The cult of Mini JCW refined
Does more comfort mean less fun with the latest JCW? asks Damien O’Carroll.
Iwas converted into the Cult of the Hot Hatch very early on in my motoring life when a Peugeot 205 GTI took over my driveway, my mind and my whole attitude towards life. Tiny, powerful and utterly alive, it was a revelation to drive and, being a Peugeot, an unpredictable nightmare to live with.
Bits fell off it, it couldn’t keep liquids in or out and the engine warning light kept coming on at random times (which eventually proved to be a faulty engine warning light), but when everything was taped back in place, topped up and the engine warning light bulb was removed, it was one of the purest and most enjoyable cars I have ever driven. And that still stands true today.
So, needless to say, I am still somewhat partial to a hot hatch and there will always be something about a small car with a big engine that will see me automatically gravitate towards it.
But the hot hatch formula has changed since the days of the 205, and rather than simply being tiny cars with improbably big engines, they now tend to be more small cars with improbably powerful engines. Which is still all good by me, same result.
Big power in a small FWD car is still big power in a small FWD car, whichever way you slice it, and that is why we now have things like the Mini John Cooper Works hatch, a car that packs the same 2.0-litre turbo engine as the Cooper S hatch, but suitably pumped up to produce 170kW of power and 350Nm of torque.
Offering almost exactly the same amount of power and torque as the Volkswagen Golf GTI (169kW/ 350Nm), weighing exactly the same (1290kg) and therefore offering pretty much the same 0-100kmh performance (6.3 for the JCW, 6.4 for the GTI) for slightly less money ($54,500 for the manual JCW, $56,990 for the GTI), the Mini JCW is every bit the modern definition of a hot hatch.
Of course, a true hot hatch should always come with a manual transmission, so it was a shame that our Mini JCW was equipped with the optional six-speed automatic.
While the JCW hatch used to be a feral, angry little thing, the current incarnation has increased the refinement to a significant degree, with a vastly improved ride and more thoughtful power delivery (with advanced traction control) so you don’t just torque steer wildly under heavy acceleration.
Inside the JCW is largely familiar territory, with the standard Mini hatch’s trying-slightly-too-hard retro style interior throwing up all sorts of interesting details and occasional ergonomic oddities; like that seriously irritating folding centre console/armrest that is somehow never in the right place.
More refinement doesn’t mean less fun, however, as the JCW hatch is still an absolute blast on a quick country road, it just means that it is now liveable and forgiving at normal around town speeds.
But let’s just get back to that back country road, because that is the JCW’s natural habitat.
The steering is sharp and responsive, if a little remote, while the chassis is eager and wonderfully nimble. Tipping it into a long corner is a fantastic experience, with the car being particularly adjustable through.
The tighter stuff does tend to be less satisfying, however, and this is largely due to that optional automatic transmission.
Attempting to shift down manually to use engine braking going hard into a corner is frustratingly hit and miss, with the transmission refusing to drop down a cog, even when there would seem to be more than enough revs to do so safely.
This leads back perfectly to my assertion that a hot hatch should have a manual transmission, and the Mini JCW is a car that is particularly sensitive to this.
In the JCW the manual transmission adds an extra layer of involvement and communication with the car that makes it a truly fun thing.
With the automatic it’s still a great, fun car, but things like the steering’s sense of remoteness and the more refined nature of the chassis add up to things not being quite as sharp and satisfying as they could be.
Stick with the standard manual and the balance tips in that other, more satisfying, direction.
Speaking of options, our test car was also fitted with a number of other options alongside the auto that bumped its $54,500 list price up to a rather breathtaking $68,500.
The auto accounted for $3500 of this, but we could also have done without the $5000 Chili package that adds larger 18-inch alloys, leather heated seats and an upgraded audio system, while the $2200 Driver Assistant Package (high beam assist, speed limit info, front collision warning and autonomous emergency braking) should really be standard on a car costing $54,500 anyway.
If you simply ignore the options list and stick with the manual transmission, you will have yourself a satisfyingly good hot hatch. But if you start ticking boxes and adding cost, the Mini JCW starts becoming increasingly less convincing. And you are also really missing the point of a hot hatch anyway.