Discussion
A little over 4 years ago I traded my first ever car in (Volkswagen Up) for a F56 Cooper S in electric blue. The Cooper S was sparse on optional extras, the only extra being the Media XL pack. But what it did provide was a massive improvement in speed and comfort. At the time of picking up my Cooper S the Mini dealership I purchased it from also had an almost new GP3 in stock, waiting for its new owner.
Unfortunately that new owner wasn’t to be me at the time, as I could barely afford the 18 plate Cooper S I was buying, but I knew at that point I would need to scratch the itch or owning a GP3, despite its somewhat marmite looks, personally I like it. It’s over the top, but in the best way possible.
Fast forward to Friday just past and I am now the proud owner of a GP3 )number 1121). The car was originally advertised for sale down in Blackpool. This was a little far for me to travel as we are just outside Edinburgh. However, the car was in budget and had the must have (to me) touring pack, as this car would be my only car. I dropped an enquiry to the dealership who offered to transport it to their Carlisle dealership which was considerably closer, being just over the border.
The whole buying process was smooth and easy, just as it should be. The handover was a special moment as I’d finally ticked that box that I set out to do a little over 4 years ago.
The drive home from Carlisle via a few stops to show the car to family was a delight. What almost impressed me most is the usability of the car. It’ll happily return a very reasonable MPG on a motorway run, which of course will drop as soon as you out the foot down. The plan was to take it easy and head back via the motorway but I soon got bored of that idea and decided on a detour on the way to family via a few B roads.
I wasn’t familiar with the B roads I’d decided to go down so didn’t get a chance to really push the car too much but from what I drove the car is absolutely planted through bends. The ride is firm, considerably more firm than the Cooper S I came from but I expected that going in to the car and from my test drive a week prior to collection. Personally the ride doesn’t bother me. The car is on the standard Hankook tires and a quick bit of research tells me a lot of owners get these swapped out as soon as possible, for me they will do until new ones are needed and then I’ll look at alternatives.
Torque steer was definitely there when pushing the car a bit on the uneven B roads I was on. Again this is something I knew of before buying the car and I think it makes for an exciting drive.
We’re off on holiday for a week to catch some much needed sun but I already can’t wait to be back and get in the GP3. From my brief ownership so far, it has renewed my enjoyment of driving. I’d slipped into an A to B routine as of late and didn’t really feel the urge to just go a drive for the fun of it but thankfully that has now changed.
Unfortunately that new owner wasn’t to be me at the time, as I could barely afford the 18 plate Cooper S I was buying, but I knew at that point I would need to scratch the itch or owning a GP3, despite its somewhat marmite looks, personally I like it. It’s over the top, but in the best way possible.
Fast forward to Friday just past and I am now the proud owner of a GP3 )number 1121). The car was originally advertised for sale down in Blackpool. This was a little far for me to travel as we are just outside Edinburgh. However, the car was in budget and had the must have (to me) touring pack, as this car would be my only car. I dropped an enquiry to the dealership who offered to transport it to their Carlisle dealership which was considerably closer, being just over the border.
The whole buying process was smooth and easy, just as it should be. The handover was a special moment as I’d finally ticked that box that I set out to do a little over 4 years ago.
The drive home from Carlisle via a few stops to show the car to family was a delight. What almost impressed me most is the usability of the car. It’ll happily return a very reasonable MPG on a motorway run, which of course will drop as soon as you out the foot down. The plan was to take it easy and head back via the motorway but I soon got bored of that idea and decided on a detour on the way to family via a few B roads.
I wasn’t familiar with the B roads I’d decided to go down so didn’t get a chance to really push the car too much but from what I drove the car is absolutely planted through bends. The ride is firm, considerably more firm than the Cooper S I came from but I expected that going in to the car and from my test drive a week prior to collection. Personally the ride doesn’t bother me. The car is on the standard Hankook tires and a quick bit of research tells me a lot of owners get these swapped out as soon as possible, for me they will do until new ones are needed and then I’ll look at alternatives.
Torque steer was definitely there when pushing the car a bit on the uneven B roads I was on. Again this is something I knew of before buying the car and I think it makes for an exciting drive.
We’re off on holiday for a week to catch some much needed sun but I already can’t wait to be back and get in the GP3. From my brief ownership so far, it has renewed my enjoyment of driving. I’d slipped into an A to B routine as of late and didn’t really feel the urge to just go a drive for the fun of it but thankfully that has now changed.
Lovely car! I've owned a couple of MINI's now (a Cooper S 210 Works and a JCW; any excuse to share pictures) and loved them both. I didn't expect to and always scoffed at them a bit, but the first time I drove one it put a huge smile on my face and I became a bit of a fan.
The dealer had a GP3 when I bought my JCW but I couldn't afford it, however I might be in a position to afford one in the new year, whilst a 2 seater would still work for me and before all MINIs are electric!
I'd be intrigued to know how you're getting on with yours, especially as your only car - mine would have to be my only car too most likely.
The dealer had a GP3 when I bought my JCW but I couldn't afford it, however I might be in a position to afford one in the new year, whilst a 2 seater would still work for me and before all MINIs are electric!
I'd be intrigued to know how you're getting on with yours, especially as your only car - mine would have to be my only car too most likely. Burny16v said:
Lovely car! I've owned a couple of MINI's now (a Cooper S 210 Works and a JCW; any excuse to share pictures) and loved them both. I didn't expect to and always scoffed at them a bit, but the first time I drove one it put a huge smile on my face and I became a bit of a fan.
The dealer had a GP3 when I bought my JCW but I couldn't afford it, however I might be in a position to afford one in the new year, whilst a 2 seater would still work for me and before all MINIs are electric! I'd be intrigued to know how you're getting on with yours, especially as your only car - mine would have to be my only car too most likely.
So far I’d say it’s a more than capable daily car, if you can get away with having a daily that only has 2 seats then I’d say go for it! Plenty of space in the back to do a run to the tip, food shop, Costco etc. I do think I’ll get some sort of protective cover for the strut in the back as the previous owner hadn’t done this so there’s a few chips in the paint. I think I also might look at getting some form of cargo netting to stop anything in the rear coming forward. The dealer had a GP3 when I bought my JCW but I couldn't afford it, however I might be in a position to afford one in the new year, whilst a 2 seater would still work for me and before all MINIs are electric!
I'd be intrigued to know how you're getting on with yours, especially as your only car - mine would have to be my only car too most likely. The ride is definitely a lot stiffer than my Cooper S but I don’t think it’s a negative, I’m pretty unbothered by it so far.
I’ve done a mix of some some B road bashing and motorway miles so far and the car is a blast to drive. The brakes are ridiculous, there’s a lot of confidence to brake later and you can really throw the car into a corner. The only hairy moment I’ve had is when I was a tad heavy on the accelerator on a road that was pretty uneven, the car really wanted to pull me into a hedge but that’s more to do with me applying a bit too much accelerator when I probably shouldn’t have.
There is obviously more road noise but again I’m not bothered by this.
The overall package of the car is great, it’s a special looking car and whilst a lot of people don’t like the styling of it, I personally love it. The car gets a fair amount of attention, a mix of what the hell is that and those who appreciate it.
I typically only drive twice a week but after collecting the GP3 I’ve been out most evenings for a quick blast.
If it’s a daily for you I’d recommend getting one with the touring pack. I’ve really enjoyed the larger screen, apple car play and heated seats, especially now the weather has dipped.
My previous Cooper S was a poorly spec’d car so I actually feel like I’ve had an upgrade across the board. But I’ve heard of a few people who came from a top spec JCW miss some of their other comforts. But again for me not an issue.
A lot of GP3s that are up for sale seem to sit around for a while, although I think you really need to be a big fan of Mini and this car to be spending 30k plus on one of these. A lot of other options at a comparative price. But for me this was the car to own.
If you’ve any questions let me know!
Brilliant.
I maintained an owners thread on here before mine went recently.....
You may find some things useful
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
Enjoy, it sounds like you've taken it easy so far, it's very playful on the limit so beware! I loved that personality as I felt it was a GT car of the hatches.
I maintained an owners thread on here before mine went recently.....
You may find some things useful
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
Enjoy, it sounds like you've taken it easy so far, it's very playful on the limit so beware! I loved that personality as I felt it was a GT car of the hatches.
Zetec-S said:
One question, which sort of puts me off as my commute is 25 miles of fairly rural roads covered in s
t - how bad are those arches for accumulating crap, and are they easy enough to clean?
t - how bad are those arches for accumulating crap, and are they easy enough to clean? I’m not sure how well it shows in my photos but yes the wheel arches seemingly collect every small stone they can hoover up. Bit annoying and a pain to get out but I wouldn’t let it stop me buying and enjoying a GP3.
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