| Mini Cooper S Works GP EVO magazine article
This months highly regarded British motoring magazine Evo have tested and reported on the new GP.
Words by Jetro Bovingdon, senior EVO staff writer.
MINI Cooper S Works GP
Cynical marketing exercise or baby M car?
More Power, less weight, no compromise. That, BMW would have us believe, is the mantra embodied by the Mini Cooper S works GP. 'Think of it as a baby M car,', they say, 'maybe even a junior CSL...'
Of course, they would say that. Another view is that the GP is just a Chintsy limited special edition pitched at hapless victims who are prepared to pay through the nose for the 'ultimate Mini'. At £22000 and with just 8bhp more than the 210bhp, £19120 Mini Cooper S Works, its tempting to dismiss it as a cynical marketing exercise.
BMW's reasoning behind the John Copper Works GP kit (unlike the regular 'Works' Kit, John Cooper garages had no involvement with the GP's development) raises your expectations, however, Andreas Dechar, leader of the chassis validation team, is passionateabout the car and what it stands for. 'Some of the tuning products for the mini are terrible and obviously we have no control over it', says Decher, almost with a wince. 'The GP gives us the chance to do it properly.' So what was the target with the GP? Decher smiles. 'To fulfill the ultimate potential of the Mini'.
The GP dispenses with the rear seats and instead sports a huge strut brace where before you might find miniature passenger or, more usually, bags of shopping. Combined with various weight saving measures, including allumini...... EDIT, I'll drop the next 2 paragraphs as its technical spec, not opinion....)
.....At low speeds its familiar Mini: quick steering, strong torque, stiff, flat ride. Over ragged tarmac the GP shows some of the subtle differences. Its still firm but somehow feels more rounded, less likely to skip over sharp ridges and bounce the car off line. Sounds great too... The lack of rear seats and reduced sound deadening overlays the supercharger whine with the sound of gasses being fired out the central twin outlet exhaust. On a closed throttle it pops and crackles like a highly tuned Caterham.
The 1.6 litre supercharged engine revs with all the intensity of a little screamer, but the strong torque means you dont have to stir the sweet shifting six speed box to make quick progress. The lower mass and slight jump in power combine to add a sizeable chunk of performance. And it seems strange to say this of the new Mini, but it feels small, nimble and light compared to most modern hot hatches. Next to the Clio 197 it seems positively compact.
So the straigths are fun, but its in the corners that the GP comes alive. Theres a bit more body roll than i'd expected, but this allows the 205/40 Dunlops treadblocks to lock into the surface and hook the nose into the apex. Jump on the power as you feel it settle and the standard LSD transmits all 218bhp to the road with immense composure, steering wheel gently writhing in your hands. Understeer isnt an issue, the nose pushing just a fraction wide befor ethe diff seems to drag the stubby bonnet back on line and through the corner. The GP's agility is astonishing. And even accelerating out of tight corners theres hardly a trace of torque steer.
Broken surfaces hardly trouble the GP either. Yes it will occasionally lose contact with the ground (suspension travel is reduced slightly) but the way it regains its footing with hardly a moments pause adds to the GP's maximum attack style. Not a single horsepower is wasted, the chassis uses every ounce of grip from the tyres and you must use small, precise inputs to get the car to work for you. Its clinically efficient but still incredible fun.
You'll find the throttle is a great an influence on the GP's attitude as the steering wheel too... With the chassis fully loaded you can shut down the power and feel the rear gently give up its grip, pre-empting the diff by killing understeer with a bit of rear steering. Through quick corners its particularly satisfying, the GP perfectly poised and obedient to your every whim. Its at moments like these that the GP seems worth the premium over a Cooper S Works. £22000 is a lot of money but the GP serves up massive entertainment.
EVO rating: 5 stars
+ Storming engine, responsive chassis
- Looks divide opinion, no rear seat
Jethro Bovingdon, EVO magazine
I encourage you all to buy the magazine, to get the full feel of the review and see the great photographs.....  | 
