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2021 Mini John Cooper Works GP First Drive | Loud, harsh, expensive, hilariously fun

The Mini John Cooper Works GP has always represented the pinnacle of Mini performance. It’s the most-powerful, lightest and most uncompromising in its pursuit of going fast. And it has never hidden that purpose, wearing bold bodywork to convey its seriousness. Even with a reused powertrain and no manual transmission option, the new 2021 Mini John Cooper Works GP delivers the raw, entertaining driving experience you would expect. As such, it should be a treat for Mini fans, but for the brand agnostic, there are better hot hatch options. From the outside, this Mini GP is the most radical of all. It pulls its design straight from a Frankfurt Motor Show concept complete with unique carbon fiber fender flares that stand proud from the actual fenders. The rear wing is bigger than ever and bisected in the middle. Contrasting the dark gray paint are bright red accents and stripes. It looks remarkably menacing, which is impressive for such a cute little car. Matching the appearances is the GPÂ’s output. It shares the same engine and transmission with the John Cooper Works Countryman and Clubman, and thus the same mantle of being most powerful Mini in history with 301 horsepower and 331 pound-feet of torque. The GP feels substantially more potent, though, since the engine has just 2,855 pounds to haul around ­-- that's nearly 800 pounds less than the next-lightest Clubman JCW with the same engine. For further comparison, the regular Cooper S Hardtop weighs about the same yet has only 189 horsepower. Combined with a smooth, fast-spooling turbo, the GP rockets all over the place. And if youÂ’re not keeping a firm grasp of the wheel, your steering could be all over the place, too. Plant your foot and the wheel starts wriggling as torque steer rears its head. ItÂ’s uncouth, uncivilized, but also kind of fun if youÂ’re up for a ragged experience. Perhaps not so much if you were looking for a precision instrument to combat the Civic Type R and Veloster N. Further differentiating the Mini from those hot hatches is the GPÂ’s sole eight-speed automatic transmission option. No, itÂ’s not as engaging as a six-speed manual would be, and yes, it's a step behind the best DCTs and other automatics. However, it shifts smoothly and quickly with smart shift logic in normal or sport shift modes. Leaving it in automatic would be just fine, but then you'd miss out on tapping the 3D-printed aluminum shift paddles.

Mini might not replace Paceman, Coupe, Roadster

Nobody could argue at this point that Mini (like its parent company BMW) has not mastered the art (if you could call it that) of filling every niche with its own model. But with the third generation of Mini now upon us, some of the company's strategists are asking themselves what the point is of it all.
The outgoing second-generation Mini spawned too many variants to count. So far the new model has only surfaced in hatchback form, but the brand may roll out quite as many variants this time around. Instead it is looking at its lineup in terms of pillars.
The quintessential hatchback we've already seen would be one pillar. The Countryman crossover would be another. And the production version of the new Clubman concept which Mini displayed in Geneva would be a third. A convertible based (like the existing one and the one that came before it) on the hardtop hatchback is likely to follow, but don't expect too many other versions.

2019 Mini Oxford Edition is the cheapest way to get a Mini, but only for college students, grads

Mini makes a play for young car buyers with its latest 2019 Hardtop model, the Oxford Edition. It's more on par with a new trim level, but it's a highly compelling one as it's the cheapest version of the Mini available, and it comes with even more standard features than the regular base Mini. The catch is you have to either be in college, or recently graduated, to get it. Specifically, you have to be a full- or part-time student enrolled in a 2-year, 4-year or graduate school program at an accredited college or university. You're also eligible if you've graduated from one of those programs within 12 months of buying the car. If this describes you, you can have a turbo-charged three-cylinder two-door Mini Hardtop for $20,600, or the four-door for $21,600. That's a $2,150 discount over a normal base trim Mini called Classic. Even better, the Oxford Edition is equipped much better than the Classic, with larger 17-inch wheels, heated seats and a panoramic sunroof as standard. There are even a couple more colors to pick from adding British Racing Green and Starlight Blue to the Classic's selection of red, white, black and silver. An automatic transmission is also standard, which is usually a $1,250 option on the Classic, but a manual transmission is still available. Mini says that all the features amount to a $6,900 value, though it's difficult to gauge that since features such as the sunroof aren't available on the Classic, but it's a standard feature on the roughly $26,000 Mini Signature. All-in-all, the Mini Oxford Edition is a great deal for a young buyer with a desire for a Mini. And that's easy to understand, since we've enjoyed the ones we've driven. Related Video: