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Yes, I do we picked it up and brought it home Monday, August 24th. We ordered it from Mini of Cincinnati and drove it home through the worst traffic jam I have ever experienced! They are performing major repairs and exchanges on the interstates and the traffic was bumper to bumper for over 50 miles. Stop and go and major delays, but I guess it was a good break in for the GP! So far it is a love affair with the driving experience and the only problem was with the paint and they agreed to take care of that. It is a real PITA, but that goes with it. I think we will wait for the interstate issues to be completed before we have that done as we have to drive both cars to the dealership and then return to pick up the GP! I have been driving it to put on some miles so I will be able to put it in GP mode to really experience what it can do. It is already obvious to me that it has exponentially has more grunt and better handling than our tweaked F56 JCW! The Hankooks are doing a good job so far as well and the ride is not as bad as I expected it to be and is actually quite comfortable. Hopefully, this pandemic will have some solution sooner than later so I can take it into North Carolina and Tennessee for some twisting driving with our twisty buddies! BTW, we ordered last November 1st.
Yes, I do we picked it up and brought it home Monday, August 24th. We ordered it from Mini of Cincinnati and drove it home through the worst traffic jam I have ever experienced! They are performing major repairs and exchanges on the interstates and the traffic was bumper to bumper for over 50 miles. Stop and go and major delays, but I guess it was a good break in for the GP! So far it is a love affair with the driving experience and the only problem was with the paint and they agreed to take care of that. It is a real PITA, but that goes with it. I think we will wait for the interstate issues to be completed before we have that done as we have to drive both cars to the dealership and then return to pick up the GP! I have been driving it to put on some miles so I will be able to put it in GP mode to really experience what it can do. It is already obvious to me that it has exponentially has more grunt and better handling than our tweaked F56 JCW! The Hankooks are doing a good job so far as well and the ride is not as bad as I expected it to be and is actually quite comfortable. Hopefully, this pandemic will have some solution sooner than later so I can take it into North Carolina and Tennessee for some twisting driving with our twisty buddies! BTW, we ordered last November 1st.
Fantastic!
A wish come true, it sounds like.
I was truly surprised yesterday when I saw a GP3 on the little multi lane highway loop through our city. It was going in the other direction so I only got to see it for a few seconds. But none the less, it was neat to see it...
Today was a banner day, we decided to go to Louisville for some fish and rings and took twisty backroads all the way there and back again using different roads each direction! What a hoot, we totaled over 140 miles and we are more than halfway to the magic 1,200 mile marker when we can open er' up and let er' rip. We did stay below 4,000 RPM's and we still had some twisting at speed. This car feels exponentially more planted than our 2016 F56JCW, very little body roll in hard corners and the Hankooks are really good and sticky which also helps with higher speed cornering. Mini #4 is adding to the continuing love affair, they all are marvelous little beasts! We also averaged a little over 33 mpg.
Same thing is happening on my GP, after a day on the track. Rims are showing cracks. Hopefully just the paint, waiting on dealer response on new rims. Disappointing with only 1700 miles on them. Don't think they can handle the heat.
This seems to happen, some weeks ago MINI did have a look at it. Should there be serious problems they would have reacted. Motorsport is expensive sorry!
As BBS Germany has problems they substitute with Taiwan BBS? The 9 kilo LME aluminum comes from Taiwan, and was for sure a bargain on that 12000 pcs shoot.
The MINI wheels are powder coated and those cracks look like the coating they used on those couldn’t take the flexing of the wheel. It will be interesting to hear what the dealer says. I have had all sorts of wheels, painted and powder coated, out on the track and that is a new one on me. Hope it gets resolved.
i stand corrected - Sneed does call them “plastic”. I had read in other posts that these pistons were a sintered metal and they cracked and chipped with use. Hence my comment.
The Sneed pistons are stainless steel, which, as you note, has a low heat transfer coefficient, and there is less heat transferee into the brake fluid.
Having plastic in my calipers on my JCW is going to suck big time, knowing how hot brake will get at WGI. Why does BMW/MINI with the aid of Brembo, who should know better, put this crap into a car that is supposed to be a performance car? I wonder what LAP Motors put into the calipers of their F56 MINI JCW race cars???
I retract my rant about MINI using plastic in the brake caliper pistons of my MINI... There isn’t any...
After my 2+ days on the track with my JCW I took a long and hard look at the caliper pistons (I didn’t disassembled it though). They are definitely not plastic. They are nonmagnetic, but definitely not plastic. I also tried to scratch it with a tool that is hardened tool steel and couldn’t. Whatever material the piston is, it is pretty hard. It could be a ceramic to reduce heat transfer into the caliper, which would be a good idea. I would expect as good or better on the GP3, especially if the parts are pulled straight from a BMW. If it is any indication, the caliper pistons on the M2 that I helped to change the pads on were easier to see and where clearly a 1 piece machined metal.
The only piece that MINI uses that is plastic is on the claw feet they use on the stock pads to keep them from rattling around. That is a generic soft plastic with a sticky back that would disintegrate in short time under hard track use.
Last edited by Eddie07S; Sep 5, 2020 at 09:14 AM.
Reason: Edit
We clicked over 1,000 US miles yesterday evening and only 200 more to unleashing the beastie! Almost all of these miles have been on local backroads, no comparison to the Tail of the Dragon or the Devil's Triangle and other good roads in those areas, but some pretty decent twisties in our area and we have thoroughly enjoyed every drive so far. We ran a good distance yesterday evening and we are almost there! We should be able to unleash the beast sometime this week. This car is fun to drive and the handling is wonderfully pleasing. We took the Z06 out for a spin yesterday as well just because it needed to be driven and played with a Mustang for a bit, but it really wasn't a challenge, but an entertaining fun run. However, the mini is still more fun and this one may eventually be our favorite funmobile, usurping our F56 JCW from the throne! Where is the fun in a sportscar that won't bite you when you drive it? That is part of the challenge!
Today was a banner day as we achieved the magic 1200 mile recommendation to unleash the beast and it did not disappoint. We took it to our favorite long strait paved track and reached 119 really quickly. We did this several times with the nannies on and the nannies off and the torque pull is significantly more with the nannies off and very little difference in time although we were not really worrying about times as much as how it handled and it is a handful with the torque steer, but is it ever fun! We were ready for the torque steer and you must be aware and ready for it and that comes with time behind the wheel and practice, but it is really a competitor for its class and actually a lot more fun than some of our more highly rated fun mobiles. We did some good twisties and it really powers through the curves effortlessly and was manageable in all scenarios except wet pavement, but that will be for another day. Paula did reach for the non existent grab handle that was included with the JCW, but did not request one for the beast! I did install the driver's window fold down visor and it was money well spent as it came in handing with the low setting autumn sun. So far on a one to ten scale I rate it a solid 8+ and I am very pleased with it. She may want the handle after more trials!
In 1968 I was restoring and driving a ragged out Austin Healey 1956 100-6, and it was ragged out. I was going to college in Morehead, Ky and there were some excellent twisties. I was driving it home and giving my roommate a ride and he bet me 5 dollars I could not bury the speedo. I don't remember what the speedo registered and it was in KPH. But, I buried it, and then I saw blue lights flashing on the side of the interstate and I pulled over. My roommate told me I should just outrun him, but I replied, "I can't outrun his radio!" I got my ticket, paid my $63.50 outrageous fine and lived on peanut butter for a month. It taught me a valuable lesson. I had just finished my restoration when I totaled it, broke my heart to sell it for salvage.
In 1968 I was restoring and driving a ragged out Austin Healey 1956 100-6, and it was ragged out. I was going to college in Morehead, Ky and there were some excellent twisties. I was driving it home and giving my roommate a ride and he bet me 5 dollars I could not bury the speedo. I don't remember what the speedo registered and it was in KPH. But, I buried it, and then I saw blue lights flashing on the side of the interstate and I pulled over. My roommate told me I should just outrun him, but I replied, "I can't outrun his radio!" I got my ticket, paid my $63.50 outrageous fine and lived on peanut butter for a month. It taught me a valuable lesson. I had just finished my restoration when I totaled it, broke my heart to sell it for salvage.
LOL
I know the feeling!
Speaking of KPH, nowadays you can publish and share your rides --- I know I've mentioned Calimoto before but I must say again just how much I love it. Been using for about a month now and it's been doin' me right.
Even though my settings are to MPH the shared ride is in KPH:
This is the free version so premium might be more adjustable. I like how they give you a speed chart as well as elevation altitude.
Also shows where you stopped to snap pix with your phone.
Delivers the goods.
Beautiful day for a spirited drive too!
This was my ride home for the weekend from a job I'm doing in NC.
Last edited by Oldboy Speedwell; Sep 12, 2020 at 08:32 AM.
North Carolina and Tennessee have some of the best twisties in the world! The pandemic spoiled the MOTD which has been a tradition with us since 2013! We used to spend a lot of time there with friends. Were you on the Blue Ridge Parkway in the one photo? The side roads leading to and from the parkways a fun as well. There are good drives everywhere, sort of a mini haven and Heaven! We may try and make it there this fall sometime if the current pandemic subsides, but it doesn't look promising. Thanks for the pictures!
Yesterday I sat in in, poked around it a bit and drove back home in my JCW.
Two days prior I had done a track event in my R56S and at the end of the event I realized how much I liked rowing through the gear, heel and toe’ing, sliding around in the seat, brakes that were just OK and still out running a Viper (clearly his peddle wasn’t to the metal, but still... ). While i am sure I would get a kick out of driving the GP around the track and would be faster, I just feel something would be lost with a GP in why I do it. There is an “art” to some of the old school ways of doing things that I thing I would miss.
I can understand the joy that some are posting here about their ownership of a GP3...
For anyone who would like to own a GP3 and missed getting on the list, GP3 #1830 is available, looking very “GP” and looking for a good home. Keeler MINI Here in Up State NY... Look it up.
North Carolina and Tennessee have some of the best twisties in the world! The pandemic spoiled the MOTD which has been a tradition with us since 2013! We used to spend a lot of time there with friends. Were you on the Blue Ridge Parkway in the one photo? The side roads leading to and from the parkways a fun as well. There are good drives everywhere, sort of a mini haven and Heaven! We may try and make it there this fall sometime if the current pandemic subsides, but it doesn't look promising. Thanks for the pictures!
For sure about the squiggle twisties --- sorry to hear 2020 fuggedup your MOTD tradition, what a crazily insane year it has been.
Yep, I went for a while on the BRP, it's particularly beautiful through that stretch. It's relaxing yet still fun too, such a respite from the drudgery of highway driving --- and you're right about Heavenhaven because there are so many good options for motoring enjoyment.
I'm beginning to use a hybrid navigation system that's been working out well and it's less time consuming than having to pull over to browse the map in search of squiggles...
...the current job is in Charlotte which we'll be there for a couple more weeks so I'll explore more, but we missed Mon. due to labor day so had to leave very early a.m. Tues. so we could work that day and I had to take the main highway which was hellish with excessive traffic + too many semitrucks, but it only took 4.5 hours. The straighter path given by googmaps adds 1 hour but it's much more fun because it goes through the mountainous region, the Calimoto route is 8.5 hours and it does some wacky things so you need to check the route and find the best parts while avoiding the unnecessary time-wasters. The combo of using both nav tools together has been a good positive solution for me.
Originally Posted by MINIAC
It was hard having to sell my 73 2002 tii after almost 30 years of ownership
Wow!
Nice ride that is, looks factory fresh.
I had a similar long-term relationship with an '86 Saab 900 Turbo which was emotional to let go of.
Prices for well-preserved 02's has seemed to have increased rather dramatically, similar to the astounding rise in another car which I always admired as well - the Alfa 105 GTV's.
Wish that I had been around for the golden era of Trans Am racing, would have loved to attend such a spectacular show!
I wonder what LAP Motors put into the calipers of their F56 MINI JCW race cars???
