MINI GP3 by MINIspeed

In 2019, a new extreme athlete in the model program of the British brand, MINI revealed
itself. The new MINI John Cooper Works GP was born. The new model is the third iteration
in a lineup of GP models that have been produced by the British brand since 2006. The
MINI brand is known for its premium and smaller models, based around the heritage of the
classic Mini, which has characterized itself for years through having incredibly tight
handling and an undeniably cheeky personality.
Since the release of the New MINI in early 2000s by mother company, BMW in Munich, we
saw the release of three generations of New MINI, each with their own GP variant. The
latest iteration, commonly known as the GP3, was released as the fastest model the
British brand had ever approved for road use. Powered by a 306hp, 2.0-litre 4-cylinder
turbocharged engine, the GP is able to accelerate from zero to 100 km/h in just 5.2
seconds.
Limited to only 3,000 units, the model offers an ‘out of the box’ sporty flair and
overwhelming agility, which was a great basis for the specialists at Beek Auto Racing to
create the necessary steps to produce a package and range of upgrades that addresses
the flaws of the stock package. The upgrades offer owners the choice to opt for more
individual upgrades installed in the Dutch workshop and/or on sale via their MINIspeed.eu
Webshop, Europe’s biggest online store for MINI Cooper parts.
To showcase the capabilities, the specialist from the Hague in the Netherlands set out to
enhance the vehicle on three key ingredients; performance, handling and sound. Three
subjects where the stock GP3 isn’t offering its full potential and where the MINI engineers
had to take short cuts to make the project financially feasible.
The most important change is found in the handling department. The John Cooper Works
GP received a custom suspension kit by the Dutch specialists at AST Suspension. They
fitted their 5100 kit, altered the spring and strut characteristics offering clients the option to
go for a softer and more road compliant behavior, or stick with the track-biased hardness
of the stock system and improve its track capabilities. The softer set up that was fitted to
the blue car offers a more “General Performance”, which fits better to the character of the
GP model lineup according to the Dutch owner of the Czech registered vehicle.
To enhance the contact points to the road, superior Michelin Cup 2 tires were fitted in a
larger size of 235/40/R18. These tires offer enhanced grip and a better combination
between performance and noise levels. The specialist within the workshop at Beek Auto
Racing made sure the suspension was set up to the right kind of standard, allowing for
more compliance across normal roads where most GP3s will live the majority of their
lifespan.
Next to the handling, the performance of the engine was upgraded. The output of the 2.0
liter B48 engine was increased to 330 hp and 500 Nm of torque, which is an increase of 24
hp and 50 Nm over the torque performance. To accommodate the hike in engine
performance, a Milltek cat-back exhaust was fitted, improving the sound track of the blue
pocket rocket. Up on request, the tuning specialists will bring back some custom-tuned
crackles and burbles on the engine’s overrun enhancing the overall experience.
For those interested, there is a full tuning package available bringing the performance of
the MINI GP to 350+ hp and 530+ Nm. This will require you to fit an Airtec intercooler and
Milltek downpipe (catless or with sport catalytic converter) instead of the stock parts.
These new parts will ensure that the communicated performance levels are offered at any
circumstance.
Next to the technical changes, both inside the interior and outside on the exterior major
changes were done. First of all, the exterior received a completely new look. The white
and blue combo refers back to one of the key sport cars of our automotive history, the
Ford Escort RS Cosworth. Designed to qualify as a Group A car for the World Rally
Championship, it was available as a road car from 1992 until 1996 in very limited numbers
and featured signature aerodynamic features. Designed by Frank Stephenson, who was
also the head of design of the first ever New MINI hatch, the Dutch owner of the car felt
that the choice for and story behind this color simply made the circle complete.
The base color is the Blue Gem vinyl from Teckwrap combined with Avery’s Gloss White
creating this unique combination. The design of the stripes and different lines across the
bodywork relate back to MINI designs from the past and the highly discussed flared wheel
arch trims were covered with matt-black vinyl to fit better into the new more bold design of
the MINI GP. The car’s production number has been embossed in the vinyl fitted to the
front arches.
Additionally, the wheels were painted gloss white with gloss black inserts to make the
overall design fit better with the striking design of the rear roof spoiler and flared arches.
The overall color upgrade to the design was done by Fleek Wraps Customizing in the
Netherlands. The wheels were painted by Beek Auto Racing’s partner; Autototaalservice
Oudshoorn en Ruygt.
The final upgrades can be found inside the interior where both the driver and passenger
side received specific changes. On the driver’s side, the steering wheel got a new
upholstery from leather and Alcantara offering a more sporty grip and feel. The carbon
parts on the steering wheel and behind the driver’s dashboard cluster were delivered by
US-based company CarbonMINI and offer an unique touch to the driver’s zone.
On the passenger side, the final upgrade is the passenger display providing additional
information to both the driver and the passenger on the subject of engine temperatures,
speed, engine revs and more. A nice touch to finish off the overall upgrades to this MINI
GP3.
The intention of this project was to take away the car’s flaws, while improving its brilliance
both on the technical and design side of things. The new design fits to the bold design of
the arches and the roof spoiler making the total package a more coherent design style.
The technical upgrades are just a small part of the complete list of upgrades available
which Beek Auto Racing and MINIspeed are able to offer clients and owners. Their
product offering allows you the option to upgrade any MINI car even further.
The MINIspeed webstore offers more than 700 products and more than 1,000 product
variations making it the biggest online webstore for MINI Cooper models in Europe. The
shop has a large quantity of products for a wide variety of clients from within the Benelux
region and beyond.