Mini Moke. In North Carolina on 2040-cars

Auto blog

2021 Mini Cooper 1499 GT adds sporty, retro attitude to the three-cylinder Mini

When you think of sporty Minis, you probably think of the Mini Cooper S and John Cooper Works models with their (relatively) large turbo four-cylinder engines. But with the 2021 Mini Cooper 1499 GT special edition, Mini is trying to bring a dash of sportiness to the base three-cylinder model. The car's styling and name is inspired by the Mini 1275 GT that was introduced way back in 1969 as a more affordable, but still sporty, alternative to the Cooper S. The number represented the engine displacement in cubic centimeters, as it does on the new 1499 GT. The black paint scheme with gold side stripes is the inverse of the launch color for the 1275 GT. Further adding to its athletic looks are black badges and trim, 17-inch wheels, and John Cooper Works-style front and rear bumpers, side skirts and hatch spoiler. The interior also picks up an array of John Cooper Works parts including the steering wheel, seats, shifter and pedals. In front of the steering wheel is the digital instrument cluster from the John Cooper Works GP. Mini also adds a few equipment upgrades found in upper-trim Cooper Hardtops such as dual-zone automatic climate control, automatic lights, automatic wipers, a 6.5-inch infotainment screen and navigation. What the 1499 GT doesn't get are any performance upgrades. The turbocharged 1.5-liter three-cylinder makes the same 134 horsepower and 162 pound-feet of torque as its Cooper siblings. It comes standard with a six-speed manual transmission, and a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic is available as an option. The suspension is unchanged as well. Still, we've found that the base three-cylinder Mini is a thoroughly entertaining car to drive. To pick up one of these special edition Minis, you'll need to fork over $27,890. That's about on par with the Mini Cooper Signature trim, so it isn't completely unreasonable to pay that much for a three-cylinder Mini. But buyers looking for a sporty Mini might be tempted to skip over the 1499 GT for the more powerful Mini Cooper S, which starts slightly less at $27,250. Related Video:

2020 Mini Cooper John Cooper Works GP is relatively efficient

The 2020 Mini Cooper John Cooper Works GP is on track to be a heck of a hot hatch what with its over-the-top styling and 301 horsepower and 332 pound-feet of torque. It's also going to be a bit more frugal than the competition. We know this because the EPA released fuel economy numbers for the little monster. In town, the GP will return 24 miles per gallon, and it will get 30 mpg on the highway. Combined driving will result in 26 mpg. The Volkswagen Golf R with it dual-clutch automatic ties the Mini on the highway and in combined driving, but is down by 1 mpg in town. The Honda Civic Type R and Hyundai Veloster N each get worse fuel economy across the board. Both get 22 mpg in town and 25 in combined driving. The Honda then gets 28 mpg on the highway and the Hyundai gets 29 mpg. In defense of the other cars, they are more practical, as they all have usable rear seats, whereas the Mini has ditched its vestigial rear chairs. The Honda and the Hyundai also only come with manual transmissions, which nowadays aren't usually as efficient as automatic transmissions. But on the other hand, the Mini makes more power than all but the Honda, which beats it by only by 5 horses, and it makes substantially more torque than the rest. Regardless, if you happen to want to use just a bit less fuel in your hot hatchback, the Mini may be the choice for you. Related Video:    

Mini John Cooper Works Concept heading wide-eyed into production

We now know that Mini will offer a stupendous number of total models over the next few years, so it's fair to assume that most of the brand's concept cars have series production written all over them. So, a 'concept' like this new John Cooper Works Mini is more or less a mortal lock to hit showrooms in very similar trim.
That's probably a good thing for future JCW owners, as this Mini looks decidedly better than the standard car that debuted in Los Angeles late last year. Something about the bigger grille, lowered front fascia and pumped up wheel arches make the car more visually compelling than the weird-nosed 2014 Mini Hardtop. (At least to this author.)
By hey, don't take our word for it - with the official press release down below, and our box-fresh gallery of live images up above, you can make up your minds for yourselves. Tell us what you think in the Comments.