Cooper MINI GP3, is the ‘most powerful and fastest production MINI yet, according to BMW, its maker.
In the 26 years that BMW has produced MINI, the company has grown to make a full line of cars for everyone and every kind of lifestyle. There was the MINI John Cooper Works Coupé with a snapback, and families could choose from a number of four-door models, three-door models, convertibles, S-trim, John Cooper Works, and now even electric.
BMW manufactured the MINI GP3 (not more than 3,000 units) after the original GP1 and the GP2. Both of these cars are great to drive, but the MINI GP3 has even more power.
Exterior features:
Carbon fibre from the BMW i3 and BMW i8 is used to make its bolt-on wheel arches. On the front is a smile with red lipstick and “GP” badges. Red stickers are on the sides, and the four-spoke wheels have red JCW brake callipers.
At the back, there’s a big roof spoiler with more “GP” logos, and underneath, there’s a split two-piece diffuser with central twin-exit exhaust pipes that are 90mm each and bigger than those on other performance-focused MINIs.
All 3,000 of them have the same “Racing Grey” and “Chilli Red” colour scheme, and the only way to tell them apart is by their model numbers. All in all, this is a very special little MINI, made bigger, lower, wider, and angrier than it was before.
But those details on the outside aren’t just there for looks. With the diffuser, the wing reduces drag but increases downforce, which we’ll talk about later. The wheels are the lightest MINI has ever made, giving the driver better feedback from the road to the wheel and back to the road. The recycled carbon fibre wheel arches give the car a wider track for better handling and grip. They also direct air around the car to make it more aerodynamic, and the large number of vents at the front let the two-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine breathe.
Interior :
Focused, distraction-free is what the MINI GP3 is all about, and it continues inside for the driver and only one passenger, where a striking “Chilli Red” load bar is hidden behind the deep-set leather and Dinamica-upholstered seats. This strut brace doesn’t just replace the back seats; it also makes the car more stable and balanced on a tight race track, where MINI thinks the car will spend most of its life.
Complementing its modern sound system, the brand’s new digital screen shows all the important information in a very clear way, and the infotainment system gives the classic round face a touchscreen so you can listen to the radio or find out more about how the car is running.
MINI adds 3D-printed paddle shifters, a short and stumpy automatic gearbox knob that can be used in manual mode (preferred on track or b-roads), and another plaque with the car’s series number to remind you and your passengers of how rare it is.
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Performance
The GP3 is the fastest MINI ever with a top speed of 164 MPH, a 0-62 MPH time of 5.2 seconds, 306 HP, finely tuned custom dampers, stabilisers, and springs, a wider track, stiffer and lower suspension, and an eight-speed automatic transmission with a limited-slip differential, this car has been given everything and the kitchen sink to make it a formidable track car.
