OFFENBACH, Germany (Feb. 1, 2013) – Kumho Tire Co. Ltd. has gained an exclusive OE fitment for a limited high-performance edition of BMW A.G.'s Mini brand.
The contract covers the Mini John Cooper Works GranPrix, a special edition Mini created to evoke memories of the John Cooper-prepared Minis that won the famed Monte Carlo Rally three times in the 1960s. Launched in December, the 240-horsepower Mini JCW GP is considered the fastest production Mini ever offered.
Kumho Ecsta V700 on the Mini JCW GP.
The car runs on Kumho Ecsta V700 ultra-high-performance tires, size 215/40R17, which Kumho described as race tires homologated for the street.
The JCW GP is a second-generation GP model; only 2,000 units will be produced worldwide.
The special edition was previewed last May at a Mini gathering in Le Castelle, France; the car went into production late last year.
Kumho said BMW approached it at the beginning of the car's design and requested an OE tire be developed specifically for the new model.
"Since our contact with BMW was reached in 2011 for OE tires, we have developed products uniquely for Mini GP," said Il-taek Jung, executive director of Kumho Tires' central research center in Offenbach. "We are very proud that the fastest Mini in history is equipped with Ecsta V700 tires,"
Kumho said the new Mini completed a lap of Germany's Nürburgring-Nordschleife course in 8 minutes and 23 seconds, or about 19 seconds faster than its predecessor GP model.
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