I've been contemplating ordering a JCW for a while. I occasionally check dealer inventory and saw they had a GP3 available. I went to look at it and fell in love. I just can't make a decision if I should pull the trigger or not (knowing full well someone else might decide to and my decision will be made for me). It's going to be my weekend toy, not a daily driver but I am wondering if its overkill for what I want it for. I would probably never put it on a track.

 

Honestly if it were me and I had the money I’d go for the GP3. The mini we consider to be a 2 person car, so for me, any GP would be perfect. My dog is the only one to ride in the back, I could put my 14 yr old back there but she just wouldn’t be that comfortable.

 

If it had a Manual Tranny OR a Fast ACTING DTC Automatic Tranny,,,maybe, I would like to slip the 301hp engine in my JCW...lol

 

This would be the deal decider for me - Manual or Automatic? GP3 is automatic only, and for me, not sure I could live with that.

 

My JCW has 301 HP and a fast acting 8 speed AT! I get that a lot of Mini owners love the manual transmission (and my first Mini had one had it 7 yrs). But this thing shifts so fast up and down I see why they don't offer it with a manual. I'm sure on a track the AT car would smoke the manual. Plus if you are a pretty good driver (better than me I've never been on a track) you can shift the 8 speed AT manually way faster than you could with a clutch on a track I'm sure.

 

If cost and transmission isn’t the deciding factors, I think the cars look very very different. If you like the look I’d definitely go for it.

I frankly find the GP3 polarizing, and would for sure take a fully optioned JCW. Especially in that racing grey which looks all business. I have a Clubman, and will likely swap for a 2020 JCW next so that would give me the same horsepower and AWD anyways which IS a must living in the north.

If money were no option to me, Id love a Porsche GT3 touring, that’s all go and less show.

 

I think the GT looks great (never seen one in person sure it looks better). The Clubman is a Mini station wagon let's face it. But the underpinnings are the same. Personally I very much favor the adjustable dampers and I don't feel a need to ditch the RFs. They cost the same. To each his own but the GT is a great looking car.

 

I am not bothered by the Auto. Cost... now I can afford it, doesn't mean I should (Hung up on that a little given the times we currently live in). The GP would be a weekend toy only and would stick to the X3 during the week. JCW I could see maybe ditching the X3 for once I don't need the space for. I happen to love the aggressive look of the GP over the JCW all things being equal it would win on that for me.

 

As a weekend warrior, I don’t think you’d miss the dampers as much as you would as a daily driver. The GP is a lot of car, and the X3 lets you cover all bases. I hear what you’re saying about the current state of global affairs. I imagine if you have the discretionary income, you work hard (or smart), and you shouldn’t be penalized because you feel that you’re in the shadow of others hardships. Its not outright ostentatious and why shouldn’t you get to have a few extra smiles per mile on the weekend.

 

Emailed the dealer to confirm its still there and get the out the door cost. Still haven't decided but I will at least know total cost if its still there and hope it is if decide to pull the trigger.

 

Yeah see if you can get a few grand off the $45k list price. I did. Minis aren't exactly jumping off the lots these days, especially the expensive ones like this. I know, it's a limited edition car and all, but I checked dealers for 2020 JCW Clubmans when I bought mine at the end of April and of the four I checked there was only 1 car (and I bought it) and I got the best discount I've gotten on any of my 3 Minis.

 

Have numbers in hand, they didn't budge but I think I would have been surprised if they did on the GP

 

My dealer didn't budge on my price for the GP, I'd go GP if I were you, but I can get the idea of buying a JCW instead for daily use.

I have to say, the GP3 is on another plane than any of MINI available, I even drove the launch edition clubman, and the steering feel and suspension composure of the GP3 are truly a step above. The auto in manual mode is consistent above all else, the best thing it can be.

 

Isn't the transmission the same in the GP3 as my car? I'm sure the suspension and steering are way different though. I'd love to drive a GP3. I bet it's similar to my JCW Coupe with the sport suspension probably better.

 

Mechanically yes, definitely, the shifts are a lot more aggressive than I experienced with my time in the JCW clubman. It just feels like the GP in manual mode will shift even if it makes things very uncomfortable, maybe the lockup is programmed more aggressively, not sure. Are you anywhere near Atlanta, GA, after I make it to 500 miles, I’ll let you drive mine.

 

No, I'm in Arizona but thanks for the offer. I would imagine the GP tranny stays at higher RPMs than my car, although in the Sport mode mine is in lower gears than in the Mid or Eco ( rarely use that) modes. I use the Mid mode for the bumpier roads sometimes (it's the default mode). With the GP3 there's no changing anything I'm sure.

 

GP3 all day. I also thought it would be a weekend toy and I use it all the time and if I am not using it, my wife takes it. Trust me, it will be far from a "weekend" car once you get it!

 

Haven't pulled the trigger yet. House refi took longer then expected. From what I can tell they still have it sitting on the lot. Have not been back to the dealer yet, maybe this weekend.

 

If you want speed, handling, and too much fun go for the GP. I have my faithful 2016 JCW that has some lite mods and I am keeping it as it has all the bells and whistles and is more comfortable as a daily driver and it is not anemic, but it is a wimp compared to the GP. The feel is completely different and the acceleration and torque are considerably more noticeable. I haven't opened it up as I am breaking it in and only have 220 miles on it and I have not put it in GP mode yet. The low end grunt is amazing and it will get you to 100 quickly. It's definitely a keeper, and will surprise a lot of street racers. I was considering the Honda as I was tired of waiting for the GP to arrive as I ordered it October of last year, but it was worth the wait. I am pleasantly surprised with the holding power of the OEM Hankooks. I have been a Michelin fan for years and have them on my other fun toy, but I may switch to Hankooks if these pan out.

 

As much as I love the GP3 I think I am going to hold off on a purchase for now.

Just as a FYI for anyone looking looking, there is availability out there. I found 5 that I confirmed are available within a reasonable distance from me.

 

Don’t wait, if you want the GP buy it NOW.

My Dealer emailed me on Monday to say he got one and by the time I could free up time to get there on Thursday they’d sold it. It only lasted two days on the showroom floor and I never even saw it.

I may buy a used GP3 in a year or two (or three).

For now I’m nearly done building my GP Coupe, which has a manual transmission and is extremely fun. 😀

 

My dealer has had the same one for a almost a month and they told me they expect to have a second customer cancel. I also spoke to two other dealerships in my area, one has 2 GP3 that are available to purchase the other has 1. I wish I was ready to buy. I'll either have to pick up one used later or find something else when I am ready.

 

Good luck with your dilemma, isn't new car fever an enjoyable bad habit? We are retired and have time to enjoy new toys and great adventures, alas the current pandemic has sure put the brakes on a lot of fun activity. We have discovered a plethora of new back roads in the area and have literally driven hundreds of miles searching for new twisties and the old adage some days a diamond and some days a stone sure prove the saying is true. The weather refuses to cooperate as well with incessant rain and wind, but that to shall pass (hopefully). We are more than halfway to the magic 1200 mile goal to be able to open it up and see what happens, so we haven't experienced the dreadful got'cha that the reviewers have warned us about. I am still pleasantly surprised with the ride and handling of the GP3 for every day driving, it has incredible punch and a very comfortable ride for a hot hatch and the styling is enjoyably over the top, it is truly a real eye catcher. It is monsoon season here in Kentucky and even with wet roads the handling in normal mode is stellar, the Hankooks are really good performers on this little hot hatch and luckily we have a lot of winter days that are pleasantly warm which will extend the driving season for the GP, but we have the JCW for the cold days and we plan to put the new Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 4's on it as we have been happy with the A/S 3's that we have on it now although they do not have a good wear resistance. Staying under 4,000 RPM's results in unexpectedly good mileage results and the GP is still fun with that limitation and the handling in tight curves is really a hoot. As we are not runflat fans we carry the same kit in the event of tire failure as we do with the JCW and it has worked quite well for us for over 5 years now although I think we could actually work a spare in the back of the GP, but that is truly impractical and really not an option for us. Keep us posted about your GP decision!

 

Hey KYDan, i just wanted to make sure you knew the gp has an oem tire mobility kit underneath the floor.

 

Yes, we are and thanks for the response. We prefer our own kit that we have used for several years that we have carried in the JCW since we put it into service several years ago. And, we transfer it to whichever mini we are driving. It contains a VIAR compressor kit that includes a stainless steel plug kit with several "wicks" that have a sticky substance on them that actually does work. We also have 2 large cans of aerosol slime that we can use if necessary. Fortunately, we have never had to use it although we have the plugs and they do work. In the event of a catastrophic failure, hopefully we will be in an area that has cellular service and we can call for a rollback and wait. We are definitely miniac fanatics as they are so much fun even with their quirks. We briefly debated about the Honda, but it just did not light our fires and we impatiently waited for GP to arrive. All of this and other goodies are stored in the tray that mini has for the boot which fits both minis.