MINI JCW Convertible 2017 Review

Eye-catching design and a playful approach to even the most banal of features make driving this two-door, four-seater convertible an absolute joy. Although seemingly expensive for its size, the Mini is worth the money thanks to its on-road agility, helpful automated systems and sheer X-factor. But be warned: this is a selfish car that’s far more enjoyable for its driver than for the passengers squeezed into the tiny backseat or stuck watching the fun from the passenger side. 


I’m in love. His name is John Cooper.

It’s true – when I picked up this adorably British convertible Mini Cooper I was immediately willing to overlook any potential flaws because the car was so damn cute.

The height of Anglomania, the John Cooper Works I drove was in British racing green with black bonnet stripes and Union Jack on its retractable roof. Adorably, when I unlocked it, it proudly projected its own logo onto the ground.

The fun didn’t stop once I was in the car – no, quite the contrary.
Customisable interior lighting allowed me to express whether I was in a blue mood or a yellow mood (very important), with these colours automatically changing according to how fast or aggressively I was driving, just like the mood rings I was obsessed with as a 90s kid.

The JCW has three modes – sport, regular and green. If you flip it into sport mode, the display screen on the dashboard helpfully lets you know you’ve opted for “maximum go kart feel”. Almost everyone I showed this to got a kick out of it, especially the little rocket logo that pops up.

A quick, very scientific speed bump test revealed this setting didn’t really alter the car’s suspension but rather just gave it a little more kick on the accelerator and increased engine noise levels.

Not that the JCW needs the boost – it drives like a firecracker in standard mode and feels incredibly nimble thanks to its size and responsive brakes. At one point, I caught myself unconsciously drag racing a motorbike down a quiet boulevard because, well, I could. I had to quickly remind myself I wasn’t Charlize Theron in The Italian Job before I broke the speed limit.

There’s something about the start-up growl the Mini makes when you switch on the ignition that makes you want to hit the freeway and never look back. One friend even asked whether the car was diesel thanks to its throaty sound. However, once you actually get going, the car is a reasonably quiet ride with minimal NVH.

I found navigating my way around the LCD screen and the rest of the dash pretty intuitive, although the trip computer button is tricky to find. I loved the well-located and sturdy cup holders and the fact that the arm rest folded back should you need a little more room to move. Actually, for a small car there’s a surprising amount of storage available.

Ultimately, the JCW is a selfish car designed to bring joy to the driver and the driver alone. Mini is to be applauded for managing to fit a proper back seat in such a small car, but the seats are really just a contingency plan should you end up being designated driver for an unexpected tagalong or a friend’s dog. Same goes for the boot – kudos for managing to fit one in, but you wouldn’t want to actually have to fit luggage in there.

When I gave two friends a lift, both complained about how uncomfortable the seats were in the front and back, how claustrophobic the back seat was and how difficult it was to get into the car. Of course, the claustrophobic feeling is decreased when the roof is down, but this creates its own set of problems.

I drove the Holden Cascada around Tasmania earlier this year and, while I really enjoyed it, you really needed the roof down for the car to feel special. In the Mini, the fold-down roof is merely the cherry on top of a delicious cake. If that cherry weren’t there, I wouldn’t mind terribly. I’d still enjoy it immensely.

However, when the roof is down it doesn’t fold down completely (there’s not enough room) so vision is significantly decreased by its bunched-up outline, which can be frustrating when you want to feel as though you’re driving unencumbered.

Helpfully, the car is pretty well suited to all weather types (bar rain of course), even with the roof down. The windows protect the occupants from wind, especially in the front, and the climate control automatically ramps up when the roof is lowered. This, plus the seat heaters, ensure you keep cosy.

I was also impressed with the effectiveness of the auto wipers and headlights, but found it quite ironic I had to actually press the “auto” button on the end of the indicator to activate the auto wipers.

While we’re on the topic of the indicators – a tiny pet peeve of mine was the unsatisfactory feel of the indicator. It doesn’t click over into position like most others do, but rather feels like you haven’t pushed it down properly. Sometimes slight lane changes don’t turn it off either, which is exasperating because everyone behind you thinks you’re an idiot who isn’t aware they have their indicator on (which, I suppose, I was).

Regardless, I had a fantastic week with John Cooper, listening to The Cure at full blast, lavishing in the envious stares of strangers and zipping through spaces and executing manoeuvres most average cars wouldn’t dare attempt.

I loved how the radio stayed on until the Mini was locked, even after the engine was off, and would often just sit in the car enjoying whatever song I was listening to and changing the colour of the display lights to suit my mood (it’s the simple pleasures!).

The satellite navigation system works well but it’s a fiddly pain to enter the address manually so my advice is to use the voice control. However, it doesn’t always have perfect accuracy – when I tried to get it to call a contact in my phonebook the voice control misheard me and called several people I haven’t spoken to in years rather than phoning home like I asked it to.

When I first saw the price of the JCW ($49,350) I baulked a little and the relationship suddenly felt like it had hit a rocky patch. Nearly $50,000 is a hell of a lot of money for such a small car. However, when you take into account its sporty contemporaries, it’s actually not too bad. One look at the price of the Porsche Carrera Cabriolet and the Mini looks like a bargain.

I clocked a fuel consumption figure of 10.5L/100km which I guess makes sense – zipping around town is thirsty work. But I was so completely besotted with the JCW it could have used an entire fuel tank every hour and I would have forgiven it.

Truly, only one question lingered on my mind after I was forced to return John Cooper at the end of our happy week together: Can I keep him?

Mini John Cooper Works Convertible pricing and specifications:
Price: $54,900 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder
Output: 170kW/320Nm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic standard, six-speed manual optional
Fuel: 6.2L/100km
CO2: 143g/km (auto)
Safety Rating: Four-star (ANCAP, 2013)

Also consider:
>> Volkswagen The Beetle 2D Coupe (from $36,990 plus ORCs)
>> Holden Cascada 2D Convertible (from $41,990 plus ORCs)
>> Infiniti Q60 2D Convertible S Premium Red (from $79,400 plus ORCs)