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2020 Mini JCW GP: Auto-only hot hatch revealed

Mini's hottest ever hatch has been revealed. The new JCW GP has just two seats, packs 225kW... and is only available with an automatic gearbox.


This is the third Mini JCW GP. Like its predecessors, it's significantly more focused than the regular Mini line-up – the rear seats are gone, the body has been stiffened up, and there are bespoke mounts for the engine, transmission and suspension.

Mini says the underbody has been treated to a set of additional braces, struts, and stiffening elements.

Developed on the Nurburgring (where else), the suspension is unique to the GP. The springs are specific to this particular model, along with the dampers and stabilisers, while Mini has adjusted the car's geometry for more camber at both ends.

The wishbones on the rear axle are mounted with metal joints instead of rubber mounts, while Mini says the mounts that are still rubber have also been stiffened up for service in the GP. The steering has also been tweaked.

Power comes from a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged engine outputting 225kW and 450Nm. If those figures sound familiar, it's because the engine has been borrowed from the BMW X2 M35i – albeit with unique cooling systems designed to handle the sort of hard track work Mini expects GP owners to undertake.

In a significant departure from its predecessors, the new JCW GP will not be offered with a manual transmission. Instead, it's only available with an eight-speed automatic with paddles behind the steering wheel.

To keep all that power in check, there's a mechanical locking differential on the front axle. Mini says the car will hit 100km/h in just 5.2 seconds from standstill, and will do 265km/h flat out. That's without an electric limiter, for what it's worth.

Externally, you'll be able to tell the Mini JCW GP from its more mundane brethren by the unique four-spoke alloy wheels, behind which hide a set of uprated brakes measuring 360mm at the front. The tyres are 225/35 units as standard.

Mini has also upped the visual drama with a wide bodykit made of carbon-fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP). Rather than using a boring build plate to signify which of the 3000 cars you've bought, Mini will actually emblazon the build number on the GP's front wheel arch extensions.

There's a smattering of red and black highlights around the body, while the rear end is home to a pumped-up diffuser and an over-the-top wing.

Inside, there's less sound insulation than you get in a standard Mini JCW, while the instruments, steering wheel, seats, and gear selector trim are all unique. Mini has also fitted a 5.0-inch digital instrument binnacle adapted from that in the electric Cooper.

 

When will the Mini JCW GP be available in Australia?

We've contacted Mini Australia to see when the JCW GP will arrive Down Under.

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