MINI Cooper John Cooper Works GP is Back for 2020

MINI unveils the John Cooper Works GP Cooper in Los Angeles in bid to bring spotlight back to the brand.

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• New Mini Cooper JCW GP hits 100 km/h in about 5.0 seconds
• Will only be offered with an automatic
• Price set at $45,750 US

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The first MINI Cooper John Cooper Works GP rocked the world all the way back in 2006 with a second generation following suit in 2013. Tonight in Los Angeles, the third generation was unveiled.

The first Cooper JCW was really cool. It was a hardcore version of a pure driver’s car, a car that had managed to bring a brand enthusiasts loved back to life. MINI’s have always been fun to drive and the 2002 redesign was definitely a blast. The GP version took that performance, sharp handling and agile demeanor to the extreme and we loved it for it.

Then in 2013 a second-generation GP came along. Still pretty cool, enthusiasts and industry onlookers couldn’t help but notice that the price was kind of steep at $39,950 back then. Sure the MINI Cooper John Cooper Works GP was still cool, but $40k cool? Debatable.

Tonight, many are having the same debate with the third-generation MINI Cooper JCW GP. Moreover, it comes at a time when the MINI Cooper is no longer that small, lovable urban rocket. The Cooper has grown in size and gained quite a bit of weight in an effort to reach a larger audience. That’s fine, and don’t get us wrong it’s still fun, but the days where a GP model makes sense seem long gone.

Still, the MINI Cooper JCW GP is quite a beast. Running the Nürburgring in under 8 minutes, the Cooper JCW GP is fast, although not quite as fast as a Honda Civic Type R. It looks the part, however, with the signature rear wing, large wheels, agressive front spoiler and wide wheel arches.

It hits 100 km/h in about 5.0 seconds which is fast, but again it’s not as fast as the Civic Type R or other similar models. It only comes with an 8-speed automatic which relays 301 horsepower from a turbo inline-4.

 The problem with the MINI Cooper JCW GP is the price. It starts at $45,750 which is very, very steep. You can get a lot of car for that price, and many of the options available to you will outperform the Cooper JCW GP. Still, MINI is planning 3,000 units for next year.

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MINI Cooper John Cooper Works GP Images