MINI John Cooper Works 2016 Review

MINI John Cooper Works
Road Test

Is half a second worth $10,000? That's roughly the price difference between an F56-series MINI Cooper S and its John Cooper Works sibling. The JCW model on test takes just 6.3sec to knock over its 0-100km/h time – versus 6.8 for the Cooper S. A respective peak power and torque gap of 29kW and 40Nm makes all the difference, and the higher price includes bigger wheels and more kit. But does it justify spending $47,400?

In the latest F56-series the JCW model remains a weapon, but is somewhat more civilised than the previous JCW-tweaked MINI driven by this writer. That car, a previous generation of Clubman, was all wheelspin, axle tramp and torque steer. In this new car, a three-door hatch, MINI has taken the rough edges off the power delivery, which is correspondingly more exploitable across a range of driving conditions.

Being a front-wheel drive with bountiful torque the MINI can be a handful, but it's easier to pick the point where the car is delivering optimal performance without going beyond that and finding oneself with arms full of torque steer or power-on understeer. In short, power delivery in this new MINI variant – now with a manual transmission – is a better match to the new UKL chassis.

The engine produces effortless torque from very low revs (and the shift indicator encourages drivers to use that torque to the max, short shifting for better fuel consumption). Even in Green mode the engine still sounds sporty with a bass exhaust note. Obviously in Sport mode you get the full aural treatment of pops and crackles through the exhaust when backing off for a gear change at higher revs, but even in Sport mode this engine is not as lairy and raw as its predecessor.

Torque is abundant right throughout the rev range and performance is available almost immediately as soon as the driver turns on the taps. A bit of a rev – and not that much either – drop the clutch, and you're away. The engine will also hold higher gears easily on hills and there's no labouring at speeds down to 1500rpm. This is one very flexible engine.

Over the course of the week the MINI averaged 9.0L/100km, according to the trip computer. At 100km/h in sixth gear the powerplant is turning over at 2400rpm and is audible as a low rumble in both Sport and 'Mid' (default or normal) mode. But in Green mode the engine fades into the background. Tyre noise is more apparent than anything else at freeway speeds or at lower speeds on country roads. Soft fittings squeak persistently over irregularities in the road and around corners.

The manual transmission shift quality is surprisingly precise and tactile in a front-wheel drive – and with such long throws as well. There's plenty of meat in the clutch pedal feel too; the only fly in the ointment is some engine flare at low revs. It's still a very easy car to drive at low speeds or when flying along the road with the engine on full boost.

The MINI blips the throttle on down shifts. To be frank, that's puzzling. The engine spools up to match the revs to the road as soon as you select a lower gear. Naturally it won't double-declutch automatically, and there's no engine-braking on downshifts. The blipping even occurs in Green mode, which is fine if the plan is to extract more performance for overtaking, for instance. It's pointless though, it might be argued, if the driver is just looking for some engine braking on a hill or rolling up to a red light. If it's a manual box, shouldn't the manual input extend to throttle as well as clutch?

Over the sort of draconian speed humps that are increasingly common in car parks and are black and yellow to alert drivers they are to be treated with extreme caution, the MINI rode with the sort of unyielding firmness that will shake fillings loose. At least the handling is very flat to match that.

Ease off into a corner and the MINI will whip through in a neutral stance, but drivers can apply a moderate amount of power for a fast – understeer-prone – exit. Precisely how much power to apply is entirely within the driver's prerogative. The MINI's chassis is more user-friendly than the previous generation's, but it's still going to be at a disadvantage measured against all-wheel drive hot hatches and cars like the Renault Megane RS 275.

Inside the MINI JCW, the seats are tremendous. They're very comfortable and supportive for the sort of hard-core thrash the MINI encourages in enthusiastic drivers. As it happens, the front seats are also easy for occupants to climb into without contortion.

While the driving position deserves a thumbs up, the fuel gauge continues to defie quick interpretation, and viewing the instruments in full is still dependent on getting the seat reclined more than I found entirely comfortable.

The centre armrest is best left folded upright out of the way if you like changing gear and using the handbrake for hill starts without hindrance. The MINI will sound a little chime if you're 'slow' to let the handbrake release on a hill start.

The MINI earns praise for the adaptive LED headlights, which were very responsive and on one occasion dipped from high beam even before the on-coming car was properly in the driver's line of sight.

A toggle switch in the centre fascia switches the engine on or off – toggled in either direction. It's one of the curious ergonomic traits we've come to accept over the years in MINIs, another being the anti-clockwise rotation of the iDrive single-point controller to scroll down. Offsetting both those quirks – in part – is a head-up display which can be adjusted for brightness, height and rotation through the single-point controller.

Entering and leaving the car is made easier by the MINI's well considered hip point. Stepping in and out of the rear seats is made easier by a seat return memory, and sitting right behind a driver of average height is not as claustrophobic as you might expect. Headroom is borderline for adults of average height, but there's a surprising amount of kneeroom in the rear, thanks in part to a scalloped section in the rear of the front seats.

The boot is deep, but not long. However, the rear seats can be folded down for a little extra luggage space.

All that makes the new UKL-based MINI a more functional package than its predecessors, and the fettled drivetrain in the JCW model is more of what long-standing MINI customers have wanted.

It's a win all round.

2016 MINI John Cooper Works pricing and specifications:
Price: $49,350 (as tested, plus on-road costs)
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 170kW/320Nm
Transmission: Six-speed manual
Fuel: 6.4L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 148g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Four-star (ANCAP, 2014)

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