This is an interesting turn. Now we have the Cooper versions, the S (more powerful engine), the JCW (even more powerful engine) and the GP (more sporting even more powerful engine).
It looks like they are turning the GP into its own BMW M brand, but I thought that is what the JCW was for. So does having a GP brand now dilute the JCW into an even less special line? How many flavors are too many? I'm a MINI fan-boy and I'm starting to get confused by the positioning of the internal brands... what does this mean for a new MINI customer who is just walking into a dealership for the first time.
I'm feeling like I just walked into Sears and found that they replaced their Good-Better-Best categories with Good-Better-Best-BetterThanBest. It kinda makes the "best" item (JCW) fairly worthless in the line-up as, for the few people willing to shell out that kind of $$$ on a MINI, I'd expect 'em to think "Hmmm... you mean the JCW isn't the best? Well... why not kick in another $2k to get the best, then".