John Cooper Works GP Tuning Kit First Photos

<p>Not so sure about those red mirror caps….</p>

<p>I dont know. Mixed feelings about it..the wheels are ugly, the rear wing is a bit much. My favorite parts are the front and rear fascias..I guess thlose arent available as stand-alone options..</p>

<p>I don’t like how the black wheel well arches end so abruptly over the side skirt – it just seems unfinished. They should also paint the rear brake calipers red to match the front and tie it to the red mirror covers.</p>

<p>I love the color though.</p>

<p>I could forgive them for the odd red mirrors, and the side skirts (main complaints) if it had the numbers / weight that was floated earlier. But as is, the increase in $$$ for exclusivity isn’t worth it, for me.</p>

<p>I sorta like the rims. Maybe on a royal grey. mmm…</p>

<p>Wow. I guess I’m just not all that impressed with the look of the car in the pics.</p>

<p>The color seems pretty close to the standard MINI Dark Silver, but I may be wrong. </p>

<p>Does the car have the chrono pack or navigation? It looks like the speedometer and tach are clustered by the steering column on one of the first pics.</p>

<p>I think a major problem with the MINI special packages is that the cars are optioned only one way (obviously.) With MINI’s, this causes a lot of consternation since each MINI usually has very individualized options suited for its specific buyer. Maybe that’s why everyone has found something disagreeable with this car (and the MC40, for that matter.)</p>

<p>I like the inverted motoringfile logo on the truck in the 1st and 4th photos.</p>

<p>Nice touch Gabe!!</p>

<p>Such a dissapointment.</p>

<p>And what idiot decided a Mini doesn’t need a rear windscreen wiper – mine gets constant use in the rain.</p>

<p>it’s time for me to be a fanboy. i actually like it. the mirror caps would be swapped out for chrome ones immediately. but the rest of the car i like. the spoiler’s a little much and the wheels, gabe, i like.</p>

<blockquote>
<p>What, no interior shots…?</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Apparently the interior isn’t done.</p>

<p>They better come up with some really good bespoke interior pieces or else this look like being a seriously poor show.</p>

<p>Tacky design following on from the equally awful Special Editions. What’s going wrong?</p>

<p>What are the bulges at the rear of the side skirts? Are they functional air outlets or just “bulges”?</p>

<p>Well, I think the car looks awesome!</p>

<p>Firstly it has my initials all over it, so that makes it a winner and for what it is, (a fun car to hoon around the place) it will do the job just great.</p>

<p>40kg isn’t a great difference but still, the car pulls 185bhp/tonne instead of 172bhp/tonne. i think you’ll easily notice that. and a FW drive hatch doesn’t need huge bhp values when it handles like a MINI!</p>

<p>What has replaced the rear seats? Just a panel or will you see carpet/bodywork?</p>

<p>It could have done with some Carbon Fibre panels to reduce the weight further (M3 CSL style) but alas, I bet the 2000 cars have already been sold!</p>

<p>Glen</p>

<p>What a dog.</p>

<p>those mirrors got to go along with those fake brakes scoops or whatever they are. Fake brake scoops??? ROFL</p>

<p>Whoa! I really don’t understand all the negative comments. THE CAR LOOKS JUST LIKE THE DRAWINGS THAT GABE POSTED THE OTHER DAY….AND EVERYONE LOVED IT!!!</p>

<p>I don’t know what the beef about the wheels is all about.</p>

<p>THE WHEELS ARE BEAUTIFUL!!!</p>

<p>Ugggghhh, the black fender liners are cut-off when reaching the side skirts and the front bumper. These parts look thrown on with no thought. The wheels look like dirty butt. Top it all off, Red mirrorcaps? If there is no LSD on the car then you know it’s cause someone popped one before going into the parts department. Looks like a Ricer to me, no one is going to believe that’s a stock MINI. Frank Stephenson….come back!</p>

<p>Wow! That thing is UGLY! It doesn’t even have an ugly functional look like an STi or an EVO. An MC40 is even better looking than this. This beast is totally out of MINI character. The rear wing and side skirts look totally out of place. Frank Stephenson must be having a cow right now.</p>

<p>I was a little worried about experiencing some “GP envy”, but now I think that would be more like “GP pity.” I had also toyed with the idea of doing red mirror caps on my DS, along with red grill and boot handle. Such toying will now stop immediately.</p>

<p>Seriously, this is such a huge missed opportunity, imho. BMW/JCW had a chance to send the amazing first-gen new MINI out with a real bang. Now it exits in embarassed silence, all tarted-up like a teenager’s 10-year old Civic street racer. So sad.</p>

<p>then i stay on the list. there are some bits that don’t sit right with me, but they’re not enough to keep me away. price, however, will be a factor.</p>

<blockquote>
<p>Wheels not my taste, but if they had expanded the open part of the horseshoe to more of a V shape they would have been cool and the rear wing/spoiler should be excellent for track stuff.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Amen to that. I loathe 4-spoke wheels. They always end up looking inconsequential and weak.</p>

<p>I’ll save all my other opinions for an upcoming MF design analysis post :)</p>

<p>ouch .. rings of a cheap civic mod</p>

<p>Where’s the carbon fibre roof?</p>

<p>BTW for those wanting to know whether the JCW GP will make to America. You should have a nice clue by the fact that the standard spec will include the US mandated front/side orange reflectors.</p>

<p>just got in from the show
Personally I don’t like it</p>

<p>Certainly preferred the pre-launch drawings: better colour, co-ordinated mirror caps, no darkened glass, and that intriguing hint of longitudinal seam on the roof. All that styling cohesion has gone. The darkened glass is something that I couldn’t live with – looks like a van or the world’s smallest limo to me. Dark rear glass is surely a cop-out; instead MINI should have gone all the way and lowered the rear roofline to complement the 2-seat configuration. Those dark windows are a cheap alternative and look YUK. Even the red mirrors would be okay if there were a few more flashes of red elsewhere – maybe the front & rear grilles. Overall, far too many compromises — unless the price is a steal and allows for the owner to add mods of his/her own. I’ll leave my deposit in place for now and see if the car grows on me but, overall, I prefer the honest look of a stock Cooper S.</p>

<p>Hey, it does have the front windshield wipers 🙂 unlike the drawings.
I like the red mirror caps, but wish red was someplace else too for balance. Really like the GP and limited edition # on roof not in a blaring red or bold type. Agree with Gabe on the wheels in not liking the four spokes – odd numbers usually work better in visual compositions; note all the 5 spoked wheels, 7-holes on the R81, 7 spokes on the Bridge spokes.</p>

<p>The biggest problem is it doesn’t drop enough weight. If it can drop more weight than a normal MCS with lighter wheels + rear seat delete, then its worth a look. As it is, its a strange looking Mini S and not much more than that.</p>

<p>Also, hope those are not fake brake ducts; that would put it over the top as ricer bling slap ons, instead of the functional Mini GP design that I think we all had hoped for. Those brake inlets in black would have looked better. Windows were dark in the drawings. </p>

<p>Are we disappointed in the weight reduction because it has been called the “rumored light weight” for so long, and not just the “rumored special JCW”? Looking forward to your design critique Gabe.</p>

<p>I think the car looks pretty cool, contrary to many people I actually do like the wheels. However, my choice to order a cooper S checkmate won’t be changed for this car.</p>

<p>Yes, Rollin, I could take ALL the windows dark (at a pinch)- as in the artist’s impression – or none dark or even the rear ones dark (as shown) but with the roof black to match.</p>

<p>No word yet on gearing, ECU remap or any massaging of the JCW suspension yet, is there?</p>

<p>maybe its just me .. but even the paint looks flat. perhaps its all the contrasting shades, looks very very cheap.</p>

<p>2 LITTLE 2 LATE, 2 FAST 2 FURIOUS</p>

<ul>
<li>OOPS – I said ‘2 FAST’</li>
</ul>

<p>how about ‘NOT FAST ENOUGH 2 JUSTIFY’</p>

<p>…. the ’06 JCW MCS I currently have on order is looking better and better …. (which includes MY colours, MY options, a back seat and SOME CLASS instead of just being all PUNK’ed out, etc., etc.)</p>

<p>With Mini only making 2000 of these units, the few that buy them will absolutely love them. Everyone else will be happy with their current Mini or lust after the 07. It is a win-win for everyone. </p>

<p>I think Mini is on the right track by continuing with R&D and actually getting variants into production. Besides, even if it had 1000 HP and dropped 1000 pounds, someone would say it needed 1001 HP and drop 1001 pounds. </p>

<p>I say keep it up Mini.</p>

<p>If BMW is listening, these reactions are categorical. </p>

<p>Americans claim to not having a class system, so it leaks out in places – cars being one. We the gentry, don’t aspire to out do the surfs. In the US right now, small car + meek performance + over the top styling = every high schooler stereo type piece of junk on the road. This is the same reason for our resistance to hatchbacks. </p>

<p>And for the record, there was nothing wrong with the drawings everyone loved, they were just fantasy enough to avoid this reality.</p>

<p>I LOVE IT!</p>

<p>Those are some wickedly trick rims. I want them on my MCS right now.</p>

<p>I don’t understand the huge backlash against this car…</p>

<p>I applaud MINI for thinking outside the box on this one. Good job!</p>

<p>“Anyone else notice the chrome gas cap, much like the Cooper’s?”</p>

<p>Huh? The S has the chrome gas cap not the Copper.</p>

<p>Damn Dan I think I need a Cliff’s notes on that statement.</p>

<p>PEE-UKE!!</p>

<p>Wow… I think everyone is agreement, what is MINI thinking! About the only thing I can see that I like is the little roof graphic, and the seats. So much for a MINI csl…</p>

<p>Gabe, I actually halfway like it. Do you have any high res photos that would work as a wallpaper?</p>

<p>If you don’t have a MINI already, have a lot of money and want to buy a fun driver’s car you can get one of these and make it your own by getting some lightweight aftermarket wheels and maybe swapping out the spoiler and sideskirt for the aerokit parts. And for a final touch maybe debadge it.</p>

<p>I like it. I think the spoiler looks a little too much like an aftermarket Ford Focus add on, but other than that… pretty good. I agree the red mirrors should have more red bits to go along with them though.</p>

<p>A true “Matchbox” car. No class.</p>

<p>Hmmm……I think it should be green with bolts sticking out…y’know, like Frankenstein!</p>

<p>Hi Gabe, First off this site is such a great resource for MINI info, keep up the good work.</p>

<p>I can imagine that redesigning a truely “special” lightweight edition of a modern car is quite an undertaking with the multitude of regulations in a global market place. This car just seems to (just looking at the numbers) fall short in it’s execution of performace gain, all poof and no substance. I think the next time MINI should pull out all the stops or at least $10-15K worth of stops and make a truely special performace oriented version.</p>

<p>seriously I kinda like the design of side skirt if it was on a smaller scale, more like the aero kit side skirt.</p>

<p>Questions I would have include:</p>

<ol>
<li>Are the front silver “brake ducts” real? What’s behind them. (The lower front bumper doesn’t appear to be either a stock unit, or an aero kit piece)</li>
<li>Is the tint on the rear glass a removable film…or is the tint in the glass?</li>
<li>Will an Aero grill fit in the upper portion of the front bumper cover? (getting rid of the solid insert)</li>
<li>How does the rear spoiler attach?</li>
<li>How are the silver pieces over the rear bumper grills attached?</li>
</ol>

<p>Also, the specs on mini2.com say that the front apron is in pure silver…unlike the photos of the car above.</p>

<p>Look what Lotus did with the Exige! Can you say “downforce”? Now THIS is what we were expecting!</p>

<p><a href="http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Features/articleId=107587" rel="nofollow ugc">http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Features/articleId=107587</a></p>

<p>Well, at least the GP will make pretty floor decoration . . . kinda like the MC40 in that respect.</p>

<p>Wow, this really sends out our 1st gen MINI with a whimper. :(</p>

<p><strong>Performance/weight wise;</strong> major disappointment, don’t really need to say much more. What happened to JCW, I would still rather get a stock MCS, then go aftermarket any day.</p>

<p><strong>Appearance wise;</strong> I agree with most that the car looks to be a mish-mash of tacky ricer aftermarket pieces. I liked the rear wing in the sketches, but here it looks terrible. Not a fan of those wheels at all, and the side skirt design is too heavy and doesn’t work well with the wheel arches. I don’t mind the red mirror caps in theory but it doesn’t work with the rest of the colours. It may have looked better with a body coloured roof or even red roof.</p>

<p>I hope this underwhelming styling exercise doesn’t continue on to the R56, because I’m really looking forward to the engine.</p>

<p>I want those wheels . . . and provided that they are the right weight- I WILL have them.</p>

<p>Hi again from Misano,</p>

<p>I just talked to Gerd Hildebrandt, the designer of the MCS JCW GP.
He confirmed again that the interior is not yet finished but the car will be a two-seater.</p>

<p>The color is not standard darksilver it is a special color that has a blueish touch. The roof is silver as well as the hood decal.</p>

<p>On the roof above the driver side door will be a special sticker with the car’s number. Remember, only 2,000 will be sold and according to a MINI official only about 35 are left.</p>

<p>Some other observations: There is no rear wiper and the third brake light which sits in the roof is replaced by a silver painted bezel. Because of the wing, you won’t see it anyway.</p>

<p>The rims are 18″ and look really sexy. No insights about their weight though.</p>

<p>I didn’ read all of your comments but I think there is quite a debate going on whether the car is worth being called GP edition. This is a <em>marketing</em> special edition, not a pure race car. If you want to shave of weigth of your MINI you are better off by doing a few things yourself.</p>

<p>I’ve met a guy from Munich with a true lightweight MINI. His MCS – which is painted in the Gulf design – is a not only an eye catcher but also a professionaly made track car with number plates. No radio, nor air-con, much of the interior is gone, recaro special lightweight racing seats, roll-cage (ok, that is not a leight-weight but a safety feature) and racew tuned suspension and Brembo brakes.</p>

<p>Ciao di Misano
Philip</p>

<p>First off where did you get 9.5lbs at each corner? Frankly that would scare me knowing the condition of my local roads. I can’t imagine any 9.5lbs wheel still being round after a few weeks or Chicago roads. And secondly… the s-lites are closer to 25lbs… but who’s counting :)</p>

<p>Well…it looks like the factory had some extra red mirror caps sitting around. This car is more than a dissapointment. I think it is a late April fools joke.</p>

<p>um, Okay, </p>

<p>about the only thing I like is the numbering.</p>

<p>This looks like a good demolition derby car, what with the safety package and all.</p>

<p>So, when is the light weight, limited production coming out?</p>

<p>I’d say very clever design of the sideskirts and rear wing has eliminated the need for a rear windscreen wiper.</p>

<p>The resulting air swirl patterns and vortex at the rear of the vehicle, with a wing such as that would carry water and dirt away from the screen, not against it, like the standard MINI rear-end.</p>

<p>Well done for trying something different, which as per usual is met with critisism from customers who think something has been left out to save the company some $$$…</p>

<p>In response to a previous comment about the brake ducts, i’d say the GP edition will be kitted out with the brake duct/throat kit, as per JOHN COOPER Challenge S Class racers.</p>

<p>(See, <a href="http://www.johncooper.co.uk/JohnCooperSite/category/Motorsport%5FBrakes/" rel="nofollow ugc">http://www.johncooper.co.uk/JohnCooperSite/category/Motorsport%5FBrakes/</a> for more info.)</p>

<p>Glen</p>

<p>“I’d say very clever design of the sideskirts and rear wing has eliminated the need for a rear windscreen wiper.”</p>

<p>…and I’d say there’s a lovely bridge for sale in Brooklyn. ;)</p>

<p>Given the hype that arose with speculation about a 300 lb weight decrease & a (possible) 240 HP motor, I can understand the disappointment. Some thoughts centered on the wheels & the aerokit–with a bit of speculation on why only a 10HP gain.</p>

<p>The aerokit looks interesting, but it needs to be clarified. The chopping up of the wheel arches into blue & black gives the kit a tacked on look. Possible solutions: 1) color key the wheel arches, and 2) color key the rear diffuser moldings as was done on the front air dam?</p>

<p>218 hp? A 10-hp gain does seem on the small side. I’m betting the gain is at least a little higher base on the up to 2004 SAE standards. Is BMW/MINI looking to the longer term, though? Meaning: is the 10 hp gain meant to keep the GP2 from intruding on the power levels coming from the next gen S?</p>

<ul>
<li>4-spoke rims? They work–if the surrounding body parts flow around the wheel openings. This design doesn’t flow. (See above re: the aerokit looking chopped up). A 5-spoke iteration of this design, with each spoke slightly smaller would be a better alternative.</li>
</ul>

<p>*IMHO 18’s are meant to fill the wheel opening–adding the vertical bump stop to the back end of the side skirt gives the visual impression of a larger wheel opening, which defeats the purpose of larger rims. Pull the trailing end of the skirt closer to the wheel, in a curve that follows the wheel arch?</p>

<p>& 4 this i waited how long? ne1 want my place on the list in pdx or? i’m taking my $ & getting an elise. nice job bmw/mini, can u say mc40 all over again.</p>

<p>The offical word from MINI USA is that each dealership in the US will be allocated 5 each.</p>

<p>I am not changing the specs on my order come the first of the year. This build is for the buyer who wants more tickets and less riders. Why don’t they wait for the 2 seater that is in the wind? Special builds that stand thet test of time are few and far between. Personally I will wait a few more months until I finally order to replace my ’03. But on the postive note it is good to see MINI isn’t standing still!!!</p>

<p>Here are more pics:</p>

<p><a href="http://media.mysan.de/index.php?action=showgal&#038;cat=312&#038;page=1" rel="nofollow ugc">http://media.mysan.de/index.php?action=showgal&#038;cat=312&#038;page=1</a></p>

<p>Imagining the deletion of the wing on the rear view pictures, the ricer stigma melts away and it actually looks cool. However, 88lbs still isn’t enough savings to give up “removal of the rear seats and the air conditioning system, elimination of sound-deadening material, and replacement of the rear axle control arms with aluminum units”</p>

<p>When I 1st dreamed of this car, I imagined it being taken apart and major body panels (if not pieces) being recast in aluminum and carbon. That would be worth any fuss.</p>

<p>I don’t really think the car looks bad but my dissappointment stems for the fact that MINI simply missed the mark of what the LTW hopefulls were looking for: A lighter MCS. </p>

<p>Doesn’t really need to be more powerful or look all that different from a stock car. Just be lighter. A LOT lighter. And many autocrossers and track-fiends would be willing to pay a premium for that.</p>

<p>However, that being said, there are likely some underlying reasons for the car being what it is. A completely re-worked MCS would likely need to be re-federalized here in the US which would increase costs (and lead-time) substancially. From what I can see, this car does not represent a big enough change to require that. </p>

<p>So… what we’ve got here… is basically an MC-40 of a different color. An option package that maximizes profits for MINI.</p>

<p>The officeal word as of 5 minutes ago.
The US will NOT get the Recaro seats.
<em>grr</em></p>

<p>I think it’s a great look overall. The fact is, the original styling is so solid a design that departures from it offend everyone a little. But. . . I like this departure!</p>

<p>Personal preference.</p>