Quote: Originally Posted by chrisandjax
Well said.
I feel their has been a lot of reverse snobbery directed towards those that intend to purchase the GP.
For me it is a very nice Works Mini that represents good value for money IMO. I have for a while wanted a
JCW Cooper S and for me this is the easiest way of getting one while they are still around with the supercharger.
Everything I have seen about the new generation S with a turbo leads me to think that they will be no more powerful than the current standard S. Its also worth barring in mind that any
JCW upgrades for the new model will not be available until at least a year or so after its release.
A lot has been said about the GP's build quality and where its being built. Well as Alex said its not a new model. I think people intending on purchasing the first of the new generation Mini should have more worries and concerns.
Weight and 0-60 times are not an issue with me, as you can only go so fast on UK roads and I don't intend to take it out on the track. Plus it will be the most powerful car I have ever owned, so 218 BHP will do fine for me.
Paragraphs 2-5 I agree with all your comments.......especially paragraph 4.....I personally would never buy the first year's production of
any car.....and that's from having worked in the product design/development side of the Automotive Industry!
The only bit I disagree with is paragraph 1.....
My logic all along (FWIW) has been that the GP is a damp squib in terms of it's "ultimate production MINI" title......yes it's the most powerful that is available directly from the factory, but as others have said, most powerful, doesn't mean, the best.....
There are flaws in the spec, which are totally at odds with the moniker, a/c, heavier Recaro seats, CD player etc......for there now to be an announcement that the weight saving isn't fully realised unless the a/c is deleted (when it's std on virtually 50% of the production run) is somewhat laughable.
This again adds fuel to the "marketing over engineering" hype that I've commented on in the past on this thread.
Perhaps for the last of the line MINI3 the engineers will produce a car worthy of the hype, a la BMW CSL, rather what appears to be purely a "marketing excercise"......
