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MINI Showdown: The MINI GP vs ZCars Mini Busa

Last year, around May, MINI launched it's new top-of-the-line model, the JCW GP. It is the fastest MINI ever build by the BMW owned company but it isn't the fastest you can buy.
MINI JCW GP vs ZCars MINI Busa 1 photo
Photo: Screenshot from Youtube
The competition, and the fastest MINI available is the ZCars' Mini Busa. The specs are worthy of supercar mention and it is a lot of fun to drive.

The MINI GP has a 1.6-liter, turbocharged engine that delivers 215bhp (218 HP) with a peak torque of 260 Nm. All of that is connected to the front wheels through a manual 6-speed transmission. This way, the GP goes from 0 to 100 km/h in 6.3 seconds and reaches a top speed of just under 250 km/h (242 km/h is the official number). Regarding fuel consumption, the GP has a combined figure of 7.1l/100 km with 165g of CO2 emissions per kilometer. That means you can use this fast car on a daily basis.

The ZCars Mini Busa has different specs. It has, as you might have guessed, a Hayabusa 1.3-liter engine that produces 194 HP with a peak 138 Nm of torque at 10,100 RPM. It is lighter than the GP, weighing around 550Kg, compared to the more comfortable MINI that sits at around 1,235 kg. The Mini Busa does 0 to 100 km/h in 3.9 seconds and has a top speed of almost 210 km/h.

The guys over at Autocar took them for a spin and, as expected, came up with a obvious conclusion. Yes, the Mini Busa is faster and more fun, but you cannot use that car on a daily basis. It's too noisy, too race-oriented and just not practical, not to mention the fact that it costs GBP40,000 and the MINI GP costs GBP28,790. The clear choose is the MINI GP, both for comfort but also for the fact that you can actually live with it.

The Mini Busa is the one you are glad to take for a spin or a circuit, but the GP is the one you'd get for driving around town while doing chores.

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