Mini John Cooper Works GP revealed as 302bhp, two-seat ultra-hot hatch

Mini has revealed its most hardcore road car yet — the John Cooper Works GP.

Having been confirmed for production last year and teased in a series of images since, the hotly-anticipated Mini has finally broken cover in road-ready guise.

Though easily recognisable as a product of the British firm, it doesn’t take much to realise this is no regular hatch. Hugely flared wheel arches made from carbon fibre-reinforced plastic are present on all four corners of the car, while its front bumper takes on an extremely aggressive look.

A twin-exhaust exhaust setup sits centrally in a new diffuser, while an eye-catching rear wing sits at the top of the car. Distinctive 18-inch, four-spoke alloys hark back to previous GP models and the look is completed with a grey and red livery.

Under the race car-esque bodywork sits a 2.0-litre turbocharged engine, producing 302bhp and 450Nm of torque — equalling the latest Clubman John Cooper Works for the title of most powerful Mini ever. Power is sent to the front wheels via an eight-speed automatic gearbox, resulting in a 0-60mph time of five seconds flat while a 165mph top speed is said to be possible.

There’s more at play than just looks and a big engine, though. A number of chassis-stiffening enhancements have been made, while a model-specific suspension setup sees the car sit 10mm lower than the regular John Cooper Works. A new high-performance brake setup helps slow the car back down, too, while a ‘GP’ mode has been introduced to the stability control system which unleashes the car’s full potential.

The most notable change inside the car is the removal of the rear seats — making the GP strictly a two-seater. In place of the back row is a large strut brace for improved chassis stiffness, with weight savings also achieved as a result.

Sports seats feature and are finished in a Dinamica/leather upholstery combination, while the steering wheel is trimmed in Nappa leather with a 12 o’clock marking and sits in front of 3D-printed metal paddle shifters.

Just 3,000 examples of the Mini John Cooper Works GP are slated for production, with UK pricing kicking off at £34,995. Order books for the car are now open, with the first examples set to be built in March.