Here is some news from Autoweek about the highly anticipated John Cooper Works package for the MCS:

“Mini Cooper S owners seeking an extra dose of power soon will be able to turn to none other than Mini's namesake power broker, Britain's John Cooper Works, for a factory-warranted upgrade that boosts the S from 163 hp to 200 hp.

BMW/Mini will debut the kit at the Geneva show next month. Customers will be able to buy the upgrade immediately after the U.S. announcement in New York in April. The kit will be available through designated Mini installers as a new-car option or as a retrofit on used Cooper S models.”

The full article can be found here. My hunch is that this is the “RS” version that some people have been told about by their dealers. Here's what the UK kit entails (reportedly from JCW themselves):

  • Power will be just over 200hp
  • The ECU will be re-programmed
  • A new oval central pipe will replace the current exhaust
  • A new supercharger will be fitted
  • UK price: £3700

No word yet as to whether the US spec will be the same but I imagine we'll hear soon enough. (Note; the photo above is of a JCW Cooper and not the MCS. This isn't available in the US at this time).