MINI John Cooper Works Clubman 2011 Review

Price Guide (recommended price before statutory & delivery charges): $51,700
Options fitted to test car (not included in above price): Rear spoiler $415; bonnet stripes $260; chrome line interior $370; chrome line exterior $260; interior surface in Fluid Silver $455; glass roof $2590; front armrest $325
Crash rating: Four-star
Fuel: 98 RON PULP
Claimed fuel economy (L/100km): 7.0
CO2 emissions (g/km): 167
Also consider:  Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart; Subaru Impreza WRX; Volkswagen Golf GTI

Overall rating: 3.0/5.0
Engine/Drivetrain/Chassis: 3.5/5.0
Price, Packaging and Practicality: 2.0/5.0
Safety: 3.0/5.0
Behind the wheel: 3.5/5.0
X-factor: 4.0/5.0

Last time MINI's John Cooper Works Clubman graced the Carsales Network garage opinion was strongly divided over the car's polarising looks and its high-torque/front-drive antics. Two years on little has changed.

But for all the conjecture, the JCW-enhanced Clubman is not only a hoot to drive, but expresses a level of individuality that somehow seems diluted among its now common hatch and cabrio siblings. Though this could change again with Countryman's recent arrival.

If you're all about expression, and can excuse a few minor character foibles, MINI's Clubman is a neat if not slightly quirky package that's a shed-load of fun to boot. Recently revised, the 2011 MINI range sees a slight tweaking of the front fascia, new LED tail lamps and a number of interior tech additions slightly bolster the prestige marque's value proposition, even if the ticket price is 'getting up there'.

Best yet, thanks to a taurine-injected tune, JCW augmentation sees Clubman deliver an addictive level of performance capped with a raucous Rice Bubbles exhaust (plenty of snap, crackle and pop). The package sees MINI's 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine modified to deliver an impressive 155kW/280Nm, which takes care of the sprint to 100km/h in just 6.8 seconds.

Married to a tidy six-speed manual gearbox, the JCW Clubman's driver feedback is quite tactile -- excusing the electrically assisted power steering -- making it one of the most responsive drivers cars we've driven in this class. A nimble handler, the longer wheelbase of the Clubman gifts the wagon-like vehicle with an improved ride quality (compared to the hatch), but will see a degree of understeer rear its ugly head if turn-in is left too late or attempted with too much vigour.

Excusing the performance, Clubman's legacy concessions do shine through. The suicide 'Clubdoor' is on the wrong side of the car (for our market), letting rear seat passengers out into traffic instead of toward the kerb. The door's design also sees the seatbelt form a tripping hazard to rear seat passengers upon egress, which also makes the driver's reach for the seat belt a contortionistic palaver. It also hinders head checks when changing lanes.

The rear seat itself is also quite tight for legroom, even if the kids find it entertaining.

Then there's the not-so-mini speedometer filling more than its fair share of the dash. It's fun, perhaps even eccentric, but completely useless in the scheme of things with parallax error making it impossible to accurately gauge your speed. Thankfully a digital repeater is found on the steering wheel-mounted tacho.

Ignoring the substantial ticket price, and Clubman's obvious foibles, the JCW treatment makes it a barrel of laughs, an ideal urban hot hatch for those that don't take life too seriously.

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