Exclusive

Mini Cooper S JCW GP is 20 seconds faster around the 'Ring than predecessor

View 5 Photos
Mini is hard at work on the newest interpretation of the Cooper S John Cooper Works GP we recently spotted testing. Speaking just ahead of the New York Auto Show, Kay Segler, the senior vice president of the Mini brand, said the vehicle will debut in around five weeks time at the Circuit Paul Ricard F1 track in Le Castellet, France during a Mini community event.

That's exciting, but not nearly as much as news that the new machine is plenty quick. As you may recall, our spy photographers spotted the Cooper S JCW GP just outside of the infamous Nürburgring. Segler says he's personally driven the machine, and that he knows for a fact that the vehicle is a full 20 seconds faster around the road course than its predecessor. Segler declined to announce the exact time.

Twenty seconds is a huge amount of time in any form of motorsports, and that's doubly true for 'Ring times. The original Cooper S JCW GP boasted just 215 horsepower but shed an impressive amount of weight to stay quick. The new model is expected to bring around 220 hp to the party along with significant weight reductions of its own. Still, a 5-hp nudge hardly explains a 20-second improvement around the Nürburgring. Stay tuned.

More Information