The History of the Modern JCW Tuning Kit
Later this week JCW will release it’s latest product – the GP2. It’ll be the fastest MINI to date with more power and engineering hours behind it than any product from the brand ever. But where did the modern JCW come from? We wanted to look back at the brand and the kits (dealer or factory) that have been released since 2001.
The Cooper name originates from John Cooper, an engineering legend linked to the golden age of British motor racing throughout the 1960’s. With the introduction of new MINI in 2001, the Cooper name was reborn under the guidance of John’s son Mike, who began developing aftermarket tuning kits for the new MINI at the original John Cooper premises in East Preston, West Sussex.
In December 2006 BMW Group acquired the rights from Mike to the John Cooper Works Brand. Early in 2007, this transaction became effective and gave BMW Group the opportunity to develop this sub-brand and strengthen the MINI brand and product range.
The deal was agreed with the then owners of the John Cooper Works brand and in 2008, Mike Cooper remains as a consultant on the BMW Group’s John Cooper Works brand strategy. Mike’s first project was the after sales R5X Cooper S tuning kit released in 2007.
Although no longer producing their own tuning kits or accessories under the name John Cooper Works, Mike Cooper’s Cooper Car Company develops and supplies car accessories for various other corporate clients. The Cooper Car Company supplies BMW AG with hardware components for the current MINI Hatch aftersales tuning kit as well as sports air filters and sports exhausts for the BMW 3 Series. These parts bear the name John Cooper Works or BMW Performance respectively.
No formal cooperation agreement exists between the Cooper Car Company and BMW AG but given the successful relationship forged between both parties, it is planned and desired that the Cooper Car Company will be a partner of BMW AG for many years to come.
John Cooper Works tuning and MINI since 2003
The John Cooper Works tuning brand is an on-going story. Prior to the most recent line of Oxford-built MINI John Cooper Works and MINI CHALLENGE cars in 2008, a line of aftermarket tuning kits and factory-built models plot the history of John Cooper Works back to 2003. Here’s the full run-down:
2001-04 John Cooper Works 126 hp Tuning Kit for MINI Cooper
UK sales: unknown
Technical Specification
– Flowed and ported cylinder head
– Upgraded Air filter
– Cover injection tube
– Uprated exhaust (from the catalytic converter back)
– remapped ECU
– Decorative emblems
Performance data
– 126 bhp (94 kW) at 5750 rpm.
– Peak torque is 114 ft.lbs. at 4750 rpm
2003-04 John Cooper Works 200 hp Tuning Kit for MINI Cooper S
UK sales: 1197
Technical Specification
* Modified cylinder head including valve drive and gaskets
* Sport rear silencer in stainless steel
* Modified supercharger
* High power spark plugs
* Modified engine control unit
* John Cooper Works badges
* Engine cover finished in silver, including a John Cooper Works emblem
* John Cooper Works certificate of authenticity
Performance data
* 200 hp
* 245 Nm peak torque at 4,500 rpm
* 143 mph top speed
* 0-62 mph in 6.6 seconds
2004-06 John Cooper Works 210 hp After-sales & Factory Tuning Kit for MINI Cooper S
UK sales: 1209
Technical Specification
As 2003-04 John Cooper Works 200hp Tuning Kit for MINI Cooper S, but with:
* JCW upgrade kit to increase power output, consisting of a complete JCW air filter system, injection nozzles with increased throughput and modified engine control unit
Technical Specification
* Modified cylinder head including valve drive and gaskets
* Sport rear silencer in stainless steel
* Modified supercharger
* High power spark plugs
* JCW Air intake system (with opening flap)
* Upgraded injection nozzles
* Modified engine control unit
* Limited Slip Differential
* Larger brake calipers, rotors and pads in the front and upgraded pads in the rear
* John Cooper Works badges
* Engine cover finished in silver, including a John Cooper Works emblem
* John Cooper Works certificate of authenticity
Performance data
* 210 hp
* 245 Nm peak torque at 4,500 rpm
* 143 mph top speed
* 0-62 mph in 6.6 seconds
2005-06 Sound Kit for MINI Cooper (Performance equal to standard MINI Cooper)
UK sales: 525
Technical Specification
* Air filter system
* Stainless steel sports exhaust
* Modified engine control unit
* Engine cover finished in silver with John Cooper Works emblem
* John Cooper Works badges
* John Cooper Works certificate of authenticity
2006 MINI Cooper S with John Cooper Works GP Kit
UK sales: 454 (Limited production of 2,000 models for worldwide sale)
Technical Specification
* Limited Slip Differential
* ASC+T
* EBD
* DSC as a no-cost option
* Rear seat bench removed to accommodate a polished reinforcement tube connecting the spring strut domes on the rear axle
* John Cooper Works disc brakes (same as on the factory JCW kit)
* Thunder Blue/Pure Silver paintwork with red caps on the exterior mirrors
* Adapted air filter
* Modified outlet ducts
* Modified injection nozzles and spark plugs
* Sports exhaust system with chrome finish tailpipes
* Modified engine control unit
* 18 inch light alloy wheels with low profile tyres
* John Cooper Works GP Aerodynamic Kit
* Recaro leather seats in Panther Black
* Bose audio system with CD player
* John Cooper Works GP badges
Performance data
* 1.6 litre supercharged engine
* 218hp
* 250 Nm peak torque at 4,600 rpm
* 149 mph top speed
* 0-62 mph in 6.5 seconds
2007-2011 John Cooper Works Tuning Kit for MINI Cooper S
Technical Specification
* Sports exhaust with chrome finish tailpipes
* Adapted air filter
* Modified engine control unit
* John Cooper Works badges
Performance data
* 192 hp
* 250 Nm peak torque between 1,500 and 5,000 rpm. With Overboost deployed, peak torque is increased to 270 Nm between 1,750 and 4,500 rpm.
* 0-62 mph in 6.8 seconds
2009+ factory John Cooper Works
Technical Specification
– 211 bhp (207 hp) & 192 ft lbs or torque (207 ft lbs with overboost)
– Upgraded/Optimized Turbo Pistons and four piston brakes (adapted from the MINI Challenge race car)
– Upgraded Air Intake (same as dealer installed kit)
– Revised 6 speed Manual Transmission
– Upgraded Clutch
– Upgraded Full Cat-back JCW Exhaust
– Fully Optimized ECU
– JCW “Challenge Spoke” light weight alloy wheels (21 lbs)
– Electronic Differential Lock Control
– New speedometer to allow for higher maximum speed (148 mph)
2011+ John Cooper Works Tuning Kit for MINI Cooper S
Technical Specification
* Sports exhaust with chrome finish tailpipes
* Adapted air filter
* Modified engine control unit
* John Cooper Works badges
Performance data
* 200 hp at 5,700 rpm
* 250 Nm (184 lb-ft) between 1,250 and 5,000 rpm
* 270 Nm (199 lb-ft) between 1,800 and 5,000 rpm with Overboost function
* 0-62 mph in 6.6 seconds
* Top speed 145 mph
Note: all acceleration times are official and known to be conservative.
<p>I’m assuming the first JCW Tuning Kit mentioned should be 2011? The first two say 2007.</p>
<p>great article. i also went straight to the prince nine story, good one there also. </p>
<p>is there a motoring file story about the differences between the MCS and JCW engines? i’ve read that BMW M helped with (or maybe lead) development of the JCW factory engine. if there is a story, maybe someone will point it out as that topic is right on point this week! </p>
<p>prince nine (sp)…engine</p>
<p>Yes there was some help developing certain aspects of the car. If you go back to that time it’s mentioned in our <a href="https://www.motoringfile.com/2008/11/12/mf-review-factory-jcw-coupe/" rel="nofollow">first review</a> of the factory JCW car. In fact that was where we broke the news that JCW was indeed connected with BMW M(otorsport) in some small way. Here’s an excerpt:</p>
<blockquote>MINI has gone to great pains to compare JCW as a brand to the famed M division under the BMW brand. But you’ll notice that never once do they talk about who actually created the JCW powerplant. However we can finally confirm (after sitting on this information for the better part of a year) that the M Division did have a hand in the development of this new JCW engine. To our knowledge this is the first time that BMW’s Motorsport division has ever had a hand on any MINI development – a big deal to us and surely a big deal to JCW owners.
The drivetrain received a handful of modifications by BMW (not all by the M division mind you). For starters the intake valves and valve seat rings were upgraded with more durable materials to withstand the increased temperature caused by the free-revving engine. The pistons (and this is where M came into the equation) have had their sidewalls reinforced and subsequently the compression ratio has been reduced to 10.0:1. The cylinder head wall thickness has increased to reduce potential stress during peak output.</blockquote>
<p>thanks for the thoughtful response. interesting read putting the excerpt, the article above and the prince engine article all together.
on a potentially related topic- can’t wait to hear any details on the new GP engine. we know it will make more power, but i think the interesting part (just like the above referenced work on the JCW engine) is what they changed, why the did it and how (other than the increase hp/tq) it makes the engine better/different/special.</p>
<p>Full rundown seems not to mention the 2006 Competition Edition, Canada’s version of the GP and only 64 in the world.</p>
<p>This was meant to list only products that were available in most markets and not country-specific models.</p>
<p>You’ve got some mix up in the 2003-2004 MCS kit. It did not come with the intake and injectors – they were an additional package once the 04-06 210 hp kit came out. While the entry on the 04-06 kit references the 03-04 kit PLUS the intake and injectors, you’ve already got them listed in the 03-04 kit which is wrong.</p>
<p>Also – didn’t the GP come with a different intercooler? I don’t see that listed.</p>
<p>Yup you’re correct. That was taken from MINI UK’s press info from 2005 so I’ll blame them :)</p>
<p>And:</p>
<p>2004-06 John Cooper Works 210 hp Factory Tuning Kit for MINI Cooper S (not Aftersales) had Limited Slip Differential and 16-inch John Cooper Works disc brakes</p>
<p>2006 MINI Cooper S with John Cooper Works GP Kit had’nt got any Bose audio system (it was : no “radio boost cd” as no cost option)</p>
<p>It was actually the base Bose boost audio system – just with no back speakers. And the brakes weren’t 16″ – that was a mis-label from the UK press release in 2006 that has carried on to this day.</p>
<p>Thank you</p>
<p>Acceleration times for 2009+ factory John Cooper Works are forgotten ?</p>
<p>I’m guessing 6.5 for the Hardtop and 6.6 or 6.7 for the Clubman. The Convertible would probably be more like the Clubman.</p>
<p>Thank you</p>
<p>I wish MINI would release the JCW kit for the Countryman S already :(</p>
<p>Indeed, I’d love to be able to get one for mine…</p>
<p> Plenty of better/cheaper aftermarket options.</p>