JCW Accessories to Become Factory Options

Ian Apr 5th, 2005 Link

Good news for customers, maybe bad news for dealers – although it will help sort out the excessive labor fees charged by some dealerships :) There should be a good discount for factory installed options but I wonder if there will be …

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CraigE Apr 5th, 2005 Link

Why do you think making upgrades more accessable to the client is bad for the dealer? There are many people who would love to purchase the works engine kit if not for the extremely long installation process. With most MINI centers running $90-120/hour for labor the hours for installation can get extremely costly. A $4500 works kit is a lot easier to justify than 6-7 grand. Granted the service department won’t be able to bill the time, but the sales dept will deliver many more works cars as a factory option.

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PeB_35 Apr 5th, 2005 Link

Yes it is a good news ! It could be good to take JCW seats with CF scoop and JCW wheels, for exemple. Or maybe the JCW 210hp kit ?

Good news for JCW they will for sure increase their turnover ;) So maybe the prices will be cheaper (I hope).

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Dean Apr 5th, 2005 Link

I bet the dealerships are screaming bloody murder ofver this move. I sure they will have a lot of issues if Mini/BMW offer these kits below what they were making on the intalls.

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Ian Apr 5th, 2005 Link

Craig, Granted the service department won’t be able to bill the time – exactly why I don’t think the dealerships will be happy. Agreed the sales people will be but there might be less overal $$$ for the dealership as a whole.

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nfo Apr 5th, 2005 Link

i’d be much more inclined to get a JCW straight from the factory, now the big decision will be a ‘06 or a ‘07! hahahha

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meanboy Apr 5th, 2005 Link

I would be inclined to go JCW if the dealer wasn’t involved. At least I would the next time around. :)

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Theo Apr 5th, 2005 Link

Let’s not jump too far into this. Integrating the actual engine kit into the (sub)assembly process might be too much of a production issue. Remember, MINI gets the engines delivered to them as sub-assemblies from the supplier (Tritec, including the ONE engine as well?). I believe the level at which the JCW integration would need to occur to support the existing Oxford production process would necessitate the JCW kit being integrated at the Tritec plant assembly process. Otherwise, the Oxford production process would need to be changed/expanded and would require Tritec to ship a stripped-down engine as well as the three current variants.

IMHO, I think it is more likely that we will see the JCW wheels, dash, seats (non-US), perhaps suspensions and other add-ons like those instead of the engine kit. And, as folks have mentioned, factory-installed engine kits would take away a revenue opprotunity from the dealer network.

Theo

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Aaron Apr 5th, 2005 Link

I agree w/ Theo.

I’d bet that you will see the easily swappable JCW options like brakes, suspension, wheels, etc. as a factory option and that the full JCW engine package will remain as a dealer installed option.

Given my plans for an ‘06 purchase, I hope that I’m wrong…

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MINIme Apr 5th, 2005 Link

I can just see it now, sometime in the future, the MINI model line up will go something like this: MINI Cooper, MINI Cooper S and MINI Cooper SS+JCW.

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Matt Apr 5th, 2005 Link

It’s not like the dealer will completely lose out if they do install the JCW at the factory. Not everyone has the money up front to afford the JCW package. So they could order a regular old S to drive for a while and, when they get the money, get the JCW package for the car.

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Derek Apr 5th, 2005 Link

Well, if the factory logistics can handle a JCW “swap out” of suspension, seats, dash or whatever, then it would be just as easy to have an engine swap out. Yes, maybe the engines are stock when they get to Oxford, but I’d bet that they could handle bulk JCW upgrades there or nearby, allowing for another two options (S and non-S) at the point on the assembly line where the mill gets put in. So, better still allow for some labor.

This’d be great news if the JCW mill is factory installed – prolly allow for JCW cars to be considered “stock” (as available from the factory, not dealer). Very important for SCCA etc….

JMTC

Derek

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meanboy Apr 5th, 2005 Link

I don’t see why they couldn’t deliver JCW parts on engines. Couldn’t they just substitute the head, pulley, and sc with jcw when they assemble it? If Ford can do that with their SVT cobras, and they made lots of them, I don’t see why MINI couldn’t.

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RB Apr 5th, 2005 Link

If I ever could afford the JCW’s package I would prefer not to badge it.

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minicoopermike Apr 5th, 2005 Link

I love the idea of having all (or most) of the accessories installed at the factory. That would be great – probably less expensive and would alleviate a lot of the problems with dealers charging more than is reasonable. But then again, it has also been nice to have these options available to add later as I have done with my car (200hp kit, 10hp upgrade kit, and door sills).

Having visited the plant, the engines are not assembled there and I don’t think (if I remember correctly) the sub-assemblies are either. Some bits like the CF parts could easily to swapped on the line for the JCW bits as these are parts normally added during the assembly process. The ‘bigger budget’ items like the tuning kit, suspension, etc would need to be shipped to and swapped at the various offsite sub-assembly locations.

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KevinR Apr 5th, 2005 Link

I’m all for this.

In my mind, it’s a lot easier to justify a $5k option that is factory installed. It never made sense to me to have the car delivered, purchase a $4,600 accessory package and pay another $1k or so to have the techs dismantle your brand new car and replace brand new components.

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johnsocal Apr 5th, 2005 Link

I think that JCW will cease to be an option package in 2007 but rather an all new model. The new lineup could be a $19,995 115hp Cooper, a $23,995 170hp Cooper S, and a $27,995 230hp Cooper JCW.

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meanboy Apr 5th, 2005 Link

If it’s 4k that wouldnt be too bad. How did you arrive at the MSRP? They are a bit more then the current MSRP.

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johnsocal Apr 5th, 2005 Link

my pricing of 2007 models is mostly guesswork taking into consideration Euro-to-Dollar currency flexuations, added improvements that add to cost,inflation in 2007 dollars, and the fact that new models tend to be more expensive then their outgoing counterparts.

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meanboy Apr 5th, 2005 Link

Okay, got it. I think they will need to be careful about making the base price too high because it will start approaching the price levels of the entry level sport coupes..IE G35, etc.

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MacGuruTX Apr 5th, 2005 Link

Adding it as a Factory Option, no matter where it is actually installed, will cause the JCW options to show up on the Blue Book, etc type sites.

This in turn will let you increase the value of the car for loan purposes. The vast majority of banks don’t recognize the JCW as an add-on so you can’t include it in the loan value of the vehicle. Which is why I don’t drive a JCW at the moment :(

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Pittsnogle Apr 5th, 2005 Link

If JCW is factory installed it will show on the VIN and will then be clasified as a sports car for insurance and your insurance cost increase will about equal out any savings on the fact that it is factory installed if you keep the car for a couple years. Of course your JCW kit will then be insured which I don’t think it is right now since it is not on the VIN.

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cj Apr 5th, 2005 Link

I am waiting for the year to come and I feel it getting closer by the years……. that I can buy the AWD JCW MCS with European Pick up! Then all will be right with the world!

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SB Apr 5th, 2005 Link

My two cents: I think the dealers have been sticking it to us for awhile now. Everything that I have installed on my MCS (including alarm, aero kit, light kit, wheels etc..) , has taken me BUT A FRACTION of the time which the dealer “claims” and bills for.

If a shade tree mechanic can install an item in half the time the dealer bills us for … then you know they are installing the items even faster and making a boat-load of money from doing it. When the MINI hit the market in 2002, there were no JCW kits for them to install, and they seemed pleased with thier profits. I say what goes around comes around.

Additionally, I have always had a bit of a problem with a dealer tech (who may have limited supervision) doing fairly major engine work on a brand new car. Some will argue that they are as good as factory, and SOME probably are. For my money, I will take the skill, quality control, production efficiency, inspection process, torque accuracies, and overall better working conditions of the factory in Oxford over a dealer whose mechanic may or may not have the diligence, and talent to get the job done to “factory spec”. In my view “major engine modification” should not be a dealer added option. Let them install iPod adaptors and cup holders for $120.00 an hour.

My hat is off to MINI for seeing the need for factory installed performance gear.

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Rocketboy Apr 5th, 2005 Link

Yes, but will it be retro-fitable? :)

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CarNut Apr 5th, 2005 Link

If the JCW engine upgrade is made a factory option, MINI could outsource engine modification to JCW. Ship stock S engines to JCW directly from Tritec where JCW parts are installed then shipped to the factory. This wouldn’t add to the assembly process at the factory, but don’t expect it to be a lot less expensive than it is now.

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meanboy Apr 5th, 2005 Link

As far as classified as sportscar for insurance purposes with the jcw option, as long as it has four seats and people don’t crash them at an alarming rate the rates should be reasonable. An EVO 8 is only $400 more a year for me and it has 100 more hp then our cooper s.

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Thameth Apr 5th, 2005 Link

If they make the JCW PKG a factory option i see it coming down to as low as $2500. You would be amazed how much money they save by making it part of the production process. If they ask any more than that it’ll be a rip off and many people think it already is at $5k! As stated above, SVT made a whole sub line on the Ford Focus plant to make SVT Foci next to the stock Zx3’s. MINI should have no problem doing something just as similar.

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Matt Apr 6th, 2005 Link

Only thought that pops to mind is MINI now would be offering JCW at a much lower price that current owners paid, which is good for new purchasers and bad for current owners. Current owners/jcw purchasers then have their values reduced, which is not good for owner loyalty. I suggest MINI provide free (all JCW owners through 2005) the new JCW seats as a concession!!!!!!!!!!!! I’ll even install it myself… :~)

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johnsocal Apr 6th, 2005 Link

If the next JCW does have close to 230HP as being tossed around I would expect that AWD could become standard with that model.

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Rodney Apr 6th, 2005 Link

I agree with Derek this is huge for AutoX fans. Finally the JCW will be classed properly.

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greg Apr 18th, 2005 Link

I agree with Matt. I dropped a bundle on the JCW & JCW suspension. This will greatly reduce the value of my car. I suggest Mini make it up to us by offering future JCW upgrades at no charge (i.e. 210hp to 230(?) for ‘06).

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Gabe Apr 18th, 2005 Link

JCW won’t be increasing the HP until the next model which will be an ‘07. I would guess the JCW version won’t be available until well after the initial R56 launch.

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accessories Jul 25th, 2005 Link

wow, thanks for info.

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MotoringFile » Archive » BMW/MINI to Buy JCW? Dec 12th, 2006 Link

[...] It would seem the first steps of this change will be MINI fitting JCW parts at the factory in Oxford England starting with November production this fall (a story we broke a few weeks ago). However the real benefit of this change will be the JCW offerings for the next generation MINI which fits the “couple years” timeframe perfectly. Just imagine… JCW MINIs being tested along side of M3s and M5s on the Nurburgrung! [...]