DETROIT MOTOR SHOW: MINI's 170kW JCW

The most powerful production engine in MINI’s history will help the 2016 version to be the fastest John Cooper Works model yet built for the road.

Due to be revealed at January’s Detroit motor show, the 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine will throw the three-door, front-wheel drive JCW to 100km/h in 6.1 seconds. To save you doing a search, that’s 0.7 seconds quicker than the cheaper
Cooper S.

The JCW will next year be available with either a six-speed manual gearbox or a six-speed hydraulic automatic transmission and, before you start sledging the slush box, be aware that it’s the faster of the two MINIs.

That’s because its gearshifts are near-instantaneous and it has slightly different gear ratios, too, taking more advantage of the power and torque the new JCW will offer. Though its final-drive ratio is taller, every ratio in the automatic gearbox is shorter than in the manual, which works so hard on economy that even fourth gear is overdriven. Odd, given its strong performance outlook.

Its 170kW of power is stronger than ever, and represents a 10 per cent hike over its predecessor. It’s also spread across a wide span, rather than delivering a sharp peak in performance, with the turbocharger helping it to hold the power peak from 5200rpm to 6000rpm.

It is also has far more torque than any JCW before it, with 320Nm of torque chiming in at only 1250rpm – or about 400rpm above idle. That means it will only take a tiny blip on the throttle to bring the JCW up to its strongest patch of performance and it holds that torque peak until 4800rpm.

MINI Oz hasn’t given up any suggestions that the gap between the Cooper S and the JCW will be much different than it is today, which means you’ll pay a good chunk more but you’ll get a good chunk more. It has an extra 29kW of power available to it, for example, and 40Nm more torque, with the prospect of a few more Isaacs on over-boost.

It gets its extra gristle thanks, in part, to a larger turbocharger mounted directly in the exhaust manifold, new pistons, different camshaft timing, a new, freer-breathing (and louder) exhaust and a 10.2:1 compression ratio in the oversquare 1998cc engine sitting across its engine bay.

It does all of this in a three-door, four-seat bodyshell that delivers a dry kerb weight of 1205kg for the manual transmission and just 15kg more in automatic form. In both cases, the extra braking, cooling and stiffening have added 45kg over the Cooper S.

Not only is the automatic transmission the faster of the two options under acceleration (and the more expensive), it’s also more economical. While both cars top out at 246km/h (13km/h higher than the Cooper S), the automatic uses 5.7L/100km on the NEDC combined cycle – a full litre better than the manual version.

While the front0end uses a MacPherson strut suspension, the rear has a four-link system and both are developed from the Cooper S that made its debut in Puerto Rico earlier this year.

It’s all helmed by a development of the Cooper S’s electro-mechanical power-steering system and while it obviously has dynamic stability control but no mechanical limited-slip differential, it gets Electronic Diff Lock Control to try to compensate. Dynamic dampers are optional.

MINI's newest JCW will ride on 205/45 R17 rubber all round, inside which will be a Brembo-supplied stopping system with ventilated discs, ABS and electronic brake force distribution as standard equipment.

There’s barely a hair difference in the overall dimensions, with the JCW sitting at 3874mm long, 1727mm wide, 1414mm high and riding on the same 2495mm wheelbase.

It’s differentiated from the Cooper S by a new front apron below the bumper bar, which includes three large air intakes for the cooling, the air intake and the braking systems, while a large spoiler sits at the rear of the hatch.

In between, there are JCW-specific bits and pieces, like its LED headlights with white indicators, its own grille design, scattered John Cooper Works badges, new exhaust tips and a unique Rebel Green paint scheme.

It also has unique 17-inch alloy wheels (18-inch, if you prefer) and you can ask for it with racing stripes. And nobody at the dealership will think that’s strange.

The demands on the John Cooper Works badge to bring unique character continue into the interior. They line the door sills, the steering wheel, the gear lever, the multi-media display, the instrument cluster and, in case you missed it, the head restraints as well.

The new version’s interior is a far cry from the early days of the JCW badge at MINI. It comes with everything from climate-control air-conditioning to an active cruise control system based off a camera mounted in the rear-view mirror housing. And it doesn’t stop there.

It can be fitted with a rear-view camera, it can warn the driver and then brake itself if it senses an impending collision or in-danger pedestrian, it can come with LED ambient lighting in the cabin and it can lift and lower its high beam automatically.

Above that there’s a comfort package full of options, including a power-operated glass roof, seat heating, an upgrade of MINI’s navigation system, a Harman Kardon sound system and, being MINI, even more stickers and badges and trims.