We have not yet seen the “under-eight lap” that the company promised.
Mini stated that the GP beat its previous record at Nurburgring. However, that was due to its preproduction prototype covered in red camo. Mini has yet to release a time but claims a lap of the Ring in under eight minutes.YouTube channel Sports Auto decided to lap ‘Ring by itself with a JCW GP to try and challenge Mini’s claim. The JCW GP was driven by Christian Gebhardt, a test driver. It took eight minutes and three seconds to complete the lap. This is not a faster time than Mini’s, but it beat the previous 8 minutes and 23 seconds set by the 2013 Mini JCW GP.
Sport Auto stated that the temperature during the test was not ideal. The track temperature was 53 degrees Celsius (80.6 Fahrenheit), while the air temperature was 27 degrees Celsius (80.6 Fahrenheit). The suspension setup was more suitable for a road car than it was for the track. These factors may have contributed to the disappointing test run.
We can for now settle for this run in 2020 JCWGP – until Mini releases a lap time for the revered pocket rocket.