2017 Frankfurt Motor Show: Mini GP concept is a motorsport-inspired wild child

MINI has revealed a hardcore, motorsport-inspired concept car ahead of its public debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show next week, for all those fans that feel the British brand’s line up has gone a bit soft.

With a stripped-out interior, racing roll-cage and seat, along with aggressive aerodynamic additions, the Mini GP concept is one tough looking hatch and the polar opposite to Mini’s electric concept which will also roll out at the show.

Mini claims the GP is inspired by its legendary victory at the Monte Carlo Rally 50 years ago, which seems a little tenuous, but we aren’t going to snub our noses at something that looks this wicked and we can’t help but admire the design study’s bellicose styling.

The concept is wider and lower than a standard Mini, with large front and rear spoilers, and carbonfibre liberally applied for weight minimisation.

Technical information is as light as its construction, but Mini does reveal that the car rides on 19-inch lightweight racing wheels and has a touchscreen for making adjustments to the suspension settings on the fly.

The concept is the first iteration of the GP badge on a Mini since the 2012 John Cooper Works GP and 2006 Cooper S with John Cooper Works GP Kit, which were both limited to production of 2,000 vehicles.

There’s no word on if the Mini GP will make it into production, but perhaps a one-make race series would make a delightfully entertaining alternative to a showroom version.

“The Mini John Cooper Works GP Concept is all about the unfettered feeling of driving and levels of performance found in motor sport competition,” says Peter Schwarzenbauer, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, responsible for MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad.

“This is driving fun in its purest form.”

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