MINI Cooper S JCW and Clubman JCW 2008 Review

Not so much
>> Can end up pricey
>> Still 40kW shy of best hot hatches
>> See also standard MINI

Overall rating: 3.5/5.0
Engine and Drivetrain: 3.5/5.0
Price, Packaging and Practicality: 2.5/5.0
Safety: 3.0/5.0
Behind the wheel: 4.0/5.0
X-factor: 4.5/5.0

OVERVIEW
There's little doubt that the original Morris Mini was defined by the invention of the Cooper derivative – first as the 997cc (then 998cc) 41kW Mini Cooper, then as the iconic 1275cc Mini Cooper S that arrived in Australia in 1965, flaunting 58kW and 108Nm.

The Cooper name at the time was linked to racecar constructor John Cooper's mid-engined open-wheelers that revolutionised F1 design in the late 1950s.

So it was a given that BMW's relaunch of the MINI brand – dubbed R50 - in 2002 would ride pretty much on the back of a new, supercharged Cooper S version. Equally as predictable was that a hotter Cooper S would be on the cards and, in 2005, the John Cooper Works (JCW) MINIs arrived in Australia, flaunting more punch than the regular 125kW/220Nm Cooper S with 154kW and 254Nm.

The original JCW offering was in kit form, provided by a company external to the MINI operation itself and headed by John Cooper's son, Mike. Then MINI brought the operation in house, offering the uprated supercharger and other pieces as a factory fit option. More recently JCW has evolved to become, in MINI terms, the company's version of the BMW M division.

The latest JCWs are based on the R56 Mini with its long-stroke BMW/PSA-developed engine replacing the first Chrysler-developed 1.6-litre four and dumping supercharging in favour of a turbo to produce a tad more power at 128kW/240Nm.

The JCW version has taken some time to arrive. Though the S version of the R56 arrived in early 2007 (more here here), the new JCW MINIs didn't hit Australia until the very end of third quarter of 2008.

Available in hardtop and Clubman versions, the new cars make 155kW and 260Nm.

MINI is 'selling' the idea that the road car is essentially a reverse enginnered version of the MINI Challenge racecars. That said unlike the handbuilt in Germany one-make series racers, the cars are built alongside 'lesser' Minis at the company's plant in Oxford in the UK.

Pricing for the new JCW Mini three-door starts at $48,800, which is virtually the same as the previous model, while the JCW Clubman kicks off at $51,300.

The range of available options to individualise a JCW Mini is mind boggling - which proved something of a challenge to buyers of the previous model as some customers stumped up unbelievable sums to establish extra street-credibility.

But if you refuse to tick the options box, you're not badly catered for. Five-spoke 17-inch alloys wearing runflat tyres, bi-Xenon headlights, climate-control air conditioning, leather/cloth seats, piano black trim, anthracite roof lining and 10-speaker audio are all standard - as are bonnet stripes.

However if you want things such as the JCW "aerodynamics package", an LED shift indicator, satellite navigation, TV, Bluetooth (standard on Clubman versions), full leather, seat heating, sunroof, parking sensors, Comfort Access – and naturally, metallic paint – well, you're going to have to pay extra.

Cross-drilled discs and a front suspension strut brace also feature in the JCW list of personalised add-ons. In keeping with the more sporting JCW role, there's no auto transmission – just a six-speed manual modified to cope with the extra demands.

It doesn't stop there if your wallet is deep enough. A 10mm lower-set suspension with firmer dampers and stronger front and rear roll bars is optionally available.

JCW variants also get the 'Sports' button that revises the throttle pedal control map to give a bit of extra edge to power delivery, along with crisper responses from the speed sensitive electric power steering.

Gearbox and clutch get upgraded parts, while the brakes are similar to the Challenge cars with larger four-spot callipers finished in a showy red.

The JCW cars get the full electronic kit in terms of on-road dynamics: switchable DTC (Dynamic Traction Control, optional elsewhere in the R56 range) is added above regular MINI kit, and there's an electronic diff lock to effectively feed the power through. ABS with electronic brake force distribution, cornering brake control and stability control (including hill-start assist and traction control) are all part of the deal.

The new engines for the JCW cars are made at the BMW Group's Hams Hall engine plant in England – the same plant that produces all MINI powerplants.

The compact (the claim is it's one of the shortest engines of its kind), EU5 compliant 1.6-litre all-alloy four-cylinder turbo engine pumps out its extra power with the help of a new-generation twin scroll turbo boosted from the regular Cooper S's 0.9 bar to 1.3 bar.

The engine uses the familiar 16-valve layout using dual overhead camshafts with friction-optimised roller-type drag arms and hydraulic valve play equalisers. It also gets infinitely variable inlet valve timing and sodium-cooled exhaust valves filling the cylinders via common-rail direct fuel injection.

The engine gets new, reinforced, polished pistons as well as a cylinder head that has been "optimised for strength and Stability." There's also a modified cylinder head gasket, tougher intake valves and valve seat rings.

The audio presence of the JCW engine is also enhanced via a deeper-note exhaust with dual stainless steel 85mm pipes as well as some work on the intake system. MINI tells us "the air filter, air mass meter, exhaust system and catalyst have all been modified to smooth the passage of intake air, while the revised exhaust has the added benefit of producing a distinctive crackle, especially on over-run."

Although the torque is quoted at 260Nm at 1850rpm, a temporary overboost function allows the turbo four to deliver 280Nm between 1950rpm and 5500rpm. The 155kW maximum comes at 6000rpm.

The powered-up engine takes the three-door JCW to 100km/h swiftly enough in 6.5 seconds, while the Clubman makes the metric ton in 6.8 seconds. Fuel consumption is quoted at 6.9L/100km for the three-door and 7.0L/100km for the Clubman. C02 figures are 165g/km and 167g/km respectively.

It's made better in the JCW MINIs with (manually adjusted) cloth/leather sculpted sports seats, leather-rim sports steering wheel and monster, recalibrated speedo - plus a number of internal titillations such as piano black inserts - to remind you that you're at the wheel of something special.

Although the wheelbase remains unchanged, the R56 is generally a bigger car than the R50 (60mm longer) with no interchangeable panels bar the roof. It comes with a bit more front-seat space, but if you want more room in the back you are best advised to opt for the Clubman. Ditto for boot space.

For more on the Clubman check out our local launch review here.

The R56's structure is also better in terms of crash protection than the R50 and is claimed to be one of the strongest in the business.

The company says the R56 has enhanced repairability because of new, strengthened front members. Fourth generation run flat tyres are also promoted in the JCW cars, as they are in irregular MINIs, as a safety item.

With a premium pricetag of around $50,000 in mind, you could probably consider the upcoming sixth generation Golf GTI or Mazda3 MPS, or the also-expected Fiat 500 Abarth.

Some people could conceivably also factor in Subaru's WRX. Whatever the alternatives, none deliver quite the same compact, genuinely feisty track-ready persona of the MINI Cooper JCW.