RE: MINI Clubman JCW 306hp - Three Peaks | Promoted

[dc2rr07]

mikeswagon said:

I'll be the first to chip in.....

We had a great time making that, long tiring days, but I'd do it again. The roads and the scenery, well you can see in the vid, and everyone involved were a pleasure to be around, which was a bonus.

I came from an F56 Cooper, and had test driven an early F54 Cooper S, but wasn't impressed enough to change up.... I went the other way and got the R55 JCW back in April. Having followed Dan over many miles, I grew to really like the new F54, and in the metal the LCI lights really work - funnily enough I don't care for them on the F56 LCI.

Driving it was great fun, it feels very quick and very well planted on the road. I didn't miss having a manual box, quite the opposite and found the paddles really easy. Launch control left me stuck for words, then giggling like a little kid. It didn't feel significantly bigger, but it's still not a big car.

I like MINIs, but I'm by no means a fan-boy. If I had that kind of money, it would definitely be in the short list for the next car, along with the usual Golf GTI, S3 etc. Rebel Green or Emerald Grey with a white roof please.

Looking forward to the follow up and am with you on the new lights, they just don’t seem to work on the 3 door for some reason possibly too square and far apart compared to the rectangular shape on the clubman, anyway sounds like you had a lot of fun

[Loplop]

mikeswagon said:

It didn't feel significantly bigger, but it's still not a big car.

This was my biggest surprise when we test drove one. The missus went from a 50th Anniversary Mayfair Cooper non-S to the F56 JCW, all because she sat in the 60th Anniversary car whilst we were at BMW HQ in Munich and fell in love with the interior.

I'm 6ft 3 and she's 6ft, she's never once mentioned it, but I've found there to be significantly less space for me to get the driving position just right, I have the steering wheel and the seat as far back as they can possibly go, I could probably do with a little bit more on both as well as having the seat a little bit lower to be honest. I'm wondering if the seat height is being effected by the under seat subs included with the HK system.

Other than that the car is an absolute hoot to drive, seriously surprised by the grip from the Pirelli Cinturatos, the gear change is bloody lovely and it has the bluetooth exhaust for when you want to be a complete yob. It'll even do about 45 real world MPG on a run.

[cerb4.5lee]

Chestrockwell said:

I had a 68 plate Cooper S courtesy car for a month with 190 bhp and it felt a lot more lively than the X2 despite the massive power deficit. I can’t imagine a JCW Mini Cooper S with 230 bhp feeling gutless like your clubman.

That is one of the biggest things that surprises me with my 2017 3dr Cooper S and it shouldn't feel lively/quick with only 190bhp but it really does. It feels effortlessly torquey as well...even in 6th gear at low revs. The engine is unremarkable on paper but it does seem to really work well in the Cooper S for me.

[mikeswagon]

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