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MINI John Cooper Works review: Fast, fun and affordable to run

MINI JCW 1

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14 May 2015

MINI John Cooper Works Hatch Steptronic

What is it?

The highest performance MINI ever! The John Cooper Works (JCW) boasts 228bhp, 0-60 acceleration in 6.1 seconds, plus unique interior and exterior styling tweaks.

What’s hot?

  • The Cooper S’s 2.0-litre Twinpower turbo petrol engine gets a workover in the JCW, with new pistons, a new turbo, a different intercooler and exhaust, all of which equal a jump from the Cooper S’s 189bhp to 228bhp. Top speed is a licence-losing 153mph and the JCW is initially only available with six-speed Steptronic automatic transmission, although it actually accelerates half a second quicker to 60mph than the forthcoming manual version at 6.1 seconds.
  • Hit the road and the MINI John Cooper Works feels every bit as quick as the performance would suggest, however the good news is that despite all the extra power, the JCW is no more difficult to drive than the lesser Cooper S. With all 320Nm of torque available from under 2,000 rpm, speed builds quickly and cleanly. The new exhaust does make it sound more special though, with plenty of cracking and popping coming from those twin tailpipes on the overrun.
  • The MINI JCW’s steering and suspension are carried over from the Cooper S, which is no bad thing as the S is a fine handler and great fun to drive. We had the chance to drive the JCW on both the track and the road and the handling highlights include the direct steering, precise, roll-free handling and the strong brakes. Plus, the electronic limited-slip differential and non-intrusive traction control means all 228bhp can be put down cleanly through the front wheels.
  • It’s not just the JCW’s extra power that impresses; with emissions of just 133g/km and a combined fuel figure of 49.6mpg, the MINI JCW could still make sense as a business car. Falling into the 21% company car tax band for 2015/2016, MINI claims to have already sold three cars to business customers.
  • Outside, MINI has deliberately tried to differentiate the JCW from the Cooper S and the result is a tougher-look from the front and rear bumpers. At the front, the JCW even does away with the Cooper S’s foglights for deeper air vents, which are necessary to feed extra air to the intake system. Fitted as standard with 17-inch wheels, it has to be said that the optional 18-inchers fitted to our test really look the part.
  • Inside, the highlight of the MINI JCW’s interior has to be the new one-piece front sports seats, which not only look good, but are both comfortable and supportive.

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