JCW GP Kit US Announcement

Sections: JCW | Official News Oct 31st, 2005 50 Comments

Based on info we’d received over the pasts few months we had expected the JCW GP to eventually make it to the North American market. I’m now happy to report that this has officially been confirmed by MINI USA today. US MINI dealers should get their an allotment of five cars starting around July of 2006.

As we mentioned last week the Recaro seats won’t make it (due to the seat cushion airbag sensors) and instead the US market will get black cloth and leather seating. That aside the rest of the car should stay relatively intact. In fact MINI USA is even studying the feasibility of a Delete Option for both the A/C (further reducing weight) and DSC. This Delete Option will be available elsewhere in the world.

Here’s the official press release just issued by MINI (as seen on the MINI USA press site). While it doesn’t include any US specific information, it does expand on the press release issued earlier in the day from MINI UK:

The exclusive MINI Cooper S with John Cooper Works GP Kit will serve as a real treat for the particularly sports-minded MINI fan. The special edition featuring a boost in power output to around 218 bhp and a noticeable reduction in weight will be produced as a limited edition of 2,000 units. Its performance will clearly surpass that of the most powerful ex-works MINI to date, the MINI Cooper S with John Cooper Works Kit.

The MINI Cooper S with John Cooper Works GP Kit was first presented to the public during MINI United, the official MINI annual meeting and international seasonal finale of all MINI club sport series being held in Misano/Italy from 28th to 30th October. The MINI Cooper S with John Cooper Works GP Kit is expected to be available in Europe from July 2006, the price tag in Germany being around 30,000 Euros.

Exclusive racing technology made for the road.
While developing the MINI Cooper S with John Cooper Works GP Kit, engineers focussed predominantly on even greater agility and high driving stability. Modifications to the intercooler as well as engine tuning measures have boosted power output of the free-revving 1.6-litre supercharged power unit to around 160 kW (218 bhp).

In order that such power and the high maximum torque of 180 foot-pounds are transferred securely to the road, this limited special edition features a limited slip differential as standard. Dynamic Stability Control DSC is available as an option. High-performance brakes by John Cooper Works featuring red-lacquered brake callipers on the front wheels ensure optimum stopping power. Additional standard equipment by John Cooper Works includes a sports suspension and an awesome sound generated by the specially constructed Tuning Kit. An additional new highlight are the weight-reduced 18-inch alloy wheels specially designed for the MINI Cooper S with John Cooper Works GP Kit.

In order to reduce weight even further, engineers made extensive modifications to the technology and bodywork of this special edition. The standard longitudinal control arms on the rear axle now come in an aluminium version. Due to bodywork modifications and the omission of parts of the damping material, the air conditioning unit (optionally available at no extra charge) and the rear seats, weight has been additionally reduced by around 88 pounds. This value substantially enhances motoring performance and cornering ability, transferring the MINI CHALLENGE racing feeling to the tarmac.

Revised aerodynamics and exclusive body colours.
The MINI Cooper S with John Cooper Works GP Kit features a thoroughly revised aerodynamics package. Front and rear aprons, the now wing-shaped rear spoiler, the even further lowered side sills and the underbody panelling have all been redesigned. This has resulted in a distinctly reduced drag coefficient and enhanced downforce on the front and rear axles. The MINI Cooper S with John Cooper Works GP Kit is immediately recognizable by its exclusive grey-blue metallic body colour combined with a roof painted in Pure Silver. The air scoops on the bonnet and in the front apron also come in Pure Silver. Likewise, the exterior mirrors feature a contrasting colour – fiery Chilli Red.

Purist interior design.
In keeping with true racing car tradition, the interior of the MINI Cooper S with John Cooper Works GP Kit was intentionally designed to keep a low profile. Nonetheless, standard equipment still includes Recaro sports seats, Radio Boost with CD and a multifunction sports steering wheel.

Written By: Gabe

Doug

Hmmmm. If the price holds at $30K, it’s not a bad buy. Half the time I have the backseat folded down. I’d rather had lost the A/C rather than the sound deading, as there can’t be that much.

As for the lack of a rear-wiper – Rain-X.

Oh, and I’ll choose that new JCW wing over that one. (I’m pretty sure that the production car will have the fender skirts either body colored or black like the rest of the factory approved Aero Kits.)
chows4us

30K euros is about $36K US minus the recaros does not make $30K?

What is the “awesome” sound. Did I read its just a bigger IC? If true, it would see they should retrofit easily to all JCW TCs.
http://motoringfile.com Gabe

30K euros is about $36K US minus the recaros does not make $30K?

Prices for US MINIs vs UK/Euro versions don’t typically follow straight currency conversions. As an example take a look at the base price for an MCS in the UK. I think you’ll be quite surprised.
tanya

DSC deleted to reduce weight? Huh. Can’t believe the various sensors weigh all that much, but more importantly – it’s an option already that you can “delete” by not paying $500. Given this, I guess my stripped Works car shares some of the “exclusive racing technology” found on the GP2…
RichmondJCWMCS

It would be great if they offer a delete option for the A/C and DSC……….would be better than leaving them on the car from a purist point of view
tanya

AC I totally get, and would also push for deleting power windows and locks, but deleting DSC…? Why would you buy it as an option, then pay to have it deleted? What am I missing?
Fred

US Dealers got a list of the equipment available on the MINIUSA version, which pretty much mirrors the Euro model, except that it specifically said the Recaro’s would not be available here, and that US cars would get the seats found in the Checkmate option (all-black leather/cloth combination)

The spec. list also shows it get an anthracite headliner.

The information mentions the possibility of deleting the A/C and DSC as being under study; but from the press release above, it looks like the removal of the A/C is already figured into the weight savings of 88 lbs—but you could add it back in !
Trick

Wonder how the SCCA will handle classing on this for Solo 2? I guess it would go BS like the other JCW equipped cars?
DIOJCW

new intercooler another $1000 or so for the upgrade to 218bhp
http://motoringfile.com Gabe

The information mentions the possibility of deleting the A/C and DSC as being under study; but from the press release above, it looks like the removal of the A/C is already figured into the weight savings of 88 lbs—but you could add it back in !

I’ve been told that the 88 pounds of weight savings does not include deleting Air-con. Deleting Air-con would seemingly increase the reduction.

And regarding the deletion of DSC. I think it’s more an aspect of folks buying this car for the track and not wanting to have to deactivate the DSC everytime they start the car. I don’t believe eliminating DSC reduces weight further.
ChiliCooperS

I wonder if this tuning kit (intercooler,etc.) will be availible for my MCS, I hope it will b/c that was on my mods list, and I will feel alot more comfortable if it was a JCW Intercooler.
http://motoringfile.com Gabe

I wonder if this tuning kit (intercooler,etc.) will be availible for my MCS, I hope it will b/c that was on my mods list, and I will feel alot more comfortable if it was a JCW Intercooler.

I doubt it’ll make an official release. However some of the more saavy parts guys may be able to sneak one through the system. Of couse then you’ll need the ECU tweak as well.
dgszweda

Here is my guess on how they got the power. They probably tuned the intercooler inlets and outlets as well as probably around the intercooler openings. I highly doubt it is a larger intercooler. Many people have indicated it is a mess at the intercooler inlets as a result of the casting of the parts, and that a little cleanup can significantly increase the flow. Randy Webb sells new ones that have been tuned on his site. I would bet that the ECU tweaking probably includes a raised rev limiter. The Mini engine keeps climbing in power past the 6750 mark and you can comfortably raise it to 7250 with no problems. They mentioned the word free reving a few times and I wonder if that is an allusion to an increase in rpm.

I am still a little disappointed in the kit. I am a huge JCW fan and I have the full kit on my car as well as many other of their parts. I was hoping for a little more. They wetted our appetite with this one, but that is about as far as they went. I find the aluminum and the aerodynamic work interesting. I would guess that they probably only shaved a pound or so per wheel on compared to the 16″ wheels. I am not sure if it has runflats or not. That would shave a few more off. The rear seat itself saves 34lbs. So that means that there are 47 more lbs saved somewhere else. It is nice that they threw in the sports suspension and the brakes. I would have still loved the Recaros and can’t figure out why they couldn’t provide it for the 350 or so cars that the US will get.

Overall it will make a good collectors item and will definitely get a lot of looks and attention at different Mini meets.

In reality, what you are getting is a body kit, special wheels, aluminum control arms, engine tuning for an extra 8bhp or around 7hp, an undercarriage tray and a special paint job. The rest of the items you can get from Mini itself when you order your car.
Jon

Gabe,

I love those wheels, and I already know this answer before I ask the question, but here goes: Will there be any possible way to get these wheels as a stand-alone item?
http://www.nemini.org GMINI

I ordered mine tonight. #2 on the list.

But I really am glad to read so many favorable reviews beneath this MFile.
kev

this car has turned into a blunder.

NO RECARO’s. WTF. Better yet, what a joke.

As for the 88lbs. wt. reduction. I’m sure that included the A/C delete as that reduction number was based on a Euro car that already comes with the AC deleted as AC is an option on the other side of the pond. I bet the A/C alone adds 40 lbs. or so. That leaves the Wt. Reduction at 48 lbs. or so for US Cars. Oh but wait! We don’t get those kick ass lt. wt recaro’s either. I bet those shave off at least 10 lbs off each seat. For the US cars, it is almost a net zero.

We get light wt. rims and the back seat removed, then we get to add all the Wt. for the areo kit, under body panels and spoiler.

What a joke.
http://motoringfile.com Gabe

I’m sure that included the A/C delete as that reduction number was based on a Euro car that already comes with the AC deleted as AC is an option on the other side of the pond.

The JCW GP comes standard with Air-Con and the 88 pounds figure is based on the standard car.
The Seeker

Much ado about nothing. I was really expecting more.
Jeff

SCCA classing??? With 53 US mini dealers and 5 cars per dealer that’s only 265 total cars produced, or significantly below the 1,000 annual amount typically required for stock category classing. Not that there isn’t a precedent for classing cars beneath that threshold (i.e. Miata R), I could very easily see this car being placed on the Stock Category exclusion list.
isellem

their are more than 53 dealers… i think their are 80-83 dealers…
minicoopermike

Yeah, there are close to 80 dealers in the U.S.
JAG

I do not see the “special” in this “Special Edition”. Different as in ugly, yes, very dissapointing. If it were a Renault 5 Turbo I can understand the removal of the back seat (that is where the engine was, sweet) but just to make it lighter, nah. Thank G-d is a Limited Edition because it iwill be hard to find more than 2,000 -blank- worldwide.
dgszweda

According to MiniUSA there are 81 dealerships in the US (50 states) and Puerto Rico. With 5 each that means there will be 405 going to the US. 400 more will be going to the UK. That accounts for 805 of them. The other 1195 will go to the other countries of sale. Can you image 400 of these in the UK. They will be somewhat more common to see than the US.

How many MC40′s were there? I rarely see one of those, so the GP will be really rare to see in the US.
minicoopermike

There were 1000 MC40s so this car will be more than twice as rare.
Fred

Paul over at mini2.com had provided additional information on the JCW GP from firsthand views and talks with the Project’s manager. You can read his report at http://www.mini2.com/index.php?page=newsitem&newsid=326

In continuing posts on the subject, he says that the brake ducts in front are fake—for style only :-(
brian

I thought the Checkmate seats were a blue/grey color combo?
http://www.mini2.nl Oz-i

Having seen the car “in the flesh” in Misano this weekend, I can only agree with JAG. At that is in line with my comments put in the notebook available with the car in Misano.

Very disappointing. They claim to have specially designed the alloys, but I have the feeling having seen these before. Does anyone share that feeling?
minicoopermike

Looking at the pics, it would be cool if it had more RED accents such as the GP on the hood and the numbering on the roof
http://www.nemini.org GMINI

i am vry disheartened that those ducts are fake. I’m sure they can be throated, though.
http://www.nemini.org GMINI

And they probably will at production.
http://www.nemini.org GMINI

Paul mullet:

“This car is simply a mock up of what will be (or roughly what will be) the new car. … The REAL MINI Cooper S with JCW GP Tuning kit will be shown first to the press and public at next years Geneva auto show. Only THEN can we truly shape an opinion of the exterior and interior treatment, and only some time after then will we be able to get a driving perspective on what all this means.”
Derek

I DO like tthe cover over the lower part of the grille on the bumper.

And something else to ponder – I find it hard to believe that if the JCW GP’s are the cars that are going to be produced at Bertone, it seems like alot of trouble to set up another assembly location for only a few modifications…

I think something is brewing.
http://www.carcounsel.com/hid carcounsel.com

I keep scratching my head at why people are championing the delete of DSC.

It doesn’t weigh anything and you can turn it off. The DSC in the E39 M5 and the E46 M3 have always been too protective, and when I told Tom Salkowsky so and pointed out Porsche’s PASM and the Corvette’s Advanced modes were better at staying out of theway, had multiple thresholds, etc. he scoffed. Now the M3 Competition and the new M5/M6 haveM Dynamic mode, regular production cars have DTC, etc… that is what this car needs, not a delete option (even sillier than 18s on a
http://www.carcounsel.com/hid carcounsel.com

… car weighing less than 3000lb car in my opinion).

As for the A/C delete, I’ll take my weight savings higher in the engine compartment via an Al hood, something that’s standard on a bread and butter Subaru Legacy.

The M3 LTW had an Al hood, and everyone I’ve known who had one cursed the lack of A/C more often than they appreciated the extra tenths of a second at the track. on a Type R Integra

This car is too much like the M3 ‘Competition’ – a track car more in name than in spirit… I wasn’t expecting the equivalent of the M3 CSL but other than the underbody paneling and the Al control arms i wish they had spent the money elsewhere…
http://www.motoringfile.com/ Gabe

The reason for not having DSC was to allow the racers to start with a more base platform from which to modify their car.

And about those 18s… I’ve auto-crossed with every OEM wheel/tire combination there is back to back. The 18s have more feel and grip than anything else MINI offers. The only downside (beyond cost) is that they are a few pounds heavier (at 22lbs) than the 16″ wheels. This difference makes the steering slightly less lively. Of course they are also each 3lbs lighter than the S-lites so it’s still an improvment there. Anyway I’d gladly take the trade off personally.
http://www.carcounsel.com/hid carcounsel.com

other than a steering wheel position sensor and perhaps lateral and or longitudinal accelerometers i can’t think of what a DSC equipped car has or how these two things would interfere when racing if defeated. seems more like an image/pride thing to me

if we’re talking OE i agree with you, gabe. the factory installed 18s feel ‘better’ than the factory 17s by far. i’ve only compared on the street, but it’s hard for me to say how much of the added feel and grip I’ve noted too is wheel/tire size and how much is tire design. my point re: the 18s is that theoretically at least a 17 of the same tech/design would be lighter and give up very little in regards to grip given that they’re both 205mm wide.

it is as with many things automotive a matter of preference… personally i like to be able to hammer down a less than perfectly paved road with my line and my chassis unfazed/unbent by potholes and the like so am a fan of the 16s (with NCT5s or preferably non-runflats; the Type R was a legend on 195/55s and LSD) and i’ve always felt part of the mini’s charm was that like the herbie love bug it did incredible things on tiny wheels).

just my .02…
http://www.motoringfile.com/ Gabe

Great points. I think that the 16s offer a nice compromise foor people inclined. I’m personally not a fan of the look so I tend to steer the other way towards larger wheels and the benefits they can give.

It will be interesting to see the weight on these JCW four spoke 18s. Looking as bad as they do, they had better be light!
http://www.carcounsel.com/hid carcounsel.com

couldn’t agree more – call me a luddite but i tend to like my steering wheels with 3 spokes and my wheels with 5.
archienc

I have the 2005 Mini with the JWC kit in it now. I am wondering why anyone would want one with even more than what I already have. The little car already scoots in and out and around in traffic and easily goes from 70 to 100 mph without even breathing hard. I just think enough is enough.
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Zakdog

I want the rear valance ;)
cushin14

I have the ’06 Cooper S NO JCW, but soon! If I had it now I would say give me more HP! Had a vette I drove at 160+ but it couldn’t compare to the handling of the MINI. that said, If they can give the JCW more HP and maintain their handling & stability, give it to me!
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MINI Insider

Too bad it officially isn’t coming to Canada. Just saw the Official Bulletin from MINI Canada.
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hank

more about the car here…

http://www.mini.com/gone_fast
Teddy

Hi everybody ,just want to know ,what is the time that the mini GP will here in US,is july or september or will be early .thanks
Timmee

I’m on the waitlist locally (in South Africa). Have been told to expect April delivery…
beaker

What the heck is the USA MSRP?!?!?
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