First review of the R56 MINI Cooper S JCW package
The first assessment of the John Cooper Works tuning package is in, and the verdict is a qualified "Buy." According to the JCW site, the kit has an air filter ,a remapped ECU, and a central twin exhaust. The test car was kitted out with a host of other JCW fittings, including an aero kit, 18" wheels, and lowered suspension. The now-turbocharged (instead of supercharged, as on the first-gen MINI) S gets 17 more horsepower at 6,000 rpm, but the effect is more massage than it is a Frankenstein job. The traction is great, the exhaust sounds the same from inside but blurbles nicely outside (there are a couple of videos on which to feast), and the car is certainly fast. While he's sure it will beat any R53, it didn't give him the kick in the pants that the old supercharged engine did. In the end, his advice is to buy -- unless you want to wait for the Stage II kit....
[Source: MotoringFile]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
srivendel 10:53AM (8/10/2007)
And so the JCW Mini will be one of the most expensive 192hp cars on the market. I think the base Cooper S is swell, but BMW's option pricing on the Mini is out of control.
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RickCA 11:27AM (8/10/2007)
I would agree with you! I have driven many cars and I used to own a 2005 Mini S that handled the road with vigor and had all the options (nav, two tone leather, sports pckg, conv. pack, etc..) it ran me over 30k! For a car that size, especially with the 1 series set to debut in the States, I really think they need to lower their pricing or these two "might" compete. Granted they're two different cars.
For the record..I don't like the new front of the car..looks like they filled it with too much air, doesn't have the bulldog staunch front it used too. But the interior..DAM that's a nice job!
Corey L 1:01PM (8/10/2007)
See Lotus Elise. Yes, slightly different class as RickCA points out in the 135 analogy, but 190hp
MCS05 10:05AM (8/11/2007)
40k!?! that is obscene at best. I, too, had an '05 MCS and enjoyed it for only $24450. If I had 40 long to spend I'd never spend it on a MINI of any variety.
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TyWright 1:57PM (8/10/2007)
Too bad it's got a FAKE air dam!!! Damn the fake dams - there's WAY too many models with them right now.
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Don 3:55PM (8/10/2007)
Hey autoblog...how about incorporating the Flash photo tech motoringfile uses?
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MCS05 10:08AM (8/11/2007)
Do you mean fake hood scoop?
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bob d 8:36PM (11/07/2007)
I bought the JPS package for my 2003. It runs so much better than the base S model. But, the price was just huge! $6500 for a bigger supercharger, a reworked head, a new exhaust and a new computer module seemed extreme at best! The price of my Mini went over 33K!
Yes, the JPS package made the car run much better. But I did the package because the base S was a bit disappointing -- especially the throttle response.
I've had the car 4 years. I took it in just BEFORE the warranty expired and had the dealer do a complete inspection under warranty. They said it needed nothing.
About 2K later, the oil change warning came on. So, I took it in for an oil change. The dealer told me that I needed both front and rear brakes on the car and it would cost (get ready for this...) $1100 for a brake job!. I asked why they didn't see this "urgent" problem just 2K miles earlier. I got no answer -- just that it was an urgent problem that should be done immediately.
BMW has not learned that Mini owners are not BMW owners. After this experience, I told myself I would never buy a BMW. Mini yes, BMW no.
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