AutoExpress: JCW “Best Hot Hatch” of 2008
UK weekly magazine Autoexpress has named the newly released JCW MINI, the best”Hot Hatch” of 2008. Here’s an excerpt from this week’s magazine:
>Not only is it one of the quickest cars in its class, it’s also one of the most environmentally friendly thanks to BMW’s EfficientDynamics stop-start and regenerative braking technology. But the JCW’s real forte is entertainment, and where the car scores points over its rivals is with its ability to put a smile on your face on every drive.
>Key to the MINI’s appeal is its hi-tech new front differential. This feeds power to the wheel with the most grip, so when you are exiting a corner you don’t feel the engine’s torque needlessly spinning the unladen inside front tyre. Not only does this make the MINI more tractable and agile on the road, but it means the JCW is a highly capable track day tool, too.
+ Best Hot Hatch of the Year / Autoexpress
Funny how in their rather quick description of the car, they don’t mention the doom-and-gloom torque steer that seems to be such a buzzkill for so many other automobile reviewers.
It makes one wonder if the torque steer issue has been blown a bit out of proportion…
The factory Works models don’t have the stop/start technology do they???
It’s a minor detail but if they can’t get right it makes you question the review as a whole.
blockquote>It makes one wonder if the torque steer issue has been blown a bit out of proportion.
Well if the reviewer doesn’t find any fault with the car they aren’t doing their job right? It’s also more fun to be over dramatic.
Journalism and drama go hand in hand. As far as the JCW, well I loved it and ordered one of this puppies last week. = )
I had very little TS on my ’07 JCW with LS and JCW suspension. I’d be curious to hear from anyone who has that suspension on the ’09 to know if it eliminates it as well.
Decent review though lacking any real meat as a story, and good props for Mini.
However still so funny to me that if you take the extra money between the kit JCW and the factory you could build a car that would dwarf the factory car. Still with the US car getting the standard suspension a track day warrior is one label I would leave far away from this car. The stock suspension is anything other than flat and has enough overstear to handle the most incompetent driver on the streets. The car still comes across as a emasculated performance car.
My biggest question that will determine if my next MINI is a jcw or regular S is how wil they be classified in SCCA autocross. Specifically when modified with intake, intercooler,chip, and coilovers. IF DSP then bingo for me.
I’ve driven the JCW Clubman a number of times now and I personally don’t think the torque steer is any more unmanageable or more pronounced than the R56 Cooper ‘S’. I will say that the car is absolutely bonkers, an extremely fun and engaging car that will have the owners smiling for years. And much quicker than my ’05 JCW.
I have a 2009 JCW and just put the JCW suspension on it. Make sure they set the rear camber at -2.0. It make a difference. Front is at -0.8
As far as the torque steer goes. It’s blown WAY out of proportion. Very very little.
Ray
Is there any way of deleting the stop/start thing? If I want to turn my car off at the traffic lights I’d rather do it myself. Less gizzmos the better.
I doubt the person who wrote that review has driven the car. It doesn’t contain any information that isn’t already availabe on the net or from MINI media releases.
<blockquote>Is there any way of deleting the stop/start thing? If I want to turn my car off at the traffic lights I’d rather do it myself. Less gizzmos the better.</blockquote>
Just buy the MINI in the US instead of Europe.
just don’t talk too much especially when you’re wrong, no stop/start for europeans JCW
…and anyway, you can disable the stop/start on Cooper S’s.