The standard Mini Cooper S is a quirky and fun to drive little coupe, but what happens when you add more power and upgrade every nearly performance part from the brakes to the clutch?
More than just a badged special edition, the 2009 Mini John Cooper Works bumps the power and handling to a level above the standard Cooper S.
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More power
The 1.6-liter turbocharged engine breathes easier through a John Cooper Works sport exhaust and, with the help of tuning, outputs 32 more ponies (208 hp) and 15 more foot-pounds of twist (192 lb-ft of torque).
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Zero to sixty
Sixty miles per hours comes from a stop in 6.2 seconds before eventually reaching a top speed of 147 mph, but straight line performance isn't the purpose of a Mini, especially one like the Mini JCW. Where the JCW Cooper shines is in the turns.
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Brembo brakes
12.4-inch Brembo brakes bring the Cooper to a stop over and over without fade.
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Center stack
The Mini's interior is almost TOO quirky with odd design treatments. The huge center-mounted speedometer integrates the audio controls with the exception of the volume control, which is down below the with the climate controls.
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At the track
Around Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, the JCW Mini performed admirably. The little coupe displayed surprisingly little understeer, taking the turns as if on rails.
