Autoblog has some new photos of what is obviously a test mule for the next MINI JCW GP we told you about a few weeks back. Looking closely at the photos, they're confirming for us many things we already knew and have reported on.
Autoblog has some new photos of what is obviously a test mule for the next MINI JCW GP we told you about a few weeks back. Looking closely at the photos, they’re confirming for us many things we already knew and have reported on. For starters you can’t help but notice the MINI Challenge-bred rear wing and the functional diffuser, even under the yellow and black swirls (a color combo that only MINI uses as it turns out). It’s also hard to miss the stance which has clearly been lowered over the standard Sport suspension equipped cars.
Inside it doesn’t take long to spot a complete lack of rear seats. As you’ve read on MF over the past month this GP will following the previous down the path of a true two-seater. And those two front seats? Naturally they’re the Recaros that have recently become an option in the US.
Like the original GP, this car lacks the Xenon headlights, which are the heavier lighting option. What’s new in these photos are the wheels. These look like 18″ 4-spoke wheels that are an obvious homage to the original GP wheels. These look a tad beefier, but we can likely expect more details on the finished wheels. Or if we’re lucky an entirely new design.
Check out the full gallery over at Autoblog. Also be sure to check out our continuing coverage of the new GP in the (you guessed it) dedicated GP section on MotoringFile.
<p>Please please please finish the machining in the wheels! That CAN’T be the final product, they look silly like flower petals.</p>
<p> +1. </p>
<p>+2</p>
<p>They almost look like the result of a mashup between the original GP wheel and the R111.</p>
<p>I hope it will have a really special color, like the first generation had. Now it just looks like a deeply tuned JCW.</p>
<p>THUNDER GREY
(not thunder blue…)</p>
<p>Looks like the wheels are modified R107 that the GP used. If you look only at the open area of the wheel it gives the same Maltese cross effect that the 107 does. It has the same horseshoe four lobes but looks to not have the inner section milled out.</p>
<p>How much more do Xenons weigh?</p>
<p>Extra 5 lbs or so- I remember when BMW Motorsport swapped out the Xenons on the GT2 car and grafted in LEDs to shave the weight. They literally bought an aftermarket kit of the highest output and swapped it in. </p>
<p>Not sure why MINI couldn’t do something similar for such a limited run car. Maybe MINI and the GP folks should take a ride up to Garching, visit M and INDIVIDUAL and get some parts from the bin?</p>
<p>They’re 11lbs each if memory serves.</p>
<p>Really? I thought that 11lbs. was for the pair. I have a Xenon headlamp I use for night rides on my MTB (Light&Motion) and while on a smaller scale than a car it weighs not much more than my back up halogen. With the adaptive (turning system) I could see it being more for those servos but if its just the xenons I’d be surprised… I wish those numbers were something we could actually get- like the weight of the regular seats!</p>
<p>I would rather have a few more pounds of sprung weight in the form of xenon lights, than the added unsprung weight of the typical MINI “light alloy” wheels which are anything but light… think of the Challenge Spoke 17″ wheel @ 23 lbs. each. True the original 18″ GP wheels were lighter @ 20 lbs. each, a commendable effort. Xenon lights as an option would be nice, but as with GP1, there may not be any options.</p>
<p>Still better than the misnomer S-Lites I have on my R53 which weigh in at 30 lbs a piece if I’m not mistaken.</p>
<p>27 lbs on my scale back in the day.</p>
<p>Agreed.</p>
<p> No way I would give up the xenon headlights. The MINI halogens are very poor indeed. Agree that installing lighter wheels would be a better option to save weight.</p>
<p>the Challenge Spoke wheel is lighter… </p>
<p>No xenons means no blacked out headlight option, right? That would be a shame as the cars looks better with it, in my opinion.</p>
<p>Wow really good point.</p>
<p>Yeah except if the car is not even black in the end.</p>
<p> I love the blacked out xenons on my JCW. Really awesome CAD$75 option that makes a big change in the look of the car.</p>
<p>As black xenons are ugly, very good point</p>
<p>It would not have fit with THUNDER GREY…</p>
<p>Lack of Xenon’s to save a few pounds makes no sense for “performance drivers” car. Do we only drive spiritedly during daylight hours? </p>
<p> Agreed, as a owner of a GP have to say the lack of light from the front of the car is less than ideal at times.</p>
<p> http://www.danielsternlighting.com/home.html</p>
<p>He will hook you up with proper bulbs. They make all the difference. </p>
<p>It’ll be cool no doubt but honestly, there are better modded JCW R56’s on the road and for probably less money…..with options! I guess if you want it to say GP from the factory that means a lot to some people, which I do understand. Personally they should’ve had some balls and made the next GP out of the Coupe but I understand they don’t want to piss off the loyal base who think only R50-R56 are “real” MINI’s.</p>
<p>Totally agree. If you are going to ruin the functionality of the car by taking out the rear seat, then just use the Coupe from the start.</p>
<p>No one notices the 6 pot front brakes, actually the same BMW Performance offers for their cars?
Wheels look awesome just the way they are in the pictures, even more than R107’s.</p>
<p>I was looking for a JCW but this car will worth the wait.</p>
<p>Good catch- Those are the six pots from the 135i coupe. All BMW Performance (now defunct) did was paint them yellow. They are made by Brembo. </p>
<p>The new M Performance brakes are 4 pots with slotted and drilled rotors F20/F30 1&3. </p>
<p>The current JCW was never really lacking in the brakes department once the stock pads were swapped out. I am curious to find out how much of an improvement 6-pot over the JCW 4-pot will be – even on the track.</p>
<p>I thought something looked different with the front brakes but couldn’t put my finger on it</p>
<p>o0 I want this… It looks mean already, Just imagine it in red/black with full trim black out.</p>
<p>Nice looking Abarth! ;)</p>