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For the Quaife i posted a link some month earlier, anyhow DREXLER got one dog box as well, which I have to check space-wise. But honestly I am keen to see how the original works on the track. MINI think its a key to be competitive - their transmission ;-)
I think Mini restarted car production in Oxford about 2 weeks ago. I bought a 2020 JCW Clubman 10 days ago in AZ (off the lot) did the whole deal (including trade) via my phone. Best deal I ever did on any of my 3 Minis (13% off MSRP). Drove down on 4/24 and swapped the cars and paid. This is an awesome Mini btw. Very different than my JCW Coupe for sure. The MA said there's a bunch of already ordered Minis sitting at the 3 ports of entry that the dealers don't need yet.
The big question about the GP3 has been the transmission... Since your Clubman has the same engine and transmission as the GP3 has, do you have any first hand thoughts about that engine/transmission combination? That would be with the recognition that you have the All4, which would be different.
Back in November,
Autocar listed it as kerb weight 1255kg (2767lbs)
Talking of weight, the GP is only 10 kilos lighter than a JCW hatch, compared with almost 50kg of savings on the first GP. That’s because of the bracing, larger brakes and changes to the cooling systems, as well as the eight-speed automatic gearbox.
It’s not the fastest-shifting transmission. Petra Beck, product leader for the GP defends the use of the automatic unit over a manual gearbox, pointing to the car’s lap time at places like the Nurburging. But surely the point of the GP is how involved it makes the driver feel, rather than what split seconds it’s able to shave from a leaderboard?
They gave another round recently on April 28th 2020 and still use the 1255kg figure,
and also still critique the autobox:
The GP is now even faster and remorseless in handling ability than ever before. It’s wonderfully focused and manages to involve you to a high degree in the right conditions.
However, despite its obvious competency, the decision to make it available with an automatic gearbox only appears misguided. As hardcore as it is in many areas, it doesn’t quite feel like the full raging race car for the road that Mini would have us believe it is.
Some of the purchasers are track rats and others, like me, want a stellar twisty performer that does have some amenities. I do prefer the automatic over the manual and A/C is nice to have in the South, as much for the muggy conditions for 6 months + or - per year. We have a plethora of good roads for back road driving that are lightly traveled and when we head to the premier areas in North Carolina and Tennessee we drive back roads all the way there and the same when returning home. I anticipate better handling with the GP than what I experience in with JCW. I have Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+s on it and they are a great all around tire, but I plan to have better gripping tires on the GP and it should perform better with the stickier tires and the added horsepower should help as well. My JCW is producing 279 hp and it is a hoot to drive, but I hope the GP will take it to another level. The test will come when I am running with my mountain road buddies in the Subarus and other performance cars. This is the most excited I have been about a new vehicle in quite some time. First trip will be to the Tail of the Dragon and then followed by the Devil's Triangle which possibly may be more difficult in its own right. The problem is the blasted pandemic which had really put the damper on things!
I have the JCW pro suspension on my JCW and have recently taken a run on my favorite twisties (had to wait for winter to subside ). That suspension is a noticeable step up from the base JCW suspension, handling wise (ride is a bit “less”). i would expect the GP to be a step up from the JCW Pro and, thus, even more betterer on the twisties. You should be very happy when you get it.
The GP comes with, what should be, really good tires for what you want. If not, there is always these:
The big question about the GP3 has been the transmission... Since your Clubman has the same engine and transmission as the GP3 has, do you have any first hand thoughts about that engine/transmission combination? That would be with the recognition that you have the All4, which would be different.
My JCW Clubman All4 transmission is superb and the car is really fast. My 2014 JCW Coupe had a tune on it and a 6 speed AT and only weighed 2600 lbs. so it was plenty fast too, but this AT is better. I haven't had it 2 weeks yet so I'm still getting used to it and haven't done any 0-60 runs or anything. This car is basically a BMW M135i (not sold in the USA). IMO it could use a rear ASB that's about it. Even with 18" wheels and summer tires in the Sport mode it rides way "nicer" than the Coupe did. The Coupe (with factory sport suspension) was a tad rough. I imagine the GP3 is too. I already owned a Mini track car, I wanted a more refined ride this time!
Gah. The frustration is so large right now. Emailed my sales rep and the only info he had was that an email went out to GP owners the previous day and if I didn't get it (I didn't) to check my spam folder (I check it multiple times a day). So, I called mini, and the guy didn't even know what the GP was "Is that a BMW?"
Finally *called* my sales rep. He said he would do some digging to see what he could find. A couple hours later, I finally get the email...which is a bit too coincidence for me. Oh, and the email? It was for a chance to win GP # 0001 (if you didn't get this email, let me know, I'll post a screenshot). GODDAMIT
Finally got an email back from my rep (2 days later) that said Mini is hoping to open the factory at the end of this month, with the priority being the GP3. With his (probably bad) prediction of deliveries being in October.
I swear to $deity if there was another small hatch that met my requirements I would be so done with this. Unfortunately, the closest is the Veloster N, and Im not there yet. And yes, I know a lot is going on with COVID-19, but it's not that difficult to communicate with your customers. Even if it's just letting us know there are delays.
Gah. The frustration is so large right now. Emailed my sales rep and the only info he had was that an email went out to GP owners the previous day and if I didn't get it (I didn't) to check my spam folder (I check it multiple times a day). So, I called mini, and the guy didn't even know what the GP was "Is that a BMW?"
Finally *called* my sales rep. He said he would do some digging to see what he could find. A couple hours later, I finally get the email...which is a bit too coincidence for me. Oh, and the email? It was for a chance to win GP # 0001 (if you didn't get this email, let me know, I'll post a screenshot). GODDAMIT
Finally got an email back from my rep (2 days later) that said Mini is hoping to open the factory at the end of this month, with the priority being the GP3. With his (probably bad) prediction of deliveries being in October.
I swear to $deity if there was another small hatch that met my requirements I would be so done with this. Unfortunately, the closest is the Veloster N, and Im not there yet. And yes, I know a lot is going on with COVID-19, but it's not that difficult to communicate with your customers. Even if it's just letting us know there are delays.
I will try to upload the invoice from my dealer. I was advised that production will begin late this month with shipments most likely in July.
My JCW Clubman All4 transmission is superb and the car is really fast. My 2014 JCW Coupe had a tune on it and a 6 speed AT and only weighed 2600 lbs. so it was plenty fast too, but this AT is better. I haven't had it 2 weeks yet so I'm still getting used to it and haven't done any 0-60 runs or anything. This car is basically a BMW M135i (not sold in the USA). IMO it could use a rear ASB that's about it. Even with 18" wheels and summer tires in the Sport mode it rides way "nicer" than the Coupe did. The Coupe (with factory sport suspension) was a tad rough. I imagine the GP3 is too. I already owned a Mini track car, I wanted a more refined ride this time!
Congratulations for your new ride but I believe you will miss your Coupe very soon. The Clubman is a big car at mostly 3700 lbs and surely needs all the extra ponies of the JCW engine to handle all the added weight and probably with a lot of body flex on cornering..
I am not particularly excited by what Mini has to offer and I still want a Coupe. I will wait for the BMW M 245i to come next year.
Congratulations for your new ride but I believe you will miss your Coupe very soon. The Clubman is a big car at mostly 3700 lbs and surely needs all the extra ponies of the JCW engine to handle all the added weight and probably with a lot of body flex on cornering..
I am not particularly excited by what Mini has to offer and I still want a Coupe. I will wait for the BMW M 245i to come next year.
I actually wanted a bigger car that didn't ride quite so harsh but didn't want to get a less fast car. This is just about right. Yes more body roll, but I bet a rear ASB will fix that. This car is the BMW M 135i with a Mini body. The All4 makes a difference too. The Gen3 Minis are just a cut above the Gen2's (I had 2 of those) in interior quality for sure. And this car cost me about the same as the JCW Coupe ($40k) which was not nearly as well equipped. In a year or two I know I'm gonna be tempted to get a 2002 original R53 Mini with a manual tanny and the supercharger with a "pulley" installed on it!
Last edited by TheBigNewt; 05-12-2020 at 04:03 PM.
So we have the weight of the GP3... 1290 kg, or 2840 lbs. This is about the same weight as the JCW, if I did my math right.
The stated data from Octane Factory, refer to a full tank, plus touring package, As stated a year ago, all GP parts are highly interchangeable, I have the complete body kit to test soon.
All F56 weight tweaks over 100 kgs can be transferred 1:1 plus 30 kgs for the factory AC/entertainment delete. Bye the way the now available double rear wing, is a hell of a high-speed help, the only question which offset will be the best for the 9.5 wheels, and should they be in 17?
A final customized GP3 will drive with the respective drivers in a different league.
Last edited by Clutch Wotan; 05-13-2020 at 12:06 PM.
The stated data from Octane Factory, refer to a full tank, plus touring package, As stated a year ago, all GP parts are highly interchangeable, I have the complete body kit to test soon.
All F56 weight tweaks over 100 kgs can be transferred 1:1 plus 30 kgs for the factory AC/entertainment delete. Bye the way the now available double rear wing, is a hell of a high-speed help, the only question which offset will be the best for the 9.5 wheels, and should they be in 17?
A final customized GP3 will drive with the respective drivers in a different league.
Your post is spot on! Being an O. F. mine will see very limited track time and spend most of the time on real backroads twisties. I am looking forward to running with my old buds on truly great roads. Maybe we can be fast enough to outrun the virus from Hello!
there is an article out from AUTO BILD, the #1 car magazine in Germany. hard to find. They describe the car as an insane flight on a rocket, they didnt go flat and stopped at 280 ( Speedo) , to nervous, - pussies.
Their sister magazine in the UK wrote "fully set at high speed" anyhow I received some GP parts in the meantime, which might flow into my daily raptor.
Looks like the lower front valance for the F56 GP3...the angle of the pic is a bit hard to visualize what is really there! The red areas are the openings. Right?
There are a few other mechanical parts that it would be great to get the part numbers for. I think there is an underside brace that someone was looking for.
The rear seat on my R56 weighed little and then I put a cover back over the spot. So the net reduction was maybe 20 - 30 lbs. There would be additional savings if I removed the rear seat belts, but there is not a lot of weight there either. Note, the GP adds back some weight with that rear wing, the front and rear brace bars, the wheel well flares, wheels and tires, and the added cooling. As noted above, there is little weight difference between the GP 3 and the JCW.
What the heck is that, a below the grille bumper? Where'd you get that?
Yesss that the Gp3 lower front, take it from the master that its fits more or less all aero bumpers F56, it supersedes 3 single parts, among them the obzöne priced outside flaps and the central shroud ;-)
it its Chilli Red plated.
05-05-2020, 08:57 PM
). That suspension is a noticeable step up from the base JCW suspension, handling wise (ride is a bit “less”). i would expect the GP to be a step up from the JCW Pro and, thus, even more betterer on the twisties. You should be very happy when you get it. 
"Is that a BMW?" 
