Skip advert
Advertisement

New MINI JCW GP 2020 review

The new MINI JCW GP is the brand’s fastest ever hatch, but it's also its most expensive

Overall Auto Express rating

3.5

How we review cars
Find your MINI MINI Cooper
Compare deals from trusted partners on this car and previous models.
Or are you looking to sell your car?
Value my car
Fast, no-nonsense car selling
Value my car

Verdict

The MINI GP is a car that delights and frustrates in equal measure. The performance from its 2.0-litre engine is phenomenal, while it feels like a miniature touring car thanks to its handling set-up. What hinders the GP is its slow automatic gearbox and overly firm ride. It’s a car that you have to fight with to get the best out of, so while it may be exciting, it’s not hugely rewarding.

Advertisement - Article continues below

Before you even lay eyes on MINI’s latest model, there’s one figure that tells you everything you need to know about it: 164mph. The third iteration of the John Cooper Works GP is the fastest, maddest and most unhinged MINI ever.

Only 575 examples of the 3,000 to be built will be sold to UK buyers, which means MINI can slap a premium on such a car – and it has. At £35,345, the GP is the most expensive MINI hatch ever made, but you get quite a lot of small car for your money.

As a quick recap, this latest GP uses a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged engine developing 302bhp and 450Nm of torque. We have seen that sort of power in a MINI before, but only in combination with four-wheel drive. The GP is front-wheel drive only and comes exclusively with an eight-speed automatic gearbox. No manual ’box is available, even as an option.

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement - Article continues below

Used - available now

A1 Sportback

2023 Audi

A1 Sportback

13,435 milesManualPetrol1.0L

Cash £17,100
View A1 Sportback
Kona Electric

2023 Hyundai

Kona Electric

7,557 milesAutomaticElectric

Cash £16,300
View Kona Electric
A-Class

2021 Mercedes

A-Class

55,206 milesAutomaticPetrol1.3L

Cash £15,000
View A-Class
C3 Aircross

2023 Citroen

C3 Aircross

12,118 milesManualPetrol1.2L

Cash £14,300
View C3 Aircross

The GP’s cosmetic makeover is certainly eye-catching, but not exactly tasteful. The exoskeleton-style, carbon-fibre wheelarches have been added to allow MINI to widen the front track, to help improve the car’s grip, but they look like an afterthought and simply appear to have been stuck on.

Advertisement - Article continues below

Our first drive in Germany showed the GP to be a feisty and fun hot hatch, but question marks were raised over the car’s ride quality – or lack of it. Within just the first mile on UK roads it’s apparent that the GP’s set-up is very focused, but unforgiving. The suspension is extremely firm, which means the car bobs and fidgets over mildly uneven surfaces.

One thing you can’t question is the effectiveness of the 302bhp engine. There’s a bit of lag below 2,500rpm, but beyond that point the engine has relentless thrust all the way through the mid-range and right up to its 6,500rpm rev limiter.

MINI says 0-62mph takes 5.2 seconds, which is staggeringly quick for a front-wheel-drive car. And that’s exactly how the GP feels. However, the engine is hindered by the eight-speed automatic gearbox, which feels off the pace and not in sync with the rest of the car. Changes are laboured and, even if you try to counter the problem by using the steering wheel-mounted paddles, sometimes they don’t happen at all.

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement - Article continues below

This amount of power is at the very limit of what the MINI can handle. Accelerate hard and the front wheels scramble to find purchase on the tarmac; once they bite, the mechanically locking differential struggles to contain the power and distribute it efficiently between the front wheels, which leaves you fighting with the sports steering wheel as it writhes away in your hands.

Where the GP does shine is through the corners; the front end has unrelenting grip and doesn’t even entertain the idea of understeer. Turn in and the GP bites into the road and slingshots you round at staggering pace – a clear indicator that this is indeed a track-day toy and not a model designed to be used primarily as a road car.

The fact there are no rear seats certainly compounds that, but the rest of the cabin is largely identical to what you’ll find in any of MINI’s other current products. Padded leather seats, a digital instrument binnacle and a large central screen with MINI’s iDrive system bring a sense of normality to the GP.

If you want some more creature comforts on top of that, you can also add the optional GP Touring Pack, which includes automatic air-conditioning, heated seats and the Navigation Plus Pack for a further £2,000.

Model:MINI John Cooper Works GP
Price:£35,345
Engine:2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power/Torque:302bhp/450Nm
Transmission:Eight-speed automatic, front-wheel drive 
0-62mph:5.2 seconds
Top speed:164mph
Economy:38.7mpg
CO2:167g/km
On sale:Now
Skip advert
Advertisement

New & used car deals

Renault Clio

Renault Clio

RRP £16,160Avg. savings £2,921 off RRP*Used from £8,886
Toyota Yaris Cross

Toyota Yaris Cross

RRP £26,495Avg. savings £1,672 off RRP*Used from £16,100
Volkswagen Golf

Volkswagen Golf

RRP £24,625Avg. savings £2,795 off RRP*Used from £11,800
Volkswagen Polo

Volkswagen Polo

RRP £14,480Avg. savings £1,864 off RRP*Used from £6,700
* Average savings are calculated daily based on the best dealer prices on Auto Express vs manufacturer RRP
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

New MG IM5 has the Tesla Model 3 beaten on price and range
MG IM5 - Goodwood front

New MG IM5 has the Tesla Model 3 beaten on price and range

The all-electric IM5 brings new technology and design to the MG line-up
News
10 Jul 2025
New Xiaomi YU7 2025 review: a world-beating new EV to worry the establishment
Xiaomi YU7 - front cornering

New Xiaomi YU7 2025 review: a world-beating new EV to worry the establishment

BMW or Mercedes would do anything to keep the new Xiaomi YU7 from sale in the UK and Europe, and this is why
Road tests
14 Jul 2025
The EV grant is back: Government's new £3,750 electric car discount in detail
Auto Express creative director Darren Wilson charging the Lexus RZ

The EV grant is back: Government's new £3,750 electric car discount in detail

The government has set out its plan to help reduce the cost of affordable EVs by introducing a new £3,750 grant for new EVs sold
News
15 Jul 2025