The Mini John Cooper Works GP. The most powerful Mini to come from the factory. The turbocharged inline-four makes 301 horsepower and 332 lb.-ft. of torque.
A GP turned a Nürburgring lap in just under 8 minutes, a 7:56.69 to be exact, faster than a C6 Corvette and a Dodge Viper SRT-10.
For Mira Knava and Romana Smela, it is, and here’s why.
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.
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Photo by Tradd’s Photos/Racing for…
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