05 Dec 01
The classic Mini Cooper always lent itself to being tuned, tweaked and generally hotted up, and BMW's new MINI looks set to follow that tradition. And not only does the John Cooper Works engine conversion come with the tacit approval of BMW, but it was also created by John Cooper himself, before his death late last year. You can't get better breeding than that.
Michael Cooper, now Chairman of JCW, explains: 'My father was very proud that BMW chose to apply the Cooper name to the performance versions of the new MINI, but at the same time, he was determined to carry on providing special tuning parts to the classic Mini. His involvement with BMW's development of the new MINI from the beginning of the project fuelled his interest in providing engine conversion kits for the new car.'
John Cooper Works (JCW) 'is not an official supplier like Alpina', says MINI PR Mark Harrison, but BMW and JCW have established 'a working relationship'. That relationship enables buyers to order JCW conversion kits through BMW dealers, either to be fitted pre-delivery or as an aftermarket upgrade, and responsibility for warranty claims has been worked out. Buyers can also get hold of a ready-converted JCW MINI direct from the John Cooper Works HQ at East Preston, West Sussex.
For £1750 plus VAT and fitting (the kits are not available to DIY tuners) you get a replacement high-compression gas-flowed cylinder head, new free-flow intake and exhaust systems and changes to the engine-management system. This takes the MINI Cooper's power output up to 132 bhp (from the standard car's 115 bhp) and torque (pulling power) up to 119 lb ft at 5000 rpm (from 108 lb ft at 4500 rpm). The recorded 0-60 mph acceleration time is down to 8.7 seconds - the standard car sprints it in 9.2 seconds - and should you put economy before performance, fuel consumption remains unchanged at 42.2 mpg. Spot the difference between a JCW car and a standard MINI Cooper: the JCW MINI has a different stainless steel exhaust tailpipe finisher, special badging and trim detailing (as well as a numbered plate on the engine bay) but the biggest giveaway will be its fruitier exhaust note.
