This “reason” is simply not logical though. The GP2 is simply a collection of mods to a JCW, coilovers, bbk, etc. Not trying to say this collection of mods isn’t well worth it. However, the GP3’s arches hide better suspension geometry as well as room to fit wider tires under the car. In addition, the GP3 uses a traction control system/program BMW is currently only using in gasoline powered M cars and electric cars. When MINI says they couldn’t afford to create a manual for the engine, I know very few people realize that it would have only been possible to create a manual that interacts with everything as well as the auto does, in super car cost territory. And with the cars people (who actually had reservations) chose to buy instead, the max price you were really capable of pricing the GP3 at was 50-55k usd....maybe.

 

I agree. But I think most are still stuck in old mindset of what MINI was and should be, similar to how people feel about BMW today. The GP3 is still tons of fun, and that's what any MINI should be, but does not having a manual take away from the GP3? Maybe and how much do you value it on a car like this? Perhaps it's a bit unfair trying to compare to a car like the GP2 which was and still an outstanding car, but that was almost a decade ago - the industry is way passed that in terms of technology and stringent environment requirements. How people view or judge the GP3 is the same how people look and judge the Supra - maybe a bit too much BMW in both cases and not enough "heritage".

 

GP3 requires advanced thinking. The GP2 I had was peanuts already against a stripped 250 hp JCW 2012 (R.I.P) . Indeed that Auto is a challenge to learn, but hell its fun. The car has the same potential than any other MINI, but the engine is the last to think of. Adapted suspension, camber, and a jailbreak of that "offset", 265/30/19 was used on the top time for GOLF 7.35


"ruthlessly quick in the corners"
"Easy to drive stupidly quick,....."

Top Gear quotes, that's all I need to know, stupidly quick, I can confirm, ruthless anyhow. GP3 means: Have & Have Not
People forget also this car is World Record for FWD Stock! Not 5.1 as MINI states. 4.9 with preheated TD Autobild Supertest.
The MINI 306 Hp is around 320 in reality.

 

I remember reading some of the early reviews of MINIs when they first came out and the reviewer complained that the rear seating and luggage space wasn’t good like a Honda or Toyota...

I also remember when the Gen II MINI came out and people with a Gen I hated on it. A major complaint was that it “was bigger”. It was 2” longer. And no supercharger... No one likes change. I agree, this is part of the case here. The GP3 is too different from the past... But remember MINI/BMW took a beating with the Gen II MINI with the engine problems (I had one of those). So BMW took it over, fully, instead of having it be a consortium build. So it should come as no surpise that the MINI has become “BMW like”. My JCW is very BMW like and very different from our other 2 MINIs.

I think the fact (at least in my opinion) all of the Gen III MINIs are more BMW like than the past MINIs is lost on reviewers. Especially, those reviewing the GP3. And the complaint that it is only has an auto, is also a curiosity to me, when they express the desire for the car to have a DTC (well not in this last review) or a stick. A DTC is basically a better performing, more expensive automatic, but it basically does nothing different from a slush box auto. I know that, at least in past, the smaller BMW race cars used the BMW automatic, not a DTC. I got that info from Turner Motorsports when I had a chance to talk to them about their cars. So there is nothing wrong with that, in their eyes. And, as was note, the GP3 is intended to be a track car, aimed at lap times... And as DunkM points out that there is a lot about the GP3 that is specifically designed into the car for that purpose and let’s not forget the mechanical LSD instead of eDLC, which make a huge difference. None of that is available in a JCW, without a lot of added costs, and without the stronger engine parts.

It is a shame that all of this discussion seems to be lost on reviewers of the car...

Just my added 2 cents...

 

Spot on, my sentiments exactly. I loved my R56 JCW, but I love my F56 JCW even more and it will be my daily driver while the GP3 will be my main twisty mobile and maybe some lite track duty! I have been waiting for this little gem since November and Christmas in August is a woefully long wait!

 

Not sure I have ever seen that one...

 

The last time I drove heavy track duty was in 2017 at Spring Mountain, Parump, Nevada. Best speed that day was 189 in our Z06, but 3 additional years and I won't reach that speed again. Too many miles on me! I/we, my wife is a better track rat than me, tracked our R56JCW at Kershaw S.C. Nice track and a lot of fun. We may take the GP3 there just for kicks.

 

That must have been thrilling. No, the MINI, even GP3, won’t be that fast. And my S, as quick as it is in the corners, hits the brick wall at about 120 mph on a good day at Watkins Glen. But I would still bet that, if the GP3 makes it to the track, the tires will have some wear on them that has been accelerated well beyond normal street wear... And you will be grinning from ear to ear!

 

This is what a GP3 should look, of course still with registration, Eau Rouge flat! The color nearly matches Racing Grey. Weight 980 kg

For SPA Mr. Schirra use the reinforced GETRAG manual, not the sequential transmission ;-)

 

This is advanced thinking as well Frank Stippler, I don't think you see better!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooe5...yNM3mL06HzGtIA

 

I mean you can drive a dual clutch in a full auto mode but that doesn't mean it "does nothing different" from a torque converter automatic. It's basically two manual boxes electronically controlled without any of the performance drawbacks of a torque converter (unless you're talking about Honda's 8 speed DCT which uses a torque converter). Sure the ZF8 is a great auto, I've owned 4 of them already, but I'd take a DCT over one on any type of performance vehicle over one. Too bad the transverse ZF9 didn't live up to the ZF8s reputation, luckily Aisin's 8 speed transverse box seems to do a decent job.

 

That Top Gear article was pretty lame. Whoever wrote that probably liked pro football better when they wore leather helmets with no facemask or chin strap. Back when men were men. Lol.

 

If you are saying that a DTC and a reg tq converted auto are the same you have no idea what you are taking about haha. Mini (BMW) doesn't have an manual or DTC that can handle 300hp. Since mini isn't a big time seller and BMW has no real sports car thats is front engine the money needed to invest in a good DTC trans will be along time. They wont invest in a manual since thats a dying trans most auto makers are done with.

 

It is what it is and I am sure I will like it, my R56 JCW was a great little car and I love it and I wish now that I had kept it. But my F56 JCW with all the bells and whistles is a fantastically fun beast and fast and with a few tweaks produced 279 HP and has been a comfortable, flawless, twisty mobile, not perfect, but it suits me and with 60K miles it is still going strong. A great DD, but a fun beast in the twisties and adequate on the track. I know I will miss the dynamic damper that it has when I am traveling to and from the events, but the GP3 has all the power I can handle in what is a still small car and it will suit Paula and I for as long as we continue to drive twisty roads and there are a lot of good ones that we haven't driven yet singing the siren's song for us. I hope to have it later this month and have it wrapped and a few other modifications that will make it mine and then the agonizingly slow break in period, but we will enjoy that process as well. I am researching tires now and most likely will go with Michelin as I have had excellent results with their tires on all of our fast toys over the years. We will break it in with the Hankooks or what ever OEM tires that are on it, then make a decision of what we will use on it. We have the Michelin Pilot Sport AS3+s on our JCW and they are a good performing all season all weather tire, but not up to hard tracking duty, but a nice compromise and they are not runflats which we don't like due to the severe ride quality. We also have them on the Z06, but they are the runflat version and for our use the are fine, but not a particularly good track tire, but adequate for all around driving use. Most likely I will replace the OEM Hankooks with the Michelin Super Sport category tires non runflat and carry my compressor kit, slime, etc. It has served me well for 4 years of hard twisty driving in the JCW. I will keep up with the forum posts to see what others have done and what works best for them based upon their driving styles and preferences. It is fun speculating what will and won't work and the various solutions that others find that suits their need. We are going to have fun with this little beast whatever we decide to do. Bring on the Hondas, M2s, the Alfa Romeos, and other challengers and we will all have a good time and share our stories after hard fun runs and track days and talk about what a great day over dinner and drinks. Then do it again the next day and have too much fun. I miss the mountains and need some good runs to relieve my covid 19 blues!

 

What I said was:
i was over thinking what I wanted to say. I should have just cut that sentence off a the comma and ended it with “you still don’t have a stick“.

 

I just posted another HOW-TO, this time for adding a sun visor (driver side door) and a grab handle (passenger side)

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...-your-gp3.html

 

Where are the GP3 owners and why aren't they answering this: How's the steering compared to a mod'd JCW? I'm looking for 1/4 turn lock-to-lock quickness .

 

They are having too much fun driving them to hang around their computers and type! I wouldn't be here if mine would ever arrive! It's been a long wait since last November.

 

I think mines on the same boat as yours... in the Chesapeake now so it shouldn’t be long

 

Second post!
At least when I saw this post of yours.

Welcome to NAM and the wacky world of MINIs...

 

The ship is the Grand Hero and it is supposed to arrive at the port at 11:00 UTC and from its current position it is difficult to forecast accurately. There appears to be a lot of congestion in the inlet and they are barely moving, so most likely it should be there by morning, but I have no idea when they will begin to off load the cargo or how long that will take. It is really quite frustrating.

 

Over a JCW Hardtop 2021.... besides the 301 hp... what is different in the chassis, traction control systems, brakes transmission etc. from this GP3 ??


.

 

so the bit of bad news is the stop sale people have been discussing on Facebook due to a software update that has yet to be released. Apparently the cars will sit at the processing center at the port until they get the update.... hopefully it won’t delay things too long

 

Minis marketing of this little gem is the equivalent of the infamous military CF!

 

The Grand Hero is at anchor in Colgate Creek past point Breeze as of 2 minutes ago. I assume that it is waiting to dock when a berth becomes available. UGH! This is akin to the old adage that a watched pot never boils.