There are two fairly well-defined sides to the Mini Cooper argument. Either you think the Oxford, England-built subcompact is a cutesy girl's car with the drive wheels at the wrong end, or you don't. Those who do probably still won't like the Mini John Cooper Works GP edition, despite its huge roof spoiler, raucous exhaust note, and flashy graphics package. Those who don't will want to keep reading, because the newest Cooper is seriously good fun in addition to being the fastest Mini yet produced. Like the last-generation GP edition Cooper introduced late in the product cycle in 2006, the 2013 version is a focused product with a nod towards track-day types. This is evidenced especially in the suspension, where new inverted dampers (with the body on top and rod on the bottom) are used to increase front-end stiffness. Additionally, front wheel toe-in is reduced, while rear wheel camber is increased. According to Mini, the toe-in change improves steering response and provides quicker turn-in, while the camber change allows the rear tires to keep more contact with the road under cornering behavior. Both, Mini says, lead to a quicker, more confidence-inspiring car on the track. Adjustable coilover spring perches at all four corners giving 20mm of vertical adjustment (the car is set in the middle setting from the factory to comply with bumper height regulations). The rear anti-sway bar diameter has also been increased to reduce understeer, and a front strut tower brace keeps the front end tied together.
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The brake package on the Mini GP has been advanced to better cope with sustained heavy use, with unique six-piston calipers up front that clench vented 13-inch discs. (Rear discs remain standard.) The wheels are also unique to the GP edition, taking inspiration from the Mini Challenge race cars and measuring 17 x 7.5 inches. Those wheels are wrapped in 215/40/17 ultra-high-performance summer tires, with optional 205/45/17s available optionally in a slightly less aggressive compound for all-season use. Of course, what most buyers will really appreciate is more power, and the GP edition gets a bit of that as well. The 1.6-liter I-4 retains the S model's twin-scroll turbocharger, variable valve timing, and direct injection, but is boosted to 218 hp at 6000 rpm and a maximum of 206 lb-ft of torque with the overboost function. Mini places top speed at 150 mph and the 0 to 62 mph sprint at 6.3 seconds. A six-speed manual transmission is standard, though Mini will build you one with an automatic if you ask nicely and admit you don't get the GP's point. As you'd expect, Mini made the interior a sportier place to be. There's a red-topped gearshift knob and plenty of GP embroidery. The special-order (and quite expensive) Recaro front seats are borrowed from the Mini Coupe JCW, while the rear seats have been pitched in the trash bin in the name of weight savings, along with the rear windshield wiper and rear speakers. That racy-looking bar that lives between the rear strut towers in the cargo area isn't a strut tower brace -- Mini says the rear is plenty stiff as it is, thank you very much. Instead, the bar keeps all your gear from rushing into the cabin when you get on the brakes in a hurry. Not as cool a function as a strut brace, but at least it still looks good and makes itself useful. All the trick interior bits meld well with the exterior body kit and its high-mounted roof wing (another Mini Challenge influence), side skirts, front air dam, and rear diffuser. Mini says some of the body tack-ons actually improve aerodynamics to the effect that lift is reduced at both front and rear axles (by 90 percent at the rear) and underbody cladding helps improve airflow in the engine bay to aid cooling.
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So how does it all come together on the track? That's what I found out on Mallorca, a smallish island off the coast of Spain. Against all odds, there's a race track in Mallorca, and I headed to this "Renn Arena" to see what was what. The track is short and twisty, with the longest straight likely falling just shy of a quarter-mile. Upon arrival we were told we'd have to stay behind a pace car in something of a lead-and-follow type exercise for all five of the allowed laps. Disappointment set in among the assembled journalists until we saw the car -- a Mini Challenge race car with a gutted interior and full rollcage -- and its race-suited driver. Game on. As it happened, speed was more than adequate, with the race car pulling away from our group of journalist-driven road cars at every opportunity. In the struggle to keep up I learned a few things about the Mini GP. First, it sounds great with a lovely burble at idle, a small-bore growl winding up to the redline, and assorted pops and bangs on deceleration. Second, with the stability control system set to the special GP mode (located between Sport and Off), the computer won't cut power when traction is lost, instead only redirecting power to the outside driven wheel where traction is greater. Third, the new suspension setup seems to work well with good control and little roll, though the car will still plow when pushed hard, and it's tough to get any rotation unless unorthodox measures are applied. As with any front-wheel-drive car, it's hard to get traction to power out of corners while the car is still turning (insert friction circle diagram here). Like with any Mini, the key is to be smooth with inputs and feed throttle in on corner exit rather than just mash the pedal as might be done in a Miata or BRZ. Still, power felt strong on the straights, and the Recaros proved grippy and supportive, though they might be a bit narrow for larger frames. The overall driving position is excellent, with good steering wheel extension and pedal spacing for simultaneous rev-matching and braking. Just 2000 individually numbered Mini John Cooper Works GP cars will be made, as was the case with the 2006 production run, and all will be painted the Thunder Grey Metallic seen in the accompanying photos. With a price tag of $39,950, the car will cost owners $9000 (roughly 30 percent) more than the standard Mini John Cooper Works. While the exclusivity factor is high and the GP is the ultimate factory Mini, we're guessing the GP production run will be snapped up by only the most ardent Mini enthusiasts, of which there are many more than cars available
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