FRANKFURT MOTOR SHOW: MINI unwraps JCW GP Concept
MINI lifts the lid on extreme John Cooper Works hatchback conceptsThere are hot hatches, and then there is MINI’s John Cooper Works GP Concept.
The storied British manufacturer has gone above and beyond the regular hot-hatch mold, releasing details of the performance-oriented concept ahead of its official reveal at the Frankfurt motor show next week.
Taking inspiration from MINI’s triumphs at the Monte Carlo Rally 50 years ago, the concept is said to embody “dynamic flair and the ultimate in driving fun”.
Word is that MINI will follow up the concept with a production version of the John Cooper Works GP some time in 2019; just before an all-new MINI is released in 2020. The BMW-owned company has confirmed nothing at this stage though.
Underlining the JCW’s track-ready stature are large front and rear aprons, side skirts and a prominent roof spoiler. There are lashings of carbon-fibre, 19-inch alloy wheels and tail-lights which display half the Union Jack – a nod to the car’s British origins, naturally.
The same racy theme permeates the vehicle’s interior thanks to a roll cage and a pair of low-mounted bucket shifts. The steering wheel bears paddles for gear shifting.
Whereas the most recent MINI JCW GP vehicle, launched in 2012, utilised a 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine, the next-generation model is expected to adopt a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo engine that will likely yield a 0-100km/h time of less than six seconds and a power output of at least 175kW.
We’ll be sure to ask what’s under the bonnet at next week’s show.
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