This is the MINI we’ve been waiting for. The GP is the most hardcore, the most exclusive with only 3,000 being made (just 59 units for Canada), and the most powerful MINI ever produced. Referred to as the GP3, the third generation of MINI GP, all of its upgrades are centered around lightweighting and performance.

I honestly expected the GP exhaust to be louder. The vocal chords are a bit muffled, and are lacking some mid-range bass and top-end sharpness. Be that as it may, ripping the GP at wide open throttle is like having a dozen angry wasps buzzing behind your ear. It’s sharper in tone than an Alfa Romeo 4C, but not as sonically piercing and rewarding as a CLA 45 AMG. Miles better than a comparatively subdued Civic Type R and Golf R, though. Unlike the standard JCW, there are none of those excessive pops and gurgles on overrun, and it doesn’t drone that much at highway speeds, but it definitely sounds constrained, and I suspect that’s due to Euro-spec emission regulations and particulate filters now added onto European made vehicles. The GP could be a victim of that, though I couldn’t verify with MINI whether or not our Canadian-spec vehicles have them installed.