The amazingly fast MINI John Works Cooper GP made public debut at the 2012 Paris Auto Show.

But how fast is this MINI? The company says that the sporty FWD vehicle stopped the clock at Nurburgring at 8 minutes and 23 seconds, faster than the Lotus Exige S, BMW 335i Coupe, Jaguar XKR, Audi RS4, and many others.

The sportiest road-registered MINI ever made will go on sale later this year in a limited run of 2,000 cars. Underpinning the performance characteristics of the MINI John Cooper Works GP is exclusive powertrain, chassis and aerodynamics technology inspired directly by motor sport.

An extensively modified four-cylinder turbo engine capable of developing 160 kW/ 218 hp is under the hood with adjustable coilover suspension, extra-powerful sports brake system and model-specific alloy wheels and sports tires. And to top it all off, with a DIN unladen weight of 1,160 kilograms, the MINI John Cooper Works GP is one of the lightest sports cars in its class.

With its 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) sprint time of 6.3 seconds and a top speed of 242 km/h (150 mph), the GP brings an authentic race car feel to everyday driving.