What It Is: A Mini John Cooper Works Coupe that’s been given the GP treatment, caught wearing very little camouflage. It’s already been confirmed that the high-performance Mini JCW GP II hatchback model is coming to the U.S. by the end of the year—we’ve even spotted one out testing—but this is the first time we’ve caught wind of a Mini JCW Coupe GP II. The Mini is wearing a few GP hallmarks, namely a set of four-spoke wheels and an aggressive rear diffuser.
You may be wondering why we’re referring to the coupe as a GP II, when this would be the first time the model has received GP kit. We doubt that Mini would refer to it only as the “GP” but at the same time call the three-door the “GP II.” It makes more sense for Mini to use common GP nomenclature, even if doing so means the coupe’s name makes a little less sense. The original Mini JCW GP was slightly lighter and slightly more powerful than a contemporary JCW three-door, attributes we expect will carry over to both the new hatchback GP II, as well as this new coupe.
Why It Matters: When the first-generation Mini John Cooper Works GP went on sale in limited numbers back in 2006, the Mini lineup had yet to expand beyond the Cooper hatchback and convertible. Today, Mini’s offerings include the Coupe, Roadster, Clubman, and Countryman, and extending the GP upgrades to a second model is easy and makes some sense.
Platform/Powertrain: Just like the tin-topped GP II, the coupe likely will get a power bump from the 208 hp and 207 lb-ft of torque in the standard JCW model to 220 hp and 220 lb-ft of torque. One of the original GP’s key features, or rather the lack thereof, was its missing back seat and A/C. Both omissions contributed to that car’s 62-pound weight loss compared to a normal JCW Hatchback. Of course, the Mini Coupe doesn’t have a back seat to begin with, so figure on perhaps only the deletion of the A/C here. Just as the three-door GP II should get an even sharper and more track-ready suspension tune, so would the coupe.
Estimated Arrival Time: Although the hatchback Mini John Cooper Works GP II will soon make its debut at the annual Mini United festival next month, we don’t expect to see this variant appear undisguised until at least late 2012.
