Fastest Mini debuts at Geneva
218bhp car is lighter and faster than ever
  Mini Cooper S JCW |
The Mini Cooper S with John Cooper Works (JCW) GP Kit will make its first public viewing at the Geneva Motor Show. The fastest, most powerful production Mini will reach 62mph in under 6.5 seconds and achieve a top speed of 146mph. The GP has a power output of 218bhp, that's 136bhp per litre, and a maximum torque of 181lb-ft.
Only 2,000 of this special production model will be built and 444 are bound for the UK from July onwards. The guide price is £22,000 which includes £10,000 worth of additional equipment if specified on a standard Mini Cooper S. According to BMW, almost three-quarters of the UK allocation have already been ordered, six months ahead of launch.
In the interests of weight loss, the car weighs some 40kg less than a standard Cooper S. This has been achieved by modifications to the chassis and engineering tweaks. The longitudinal control arms on the rear axle are now made of aluminium and the sound-deadening material has been taken out.
The entire rear seat bench has been removed. In its place is a flat loading area that can be folded up in a Z-arrangement for easier access to two additional storage boxes.
Standard equipment includes: limited slip differential, Dynamic Stability Control, Recaro sports seats in black leather, single CD, air-conditioning and a multi-function steering wheel. The car also features JCW sports brakes, JCW sports suspension and exclusive low-profile tyres and 18-inch light-alloy rims.
The special edition will only be available in exclusive metallic blue paintwork combined with a silver roof and red door mirrors. The new aerodynamics package is said to significantly improve drag coefficient and downforce on both front and rear axles. New highlights are the front and rear air dams, the low side-sills, and the underfloor cover, as well as a wing-shaped rear spoiler.
The Mini GP will join the existing JCW range of aftermarket and production option kits. The first engine tuning kit was launched in 2003 as an aftermarket option, and over 10,000 have been sold worldwide since that date. From the end of 2005, the kit became available as an Oxford production line fit and a new aftermarket version was launched for the MINI Cooper S with automatic transmission.
Mine has the 17" Minilite alikes and it tramlines too. They also weigh a ton and kerb badly. I have long considered an upgrade to something lighter and perhaps less damage prone (oxymoron?), but wasn't sure how comfortable I was hossing out the runflats for regular tyres and then no spare.
Thoughts? Anyone got a pic of the Bullets? Anything else recommended?
Gassing Station | New MINIs | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff