New John Cooper Works GP is the Fastest Production Mini Ever, Laps the 'Ring in 8:23

We heard about, talked about it, and even took a few spy pictures of it, and now the time has cone for the official reveal: the all-new Mini John Cooper Works GP special.

Dubbed as the fastest production Mini in history, the new John Cooper Works GP lapped the Nürburgring-Nordschleife in a very impressive 8 minutes and 23 seconds, which makes it about 19 seconds faster than the previous generation JCW GP model that sported a 1.6-liter force-fed unit with 210hp and 180 lb-ft (244Nm) of peak torque.

The British company won't say yet how many ponies are hiding under the second generation JCW GP's hood, but rumor has it the 1.6-liter twin-scroll turbocharged engine has been tweaked to deliver 220- to 230-horses.

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New John Cooper Works GP is the Fastest Production Mini Ever, Laps the 'Ring in 8:23

We heard about, talked about it, and even took a few spy pictures of it, and now the time has cone for the official reveal: the all-new Mini John Cooper Works GP special.

Dubbed as the fastest production Mini in history, the new John Cooper Works GP lapped the Nürburgring-Nordschleife in a very impressive 8 minutes and 23 seconds, which makes it about 19 seconds faster than the previous generation JCW GP model that sported a 1.6-liter force-fed unit with 210hp and 180 lb-ft (244Nm) of peak torque.

The British company won't say yet how many ponies are hiding under the second generation JCW GP's hood, but rumor has it the 1.6-liter twin-scroll turbocharged engine has been tweaked to deliver 220- to 230-horses.

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MINI Officially Confirms John Cooper Works GP Special on the Sidelines of the New York Auto Show

We've already caught Mini trying out a prototype of the range-topping John Cooper Works GP hot hatch near the Nürburgring, but today, the company made it official.

Prior to the New York International Auto Show, Kay Segler, senior vice president of the Mini brand, said that the John Cooper Works GP will be revealed at the MINI United Festival that takes place in Le Castellet, France, this May.

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Scoop: MINI Developing New "Super" Cooper S JCW GP Limited Edition

You can never have too much of a good thing, especially if the financial returns are ample as was the case with MINI's Cooper S John Cooper Works (JCW) GP special that marked the end of the first generation model.

Now, it seems that MINI is working on a GP version for the current hatchback as our spies spotted a prototype as it was heading out for testing at the Nürburgring.

The test car featured a more aggressive aero package than the regular JCW model with a new front splitter, side skirts, a large roof wing and a prominent diffuser at the rear that looks similar to the one found on the Challenge race car.

It also rides on a lowered suspension and new alloy wheels with a four-spoke design, just like the first GP model.

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MINI Spices up Countryman Crossover with 215-horsepower JCW Variant

The largest Mini of them all, the Countryman crossover, will soon accept a new member into its family as the BMW Group owned British automaker will debut the John Cooper Works (JCW for short) model at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show.

The new JCW Countryman is fitted with Mini's all-wheel-drive system known as ALL4 as standard with power coming from the latest iteration of the firm's 1.6-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine featuring a twin-scroll turbocharger, direct injection and a variable valve control system.

In European specification, the turbo'd unit is rated at 215bhp (218PS) and 280Nm (207 lb-ft) of peak torque or 300Nm (221 lb-ft) with the overboost function.

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CoverEFX Adds Some Color to the MINI John Cooper Works R53

Car wrapping specialist CoverEFX has presented not one, but two more takes on the first new generation of the MINI John Cooper Works [JCW] sports hatch with the R53 designation. Both cars feature a special vinyl wrap along with a host of performance upgrades. Read more »

MINI Clubman JCW Showcar by Wimmer RS and Mac Audio is a Loud Inside and Out

Mac Audio, a manufacturer of amplifiers and loudspeakers, has tapped German tuning specialist Wimmer RS to create a showcar version of the Mini Clubman John Cooper Works [JCW].

And no, the highlight of the hot hatch is not the blonde model seen in the pictures but the extreme audio system found in the heavily modified interior, which was customized by Mac Audio's own Professional Installation Team headed by Nic König.

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Sportier MINI Countryman JCW Edition Spied Working out at the Nurburgring

Carscoop’s spy photographers have snapped some of the first images of the sportiest edition yet of the Mini Countryman bearing the John Cooper Works logo. The…high-hoon version of Mini’s urban crossover model will come with all the usual styling upgrades and performance modifications we’re used to seeing in the other JCW models.

First and foremost, the Countryman JCW will get a juiced up version of the Cooper S’ 1.6-liter twin-scroll turbo engine. Being that the Countryman is much heavier than the other Mini JCW variants, engineers may further hone the four-cylinder powerplant to deliver more than 211-ponies it normally produces, possibly approaching the 230HP mark.

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Mini to Use Rolls Royce-Prepped Goodwood as a Sub-brand for Bespoke Models

In the same way the John Cooper Works moniker designates high-performance models, Mini plans to use the Goodwood name as a sub-brand for high-end luxury versions of its cars. According to British magazine Autocar, which quotes sources from within the company, the Goodwood badge will be used on luxurious, bespoke Minis just like the JCW badge is put on its high-performance models.

The first model of the Goodwood line is the “Mini Inspired by Goodwood”, which made its world premiere at the Shanghai auto show. The car is essentially a Cooper S that sports unique styling cues and trim options designed “in close collaboration” with Rolls-Royce. The name itself pays tribute to Rolls-Royce's headquarters, while the Shanghai unveiling signals the importance of the Chinese market for very expensive Minis.

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German Tuner Thinks Louis Vuitton-esque MINI JCW with up to 252HP Looks Kewl

We're no luxury handbag experts, but the first thought that comes to mind upon seeing CoverEFX's MINI John Cooper Works [JCW] tuning proposal is a....Louis Vuitton bag on wheels. For obvious reasons, the monogram canvas is different than the one found on the products of the famous French design house, but its styling as well as the colors and the leathery texture of the special foil wrap all point to an inspiration that come from Louis Vuitton.

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MINI Announces New JCW Sport Packages and Clubman Hampton Edition

The newly developed 2.0-liter turbo diesel we told you about in our previous post isn't the only fresh addition to MINI's lineup for 2011. The new year also brings a John Cooper Works [JCW] Pack option for the hatch and convertible models, a performance kit for the Cooper S and the Clubman Hampton special edition.

The JCW pack option for the Cooper and Cooper S Hardtop and Convertible vehicles is due to be available from the second quarter of 2011 as a factory option. It includes an aero kit with front and rear aprons, plus side skirts, as well as 17-inch weight-optimized aluminum alloy wheels.

The interior is upgraded with a new leather steering wheel with red stitching, gearshift knob with red shift pattern lettering, plus a leather handbrake boot featuring -what else- red stitching.

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Nowack Motors Releases Mini Cooper S Packages with up to 260HP

The latest Mini Cooper S and its JCW brother have gotten the option of more oomph from German tuner Nowack Motors.

The packages, dubbed N210, N230, and N260 are pretty self-explanatory: 210 horsepower (filter/ECU work), 230 horsepower (add an exhaust), and 260 horsepower.

The N260 adds a little extra Nowack touch: Nowack cams and downpipe, improved intercooler setup, and a rebuilt cylinder head with better flow.

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WC50 Mini Special coming to America, Priced at $40,300

$40,300 for a tuned-up Mini? REALLY? That's the opening price - including a $700 shipping fee, for the 50 coming-to-these-here-shores versions of Mini's World Championship 50 (WC50) model (read all about it in out previous post here).

It features the JCW turbo'd 1.6 rated at 208 horsepower, all the other standard Works fixin's, and special green paint (to sound like it's worth the money, call it Connaught Green). Seriously though, it looks good. Just not THAT good.

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