Berlin, Berlin . . . : In the MINI John Cooper Works GP through the German capital.

Munich. The atmosphere crackles – something is in the
air of Berlin. On the Glienicke Bridge, passers-by are amazed. Agent
exchange? No, there was something like that before, actually, only
three times between 1962 and 1986. Now it is the MINI John Cooper
Works GP (fuel consumption combined: 7.3 l/100 km; CO2 emissions
combined: 167 g/km according to WLTP) that catches the eye. The
fastest MINI ever built is also rarely seen. The 225 kW/306 hp model
was built in a small series of only 3000 units.

The MINI John Cooper Works GP is actually too spirited for city
traffic. But its agile handling characteristics and compact dimensions
are extremely helpful in the hustle of the metropolis with its almost
four million inhabitants. And the impressive charisma, which is
provided by wheel arch trims made of carbon, a roof spoiler with
double-wing contour, 18-inch lightweight forged wheels and a
model-specific suspension with vehicle lowering, fits perfectly into
the image of a city where big appearances play a big role.

The most modern top sports car in the model range of the traditional
British brand approaches the capital from the south-west, where
history and modernity merge in a unique way. And this already begins
on the Glienicke Bridge, which has been still a simple wooden bridge
350 years ago. But due to the growing volume of traffic it became part
of one of the most important connecting routes between the residential
cities of Berlin and Potsdam. Today, the route leads via Königsstraße
to the city motorway 115 through Grunewald. This is where the
“Automobile Traffic and Practice Road” was opened 100 years
ago. In its original layout of around 19 kilometres, the AVUS
connected today’s exhibition grounds near the Charlottenburg district
and Nikolassee near Zehlendorf with two straights and a north and a
south curve.

Race track operations were discontinued in 1998, and the striking
administration building on Messedamm and the 200-metre-long spectator
grandstand are listed buildings now. Today the MINI John Cooper Works
GP brings back a little racing feeling. Its four-cylinder turbo engine
accelerates it from a standstill to 100 km/h in 5.2 seconds. The
precisely controllable sports brake system with four-piston fixed
calliper disc brakes on the front wheels guarantees equally dynamic
deceleration maneuvers. In fast bends, the aerodynamically optimised
design features ensure reduced lift, while a top speed of 265 km/h is
possible on long straights. In theory, anyway, because today the speed
limit on the AVUS is 100 km/h.

On the Teufelsberg, which is very close to the former Nordkurve,
visitors have a great view over the Grunewald and Berlin – no wonder,
at 120.1 metres, the Teufelsberg is the second highest elevation in
the city. Contemporary spray art can also be admired there. Hundreds
of small and large murals have been created on the walls of a former
radar station over the past decades.

After a brief stop at the Olympic Stadium, the MINI John Cooper Works
GP heads for the Mitte district. On Bundesstraße 2, the 67-metre-high
Victory Column soon comes into view. The MINI circles the “Großer
Stern” (Great Star) once (or twice or three times?), as the
partially five-lane roundabout is called, and then along the “Straße
des 17. Juni” right in front of the Brandenburger Tor. Turn right
once, and after just a few hundred metres the two-seater becomes an
eye-catcher at Potsdamer Platz. Europe’s first traffic lights were
located there in 1924. At that time, this intersection was one of the
busiest places in the old world. The contrast was all the greatest
when Potsdamer Platz became a no-man’s land after the Second World War
as a place between the American and Soviet occupation zones. After the
fall of the Berlin Wall, however, the historic square quickly became a
vibrant hotspot again.

From modern Potsdamer Platz, the path leads to the Kreuzberg district
and there to a historic shopping opportunity. Market Hall 9 on
Eisenbahnstraße was opened 130 years ago. There was space for 300
stalls, each four square metres in size, to supply the people with
fresh goods. It is one of 14 Berlin market halls that were built in
the second half of the 19th century. Today, “shopping
differently” and “eating differently” are now taking
part. Traders and customers value seasonal products and regional sources.

From Kreuzberg, all it takes is a short hop across the Spree or a
brisk ride over the Oberbaum Bridge to reach one of Berlin’s most
visited tourist spots, the East Side Gallery. It was opened in
September 1990 and comprises the longest remaining section of the
Berlin Wall. 118 artists from 21 countries created the world’s longest
open-air gallery on 1.3 kilometres of the former border after the fall
of the Wall.

If you now follow the Spree, you will arrive at Alexanderplatz and
from there via the magnificent boulevard “Unter den Linden”, past the
TV Tower, the Berlin Cathedral, the Gendarmenmarkt and the Humboldt
Forum in the rebuilt City Palace directly into the government
district. History and the present are very close together here between
the Reichstag building, the main railway station, the Chancellery and
Bellevue Palace, the seat of the Federal President.

On the way through Charlottenburg and to the International Congress
Centre (ICC), the driver of the MINI John Cooper Works GP has to
decide. Either he takes another trip over the AVUS into the Grunewald
and over the Glienicke Bridge to Potsdam, or he heads north into the
green countryside surrounding Berlin. The choice falls on the
excursion to the Mecklenburg Seenland. Because in the middle of the
Schorfheide, the MINI John Cooper Works GP can once again demonstrate
what it’s made of. Europe’s largest driving safety centre has existed
in Groß Dölln since 2002. The area includes not only a unique handling
course, but also a 4.25-kilometre race track.

On this terrain, you can experience just how much the developers of
the MINI John Cooper Works GP have used their racing know-how to
create extreme driving pleasure. A particularly tight engine mount,
the rigid body structure, the differential lock integrated into the
8-speed Steptronic Sport transmission and the model-specific
high-performance tyres enable a fascinatingly spontaneous development
of power when sprinting from a standstill and accelerating out of
bends. The no less impressive lateral acceleration results, among
other things, from a wide track and model-specific increased camber
values for the front and rear wheels. In GP Mode, the intervention
thresholds of the DSC (Dynamic Stability Control) system are also
raised. This gives the driver a little more leeway when approaching
the limits. GP Mode can be activated quite simply with a toggle
switch. And once again there is a certain crackle in the air.

 

In case of queries, please contact:

Corporate Communications

Julian Kisch, Press Spokesperson Product Communications MINI
Tel.: +49-89-382-38072
E-mail: julian.kisch@mini.com

Andreas Lampka, Head of Communications MINI
Tel.: +49-89-382-23662
E-mail: andreas.lampka@mini.com


Jennifer Treiber-Ruckenbrod, Head of Communications MINI and BMW Motorrad
Tel.: +49-89-382-35108
E-mail: jennifer.ruckenbrod@bmwgroup.com

 

The BMW Group

With its four brands BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad, the
BMW Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles
and motorcycles and also provides premium financial and mobility
services. The BMW Group production network comprises 31 production
and assembly facilities in 15 countries; the company has a global
sales network in more than 140 countries.

In 2020, the BMW Group sold over 2.3 million passenger vehicles
and more than 169,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax
in the financial year 2020 was € 5.222 billion on revenues amounting
to € 98.990 billion. As of 31 December 2020, the BMW Group had a
workforce of 120,726 employees.

The success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term
thinking and responsible action. The company set the course for the
future at an early stage and consistently makes sustainability and
efficient resource management central to its strategic direction,
from the supply chain through production to the end of the use phase
of all products.

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