As the hottest of the hot MINIs, the MINI John Cooper Works GP is always highly sought after. The trouble is, this pocket rocket not only comes just once in a blue moon (at the very end of each MINI generation’s lifecycle), but it’s also always strictly limited and very expensive. Well, there’s now a more attainable way to get the track-ready look with the JCW GP Inspired Edition, which has just been launched in Malaysia.
Not that it is in any way cheap – based on the already-expensive “standard” petrol JCW, the GP Inspired Edition costs an extra RM15,000 on top of that, retailing at a whopping RM333,888 on-the-road without insurance. This includes the standard two-year, unlimited-mileage warranty; opt for the four-year warranty and service package and the number jumps to RM345,988.
Linking the GP Inspired Edition to its, um, inspiration is the Racing Grey paint and a complete JCW Aero Kit – the latter includes a towering biplane tailgate spoiler and winglets on the front, side and rear, all highlighted in red. You also get grey and red stripes all over and diagrams of various famous circuits on the C-pillars, while the big “GP Inspired” decals along the sides make it clear you’re not looking at the real deal.
Mind you, this is still a genuine JCW, kitted out with a sportier front and rear bumper design, a more open grille with a chequered flag pattern, a centre-exit exhaust and 18-inch JCW Lap Spoke alloy wheels, the latter accented with red MINI centre caps on the GP Inspired Edition.
Inside, bespoke GP Inspired-branded floor mats and skid plates join a JCW steering wheel and MINI sports seats upholstered in Vecsin faux leather and knitted fabric, plus red accents and a chequered flag graphic on the dashboard. A GP Inspired key cap completes the add-ons.
Under the bonnet lies an unchanged B48 2.0 litre turbo four-cylinder engine sending a decent 231 PS and 380 Nm of torque to the front wheels. Those figures are nowhere close to the pukka GP’s 306 PS and 450 Nm, but they’re still enough for the GP Inspired Edition to hit 100 km/h in 6.1 seconds in concert with a seven-speed wet dual-clutch transmission.
Aside from the GP Inspired Edition, MINI Malaysia has also introduced the (much less expensive) MINI 1965 Victory Edition, based on the electric John Cooper Works E.
GALLERY: MINI John Cooper Works GP Inspired Edition
The post MINI John Cooper Works GP Inspired Edition in Malaysia: look-faster variant, still with 231 PS, RM334k appeared first on Paul Tan’s Automotive News.
