The New Mini John Cooper Works GP Will Have A Fiesta ST-Crushing 300bhp
If you’re excited by the all-new Mini John Cooper Works GP, we have some good and bad news for you. The bad news is it won’t be launched in production form until 2020, despite a concept version appearing back in 2017. But here’s the good news: it should be worth the wait, as it’ll be enormously powerful.
The last GP wasn’t significantly more powerful than the standard JCW, but for the next one, the BMW-owned brand is pushing the boat out. Today, it’s been confirmed that it’ll develop 296bhp from a 2.0-litre twin-scroll turbocharged inline-four.
Enough power to make the Ford Fiesta ST look rather limp, in other words, and that’s before we get to the rest of the spec. Nothing has been explicitly confirmed yet, but we’re expecting more serious dampers, various angry aero pieces (we can see some of them in these teaser images) and a slight drop in weight.
It will inevitably be much more expensive than the ST, however, and pricier than many hot hatches from the next segment up. The last one was nearly £29,000, so it’s safe to assume the 2020 model will be comfortably over £30,000. It’ll also only be sold in limited numbers.
Regardless, we can’t wait to see it in full.
Growing up on a diet of World Rally Championship highlights and lengthy Gran Turismo 2 sessions, a life in cars was as good as inevitable for Matt.
Comments
Meeeh not enough. Put another engine at back and make a 600 HP awd monster mini.
Just kidding.
Such a car already exists if you look it up, and it is an absolute monster
Fiesta will win by numbers.
It’s cheaper.
The fiesta lacks character though, which is why I’d personally prefer the JCW Mini
It’s also a hellova lot more reliable.
Why they’re being compared at all I don’t understand. These cars are set out to do completely different things. The MINI is on par with the (over-hyped and over-styled) Civic Type R, not a trumped up economy hatch.
I have a feeling this thing might give the civic type r a run for its money!!
Doubt it, prob would brake down before racing lol
Too much power.
… the not so mini Mini is nudging 3,000lbs these days.
3,000lbs, 300hp, short wheel base = fun car. FWD or RWD.
2,500lbs, 250hp
2,000lbs, 200hp
And so forth… as a crude baseline for little sporty cars
Mate they aren’t bad anymore. The older gen 1.6t were bad i know but this 2.0t gen is as reliable as any other German 4cyl turbo engine. New mini isn’t bad like it used to be
Why is the Fiesta ST the point of comparison? The JCW Mini is the 3rd level of performance for the Mini. (Mini, Cooper S, JCW). The direct comparison between Mini/Fiesta would be the Cooper S. IMO, it’s not that impressive that the tier 3 Mini can beat a Tier 2 level Fiesta.
The Cooper JCW would be the equivalent to (if it existed, and I wish it did) a Fiesta RS. Instead it is usually compared it to the GTI, Civic Si, MazdaSpeed 3, and others instead of comparing to the Honda Fit, Kia Rio,Hyundai Accent, Fiat 500, Mazda 2, etc. The JCW is a great car and definitely has my attention though.
You should see what they media are telling about the fiesta st. It was almost the 2018 car of the year regarding English Autocar. It is a bargain talking about price vs benefit, performance make you smile of everything the car does.
Why does everyone hate this? It’s not even unreliable.
I know someone with an older NA 1.6, which IIRC is known as the less reliable of the Minis. In about 8 years, it’s never broken down, and it’s low maintenance. It has a ton of mileage and there are no problems with it.
And yes, the ST is cheaper. Because the mini is faster.
Are you guys pre-programmed to dislike quintessentially british cars or something? It was the same thing with the Group B MG Metro post lol. “yeAh bUt iT’s a mG mETRO”
I remember that article lol
I will accept I did say something on those lines.
But I was saying it as a reference to the price that while it’s the coolest Hatchback ever.
It wasn’t worth the price of new Honda NSX.
Isn’t the new Mini more like a 3 door Focus in size?
I wish they upgraded the supercharged 4. It was unique. How many hot hatches have a supercharger on a 4 pot? Or a supercharger in general?
That WING though!!!