RE: Mini John Cooper Works: PH Fleet
Thursday 9th July 2015
For a glorious week in late May, I swapped my daily commute from a 10-mile grind up the A23 to Croydon for 30 miles of beautiful, flowing A-roads between Peebles and St Boswells in the Scottish Borders. Roads like the A707, slicing through a narrow glen hemmed in by steep hills adorned with summer gorse, and the A699 with its fabulous sweeping undulations.
The JCW has never looked so goodIt was my second year heading up to the area, once again to compete in a mountain bike race. Conveniently I would be re-tracing tyre tracks I'd laid down in the Clio Renaultsport 200. Provided I could fit my bike in the boot, it would the ideal opportunity to get properly acquainted with the F56 JCW.
This is better than CroydonSo what of the JCW's dynamics on those exhilarating Scottish roads? Mostly, the Mini left me duly impressed. It's genuinely rapid, punchy enough to pull strongly out of slow and medium speed corners without having to keep dropping down the gearbox. It devoured shorter straights and barely felt out of puff on the longer ones. The Steptronic 'box responded swiftly and obediently to every command, and there was ample, although somewhat muted, aural reward from the exhaust. And the brakes, as you might hope from four-piston Brembo calipers and dinner-plate 330mm rotors, were seriously impressive. Not just in terms of pure power, mind, but feel and modulation too. I also really like the fact that Mini has ditched the fog lights in favour of motorsport-inspired brake cooling ducts.
Are the tyres a limiting factor?Certainly, there's much to admire and enjoy about this latest JCW package. Yet, despite all these plaudits, I couldn't help thinking that something's missing, and it became more obvious the harder I pushed. The old Mini recipe - that's the original lower-case Issigonis version, not the shouty, Caps-lock BMW update - was all about enduring the straights and reveling in the turns; doggedly carrying unfathomable corner speed. My experience of this new John Cooper Works seems to be the antithesis. It (relatively) monsters the straights, but throws its hands up in surrender surprisingly early in the turns. My hunch is that it's the tyres that are largely to blame. At least I hope so. Like toweling socks on a parquet floor, the optional run-flat Pirelli P7 Cinturatos fitted to YC15 OCR want to glide across the surface, even when conditions are perfectly hot and sticky. Nor do they break away particularly progressively either. And in the wet, it's a genuinely tense experience, with the car fidgeting randomly between understeer and oversteer, often all in the same corner. There are many boxes on the options list that I could live without a tick in, but none that I'd go out of my way to avoid more than the ones marked '18in JCW Cup wheels', as this automatically adds the runflat tyres as well.
Mini John Cooper Works: PH Fleet
To Scotland for a proper test of the 231hp Mini (and hide it from passers-by)
The JCW has never looked so good
And so began a nerve-racking game of Tetris with a rather large full-suspension bike and a far less accommodating load space. For all the grief - quite rightly, too - hurled at the steadily ballooning Mini, in this instance I was hoping the additional inches went more than skin deep. Assisted by the scalloped-out backs of the front bucket seats, and a further recess in the bootlid, the wheel-less MTB finally, and narrowly, slotted into place. Shoes, pedals, tools and spares were then neatly swallowed by the boot's lidded storage compartment, leaving plenty of room for the wheels and kit bag on top of the frame. There are roof bars being fitted to the car as I type this, but it's good to know the JCW can swallow an essential lifestyle accessory, if only for peace of mind during those eleventh-hour Waitrose stops on the way back from a ride.
This is better than Croydon
To keep on top of torque steer, the JCW runs equal length driveshafts, in conjunction with some electronic trickery called Torque Steer Compensation. It works. Tugging at the chunky steering wheel is barely perceptible, even when being particularly clumsy with the throttle on lumpy corners. And nor does it exhibit the frustrating trait of power being overtly rationed. It may well be, of course, but it's not something I really noticed.
Are the tyres a limiting factor?
With a place booked on one of Mini's JCW track events next month, hopefully I'll get a chance to sample both of the wheel and tyre packages on offer back-to-back, and see if saving money on options can also unlock the JCW's dynamic potential.
Watch a drive-by video here.
FACT SHEET
Car: Mini John Cooper Works
Run by: Danny Milner
On fleet since: May 2015
Mileage: 2,936
List price new: £31,945 (Basic list of £24,445 plus £750 for Rebel Green paint, £1,400 for Media Pack XL, £2,470 for Chili Pack, £240 for variable damper control, £140 for run-flat tyres, £220 for sun protection glass, £215 for seat heating, £210 for Mini Yours fibre alloy interior, £590 for Park Distance Control, £150 for LED headlights, £590 for Harman Kardon hi-fi, £140 for intelligent emergency calling, £450 for head-up display)
Last month at a glance: A Scottish road trip shows the JCW off very well
Previous updates:
£32K for an automatic Mini? It's off to a tough start...
Discussion
i drove one of these the other week at brands, having owned both an R56 JCW and a couple of R53's i was well placed to see how the new JCW has grown. Boy has it grown, even at low speeds into Druids it felt like a fat old bloater. No where as nimble as the old cars. Mine had the standard 17's which i think are actually undersized for this car now, where as int he old JCW the smaller wheels were the ones to go for. which is why the GP2 got the 17's unlike the older GP1, in fact i think these are the same wheels on the new JCW as fitted tot he GP2 as they flare out to accommodate the brakes.
The Brakes were more than adequate, the list of toys in the Thunder grey one i had was ridiculous, full harmon kardon, Heads up display, nav, all sorts of voice control and extra lights. It also had the Auto box on it which is a worlds apart from the DSG vrs i drive daily. i was hoping ofr a manual to compare against my track Type R but they only had autos in attendance. The Auto is no DSG, it feels slower and i mean notcably and the kick down is not great on track. I'd love to try the manual.
Mini are really pushing this as a track car, hence the track launches. but unlike the last JCW and indeed the very focused GP2 it is not a track car. Sitting in the interior of the JCW you really could be in a 1 series or 2 series. Driving wise you feel very remote from what the wheels are doing . Personally i think Mini have lost all idea and are pushing to the luxury american market too much. The GP3 will be great i am sure but thats a good 5 years off on the usual product cycle.
Sorry Mini, good try but this is very much the Godfather part 3 as apposed to Return of the Jedi ( of the original trilogy before i get shot down)
Oh and car i was in was 32k list price.......... You can pick up a 2008 JCW for as low as 7k now
The Brakes were more than adequate, the list of toys in the Thunder grey one i had was ridiculous, full harmon kardon, Heads up display, nav, all sorts of voice control and extra lights. It also had the Auto box on it which is a worlds apart from the DSG vrs i drive daily. i was hoping ofr a manual to compare against my track Type R but they only had autos in attendance. The Auto is no DSG, it feels slower and i mean notcably and the kick down is not great on track. I'd love to try the manual.
Mini are really pushing this as a track car, hence the track launches. but unlike the last JCW and indeed the very focused GP2 it is not a track car. Sitting in the interior of the JCW you really could be in a 1 series or 2 series. Driving wise you feel very remote from what the wheels are doing . Personally i think Mini have lost all idea and are pushing to the luxury american market too much. The GP3 will be great i am sure but thats a good 5 years off on the usual product cycle.
Sorry Mini, good try but this is very much the Godfather part 3 as apposed to Return of the Jedi ( of the original trilogy before i get shot down)
Oh and car i was in was 32k list price.......... You can pick up a 2008 JCW for as low as 7k now
Edited by Antj on Thursday 9th July 14:31
This should be a style icon
Instead its a fat load of ugly s
t.
Was when it was released and still is now. familiarity has not eased it's assault on the eye.
It's been downward since the inception...
The 53 was acceptable and earned it's reputation....the the rot set in
fatter, uglier, 5 doors, SUVs...beggars belief that we have own buying public to blame..
Instead its a fat load of ugly s
t.Was when it was released and still is now. familiarity has not eased it's assault on the eye.
It's been downward since the inception...
The 53 was acceptable and earned it's reputation....the the rot set in
fatter, uglier, 5 doors, SUVs...beggars belief that we have own buying public to blame..
The options list has become almost Porsche like and needs careful navigating to avoid adding £6k/25% or more to the price. The wife's Cooper has most of the options ticked (her money, her choice) so I've seen first hand the ones that work and the ones that don't
The default, manual car with leather (£1k), heated seats (£215) rear parking sensors (£240, front and rear is £590) and the auto air con (£325) is plenty as the base spec includes sports seats, LED headlights (which are fantastic, no need for the optional adaptive) etc. The Media XL pack at £1400 for the bigger screen, multi device bluetooth, usb audio (last two should be in the basic spec. IMO) is a bit much for a bigger screen, you really have to use the nav a lot for it to make sense. I get it to £26215 for that spec, still daft for a small car.
I think Mini have missed out on not doing an optional handling pack that properly sorts it out, I can't imagine that it'd take a lot of tuning of the suspension to put right.
The default, manual car with leather (£1k), heated seats (£215) rear parking sensors (£240, front and rear is £590) and the auto air con (£325) is plenty as the base spec includes sports seats, LED headlights (which are fantastic, no need for the optional adaptive) etc. The Media XL pack at £1400 for the bigger screen, multi device bluetooth, usb audio (last two should be in the basic spec. IMO) is a bit much for a bigger screen, you really have to use the nav a lot for it to make sense. I get it to £26215 for that spec, still daft for a small car.
I think Mini have missed out on not doing an optional handling pack that properly sorts it out, I can't imagine that it'd take a lot of tuning of the suspension to put right.
Well, my wife has had her new JCW for two weeks now and I have to say it's a vast improvement on the R56 JCW we used to have. The power is delivered better and the chassis and steering is much improved too, none of the rut-chasing that the R56 JCW did and with the dampers on "normal" it's an easy mile muncher.
As for the price tag, well, we easily bust the 32k mark but we wanted the car, Mini's sales team were, as ever, excellent. Don't forget that price includes servicing and bullet proof warranty, but even so, the vitriol that I read on PH with any mention of the F56 JCW compelled me to post.
If you don't like it, fine; if you don't have 32k to spend on a little car that is a giggle, so what, I don't care; but don't put people off trying it by saying stupid things with no evidence or experience.
Incidentally, we drove, considered the following when choosing... Audi S1, Audi S3, and the Golf GTi. The Golf came closest (superb car) but the Mini Experience won out, and Audi customer service crashed and burned (annoying as I drive an S8).
As for the price tag, well, we easily bust the 32k mark but we wanted the car, Mini's sales team were, as ever, excellent. Don't forget that price includes servicing and bullet proof warranty, but even so, the vitriol that I read on PH with any mention of the F56 JCW compelled me to post.
If you don't like it, fine; if you don't have 32k to spend on a little car that is a giggle, so what, I don't care; but don't put people off trying it by saying stupid things with no evidence or experience.
Incidentally, we drove, considered the following when choosing... Audi S1, Audi S3, and the Golf GTi. The Golf came closest (superb car) but the Mini Experience won out, and Audi customer service crashed and burned (annoying as I drive an S8).
I quite like MINI's - I had three R53's (Cooper, S and One) which i still think are the best looking of the three geneatiosn.
The R56 didn't do much for me but the F56 feels like a huge step up interior wise to me, which is great in some respects but it does make them feel very, very grown up. The new S is hideous though. The big rear lights look odd on them all, but the bumpers on the S aren't that pleasant at all.
Having driven one, (standard S and Cooper). It's pretty quick, has a nice interior but there isn't any real excitment...I thought it nice but a tad dull. My old S had it's issues but it did sound great when pushing on and I like the heavy steering / gear change. Of the current range, I'd buy the Cooper - it's (marginally) better looking, has a more interesting engine and having had one on an extended demo, felt like the sweet spot.
The R56 didn't do much for me but the F56 feels like a huge step up interior wise to me, which is great in some respects but it does make them feel very, very grown up. The new S is hideous though. The big rear lights look odd on them all, but the bumpers on the S aren't that pleasant at all.
Having driven one, (standard S and Cooper). It's pretty quick, has a nice interior but there isn't any real excitment...I thought it nice but a tad dull. My old S had it's issues but it did sound great when pushing on and I like the heavy steering / gear change. Of the current range, I'd buy the Cooper - it's (marginally) better looking, has a more interesting engine and having had one on an extended demo, felt like the sweet spot.
JimmyFQ360 said:
Well, my wife has had her new JCW for two weeks now and I have to say it's a vast improvement on the R56 JCW we used to have. The power is delivered better and the chassis and steering is much improved too, none of the rut-chasing that the R56 JCW did and with the dampers on "normal" it's an easy mile muncher.
As for the price tag, well, we easily bust the 32k mark but we wanted the car, Mini's sales team were, as ever, excellent. Don't forget that price includes servicing and bullet proof warranty, but even so, the vitriol that I read on PH with any mention of the F56 JCW compelled me to post.
If you don't like it, fine; if you don't have 32k to spend on a little car that is a giggle, so what, I don't care; but don't put people off trying it by saying stupid things with no evidence or experience.
Incidentally, we drove, considered the following when choosing... Audi S1, Audi S3, and the Golf GTi. The Golf came closest (superb car) but the Mini Experience won out, and Audi customer service crashed and burned (annoying as I drive an S8).
I have to agree with Jimmy, my wife has got a new manual JCW and it is a brilliant car. It's got very different appeal to it's class rivals, especially in interior design and quality that sets it apart. Admittedly it's got a face only a mother could love (subjective I suppose).As for the price tag, well, we easily bust the 32k mark but we wanted the car, Mini's sales team were, as ever, excellent. Don't forget that price includes servicing and bullet proof warranty, but even so, the vitriol that I read on PH with any mention of the F56 JCW compelled me to post.
If you don't like it, fine; if you don't have 32k to spend on a little car that is a giggle, so what, I don't care; but don't put people off trying it by saying stupid things with no evidence or experience.
Incidentally, we drove, considered the following when choosing... Audi S1, Audi S3, and the Golf GTi. The Golf came closest (superb car) but the Mini Experience won out, and Audi customer service crashed and burned (annoying as I drive an S8).
It's a genuinely fun car to be in, and not to be taken too seriously. At least in manual form the driving experience is just hilarious! ( I've not driven an auto JCW). I'd probably go so far as to say it's more fun 'in the real world' than driving my M6.
Sep
IMHO, I could never get over the looks of the new shape Mini. The rear lights look awful and it looks like it could easily be one of those Chinese knockoffs of the previous generation.
Shame, I think the 2.0 BMW block lends itself to a lot of potential, but the car is just getting so large. If I had to get a Mini now I would just dump my money on a Paceman JCW as if you're going to get a big heavy mini, you may as well get the most ridiculous bstd child model in the lineup
Shame, I think the 2.0 BMW block lends itself to a lot of potential, but the car is just getting so large. If I had to get a Mini now I would just dump my money on a Paceman JCW as if you're going to get a big heavy mini, you may as well get the most ridiculous bstd child model in the lineup
No matter how it may drive, it's still a rubbishy little Mini that has been kicking around for years.
Despite new models and facelifts, to me they all look very samey and are generally an effeminate little chariot that I'm sick to the back teeth of seeing.
They have ripped the arse out of it now with every variant you could (not) wish for. Crap
Despite new models and facelifts, to me they all look very samey and are generally an effeminate little chariot that I'm sick to the back teeth of seeing.
They have ripped the arse out of it now with every variant you could (not) wish for. Crap
So BMW really only charge £150 for LED headlights, which is less than parking sensors, a flashy bit of interior trim etc?
How do they do it when other major manufacturers add up to over £1k on top of that for LED lights?
Hard to believe that a 'safety feature' (my words, and I consider better lights to be an essential) costs less than a chinzy bit of frippery elsewhere in the avalanche of options.
Having owned the earlier version, I'm afraid this write-up, plus the wonderfully worded response above has told me all I need to know about this oversized, overweight niche-filler; no thanks.
Is it only be that thinks that as the MINI gets bigger with each model, it gets further away from what BMW originally (probably) intended, unless of course they are looking to introduce a new model below this and badge it as a MINI-Lite or MINI-mini, followed by the MINI-Midi and then the MINI-Maxi... oh the horror that last name summons up!
Please excuse me whilst I am returned to the asylum for even thinking such horrible thoughts.........
How do they do it when other major manufacturers add up to over £1k on top of that for LED lights?
Hard to believe that a 'safety feature' (my words, and I consider better lights to be an essential) costs less than a chinzy bit of frippery elsewhere in the avalanche of options.
Having owned the earlier version, I'm afraid this write-up, plus the wonderfully worded response above has told me all I need to know about this oversized, overweight niche-filler; no thanks.
Is it only be that thinks that as the MINI gets bigger with each model, it gets further away from what BMW originally (probably) intended, unless of course they are looking to introduce a new model below this and badge it as a MINI-Lite or MINI-mini, followed by the MINI-Midi and then the MINI-Maxi... oh the horror that last name summons up!
Please excuse me whilst I am returned to the asylum for even thinking such horrible thoughts.........
Sep said:
It's a genuinely fun car to be in, and not to be taken too seriously. At least in manual form the driving experience is just hilarious! ( I've not driven an auto JCW). I'd probably go so far as to say it's more fun 'in the real world' than driving my M6.
Sep
Yup, agree. My daily driver is +500hp too and it's such fun to be able to be able to hoon about in something more sport rather than scary! Considering a Golf GTi for myself as a more normal ride and keeping the S8 for "Sundays". I'd forgotten how much fun hot hatches were!Sep
Although I might wait for the GP...
I've always wanted to try out a JCW. An older one, more likely, which seemed to be the most widely praised. I agree with the comments about the size though, the original 'MINI' was about right in terms of proportions but bizarre market demands have ensured that the car has grown steadily since, resulting in the bloated thing it now is. Sounds pleasing on the video though.
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