Though it can feel hard sometimes to avoid mentioning the GR Yaris, here it really is pertinent. Not just the hot hatch of 2020, for many people Toyota’s turbocharged tyke was the car of 2020. And it meant plenty of others from that year were kind of forgotten about, lost in the GR hype.
For an assortment of reasons, the second half of 2020 was a strange time. Where little was expected of a Toyota hot hatch (and something brilliant resulted), the third generation of Mini GP was eagerly anticipated by fans - but it wasn’t quite the full ticket. The powertrain wasn’t exciting enough, the chassis not composed enough, and the desire to drive one not compelling enough for a £35k Mini JCW. It would have been disappointing at the best of times, but the GP was made to look especially sub-par against the Yaris. Mini never let a GP out for a GR twin test, which says a lot.
This isn’t just any Mini John Cooper Works GP, however. It’s received more than £25,000 of additional modification over and above the extensive changes - removing the rear seats, widening the tracks, redoing the suspension - introduced at the factory. There’s not much of this GP that’s been left untouched, from seats to brakes and engine to wheels, with the promise of a truly memorable Mini GP in a way that the standard car wasn’t.
The initial reviews suggested the car was best suited to smooth surfaces, and if the looks here are anything to go by - see the cage and the extinguisher, for starters - then this GP has been built as a track car. Expensively built, too, with modifications including Tarox discs and pads, Corbeau seats, and a Drexler LSD. Just the diff alone is the best part of £3k, so it’s easy to see how that £25,000 was spent.
The 2.0-litre turbo engine is now putting out more than 380hp and 384lb ft, with the added benefit of an Eventuri carbon intake and Cobra exhaust to enhance the character. There’s no mention of any changes to the automatic gearbox, which was frequently cited as a weak link in the package, but there is at least now plenty else to be distracted by. And you know it’s never been over-revved.
With that sort of power, plus the brake upgrade, AST coilovers, Eibach anti-roll bars and Yokohama A052 tyres, this GP should be epic track day fun, a Challenge car that can be driven home again. Quite what it might be like on the public road isn’t exactly clear, but who wouldn’t be keen to find out? If the regular one struggled to live up to the reputation of its predecessors, this modified car surely promises to redress the balance.
There’s not even a huge premium to pay, either. £40k makes it the most expensive GP on PH, though only £7,000 more than an untouched one with comparable miles. And only about £2.5k more than it would have first cost with the GP Touring Pack. You’re not having to spend as much as somebody else did, basically. So that money can go towards the 2024 track day season…
SPECIFICATION | MINI GP
Engine: 1,998cc, turbocharged 4-cyl
Transmission: 8-speed auto, front-wheel drive
Power (hp): 306@5,000-6,250rpm (standard)
Torque (lb ft): 332@1,750-4,500rpm (standard)
0-62mph: 5.2sec
Top speed: 165mph
MPG: 38.7 (NEDC combined)
CO2: 167g/km
Year registered: 2020
Recorded mileage: 14,000
Price new: £37,345 (with GP Touring Pack)
Yours for: £39,995
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