JCW MINIs Make US Debut at NYC Show
If anyone needs any extra incentive to visit the NYC auto show in its last weekend, here’s the official press release announcing the US pricing and available of the new factory JCW MINI that debuted earlier this week in NYC.
Official MINI USA Press Release: MINI USA announced today the debut of two all new performance models at the 2008 New York International Auto Show. Following their successful World Premier in Geneva, the MINI John Cooper Works hardtop and the MINI John Cooper Works Clubman are showcased at MINI’s display and represent the first new models from the recently integrated John Cooper Works Brand.
In addition, pricing for both new models were announced today. The MINI John Cooper Works hardtop will be offered at $29,200. USD. The MINI John Cooper Works Clubman will be offered at $31,450, USD. Both prices include a $650 destination and handling charge, MINI USA’s Free Full Maintenance Coverage for 3 years/ 36,000 Miles and a 4 year-50,000 mile bumper-to-bumper warranty.
For more than four decades, the name John Cooper has been synonymous with the high-performance members of the MINI family. In January 2008, MINI and John Cooper Works announced they would transition from being two separate entities to merging the John Cooper Works into the MINI family as a MINI sub brand. These are the first high-performance MINI models that will be launched under this new MINI John Cooper Works brand and are expected to arrive in the US this summer.
Both John Cooper Works models will feature a newly developed high-performance version of the highly-acclaimed 1.6 liter 16-valve 4-cylinder engine with twin scroll turbocharger and direct injection. Delivering 208 horsepower and maximum torque of 192 ft-lb between 1,850 and 5,600 rpm, overboost torque momentarily increases to 207 ft-lb under heavy acceleration. The revised powerplant propels the MINI John Cooper Works from 0-60 mph in just 6.2 seconds, with the MINI John Cooper Works Clubman shadowing this figure at 6.5 seconds. Top speed comes in at 147 MPH.
Complementing the significantly upgraded engine, both John Cooper Works models will also be equipped with an array of race-bred equipment including high-performance brakes, sports suspension, a low-back-pressure exhaust system, a specially-modified 6-speed manual transmission and exclusive 17-inch light alloy rims with high-performance tires.
In addition to electrically powered-assisted steering (EPAS) with a “sports” setting calibrated to the high-performance disposition of the John Cooper Works models, the sophisticated standard-equipment Dynamic Stability Control System (DSC) now incorporates Dynamic Traction Control (DTC) for the first time in a MINI. DTC allows controllable slip on the drive wheels for optimized performance as well as enhanced capabilities in adverse traction conditions. Another new feature of DSC unique to the John Cooper Works models – Electronic Differential Lock Control is activated in the DCS-Off mode, enhancing stability and cornering ability during “sporting” driving maneuvers.
Did I read that right? “Sports Suspension” Would that be the “sports suspension” in the sports package?
Hmm, it does say sports suspension, pretty sure it comes with the standard suspension tho. The paper from MINI USA my MA showed me about the car said nothing about suspension that I remember.
According to the Mini rep that I spoke to, this car comes with the standard suspension with “Sports” suspension and “JCW” suspension as options.
Also I was told that the 4 piston front and the rear brakes were Brembo. Can anyone confirm this?
Well the original press release said something really vague about a tuned sporty suspension this NA press release is actually calling it sport suspension though and seeing as how its a press release pretty sure its valid
Well the original press release said something really vague about a tuned sporty suspension this NA press release is actually calling it sport suspension though and seeing as how its a press release pretty sure its valid… so idk maybe their just trying to pass off a slightly tuned standerd suspension as sport or maybe the JCW is a better value then we thought
Not being a mini owner myself do they sell many JCW mini’s? I know it was an installed package in the past but I assume they keep totals of units sold.
I love the looks/style of the mini and more power is always good I’m just curious as how they stack up sales wise to the cheaper and more powerful Mazdaspeed 3.
Obviously if you love the mini there really isn’t an alternative but in the general sport compact hatch “hot hatch” market it seems this are about $5 too much.
Steve, i’d have to say that being a mini owner myself, the difference between a mini owner and for instance a Mazdaspeed3 owner is pretty simple… with mazda they give you the engine and performance, seats are decent, and the interior is iight for the class. but with a mini, you get so much more than just that, which is the reason i believe mini’s will always sell over something like a mazdaspeed3, yeah it may be faster, but as so many reviewers so avidly put it… there is NOTHING on the road that drives like a mini… that that, especially to a mini enthusiast, makes any price premium more than worth it, because mini is the most unique and amazing car company out there…
in addition… a MS3 would have some of the most generic stuff in it… the best option you can get is the nav system… and what a difference it is to have a nav system (not) where as the mini customizes every breathable option you could ever want/need!
and with that i digress
Still having huge issues with how Mini is handling this car so far. It seems they are literally trying to muddy the water in the way they have been showing a option heavy cars for journalist to get mis-conceptions over and the way they have released information about this car. Ambiguity seems to surround the car.
I still think this car is at best a half measure.
Whem will the “real” 0-60 times start being used. 6.2, right. A stock MCS can do under 6 seconds and a stage one a few ticks under that. I’m sure a stage two is a few ticks faster than stage one(better be!).
I only see information on performance modifications here, where’s the info on all the interior stuff such as anthracite headliner, Hi-Fi, door sills etc?
Oh by the way I’ll be heading to the Javitt’s Center tomorrow to have a look, can’t wait.
The Brakes are dfinitely Brembo. I have confirmation from an internal Memo from MINI. They actually got AG to paint the rear callipers red too. The rear brakes are also 11″ in diameter. I worked at the NYC Auto Show on Tuesday and people were going nuts about the JCW Clubman there. I even got to sit in the MINI Challenge car. I fit in that seat! Yay. It’s a tight one.
DTC? Interesting… I wonder if it finally answers the complaints that people have had about ASC+T.
Also – “DCS-Off mode”? Looks like a typo… should be “DSC-Off mode”, right?
“…both John Cooper Works models will also be equipped with…sports suspension…”
Gabe, an you elaborate on this?
>Did I read that right? “Sports Suspension” Would that be the “sports suspension” in the sports package?
We’ve heard both sports suspension on standard. However I’ll stick with what we previously reported that the car will come with the sports suspension as standard.
>DTC? Interesting… I wonder if it finally answers the complaints that people have had about ASC+T.
You can find quite a bit more info on the DTC in our previous stories on the car.
>The Brakes are dfinitely Brembo. I have confirmation from an internal Memo from MINI.
Yes the brakes are Brembo. Most new BMW brakes will be quietly manufactured by Brembo going forward.
The brakes are Brembo? The more I look at the performance upgrades you’re getting in this car the more I feel it’s a good value. In my opinion the price they’re asking for what you get is extremely reasonable, this is going to be a vastly superior car to the base S or even the S with the JCW tuning kit. Again, all just my opinion.
He just did, read his reply above.
I’m torn on the real world benefits of the new brakes to be honest. For one they add unsprung weight in all the wrong places. Secondly the current brakes on the MCS are really pretty good – even on the track. Combined with an open wheel that venalities well, I’ve always found the stock R56 set-up to be surprisingly effective. Surely these will be better but I’m not entirely convinced that they are really the star of the show when compared with the pistons and the other upgrades. And I’d certainly rather see the JCW suspension over upgraded brakes.
Agreed Gabe, I wasn’t intimating the brakes were the star of the show I was just viewing the JCW car and it’s upgrades as an overall package. It definitely needs the JCW suspension and that’s exactly what I’ll be giving it but like I said for me it’s good value for the price as it is.
Gabe, totally agree. The brakes are street bling. I would much prefer a proper suspension.
I’d like both–but I’d take the suspension over the brakes any day. Brakes are only as good as the tires on the car–to get maximum benefit, you’re going to need a better tire, which the JCW isn’t equipped with. That’s also true for the suspension, but you’re going to get a relatively bigger bang for the buck with the suspension, as the R56 brakes are pretty good to begin with (I have no issues with stopping power, but fade can be an issue on tracks with lots of threshold braking).
>I’d like both–but I’d take the suspension over the brakes any day. Brakes are only as good as the tires on the car–to get maximum benefit, you’re going to need a better tire, which the JCW isn’t equipped with. That’s also true for the suspension, but you’re going to get a relatively bigger bang for the buck with the suspension, as the R56 brakes are pretty good to begin with (I have no issues with stopping power, but fade can be an issue on tracks with lots of threshold braking).
Could… not… agree… more.
Just got back from the Auto Show and was a tad disappointed. They only had the JCW Clubman there and not the Coupe. There was A coupe there but it was just a fully JCW accessory and stage 1 tuning kit equipped S. According to two of the guys working the Mini exhibit they are STILL finalising details on what exactly is going to be the final spec of the factory car. Shouldn’t all these decisions be made long before there’s even any mention of a release date and pricing?
One other thing I forgot in my brake rant–I would have much rather seen brake ducts (or at least an option for brake ducts) go on the JCW, keep the R56 brakes, and make the JCW suspension standard. That probably would have done it–again, the stopping power is good, but the ducts would’ve hopefully fixed any issues with fade. The one potential saving grace on the JCW brakes will be if the pads could be quickly/easily changed. like many other BBK’s, which you can do literally in seconds–but given the manufacturer and the intended use, I doubt this will be the case. It’ll be interesting to get some hard numbers on the new brakes–6 pots sound great, but it doesn’t necessarily guarantee they’ll be that much better than what we already have (In fact, when I first heard about them, my first reaction was that they’re probably overkill).
It would’ve been so nice is if the Ocari style holes in the bottom of the JCW aerokit were for brake ducts rather than fog lights. I assumed that the aerokit would be standard on the JCW, and there would be a brake duct option. Instead we have fogs with Trojan condom style plastic around the lights (ribbed….for the foglight’s pleasure). But I’m sure there will be an aftermarket solution; those holes are begging for ducts, and the fogs are easy to remove.
I really want to like the R56 JCW; I finally drove a 135i–great car, should be a beast on the track and incredibly fun–but I still like the aura of the MINI better. I’m hoping the JCW is going to perform fantastically on the track; if BMW is being conservative, it might be much better than what we’ve been told. I hope so–otherwise it might be a 135i for me down the road. Either way, BMW will get my dough…
I suppose it depends on exactly what they are finalising. But yea, you’d think : )
Still have to say I think Mini has messed up on the Factory car so far. I believe that the response to the car information with lacking suspension and aero kit has been a topic inside of Mini and BMW. I would not be surprised to see some changes before this car goes on sale. I really think that what would be interesting is if somebody at Mini could answer a few questions from its community about this car.
This car has the chance to make a positive impact for Mini, but so far I think its mostly causing more than a little negative feedback on the new car. I think with this being the first development for the performance arm (JCW) of Mini that they really should have knocked this out of the park, instead I think in many ways its left the Mini community cold so far.
The MINI booth was disappointing. Not a lot of cars overall, and IMHO not the best color/option combos to really show off the MINI spirit.
This subject is getting old and boring… Is there any new info on the Colorado (SAV)??
Sorry Jon, I couldn’t resist the opportunity to get you going!
Agreed MINIme, to be honest I’m fairly bored of waiting for exact news of specs, colours etc. aswell and I intend to buy the car! Mini need to pull their fingers out and make some definitive announcements on what exactly we’re getting and get the damn thing on the configurator. Enough bull$%& already.
Lol MINIme that would do it
R60 Mini suv (just threw up a little) heh
Nuvolari, the body kit is “street bling”. The brakes are not. This car is capable of 150mph, and in countries where there are higher or no speed limits, you want brakes that don’t fade. For years BMW has shortchanged the US market to cut costs in the area of braking (E36 and E46 M3s had crap brakes compared to other markets), and many of us have complained endlessly. Now they give us the good stuff, and still people are complaining.
Alan, how do you know wether these will fade or not? None of use do. But I’d bet R56 brakes with ducts would be as resistant to fade as these.
And if BMW was REALLY interested in stopping power, they’d improve what stops the car–the tires. A brake upgrade without a tire upgrade in the end isn’t much of an improvement at all. The suspension upgrade still makes more sense.
I saw them in person yesterday and all I can say is they certainly LOOK impressive. As for fade I’m pretty comfortable with Brembo’s products. As a sidenote I can confirm from a Mini executive that unfortunately it will have the standard suspension and not the sport or a variation of the sport.
Still have to say I would take the suspension over the brakes any day. The fact is however is the debate on this should have never have been the case if Mini did their job.
Leaving a performance car partially built is a total mystery to me, seems that Mini made some interesting choices bringing this car to market. I firmly believe that the near endless debate this car is causing should give Mini a serious insight that some of their calculations are off base.
MINI is in business to make money for its dealers. Hence, their notice to them regarding the first JCW models they’ll receive with port-installed options like the Aero Kit. Get over it! MINI is making it possible to have their dealers get extra dollars for installing the JCW Aero Kits and JCW Suspension systems.
From a bulletin to dealers dated 3/4/08:
“John Cooper Works accessories have been proven to be excellent revenue generators so we want
to showcase them in your showroom. Accordingly, we will prepare a showroom package for your display cars.
Because the R56 John Cooper Works hardtop and Clubman models are halo models, the first batch (one of each per dealer) will be equipped with several ort-installed
accessories like a JCW aero kit, strut bar, carbon-fiber bonnet scoop and other bits.”
ENUF, ENUF, ENUF already. Get us the final delivered specs., dealer installed options, pricing and a website to build so we can really make some value judgements.
Alan, if you can drive the stock brakes to the point of fading on public roads, then you are a better man than I.
What MINI should do is put good quality non-runflat performance tires on the car and provide the MINI mobility kit as standard.
The performance runflats that MINI is using can be beaten easily by a $100 tire from tirerack.
If Mozza is right and they are putting the standard suspension on the car, then I really feel that Mini is outright lying when they put out a press release claiming it will have a “sports suspension”. How can you have a part called “sports suspension” and then use those exact words to describe what will come standard on a new product, and it not actually be that part?
How about this? Mini announces it will come out with a JCW Factory car with “sports suspension” a “tuned engine” and “upgraded body kit”. But that really means standard suspension, an engine tuned to the Cooper S level, and has the body kit of a Cooper S, which is an upgrade over the Cooper body kit.
Actually Chris Mini hasn’t mentioned the body kit directly. Its been written often about from many writers due to Mini showing only the fully optioned Factory car. They have said it has a sporty suspension, which if you read much about what they talk about with the standard R56 they mention it has a sporty suspension as a factory default.
Still should make every GP owner happy, Mini had decided to create something well short of a competitor for a GP. Actually I think what will be funny is once this car comes out and get put up against the other hot hatches out there and gets blown away due to its standard suspension and its base R56 looks. I am betting the only car that they let anybody use for testing will be optioned heavily out to not be a total embarrassment to the brand.
Jon, this car trumps the GP on one important dimension. The bonnet will reach much higher temperatures. 🙂
Top Gear is so much better than Fifth Gear. Fifth Gear, as someone said above, should have a Stig-like person do this with these cars. Two people can’t possibly be accurate. Perhaps they could call him Stag, or Stug. 🙂
Some say he uses petrol in his cereal. Some say his face looks just like a Ferrari Enzo. All we know is that he is called… the Stug!!!
Dang it I thought i was on the page with the Fifth gear review. Sorry!!!
My comment was meant as sarcasm.
Talking with MINI Canada today, they have confirmed on the phone that the JCW body kit will come as standard equipment on the factory MINI John Cooper Works. Orders will be taken in June. Perhaps this makes up for the price difference on Canadian spec Mini’s vs. American ones.
I don’t get it. These two will be actually two new models? So the line up will be…
Mini Cooper
Mini Cooper S
Mini Cooper Convertible
Mini Cooper S Convertible
Mini Cooper Clubman
Mini Cooper S Clubman
<strong>Mini Cooper JCW</strong>
<strong>Mini Cooper S JCW</strong>
<strong>Mini Cooper Clubman JCW</strong>
<strong>Mini Cooper S Clubman JCW</strong>
Is that right? Someone please explain.
Thanks,
Lloyd
No, there will be no Mini Cooper JCW or Mini Cooper Clubman JCW.
I don’t mind MINI not including the suspension because I would rather put that money towards coilovers that can lower the car more than a centimeter and equal or better the JCW suspension in terms of handling and ride comfort.
What I dislike:
1. Having to go to the dealer or independent shop to install the suspension after the fact versus spending less to buy only one suspension and have it done on the assembly line. It makes no sense (outside of dealer profit) that the factory will install the sport suspension but not the JCW suspension.
2. Having to pay for brakes that I don’t have much use for.
My guess about MINI’s rationale: To keep the price under $30K, they had to cut out the brakes or the JCW suspension. If they did not offer the brakes standard, fewer buyers will opt up for the Brembos than will opt for the sport or JCW suspension, which means that they make more money while still offering a great car for under $30K.
Here’s a funny story… a guy I know who’s considering a MINI was told by my local dealership that the factory JCW car will only come in red. Funny, right? I hope it’s funny cuz if it’s true, it’s not funny.
Considering in the past I’ve been able to make the brakes fade on UK roads in just a standard Cooper (R53) I think a brake upgrade is a must for a car with 200bhp+.
Yes I know the R56 brakes are better than the R53 brakes but they’re no massive improvement when compared to other cheaper BBK’s over there. As this car is going to be going to other Markets than America you need to think that these Brakes are definitly a good thing.
You want to try some of roads out over here 😉