Automatic for the people
THIS IS the fastest car to ever wear the Mini badge. It’s also the first Mini that’s had to be fitted with a 155mph speed limiter that could actually reach that speed and even go past it. This is not the first Clubman John CooperWorks (JCW for short) that Mini has built but it’s certainly the best.The last one, from 2016, was powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged engine that produced only 228bhp. Quite a lot of poke, granted, but not enough over the standard Cooper S to justify the JCW’s extra money.
This new one is a bit more like it. It has the essentially the same engine as before but the wick has been turned up substantially.
To 302bhp to be precise.This propels the Clubman JCW right into hot hatchback territory. BMW says that its direct rival is Merc’s A35 hot hatch which, like the Mini, is a four-wheel drive.
What BMW doesn’t say is that the Mini is also a rival to the company’s new 135i, which happens to have exactly the same engine (and platform).
It’s right up there with those cars in performance and price. Our test car costs £34,250 or at least it would do if Mini hadn’t chucked a few options its way such as Rebel Green paint and a few other bits including a Harmon Kardon sound system. Mind you, if you buy a car like this you will add plenty of extras because it won’t add too much to your monthly payments.
There’s no manual gearbox available because not many people would want it. Mini knows this because the last Clubman JCW could be had with a stick shift and not many people took them up on it.
You can’t crank up a car’s power by almost 80bhp and not change anything else.You’d have an unruly animal on your hands. Consequently Mini’s chassis boffins have given the JCW more rigid axle components, new swivel bearings to alter the front wheels’ camber angle, new spring and damper rates. Oh and bigger brakes all round which is a
The Clubman is my favourite Mini body style by a big margin
sensible move for a car that now accelerates from 0-62mph in 4.9secs, which is 1.4 seconds faster than the old car.
THE NEW Clubbie JCW has also received the same mild facelift that’s been carried out on all Clubman models which means new front and rear lamps and new bumpers. Nothing drastic.
The Clubman is my favourite Mini body style by a big margin. It’s those rear doors that do it, reminding me of the Mini Countryman when I was a kid.
Those outward opening twin doors aren’t the most practical but they look cool.They also create a decent sized blind spot in the rearview mirror.
And it isn’t as if the Clubman is particularly spacious as the boot holds only 360 litres. But if it’s style you’re after, you won’t be disappointed.
This car is seriously quick across country.You need to get used to the steering because it’s very quick which makes it a bit tricky coming into corners.
The JCW is at its best in fast corners. It’s extremely surefooted thanks to its four-wheel drive system and also standard Michelin Sport tyres. Pity the engine sounds suitably rorty thanks to a new exhaust system and the fact that the engine noise is artificially enhanced through the audio system’s speakers. Dual mode adjustable dampers are an option but our car doesn’t have them.
The ride is firm as you’d expect from such a sports-orientated model but it’s not outrageously stiff and we drove the JCW on some fairly ragged roads.
Inside you get suitably sporty seats and steering wheel and some JCW badges scattered about.The dashboard is familiar Mini and the infotainment system is from BMW but suitably Mini-ised.
The dashboard is fussy but if you want dull and uninspiring there are plenty of crossovers and hatchbacks that serve up the uninteresting. Minis have a sense of fun and theatre.
The really good news, that I’ve heard on the grapevine, is that the next Mini will be a smaller car. More Mini-like in fact. Meanwhile if you want something with a lot of style that’s quick but practical then this Clubman JCW is for you.