We’ve already watched reviews of the MINI John Cooper Works (JCW) GP, and now it’s time to see what it can do on the track in the hands of a skilled driver.
The company’s most powerful street-legal car ever was set loose at the Sachsenring by AutoBildSportsCars, and the entire run was filmed from the cockpit.
MINI’s super hot hatch managed to post a lap time of 1:38.48. That does not mean much, and not because the JCW GP is not an exciting car, but because it’s cars from higher segments that are subjected to fast runs these days, and they are way quicker.
Video: Watch The MINI John Cooper Works GP Lap The ‘Ring In 8:03.3
Still, just to have a point of reference, the first generation Audi R8 V10 Spyder completed the course in 1:37.74 according to FastestLaps, around one second quicker than the BMW M6 Gran Coupe Competition. Thus, one could say that the top MINI is not far off compared to some much more expensive and powerful piece of machinery, at least in that particular track.
Powered by a 2.0-liter TwinPower Turbo four-cylinder, the JCW GP has 301 horsepower (306 PS / 225 kW) and 332 pound-feet (450 Nm) of torque that are channeled to the front axle via an eight-speed automatic transmission with integrated differential lock. This enables a 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) sprint of 5.2 seconds and a 165 mph (265 km/h) top speed.