MINI Cooper S JCW Test Drive Review

MINI Cooper S JCW Review

Car Tested: 2017 MINI Cooper S JCW; Road Test No. 834

Price OTR Mumbai: Rs. 42.17 lakhs + Rs. 2 lakhs (JCW)

The MINI Cooper S JCW looks purposeful, it not only goes fast but sounds fast too

I will admit, I was super excited about the MINI Cooper S, it’s not that I haven’t driven the Cooper S before, in fact, I have driven almost all of them, right from the Cooper S convertible to the Clubman Cooper S, they all have been super fun but this one was special and I am probably the last among the journalists to get my hands on this car. The reason to delay the drive was to wait for a time when there wasn’t much workload on the head so I had all the time in the world to enjoy this car, but as they say, such a time never comes and the Cooper S arrived anyways. So what is special? Of course, it’s not your regular Cooper S, it’s the John Cooper Works!

Motor Quest: John Cooper was the first to tune a MINI to go faster in rallying back in the 1960s, his son Micheal started the company John Cooper Works in 2000 which BMW acquired and now JCW is to MINI what M, AMG and RS is to BMW, Mercedes and Audi respectively.

Exteriors – The MINI Cooper S looks all funky and can be easily identified too because it looks the part with the dual-tone paint scheme and heavy chrome treatment. This car has the S badging all around, whether it’s on the grille or the fenders and even on the tailgate, where there is also the ‘John Cooper Works’ badge. The massive air intakes up front, right below the front bumper give a glimpse of its capability while the black cladding which runs on the sides make the Cooper S look less heavy visually. Of course, the roof is contrast colour, black in the case of our test vehicle which also gets the mirrors and pillars in the same colour, making the car look quite unique on the road.

This car attracts attention due its retro looks and of course paint scheme

When we were shooting the Cooper S, people actually stopped us to ask about the car, what is it, how much does it cost, why is it so expensive and what is so special about this particular MINI because it looked different and also sounded different (more on that later). After answering queries, we realised how popular the MINI is in Mumbai but before we could make a conclusion, some kid from a building shouted “B-E-E-T-L-E”. So yes, there is some confusing the Cooper S to be another retro vehicle from far but it looks nothing like the Bug.

Interiors – Inside, it’s the usual MINI affair, all black dashboard, sporty interiors, large comfortable seats, top-notch quality and a whole lot of equipment missing like this half a million car comes with manual seat adjustment! This being a 3-door, has limited space at the rear although MINI has put ISOFIX seats which is, of course, the norm. Sadly, you still have to use the key to unlock the vehicle but the aircraft style buttons give it the cool factor which all other cars lack at this price. The cluster is easy to read and also shows important information on the go while the large 8.8-inch infotainment screen in the centre is fluid and also colourful. It has all the features you would expect at this price like navigation, on-board computer and the likes. It is essentially a tweaked version of BMW’s iDrive.

All black interior looks sporty but will make you sweat when you step in

Our test car came equipped with a HUD that displays speed and music playlist. There are also two panoramic sunroofs, the front one opens as well. The car gets rear parking sensors which are quite accurate but shockingly there is no reverse parking camera. The vehicle gets a fantastic sounding audio system but you really won’t use it ever (again, more on that later). The rear seats can be folded to boost the puny boot space but you certainly won’t look cool carrying big suitcases in a MINI, especially not in a Cooper S with the JCW badge on its tailgate.

Performance – The standard MINI Cooper S produces 192 HP of power and 280 Nm of torque (300 Nm on OverBoost) while the John Cooper Works adds a bit more thanks to a performance air filter, remapped ECU and butterfly valves in the exhaust system which open up when you double-click on a remote. This 2.0-litre, four-cylinder, turbocharged motor is such a delight, we have loved it in BMWs and in the Cooper S, it is such a hoot. Turbo lag is non-existent, almost. The motor punches hard in the mid-range and screams all the way to its 6500 RPM redline.

While the MINI Cooper S JCW’s official figures aren’t revealed for the Indian model, it produces around 212 HP of power and 320 Nm of torque, helping shave off around half a second from the 0-100 km/hr time. What is the best part of the Cooper S JCW? Of course, the exhausts. I was driving with the performance exhaust turned on and the sound can give a V6 engined performance car a serious run for its money. It’s so bassy and loud that my co-passenger pointed out that the car makes more sound than it moves, well, it’s still bloody quick though.

Eat, sleep, 0-100, corner, repeat – that’s what the Cooper S could be for many

There are three drive modes, the default is mid which MINI likes to call the go-kart feel, then there is Eco for green driving and of course Sport for maximum go-kart feel. Slot the gear lever to Sport and when you take control of things using the steering mounted paddles, this performance hot hatch doesn’t intervene with proceedings, holding onto a gear till you call it quits and up shift. This is all the more pleasurable because the kickback from the exhaust on upshift is an orgasm for your ears. And those twin exhausts themselves, I could look at them all day long, they look as good as they sound, ok, I sound crazy but you get the gist!

Since we like numbers, let’s talk a bit more about them, 0-60 km/hr comes up in 3.6 seconds, first gear is good enough for 50 km/hr, second for 85 km/hr, third for 140 km/hr, fourth for 190 km/hr, fifth for ‘I ran out of road’ km/hr. The standard Cooper S takes 7.5 seconds while the JCW nudged past the ton in 7.1 seconds as per our VBOX tests. Doing the ton in top gear, which happens to be sixth in the case of the Cooper S, shows 2000 RPM on the tachometer. The gearbox is smooth shifting but I totally forget to mention it because it does its job with such levels of secrecy, smooth and quick with cog swapping, this guy deserves a raise for its right ratios!

It won’t be wrong to call the Cooper S to have the ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ character because when you drive sanely, it is calm and isn’t loud but get into all the right modes and you have an explosion. The British (or is it Germans?) claim a top speed of 235 km/hr but to get past the double ton, you need a really long stretch of road as it starts to lose breath past 180 km/hr (there is no replacement for displacement, no really!). After all that praise for the motor, with great disappointment I have to note down the efficiency numbers (for our accountants), this one returns around 6 km/l when you drive it the way it should be, take it easy and you will stretch that number to 10 km/l on the highway but you would be a hickdead to drive a Cooper S JCW if ‘kitna deti hai’ runs in your blood. Just buy a freaking Cooper D instead.

Driving Dynamics – When you make a car which has wheels on the corners (all cars have wheels on corners but MINI prides itself to have them on the extremes), a wider track, low ground clearance and optimal weight distribution, you expect to go around corners like lightning just struck your pants and the Cooper S does just that with supreme levels of sharpness and accuracy (heck, it sounds like I am talking mathematics here). Body roll is an unknown concept, but rolling with laughter inside is all that you do because the checkability around corners is just so unreal. It is just point and shoot, and the steering has just the right feel and feedback, W-O-W. If you buy one, make sure to say goodbye to the Runflats as soon as possible and opt for even better rubber.

There is no concept of ride and handling balance here, it’s just so freaking stiff

But all is not well because the ride quality is so bad that it’s unbelievable, I keep telling myself that the low profile tyres are to blame but when I do the mandatory walk around to admire the Cooper S, I realise this car runs on decent profile rubber, it’s just that the suspension is so freaking stiff that you feel every unevenness on the road and sadly our roads have more unevenness than the Moon. With Maruti Swift sized 195 mm tyres, you would expect grip to be good but it is somehow excellent and the brakes are more than up to the job to keep doing 0-100-0 km/hr all day long which we did (the hazard lights are too sensitive and turn on even when you apply 80% brakes), so my head is spinning a bit but it was all worth it. The Cooper S remains glued to the road but hit a bad patch and you have to correct on the steering. NVH levels are far from on point as there is a lot of wind noise and suspension noise due to the design of the car and of course the short spring suspension.

Safety and After Sales Service – A few days back, we reviewed the Clubman S and the Cooper S is similar to the former in safety features and identical in after sales service, so rather than me doing a control + C and control + V job here, let me just tell you, all is well here and you need not worry, just buy a Cooper S if are a petrolhead and have the dough, anyway, it ain’t gonna be your first or only car in the garage so why worry so much about service?

Verdict – The MINI Cooper S JCW has spun my head, I look around banks to see if they would lend me half a million rupees to indulge in madness but the interest rates make me stay away and the lack of practicality of this car convince my mind that the heart shouldn’t always be followed. But if your pocket can afford to buy and run a Cooper S, there is nothing else out there that offers this levels of thrill while also standing out of the crowd, this is the MINI to buy, thank you John Cooper.

What’s Cool

* Just look at it, or don’t, most people will anyway
* 0-100 and beyond, the acceleration is surreal for a 4-pot
* Super sharp handling, you can drive up and down a valley all day
* Makes you feel special, somehow, that MINI magic isn’t lost

What’s Not So Cool

* Drinks but that’s expected, maybe a hybrid system will help
* The least practical MINI
* Price… price… price… when will they ‘Make in India’ (not CKD but manufacture)

Alternatives: MINI Cooper S (non JCW)

2017 MINI Cooper S Specifications

* Engine: 1998cc, In-Line 4, DOHC, 16-Valves, Twin-Scroll Turbo
* Power: 192 BHP @ 4700 – 6000 RPM
* Torque: 280 Nm @ 1250 – 4750 RPM
* Transmission: 6-speed AT
* 0-100 km/hr: 7.1 seconds (VBOX)
* Top Speed: 235 km/hr
* Fuel Consumption: 6–10 km/l (Tested)
* Fuel Type: Petrol
* Suspension: McPherson Strut with Aluminum Swivel Bearing (Front), Multi-Link (Rear)
* Tyres: 195/55/R16
* Brakes: Ventilated Discs (Front & Rear), ABS with EBD
* Safety: 6 Airbags, ABS, EBD, Hill Hold, ESC, CBC, DTC

2017 MINI Cooper S Dimensions

* Overall length x width x height: 3850 mm X 1727 mm X 1414 mm
* Boot Space: 211-litres
* Wheelbase: 2595 mm
* Ground Clearance: 124 mm
* Turning Radius: 5.4-metres
* Fuel Tank Capacity: 44-litres
* Kerb Weight: 1175 kgs