GP2 vs. 2014 Cooper S
 

Any thoughts of which one to get? Drove the new S today and found it pretty fun in sport mode and very comfy.... Not as much fun as the GP2 but maybe more refined?

I test drove a Thunder Gray F56 Cooper S twice. Was VERY happy when I got back in my GP2 and left the dealership.

These are very different cars to drive. One is stripped down to the essentials, and then built up with bespoke suspension, brakes, and interior. The other is a refined FWD BMW with lots of cool tech and "newness" which can be custom ordered to your specifications.

It ultimately depends on what are your needs and priorities. I am firmly in the GP2 camp on this particular comparison.

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Depends how you plan to drive the car. Do you want to track the vehicle? Do you care about a radio and sound quality? Do you plan on throwing friends in the back seat? Do you plan on driving it in the winter?

I have 3 minis, the GP is for track days and that is the only time I drive it. My JCW convertible is the daily driver and its much more enjoyable and livable than the GP. The GP is very harsh for daily use, which can be fun but some would find it annoying and jarring on rough New England roads.

Wonderful to get some responses and gain new perspectives. I would have to use it as a semi daily driver (I drive 50mi round trip each day and my wife is 2 miles from work so we can switch). My other car now is a lexus GS so I am fine in the comfort department and love the edginess of the GP, the looks, the handling, the rawness of it, etc. The new Cooper S is certainly a fwd BMW.... but might be nice as a daily, even with the manual, which is what I would get. Another option is to get the GP now and the JCW later when it comes out...

Love the photo - it says it all!

So what did you decide? I faced the same question last week and went the with the GP. I actually find its comfort level fine. We have an R56S and the combination of coil overs and Kumhos on the GP VS the Bridgestone runflats and stock suspension on the S. And roads here (Dominican Republic) are generally bad compared to the US.


I was immediately impressed by the GP, but I have to say I was blown away once I got it on the highway and literally headed for the mountains here this morning. The GP's acceleration stability and handling at highway speeds are fantastic, and it's confidence inspiring around tight curves. On the highway it lopes along unflustered with headroom to accelerate at 160 to 180 kph.


If your commute is 50 miles, you might actually enjoy it, and I'd recommend trying out each one on the highway to see which you like better.

My GP is in for serious work (clutch, flywheel and coilover). As a loaner, I've had a new S for the past few days. In short, I can't wait to get my GP back! I'm less a fan of the F56 now that I've been driving it. I realize there is quite a bit more that I don't like about it other than the fact that it's really hard to look at. I predict Mini is going to have a hard time selling those.

Are you doing upgrades/adjustments or did these components actually require replacements???

No... normal use... 17k on it and some nasty issues:(

good that you're under warranty...here the warranty is only 2 years.

i switched to Continental run flats. i have taken the GP2 on 3 trips (600+ miles each) recently and found it perfectly livable on "normal" roads. If your drive consists of many rough roads, the GP may get tiresome. Still i would choose the GP.

I am in the minority on run flats but i don't find them that bad.

I went for a drive in the new cooper s fully loaded with every option and wow it was so nice to drive.the seats were plush and the new motor was pretty good. A few mods and the motor would be great. All the new features were very nice and easy to use. I love new technology and driving the car felt like a was in a very expensive high end car. BUT then i test drove the GP2 and i was coming from a full load 2013 jcw. Well i never looked back... the GP was the whole reason i bought a mini in the first place. Super fun to drive ,handles like a go kart and the motor was insane!!! i was hooked. Car looks so good and its makes me smile every time i hit the gas. I was really torn at first until i drove the GP and after that i knew that is was the car for me .

After finishing 5 days with the new cooper s, I have to say that it's very nice to drive, but am I alone in thinking that the looks of this thing are absolutely nasty? I'm actually believing that this thing is right up there with the ford pinto and mustang 2. I really believe it's that huge of a design disaster. Needless to say, my GP is feeling better than ever.

looking at the side view from the back of the new mini it looks great but not a big fan from the front look at all.... but my GP looks great from every angle !:lol:

A good friend who bought an early GP2 but sold it reported to me that he test drove the new F56 Cooper S over the weekend. His big complaints were that the clutch pedal felt too assisted, the steering has lost the light and nimble feeling and overall the car felt much heavier and bigger than the R56. Another annoying feature was the auto-rev.

My GP2 is holding together quite well. No repairs needed in 10,000 miles, although after checking my engine oil midway to the next scheduled service interval, I decided to change it early. It was heavy and really dark, which is not what you want to see.

My question would be what performance upgrades can be expected with the new mini?


I had an 05 MCS with some slight mods, and test drove the GP and it was amazing. My decision lies on the new engine. With a 2.0 are we looking at 230hp+? Time will tell

Time will tell how well it's received by enthusiasts, I suppose.

I'm a road racer and enjoy the GP2's balance and fun factor when I'm not in the race car. Honestly, I don't know how the R56 could accommodate any more power and still be drivable. I've got sticky rubber and I still find I have wheel spin and torque steer on spirited exits from turns.

I love the car so much that I cringe knowing I don't have another option in the F56 unless BMW decides to undertake another GP project. I will wait patiently but I fear the engineers have made the car too civil for my taste.

My GP is a daily driver - now with 16000 miles on it. I was commuting between Atlanta and Cincinnati for a while 1000 miles round trip even in the snow - it was a blast. Now I travel 25 miles each way on small 2 lane country roads - even better fun !!! I had a JCW Clubman and R53 before the GP - The GP is much better in every respect.

Just wanted to add - we also have a Clubman S with a bunch of JCW stuff and an R53 JCW. The GP2 is a significantly better car than either of them from a pure driving perspective*. It's good to hear from someone else with the same opinion.

(*Not intended to dis' the R53 or R55, both are great in other ways :) )

one is a final year, limited production model which if cared for is only going to go up in value.
the other is just another first year car bound to struggle with first year gremlins.