So, Autocar reported that the third generation John Cooper Works GP is in Mini's bucket list. Hurrayy!! The catch is you may have to wait a little longer, as forecasted by Autocar, "closer to the end of the decade", which might probably be around 2020. This hot hatch has been historically known to be the end-of-chapter model to its regular hatch counterpart.
Now let's cut to the chase. Befitting this post's headline, the powertrain will be the thing I am zooming into...with my own twist.
The 2013 Mini John Cooper Works GP is motivated by a 1.6 litre turbocharged direct injected 4 cylinder mill which, thanks to a bump in compression ratio, boosts output to 218 hp. Power goes to the pair of front wheels via the sole 6 speed manual transmission.
Now, I would like to get a bit cheeky with the powertrain layout. It's common knowledge that Mini is owned by the BMW Group. If I were in Mini's shoes, here's what I would do to spice up the third gen John Cooper Works GP. I would dispose of the current 4 cylinder engine for BMW's 3 litre turbocharged inline 6 that makes around 330 hp and channel those power to the rear wheels through a stick shift without any fancy auto rev match feature (I would heel toe myself thank you). The result? Voila! An FR Mini John Cooper Works GP, along the lines of the 2015 BMW M135i.
Yea...I am a bit cheeky with the power figure (330 vs 322 on M135i). Not that much difference, though I would figure the John Cooper Works 1179 kg (without factoring the extra weight from the extra 2 cylinders and propshaft) vs the M135i 1520 kg is more than enough to offset the minute power difference. This should give Munich a run for its money.
How much would my hypothetical Mini John Cooper Works GP weigh once the 6 cylinders and propshaft's weight is counted? It's anyone's guess. Maybe still lighter than the M135i? Or close to M135i's figure?
What do you think of my hypothetical Mini? Do sound off in the comment section!
