Maybe someone's already mentioned this but...this just goes to prove Ebay is no longer the bargain place to shop...Of course they would place a GP there to reap as much insane markup (in this case, they're hoping for a shopping frenzy):impatient

 

MiniMaxx (and LMB) your preaching to the choir. Look closely at my sig. Although its a "full" JCW car, its a MC40. I call it how a MC40 should have been built.

Everyone seems to hate them. I caught so much sh..t on another board (not NAM) because everyone thought MINI blew it by adding bling vice performance. I added up the option costs and it saved several hundred but you got to want those options. On enthusiasts boards, ppl are more into performance than bling.

There are two points here I was trying to make ...

1. The fact is that there are 2000 GPs just like 1000 MC40s. It aint rare by a long shot so thinking their special ... I know they are not.
2. Many, many people were disappointed that MINI didn't learn from the MC40 and build a really special performance car since so many tuners are now easily over 214HP. JCW has become a joke in many circles. Its as if MINI hasn't learned from history.

Those were my points so potential buyers are well aware of what they are buying into.

I wrote "I hope you enjoy your car to the fullest and don't worry about what other ppl think (especially me). You don't need anyone else to validate your choices."

I mean that. LMB doesn't need validation from anyone as I learned a long time ago .... I dont care a wit about what others may think about my purchase. If someone thinks I wasted several large bills on bling, I never gave it a second thought. To me its just a MCS with an option block checked off. (That is until I sell it on Barret-Jackson in 20 years) I'm sure the new GP owners will have fun

 

your right jimskater, 'gay' was the wrong choice of words for the GP wheels. I apologise.
To me, the GP just looks a bit 'over the top' as far as that 'mini factory' look goes. (too plastic-ie?)
But the fact that its in limited numbers, and probably some performance upgrades...thats pretty cool.

 

If this is really the way you feel, why do you persist in telling those of us who are buying a GP how much you hate the GP?

On a related topic, there would seem to be room on the internet for a web site dedicated to the soon to be Turbo MINI. Going by the reactions on here when we are just talking about a mildly modded car that is essentially the same as the one that most of us are driving right now, the owners of the Turbo MINI will not be at home here at all.

Evidence of that is to take a hard look at those of us brave enough to admit to buying the GP. Check the replys that you discerning motoring critics have posted. Almost 400 cars sold, and about 5 people have been willing to take the craptastic given here in response.

And don't tell me again that it is just your reaction to the disappointment that you feel about MINI and their decisions about what to include on the GP. I ordered my first MINI two days after the car was introduced in the US. I was on the first MINIs on the Dragon, and have only missed one since. The GP is my 4th MINI. Me, Jimskater, and Mo have voted with our checkbooks, and are looking for the other 410 buyers.

You guys would not do an antenna ball change out without having a web poll to determine how many cronies would agree with you.

I realize that if I paste a turd sticker on the side of my GP, that there will be a faction of NAM members that will think I am ashamed of what I bought, and allow me to play in your sandbox. And hey, I can always go talk to Skippy!

It is hard to see how, on a web site counting hits for a profit, or just to recoup costs, that the moderators on here condone this behavior. But, that is what makes NAM famous.

 

No problem, paulo.

I don't know if the GP is OTT, but it comes close.

 

The bid is at $30,100. It's been there for a couple of days. Reserve not met.

 

is someone expected to bid $40?

 

Ok, We all know that Gabe pre-ordered this GP and has now decided to unload it to get his 50/50 balanced 3-series instead.



Just kidding Gabe.

 

why would you think that?

 

Thank you. Nice to know my opinion on "Goofy Product" is not taken personally....

 

I dont this this is BS... cmon....Well the reserve is met! -30 minutes left! I cant wait!

 

$32,250.00 to soopah

 

19 bids to $32,250. What a lucky guy.

What are these cars going for? Can you buy them from a dealer? I'm confused. I'm new here. :(

 

32,250 huh? let's figure this out...

31,150 MSRP for the car + 800 for the delivery event in NJ = $31,950

unless i'm missing something that's an ENORMOUS $300 markup.

yeah, i guess you guys were right. the dealer was really gouging.

congrats soopah!

 

whew Chow-man, did U get ripped a new one! Quite sensitive these pro-GP folks are! Jimbo

 

I wrote ... TWICE ... "I hope you enjoy your car to the fullest and don't worry about what other ppl think (especially me). You don't need anyone else to validate your choices."

So I dont get it. What else can I say ... that I dont believe in my opinion? All of this is just opinions ... and opinions are worth nothing in the long run, so I will stay out of it. ... To each their own. My personal opinion is never meant to hurt someones feelings and I cant fathom why an opinion would do so but better left unsaid, I guess.

 

I have my order in for one of the four in Jacksonville FL.
$600 deposit pay MSRP. $2000 deposit without AC.

 

Good for you. I have one ordered in Jacksonville FL. All 4 are taken. I have number 2. Got a question. Do you know what standard
equipment the GP comes with? Cruise?

 

you ordered one... and you don't know what you are getting

 

They all come with AC.

 

Yup, a good example of GP'ers falling all over themselves ordering something w/o even knowing what they're getting. Unreal. JB

 

I tried! For all my fellow Canadian countrymen I tried. For the 'True North Strong and Free!" I tried. For every Canadian MINI freak I tried!

Up to now the world has conspired against us Canadians and has denied us access to the fastest production MINI currently available.

Well, they did it again! What the H E double hockey sticks am I talking about?

I am Soopah. I won the eBay auction for the 2006 MINI Cooper S with John Cooper Works GP kit from MINI of St. Louis.

After I saw the auction (from the discussion here on NAM) I called up and talked with Transport Canada. They said that even though MINI Canada decided not to import the JCW GP because of required bumper tests, I could definitely import any 2002 to 2006 MINI as long as I was prepared to have the required testing and modifications done. This includes putting kilometre stickers on the speedo or just changing the speedo and odo to Canadian versions, and doing the bumper mods (as easy as putting on OEM Cooper S bumpers, or just have them tested).

I also e-mailed the seller and through e-mails I found out that they did not intend the auction to be available to Canadians but that it was left over from previous auctions the seller had run. However, he said he didn't know if I could register the JCW GP in Canada but that I could buy it anyway and it was up to me to figure out if I could or could not register it in Canada.

Since I knew I could import it and register it in Canada, and knowing that the price was right (about the same as a Canadian typically optioned Cooper S when considering the current exchange rates) and that this would be one of a kind in Canada, I bid. I bid, and I won! Canada was going to get it's only JCW GP!

To make a long story short, it was not to be. Read on if you must.

Following my winning bid I asked MINI of St. Louis for the manufacturer's letters required by Transport Canada (that the JCW GP meets all US transport regulations, that it was not currently subject to any recalls, and that it meets federal and state emissions regulations). They replied saying that they could not sell to Canada because of tax reasons. However, I think the real reason is that MINI USA does not want to sell into the Canadian market and they are restricting the sales of US MINIs to USA only. I pointedly asked them if MINI USA would allow this MINI to be imported into Canada and they did not reply to this question.

Believe me, I understand this. I am a MINI Product Advisor for MINI Yaletown in Vancouver and we have to deal with the same thing. We have tons of interested tourists coming to Vancouver from all over the US, and due to wait times and mark-ups many of them express interest in our MINIs. We can sell them pre-owned, but not new. So I guess I knew this would happen.

I was just hoping beyond hope that we Canadians just might get our hands on a single JCW GP. And given that MINI Canada is not getting the GP I figured, what is 1 out of 415? MINI USA won't mind, will they? MINI Canada will surely understand, right? Nope.

Until a JCW GP becomes available on the used market we Canadians shall just have to wait. I will have to resign myself to aftermarket upgrades to my 2005 MINI Cooper S in Black Eye Purple. Sure, it is still a blast to ride, and the JCW GP is not THAT much better than a souped up Cooper S, but it does have some cachet in it's limited production and straight from the OEM performance, and I just think it looks pretty cool.

Regards, David
05 MCS BEP