The JCW GP, the car that disappointed MINI fans everywhere with it’s paltry 8bhp upgrade, 88lbs weight difference and questionable styling details is set to show off some surprises at the Geneva autoshow in March.

Weight Reduction
MotoringFile learned yesterday that BMW has further upgrades in-store for the GP that weren’t mentioned at Misano. The plan is to use Bertone’s experience in aluminum components to swap out a few major components of the body shell from steel to aluminum. Specifically the clamshell hood and the tailgate will be made of the lightweight metal. In fact we’ve been told to expect almost a 50% weight savings as compared to the standard panels. Needless to say it should be indeed lighter than what was paraded at Misano back in October.

Power Increases
We were also told to expect further surprises on the power end as well. The rumor is that MINI is still aiming for a final number of 230bhp. That would be up 12bhp from the original advertised spec and would undoubtedly go a long way in turning around some opinions on the GP.

Styling Tweaks
But what about that body kit? The one that seemingly no-one liked. Well either MINI has listened to the criticism or simply had more time to finish it as we were told to expect a more “cohesive” look to the car. No details were given other than modifications are indeed being made to the final styling.

So there you have it. The news many of us have been hoping to hear. The final JCW GP will debut at Geneva in March and should go on sale in Europe in June and the US in July. The first trial cars should be manufactured shortly so expect further spy shots may start rearing their heads on the web soon.

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