Discussion
Hello All!
I'm new to the forum and this is just a quick hello! I am on the look out for a new motor, as my MG TF 135 is becoming a bit boring. A friend pointed me in the direction of the Mini Cooper S John Cooper Works car (210bhp). I was just wondering if anyone owns one, if so whats the good stuff and whats that bad stuff about them? Is there any problem areas I should look for when I goo and have a look at a few? Thanks in advance for any help you can give me!
I'm new to the forum and this is just a quick hello! I am on the look out for a new motor, as my MG TF 135 is becoming a bit boring. A friend pointed me in the direction of the Mini Cooper S John Cooper Works car (210bhp). I was just wondering if anyone owns one, if so whats the good stuff and whats that bad stuff about them? Is there any problem areas I should look for when I goo and have a look at a few? Thanks in advance for any help you can give me!
Howdy, welcome to PH! I used to own a MINI Cooper S JCW a few years ago - I only sold it because the insurance for a BMW M3 suddenly became affordable.
The Cooper S is already a fantastic car, and the JCW kit just makes everything that bit more dramatic. 0-60 times are <7 seconds and the top end is >140MPH, but those figures don't tell the proper story. Mid-gear acceleration is great and the car feels so composed on twisty roads (where the MINI is really at home).
Space isn't a strongpoint in the MINI but then coming from an MG you'll find there's plenty of room (my girlfriends last car was an MGF).
From the power output you mention I guess you'll be going for a used example? Ideally you want air-con (pref digital) and/or the panoramic sunroof, and at least the half-leather trim (these both help come resale time). Colour is obviously a very subjective and personal thing but I think the darker colours always look best on a JCW. If you can find an example with the JCW sports bucket seats then they might be worth considering - they're very supportive and look the mutt's nuts.
Bad stuff: well, the back seats are really only for kids and the boot is quite small. The power-steering feels fantastic but makes a really annoying whining sound. The interior is great but the build quality is hit-and-miss - my own example developed a bad dashboard creak after 5k miles (from new) and it never went away, and the leather seats wore really badly.
Edited by ehyouwhat on Wednesday 18th October 19:09
Hi Kirsty5150
The car should have the TLC package which means free service for 5 years or less than 50000 miles, intervals are 15000-20000 depending on use. Recommend the Works seats the standard leathers not very good, Climate controls great but do you really need a sunroof its very top heavy, one thing I do find useful is the multi function steering wheel 'mfsw' radio controls. on the running side don't expect much over 30mpg that's driving sensibly. On the whole definitely recommend one though.
The car should have the TLC package which means free service for 5 years or less than 50000 miles, intervals are 15000-20000 depending on use. Recommend the Works seats the standard leathers not very good, Climate controls great but do you really need a sunroof its very top heavy, one thing I do find useful is the multi function steering wheel 'mfsw' radio controls. on the running side don't expect much over 30mpg that's driving sensibly. On the whole definitely recommend one though.
Welcome to PH Kirsty5150.
I own a Cooper S and apart from being slightly underpowered at times I would wholly recommend one. The only thing that you need to do is to get rid of the BMW run flats and put on proper tyres. A decent set of rubber will turn the Cooper S into a proper handling car. 'Fraid to say that I haven't had experience with the JCW kit but I have heard that it can be lots of fun..
I own a Cooper S and apart from being slightly underpowered at times I would wholly recommend one. The only thing that you need to do is to get rid of the BMW run flats and put on proper tyres. A decent set of rubber will turn the Cooper S into a proper handling car. 'Fraid to say that I haven't had experience with the JCW kit but I have heard that it can be lots of fun..
Gassing Station | New MINIs | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff