Mini has showcased a prototype version of its upcoming John Cooper Works GP hot hatch at the Nürburgring, as a part of pre-race festivities for the circuit’s annual 24-hour race.
The model is set to be introduced to the market in 2020, with production restricted to 3,000 units.
Its predecessor lapped the 12.93-mile Nordschleife configuration of the German venue in eight minutes and 23 seconds, with reports from the early tests of the new car suggesting an improvement in the range of 30 seconds on that time.
The upcoming JCW GP will boast in excess of 300bhp from its turbocharged four-cylinder engine and distinguishes itself from the rest of the range with significant bodywork extensions to improve aerodynamics, including a rear wing and extended wheel arches.
With the news that the hot hatch is lapping roughly 30 seconds faster than its predecessors’ 8:23 lap time while still in development, it might be possible to see Mini attempt to capture the Nürburgring front-wheel-drive production car lap record.
As it stands, that record is held by Renault and its Megane R.S. Trophy-R, which lapped the 12.93-mile circuit in seven minutes and 40 seconds earlier this year.
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