I like MINI: Mini John Cooper Works

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Tuesday, 14 May 2013

MINIs on the ‘Ring

22:41

By Mira

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When MINI debuted the latest GP, a big part of the story was how much faster the new R56-based JCW GP is than the R53 JCW GP. Yet the GP isn’t the only MINI to have been ’round the ‘Ring. For example, here’s some R56 action.

…and just for good measure, turn the volume up on this one:

22:27

By Mira

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Australian motoring site and friends of MotoringFile, Ausmotive.com, are reporting this morning that MOTOR Magazine has named the second generation JCW GP as the latest winner of their “Bang for your bucks” award. One judge called the GP the “best MINI I’ve ever driven, especially on a track.” We couldn’t agree more.
Head over to Ausmotive.com for their full take and some down under GP photos. You can also catch the full MINI Australia press release after the jump.
The official news from MINI Australia:

MINI wins MOTOR Magazine’s 2013 Bang for your Bucks Award
The limited edition MINI John Cooper Works GP has been hailed as the best performance car under $100,000 in MOTOR Magazine’s annual Bang for your Bucks awards.
The powerful pocket rocket proved its race track credibility and stole the BFYB crown from an impressive line-up of four-, six- and even eight-cylinder vehicles.
One BFYB judge described the JCW GP as the “most talented Bang winner in ages”, while another dubbed it the “best Mini I’ve ever driven, especially on a track”.
The MINI JCW GP arrived in Australia earlier this year and has received a red hot reception from the general public and motoring media alike, topped off by claiming the BFYB award.
The vehicle was designed to shine on a race track and is the fastest production MINI ever built.
And it’s not shy about stopping, either. A BFYB judge declared that “the GP aces the field on braking distance from 100km/h” – a result achieved thanks to an individual traction control system, bespoke racing suspension and exclusive 17-inch rims which house the high performance braking system including a six piston fixed front brake caliper.
BMW Group Australia managing director, Phil Horton, is thrilled with the JCW GP’s win.
“We’re absolutely delighted to win MOTOR Magazine’s 2013 BFYB award,” Horton said.
“Our entire MINI range – including the original hatch and the just released Paceman – are renowned for being tons of fun on the road, as well as on the race track.
“It’s great to see that Australia’s most popular performance magazine thinks so too.”
The 2013 Bang for your Bucks incorporated two full days of intensive track testing, conducted and judged by a group of some of the most experienced and knowledgeable road testers in Australia.

The MINI Challenge

16:10

By Mira

Mini John Cooper Works , Video

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The Mini Challenge from Dillon McEvoy on Vimeo.

The fastest road-going Mini ever

13:22

By Mira

Mini John Cooper Works

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So, this is the fastest road-going Mini ever built. As in ever. Ever ever ever.
Want some numbers? You can't handle the numbers. Well, you probably can, but they're still rather impressive. The 2012 John Cooper Works GP has just lapped the Nurburgring Nordschleife in 8 minutes 23 seconds - that's nearly 19 seconds quicker than its 215bhp predecessor, first released in 2006.
So how, we hear you crow? Power, predominately. Mini's not telling us the exact numbers, but an indignant probe of its chief engineer at the car’s launch - held at the wonderful Mini United festival in France – didn't reveal much other than a confident look.
As well as tinkering with the twin-scroll turbo-funded engine, the JCW GP is a bit slipperier. Stare in befuddled ambivalence at its large front and rear aprons, then marvel at the really rather cool new diffuser. The whole underbelly's also been smoothed to help with downforce.
This is being described as a ‘track car for the road’, which also means a set of six-pot brakes on the front axle, and to help with adhesion it's got a set of Kumho tyres specifically developed for the car.
Inside, you don't get much. There are two Recaro race seats and most of the finery common to a Mini's interior's been ripped out for lightness's sake.
Want one? You'll have to be quick. Mini's only building 2000. No price details either, but we reckon you won’t get much change from £25,000. Anyone going to be putting in an order?
See all the pictures of the new Mini John Cooper Works GP

by http://www.topgear.com

MF Garage: Is the MINI JCW Roadster the Best Commuter Car Ever?

15:22

By Mira

Mini John Cooper Works

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Bold claim for sure. But the recent warm and sunny weather in Chicago has me thinking the JCW Roadster may just represent the best every day car money can buy. Obviously, a statement like that should be filled with asterisks and qualifiers. But before we get into all that, lets back up and talk about why. First off, I’m specifically referring to urban commuting. Small parking spots and lots of tight streets. What the Roadster offers is a tidy package that provides plenty of thrills while being efficient in both its use of fuel and space. In terms of raw numbers consider this; I’m seeing (with a very heavy right foot) close to 30 mpg (US) in the stop and go commuting duty.
There’s also the simple thrill of driving a small MINI. A quick steering rack and all the visceral thrill you can stand in a day to day car. In short, stepping foot into any MINI every day should put a smile on your face.
Then there’s the comfort. Granted our test car is a full specced leather swathed JCW model. But the same engineering that went into the JCW (more or less) resides in the base model $26,000 Cooper. And the Cooper Roadster is actually a more comfortable daily driver with the non-runflats and the smaller wheels with larger tire sidewalls (not to mention the greater MPG). The heated seats, the nav with traffic info, the bluetooth streaming; it all adds up to create a nice place to spend time and thus a happy commuting experience.

Finally, there’s the factor of open top motoring. I’ll admit I didn’t expect to fall for the charms of wind in your hair and sun overhead. I was wrong. When it comes to long days at the office, there are few things that turn a day around more than a 45 minute commute top down through Chicago. And especially in something like the Roadster that people tend to love.
Now let’s talk about all those qualifiers. No the Roadster isn’t as involving as a used Porsche Boxster which could be had for the same if not less money. Nor is it as efficient as something like a Tesla Roadster. And of couse there’s a number of options in between those two extremes that could make an argument for excellent daily drivers. However, what the MINI Roadster manages to do above almost all of them is to hit a sweet spot in efficiency, fun and affordability. And that’s without summer having even arrived.

MINI JCW GP vs Renaultsport Megane Cup

23:47

By Mira

Mini John Cooper Works

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MINI JCW GP against the Renaultsport Megane

The new JCW GP is the fastest, most extreme MINI ever.

If you like your hot hatch thrills extreme and undiluted, there’s great news – the MINI John Cooper Works GP is back. The 2006 original was the last hurrah of the Mk1 MINI. Motorsport-inspired suspension, an upgraded engine and a stripped-out interior gave it uncompromising driving dynamics, and made it a favourite of hot hatch enthusiasts.Now, MINI has followed the same formula to create a GP version of the current JCW. Like its predecessor, it’s limited to 2,000 cars and comes with a unique paintjob, red mirrors, bold rear wing and a no-frills cabin that ditches the rear seats to save weight.Yet it’s not the only hatch to offer hardcore thrills. The Renaultsport Megane Cup isn’t the most rounded of packages, but for driving fun it’s hard to beat. It’s also more powerful and cheaper than the MINI. So which model offers the ultimate in driver engagement?

Verdict

The MINI John Cooper Works GP delivers a masterclass in how to make a front-wheel-drive car thrilling. It provides pure driving pleasure and undiluted engagement with the road.
There are compromises that have to be made in comfort and refinement, but if you rate driving fun above all else, the GP will not disappoint. Think of it as the hot hatch version of fantastic road racers like the BMW M3 CSL and Porsche 911 GT3, and you wouldn’t be far wrong. In fact, the no-compromise performance-focused nature means it’s closer in spirit to the last-generation Megane R26.R than the current Cup version tested here.
But the latest Renault is still seriously capable, and has the added advantage of a five-seat cabin and great practicality. Yet even in Cup chassis specification, it doesn’t quite offer the raw fun factor of the MINI, while it still has a firm enough edge to be a little tiring as a day-to-day choice.
In this test, we’re looking for the ultimate driver’s choice – a car you’d take out just for the fun of it. And on that basis, the MINI JCW GP takes the spoils. Factor in its low emissions, strong residuals and fixed-price servicing, and you could almost suggest it appeals to the head as well as the heart.

23:37

By Mira

Mini John Cooper Works

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The motorsport-inspired MINI JCW GP is a joy to drive on road or track

Verdict

The edgy, boisterous and feisty MINI JCW GP commands a big price premium, but its motorsport-inspired technology and exclusivity help to justify the cost. While it’s designed to perform on the track, its huge performance is accessible and enjoyable on the road. The ride is firm and it’s noisy on the motorway, yet if you want a car that exhilarates on every journey, this is the hot hatch for you.

You'd expect a hot hatch as single-minded as the MINI JCW GP to back up its performance with racy styling. And there’s certainly no missing it, with unique Thunder Grey paint set off by red edging around the bonnet vent, mirror caps and front air vents, plus slightly garish decals.
Yet it’s the aerodynamic additions – side sills, a chin spoiler and fixed rear wing – that give it menace. And they’re not just for show. In conjunction with underside panelling and an F1-style rear diffuser, the bodykit reduces lift at the rear axle by 90 per cent, while improved air flow under the engine helps suck more air from the intercooler.
The bespoke approach continues with the chassis. To allow the Kumho tyres to work harder, front camber is increased over the standard JCW, while toe-in is reduced. And for the first time in a roadgoing MINI, a fully adjustable coilover suspension set-up allows ride height to be lowered by up to 20mm.
Under the bonnet, the standard JCW’s 1.6-litre twin-scroll turbo engine is upgraded with an aluminium cylinder block, reinforced pistons and lightweight crankshafts. This tally of mechanical changes makes the GP far more than a marketing special, although the result is a rather modest 7bhp power upgrade.
Still, binning the rear seats contributes to a 55kg weight saving, making the MINI 234kg lighter than the Megane, at 1,160kg. But the bigger-capacity Renault has an extra 46bhp, and 360Nm of torque, so while the GP has a quicker in-gear response, it’s left trailing in the sprint from 0-60mph.
Not that you need to see test track figures to appreciate just how fast the MINI is. And even the shortest of drives is enough to allow you to savour the sharp throttle response, vocal exhaust and punchy power delivery. It’s a blast.
On bumpy or cambered roads there’s a price to pay for this boisterous nature. The firm suspension reacts to every imperfection, leaving the chunky-rimmed steering wheel fidgeting in your hands. Still, body control is faultless and the sense of involvement you get from the standard JCW’s razor-sharp controls has been turned up a notch in the tauter and livelier GP.
Unsurprisingly, given the motorsport engineering under the skin, the MINI’s dynamic nature is highlighted further on a track. The fast and accurate steering helps the driver to develop what feels like an intimate connection with the tarmac, and the immediacy of the chassis response means almost every press of the throttle or brake allows you to adjust the car’s balance. It’s easy to unstick the rear tyres by trailing the brake into the corner, or with a gentle lift off the throttle mid-bend – yet the communicative chassis means it’s always easy to gather it all up should you go too far.
Crucially, however, whether you’re driving on your favourite B-road or a track, the MINI is always eager and leaves the Renault feeling a little docile in comparison. So where’s the catch? Well, it’s noisy on the motorway and too firm around town, while sacrificing the rear seats limits the car’s practicality. Still, the standard JCW cabin gets GP decals and red highlights, while the Recaro seats are supportive and comfortable. Plus, as you’d expect from a car that’s all about enjoyment, the driving position is perfect.
The £28,790 price tag is steep, but MINI plans to sell just 2,000 examples. So exclusivity is guaranteed and you can expect strong residuals – in fact, you might just be buying yourself a future classic. All that counts for hot hatch fans, though, is that the John Cooper Works GP is one of the most thrilling cars money can buy; a car you’ll drive just for the hell of it.