Mini JCW GP: What’s it like to track the most powerful Mini made?

Why a Mini John Cooper Works GP?

Mira Knava. Photo by J.A. Ackley

To understand that attraction, consider that both Mira and Romana come from a background with a different kind of horsepower–actual horses. Mira participated in horse racing, going from a jockey to a trainer, while Romana did equestrian.

“I had a really bad accident with my horse,” Romana explains. “The doctor said I could not ride anymore. I needed to find another adrenaline [rush].”

“She always had a passion for cars,” Mira adds. “I was like, ‘Okay, I like cars,’ but she had passion for cars–muscle cars, racing, Formula 1, rally. So, I said, ‘Let’s buy some fun cars.’ Romana always wanted to have a Mini Cooper because of ‘The Italian Job.’”

Mira first found a more conventional Mini for Romana.

“We had a very slow Mini,” Romana recalls. “I like to drive fast. He found the GP online, and it was going to be the fastest Mini ever. It got my attention.”

If you saw a Mini zipping by in Chicago, it may have been Romana.

“I thought it was a Formula 1 car the first time I took it to work,” Romana calls. “It was my daily driver.”

A friend of a friend, perhaps wisely, suggested to Romana that she should track it. “Back then, we thought you could not go on the track unless you’re a professional race car driver,” Romana notes. “[He said,] ‘No, you can do it. I’ll tell you how. Go to SCCA.’ I took [a driving school]. I started passing Porsches, Mustangs. Oh my gosh, I was like, ‘This was the best car ever.’ That was three years ago, and the addiction was formed.’”

Not to be outdone, Mira searched for a Mini GP for himself and got one, too. Now you can find the couple at time trial events with their 2021 Mini GPs.

Photo by Tradd's Photos/Racing for ALS.

Few Things to Mod

Photo by Tradd's Photos/Racing for ALS.

Mira and Romana compete with relatively stock GPs. The came from the factory with performance in mind, so the only mods they made involved to the brakes, intake and exhaust.

“A lot of times, under braking through the turns, my back wheel is up in the air,” Mira says. The GP came with Brembo four-piston calipers, 15-inch rotors and Brembo street pads. They had a hard time finding a company to build a brake package that still remains within the rules of SCCA’s Sport 4 Time Trial class.

Photo by J.A. Ackley

Eventually, an Italian company, Tarox, came through. Tarox upgraded them to eight-piston alloy calipers, F2000 grooved discs, Competizione brake pads, stainless steel lines and high-performance fluid. They retained the stock Brembo two-piston calipers in the rear.

Photo by J.A. Ackley

The U.K.-based Eventuri crafted the custom-made intake. “They had just designed a brand-new intake for the C8 Corvette,” Mira says. “Real carbon fiber. The craftsmanship was unbelievable. I approached them and said, ‘I like your work, can you do something for a Mini?’ They told me they had a prototype for a Mini, but they needed to get approval.”

Eventuri needed to pass European Union regulations and also obtain approval from Mini to put the part into production, according to Mira. Once the company got the okay, Mira and Romana equipped their Minis with Eventuri intakes. According to Eventuri, the system offers “lower intake temperatures than the stock airbox and avoids heat soak, which is a common issue especially on higher powered Minis.”

The Bluetooth-enabled controller for the JCW Pro exhaust. Photo by J.A. Ackley

Lastly, the exhaust. Mira and Romana didn’t dig the stock setup. Too quiet.

They approached Mini, which offered them a JCW Pro exhaust kit. It has two modes, controlled by a Bluetooth remote, one for the track and one for the street. Mira certainly enjoys sound from the track version.

Okay, So What’s It Like to Drive One?

A front-wheel-drive car with a lot of power and torque? Yes, that creates a recipe for one major issue.

“The biggest problem you face with this car is torque steer,” Mira says. “You have to be gentle. If you push too soon, it will spin the wheels.”

Overall, Mira and Romana like the strengths of the front-wheel-drive setup. “You don’t face oversteer much, but understeer, yes, it sucks,” Romana admits. “With a front-wheel-drive car, it doesn’t turn the way you want, but with an understeer car, you can stop and then just keep going. It’s more forgiving.”

Photo by J.A. Ackley

The GP comes with two modes: Sport and GP. “We have it on track in GP mode, but just the first stage,” Mira says. “The first stage will rev your engine higher. The second will turn your nannies off. We still keep the nannies on.”

And, yes, there’s no third pedal with the GP. “It’s an eight-speed automatic,” Mira notes. “That’s what a lot of people complain about–you’ve lost engagement with the car–but I don’t. At Road America, we’re doing 141 mph on the straightaways, and you think you have time, with the torque steer, to take your hands off the wheel changing your gear, and back on? No thank you. I’m happy I can have both hands on the steering wheel.”

Photo by J.A. Ackley

Front-wheel-drive? Automatic? Sure, those aspects might be a turn-off to some. But combine the 300-plus horsepower with the renown go-kart-like handling of a Mini, and it’s easy to see why Mira and Romana leave the track with smiles.

Mira Knava (68) and Romana Smela (44) during the SCCA Time Trials Nationals at NCM Motorsports Park. Photo by Tradd's Photos/Racing for ALS.