• by Tanya Gazdik , June 1, 2020

Mini USA held a video contest to select which customer would receive the first 2021 Mini John Cooper Works GP to come off the assembly line. 

Longtime Mini owner, enthusiast and YouTube Vlogger Nick Tubbs of Ithaca, New York, was the winner of the video submission contest held by the automaker for all customers with current reservations for the latest limited edition, third generation vehicle. 

Tubbs can be seen here taking contactless delivery of the 2021 Mini GP 3 #0001 from Mike Peyton, vice president, Mini of the Americas, at Keeler MINI in Latham, N.Y.

From May 4 to 11, customers who had placed a deposit to hold their reservation for one of the exclusive and high-performance models were given the opportunity to submit a 30.1-second video explaining why model #0001 should be in their driveway. Thirty-point-one seconds was determined to represent one tenth of a second for every horsepower of the performance model.  

“Mini has always been about coming together for a shared passion, centered around the love of driving,” says Rah Mahtani, marketing communications manager, Mini USA. "We conceived the idea for this contest to help bring some of our most dedicated Mini enthusiasts together to express how passionate they truly are.”

The winning reservation holder was presented with the option to purchase or lease model #0001 from his local authorized Mini dealer. 

The entries -- evaluated by the Mini USA team -- were impressive, but Tubbs’ effort stood out, Mahtani says.

“His creativity, passion, and vast collection of Mini items sealed the deal,” Mahtani tells Marketing Daily. “We can tell he’s going to enjoy GP#0001 for a very long time, and we’ll be following along with his YouTube channel for it all.”

Tubbs’s video submission highlighted his love for the brand, showing off his Mini wardrobe, Mini-themed kitchen appliances and his two unique cars. He is such a fan that he also runs an enthusiast YouTube channel, The Mini Vlog, where he regularly posts videos about his vehicles and how he maintains them. 

Deliveries of the 2021 Mini GP 3 have begun at U.S. dealers. With an engine output of 301 horsepower and achieving a lap time on the Nürburgring Nordschleife of less than eight minutes, the new Mini John Cooper Works GP is the fastest-ever-produced model in the 60-year history of the British brand. Mini is an independent brand of the BMW Group.