Today's rumor says that Mini Cooper is working on a VW Golf GTI rival that will probably be dubbed Mini GTI. According to Autocar the Mini GTI will offer the same front-wheel-drive performance, but in a more compact form. The Mini GTI will also have a John Cooper Works version and will be built in the same manufacturing plant as the forthcoming Mini Crossover. The Mini GTI is expected to output around 180 hp and its JCW version around 220 hp.
The Mini GTI will have a distinct, and probably more aggressive, design with a rear spoiler and various interior goodies such as sport seats and steering wheel.
According to the rumor, the Mini GTI price will be lower than the Golf's and will probably hit the market sometime in 2012.
[Source: Autocar]
