2016 Mini Cooper John Cooper Works: Instant Fun

Last year brought an extensive redesign of the MINI Cooper, or MINI Hatch, or 3-door MINI – a rose by any other name… The 3-door was quickly joined by a more practical 5-door. Regardless of the number of doors, MINI offers both a base version and an S version, a sharper tool that is definitely more fun to drive. There is yet another choice, however: meet the John Cooper Works version.

While the S gets a 2.0-litre turbo four producing 189 horsepower and 207 lb-ft of torque, the JCW powerplant (also a 2.0-litre) puts out 228 horsepower and 236 lb-ft. It is the same engine, but the turbo was developed specifically for this application, the pistons were redesigned and the exhaust system flows more freely. The engineers at MINI were not content with just adding horsepower: there are numerous other changes to the transmission, the suspension, the engine management, the aerodynamics and other details.

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The MINI bulks up 

With regards to styling, even the most casual glance will note that the JCW has much larger intakes under the front bumper than the S version. The roof spoiler also helps to differentiate the JCW from more pedestrian versions. Bigger brakes require newly designed bigger wheels.

Interior changes are minor. In addition to a few John Cooper Works badges, the main focus is the large central screen, which draws the eye with its horizontal stripe and chequered-flag theme.

The front seats are very supportive and extremely comfortable, even after hours at the wheel. The rear seats are another story… The trunk is no larger than in an ordinary MINI Cooper. Base equipment does not include a spare tire, even though some JCW versions do not come with run-flat tires. While we are on the subject, available tire sizes are 205/45R17 or 205/40R18. The latter are more sporting, but they also give a firmer ride that reduces passenger comfort.

5.7 kilos per horsepower

As noted, the 2.0-litre turbo gives 228 horsepower from 5,200 to 6,000 rpm and 236 lb-ft from 1,250 to 4,800 rpm. Since the MINI JCW weighs less than 1,300 kilos, performance is a given. The engine is willing, there is no turbo lag, and with torque available at such low revs, your right foot can produce instant fun.

The transmission choice is a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic. The manual is a pleasure to use, but does not offer quite the same tactile delights as some of its rivals. Heel-and-toe shifting is straightforward and the shifter action is satisfactory, but clutch take-up could be somewhat firmer. The automatic is not a twin-clutch, but shifts are lightning-quick and even under the sort of pressure that track use involves, it downshifts quickly and accurately.

According to the MINI people, the manual transmission accounted for 66% of sales of earlier JCWs. With fewer and fewer people prepared to shift gears manually, to say nothing of the automatic’s lower fuel consumption, it would not be surprising if the take rate for the automatic transmission increased substantially.

As expected, the JCW’s steering is laser-sharp, and the brakes seem impervious to abuse. The exhaust is not as deafening as we feared, with firecracker detonations on the overrun, particularly in Sport mode.

Three modes: three personalities 

A ring at the base of the shifter can be turned to the left to select Sport mode or to the right for Green mode. Normal is in the middle.

Each mode is quite distinctive, and selecting Sport feels as if the engine has found another 30 hp. It also adds weight to the steering, which becomes firmer but not unpleasantly so, amplifies the exhaust noise but again, not to where it becomes unpleasant, and firms up the suspension, which you feel when you hit the first bump.

Green mode seems to drop 30 hp from the Normal setting, and will likely be useful only on the freeway. Unless you want to indulge your Sebastian Vettel fantasies, Normal mode is perfectly satisfactory and gives you a car that is more fun to drive.

Track time 

At the launch, I had the opportunity to try two JCWs (a manual and an automatic) on a private circuit. In both cases, you are dealing with a thoroughly sporting conveyance. I did have to wonder whether a Cooper S would not be an equally rewarding drive, and a more comfortable ride, for about $7,500 less. Corner exit would be less rapid, true, and the brakes would definitely be less powerful, but in terms of pleasure – oh, forget it, just the silly ramblings of a 54-year-old!

Paying the piper

At a base price of $35,785, the JCW does not come cheap, particularly as it is no larger than an ordinary MINI. Moreover, the numerous options tend to be expensive. It is not difficult to run up a sticker price of over $52,000; that is a lot of money for a MINI, even a JCW!

In case you were wondering, there will not be a 5-door JCW. On the other hand, MINI Canada should soon be offering a JCW package. We do not yet know what the package will include, or how much it will cost.