Mini Cooper S JCW (R53) | PH Auction Block
The best of the supercharged Minis, in lovely condition - and with no reserve, too
There was a notable omission from our small-engined Six of the Best at the weekend: a 21st-century Mini. In both supercharged and turbocharged forms, they made for fast, characterful, exciting 1.6-litre hot hatches. It’s just that, to be frank, an old one with a sequential and a Hayabusa engine is even more exciting.
But the Mini thing just had to be revisited, especially with a JCW as nice as this one coming under the hammer soon. Nowadays it’s easy not to be too interested in Minis with John Cooper Works badges on them, which is a bit of a shame given the heritage. We know there won’t be another manual one (the 1-to-6 was a rather sad send-off, too), the new ICE car doesn’t seem all that sporty, and you’re most likely to see the initials on a Countryman SUV than anywhere else. Perhaps there’ll be a brilliant EV reinvention of the flagship Mini though, for now, the back catalogue looks more enticing than the current range.
This is probably exactly what was said 20 years ago when the first supercharged JCWs emerged. Too big to be a proper Mini, much too powerful, all style over substance and not cute enough - much better looking at an older, cheaper, simpler one. Sounds very familiar, right? So maybe we’ll all be lusting over Countrymans come the 2040s, with the Mini of the time so far removed from what we fondly remember. Or maybe not. Whatever the case, with no reserve and a guide of just £4-5,000, this R53 looks a very good value way into what’s becoming a more covetable classic hot hatch by the day.
No little effort was put into the JCW kit (it was a dealer-fit option back then, ordered new and fitted before registration) to ensure that it wasn’t just a cosmetic exercise. So over a standard supercharged Cooper S of the time, the John Cooper Works received a new supercharger pulley, a gas-flowed head, better spark plugs, bigger injectors, a reworked intake and exhaust, plus tweaks to the ECU to keep it all working harmoniously together. It meant an increase in power from the regular 163hp to 200hp - or 205hp by the time of this 2005 car. Back when a Fiesta ST could barely muster 150hp, it was a lot of power. Still is, really, in a car this small and light - even the brand-new Cooper S is just 204hp strong.
Understandably, then, these are the most desirable R53s out there, and are seldom seen as the JCW kit wasn’t a cheap extra when new. In fact, the original owner (one of just two in almost 20 years) did a great job of the spec, red working brilliantly with the contrast black accents and 17-inch silver wheels - the body-coloured trim inside really lifts the cabin as well. Leather seats will have cost, too, and the current owner has upgraded the stereo for a Bluetooth/DAB unit. Don’t adjust your screens, either, as this JCW really is that red; garaged since the current owner’s acquisition in 2008, it absolutely gleams.
The very nature of these Minis means they just beg to be driven, yet both keepers of this one have managed to keep themselves to just 62,000 miles in total. There are plenty of services in the history file, plus an MOT until next March with only an advisory for front brake pads. Which could of course be swapped in for something a tad more aggressive than stock to really get the most out of mighty Mini. Nobody needs to be reminded what great little track cars these supercharged cars can be for those willing to invest a bit.
There’s that potential, but for those who deem this Mini a bit too nice for a circuit it surely isn’t far from a show car either. The PH listings are nothing if not detailed, so those eager to bid can read about and see blemishes to the wheels, mirror and windscreen. There’s nothing major, put simply; it scrubs up well and could easily look even better still. Or left as is and enjoyed as a rorty and raucous retro hot hatch. It’s perhaps hard to think of Minis like this as classics now, but the first supercharged Cooper S came out 22 years ago. By any metric, they’re getting on a bit, but ageing fantastically.
Bidding on the Mini JCW will kick off tomorrow morning, with the auction running for a week. It’s expected to make between £4,000 and £5,000, which doesn’t seem a great deal given what’s being asked for, say, the very best Clios of the time. There’s no way this era is getting any cheaper, put it that way. Moreover, it’s selling without reserve, so if the bids reach less than the guide price then it sells regardless - whatever the amount. So there could be a real bargain in the offing. But there’s surely going to be far too much interest for that…
By the time you've sorted all that, you're deep into Clio 200 territory, which is a vastly superior track car out of the box than even the fully sorted MCS. Just lacks the engine tuning potential.
Good car but not a great car.
By the time you've sorted all that, you're deep into Clio 200 territory, which is a vastly superior track car out of the box than even the fully sorted MCS. Just lacks the engine tuning potential.
I absolutely loved my R53 - The most track action of any car I've had (to be fair it was easier times; pre-children) I did tune mine quite a lot, performance wise and cosmetically. Really miss that supercharger sound, shame there's no modern equivalent. Quite fancy a Fiesta ST Mk7 this year so will be eager to see how it compares as a fun, small, runabout.
I bought mine as I wanted something which was exciting, as my previous convertible (e36 bmw 323) was more of a cruiser. This is much more exciting and feels actually similar in character in some ways to my old TVR S2. Much less grown up than the R56 that followed it, but for me that was the appeal.
By the time you've sorted all that, you're deep into Clio 200 territory, which is a vastly superior track car out of the box than even the fully sorted MCS. Just lacks the engine tuning potential.
I absolutely loved my R53 - The most track action of any car I've had (to be fair it was easier times; pre-children) I did tune mine quite a lot, performance wise and cosmetically. Really miss that supercharger sound, shame there's no modern equivalent. Quite fancy a Fiesta ST Mk7 this year so will be eager to see how it compares as a fun, small, runabout.
Good on track if you throw money at it, and pull out some weight as in the supercharger whine is addictive, I owned from new and was very reliable in my hands past 140k when sold on…for a more sensible F56
By the time you've sorted all that, you're deep into Clio 200 territory, which is a vastly superior track car out of the box than even the fully sorted MCS. Just lacks the engine tuning potential.
Good car but not a great car.
My sister's Red R50 Cooper had a couple of small areas where the lacquer had lifted when she bought it in 2015 but by the time she sold it in 2018 half the roof had lacquer peel.
Mrs Tidy bought her red R56 Cooper new in 2006, and it's going in for 7 panels to be painted later this month to resolve peeling lacquer. Ordering it with a black roof was probably a good idea as that is fine!
Strange really because my 2002 Imola Red BMW E46 Compact had no such issues when I sold it in 2018.
But based on how Coopers drove a Cooper S must be a hoot.
My brother in law claims he had an AC Schnitzer which he said was amazing. Never seen one of those either.
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