July 2, 2008:
Adding a trailer hitch
(of course, this MINI Do More modification could be done to any GP, but since Matt added it to GP1543 and took pics, they are here!)
Matt began by removing the rear bumper cover, and taking some close-up pics of the rear crash structure – behind it is a black mounting piece and some rubber padding (both these parts get removed/replaced by the trailer hitch):
Next, the crash structure is removed – in the close-up you can see the black mounting piece and the foam piece:
The black piece and foam are removed and the new MINI Do More black piece with trailer hitch is installed in place, behind the crash structure:
When the rear bumper cover is re-attached, the trailer hitch is aligned to be accessible through the rear fog light position – and the blanking plate can be re-installed to hide the hitch when not in use!
Finally of course, the trailer hitch can be used – Matt shows it here with a bike rack:
Some more pictures in the Gallery … Thanks Matt!
You can find more details of the trailer hitch at MINI Do More, and see this picture taken during MINIsOnTop 2008, showing Brent (from MINI Do More) towing a trailer with his GP!
June 22, 2008:
Google searches for the GP
Reading about Google Trends today, I wondered what I’d see about searches for our favourite MINI Cooper S with JCW GP kit – which I shortened to “MINI Cooper GP”; the results are interesting:
Good data – the spike in late 2005 coincides with the pre-launch at MINI United 2005, then obviously during 2006 excitement builds, until GP deliveries begin in mid 2006 in Europe and then the fabulous Monterey deivery event; since then interest is gently tailing off – except for us owners 
May 30, 2008:
Torque and Horsepower curves
If you missed this thread on NorthAmericanMotoring by Mach V Dan, it’s worth reading through – almost a year ago, Dan of Mach V Motorsports used their Dyno to do a same-day same-conditions comparison of an R50 Cooper, R53 Cooper S, R53 with JCW, and a GP … the results are as expected but it’s nice to see them “in print”!
Dan was also able to compare the GP with a stock R56 with interesting results – it’s clear that the R56 torque is higher, while the GP offers a much smoother torque curve and the much-publicized-by-MINI highest stock MINI horsepower … of course the question is, which would you prefer to drive?
Ber sure to click either link and head over to NorthAmericanMotoring to read the full write-up and comments.
May 19, 2008:
Rusted Spoiler Screws
Having been alerted to the problem by Chris, another GP owner, I find that like his GP, my cars rear spoiler fixing screws are rusting and looking rather ugly!
This issue is not happening for all owners – I suspect it’s related to weather conditions and perhaps whether or not the car is garaged (GP0203 is not) … I’ll be chatting to my dealership to see what they think about it …
April 29, 2008:
New York Times: MINIs instant collectible
(from New York Times):
… Everything is limited edition these days, including the Uniqlo T-shirt I wore the other day. When carmakers label something as limited edition, it typically means they’ve added leather and slapped on some chrome badging to spark sales in the middle of a model cycle … Could the Mini Cooper S with John Cooper Works GP Kit (its official name) be different? It was a purpose-built racer that came with a better suspension and brakes. Engine modifications bumped power to 218 horsepower. There were no rear seats (for weight reduction). Production was limited to 2,000, and 415 were allotted to the United States.
In two years, the GP Kit, according to my friend, had become a collector’s item. “People bought them and stored them in their garage,†…
UPDATE: See comments on the MotoringFile post for this same story