Category: Affordable Sports 
Price Range: No data available
Astounding pulling power, great performance, supreme handling, cheap to run.
Too much torque steer, firm ride, uncomfortable seating, fiddly controls. Expensive.
Class-leading performance to go with tax-friendly emissions and admirable fuel economy. Is it worth paying extra £4,750 over the 'normal' S. You decide...
It's a Mini, so you can hardly expect to step out of your JCW after a long 300-mile cross-country trip and feel fresh as a daisy. The ride is firm, but it is compliant on smooth road surfaces. We tested the Clubman and hatch in a variety of country lanes in Derbyshire and although we found it perfectly capable on road with minor undulations, we did find ourselves juggling around on roads where there were continuous lumps and bumps.
The Mini's seating is still a little too firm, but it is easy to get a decent driving position. The steering wheel adjusts for reach and rake and while it's not exsctly limo-like, you do feel reassuringly cosseted behind the wheel of a JCW.
Inside, it's little different from the Cooper S. Open the door and you'll notice JCW-branded door-sill plates and behind the wheel the oversized speedo has been changed to go up to 160mph to accommodate the increased top speed.
You get a leather sports steering wheel, glossy black interior trim and anthracite roof lining. There's a red gearknob, unique to the Mini John Cooper Works, but apart from that, it's pretty much the same as the Cooper S.
Standard fit items include a radio/CD player with MP3 socket, clock, air con, digital clock, stainless steel pedals, electric front windows and 50/50 split rear folding rear seats.
If you like the Mini quirkiness then you'll like the controls, but we still find them a bit fiddly. Adjusting the air-con means requires you to shift a vertical rotary dial that's simply too far away from the driver. The CD player isn't that user-friendly and the layout, as a whole, is not logical. We've seen worse, though.
Exterior-wise, John Cooper Work badges adorn the front and rear and Mini have resisted the temptation to go with larger oversized alloys that might compromise the ride even further. The 17" cross spoke alloys are perfectly adequate from an aesthetic point of view and with the red-painted Brembo callipers the JCW looks the part. You also get the aero kit with rear spoiler and there's some extra frippery to let passers-by know you are in a JCW: chromed side indicator grilles, chromed fuel filler cap, chromed door handles, honeycomb black radiator grille and body-coloured engine scoop add a little bling.
