The JCW Countryman signals a subtle but important change in the JCW brand. Gone is the softer, standard suspension and in its place is a sports suspension tuned specifically for this car. Then, there’s the engine — complete with BMW’s Valvetronic and a sizable increase in torque and throttle response. This coupled with the JCW’s standard All4 all wheel drive system gives the JCW Countryman a unique place in the JCW range and perhaps even a sign of things to come for the rest of the lineup. We had a chance to drive the prototype of this car back in December, and for those looking for a more powerful, sporting MINI 4-door, your car is about to arrive.
[Official Release] The MINI family is constantly expanding, and new additions have also been made to the range of John Cooper Works models available to customers. For the first time, MINI racing-inspired thrills can be experienced in combination with all-wheel drive. The global introduction of the MINI John Cooper Works will get under way in autumn 2012.
The MINI John Cooper Works Countryman, will be fitted as standard with the all-wheel- drive system known as ALL4, and powered by a newly developed four-cylinder turbocharged engine producing 211 hp. This new combination assures the driver of extreme driving fun on any terrain. The John Cooper Works Countryman is also the first John Cooper Works model available for order with a six-speed automatic gearbox as an alternative to the standard six-speed manual.
With powertrain and chassis technology developed calling on the brand’s vast motor sport expertise built into the first MINI with five doors and four/five seats, MINI will deliver its John Cooper Works presence in another new segment… complete with all of the customary handling characteristics and sporty appearance the brand is known for.
The Countryman, MINI’s first five-seater, already shares the racing genes which define the character of every MINI, and now the John Cooper Works polishes these inherent talents to really shine. The new engine brings another hike in output, transferred onto the road with impressive style by the MINI ALL4 all-wheel-drive system. The John Cooper Works suspension ensures every change in direction is imbued with addictive agility. The MINI John Cooper Works sprints from 0 to 62 mph in 7.1 seconds. While U.S. fuel economy figures are not yet available, average fuel consumption of 7.2 liters per 100 kilometers / 39.2 mpg imp in the EU test cycle represents an outstanding return when you consider the performance on offer (automatic transmission: 8.0 liters/100 km and 35.3 mpg imp). Note: performance and fuel consumption figures are provisional.
The distinctive style of the sixth John Cooper Works model in the MINI line-up is also expressed through the car’s design, including the exclusive selection of paint finishes, light-alloy wheels and interior materials available for order. The MINI John Cooper Works Countryman is equipped as standard with an aerodynamic kit, 18-inch light-alloy wheels, a sports exhaust system with chrome tailpipes and door sills bearing the John Cooper Works logo. The color Chili Red can be specified as a contrasting paint finish for the roof and exterior mirrors. And Chili Red flourishes for the interior, such as in the exclusive design of the sports seats, also add a distinctive flavor to the sports car ambience carried over from the other John Cooper Works models.
The most powerful member of a new generation: the engine in the MINI John Cooper Works Countryman.
The motor sport roots of John Cooper Works are reflected in a constant thirst for new performance benchmarks. This ambition has inspired even more power from the new four-cylinder engine in the MINI John Cooper Works Countryman, as well as ensuring further gains in efficiency. The latest generation of the twin-scroll turbocharged engines benefit from both direct injection and a variable valve control system based on the BMW Group’s VALVETRONIC technology. This throttle-free load control development significantly improves both the engine’s responsiveness and its efficiency. Reinforced pistons and intake valves, and further optimization of the cooling, air supply and exhaust gas discharge system, enable further increases in output and torque. Added to which, the 1.6-liter engine’s turbocharger is given a particularly large intercooler.
The MINI John Cooper Works Countryman’s engine reaches its maximum output of 211 hp at 6,000 rpm and generates peak torque of 207 lb-ft between 2,000 and 5,600 rpm. The Overboost function briefly pushes this figure up to 221 lb-ft between 2,100 and 5,200 rpm. The sports exhaust system – its slanting tailpipe embellishers providing an extra dose of the hallmark John Cooper Works design – gives this outstanding power delivery the one-of-a-kind soundtrack it deserves. All-wheel drive and an automatic gearbox are both offered for a John Cooper Works model for the first time in this vehicle. The MINI John Cooper Works Countryman is the first model to send the extreme output from its motor sport-inspired engine through all four wheels.
The new car’s ALL4 all-wheel-drive system uses an electromagnetic center differential to distribute drive seamlessly between the front and rear axles. This ensures the engine’s power always finds its way to where it can be converted most effectively into forward motion. In normal driving conditions, the MINI’s intelligent ALL4 system directs all of the engine’s power to the front tires, and up to 50 percent of its power can be diverted automatically to the rear wheels when driving conditions require it. This provides a traction-led expression of the handling talents for which MINI is famed, ensuring maximum directional stability and dynamic performance whatever the weather and road conditions. Together, the engine’s imposing power and the added John Cooper Works technology employ to harness it lay on a full-blooded brand of driving fun.
The market launch of the MINI John Cooper Works Countryman is complemented by another MINI powertrain premiere, the introduction of an optional six-speed automatic gearbox for John Cooper Works customers as an alternative to the standard six-speed manual. Detailed tweaks have been made to both the gearboxes themselves and the clutch for the manual variant to take into account the extra engine power, and ensure outstanding performance and efficiency. The manual and automatic versions of the MINI John Cooper Works Countryman accelerate from 0 to 62 mph in 7.1 and 7.5 seconds respectively on the way to a top speed of 127 mph.
Sporting flair, John Cooper Works style: chassis, aerodynamics, design and interior.
Chassis technology including a front axle with MacPherson struts, central-arm rear axle, Electric Power Steering and a model-specific, exceptionally high-performance braking system is also in keeping with the sporty character of the MINI John Cooper Works Countryman. The standard sports suspension includes particularly stiff spring and damper settings, strengthened anti-roll bars and a 10-millimeter drop in ride height. The standard-fitted DSC (Dynamic Stability Control) includes DTC (Dynamic Traction Control) mode.
Pressing the likewise standard Sport Button tweaks the engine responses, the character of its soundtrack and adjusts the power assistance provided by the steering.
18-inch Twin Spoke light-alloy wheels with polished spoke fronts and black rim wells are fitted as standard. 19-inch light-alloy wheels – also designed exclusively for the MINI John Cooper Works Countryman – can be ordered as an option.
The muscular front and rear aprons and bespoke side skirts of the standard specification aerodynamic kit ensure visual impact and optimized airflow. Customers can choose from seven colors for the exterior paintwork. A contrasting paint finish can be specified for the roof and exterior mirror caps – in the Chili Red shade exclusive to John Cooper Works models, as well as Light White and Jet Black. Also available as an option are Sport Stripes in the same colors. The John Cooper Works logo on the radiator grille, tailgate and door sill strips and near the side indicators highlight the car’s identity even more clearly.
The interior of the MINI John Cooper Works Countryman also comes with additional sporting touches as standard. Sports seats in Diagonal Track Carbon Black cloth trim with red contrast stitching have been designed specifically for the new model; while options such as the similarly exclusive sports seats with Lounge Leather trim in Carbon Black Championship Red can also be ordered. The trim strips around the cockpit, door panels and center console come in Piano Black as standard. The optional Chili Red trim elements, meanwhile, are exclusive to the MINI John Cooper Works Countryman and include red flourishes for the cockpit and doors, and red stripes for the black trim elements on the center console. Added to this are the sports steering wheel with red contrast stitching and John Cooper Works logo, the dark speedometer and rev counter dials, anthracite-colored roof liner, gearshift lever with red shift pattern lettering, red contrast stitching for the gearshift lever gaiter and floor mats with red stitching add further depth to the sports car ambience.
<p>Love the blacked-out headlights, standard-issue aerokit and gorgeous interior. Hate those wheels…I wonder what the 19s look like? Red roof looks a bit cartoonish on the Countryman’s larger frame, IMO.</p>
<p>The 3 hp boost over the previous engine is heartbreaking. A bone-stock RAV4 V6 or Forester XT will eat this car for breakfast….and at a lower price point.</p>
<p>Word. Unacceptable for a JCW to get spanked by the Rav4 v6. What a missed opportunity. With that said I’m sure at some point they’ll take the chance to gouge the public with a 50k 250hp ‘special’ model. </p>
<p>I was hoping to replace my 07 Cooper S with this car. I’m really bummed.</p>
<p>I’m in the exact same boat. 07 Cooper S, and was planning on replacing it with a JCW Countryman. But now? Absolutely not. Now I have to choose between the utility of a Golf R or the totally impractical (but awesome!) JCW Coupe….</p>
<p>By all means, make up your mind completely without driving it first ;-)</p>
<p>I, along with hundreds (if not thousands) of others, put down my deposit and ordered my R56 without driving it…or even <em>seeing</em> what the R56 was going to look like. So did many, many others who ordered Countrymans, Roadsters and Coupés.</p>
<p>How is that different from deciding <em>not</em> to buy a car without driving it first?</p>
<p>Wow, you and I buy cars very differently then. </p>
<p>Touche, I can understand wanting a car very bad but to never drive it before buying? Uuumm, can I have some of your money?</p>
<blockquote>The 3 hp boost over the previous engine is heartbreaking. A bone-stock RAV4 V6 or Forester XT will eat this car for breakfast</blockquote>
<p>I’ve driven all three and that’s just not true. While the Toyota and the Subaru have more horsepower on paper, the Countryman is lighter than both. It also has nearly as much torque as the much larger Toyota V6 when on overboost, and much lower in the RPM range. Then there’s the handling. The Forester has a genuinely frightening amount of body roll at highway speeds, and the RAV4 isn’t a whole lot better. The steering feel in the Countryman is from a completely different class than either of the cars you’ve mentioned. And for those who complain that the interior on the Countryman is cheap, go have a look at these or any mid-range Japanese 4-door. You also can’t get a manual transmission on either the Forester or the RAV4. The Countryman gets better gas mileage. The list goes on and on.</p>
<p>MINI has <em>never</em> been about horsepower numbers, and hopefully, it never will be. What they have done in the Countryman JCW is craft a total package that is a hell of a lot of fun to drive — more fun than a car of this type has any business being. Mini made a name for itself in motorsports by defeating cars with 2-3x the horsepower. Getting into a horsepower arms race with Subaru is not going to make this car more fun to drive, and getting hung up on the stats is to completely miss what this car, and any MINI JCW frankly, is all about. </p>
<p>Agreed. I love wagons and have historically had little love for crossovers but MINI has created an entirely unique and interesting option in the crossover market with the Countryman. Nathaniel is right – to compare this to other crossovers is completely missing the mark. Just go drive the three back to back to get our point.
The JCW version is only lacking gaudy numbers in one category. Otherwise it looks like an interesting package.
That said, I for one will hold out for a final opinion until after our test drive.</p>
<p>sent via mobile</p>
<p>I agree with you. The RAV4 and Forester aren’t anything even remotely approaching a “performance vehicle”…I’d never dream of owning either of ’em. Unfortunately, though, the threshold for what is considered a “fast” car continues to drop every year, and it seems like every manufacturer except for MINI is following suit. I have no doubt that the handling characteristics and steering of the Countryman are miles ahead of other crossovers, but 211 horsepower motivating 3208 lbs (Countryman S ALL4) is simply not keeping up with the pack.</p>
<p>Due to the Countryman’s weight advantage, of course, there’s no need to engage in a horsepower war. No one was seriously expecting a 300-hp crossover….but the 240 hp of BMW’s N20 would have done nicely, and with no MPG loss.</p>
<p>For decades, cars in America were judged solely on straight-line performance, with little regard given to steering or handling. But MINI seems to be trending in the opposite direction….just as a giant, honkin’ V8 doesn’t make up for an improperly-sorted suspension, world-class chassis and steering don’t excuse not keeping up with the competition in acceleration.</p>
<p>Perhaps the RAV4 and Forester weren’t an appropriate comparison to make (although the fact that both have no performance aspirations, yet still out-accelerate a pricier JCW Countryman seems valid to me). But the crux of what I’m trying to say is this: as soon as you call yourself a “high-performance car,” you will (and should) be judged alongside other “high-performance cars.” MINI should consider this before bringing a JCW car to market.</p>
<p>(And no, no “killing the brand” arguments from me. I’ll probably always own a MINI…just not this one.)</p>
<p>2nd to last paragraph – completely fair argument.</p>
<p>sent via mobile</p>
<p>I completely agree! Very well said. It’s a shame more people cannot allow themselves to view MINI in this way.</p>
<p>Agree, I just picked up a 2013 JCW Countryman automatic and it is amazing to drive and its build quality is great. I traded in my 2013 Countryman S Chili Red edition for it and couldn’t be happier.</p>
<p>My math must be off because I don”t see how 211hp – 181hp (Cooper S) = 3 hp. You can’t even compare these cars. The first corner and the Mini will leave them in the dust…</p>
<p>Seems like this will be the 1st jcw with an auto trans </p>
<p> Yup. Terrible idea. :(</p>
<p>Unfortunately, offering the Auto will most likely result in increased sales though :-(</p>
<p>Oh wow, I seriously like!</p>
<p>I so want to love this car, but it’s going to be hard to beat a Golf R for the money. The R has about the same space, AWD, and four doors, but has about 40 more HP and does 0-60 in 5.6 seconds. This JCW takes more than 7 seconds to get to 60? A regular GTI will do it in 6.8 and a Cooper S in 6.6.</p>
<p>0-62 in 7. And that’s using BMW’s notoriously conservative figures. Look got mid 6s at least in the real world.</p>
<p> “Comparably equipped”, as they say, the JCW Countryperson will probably cost quite a bit more than the Golf R also. Fully loaded, the Golf R is <em>only</em> $36k.</p>
<p>Don’t forget Nathaniel’s excellent early review:
<a href="https://www.motoringfile.com/2011/12/16/mf-first-drive-jcw-countryman-all4/" rel="ugc">https://www.motoringfile.com/2011/12/16/mf-first-drive-jcw-countryman-all4/</a></p>
<p>It’s about time they offered the auto trans. What a missed opportunity all these years.</p>
<p>No N20 ? No luv from me. </p>
<p>Perhaps by yesteryear’s standards, this is ok … but by today’s standards this is too much of a dog to wear the JCW label IMO.</p>
<p>$35k base price yeh? no bueno para me</p>
<p>TBD. </p>
<p>” . . . top speed of 127 mph.”</p>
<p>Interesting, considering the Feb 8th MF post in which we learned that the Cooper S Countryman will have its top speed limited down to 128 mph from the original 134 mph. So the lower-powered Cooper S Countryman was faster than the JCW?</p>
<p>I like the red roof on the R56/55/58 cars, but it somehow doesn’t work so well for me on the Countryman. Expect that it will grow on me though. Speaking of colors, it would be nice if they brought BRG2 to the Countryman line (and for that matter, I think Surf Blue and True Blue would both look good on a R56).</p>
<p>I forgot to mention that another interesting thing is that we heard, back in December when MF reported on Nathaniel’s first drive of the JCW Countryman in Innsbruck, that the JCW would have 17″ wheels standard. But now we learn that 18s will be standard, with 19s optional. And I think the 18s in these pictures look fine.</p>
<p>The Pontiac Aztec was uglier.</p>
<p>now that this is JCW trim, and the performance branch of the brand, has the awd system seen any tweaks to move it beyond a “safety oriented feature”?</p>
<p>Having spoken extensively with the chap in charge of developing these systems, I think that while not expressly performance-oriented, the All4 system is much more performance capable than it’s presented. For example, MINI USA is STILL talking about this system as FWD first, even though we know from the source that the car starts with a 50/50 power distribution, then takes power away from the rear wheels either as needed for traction, or as the speed increases. Also, the rear power transfer mechanicals are engineered to withstand double the full torque output of the current engines. Could a software update someday make the system more aggressive? Maybe.</p>
<p>I think that MINI (especially MINI USA) purposefully (and wisely) want to avoid comparisons to Quattro or Subaru’s systems because that’s just not what this car is about. I think that the messaging around the All4 system is focused on bad weather traction because of who the Countryman is aimed at. We’ve heard rumors that All4 may become available across the whole line of MINIs starting with the F56. If that happened, the smaller MINIs may yet get a more aggressive, performance oriented version of the All4 system. However, even if they do, don’t necessarily expect MINI to talk about it that way.</p>
<p>Balanced performance has always been MINI’s quiet focus, but economy, style and especially FUN have always been their brand positioning to the general public.</p>
<p> thanks nathaniel!</p>
<p>Very pretty, but I have my fingers crossed that we’ll be hearing something official about the Countryman SD for 2013. </p>
<p>BMW is not going to give the Countryman HP figures that overlap the X1/X3 ones … never going to happen!</p>
<p>This is the predicament of the CM. It is basically a detuned X1/X3 with a body to resemble the likeness of a MINI, complete with badges and funky interior. It can not be better or offer the power it should have as to not overlap its pricier (And better looking) BMW cousins.</p>
<p>LOVE it. That is one sexy car. For the lady and I however, Countrymen S will do it as by the time we’re done, it will be around $35k. Can’t imagine what this will cost hahaha.</p>
<p>Is there a hidden “Mickey” in the center console?</p>
<p>I don’t actually want to buy a lowered Countryman with painted sideskirts…
…and where are the Brembo calipers ?!?</p>
<p>I was really hoping the JCW version would share more of the WRC styling, like a wider stance & fender flares.
I do like that they’ve finally added an automatic option, but I’m otherwise extremely underwhelmed. I’ve been waiting for this to replace my current Mini, but now I’m not so sure. I hope they fire whichever idiot is behind this.</p>