Hi, first off i envy all of you. I couldnt afford the GP when i bought my mini ( 03 R53 ) ive done alot of stuff to it, but it will never be a GP. ive accepted that. My mini is payed off in 1 year and i plan to buy a GP then . As i said i have done alot to my mini over the years but i never could locate any OEM GP stuff like intercooler and front bumper and whatever. Someone once told me that i need a GP vin in order to order the stuff, why is that?
thanks for the responses

 

So people cannot build immitation GP's!!

 

From my understanding; it's because MINI wanted to keep the GP special to those people who actually purchased them. They were a VERY limited production car with only 2,000 made.

 

Like M's to the BMW Brand.

 

wouldnt the cost to make an S a GP be too astronomical anyways? BTW, thanks again

 

maybe. but what jaridp said is still true.

 

Alpinamike, wouldn't JCW be closer to BMW's M?

 

The GP parts are available (I have a GP intercooler, for example), just not from MINIUSA sources. The decision to restrict the GP parts is specific to the region, in our case, MINIUSA made that call. I had to buy my IC from overseas (not cheap!).

 

The parts, as I was told, are restricted to GP owners because with so few made, extra parts were made in limited supply as well. So in the future when a GP owner needs a replacement part it will be available. Anyway that was the word I received.

 

thanks alot guys/galz. i figured id go right to the horses mouth instead of hearing what "non" GP owners have to say on the subject.

 

GP owners or not, people are only going to be able to tell you what they have heard, read or personally experienced.

MINIUSA will say what they want to as for the reasons they chose to make the GP parts hard to get here. The fact it is not a consistent policy internationally should tell you something. The overseas source I mentioned has absolutely no problem ordering GP parts from his European dealership, even though he does not own a GP.

I understand MINIUSA's decision to try to protect the GP's exclusivity and make USA GP owners happy, but let us not assume that MINIUSA's stated policies / excuses are automatically worldwide truth.

For me? I'm going to acquire the GP parts I want, and I don't care what MINIUSA or GP owners think about that. I'm not going to put any GP badges on my MINI. I just want some of the benefits from the extra engineering involved (primarily the intercooler and rear trailing arms... although I love the GP wheels too!). While I can benefit from those improvements, I will never kid myself that my MINI is equivalent to a GP. For starters, it's way too heavy to compare!

My quest for a few of the GP-specific parts isn't jealousy though - for all of the money I've put into Mr. OEM, I probably could have bought two GPs by now. However, I love my MINI the way it is, although I plan on loving it even more as the OEM mods progress.

I love the GP, and I'd love to own one, if I didn't have to give up Mr. OEM at the same time. I can't afford the cost of three GPs!

 

 

It's also possible, Haemish, that the European dealership simply cares less about the GP parts policy than some other dealerships ... I've seen people in UK say the same about non-easy-access to GP specific parts, and it seems obvious that MINI worldwide would NOT have manufactured sufficient spare parts to support both the GP customers and anyone else who might fancy a part.

 

What was so shocking about my post? I have a healthy respect for the GP (and yes, I've driven one). I also have a healthy respect for GP owners and thoroughly appreciate their buying decision. I just don't have a respect for the MINIUSA GP part policy.

Again, I'm not trying to "create" a GP here. The GP's uniqueness shall remain thoroughly intact. Heck, the only reason I want some of the performance-based (i.e. not cosmetic) GP parts is because I'm trying hard to stay OEM! Most people would just go aftermarket instead... but that's not within the goals I have for my MINI.

If your shock has to do with my lack of concern about what GP owners think... keep in mind that this is my MINI and I'm going to do with it what I please. Same goes for you and yours. I happen to think to an extent that modifying a GP is a bit sacrilegious (especially with aftermarket parts). So what about GP owners who choose to mod their MINIs? They're going to do what they want with their own MINIs too, and that's their (and your) right.Point taken. I still think it's relevant to point out that the information given hand-to-mouth by MINIUSA is not the only source of information worth considering.

 

+1

 

My dealer wouldn't even order me floor mats without verifying my GP's VIN...

Of course, then he told me they were just standard "S" mats...

 

personalize your MINI to your own liking!!!!!!!!! please.

My GP is quite unique and I love it. In spite of the fact it has been somewhat altered from stock - I have all the stock components and can return it to a stock, as from factory configuration if desired. But for now, it's mine, and I will enjoy it to the max I can!