The Rumored Lightweight MCS: Part 7

Sections: JCW | Rumor Oct 25th, 2005 44 Comments

Rumored no more.

MINI2 is now confirming what many of us had assumed all along. The images posted on the web this weekend are indeed early sketches of the upcoming MINI Cooper S John Cooper Works GP Tuning Kit. The photos are to be part of a larger press package to be released later this week (and will be seen on MotoringFile).

We’ve also just heard news that MINI USA is almost certainly going to be importing the car to the US market. If this does happen we’ve been told to expect a price around $30,000.

We will have full details of the new car later this week when it is officially launched at MINI United.

Related:

[ The John Cooper Works GP Tuning Kit ] MotoringFile

[ John Cooper Works GP Tuning Kit: Light Weight Cooper S ] MINI2

[ The Rumored Lighweight MCS: Part 6 ] MotoringFile

[ The Rumored Lighweight MCS: Part 5 ] MotoringFile

[ The Rumored Lighweight MCS: Part 4 ] MotoringFile

[ The Rumored Lightweight MCS Part 3 ] MotoringFile

[ The Rumored Lightweight MCS Part 2 ] MotoringFile

[ The Latest on the Rumored Lightweight MCS ] MotoringFile

Written By: Gabe

paul

WOW
http://www.detailingconcepts.com matt

this is very good news
http://. Larkin W.

Hmmmm…Choices Choices…..

Do I order A regular cooper S this spring, or spend a little more and try to get one of these.
minicoopermike

Goodbye ’03 JCW, hello ’06 GP JCW……..just maybe :-D
http://www.champcarfanatics.com Matthew

The sketches posted on the web this weekend are indeed early renditions of the upcoming MINI Cooper S John Cooper Works GP Tuning Kit.

Early renditions? Any guesses on a delivery date?
http://motoringfile.com Gabe

Any guesses on a delivery date?

Previously it’s been rumored to be released next summer.
nfo

The question is do I wait for a ’07 or jump on this??? I don’t really need a car that bad or do I???
Ian F

Doh! Just when I thought I could get away with waiting until ’08…
http://whitemaleconsumer.com Zeke Wright

roffle. On pins and needles awaiting official pricing / photos…………………

Currently configured MINI is ~$25k, if I could actually get one of these with everything I want for ~$30k…….. It might happen. If they aren’t all pre-ordered by now. ;-)
Kurt Gillespie

How exactly do the dealerships deal with ordering something like this? Being that I assume they’d be in limited numbers, would all dealers even have an opportunity to order one for a customer looking to advance order? (also take into the account orders for ’07 or anything else that has yet to be defined)
Mark

if that image was a little bigger, it would make a great desktop!! Gabe??
John

Is there a JCW planned for the ’07′s. I haven’t heard anything about one. I can’t buy until ’07 model year but I want (need, msut-have) the JCW.
John

I would assume that each dealer would have an allocation of a limited number of cars…right, Gabe?
http://www.nemini.org GMINI

This is crazy. Is THAT our beloved Light Weight, then?
Tony T

Hope they dont forget the flamin windscreen wipers…. its always raining here in the UK….
http://www.nemini.org GMINI

It uses light infrared burners to evaporate the water as it hits. How’s that for flamin wipers?
http://www.teammightyminiz.com doug

Fine, I’ll get one of these.
fishbulb

How much lighter are we expecting? 10%? 20%?
johnsocal

Mini PR Speak- “Around $30,000″ = Real US MSRP – “$35,000″ and in insane Southern Califronia = “$45,000-$50,000″.
NoMiniForYou

I was just going to put a deposit down on a factory ’06 JCW mini and I stumble into this bit news. The timing couldn’t be better, I love to get my hands on one of these. The weekend couldn’t come any faster.
Sad Arthur

So are those really brake cooling ducts in the air dam or deer warning horns?
http://www.2beesoft.com/familie/berthil/mini/default.asp?lan=en Berthil

Looks like I had the big scoop indeed on sunday, just stumbled across the pictures on the BMW German Press site. Very curious what it will look like in Misano when I’ll be there.
tanya

Great work, Berthil. You’re quite the little cub reporter. Now, go get us some coffee, will you? :)

Gabe – do you have any information re a rear seat or lack of one on this beast? If it has one and the price is really around $30k, I could be interested.
NoSoupForYou

I think deer horns can’t be bigger than 2″ by 2″
Allan

Oh boy, that one was a friggin tearjerker.
Ric Stofer

Those are PA speakers telling slower cars to get the h### out of your way:-)
Kristin

I’ve just revised my graduation present now. Instead of my post-nursing school car being a JCW’d Mini – it shall be the lightweight!
ChiliCooperS

Wow can’t wait for more info. I really hope they increase the horsepower and that it is availible on a normal S. The car sketched do look sweet though!
http://motoringfile.com Gabe

Okay… here are a bunch of answers:

if that image was a little bigger, it would make a great desktop!! Gabe??

I’m going to hold off releasing the super hi-res images until the official release.

Is there a JCW planned for the ’07′s. I haven’t heard anything about one. I can’t buy until ’07 model year but I want (need, msut-have) the JCW.

JCW will most likely not have an engine kit out of the box for the 2007 model year. They’ll likely use ’07 to do final testing on the official engine upgrade for the “Prince” family of engines that will be in the next generation MINI.

I would assume that each dealer would have an allocation of a limited number of cars…right, Gabe?

I’ve heard anywhere from 2-4 cars per dealer. If you’re not on a list… you need to be on one very soon.

Oh boy, that one was a friggin tearjerker.

Tell me about it!
Mark (Ohio)

How cool is that! Thanks Gabe!
Robert

Hmmm..have ’05 in garage….lighter weight + more power + bigger grin – telling wife what I may buy. Hmmmmm. FOR SALE- Pristine ’05 MCS, also includes hardley used or abused wife. Cooks and cleans and is happy with the ’05. That should do it!
Mark

I hope they minimize the special badging. The stealth look is definately preferable to the loud “ricer” look.

Gabe, do you know of any special colors being available just for this edition?
Bryn

Mark, I believe the colour “Moonstone” with contrasting roof will be special to this model and is, I think, the one depicted in the artist’s impressions above.
http://www.blokspeed.net Eelke

What I don’t quite understand: this is called a “kit”, implying it is available as a retro fit as well :? How does that add up to a limited series being produced at Bertone in Italy?
Bryn

Eelke, the same thing struck me when Berthil posted his pics on MINI2 at the weekend and the caption mentioned “kit.” But, thinking about it now, I think it could be factory-speak. When cars are built under license abroad, the originating company often refers to them as ‘kit assembled overseas’ and this might be the case here: Bertone in Italy doing the assembly of UK-supplied “kits.” Just a possibility. At the same time, it might be that MINI will offer a package of JCW bits for customers to create their own examples based on the actual 2000-strong batch…? After all, the individual bits are mostly likely to be JCW sourced/badged/retailed. The latest Targa MINI bore a spoiler and brake ducts similar to the ones above (I think) and the contemporary articles spoke of them as JCW parts.
http://www.coma.ms ScottinBend

Gabe,

Any idea if there will be the usual option packages available? Or will it only available as a “base” model with limited or no options?

Now I have something else to drool over when I see it…..!
http://www.northamericanmotoring.com David Bunting

A light weight MCS really makes me wonder what MINI could get the wieght down to if they made a light weight MC.
tanya

A light weight MCS really makes me wonder what MINI could get the wieght down to if they made a light weight MC.

It would be a hair lighter but MUCH slower…
http://motoringfile.com Gabe

A light weight MCS really makes me wonder what MINI could get the wieght down to if they made a light weight MC.

It would be a hair lighter but MUCH slower…

Depends on your definition of “hair” – An MC would have a 154lbs head-start…
Bryn

So buy an S and leave your mother-in-law to walk.
http://www.teammightyminiz.com doug

I put myself on a dealers list.

I hope it’s reasonable and the weight loss is significant and balanced to the cost.
Bryn

Eighty-eight pounds off and 215bhp according to the most excellent MINI2
http://www.northamericanmotoring.com David Bunting

154 lbs lighter isn’t looking too bad in the morning light.
tanya

Depends on your definition of “hair” – An MC would have a 154lbs head-start…

I use a lot of expensive conditioner, so my hair is thick and luxurious… :)

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