MINI JCW GP 2020 Review

As Oxford’s finest, the 2020 MINI John Cooper Works GP costs an eye-watering $63,900 plus on-road costs, which is a few hundred bucks off a brand-new V8-powered Ford Mustang GT coupe.

Granted, the MINI JCW GP’s top speed of 265km/h is not to be baulked at, nor its storming 0-100km/h sprint of 5.2 seconds. Fast? You’d better believe it.

In total, 3000 units of the GP3 will be built (up from 2000 for the GP2), with only 67 units coming to Australia and five to New Zealand. And they’re all spoken for. Natch.

So what do you get for the cash? Perhaps more telling is what you don’t get for the circa-$64K.

There’s no rear seats on this mad midget – a move to save weight and make room for spare tyres on track days – no reversing camera, no front or rear parking sensors, no powered seats, no head-up display.

There’s no lane departure assist or adaptive cruise control – safety systems that are offered on hatchbacks costing less than half the price. Even the rear windscreen wiper and interior grab handles have been deleted.

Yep, the GP has more focus than a high-end telephoto lens.

Together with lightweight forged alloy wheels, the third-generation MINI JCW GP – or GP3 – is 75kg lighter than its donor car, the MINI JCW three-door hatchback.

Indeed, almost every part of the vehicle has been upgraded, reworked or enhanced, changing the way it looks, feels and performs.

Factor in ultra-stiff suspension that’ll see you form a close personal relationship with your chiropractor and it’s fair to say this was not designed as a daily driver or family runabout.

The basics are there to make regular driving bearable, such as dual-zone climate control, cruise control and, umm, that’s about it.

Thankfully, the bits you’ll use regularly when flogging the bejesus out of the car are well sorted. We’re talking red seat belts, unique (and comfy) JCW GP sports bucket seats with heavy bolstering and a GP-spec Walknappa leather steering wheel with 3D-printed aluminium paddle shifters.

While part of me is disappointed in the standard features, or lack thereof, for such an expensive vehicle, this stripped-back machine’s single-minded approach deserves some respect.

Like others in the MINI stable, this high-performance bad boy is backed by a three-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, which is now behind the times. Mercedes-AMG offers a five-year warranty by comparison.

While the snub-nosed British missile is missing some key features, the 2020 MINI JCW GP doesn’t feel low tech.

A new 5.0-inch digital instrument display borrowed from the MINI EV looks great, but some drivers, as we soon found, will need to adjust the seat height just-so to avoid the steering wheel obscuring it.

There’s also a sharp-looking 8.8-inch touch-screen infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and two USB ports, including one USB-C. It’s got decent functionality including the MINI Connected system that offers various online services, data feeds and searches, along with remote locking/unlocking and headlight flashing via smartphone.

There’s no sophisticated all-wheel drive system here, no computer-controlled drift mode or automatic throttle blipping. Just a launch control system that’s packaged with the eight-speed automatic transmission and works when you engage the GP mode (which also dials back the stability control system).

Is that necessarily a bad thing? Not really, but many of its rivals offer party tricks.

There’s pros and cons when it comes to the performance of the 2020 MINI JCW GP – but the report card is largely positive. And it starts with the weapons-grade engine.

Fair dinkum, this British-built hot hatch can boogie, the 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol B48 engine – donated by BMW – giving the MINI wicked pace. At full noise it accelerates with a potency never before experienced in a Cooper.

Generating 225kW from 5000-6250rpm and creating 450Nm of torque across a wide 1700-4500rpm range, the MINI’s numbers put the Mercedes-AMG A 35 on notice.

Compared to the 2.0-litre JCW donk, the MINI GP gets some new engine goodies such as upgraded, lighter pistons and con-rods, a reinforced crankshaft, larger track-ready oil sump and a new twin-scroll turbo that huffs a little deeper and generates more boost.

And boost it does! Despite the eight-speed automatic transmission being the only gearbox option, throttle response is excellent. The clear connection between the throttle pedal and the front wheels is one of the vehicle’s strong suits, providing a level of controlled aggression that’s eminently satisfying.

It’s not super-light at 1255kg but weighs 75kg less than the MINI JCW three-door hatch it’s based upon – and adding 55kW/130Nm to the equation, the GP3 doesn’t hang about.

Standing-start acceleration takes place with almost no wheelspin thanks to upgraded suspension and lightweight 18-inch alloy wheels shod with impressively grippy Hankook Ventus S1 Evo Z tyres.

Despite the huge wave of torque that pummels the front wheels from about 2000rpm and maintains thrust until around 5500rpm, the MINI GP3 gets its power down with clinical efficiency. It’s an impressive feat of engineering – aided in large part by the excellent mechanical Torsen limited-slip diff – but it makes the car feel more BMW than MINI.

It’s way faster point-to-point than the GP2, but it has lost a bit of its soul during its intense off-season muscle-building regime. It’s fitted with a stainless-steel exhaust system but even that doesn’t have the antisocial barking, snarling acoustics of its predecessors.

The eight-speed gearbox is up to the task for the most part, blasting through downshifts with a couple of taps on the left paddle shifter. But on a really tight and twisty mountain climb, there was a real chasm between first and second gear, getting stuck between too many revs in first and not enough in second. I reckon a manual gearbox would provide more control in such a scenario.

There’s no speed limiter either, so if you find yourself on, say, an German autobahn with a mild decline and a tail wind, that 265km/h top speed could potentially nudge higher. Just saying…

I’m not sure how stable the GP3 would feel at 250km/h-plus, because I’m not entirely convinced the wild body kit contributes to the car’s aero efficiency.

But it certainly turns heads, its carbon-fibre reinforced plastic wheel spats increasing the car’s track width by 35mm, the insane roof wing adding height and length. The reprofiled front bumper is mean-looking, too.

Fuel consumption is claimed to be 8.3 litres per 100km on the official combined cycle. We saw significantly higher numbers during our largely white-knuckled drive, although it was efficient on the highway.

There’s no denying the 2020 MINI JCW GP dances like Jason Derulo, moving with a dazzling agility that only comes with years of practice in front of the mirror. The flipside to this well-practiced choreography is that it all comes too easily.

There’s no challenge to the pursuit of pace in the GP3. The MINI just grips and goes, which is generally considered a good thing. There’s no wheelspin, very little torque steer either. There’s a fire in its belly, but it feels too well behaved. I expected (wanted!) some histrionics, the sort that define the MINI GP as a bit feral, a little rowdy and unruly.

Even when the clouds rolled in and drizzle started, the MINI GP barely skipped a beat, blasting out of corners with effortless ease and predictable grip levels. Although it does start to lose a bit of composure on rougher, poorly maintained roads, there’s rarely a heart-stopping moment in this car, just more composure under pressure than former US president Obama.

I must admit that pumping 450Nm through the front axle without some spill-over is pretty neat ability; the Torsen slippery diff does a very good job here, and you can sometimes feel it shifting torque to the outside wheel. The steering isn’t awash with feedback but it’s well weighted and direct.

There’s some significant suspension changes that also contribute to its surgical apex-slaying ability, including revised springs and dampers, more aggressive front and rear wheel camber settings and ball joints in the rear suspension that add stiffness.

Oh, and on that topic the GP3 is as stiff as a board. You’ll feel mild bumps reverberating into the cabin and even crossing cat’s eyes on the freeway results in jolting movements.

It won’t last long in the garage if this is being driven every day on Aussie roads. Yet while its stiffness is extreme, it’s almost worth the compromise given how adept it is at carving through smooth, tight bends.

On the racetrack it would be a demon.

Beefed-up 360mm front rotors with four-piston callipers deliver excellent stopping power and pedal modulation is fit for purpose, with a good blend of sensitivity and feel.

The hot hatch is one of my favourite subsets of motor vehicle. Small, fast and agile, they’re brilliant on narrow and twisty roads, and usually deliver impressive value for money.

But the hot hatch has become a victim of its own success in recent years. These petite four-wheel bottle rockets are now so exceedingly powerful you’ll pay sports coupe money – think BMW 2 Series – for what was once an affordable weekend warrior that doubled as an everyday drive.

Case in point: the third-generation MINI GP.

And when you’ve got $50K pearlers like the Toyota GR Yaris now available, the GP3 starts to lose a bit of its sheen.

Nevertheless, the 2020 MINI JCW GP sets a new performance benchmark for the British brand, backed up with one of the most radical exterior designs yet. Who knew roof spoilers could rival IKEA shelving solutions?

Don’t get me wrong. I had a huge amount of fun blasting around in this hot hatch and pushing the MINI GP’s dynamic threshold was a memorable experience. I just wish it had more personality like its predecessors.

I doubt owners will be too worried by the lack of character given the improvements in performance, but I’m hoping the next MINI GP shifts back towards to its antisocial roots.

And a manual gearbox wouldn’t hurt either.

How much does the 2020 MINI John Cooper Works GP cost?
Price: $63,900 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 225kW/450Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 8.3L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 171g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Not tested.