counter, and top speed exceeds that of where most people would be happy to go.
The new GP looks great - but considering what you can pick a 2nd hand one up for these days,and considering many GP's have been tuned way above the 215bhp the new GP will come with - it makes you question paying the high price tag. The supercharger whine was highly addictive, and the pop/crackle from the exhaust was a lovely treat too! Make sure you buy a good one, not someones track toy, and HPI check as they are known for being stolen (Mainly for the engine/parts mind) and to ensure that someone has not stuffed it and patched her back up. Don't let a high owner car put you off too much, as they are the sort of car that the novelty can wear off for many people and they fancy moving on. So long as you purchase one with FSH, and has been cared for you should be all good. I've seen many Mini Main Dealers selling them on for great value for money at competitive prices, and the plus side is you get a warranty for piece of mind....enthusiast owners sometimes ask a premium as they try to recoup upgrade costs, or believe they are worth more than they are.
If you guys have any questions in particular you'd like to know about send me a PM. Post pics of your purchases too! Hope this helps, and I haven't rambled on too much =P
Edited by OllieE82 on Friday 19th October 12:30
C2james said:
hey
considering a new car for next year and just starting looking at these, generally i dont like new minis but i quite like the GP so thought id ask people what they are like as i only tend to see them at PH meets.
I dont care that it has two seats and insurance shouldnt be an issue but what are they like to run and live with, they dont seem to depreciate that badly seeing as its a mini which is a good thing.
cheers
Hi,considering a new car for next year and just starting looking at these, generally i dont like new minis but i quite like the GP so thought id ask people what they are like as i only tend to see them at PH meets.
I dont care that it has two seats and insurance shouldnt be an issue but what are they like to run and live with, they dont seem to depreciate that badly seeing as its a mini which is a good thing. cheers
I owned a GP a few years back. It was sold as a track mini for the road with its LSD, lighter weight and bespoke wheels etc. So I thought, yes that will do nicely.
Each year me and a bunch of mates take a motorbike tour of Northern Spain, mainly in the Pyrenees. I've given up on the bikes, so now I take the car and carry the lad’s luggage.
The first time I did this was in the GP. I've driven the same routes many times, in many cars, and the GP was the fastest on the twisty mountain roads. The lads were amazed that I could mostly keep up with them. These are R1, GSXR 1000 riders etc. The GP could out corner them on the tighter bends, out brake them and was quicker downhill. The only time it was beaten was on acceleration coming out of corners and max speed. To this day, they believe I was faster in the GP, than anything I have driven there since.
The car was a hoot for that. However for a 'track' based car, those six days of driving it hard should have been a walk in the park, it was not.
By day 2, I had no brakes, they were fried. I'm not reliant on brakes and so am pretty easy on them, they should have lasted longer. I destroyed the clutch, this should not have happened and was replaced by MINI when I got back. The seat mechanism collapsed I guess from the hard cornering, meaning I couldn’t alter the seat position. The gear stick lost all its gears and a roadside repair was required. The worse thing though, was the fuel economy. 16MPG
was the average on the mountain roads. Before the trip was over, I was already thinking of my next car. Reason? I found it a bit boring. The problem with it was that it was capable of a lot more HP. It was so damn good that it felt underpowered. I guess it wasn’t really, but the engineering made it feel so. I would be traveling along thinking I was doing around 70, then look down at the speedo and realise it was more like over a ton. It was a bit like a modern Porsche in that repect, in other words, you had to go damn fast in it, to make it enjoyable.
When I was driving in the mountains, that car was always running at not less than 5K revs and was constantly up and near the red line. You had to have it there to keep the power up.
I should point out that I'm actually very respectful of my cars, I drive them occasionally hard, but it goes without saying that I spend what’s needed to keep them tiptop. Even running at no more than 3K revs until the oil temp is up etc.
When I got back to the UK I sold her. 6 months of use, 6K of mileage and I sold her for £250 less than I bought her for.
Excuse me for asking, but that's not the one that was recently for sale in Yorkshire was it? I'm looking, and it took my eye. Glad it went to a PH'er! Valuable source of data found at the gp owners club in case you hadn't come across them.
Edited by mcs127s on Monday 26th November 19:06
Edited by mcs127s on Monday 26th November 19:14
dandarez said:
Having been in the new forthcoming GP2, all I can say is it makes my JCW seem tame!!
The handling and noise is out of this world. Absolutely fantastic car.
The handling and noise is out of this world. Absolutely fantastic car.
Sandy59 said:
Did you go onto any bumpy roads, did you find the suspension harsh at all ??
I must say I was expecting it to be rock hard, but it wasn't. I didn't think it was any worse than my JCW which is now on non-RFs (only went about 2 miles to be fair although it was a 'B' road, twisty turny and up and downhill). The Recaros hold you well (wish I'd got them now) but I'm no spring chicken, so if I can live with the ride so can anyone.However, I could not have driven my JCW around a roundabout like he did the GP2. I'm not a good passenger at the best of times but I think if I had been at the wheel of my JCW and tried the same I would have left the road!!
The grip is absolutely phenomenal (I remember reading that it has tyres specially made for it, Kumho Ecsta V700, but this didn't - I had a look and it was on Continentals - think they said 'Super' on the sidewall (not sure as it was dark)
The other thing is the braking. I think my JCW brembos are really good, but the 6 pots on the GP2 just stops the car dead! I really don't think much in the way of any performance road car will live with this. I just wish it had more room. Could you put a seat in the back (there's loads of room) and fix it facing rearwards to the brace bar? he he he, only joking!
What's not to like about it? Don't like the wheels (style that is) but get the idea of following the GP1 wheels. The Thunder Grey colour looks good.
dandarez said:
Having been in the new forthcoming GP2, all I can say is it makes my JCW seem tame!!
The handling and noise is out of this world. Absolutely fantastic car.
How did you get into one of those?! I'm currently thinking about ordering one but there are no demonstrators around, certainly not up north anyways The handling and noise is out of this world. Absolutely fantastic car.
Ireland said:
Ireland said:
Has anyone made the move from an Elise to a GP?
I'm thinking of getting rid of my 111R and picking up a second hand GP (one of the '06 era ones).
Could I live with a GP as a toy?
Anyone ... ???I'm thinking of getting rid of my 111R and picking up a second hand GP (one of the '06 era ones).
Could I live with a GP as a toy?
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