Jeremy Clarkson's Review of 2021 MINI JCW GP
 

Attached is a PDF of Jeremy Clarkson's Review of the 2021 MINI JCW GP that appeared in the October 11, 2020 edition of London's The Sunday Times.

In true Clarkson fashion, he listed all the things he didn't like about that car. Then extoled on the car's virtues. He loved it. He gave it 5-Stars and name it "People's Car of the Year"

Enjoy,

Mark Chiles
2021 MINI JCW GP - #999
2019 MINI JCW International Orange Edition (Manual)
2013 MINI Cooper (Manual - Winter Car)
2009 Pontiac G8 GXP (6.2 Liter - Manual)

Boy racer looks ✔️
Fake rear tower brace ✔️
Big wing on a FWD car ✔️
Alarming amounts of torque steer ✔️
Unusable power ✔️
Bouncy ride ✔️
Jerky in stop and go traffic ✔️
Loud road noise ✔️
Sloppy steering ✔️
Lagging transmission ✔️

Best car of the year!

I don't know if these are the qualities of Clarkson's best car of the year that MINI should appreciate given that the GP3 is supposed to be a trackrat. They are in direct contradiction with MINI's mission for the GP3. And it shows with the Type R still being faster around the Ring by a huge amount of time. I get where Clarkson is coming from because half of those qualities describe my F56 and I love the car despite and due to those flaws. The car is a hoot but it's not long for the racetrack which was the whole point of the GP series.

You right, the F56 itself is a hoot! Not many (probably he himself) have driven a fully modded JCW with over 300 hp.

The jerky stop and go traffic, I overcome with turning off start Start/Stop function. The fake rear tower brace looks nice, and is part of comic-history, and has a function, opposite to the fake air scoop. As on the big wing used on an FWD.
What is right, that this wing weighs a lot, but it is not a downforce tool, it is an aerodynamic boxed jet gear to improve on rear turbulence drag but for my delight, it's mainly a FU statement.

Torque steer, yes that happens, but a good LSD that works trains you as well for those unexpected direction changes. Unuseable power, ok the street setup, suspension, and tires have limits. Bouncy ride....))))) He should drive mine on Unibolts. The lagging transmission is a true point, but only for 1&2, you should avoid on track anyhow with this car.

The GP series was never for the racetrack, but the GP3 is looking at leat as if he could. We might soon see how a modded GP3 equivalent in specs to the RENAULT time attacks couches, will behave ;-)

Most people ignore or don't know that this car is a world record holder ( Front wheel drive 0-100 in 4,9 sec )

So whenever you see a Honda R beside you know he has zero chance, and that in fact is a lucky 11 out of 10 for the daily driver. So are the brakes which outclass the R Type, even more. You brake point at the next traffic light and wait for the Honda.

I haven't seen it reported as 4.9s but rather 5.2s. Either way, when did MINI become about straight line speed? MINIs are supposed to be aLl AbOuT tHe CuRvEs. If you want to go fast you can pick up a liter bike from any of the Big Four for pennies compared to the GP3 and absolutely wreck it in a straight line. And while the GP3's 0-60 is indeed faster than its competition (and realistically, stoplight pulls are more fun in day to day driving), the 7:56.69 Ring time that MINI likes to brag about is absolutely thrashed by the Type R's 7:43.8 and the Megane R.S.' 7:40.10.

The first mod I did to my GP3 was to permanently turn off the Stop/Start Function. You need a OBDII dongle and the BIMMERCODE iPhone app. There is a setting in the BIMMERCODE app that resets the Stop/Start Memory Function to ON. So, once you turn OFF the Stop/Start Function (Toggle Switch Light ON). The Stop/Start Function stays OFF forever...

Mark Chiles
2021 MINI JCW GP #999
2019 MINI JCW International Orange Edition (Manual)
2003 MINI Cooper (Manual - Winter Car)
2009 Pontiac G8 GXP (6.2L Manual)

Geez, it seems we have a lot of GP haters posting here. Why? If you don't like the GP3, then don't buy it! I love the little, albeit, imperfect beast! Part of the fun is trying to tame the beast, it is unique and head turning, and the low end grunt is amazing. It is a fun, fast, little car for those of us that can't afford the multiple digit super cars, or the insurance they require. The Honda is a neat little speedster and I contemplated purchasing one during the agonizingly long wait for the GP3, but I persevered and I am glad that I did. The Honda is a great little car, but I don't want a 4 door zipster, or standard transmission twisty mobile, I like the paddle shifters, and my knees thank me every time that I drive it! There are modifications surfacing frequently that may help some of its annoying quirks and for the money it is stellar beastie. Enjoy the last of the snarling, growling, gasoline powered beasties, old gear heads can't enjoy the whir of electric powered vehicles, leave them to the next generation and leave us alone!

Can you show me any official Mini release (US, UK, wherever) where Mini brags about this Ring time? I'm not going to wait because it doesn't exist :). The only thing that exists is internet speculation around a timestamp on the GP3 dash. Nobody except Mini knows if that was the the best they could do (let alone under what circumstances), or if it was just "good enough" to hit their stated goal of "under 8 minutes". And Mini aint talking.

You can't tell me that the start/stop function is permanently turned on with the GP3. On my car I turn it off with a toggle switch on the dash.

Do you think that the All4 feature would solve most of the "alarming amounts of torque steer" problem? I haven't have my car on a track mind you but I don't really notice any torque steer on it. I realize the GP3 does not have All4 it has FWD.

Probably. My F56 S is pushing about 315 bhp or 270 whp so it's right up there with the GP3 and it has quite a bit of torque steer. I've got no LSD though while the GP3 does. So that's on the install list in order to help quell the torque steer a bit.

The MINI stock LSO (Torsen) is no match for a DREXLER we will use. The tires MINI used on their "record run" where non-homologated test tires, which are not comparable to the SEMI slick "Ventus TD", and the stock "Ventus S1" is what you get in general for 100 Euros.

The new ÖHLIN suspension is based on 235/245 -18 width, together with the Drexler and a 235 Direzza, I presume 20 sec faster. The race setup will consider 17" inch wheels for weight and performance, the 360mm AP will outclass the 7 Series calipers, and our drivers will do hopefully the rest.

Just a short notice the final car is 1.100 kgs and that with Automatic.

If putting the time down to the hundredth of a second stamped on the dashboard isn't MINI showboating their time I don't know what is.

I'm not going to buy it. $50k for what you get with the GP3 is, to me, a pants on head decision. That doesn't mean people that aren't a fan should just sit idly by in silence though. If you don't voice concerns over the current iteration then there's 0 chance that MINI makes the changes you'd like to see on the next.

Alas, the next generation will be some sort of electric or hybrid powered mini. I am lost in the 80's I suppose. I have driven the Toyota Camry hybrid and it is a good car, but it didn't light my fire. Gasoline for my automobiles, and diesel for the trucks. Change is inevitable, whether we like it or not, but I have come a long way since my 1956 Austin Healey 100-6. I still miss it and by current standards is a fossil relic, but it was my first funmobile. The GP3 may be my last.

On the GP3, the stop/start function is turned back on EVERY time you start the car. You have to manually turn it off with the toggle EVERY time you start the car. There is no Stop/Start Memory as there is with my 2019 JCW and other MINIs.

I fixed the GP3 issue with BIMMERCODE app and reprogrammed the ECU to have stop/start setting memory. I turned off the stop/start function after I reflashed the ECU with BIMMERCODE. Now, stop/start function is ALWAYS OFF.

I think you have the right approach to the car, there is no stock MINI close to it. You can judge that as you own one, and even more, you have the experience of previous models.
The HONDA with his manual is slower, and if you think MINI made that for the track, then ask HONDA or the clowns from Renault which appear like Elon Musk with 100 Engineers at the ring and sent a handmake fake for a show run. The standard Megane RS was slower as GP3 at the "Sachsenring"

The GP3 need better tires, and a change from street set-up to track, Öhlins stated the car is too stiff, probably MINI did too much to impress, and forgot about his customers
teeth fillings.