One Last High-Powered, Lightweight Hurrah
When you're as big as the little MINI, everything's different. Size is almost never an issue, at least for those seeking the ultimate in
compact efficiency; and as far as power, there's no goal too big or challenge too large to accept. Yes, the new MINI has fast becoming an icon of retro styling, that's somehow truly modern, but not merely because of its state-of-the-art engineering.
Now that preparations are well underway for the next generation "new" MINI, BMW, MINI's parent, isn't going to let the last model year of one of its biggest sellers simply fizzle into memory - it's going to go out with a bang! A final edition is being prepared, delivering more of what MINI enthusiasts crave: fun.
The final hurrah for the MINI Mk.II will be a special commemorative model, the
Cooper S John Cooper Works GP. As you might have guessed, the main goal is absolute performance, building atop the current MINI performance king, the Cooper S Works. A credible machine to begin with, in any guise, the MINI has shown time and time again that it can run with even the best of performance sports cars on a windy road.
The Cooper S GP marks the pinnacle in factory-tuned performance for the engine. The tiny, Chrysler-sourced 1.6-liter four-cylinder has been pushed to its absolute boundaries, up a further 8-horsepower over the John Cooper Works for a total output of 218-horsepower. Torque hasn't changed, with some 180 lb-ft available. The car ought to sound great too, as it features the Works "Sound" exhaust kit.
When you're as big as the little MINI, everything's different. Size is almost never an issue, at least for those seeking the ultimate in
 |
| The last model year of the current MINI won't simply fizzle into memory- it's going to go out with a bang! (Photo: MINI U.S.A.) |
Now that preparations are well underway for the next generation "new" MINI, BMW, MINI's parent, isn't going to let the last model year of one of its biggest sellers simply fizzle into memory - it's going to go out with a bang! A final edition is being prepared, delivering more of what MINI enthusiasts crave: fun.
The final hurrah for the MINI Mk.II will be a special commemorative model, the
 |
| The final hurrah for the MINI Mk.II will be a special commemorative model, the Cooper S John Cooper Works GP. (Photo: MINI U.S.A.) |
The Cooper S GP marks the pinnacle in factory-tuned performance for the engine. The tiny, Chrysler-sourced 1.6-liter four-cylinder has been pushed to its absolute boundaries, up a further 8-horsepower over the John Cooper Works for a total output of 218-horsepower. Torque hasn't changed, with some 180 lb-ft available. The car ought to sound great too, as it features the Works "Sound" exhaust kit.