Enthusiasts must be quick to snap up fastest Mini ever (From Oxford Mail)

Enthusiasts must be quick to snap up fastest Mini ever

9:10am Friday 7th September 2012 in News

THE fastest production Mini ever built is due to go on sale in November.

But anyone wanting to get their hands on a John Cooper Works GP, which can reach 150mph, will have to move quickly as there are just 2,000 models being made at the Cowley plant, with bosses reporting strong interest from enthusiasts.

Mini spokesman Sarah Heaney said: “We showed a concept version of the car in May.

“There is a big community of Mini enthusiasts who have been waiting for this car and we expect there to be a lot of interest.”

The John Cooper Works GP will be introduced at the Paris Motor Show on September 29 with production starting at Cowley in November. The two-seater car can also sprint to 62mph in 6.3 seconds and will cost £28,790, with dealers taking orders now.

Meanwhile, UK sales of the Mini dropped by 15 per cent in August, latest figures have revealed.

Statistics from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders show 1,189 cars sold during the month, compared to 1,399 for the same period last year.

A total of 28,717 cars have been sold so far this year, compared to 28,457 for the first eight months of 2011, meaning overall sales are 0.91 per cent ahead.

A £250m investment in Oxford’s Cowley Mini plant is “part of a huge recovery story for the British motor manufacturing industry” Prime Minister David Cameron told the Commons. The cash was announced for Mini production by BMW in June and follows £500m invested in 2012. It will not create news jobs but will secure the future for its 3,700 permanent workers, bosses said.

Comments are closed on this article.