It looks serious.
Admittedly¸ the concept looks a tad too extreme to morph into a road-going car, which is a real shame. We love the widened, aggressive looking bodywork front and rear, most of it picked out in carbon fibre, plus the obviously serious aerodynamic package. Along with the stylised rear wing and diffuser, there's a very low front splitter and tasty looking scoops and air deflectors for good measure. The front also features restyled lights and plenty of hexagonal detailing in front of the massive main grille and extra air intakes. It all gives the Frankfurt concept meaningful presence.
Super-low side sills are also made of carbon fibre and they're offset by stunning looking 19-inch 'Racetrack' alloy wheels. The back of the GP show car shares its smooth hatch design with the MINI Electric concept, plus its distinctive new LED lights that depict half of the Union Jack on each side of the car.
I spy exhaust pipes...
Well spotted. That does at least confirm that the GP is petrol-powered, but MINI has deigned to mention what's under the bonnet of the concept, instead focusing on its design. It's safe to assume that, if there's a new showroom-ready GP model within the next two years, it'll be powered by a variant of the company's turbocharged 2.0-litre petrol engine with somewhere in the region of 250hp being sent to the front wheels via a limited slip differential. Look inside the concept, however, and you'll see it has a paddleshift transmission.
Where's the rest of the interior?
It is rather bare, isn't it? MINI has gone the full racer look inside with painted metal, a proper full roll cage, race bucket seats with five-point harnesses and motorsport-ready digital instrumentation. And while there may well be a new one-make MINI race series on the way, this concept's motorsport theme has genuine links to the brand's history.
How so?
It's exactly 50 years since the original Mini won the Monte Carlo Rally, while the concept also features a few '0059' decals to celebrate the year the Mini was launched. It's fair to say MINI must be planning something special to mark that car's 50th anniversary in 2019.
Shane O'Donoghue - 5 Sep 2017