While it’s not the best piece ever written and certainly not the most thorough, however the JCW wins over one less than interested critic. Here’s an excerpt:
>Indeed near thirty grand is serious green for a small sub-subcompact. But look at it as a fast German-engineered sports coupe massaged by one of the most highly regarded tuners in the world, then it’s definitely worth it.
[ Big Fun in a Small Package: 2006 Mini Cooper S ] Autoweek
It is nice another person converted…but the following cut and past from the header in the artical makes me wonder …
“2006 MINI COOPER S
Base Price: $21,450
As-tested Prce: $29,800
Powertrain: 1.6-liter dohc supercharged I4; fwd, six-speed manual
Output: 168-hp @ 6000 rpm, 162 lb-ft @ 4000 rpm
Curb Weight: 3,494 lbs.
Fuel Economy (EPA Combined): 27.7
Options: John Cooper Works kit which includes, uprated supercharger, modified cylinder head, twin exhaust, recalibrated ECU, limited slip differential, larger brake discs and rotors($6,300); sport combo ($1,400); hyper blue metallic ($450); interior surface in body color ($200)”
I thought the JCW package was good for a bit more power and I am shocked at the test car’s weight.
John
“I’m not the biggest Mini fan in the office. In fact most of the time I think they’re basically dorky”
-who writes these things, sounds like a new guy.
>Curb Weight: 3,494 lbs.
Someone needs to get the 700 pound guy out of the back seat because an MCS does not weight 3500lbs.
Where did they find this guy? Was the photo copy repairman? Someone’s idiot nephew who needed a job? He obviously has no idea what he’s doing… he can’t even do basic research into the car he’s driving (although I am impressed that he managed to check Wikipida to find info on John Cooper). 168hp for a Mini Cooper S, yes. 208hp for a Mini Cooper S with JCW package though. No offense, Autoweek, but I know of approximately 10,000 car guys who could write more thoroughly researched articles than this. And about the same number who could actually review a car in a method that tells you something about how the car is to drive…
GVWR is 3494 according to this link:
<a href="http://www.northamericanmotoring.com/forums/printthread.php?t=37793" rel="nofollow ugc">http://www.northamericanmotoring.com/forums/printthread.php?t=37793</a>
Nice JCW. What was he driving a counterfeit MINI with those specs?
lol
They listed the gross weight, not the curb weight. Gross weight is curb weight plus about 800 lbs maximum load the MCS is rated to carry. It’s misleading since most reviews list curb weight.
I sincerely hope that this guy didn’t get paid for doing this review. Autoweek should cancel the check if he did.
So who’s “dorky”? Us or the car?
Somebody must be reading these comments. 😉
It looks like they corrected the stats – I just went back to the entry and the HP and curb-weight are more in line with reality now.
“Cooper was the honored marque at the Monterey Historic races this year and indeed there were Cooper-tuned Minis all over the joint…”
Mine was one of them too! That day was a blast. Have to give credit to MINI Madness from Hilsboro, Oregon who had what had to be the fastest, most creatively modified MINI there (did I mention fastest?).
You guys know me, I’m not one to hate.
<blockquote>I think they’re basically dorky. But this John Cooper Works Cooper S is a hoot. An expensive hoot, but a hoot nonetheless.
I was hoping the car we had in the office was the Mini GP that our man in Stuttgart, Greg Kable, tested </blockquote>
Who is the dork?! Hoot? I had hoped to drive the GP? Do you like MINI’s or not?
poser.