When MINI USA announces order allocations for a new model, they usually provides Motoring Advisors with detailed information pertaining to the technical and pricing specificities of said model. This information serves as an ordering guide for dealers, but it also helps them better understand what the price range of the new car will be given different levels of configuration. Thanks to one of our sources, MotoringFile managed to get their hands on this documentation for the upcoming F56 John Cooper Works. Since the JCW was unveiled back in January, we’ve received countless requests for more information on pricing. Until now, the only thing we knew for certain was the base price of **$30,600**, but today we have exact pricing for a number of options and packages. With that in mind, it’s time to start your favorite spreadsheet app!
##Standard Equipment and Exclusive Features
As a reminder, the F56 John Cooper Works boasts a turbocharged 2.0 liter 4-cylinder engine that cranks out 228 hp with 236 ft-lbs of torque. It goes from 0 to 60 in 5.9 sec with an automatic transmission (6.1 sec with a manual transmission). The new JCW also carries all-new 4 piston brakes with red Brembo calipers up-front. On a closed course, MINI advertises a top speed of 153 mph.
Beyond performance engineering, buyers have always expressed their desire for more exclusivity when it comes to the JCW model, and with this new generation, it appears that MINI has granted their wish. As such, the following features will only be found in the F56 John Coopers Works:
– Chili Red Roof and Mirror Caps
– JCW 17″ Spoke Wheels
– JCW Rebel Green
– JCW Bonnet Stripes
– JCW Badging on the grill, boot lid and side scuttles (too many in many in our opinion)
– JCW Sport Seats
– Unique designs for the manual and automatic gearshift levers
– Signature JCW Checkered Flag graphics on the speedometer, tachometer, and center instruments
– Chili Red and Black remote fob
So, when combining some of the exclusive JCW features with the standard equipment from the F56 Cooper S, here is what you get for a stock **$30,600** John Cooper Works:
– Cooper S Standard Equipment
– LED Headlights
– JCW 17″ Spoke Wheels
– JCW Leather Steering Wheel
– JCW Sport Seats
– Rear Spoiler
– White Turn-Signal Lights
– Sport Suspension (or switch to standard suspension at no cost)
– JCW Aero Kit
– Headliner in Anthracite
If someone were to configure a sportily-equipped 3-door F56 Cooper S (i.e. adding the JCW Exterior Package, JCW Interior Package, LED Headlights, and JCW Brake Kit to the standard Cooper S equipment) it would cost them about **$29,750**. In comparison, a stock F56 JCW would cost them **$30,600** but they would get the Performance Tuning, the unique JCW Trim, and the JCW Sport Seats. Let’s be no honest, it is not cheap, but for an additional **$850** a standard JCW is definitely good value compared to a “JCW-equipped” Cooper S.
##Options and Packages
Given what we explained above, not all of the usual options or packages carry over from the F56 Cooper and Cooper S. Because the content of the Sport Package (ZSP) is already standard on the JCW, it is no longer an option for that model. As such, there is also no reason to offer the Fully Loaded Package (ZFL) for the JCW. However, the Wired Package (7L5) and the Premium Package (ZPP) that come with the Fully Loaded Package are still available for purchase.
##MotoringFile’s Configuration
Since the F56 Hardtop was announced, I’ve indicated many times that its JCW variant is one of my top choices for my next vehicle. Now that we know the details of the Ordering Guide, here is what my ideal configuration would approximately look like:
– Base Price ($30,600)
– Rebel Green ($1,000)
– Leather/Dinamica ($2,250)
– Wired Package ($1,750)
– Park Distance Control ($500)
– Wired Upgrade ($850)
– Harman/Kardon Sound System ($750)
– 18″ JCW Cup Spoke ($750)
The total for this configuration is **$38,450** without destination and handling. Many will argue that this is expensive for a MINI and I wouldn’t disagree with them. Then again, we are fan of the brand for its intangibles, not for how it is priced compared to its competitors.
##Timing
Production begins in March for cars with the automatic transmission while production for cars with the manual transmission will begin a few months later. This is unexpected and MINI explains this delay by the fact that “Munich wants to make sure they got the manual transmission just right before letting it enter production”. We don’t want to sound pessimistic for lovers of the stick shift, but this might indicate how the BMW Group sees the role of the manual transmission moving forward. Dealerships already have allocations from the March and April production, so order bank cars can be built from May production onward.
If you can’t wait until MINI USA updates the configurator with the JCW, we suggest heading over to [MINI.de](http://www.mini.de). Clik on “Neuwagen” and then “Whalen Sie Ihren MINI” at the bottom-left of the menu. Click on the 3-door Hardtop picture and and toggle the switch to “Automatic”. The JCW F56 will become available as a configuration choice.
<p>$38,450 – MINI JCW 228hp, 0-60MPH 5.9secs, 6-speed Auto.
$36,595 – MK7 Golf R, 292hp, 0-60MPH 4.9 secs, 6-speed DSG Auto, 4Motion AWD, 5-doors</p>
<p>‘Car’ said, “The MK7 Golf R is so well equipped in standard form, the only option you need to consider is 5-doors”.</p>
<p>“You pays your money, you takes your choice” :-)</p>
<p>$38,450 is with a MT.</p>
<p>Thanks Alex. MT will be available shortly on the ‘R’ and, presumably therefore, will be cheaper, making the price differential even greater!</p>
<p>That’s not what VW USA has stated. But that will all be mute when Ford Focus RS arrives this summer with 320l+ hp and an advanced all wheel drive. Speculation at Ford says that the price will be between WRX-STI and VW R pricing.</p>
<p>Personally, I don’t see VW GTI or R series in the same ball park as the MINI JCW or S. They are so much larger, both inside and outside and you have to throw around another 400 lbs. Plus, they seem geared towards a completely different market. And for myself you can guess, I’m not a 5-door guy.</p>
<p>“But that will all be mute when Ford Focus RS arrives this summer with 320l+ hp and $50,000 price tag.”</p>
<p>FTFY</p>
<p>VWs still lack the soul and personality and culture of the MINIs. I have compared them several times including the R versions and still come away wanting the MINI every time. I like my speed with some fuel economy as well as to work a bit when I drive with a manual tranny</p>
<p>Once you get near $40K sticker for any car with sporting pretensions those three letters, FWD, become an issue I think. Especially since the Golf R is AWD.</p>
<p>Because of it’s Haldex transmission, the Golf is technically FWD + rear assist and it still understeers like any FWD car (or Audi for that matter). So all you’re really getting is a boost to the 0-100 sprint and some extra fun in the snow.</p>
<p>And plenty of extra weight.</p>
<p>Hmmm, if you look at the Autocar test review a little further down it seems that understeer is not an issue with the Golf R.</p>
<p>Right but that doesn’t make a fun car to drive …like the Mini</p>
<p>First off, I wouldn’t ever order a 4/5 door hatch, but that’s to others preference, I guess. Also remember, comparing the VW R is that you get it one way, auto only, unless you live in Europe.</p>
<p>As for the shown JCW with options, all of us will order differently. The way that I have optioned, comparing what the prices are with the MINI S JCW packages, mine comes in at $34950, including freight. I will not pay $2250 for leather, or $850 for wire upgrade, or $500 for rear parking or the $750 for the 18″ wheels that I don’t like. But I will pay for Siris, and the Garage door and mirror upgrade. And as for the Rebel green, I like it but not $1000 for it. I have difficulties paying the $500 for any of the optional metallic paint. I may wind up with a Chili Red on Chili Red, then do the black and gray Checkered roof.</p>
<p>Still wondering what the 3-gauge tariff will be, but now I’m kind of leaning towards the HUD after I’ve bad mouthed it before. And, thanks Alex for this update.</p>
<p>I agree that $1,000 for Rebel Green is difficult to swallow but it is by far the best color I’ve seen on a MINI along with Connaught Green. Also I’m necessarily a fan of the Cup Spoke, but there isn’t much choice available for 18″ wheels for now.</p>
<p>What no one had said so far is that you could very easily live with a base spec JCW in Chili red with few to no options for about $32,000. Sure we all prefer some other creature comforts (NAV, HK etc.) but compare it to a 2006 JCW GP, which basically had heated seats and nothing else for $30,500, and you really start to see a great bang for your buck in the new JCW. Seriously, if you wanted an extremely fun JCW without breaking the bank, there’s no shame in a very lightly optioned (heated seats, arm rest and wheel upgrade) 2015 JCW for around $32,000.</p>
<p>It makes sense, but a GP (I, II or else) will always an additional intangible that the JCW will never have; exclusivity. As long as my car is exclusive, I really don’t mind having few to no additional options in it. Except for the tuning, the base 2015 JCW doesn’t seem that exclusive and adding a couple of options helps compensating for that. I don’t know. If I owned any GP, it would be very difficult for me to trade it in for a 2015 JCW.</p>
<p>Yes. I’m starting to re-consider my plan to sell the GP later this year. But every time I get into a newer car, MINI or otherwise, I long for the advanced technology and comfort that my, almost, nine year old JCW GP lacks. I guess 2015 is the year I became a car “collector” because my 2006 GP still puts a smile on my face every time I drive it. ;-)</p>
<p>The fact that they can’t legally make a car like that again means you can’t sell it.</p>
<p>Why wouldn’t they be allowed to legally make a car like that again? I don’t really understand why it can’t be re-sold wither.</p>
<p>There’s nothing from preventing Todd to sell his car. MINI couldn’t recreate the same car today due to the restrictions from pedestrian impact regulations.</p>
<p>And EPA and NHSTB…. The list gets long and I’m just talking about the US market.</p>
<p>I agree Alex, but if one does not have a 2013 GP, why not get a factory soon available, JCW, option it with some sensible options, without going wild and when the 2019 GP comes around, go of that and its exclusivity?</p>
<p>That’s a possibility, but an expensive one given the depreciation hit.</p>
<p>I put a deposit down on one that will be about $33,300 with only non-standard being cold pack, sunroof, and roof rails (including dest.). That’s really all that I see as needed… A similar “S” (with JCW packs and similar options) would be within $2k and not have the power, wheels, brakes, and residual value in a few years.</p>
<p>Sounds about right. I’d take out the sunroof, add the media oak, HK and garage door opener. Still about $34K. and I still have all that I would want. Next year for me.</p>
<p>Are they allowing you to order the manual yet?</p>
<p>“Order” isn’t really accurate, but yes. June build I believe.</p>
<p>Exactly, Todd!</p>
<p>I’m still hankering for a JCW Cooper with a cranked version of the 3cyl – all the power of a Cooper S, less weight, better dynamics. What say you Mini?</p>
<p>Maybe next gen.</p>
<p>Its got to be now – by next gen I’ll be looking for an electric car.</p>
<p>They’ve got higher tunes on the 3cyl for other models – we all know that – no new certification is needed.</p>
<p>It should be like a jcw coupe CSL</p>
<p>He problem is 3 vs 4 cylinders and customer expectations. That’s the real reason told to me over drinks at launch. I imagine cost vs benefit scenario is at play for the moment.</p>
<p>I understand that reason for putting the 2.0 in the S. But this would be a narrow focus model like the JCW S, but priced between the JCW S and the Cooper S. It does not have to make sense in the way the Cooper S had to be 2.0 to meet customer expectations. It would be be the S for the enthusiast who saw past the frankly weak consumer thinking that landed us in a 2.0 S.</p>
<p>Gabe and Alex what do you think of the JCW not having fog lights?</p>
<p>Given that the LED Headlights are standard, I think having front fog lights would be overkill. I would definitely option the rear fog lights. It’s an important safety feature and can even be life-saving in areas that are prone to rough winters.</p>
<p>Fogs are made mostly redundant with LEDs. Also saves weight and allows for appropriate levels of cooling.</p>
<p>Well, mine will not be an automatic, so looks like I will not get mine as soon as I wanted. That is a little disappointing, but gives me time to put more cash together to put down on it.</p>
<p>I also will be nowhere near the 38k price tag, but figure I will be around 35.</p>
<p>I drove one of the last versions of the Golf R and have to say that the car lacked the soul and connected feeling that the Mini offers and feels gigantic in comparison. It was fast, no doubt, but it just wasn’t as fun and was almost too refined. Also not into the VW cookiecutter look where every car (except the beetle) looks exactly the same.</p>
<p>Any ideas yet when MiniUSA configurator will be updated or when they will start taking orders? Will the orders for the stick also be delayed?</p>
<p>We don’t know for the configurator. Probably a matter of weeks. As for the rest of your questions, you will find the answers to them in the last two paragraphs of this post.</p>
<p>Paul – Nevertheless, it would be unfair to write-off the MK7 Golf R simply on your experience of driving the previous MK6 R. Late last year, Autocar featured its favourite top 50 cars on sale in the UK, and it goes without saying that the MK7 R came in at Number One. It really is that good. I have attached a copy of Autocar’s summing up, which I think you might find interesting.</p>
<p>Please do not take my comments as “writing off” the MK7 Golf R or even the previous versions. They are excellent cars and my comments were not intended to say that they were not. They were simply to indicate the reason that I prefer the Mini JCW when it will reach to the same price range. I also did not say that I did not like the MK6, I actually did, but I just don’t find the looks or the driving dynamics to be as enjoyable as the Mini. If I hadn’t been driving Mini’s for the past 10 years, the Golf R would be very close to if not at the top of my list.</p>
<p>Thanks for that! :-)</p>
<p>Still has two too many doors, and at 3400 lbs, very heavy.</p>
<p>In Europe of course, we have the option of two fewer doors. However, you are right that the two cars are not directly in competition; the JCW is ‘B’ category, the Golf R ‘C’ category. More importantly, the JCW screams “Look at me!”, whereas the ‘R’ exudes discretion. Nothing wrong with either, but both cars will naturally appeal to very different types of buyers.</p>
<p>What would really rankle me if I bought a JCW, would be the smug look on the faces of MK7 Golf R owners, knowing that that had bought a vastly superior high-performance machine for very similar money. It is said that, ultimately we are all promoted to a position of incompetence, and the JCW is probably as far as the F56 can go without 4WD. A comprehensive road-test between the JCW and the R this spring will reveal all.</p>
<p>If you begin to wonder what’s in mind’s other drivers… buy anyhing but a Mini</p>
<p>I also really do not care what drivers of the Golf R will think. Yes they may have bought a car with superior performance, but I think that they lose a lot going that way too. Between the passion that Mini drivers feel for their cars and the people and “Mini Community” that comes with buying one, I think they are missing out. I have really enjoyed the Mini get togethers that our local club has and some of the other larger events and keep going back to them. I went to a VW GTI thing with a friend who had one a few years back and barely anyone showed up and nobody really talked to each other.</p>
<p>With all that said, the Golf R is still seems like an amazing car. If you are in it for the track and competition etc. or just having the higher performance car to use on roads (where you really shouldn’t be using all that performance) then I say go for that. If you are in it for the fun and quirkiness of Minis and their owners, then you cannot go wrong with one of those either. Both cars are great and the decision should come down to what’s more important to you.</p>
<p>Absolutely right, couldn’t agree more!</p>
<p>As I said at the start, “You pays your money and you takes your choice” :-)</p>
<p>I agree too, the R will be a great car for other people. But it’s for a different person than me. I’d buy the Focus RS if I wanted 4 doors. Plus, it’s just too plain Jane.</p>
<p>Is, or will the JCW be perfect, shucks no, but with the way that I would option it out, it should blend with the crowd. And as for what the VW crowd think, ignore them like they usually ignore my MINI’s. Go to a European car get together sometime and see what I mean. Lets just say, rather snobbish. And as for the R series anyway, just how many are you going to see. In my area if there will be over one or two of them, I’ll be surprised.</p>
<p>Get what you want, I always say, and don’t worry about the other guy. VW has a couple of great cars granted, but I still love the MINI feel and look. On vacation in the Rockies, quite a ways from Denver, I got many comments on the r59, they never have seen one before, even asked what kind of a car it was in Cheyenne. That’s a MINI.</p>
<p>So, playing around with the German configurator, I realized that you can build a car that, at least in terms of color choices, comes pretty close to the MINI City concept car: Lapisluxury Blue paint, white bonnet stripes, red roof & mirrors, plus the sunroof. All that remains to be changed after-market would be to replace the red mirrors with white ones (which I would expect to be a pretty straight-forward switch) — and, voila! Of course, it’s about twice the size of the concept, but a hot car all the same.</p>
<p>That looks really good!!!!</p>
<p>Any F56 could have a red roof, if you get it wrapped 🙂 Personally if I were spending $1K+ on paint, the entire car would be the same color. If I wanted a contrasting roof color, I’d seek out Todd or someone else to take care of that.</p>
<p>Why is Pepper White and White Silver the only two colors that you have to have a contrasting roof?</p>
<p>You don’t for Pepper White.</p>
<p>Ah. I thought the white roof and mirrors was different then Pepper White. That’s even more maddening that White Silver is the only color you can’t have the whole car painted.</p>
<p>That looks great, even the Chili Red accents go well with the optional blue. I”m a blue guy too.</p>
<p>Is the ordering guide actually available for download here? Or are all the add-ons priced the same as for regular 3-door Cooper S’s, so all we really need are the base price plus the list of base options (to avoid duplication) to come up with “our” dream car?</p>
<p>We won’t make the ordering guide available for download, but what you said is correct. All add-ons are priced the same way as the regular F56 S.</p>
<p>Good god, that green looks so much better without the red roof!</p>