John Cooper Works model is much cheaper than its hatchback rival from Volkswagen.
The Mini John Cooper Works (JCW) is the type of hatch you want because you want it.
It’s mostly uncompromising with its more than firm ride and razor-sharp handling, that’s more suited to a racetrack than it is to our bumpy roads. But this is what makes it so much fun, and not a VW Golf GTI.
I promised myself a double shot of warm Jägermeister every time I said the word GTI and go-kart. One down. But in my defence, you can’t review a hot hatch without referring to the undisputed king of hot hatches which is the VW Golf GTI. And the thing that sets the Mini JCW apart from the others is its go-kart like handling. Three down!
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Mini JCW looks the part
Being a JCW means that this Mini gets a large octagonal high-gloss black front grille with wide air vents that assist in engine cooling, while the latest iteration of the JCW logo can be found on the front and rear of the car. Red-coloured inserts in the side air inlets on the front apron underscore the motorsport-oriented design. And in the centre of the black rear diffuser, the centrally positioned single tail piece further emphasizes the hardcore character of this Mini John Cooper Works.
Talking of which. The Mini JCW is powered by a 170kW/380Nm 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-charged petrol engine. This power is driven down through a specially tweaked seven-speed dual-clutch transmission to the front wheels. All of this is good on paper, but for some unknown reason, the car was not happy to launch as hard as I thought it should.
Our test car would launch with a big knock from the drivetrain underneath the car. And then also sort of hiccup as it hooked second with launch control activated. Ironically, the end result was that it still nails its claimed 0-100 km/h time of 6.1 seconds. But it could have gone quicker in my opinion.
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Golf GTI for the win
This should have meant that the Mini had enough to see off the more powerful 180kW GTI which is claimed to get to 100 km/h in 6.4-seconds. But the real world is a cruel place, and I have never road tested a VW Golf GTI that has not gone quicker than the time claimed by the manufacturer. And this was no different, the Golf GTI got there in 5.88 seconds to comfortably take the win.
How many shots of Jägermeister is this now? Who knows? From here on in, what I say might read like a mix of Mandarin meets Swahili.
Where the Mini JCW comes back at the VW Golf GTI is from 100km/h and gets to 200km/h a full second quicker at 20.34 seconds to 21.35 seconds. It’s also travelling faster at 205km/h versus 201km/h. So, if you are going drag race against the John Cooper Works you better keep it short and under 400m, or the Mini is going to come fetch you.
Mini more frugal
The Mini JCW also beats the VW Golf GTI hands down in the fuel consumption battle with a number of 8.4 litres per 100 km to 9.8L/100km. Do you care? I doubt it, but I thought it was worth mentioning.
Where the Mini John Cooper Works will also see off the VW Golf GTI is in the twisties. Hit Go-Kart mode and everything sharpens up like the steering and accelerator pedal. What also happens, if you believe the car can get any firmer, the JCW Adaptive Sports Suspension goes into full racetrack mode.
Horses for courses
By now you might want to know if I would take a VW Golf GTI over a Mini JCW. And since we are on shot number I don’t care anymore. I am just going to say it, as a daily, you can’t beat the GTI. But at a retail number of R908 000 for the incoming 8.5 GTI, the John Cooper Works is not badly priced at R735 500. And hardcore enthusiasts just might walk into a Mini showroom before a VW one.
For those that hate petrol engines, you will be happy to know that there is an electric Mini JCW on the horizon that produces even more power at 190kW, with an extra 20kW of electric boost on tap to go with 350Nm of instant torque.
I must get once last shot of Jägermeister in. The next VW Golf GTI will also be electric. The world has gone mad. And I am going to bed.
Mini JCW road test data
