Along with the Season’s 1st Winter Storm.
I’ll be getting our official GP test car tomorrow, along with potentially 6 to 10 inches of snow. So if someone sees a GP in a ditch somewhere on Lake Shore Drive in Chicago around 6pm, please lend a hand. And no you can’t have the wing!
As usual if you’d like to see any specific questions answered about the GP, let ’em rip in the comment section below. While this won’t be my first drive in a GP (or the first review we’ve had on MF), it will allow me to see what it’s like to live with the car day to day. And it’ll be nice to send-off R53 with one final review of the ultimate MINI.
Have fun with those tires! Seriously, be careful, the stock run-flats on the GP leave something to be desired when driving in inclement weather. Lower your expectations, use extra caution, get a feel for how it handles bad weather.
Having said that, my oh my how I love the GP! It’s my second MINI Cooper, so I had already been enjoying many of the inherent delights to the platform. The GP certainly dials up the fun factor one or more notches in most aspects.
>Have fun with those tires! Seriously, be careful, the stock run-flats on the GP leave something to be desired when driving in inclement weather. Lower your expectations, use extra caution, get a feel for how it handles bad weather.
Unfortunately I know all too well. I had the same tires on my 18″ JCW wheels last year. Of course I’d never dare drive the GP in the snow if it were my own car. The thought of the salt eating away at the wheels just send shivers up and down my spine.
And that advice is important for anyone with the summer performance tires that are on most Cooper S’s out there. Don’t think for a moment that they were designed for use in temps below 40F – not to mention snow.
Carefule in the white stuff out there. You know how crazy it can get when drivers “forget” how to adjust their driving style when that first snow comes down. (Hopefully it’ll just flurry.)
Show it no mercy.
Snow? What’s snow? It’s 39 degrees celcius here in Sydney. I wonder if a MINI has ever touched white here in Oz??
Have fun with the test!
Gabe, if you re-locate the GP wing to the front spoiler you can use it as a plow.
I don’t believe the MF archives have any “MINI as snow removal device” reviews.
The only ditch on the side of LSD that I know of is called Lake Michigan. 🙂 Good luck, and have fun Gabe!
Enjoy the snow…I drove to work with the sunroof open this morning in Boston, 68 degrees on the OBC!
The high in Orlando today is 85 degrees F.
I own a GP, and love it! I used to own a ’05 MCS works car. I would be very curious to know your opinion on a comparison between the two.
Thanks, Gabe!
Rubber side down.
Its 80°F in Miami :o)
OT – I was JUST talking to someone about the tendency for those in different climates to comment on how warm/nicer it may be in their environment towards those of us CHOOSE to live where we live. It’s fascinating to me (as a former Orlandoan – Florida for those of you outside the states) as a current Michigander. The only thing that we could compare it to would be saying the distasteful “Too bad about your fire/earthquake/hurricane/mudslide, the weather is GREAT here”, to someone, which of course, I would never do.
On topic – I saw my first GP on the street a couple of weeks ago and the car has awesome looks and sounds cruising by, even if no one save me knew what we were looking at. Have fun Gabe!
Hi Gabe,
Of interest for me on this review is the interior noise difference between your daily driver MCS and the GP. I find my stock Checkmate MCS to be on the edge of tolerable noise levels particularly when using the Mikey bluetooth set-up. I know the GP is a harder edged car but is it practical for a daily driver or is it best suited for weekend drives and track/auto-x?
Thanks! Oh and a nice balmy 35 degree morning with an expected high of 50 here in the Antelope Valley portion of So. Cal…
I feel sorry for you guys 🙂 I normally love this weather. Just not when picking up the fastest MINI of all time.
Just snowed a couple of inches here (st. louis) on top of the freezing rain that came a couple hours before it. Sadly, we had to drive our GP in the freezing rain for a few miles yesterday, but he did alright. Still pretty slippery, though. I don’t think they put salt on the roads we drove on, hopefully they didn’t. I had to give him a little clean off in the garage when I got home.
Oh that is real bad luck Gabe – the weather in old Paris is cold but clear!
Jealous about the weather in Florida though – wished I could relocate!
Enjoy the GP!
Complete hoot!
It shouldn’t be too bad this afternoon. This morning.. well… that was another situation entirely. Are you going to take it up Sheridan Rd???!!! Should be fun!!!
I’ve heard there are some aluminum parts in the rear end and a plastic underbody tray. I wonder if you will feel any difference due to these bits.
Gabe enjoy the GP no matter the weather. It is sunny and clear although cold in Antelope Valley part of SoCal, Garth what do you drive I have a Black with Black Cooper with 18 inch Anthracite wheels and Quiksilver ooper S Exhaust.
Soundclip of a GP with a 4-2-1 manifold
<a href="http://nl.youtube.com/watch?v=g2zK3Gg69iw" rel="nofollow ugc">http://nl.youtube.com/watch?v=g2zK3Gg69iw</a>
225hp on the dyno and a great noise 🙂