To go along with the upgraded motor, a host of minor chassis and drivetrain modifications have been made. The tweaked motor is
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| To go along with the upgraded motor, a host of minor chassis and drivetrain modifications have been made. (Photo: MINI U.S.A.) |
mated to nothing less than a six-speed manual gearbox, which puts power to the pavement through a limited slip differential - a crucial add-on that limits excess wheel spin. Meanwhile, DSC II (BMW's Dynamic Stability Control) is available, and the rear suspension features additional aluminum links for increased road-holding capability.
An 8-horsepower hike definitely isn't enough to make specialty status, so there must be something else lurking under its unassuming skin. The real difference can be found at the scales, where the GP weighs in at a full 40 kilograms (88 pounds) less than the equivalent JCW model. This addresses
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| Lighter Recaro buckets (they sound nice but no photograph of the interior is available, only an artist's rendering) were added, as part of a plan to reduce the car's weight by 40 kg (88 lbs). (Photo: MINI U.S.A.) |
one of the biggest criticisms against the new MINI, a vehicle that is pretty dense by modern subcompact standards - and even more when you consider it weighs nearly twice as much as the original '60s machine.
The slimming plan entails removing most of the car's unnecessary weight, such as the air conditioner (can be re-added at no extra cost), while a strut brace occupies the space where the rear bench seat once was. Up front, lighter Recaro buckets (they sound nice but no photograph of the interior is available, only an artist's rendering) and a massive reduction in sound deadening help to pare further mass. Still, the GP is a place of luxury, offering leather trim, power windows and mirrors, and a powerful sound system with CD player as standard equipment.
