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The Mini hatchback is close to its sell by date. Now in its second generation, the model has been around for over 10 years (since 2001). It was reported last month that the company were planning to release a special model for the final farewell of the Mini hatchback. It will be known as the Mini John Cooper Works GP II and pictures of it has surfaced on the Internet. This is not the first time Mini has pulled this trick. The Mini John Cooper Works GP was released when the first generation Mini hatchback was about to be replaced with a new model (which is the current generation Mini hatchback). The original Mini John Cooper Works GP was generally a tuned and stripped out Mini JCW. Churning out 218bhp from its 1.6-litre turbocharged four cylinder engine. The rear seats were removed and replaced with an internal strut brace, aluminium suspension components and also removed was the sound insulation. This resulted in a 40kg weight loss and a century sprint of less than 6.5 seconds. The above is pretty much about the original Mini JCW GP. Now let us see what Mini has to offer for the JCW GP

The Mini Countryman is basically a 5 door hatchback that unlike its namesake is actually popular with urban motoring instead of acutally being used in the countryside. Its tall and largish profile (especially for a Mini) means that it has been embraced as a lifestyle vehicle and as a good vehicle for soccer mums and the sort. But whatever the reason people have for buying the Countryman, they can now buy the Countryman in the uprated John Cooper Works variant. This 2013 model is set for its official preview at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show and it is due to be on sale by fall/winter of this year. This performance variant brings it closer in terms of spirit to the WRC Mini Countryman. Or so I'd like to think. Because if I didn't think so I'd just think that the 2012 Mini Countryman John Cooper Works edition is a tarted up, slightly obese vehicle that thinks that it is a mini-sized vehicle. So like any John Cooper Works (JCW) Mini, it will have all the go-fast bits that you'd expect. Exernally it gets a more aggressive bodykit, JCW badging, sports suspension and larger 18inch alloy wheels. Brakes, exhaust sytem and the 1.6liter engine gets the usual upgrading too. The turbocharged engine now makes 215hp and 280Nm torque with 300Nm available on overboost for short periods of time. Performance figures for the 2013 Countryman JCW are 0-100km/h in 7seconds and a top speed of 225km/h. As it has a reasonably small 1.6liter engine, the Countryman JCW consume 7.2ltr/100km in manual and 8.0ltr/100km in automatic. The Mini Countryman is basically an effort for BMW Mini to bring the Mini concept to those who have families and need the extra space

[extract] Leena and Teena Gade, sisters based in Britian, have two of the most important jobs in world motorsport. Leena Gade is the No. 1 engineer responsible for this year