A Journalist Gets Sick Thanks to the JCW Coupe
Was it the turn-in or the lift-off overs-steer? Either way the MINI Coupe has successfully made one German automotive journalist lose his lunch. You can see all the gory details all after the break. But word of warning… it’s as sick as you think it is.
<p>Anyone want to go for a ride on the Dragon next year. I will be packing the ground sickness bags. My Coupe is in production as of today. </p>
<p>Sweet!!!!! I wish that I was in the position to trade mine in. I could actually do it, but the wife would be pretty pissed since she wants a kid next year…..</p>
<p>The coupe has a trunk for the wife.</p>
<p>lol, she doesn’t like to ride in my 09 MCS to begin with. But she has the valid point of kids. </p>
<p>The coupe has a trunk for the wife.</p>
<p>Very cool Jim our goes into production week after next due to the Laguna Green snafu. Already have mod’s waiting for it to turn the Coupe up a few notches.</p>
<p>Thanks, I am getting that same feeling I had 6 years ago. Is it here yet? how ’bout now?</p>
<p> That is for sure Jim, glad to be back into something that I won’t likely see dozens of other generally identical cars per day heh. This will be our fourth MINI and outside of the GP the one I am the most excited to take delivery of.</p>
<p> That is for sure Jim, glad to be back into something that I won’t likely see dozens of other generally identical cars per day heh. This will be our fourth MINI and outside of the GP the one I am the most excited to take delivery of.</p>
<p>Oh yea we can trade rides- I’ll ride with you and you can ride with me- see who gets sick:)</p>
<p>good one</p>
<p>good one</p>
<p>good one</p>
<p>that looks like some viral clip …</p>
<p>It could have been the spiralus curvus repetitus virus. I hear that has been going around, and around.</p>
<p>At 7 seconds is something I think needs fixed. Love the lift oversteer but not sure if anybody else noticed the front end immediately snap understeer. Nothing to bad just likely to be something to stay conscious of. </p>
<p>In reference to the JCW hardtop, Csaba Csere said “Driving this car quickly is an endless exercise in steering corrections.” Your observations are right on the money about the changes in extreme MINI handling… I’m sure that the new 2 seater will be a bit of an improvement, but your mod list should include things to help with this, as much as it can be helped in a short wheelbase FWD chassis.</p>
<p> Suspension upgrade by one of the best in the business, a tune, lighter wheels and some other fun bits just waiting for the Coupe to come home.</p>
<p> Suspension upgrade by one of the best in the business, a tune, lighter wheels and some other fun bits just waiting for the Coupe to come home.</p>
<p>OMFG! A passenger gets sick in a car! Stop the presses!</p>
<p>While the new car is surely a good performer, there is a good read in the recent Car and Driver. It’s the “Best Handling Car under $40k”. The good news is that the JCW hardtop was even in the competition, the bad news was that it was 5th out of the 6 cars in the comparo. I’m sure that the new 2-seater will be a bit of an improvement. The article is pretty well done, with the type of analytical data that isn’t just the standard subjective crap. Anyway, it’s a good read, and there are some surprises in the article. But it also points out the flaws in the MINI that MINI would be well served to address.</p>
<p>The most damning quote: “the MINI’s steering has tons of feedback. It’s just not the kind of feedback we like.” The nicest compliment was noting how well the car responds to trail-breaking towards and apex. Anyway, it’s an insightful read. It honestly tells where all 6 of the cars did well, and where they were lacking. For those that actually drive MINIs pretty hard, none of the comments are that much of a surprise.</p>
<p>did they test it with the stock suspension I wonder?</p>
<p>Yep, most car mags do stock-only comparisons. They are done with press-fleet cars that may, and usually do, have factory options. While most who really push cars like the MINI don’t stay stock, it just opens a whole can of worms when one mods the cars. But the article doesn’t say what went into the $4250 worth of options were on the car, so there is no clue what bits are actually on the car.</p>
<p>Well I was not expecting after-market suspension, but I was curious if the test car was fit with the JCW suspension.</p>
<p>So either it had the JCW suspension, in which case the results are somewhat disappointing. Or it had the stock S suspension in which case I’m actually sort of impressed. </p>
<p>But we don’t really know. Maybe somebody can find out.</p>
<p>It’s a really interesting read. The latest Mustang GT was the fastest around the track, at or near the top in every timed segment, but dropped to third based on poor steering feedback and crappy seats. The 370Z went from what they say would have been a first place finish to fourth based on abysmal brakes. The Miata finished second despite the fact that it’s massively underpowered, and had the floppiest chassis in the evaluation, but the brakes had “Hendrix-quality feedback”, a reference understandable by us with grey hair! What was most interesting was looking at how most of the cars could be made much better with minor changes to the car. The EVO MR took the trophy because of a combo of the really good intelligent 4 wheel drive system and exceptionally well tuned suspension, and the GTI was damned with faint praise, doing poorly (relatively) in all categories and only getting a compliment in that it’s one of the easier to drive cars for those with little skill. While the EVO MR isn’t really my cup of tea, it’s interesting to see what it took to win the comparison: all the parts are well-matched to the intended mission, delivering an experience that won not because it was best in all categories (although it was in several), but had no Achilles heel.</p>
<p>Some other points are that it would take the MINI doing a lot better in many categories to go from 5th to the top three spots. I don’t think the JCW suspension would have been enough (if it wasn’t on the car, but it would have gotten it past the 370Z). It’s also noting that the Miata, as slow as it is, is just a hoot to drive, as all who have owned one or spent any seat time in one know. MINI has nothing to be ashamed of, and lots to build on. I just don’t think we’ll ever get what we really want from MINI. But for those who know what to do to a car, it’s not hard to get it to dance with the big dogs. It will just never do that from the factory. The other thing MINI should worry about, is that in areas where the MINI was without any competition when I got mine in 2002, there is now TONS of competition. That dinosaur of a car, the Mustang GT was 2.2 sec FASTER through the slalom, and subjectively was said to have a much better balanced chassis. (all but the GTI was faster through the slalom.) This is an area where MINIs used to be king, and are no longer. That should worry MINI a lot.</p>
<p>It’s a really interesting read. The latest Mustang GT was the fastest around the track, at or near the top in every timed segment, but dropped to third based on poor steering feedback and crappy seats. The 370Z went from what they say would have been a first place finish to fourth based on abysmal brakes. The Miata finished second despite the fact that it’s massively underpowered, and had the floppiest chassis in the evaluation, but the brakes had “Hendrix-quality feedback”, a reference understandable by us with grey hair! What was most interesting was looking at how most of the cars could be made much better with minor changes to the car. The EVO MR took the trophy because of a combo of the really good intelligent 4 wheel drive system and exceptionally well tuned suspension, and the GTI was damned with faint praise, doing poorly (relatively) in all categories and only getting a compliment in that it’s one of the easier to drive cars for those with little skill. While the EVO MR isn’t really my cup of tea, it’s interesting to see what it took to win the comparison: all the parts are well-matched to the intended mission, delivering an experience that won not because it was best in all categories (although it was in several), but had no Achilles heel.</p>
<p>Some other points are that it would take the MINI doing a lot better in many categories to go from 5th to the top three spots. I don’t think the JCW suspension would have been enough (if it wasn’t on the car, but it would have gotten it past the 370Z). It’s also noting that the Miata, as slow as it is, is just a hoot to drive, as all who have owned one or spent any seat time in one know. MINI has nothing to be ashamed of, and lots to build on. I just don’t think we’ll ever get what we really want from MINI. But for those who know what to do to a car, it’s not hard to get it to dance with the big dogs. It will just never do that from the factory. The other thing MINI should worry about, is that in areas where the MINI was without any competition when I got mine in 2002, there is now TONS of competition. That dinosaur of a car, the Mustang GT was 2.2 sec FASTER through the slalom, and subjectively was said to have a much better balanced chassis. (all but the GTI was faster through the slalom.) This is an area where MINIs used to be king, and are no longer. That should worry MINI a lot.</p>
<p>It’s a really interesting read. The latest Mustang GT was the fastest around the track, at or near the top in every timed segment, but dropped to third based on poor steering feedback and crappy seats. The 370Z went from what they say would have been a first place finish to fourth based on abysmal brakes. The Miata finished second despite the fact that it’s massively underpowered, and had the floppiest chassis in the evaluation, but the brakes had “Hendrix-quality feedback”, a reference understandable by us with grey hair! What was most interesting was looking at how most of the cars could be made much better with minor changes to the car. The EVO MR took the trophy because of a combo of the really good intelligent 4 wheel drive system and exceptionally well tuned suspension, and the GTI was damned with faint praise, doing poorly (relatively) in all categories and only getting a compliment in that it’s one of the easier to drive cars for those with little skill. While the EVO MR isn’t really my cup of tea, it’s interesting to see what it took to win the comparison: all the parts are well-matched to the intended mission, delivering an experience that won not because it was best in all categories (although it was in several), but had no Achilles heel.</p>
<p>Some other points are that it would take the MINI doing a lot better in many categories to go from 5th to the top three spots. I don’t think the JCW suspension would have been enough (if it wasn’t on the car, but it would have gotten it past the 370Z). It’s also noting that the Miata, as slow as it is, is just a hoot to drive, as all who have owned one or spent any seat time in one know. MINI has nothing to be ashamed of, and lots to build on. I just don’t think we’ll ever get what we really want from MINI. But for those who know what to do to a car, it’s not hard to get it to dance with the big dogs. It will just never do that from the factory. The other thing MINI should worry about, is that in areas where the MINI was without any competition when I got mine in 2002, there is now TONS of competition. That dinosaur of a car, the Mustang GT was 2.2 sec FASTER through the slalom, and subjectively was said to have a much better balanced chassis. (all but the GTI was faster through the slalom.) This is an area where MINIs used to be king, and are no longer. That should worry MINI a lot.</p>
<p>did they test it with the stock suspension I wonder?</p>
<p>it’s no viral, google Tim Schrick (the driver), he is/was the host of several german TV-shows alá Top Gear.</p>
<p>oh, and “Gruß” means Greetings, it’s actually not a name ;-D</p>
<p>Agreed….</p>
<p>i felt like a teenager when i saw that all i could say was ” AWESOOOOME DUDE”
Must have been one heck of a ride</p>
<p>More 4 wheel slides plz, less tossing.</p>