Can you help me undestand this about some GP owners?
3rd Gear
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 222
Likes: 0
From: New York
GP2 owner here. I daily drive the car, sought of (trains to work). I plan on removing the decals, blacking out the chrome & some interior mods (nothing in audio department). Could careless how exclusive it is, but love the mods it came with. I saved time & money by buying a car that came with those mods and a warranty. I just saved the photo you posted because I like the GP2 without decals
OVERDRIVE
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 8,233
Likes: 127
From: San Francisco
A person buys a car (any car), and decides that they don't like the decals, or thinks the car would look better without them. So they remove the decals. What's so hard to understand about that?
IMO, the GP on the right didn't go far enough. Should have removed the decal black strips on the roof as well.
IMO, the GP on the right didn't go far enough. Should have removed the decal black strips on the roof as well.
6th Gear
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 1,781
Likes: 3
The GP2 is really cool either way but it's not really that much more performance than a JCW. The big brembo brakes are already plenty of stopping power. The GP2 is documented to be so much faster because it comes stock with R compound tires. I bet that most owners go back to a normal tire after those wear out, then you are back to the performsnce of a JCW with coilovers.
1st Gear
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 21
Likes: 0
From: Denver, CO
The GP2 is really cool either way but it's not really that much more performance than a JCW. The big brembo brakes are already plenty of stopping power. The GP2 is documented to be so much faster because it comes stock with R compound tires. I bet that most owners go back to a normal tire after those wear out, then you are back to the performsnce of a JCW with coilovers.
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 7,242
Likes: 55
From: Wherever she takes me.
:lol :To each is own. IMO as I have stated numerous times, I think it is a waste of money to buy something as special as the GP2 is and then make it look like a regular JCW. Other then some body parts and coil overs it is just a dressed up JCW IMO again because you took the decals off.
By starting this thread I was not looking to offend anyone. Just looking to hear why they would do it. Nothing more and nothing less. If it is not to hard to understand I was just looking for their opinions on it. 
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 7,242
Likes: 55
From: Wherever she takes me.
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 7,242
Likes: 55
From: Wherever she takes me.
6th Gear
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 1,781
Likes: 3
And I am quite jealous of the new GP2 owners... I came very close to driving to my dealer who had two on the lot and possibly buying one. But I love my sunroof, and I need a back seat to take my kids for rides. They love to go in the "John Cooper Works" as I have trained them to call it. If I did not have back seats then they would not be able to enjoy it with me... Kids definitely change your perspective because 4.5 years ago I would have never said that.
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 7,242
Likes: 55
From: Wherever she takes me.
Just curious then does coil overs, brakes, body parts and tires make it the best of the breed?
4th Gear
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 426
Likes: 20
I have a race / rally fJCW which runs on bilstein suspension, kumho semi slicks etc. I already done extensive back to back testing with the gp around windy backroads. I a couple of weeks I will be taking them both out to the circuit and will be doing a back to back track comparison.
I will let you know how I get on.
1st Gear
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 26
Likes: 0
From: Sherbrooke,Qc,Ca
I would say that people who modify and/or put lots of mileage on collectible cars, no matter what it is, help keeping a better resale value for the other owners who keep theirs as good as new... In other words, they help make the car even rarer!
Neutral
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
From: Cheyenne
Don't often jump in, but I have 2 MINIs--a 2012 Convertible S and a 2013 GP. I you-ified my S and get great comments from other MINI drivers. The GP is staighht from the factory and will remain that way. I change the badges according to my mood, but it will stay stock. Bought it for the exclusiveness, the design and the performance. Drive it as often as I can--42 inches of snow the first 3 weeks slowed that down. As soon as the Wyoming mountain roads are plowed, I expect to have some great drives at 10,000 ft plus twisty roads. I agree that each owner can, and should, do as they want with their GPs -- that is what makes them fun.
6th Gear
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 1,153
Likes: 3
From: Rochester, NY
I would never buy a GP2 new. Too many other options at that price point. I would however buy one a couple years from now lightly used and deprecated. It would immediately get unstickered and treated to new wheels/tires.
1st Gear
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 48
Likes: 2
From: coral springs fl
I own 0438. There are many parts and software differences between a JCW and a GP. Yea you can throw enough money at a JCW to make it match the GP specs but how much more will you spend and you would void your warranty. Like others have said a GP is a good starting point if you want to make a specialty vehicle. I do and will as I plan to track this car and use it on the street for fun as I did with my R56 jcw
To me, the decals are not what makes it a GP, rather it is the mechanical improvements. So, I have no issue with someone removing some vinyl graphics from their GP2 if they don't like them. They can easily be replaced.
4th Gear
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 500
Likes: 1
From: Lake Worth, Florida
You could always say why even buy a JCW? As a 2013 cooper S owner I still turn my head when I see them in Palm Beach but I'm not jealous at all. I know when I get off my lazy *** and install parts I have sitting in my garage it will outperform a JCW in turns and straight line. I have wet dreams of a red light with a JCW after my car leaves renntech
That's a lie; the only thing I cam jealous of is the 1300 body kit that I refuse to pay for. That plastic better be dipped in gold for me to cough up that dough for sideskirts.
1st Gear
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 48
Likes: 2
From: coral springs fl
6000 lbs
In 09 the jcw engine and transaxle assembled/made in Germany where the other models were not. This leads my to think that some other parts may have been used in the JCW. I had a KWv3 suspension tuned to the mini with other parts on my 09 also and would have like to see what you have at PBIR. In a month or 2 my GP may be track ready if my KWv3 parts fit
In 09 the jcw engine and transaxle assembled/made in Germany where the other models were not. This leads my to think that some other parts may have been used in the JCW. I had a KWv3 suspension tuned to the mini with other parts on my 09 also and would have like to see what you have at PBIR. In a month or 2 my GP may be track ready if my KWv3 parts fit
3rd Gear
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 267
Likes: 0
I don't think you can understand why people do what they do. I like small cars and I always liked the MINI. I usually lease cars and for some strange reason I decided to buy this one. Its a JCW that someone configured with just about everything there was to add from the factory except for PDC and NAV. They could not get financing and it sat on the lot for 4 months until I came along. The sticker on the car was $42k. Crazy expensive back then for a MINI. I got a good deal on it for $38k.
Now some might say that $38k for a MINI is way to expensive. I have even had people tell me I have a $20k with $20k in options.
It looked like this:
I found NAM a day after I bought it. Now it looks like this
I spent a ton of money during the first 3 years I had the car.
Looking back on this little adventure... I am sorry I bought it. If I leased it I would not have done many of these mods. And you know what I am sorry I did any of this.
I walked into the dealer last month and there was a GP on the floor much to my surprise. I thought about trading my car in. Doing all this stuff was fun but now I am stuck with it. I can't sell it because I would never make back what I put into it (not that I even expect to) and I wouldn't want to remove everything and put it back to stock to sell it.
In summary... to each there own. You can never understand why people do what they do or why they spend their money on certain things.
To answer the question. Which do I prefer? I would pick the car on the left. The car on the right is not a GP any longer as far as I am concerned.
Now some might say that $38k for a MINI is way to expensive. I have even had people tell me I have a $20k with $20k in options.
It looked like this:
I found NAM a day after I bought it. Now it looks like this
I spent a ton of money during the first 3 years I had the car.
Looking back on this little adventure... I am sorry I bought it. If I leased it I would not have done many of these mods. And you know what I am sorry I did any of this.
I walked into the dealer last month and there was a GP on the floor much to my surprise. I thought about trading my car in. Doing all this stuff was fun but now I am stuck with it. I can't sell it because I would never make back what I put into it (not that I even expect to) and I wouldn't want to remove everything and put it back to stock to sell it.
In summary... to each there own. You can never understand why people do what they do or why they spend their money on certain things.
To answer the question. Which do I prefer? I would pick the car on the left. The car on the right is not a GP any longer as far as I am concerned.
4th Gear
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 500
Likes: 1
From: Lake Worth, Florida
6000 lbs
In 09 the jcw engine and transaxle assembled/made in Germany where the other models were not. This leads my to think that some other parts may have been used in the JCW. I had a KWv3 suspension tuned to the mini with other parts on my 09 also and would have like to see what you have at PBIR. In a month or 2 my GP may be track ready if my KWv3 parts fit
In 09 the jcw engine and transaxle assembled/made in Germany where the other models were not. This leads my to think that some other parts may have been used in the JCW. I had a KWv3 suspension tuned to the mini with other parts on my 09 also and would have like to see what you have at PBIR. In a month or 2 my GP may be track ready if my KWv3 parts fit
sounds like fun. I called Braman Mini last week when I was quoting some prices on parts and from what the service manager told me over the phone and scared to mod my Mini more than I have. If I get a check engine light I'm going to have to unmod everything I have and play dumb. I'm not even sure if that would work. What do you have done to your JCW? I still would like to run at PBIR though.
http://jdmsouth.com/f124/one-largest...ot-like-56278/ is ocming up sunday after next. a forum friend from jdmsouth.com is running this event and might be fun to take stockish mini's out there.
1st Gear
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 48
Likes: 2
From: coral springs fl
My 09 had a KWv3 front and rear that had been re valved and stiff linear springs (TSW) , Hotchkis 25 mm rear sway bar, H sport rear camber links, Vorshlag front camber plates and hoosier R-6 for the track. No engine modifications. I sold it a wile ago after re installing all the original parts and we bought a jcw roadster for my wife and I bought a 2013 GP. I need a weekend off to look into changing more parts. The GP suspension is softer than the KW and the GP rear sway bay is a little soft for my likes. Maybe I will try the rear sway bar first