According to Car and Driver MINI is planning a GP model for the R56 range. We've seen MotoringFile report the same item a few months back, could it really be true. From the C&D site.
Nice! Might as well get one'a those too. Now, let me see... That'll require the 4-car to be expanded to 6 after the Roadster. :drool
Weight reduction methods No way I'm going without air conditioning in Virginia. I've owned one car w/o air but I was living in Mass and going to school in NY!
You know the more I think about it the more excited I am about the idea. My more cynical side is still worries about things turning out poorly. We'll see.
I found a copy of the original 2006 GP Sales brochure and it clearly states that Air Conditioning comes standard on the GP. I would seriously consider getting the new version of the GP.
Car and Driver was wrong in saying that there was no A/C It would not make sense for them to pull A/C. A whole new HVAC control would need to be created and I can't see them doing that for a very limited production. Porsche they ain't. Now there is a move that Porsche does. Charge more for a de-contented car and then make those items high cost options. Don't think MINI can pull that one off.
Maybe they meant auto climate control. My GP doesn't have it, too much extra weight Geesh, now I might have to upgrade . . . nah
It sounds like it will definitely be an R56 (or at least something from the current generation) making it the end of this generation, in the same respect that the first GP was the end of the R53 generation. But I've also been wondering about the timing of it being released. The first MINI Takes The States celebrated the GP, I wonder if this years MTTS wil celebrate the new GP???
A/C is optional for the lower European models. They can put in the HVAC from a MINI ONE or MINI First.
It's already done - in Britain there are two models below the Cooper (the 98hp One and the 75hp First) and the more basic of the two comes as standard without A/C. And I should have read to the end of the page to see that this has already been said! :blush2:
+1 Although I am a little bias on this subject, I could go along with a new gen GP if they stick with the same guidelines. I think it would be a perfect platform to introduce the new gen and combine the best tech from both worlds.
An insider friend of mine at MINI has seen the alignment specs and told me it is really aggressive, actually the most aggressive alignment setup he's ever seen on a BMW product. So I'm interested, but we'll see when production starts.
If it's not going to be the 3rd Gen car it would be nice if they used the Coupe, to help make it the car it should have been to start with.. Drop some weight and add alittle power, and change up a few body panels as usual and a 1 off color course...