But we’ll see what’s up here. They have to do something because Minis butt is being kicked all over the map in the HP games. And while I’m the first to admit that HP isn’t the say all, end all, do all, there are a lot that buy based on this number. And like PGT says, for similar bucks, you sure can get more HP in an AWD package.

Matt

Would love to have a Clubman’s on the track, but having said that I will keep Mr. Newton riding co-pilot ok :)

A=M/F

Hence the lighter car will always out accelerate the heavier car. Also the longer car will shift its greater mass further away from the drive wheels. Also breaking will also follow suite, a greater mass takes longer to deaccelerate, though the greater mass moveing over the wheels will assist the car. With equal breaking force the lighter vehicle will stop first.

While cornering the heavier vehicle takes greater force to overcome its inertia to make the corner. Add to this that all cars basically “pivot” on the inner rear wheelbase the longer wheelbase will not turn as sharp as the shorter wheelbase.

If we take two cars with the performance setup the lighter shorter wheelbase car will out accelerate, break, and corner the heaver longer wheelbase. Don’t get me wrong, I am sure the Clubman will move nicely, but never as well as the coupe. I believe that if you build a car with being the best performace possible you ahould stick with the best possible platform.

Your second statment about after market could be true, but if you take the exact same components and put them on a coupe and then on the clubman, the coupe will still be faster around the track, its just basic phyics.

I predict that by the time the JCW II “coupe” comes out, there will be sufficent aftermarket suspension, engine and brake bits available to take even the Clubman far beyond it, for much less money.

Not saying the Clubman is going to be slow however every day a lightweight version of the same basic plateform will be faster. My point about weight transfer is that the Mini is a front wheel drive, as accelerate the (heavier)weight of the Clubman will move to the rear futher away from the drive wheels. A shorter wheelbase also inheritly makes a sharper corner since the rear pivot point is closer to the turning wheels. Finally the two cars have the same frontal cross section so their drag coefficients are going to be very simular.

Not telling anyone that the Clubman can’t be a strong performer but I believe the JCW2 should remain on the best possible platform.

There is a very real possibility that the Clubman will have less drag at high speed so while it would accelerate slower, it might have a higher top end. I wish my Mini had lower drag because I usually drive fast and the gas mileage suffers.