Driven: Mini Coupe John Cooper Works
A selection of tweaks under the skin have given us fresh reason to take Mini's hot Coupe for a spin.
The rounder, lowered roof didn’t sit well with the lumpy, squared-off rump, the bluff front end and high shoulder. The peculiarly-shaped glasshouse didn’t help matters, and when one of the company higher-ups described it as being inspired by a yoof’s reversed baseball cap, there were howls of dismay and derision. The die was cast for the Coupe.
Coupe seems less offensive than once it did
Or was it? Today, the Coupe’s looks seem somehow less offensive than they once did. In fact, when we first clap eyes on the red JCW we’ll be testing, we actually rather like it. It could be that that the black roof combines with the tinted windows to mask that awkward window-line; it could be that the passage of time and familiarity has softened the edges. Either way, the looks don’t feel like quite such a big issue as they once did. Here and now, the Coupe JCW has the air of a bulldog puppy: squat, taut and ready for anything. With the disclaimer that there's still a definite whiff of Marmite car about it.
It’s worth pointing out that this isn’t quite the same Coupe we tested back in 2011. Mini’s just indulged in a spot of engine tweakery that, it says, will make the 1.6-litre twin-scroll unit in all hatch-based JCWs feel more responsive while improving fuel consumption and lowering emissions. There’s no outright power increase over the previous engine’s 211hp, though.
Interior's still the same as the hatch
Fortunately, that doesn’t seem to be an issue for the Coupe’s driving experience. There’s instant response and a solid shove in the back, no matter which gear you’re in or revs you’re at. With such solid low-end performance, you might expect a drop-off in urge as the revs rise, but you’d be wrong. Instead, the engine takes on an angry snarl, overlaid with a smidge of turbo whistle, and suddenly it’s charging on towards the red line. It suits the Coupe’s pugnacious personality ideally.
It’s also well-matched to the Coupe’s chassis setup. It’s slightly firmer than the JCW hatch, but not so much so that it becomes uncomfortable, at least on the Portuguese roads of the test route. And it does add an extra degree of sharpness. It needs a certain driving style to get the best of it, though. Snicking down into second for higher revs on the exit doesn’t work quite so well, overwhelming the electronic diff and resulting in a scrabbling inside tyre and a gentle drift of the nose toward the outside of the bend.
Leaving it in third suits all but the tightest of corners better, allowing you to use that prodigious mid-range to squirt out of the bend. Drive the Coupe like this, and it’s a hoot. It never becomes jittery mid-corner, and even the most ham-fisted of lifts checks any understeer that might creep in without unsettling the rear. And when the traction control’s set to Sport to give you more leeway, it does a great job of providing the sort of safety net it should without ever intruding on the driving experience.
No rear seats. Room for a bag, though...
It’s a beguiling thing to drive, then. More so than the JCW hatch, in fact, which is ever-so-slightly squidgier. But of course, the Coupe does command a £1,500 premium, meaning it’ll set you back £23,800. That’s a significant chunk of cash when you consider you have to make do with the same interior as the hatch, and you lose two rear seats. Compared with the JCW GP – more of which shortly – it’s reasonably good value. But that’s a bit like saying that compared to polonium, lard is reasonably healthy.
You won’t find a performance car bargain here, then. It’s too small, too impractical, and not quite powerful enough for that. But if you’re among the camp that likes its looks, so much so that the price doesn’t put you off, or if nothing but a Mini will do, then we wouldn’t stop you. And you wouldn’t be disappointed. Against expectations, it provides the best-rounded driving experience of the JCW range.
MINI COUPE JOHN COOPER WORKS
Engine: 1,598cc 4-cyl direct-injection turbo
Transmission: 6-speed manual
Power (hp): 211@6,000rpm
Torque (lb ft): 192@1750-5500
0-62mph: 6.4sec
Top speed: 149mph
Weight: 1,175kg
MPG: 42.8 (combined)
CO2: 153g/km
Price: £23,800
Sub 1200kg - a rare thing in anything remotely entertaining these days.
Good power
Not boring looking
Drives and handles well
Quite speedy
And are there any other 2 seat coupes with similar performance available for less money?
Personally it looks no worse than any current hatchback, better than many and more interesting than all of them.
There's nothing interesting about that mini at all. It's an ugly, confused looking runt of the Mini litter.
Besides it wanting to drag you into the bushes in 2nd through the corners (the article is spot on about keeping it in 3rd), i found it a surefooted car which was a hoot to drive.
Fuggly in some people's eyes and probably a little overpriced in mine but that 1.6 engine with the twin scrolling turbo is lovely...as is the growl from the straight through exhaust.
Don't knock it till you've tried it!
I bought a 08 S on 30K miles for £9k 12 months ago and it's a great little track car, as well as OK for the school runs, going to the gym, going to the nail bar, hairdresser's appointment etc...
Very easy on brakes / tyres / bushings as it's pretty light (1140kg). Even on long travel OE suspension and with a bit of added front camber + minimised rear camber (both are adjustable !) it's pretty neutral, actually it can be a twitchy little b
h at the back in the wet, 205 GTI style. Lateral grip is brilliant, I have seen 1G on a Android app (maybe not quite calibrated nor accurate).Impressive traction and lack of torque steer on (compulsory!) non-run flats if the geo is done properly, including ballasting.
I suppose if you like your brakes overservoed then the Scirroco is a better choice, but for me modulation is more important.
Ring for a couple of days in May might be a test though, looking forward to it.
I genuinely don't understand why car enthusiasts call MINIS a hairdresser's car (I have no idea what that means btw) when they seem to judge it on its looks only rather than on the way it drives/performs, massive contradiction there.
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