RE: PH Heroes: Mini JCW GP Works

[kambites]

I wonder if you could fit isofix mountings into the back without full rear seats? No idea how they work really.

[s m]

Guvernator said:

If it were my money I'd buy a standard Cooper S and mod it. You can pick up a decent one for half the price of a GP nowadays, spend £1k on a remap\puley upgrade plus an LSD you have a car as good as a GP but with rear seats.

You could save a large chunk of your upgrade cash by buying a Cooper S that had a factory fitted LSD - they weren't that rare on the later ones

[Pints]

I think these are great. I have one as my PC background.

[Dave Hedgehog]

i really like it a lot

[olleyjp]

Nice bit of hating going on for the GP i see haha!

If you havent driven one i suggest you at least give it a go! They are fantastic little cars, especially with a bit of tuning work and some coils etc. I've had one for 3 years now and love it! It has kept up with a Z4M on a pistonheads run on scottish back roads and, handles like a house fly!

Its under estimated for what it can do, as your obvious replies suggest! Hence what makes it a hero

[MaxA]

The GP should have been a PH hero some time ago. The MINI’s got character and a passion for corners that is hard to beat, one of the great front wheel drivers. And I’m still amazed at the references to a lack of back seats in the GP – they’re often removed by enthusiasts anyway, as it’s a very small car, and you wouldn’t want to sit in the back for long; and having tried to get in the back of a BRZ, there’s no more space in the back of that either… just think of it as space for another set of rims. And anyway, it’s simply not a relevant parameter to the driving experience.

[Guvernator]

I don't think it's hate per se. I've already stated that I think the Mini especially in Cooper S guise is brilliant to drive as have many others, I just don't understand the point of a hatchback with two seats. It looses the practicality that the hatchback shape usually affords and if it's driving thrills you're after, there are much better 2 seater drivers cars available for the money.

I just can't ever imagine a situation where I'd pick a 2 seater hatchback over either a more practical 4 seater hatch or a more dedicated 2 seater drivers car like an Elise.

[kayzee]

Love these... not sure I've ever seen on irl? I'd love a MCS next actually but I don't think I could pay the premium on top for a GP.

[nickfrog]

CiderFex said:

I just don't know where this car gets it's grip from, it's sticks to the tarmac like it's glued on.

I only have a 08 MCS but I've asking myself the same question. Maybe that lateral grip comes from the fact that it's light, that it has very short overhangs, fairly decent suspension ? Either way I pushed the neg camber of my un-modified car to the maximum at the front and it does feel like it generates as much lateral g's as the 987 Boxster it replaces, which was also well aligned.

Still, other road/track users are often surprised to be out cornered by a MINI, which adds to the fun, frankly.

[FergusC]

Maybe to the untrained eye the mini GP is just 'another Mini', but to the petrolhead connoisseur it is a very special limited car.

For shear driving pleasure it eclipses the E92 M3 I had previously, is in a different league to the Clio 200 (not cup chassis) i also ran, which I personally found over hyped. Of all the cars I have owned its similarities are most closely linked to that of my Elise R, if Lotus made a hot hatch.....

[Ian_C]

Antj said:

kambites said:

So you can take that bar out? That makes the car make a bit more sense, at least you can use it for tip runs.

yup

http://realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=RE92&amp...

I recall an owner I knew years ago telling me it was more of a styling luggage bar than a proper strut brace as it wasn't bolted to suspension turrets!

[Citrus7]

Was always impressed by this vid of Gp playing with 911's on track http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=717t2oYLGkU#t=4m0s

[TOENHEEL]

I ran one for a while..couldnt get over how thirsty the thing was for fuel might as well of bought an m3 or similar. Fun little car to drive but I bought it after selling a Noble as I needed a nippy everyday car and thought that going backwards in cars for a while wouldnt bother me but it really did!! I just couldn't love it so moved it on. Mine only had 3k miles on the clock when I bought it was literally a new car not a mark on it #0689.

I felt like the car was just literally a marketing tool to rid them of body shells, things like the fake brake ducts on the front annoyed me as they are a great handling little car and deserved to be more hardcore like an R26R with a half cage and mini works race car seats etc. Mine never felt "that" quick either.. Certainly couldn't shake off Clio 182's in a straight line. I had my car booked into 1320 for new camshaft etc to up the power and try and give me what I felt was missing but ended up changing my mind at the last minute and selling. Ended up with another Exige which was a fantastic decision. The GP basically finished me with hot hatches..

[vetteheadracer]

0llie said:

Which one of those did you drive? I'm a moderator on a leading UK MINI forum and know of the two cars at the front.

I'm biased, but I will have a GP one day, been lucky to passenger one, and it was absolutely wonderful. I have also driven an R53 JCW (which had been lightly fettled, putting out 230~bhp), a really lovely car to drive.

Nice article, although the mileage thing seems a bit strange, I saw one for sale about 6 months ago with just 2k miles from new.

Third one down the line.

[CiderFex]

FergusC said:

Maybe to the untrained eye the mini GP is just 'another Mini', but to the petrolhead connoisseur it is a very special limited car.

For shear driving pleasure it eclipses the E92 M3 I had previously, is in a different league to the Clio 200 (not cup chassis) i also ran, which I personally found over hyped. Of all the cars I have owned its similarities are most closely linked to that of my Elise R, if Lotus made a hot hatch.....

Lotus doesn't need to because BMW did a good enough job back in '06.

[fusion01]

I really hate the gp1. It looks awful. scrappy mini. I'm also really hoping that derogatory comments like these well have others spreading the same negative criticisms therefore in turn leading to less demand for the said car and I'm able to pick one up in the near future after greater depreciations! I've owned faster cars that were pretty uninvolving, this looks right on. tried both a super and turbo Cooper s a while back, former was instant boost, whine audible... latter had big lag, inferior when pitted up against other turbo competitors.