Arizona Tribune - Mini 1998 GT pairs 161-hp engine with John Cooper Works chassis hardware

Mini's latest special edition puts the emphasis on chassis equipment while retaining the standard Cooper's engine output. The 2027 1998 GT joins the manufacturer's Icon drop series with the brake and suspension setup used by the higher-performance John Cooper Works Cooper.

Power comes from a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine producing 161 horsepower. The GT therefore combines the base model's powertrain specification with components drawn from the JCW, rather than adopting that model's more powerful engine.

The $38,225 price places the special edition below the JCW's $40,075 starting price. The JCW produces 228 horsepower, giving buyers considering the two models a different balance of equipment, output and cost.

There is also a less expensive, more powerful option elsewhere in the Cooper range. The Cooper S develops 201 horsepower and costs under $35,000, compared with the GT's 161 horsepower. The GT's distinction within that lineup is its combination of the base engine and the JCW brake and suspension specification.

That hardware is intended to bring the special edition some of the handling characteristics associated with the JCW. It does not give the GT the same engine performance, and the announcement does not present it as a full JCW model.

Reservations for the 1998 GT are now being accepted. Mini also has two further vehicles planned for its Icon drop series, with the next special edition scheduled to be revealed in October.

T.Sanchez--AT