More MINI GP cars for Oz

Local supplies of the world's most potent road-going MINI have almost doubled as MINI Australia confirms another 25 versions of the JCW GP Edition will make the journey to Australia.

With 30 originally planned, and subsequently sold, before the car even arrived here, MINI has managed to secure another 25 versions of the limited edition car, with just 2000 available globally.

Fitted with special flow-formed alloy wheels, six-piston Brembo brakes - a first for MINI  - a potent 160kW 1.6-litre turbo petrol engine and an adjustable suspension system, the two-seater hot hatches begin arriving at local dealerships in late January, earlier than expected.

However the majority of vehicles have been spoken for says MINI Australia General Manager, Kai Bruesewitz.

“Almost every JCW GP Edition already has a customer name against it and judging by the success of previous limited edition MINI models, the remainder won’t be gathering dust," said Mr Bruesewitz.

"With a total worldwide production of just 2,000 units, the MINI JCW GP Edition looks set to become an instant collector’s item and Australia punches well above its weight in securing a substantial chunk of that production," he said.

The majority of the $56,900 track-ready cars have already been sold  and Mr Bruesewitz reckons it's only a matter of time before then entire 55 unit allocation is gone.

"Almost every car has been sold before even reaching these shores, reinforcing our reputation as high-performance MINI fanatics," he said.

motoring.com.au has already tested the banzai Brit in Europe and can confirm the MINI GP Edition is the best handling production MINI available today, thanks to the upgraded suspension but also improved body rigidity. The rear seats have been turfed out, replaced with a large strut beam. Several aerodynamic improvements enhance its performance too, as do tweaks to the electronic stability control system.

Motive force is via the John Cooper Works-tuned 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine, developing 160kW at 6000rpm and 280Nm of torque at 2000rpm. The two-seater hot hatch weighs 1185kg and is paired exclusively with a six-speed manual gearbox. It has a top speed of 242km/h.

The MINI JCW GP Edition is different to most MINIs in that it cannot be tweaked or modified in any way. One colour, Thunder Grey, is available and there are no options for this vehicle, something MINI says reflects the car's "singularity of purpose".

The ultimate performance car benchmark - Nurburgring lap times - have been clocked at 8.23 for the MINI GP Edition, which is roughly 15 seconds slower than the current FWD record holder, the Renault Megane RS 265.

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