Long gone are the days when a Mini was actually small. Long gone too
are the days when you had to put up with glacial performance to own a
Mini.
And the fastest of the breed is the new Mini Coupe John Cooper Works
(JCW), armed with a hefty dose of power and a lightweight, petite body.
The first thing you notice about the Mini Coupe JCW however, is not
the performance but the unorthodox styling. Seemingly styled by a blind
person, this Mini features very controversial looks and odd proportions.
And for some unknown reason it has been designed to look like it’s
wearing a back to front baseball cap…
Less divisive however, is how this machine drives. With its big
power, light weight and compact size, the Mini Coupe JCW accelerates
with real ferocity and devours corners with vigour. What it struggles
with though, is doing both at the same time.
Mash the throttle into the carpet around a bend and the rabid power
from the little turbocharged engine will send the wheels spinning wildly
(should you switch off the traction control, that is), leaving
expensive trails of rubber down the road.
Of course, you can keep the traction control on and reduce your tyre
bills in the process, but this Mini forever feels like it has more power
than the chassis can truly cope with. This isn’t a bad thing, but it
does mean you have to temper how enthusiastically you accelerate.
Flat out the Mini Coupe JCW will oh so nearly hit 150mph and sprint
to 62mph in 6.4 seconds. Suffice it to say, you won’t be wanting for
speed in this Mini. The turbocharged 1.6 litre engine also pulls well at
low engine speeds so you don’t have to rev it hard to make good
progress.
A welcome side effect of the engine’s low down power is decent fuel
economy and emissions. Combined fuel economy of 40 miles per gallon and
CO2 emissions of 165g/km (with correspondingly reasonable road tax of
£170 per year) mean that the JCW Coupe shouldn’t be hugely expensive to
run.
However, a starting price of £23,800 is much less wallet friendly and
is a hefty £1,345 more than the Mini JCW hatchback which shares the
same lusty engine and chassis and offers several more seats too.
Despite its substantial price tag and slightly unruly handling
though, the Mini Coupe JCW has such an immense sense of occasion, hunger
for corners and enough power to consume long straights that it could
just be worth that price. If you have around £25,000 to spend on a car
and sheer fun is at the top of your wishlist, you could be looking at
your next car.
And best of all, when you’re cocooned in the snug interior, with the
chunky alcantara covered wheel in your hands and the big rev counter in
front of you, you can forget about the questionable styling and savour
the road ahead.
Words and Photos by Leo Kimitri (www.carliament.com)
Technical Data
Price as tested: £23,800
Engine: 1.6 16v 211bhp - 0-62mph: 6.4 secs - Maximum Speed: 149mph -
Economy: 30.1mpg (urban) –48.7mpg (extra-urban), 39.8mpg (combined) - Emissions: 165g/km (Band G) - VED (12 months): £170
Dimensions: Length 3758mm - Width: 1683mm - Height: 1384mm - Wheelbase: 2467mm
*data from MINI UK
