Mini’s 1998 GT Puts Handling First, Not Horsepower

Built on the Cooper C 2 Door with JCW hardware, the Mini 1998 GT revives the 1275 GT’s agile, driver-first attitude in a modern package.

Mini Cooper 1998 GT Edition

Photo by: Mini

Brian Potter

By: Brian Potter

Sep 11, at 2:13am ET

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The 1998 GT is named for its 1,998 cc engine displacement.
Mini fitted the 1998 GT with John Cooper Works suspension and brakes focused on chassis and stopping power.
Pricing starts at $36,875 before a $1,350 destination fee.

Mini USA has unveiled the 1998 GT Edition, the sixth entry in its Icon Drops series, and the badge tells you everything before you even open the spec sheet. It is named for the 1,998 cc displacement of its four-cylinder.

That is deliberate. Where most special editions chase bigger numbers, this one leans on chassis hardware, a compact footprint, and a driving story built around agility. Pre-orders are open now, with cars arriving this fall.

Gallery: Mini Cooper 1998 GT Edition

Mini Cooper 1998 GT Edition

Source: Mini

Mini 1998 GT Specs And Positioning

The 1998 GT is built on the Cooper C 2 Door and keeps that car's turbo 2.0-liter four with 161 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque. There is no Cooper S engine swap hiding under the hood.

Power routes through a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission with paddle shifters, standard across the Cooper C line. What is not standard is the John Cooper Works suspension and brakes bolted on for this edition, aimed squarely at body control and stopping power rather than straight-line pace.

Mini USA is only offering the car in Midnight Black Metallic, paired with GT decals and JCW-style aero pieces, including winglets and 17-inch black wheels. The brand said, "The 1998 GT keeps the black paint and the habit of dressing a lower-rung Mini in JCW parts."

Pricing starts at $36,875 before a $1,350 destination fee, which is roughly $4,075 more a Cooper S despite the lower peak output.

Mini Cooper 1998 GT Edition

1969 Mini 1275 GT and Mini Cooper 1998 GT Edition

Photo by: Mini

How It Channels The 1275 GT

The GT name is not new. Mini built the original 1275 GT from 1969 to 1980, a car powered by a 1,275 cc engine making just 59 hp, and revived the formula in 2020 with the Cooper 1499 GT special edition. Both traded on handling over horsepower.

That is the same math Mini is running now: modest output, sharpened brakes and suspension, and a badge that literally names the engine instead of bragging about its output. It is a small, deliberate throwback dressed in modern hardware.

The 1998 GT follows the Rooftop Edition in the same US special-edition run and slots in as Icon Drop Six, with Mini already teasing more drops on its Icon Drops hub rather than treating this as a stand-alone one-off. The same play shows up with the 1965 Victory Edition anniversary model.

Mini has not disclosed a production cap for the 1998 GT, only describing it as limited. The company has often leaned on scarcity and design details to keep recent special editions feeling exclusive.

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Motor1's Take: This edition will appeal to enthusiasts who prize sharp steering and chassis control. Its success hinges on whether the JCW hardware feels like a genuine daily upgrade.

Watch resale and dealer pricing as a vague production cap could keep values firm. Upcoming drops will show if Mini treats handling-first editions as a long-term play.