MINI John Cooper Works ‘Challenge’ Spy Shots – ‘GP’ Successor?

Our spy photographers have spotted a tweaked MINI Cooper S John Cooper Works undergoing testing.  Is it a road going ‘Challenge’ model and successor to the limited edition ‘GP’?

We can’t be sure.  But there are some obvious differences to the standard MINI JCW model.  This MINI — BMW’s reinvention of the iconic British brand — has a different front bumper with bigger air intakes.  It also sports a big diffuser at the rear, resembling that seen on the ‘Challenge’ one-make  racing cars.

So could it be a limited edition, range topping JCW model in the same vein as the limited run ‘GP’ model of the previous shape MINI Cooper S?  Maybe.  Or perhaps just a redesign of the body kit for the standard JCW.

We have fertile imaginations here at Gmotors Towers though, so let’s run with the former idea.  We could envisage such a car as a limited run model, again (the ‘GP’ was limited to just 2,000 cars), and available for just the three door hatch and the two door MINI Coupé — in other words, it won’t become a range topper for the Countryman SUV and everything else.

Power?  220bhp at a guess.  Which would give it a top speed of around 150mph and a 0-60mph time around or below six seconds.  Price?  the standard MINI JCW is £22,330 (roughly what the ‘GP’ cost) so expect this to come in at around £25,000.  Not the most expensive MINI, as that honour goes to the MINI Inspired by Goodwood.

Other readers also found these posts interesting: