2020 MINI John Cooper Works GP seen in Malaysia

Love hot hatchbacks? There will soon be a new entrant in the Malaysian market, if this sighting of the MINI John Cooper Works GP three-door hatch is something to go by. Spotted by our reader Jay as the hatch is trailered along the PLUS highway, the most performance-oriented variant yet is a limited-run model that will have just 3,000 units produced, and it appears that a lucky few on our shores will get to own them.

The MINI John Cooper Works GP packs a 2.0 litre turbocharged petrol engine under its sculpted bonnet, where it produces 306 hp at 5,000 rpm to 6,250 rpm and 450 Nm of torque from 1,750 rpm to 4,500 rpm. The front wheels are driven through an eight-speed automatic transmission with an integrated mechanical locking differential, enabling a 0-100 km/h time of 5.2 seconds and a top speed of 265 km/h.

Rolling stock on the JCW GP are 18-inch wheels shod in 225/35 tyres, and the second photograph reveals these to be of the Hankook make. At the JCW GP’s global debut, these were of the Ventus S1 Evo Z variety. Housed within these are a set of four-piston fixed-caliper disc brakes with 360 mm x 30 mm ventilated discs in front, and single-piston floating caliper disc brakes at the back.

The interior of the JCW GP is at least as performance-focused, where rear seats have been removed and in their place goes an aluminium cross brace for further structural reinforcement. For the two occupants, seating comes courtesy of John Cooper Works sports seats trimmed in leather and Dinamica with silver side edges, red accent seams and red belt straps, while a GP badge is located under each integrated headrest.

Further nods to performance include a Nappa leather-trimmed steering wheel, a metal marker for the central 12 o’clock position, while badge numbering is 3D-printed, as are the metal gearshift paddles which feature a honeycomb structure.

This most hardcore of MINIs has gone on sale in Thailand in April this year, where the two-seater three-door hatchback was tagged at 4.2 million baht, or RM563,453 according to the exchange rate of the time. Our northern neighbours have been allocated 30 units, or 1% of the global limited run. How many units might we get here in Malaysia, and at what price?

GALLERY: MINI John Cooper Works GP