Very much a part of today’s pop culture, the new MINI Cooper enjoys cult status among car fans and non-car fans alike. With the nostalgia for the cute little cruiser echoed by this modern iteration, the new MINI Cooper, much like the New Beetle, is living proof that classics can indeed be reinvented.

So popular is this new version that its appeal crosses genders, making it lovable not just for hardcore Cooper loyalists but also for casual motorists who simply want to look cool in it. Which begs me to ask the question, has the new MINI Cooper been relegated to new-age chick-car status? Can it be? Has this cunning two-door devolved into a modern day girlie ride?

One look at the MINI Cooper S GP puts all those questions to rest. Look at it. Take a minute. In fact, take two. Now you know what I mean? This is what the new MINI Cooper S should have looked like from day 1.

Purposeful. Muscular. Distinguished. The MINI Cooper S GP is not ashamed to look the part of the most powerful Cooper ever produced. The attention grabbing exterior is spearheaded by the handsome lightweight 18-inch wheels, finished in black to create some aesthetic contrast with the metallic blue-grey paint. As a limited edition model, the Cooper S GP only comes in this color. The ride height has been lowered by 10mm, rendering the sports-coupe with a very taut stance. The front bumper has been reworked for better visual impact and aerodynamics, with a black mesh insert and side slats thrown into the design. If the standard MINIi Cooper S seems to be smiling at a standstill, the GP on the other hand wears a mean scowl. Over at the rear, a touring car-esque wing gives it increased downforce at high speed, not to mention a true track toy persona.

The play on colors is also a huge attraction in this car, and one of the methods employed by MINI is installing red side mirrors into all of the 2000 units that came out of Oxford. The roof is also made different by painting it silver, and on the side, one can appreciate the model number of the unit as it is loudly embossed, affirming the car’s rarity.

But what really makes the MINI Cooper S GP special is the substance beneath the form. Under the bonnet is the same supercharged 1.6 inline-4 found in the garden variety Cooper S. However, the Brits (or is it the Germans since BMW was really behind this) squeezed more power from the motor by tinkering with the intercooler and the engine settings. What you get is a stouter mill that makes an advertised 218 hp at the flywheel, significantly more than the 170 hp on the normal variant. The added grunt is paired with a leaner body, as the GP is about 50 kg lighter than its portlier sibling. The pounds are shed mainly by tossing the rear seats, and in place is a rear strut bar that tightens up the chassis. The aforementioned rims also contribute to less pounds.

Being the specialist when it comes to European makes, Design Technik Motorsports (DTM), headed by Tommy Teng, worked on making the Cooper GP an even wilder animal. Baseline testing the MINI, Tommy found that in stock form, it made a healthy 167 hp and 151 lb-ft at the wheels (Remember, wheel hp figures are always lower than the manufacturer quoted flywheel numbers). Working first on the exhaust system, DTM glued in a handsome set of Supersprint pipes from the exhaust manifold, center pipe, and all the way to the racing muffler. Result? A car that sounds more at home in a track than in the street. The GP lets out a wild shriek when gunned, and really is not for the faint of heart. But if waking up the neighbors pleases you, look no further. Since the car makes use of a supercharger, making more power meant de-loading the blower with unnecessary stress. This is why a lighter supercharger pulley was installed. The mod yields a 15% decreased load on the charger, and when paired with DTM’s flash tuning program, allows the motor to unleash its true potential. With the new modifications in place, DTM’s work on the ECU optimizes the engine for improved real-world performance. The special John Cooper Works painted red calipers have been reinforced with the use of Hawk Performance brake pads, and steel braided brake lines allow fluid to be coursed uninterruptedly.

After all the wrenching was done, the Dynapack Dynamometer registered a notable increase of 28 hp and 23 lb-ft of torque at the wheels, with the official figures being 194 whp and 174 lb-ft respectively.

Puttering around town, it’s obvious the MINI Cooper GP, now with its improved repertoire, is unhappy being driven so politely. Entering a wider piece of road, we uncork the blown beauty and it rips at the tarmac angrily. MINI Coopers were never meant to wow with their muscle, but the GP defies that ethos and temps you to plant the throttle even deeper. It’s in the corners though where the GP is best enjoyed, as intimate connection between car and driver is exemplified. Non-existent body roll means you can lean faster and tighter into turns, perfect for timed laps in the track. What amazed me the most though wasn’t the go-kart like reflexes, as this was to be expected. Rather, it was the pliant ride that the GP returned, making it utterly livable for everyday motoring. No kidney shattering ride here folks. Now only if that muffler could drop the decibel count a bit…its just way too loud for everyday use.

The Mini Cooper GP. Exciting at its core, and even when tuned for higher thrills, remains a docile two-seater for Manila’s less than ideal roads. Too bad they only made a couple of thousand of these… since this is what every MINI Cooper S should be like!

Engine: Supersprint exhaust system, DTM ECU reflash
Suspension: John Cooper Works tuned suspension, John Cooper Works brakes, Hawk Performance brake pads, stainless steel brake lines

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A classic Mini gets a large dose of VTEC Power

The Classic Mini originally came with a 34 bhp, 848 cc engine which was increased to 997, 998, 1071 and 1275 cc that boosted its power output up to 55 bhp in stock form. While it may not sound much as compared to today’s subcompacts that pack in more power, but if you factor in the Mini’s power to weight ratio, this will prove just how nimble it really is. Engine-wise, while those stock performance figures may sound just fine to the purist. But in the tuner world where anything is possible for the sake of increased performance, there’s only one solution to gain maximum performance from the lightweight Mini. This can only be achieved by shoehorning a modern, high revving engine onto the tight confines of the Mini as our featured Mini built by Autoplus and Motor Pro attests to. This build is no walk in the park as it makes use of a specialized subframe conversion kit in order to accommodate a B-Series Honda engine onto its platform that’s also enhanced with goodies such as: race-oriented dual-pot disc brakes, wider wheels, and adjustable suspension. These mods are a must in order to achieve every-day reliability with a strong emphasis in terms of all-around performance.

Once the conversion kit arrived, Autoplus sportzentrium was given the task of putting it together. Aside from the subframe kit, the swap also necessitated a one piece, fiberglass, tilt front end because the hood and the front fenders must be stretched forward four inches to accommodate the Honda engine and radiator. The longer front end is not noticeable until you’re told it’s there, so it doesn’t alter the original looks of the Mini. The exterior is made even more muscular with the wider wheel arches, where Motor Pro autoclinique was tasked to massage the body as they sprayed it with an impeccable dark metallic blue paint finish set against a contrasting white colored roof using DuPont automotive refinishes.

The specialized conversion kit may be responsible for the swap, but it’s what’s nestled in between the subframe that truly makes this hybrid Mini a screamer. A stock B18 Honda already puts out a decent amount of power, but when you employ the services of renowned race engine builder/engineer Francisco “Pacho” Blanco, to blueprint/build the engine. Better make sure that your brakes and suspension are up to the task. The stout Honda bottom end was rebuilt using the stock pistons, crank, and rods together with aftermarket bearings and fasteners. High Performance cylinder head work is one of Mr. Blanco’s specialties, and this one features his Stage 2 porting job that’s accomplished with the aid of Autoplus’ Superflow flowbench that accurately measures the amount of airflow in each chamber. Orchestrating the Type-R valvetrain is a pair of Spoon camshafts with a 2-degree advance on the intake side and a 1-degree advance on the exhaust side to achieve a more favorable powerband according to Mr. Blanco. The rev limit is set at 9800rpm, while the VTEC kicks in at 5200 rpm. Together with the stock ECU, this mill has been dyno tuned by Francisco Blanco to put out 190 wheel horsepower. As is the case with all tuners, we all know that there’s plenty more where that came from. Most especially when your engine builder recently happened to motivate an Evo5 with 813 wheel horsepower and 623 lb-ft of torque that enabled it to post an unbelievable quarter-mile time of 9.6 seconds. Chances are that this Mini will just keep on getting faster and faster as it truly epitomizes the ultimate pocket rocket.

Engine: Honda B18C5 1.8-liter DOHC VTEC Rebuilt and blueprinted by Francisco “Pacho” Blanco, Spoon camshafts, cam gears, valve springs, and retainers, Type-R valves, Autoplus Stage 2 headworks, PAD 65mm throttle body, HKS Super Power Flow Air filter, Autoplus custom stainless steel exhaust system, Spoon 4-1 exhaust header, modified intake manifold, aluminum radiator.
Suspension: Front subframe conversion, Adjustable front suspension, Bilstein dampers, custom rollcage, Superbrake disc brake conversion kit (Dual-pot calipers with 8.4” Rotors), Braided Steel Brake Lines, Wilwood race pedals and Tilton master cylinders.
Interior: Autometer “Classic Style” gauges, 4-point roll cage, Billet aluminum door handles and window risers, Air-con kit, McIntosh MX406 head unit, McIntosh MC420M (4CH) Power Amplifier, Pioneer TS0690R 3-way rear speakers (6x9”), Focal Polyglass front speaker set
Exterior: Fiberglass, one piece, tilt front end kit with Dzus fasteners, Fiberglass wheel arches and front spoiler, Mini Style fog lamps (4pcs), John Cooper emblems and union jack flag decal, Courtesy light, Custom DuPont automotive refinish by Motor Pro autoclinique
Wheels: MWS alloys 13x7”, Yokohama A539 tires 175/50/R13

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