Automotive

John Cooper Works has announced the most powerful pair of Minis ever

John Cooper Works has announced the most powerful pair of Minis ever
The 2020 John Cooper Works Mini Clubman (pictured) and Countryman are the most powerful Minis ever
The 2020 John Cooper Works Mini Clubman (pictured) and Countryman are the most powerful Minis ever
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So British it hurts
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So British it hurts
Center console
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Center console
306 horsepower makes these the most powerful Minis ever
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306 horsepower makes these the most powerful Minis ever
Lovely geometrics here, but these photos make us feel nothing
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Lovely geometrics here, but these photos make us feel nothing
The roof is very, very red
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The roof is very, very red
ALL4 AWD system for excellent grip and cornering on and off road
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ALL4 AWD system for excellent grip and cornering on and off road
A Clubman you'd take to the track
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A Clubman you'd take to the track
We're looking forward to feeling how these things handle
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We're looking forward to feeling how these things handle
Ready to roll
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Ready to roll
Split back doors
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Split back doors
Honeycomb grille
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Honeycomb grille
New exhaust sounds terrific in the video
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New exhaust sounds terrific in the video
Those seats just look great
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Those seats just look great
The 2020 John Cooper Works Mini Clubman (pictured) and Countryman are the most powerful Minis ever
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The 2020 John Cooper Works Mini Clubman (pictured) and Countryman are the most powerful Minis ever
Badges all over show the world how much you've paid
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Badges all over show the world how much you've paid
LED headlights and keyless ignition
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LED headlights and keyless ignition
A 75-horsepower jump from the previous JCW Clubman
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A 75-horsepower jump from the previous JCW Clubman
Those brakes are red, and we all know what that means
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Those brakes are red, and we all know what that means
Nice wide access to the back
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Nice wide access to the back
Sporty JCW interior
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Sporty JCW interior
Still not the most intimidating car on the lot
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Still not the most intimidating car on the lot
Can totally take luggage
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Can totally take luggage
There's a Countryman too, not that you'd know from these photos
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There's a Countryman too, not that you'd know from these photos
Large and nuggety, but only for a Mini
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Large and nuggety, but only for a Mini
Should be a lot of fun in the corners
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Should be a lot of fun in the corners
View gallery - 25 images

John Cooper Works has got its hands on the Clubman and Countryman, and hotted them up into the most powerful Minis ever to roll out of a showroom. You can now get yourself a 306-hp oversized go-kart of a thing with AWD, big brakes and a rowdy exhaust.

When we tested the 2016-edition JCW Clubman, we found it "feels a bit sluggish getting up to speed," but "a practical little car that won't disappoint fans of the brand too much." Damning with faint praise, perhaps, but it seems John Cooper Works has given the 2020 model a hefty kick in the backside.

Well, the frontside, really, where a new BMW-derived 306-hp, 4-cylinder turbo engine now lurks, ready to give you 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) in 4.9 seconds for the Clubman and 5.1 s for the Countryman, which is around a second and a half faster than the previous model. There's a blow-off valve in the exhaust manifold, variable valve and camshaft control, wider intake ducts and a new high-pressure multi-hole fuel injection system.

New exhaust sounds terrific in the video
New exhaust sounds terrific in the video

That peak horsepower figure is a fair 75-hp jump from the old model's 231 horses, and fair horsepower jumps are always welcome, even if they come with a slight efficiency penalty to what was already a pretty thirsty little fella. Mini is quoting between 6.9-7.4 l/100km (32-34 mpg), but our (possibly quite enthusiastic) test drive found us using a fair bit more gas than that.

A new exhaust system helps these things sound intimidating even if old ladies are still going to look at them and say "awwww, cute!", and there's a new eight-speed Steptronic paddle-shift auto transmission to keep things stirring just the way you like them, with a built in diff lock between the front two wheels that can generate a locking effect up to 39 percent.

Power is fed to all four wheels through Mini's ALL4 AWD system, which works with stability control to distribute power between the front and rear wheels, biasing toward front-wheel drive unless things are getting sketchy.

We're looking forward to feeling how these things handle
We're looking forward to feeling how these things handle

The suspension and steering have been re-tuned for sporty, agile driving and precision, and you can beef either car up with electronic damping control if you want to dip into the options catalog. The brakes are big 360 x 30mm discs at the front end with 330 x 20 discs at the rear, and crucially for any performance vehicle, the calipers are painted red.

Those seats just look great
Those seats just look great

There are visual differences to let the public know you've paid extra – most of the red bits and logos, for example, and a honeycomb pattern over the grille, among other things. The interior is likewise anointed with very nice looking JCW sport seats, a stitchy, buttony steering wheel and a few other little plates and trinkets around the place to special it up a bit.

Sporty JCW interior
Sporty JCW interior

No pricing or availability information is public yet, but the previous JCW Clubman was a fairly pricey bit of kit at somewhere between US$37-40,000 and we'd expect the new models' potent performance pop will pump the price proportionally. We suspect our next test drive may be a lot more fun.

Jump into the gallery, but be aware that Mini has only provided photos of the Clubman. There's also a video below, that somehow makes us feel very excited about sitting at red lights.

Source: Mini

The new MINI John Cooper Works Clubman with 306 hp

View gallery - 25 images
2 comments
2 comments
bullfrog84
Sure, but the maintenance is still a nightmare!
joseph25
And after the warranty expires you will have to replace: fuel pump 2x, timing chain, coolant pump, oil gasket, injectors, spark plugs, water thermostat housing, valve cover & gasket, etc... wait that was for the N14 Peugeot engine... maybe just half of these things then.