Mini JCW GP review

Three-thousand GPs will be built – that’s 1,000 more than either of the previous generations. Of those, 575 will come to the UK. So, it’s just that bit less rare and special than its predecessors. 

There are only two specs of GP to choose from: one with air-con and iDrive, and one without. While the latter will save a few kilos, you’ll be left with a car that’s unusable in warm weather, and incredibly tedious to be in most of the time, given the engine is hardly a worthwhile substitute for a soundtrack. The only colour scheme available is grey, with the red highlights. 

Duly equipped with a screen and hot’n’cold running air, the GP is £33,685. That’s top-end Civic Type R money, and will buy you a lot of Mk8 Golf GTI. It’s also £7,000 more than a standard JCW Auto 3dr, but on the other hand, it’s tough to go faster, with more toys, for less money. The Mini does come well-equipped: there’s heated seats, Apple CarPlay, cruise control and LED lights as standard. No parking sensors though, oddly. 

Still, the infotainment is best-in-class for user-friendliness, the sound system is bassy, and the general build quality is sky-high. The GP’s a stiff machine, but you get the sense the cabin won’t be reduced to a rattling, buzzing hive of displaced trim by the time it’s drunk the first tank of fuel. Speaking of which…

Mini claims 38mpg – we saw 30mpg exactly as a round average, while surfing the torque on a motorway easily knocks economy past 40mpg. Bear in mind that beneath the kitsch filler cap, the GP does request 98RON super-unleaded. CO2 emissions are 167g/km – meaning a £540 road tax hit in the first year of ownership.