Mini Cooper JCW Hardtop essentials: One for the superfans

The Mini Cooper JCW delivers 228 hp and 236 lb-ft of torque from its 2.0-liter turbocharged four. This one is called the International Orange Edition.

The Mini Cooper JCW delivers 228 hp and 236 lb-ft of torque from its 2.0-liter turbocharged four. This one is called the International Orange Edition.

The Mini Cooper JCW delivers 228 hp and 236 lb-ft of torque from its 2.0-liter turbocharged four. This one is called the International Orange Edition.

The Mini Cooper JCW delivers 228 hp and 236 lb-ft of torque from its 2.0-liter turbocharged four. This one is called the International Orange Edition.

The Mini Cooper JCW delivers 228 hp and 236 lb-ft of torque from its 2.0-liter turbocharged four. This one is called the International Orange Edition.

The Mini Cooper JCW delivers 228 hp and 236 lb-ft of torque from its 2.0-liter turbocharged four. This one is called the International Orange Edition.

The Mini Cooper JCW delivers 228 hp and 236 lb-ft of torque from its 2.0-liter turbocharged four. This one is called the International Orange Edition.

The Mini Cooper JCW delivers 228 hp and 236 lb-ft of torque from its 2.0-liter turbocharged four. This one is called the International Orange Edition.

What is it: Built around a 228-hp turbocharged inline-four, the John Cooper Works (JCW) is the hottest main-line Mini Hardtop currently offered. It’s designed with the hard-core Mini fanatic in mind: You’ll pay for the privilege of wheeling this undeniably fun rocket-powered FWD go-kart in terms of both ride comfort and actual money.

Key Competitors: Hyundai Veloster N; VW Golf GTI; Mazda MX-5

Base Price: $32,650 As-Tested Price: $39,850

Full review:  Mini Cooper S first drive

Highlights: The JCW Hartop gets a substantial (remember, we’re talking about a small car here!) 39-hp boost over the Cooper S, but that’s not all: a JCW-specific sport suspension, 17-inch JCW wheels  and JCW sport seats set it apart from the rest of the two-door Mini pack. A six-speed manual transmission is standard, but this tester is packing the six-speed “sport automatic” — a $1,500 add-on.

If you want to go full Mini, get the British flags.

Our Opinion: Driving this Mini John Cooper Works hardtop served as a reminder that just about everything we’ve written about Mini and its cars, both positive and negative, rings as true as ever. If the Mini hardtop is cute, sometimes almost too cute for its own good, it’s also an extremely credible front-wheel drive performer. Whether the optional automatic represents a real upgrade over the fun six-speed manual, especially when you have to pay $1,500 for it, depends on the mission profile. If you’re trying to shave off seconds at the track, it may be worth it.

And oof is it still stiffly sprung. Part of it is the JCW-specific sport suspension, which is perfect for a track day but less well-tuned for the streets of Detroit. All Minis contend with relatively low-profile tires and a short wheelbase (98.2 inches in the case of the Hardtop) that’s not exactly optimal for soaking up road imperfections. As always, your best bet is to use that lauded handling to drive around potholes rather than crashing over them.

The joke about the Mini — now in its third generation, this particular version having been introduced in late 2013/early 2014 —  not being particularly mini anymore, is, on the other hand, feeling a little bit stale. Since the new, BMW-owned Mini launched nearly two decades ago these things have grown, and the part of me that likes tiny cars is sad about that. Then again, so has everything else on the road. Parking all 150.4 inches of this JCW Hardtop next to a midsize crossover, let alone a full-size pickup, is an eye-opener. On US roads at least, this thing is still, well, mini, even if its 2,864 curb weight means its not exactly a lightweight.

Base Price: $32,650

As-Tested Price: $39,850

Drivetrain: 2.0-liter turbocharged I4, six-speed automatic, FWD

Output: 228 hp @ 6,000 rpm; 236 lb-ft @ 1,250 rpm

Curb Weight: 2,864 lb

Fuel Economy (EPA City/Highway/Combined): 25/32/28 mpg

Pros: Punchy motor, quick steering and yes, it’s still mini by modern standards

Cons: Jarring ride over midwestern roads; lesser Minis are a better value for most

Fortunately, 236 lb-ft of torque from the 2.0-liter turbo-four comes on strong from just 1,250 rpm. I have no idea if you’d ever want to hit the top speed of 153 mph in this car; zooming around town, enjoying the JCW’s quickness rather than any sort of serious speed, is the way to go in a Mini. Sport mode is fairly aggressive for everyday driving (mid is, you guessed it, just right) but you can always reign things in by seizing control with the paddle shifters.

It’s tough to find something that competes directly with the JCW Hardtop given its footprint, configuration and output, but the list of comparable, manual transmission-optional new cars in the $30,000-$40,000 range is hearteningly well-populated. Front-drive options include the new Hyundai Veloster N, the Volkswagen Golf GTI (or even the AWD Golf R), the Honda Civic SI and for the time being, the Focus ST. There are rear-drive contenders like the Mazda MX-5/Fiat 124 Spider or even a relatively spartan Mustang GT. None are direct stand-ins for this tester, but all of them should be fun to autocross. And none of them will beat you up as much as this JCW does on your daily commute.
 
Meanwhile on the other end of the field, the same money gets you into a BMW 230i. And for about six grand more, you can get an M240i — by my book, the most compelling car the Bavarian automaker currently offers, a future collectible and maybe something worth stretching the budget for. Again, these rear-drive BMW coupes are totally different propositions than the front-drive Mini, but in this price range, you’ve got options. Weigh them carefully.

My takeaway: A more casual Mini fan who will use their vehicle primarily for transportation plus the occasional spirited backroad excursion will get far more value, and I suspect more daily enjoyment, out of the less extreme Cooper or Cooper S. When it comes to the JCW, you have to really, really want and/or need the the extra horsepower — and be willing to endure an often punishing ride — to justify this substantial price tag.

–Graham Kozak, features editor

Options: Premium Package with comfort access keyless entry, panoramic moonroof, Mini excitement package, premium audio ($1,800); Technology Package including Park Assist with front and rear radar, Mini Connected, real-time traffic ($1,750); sport automatic transmission ($1,500); MiniYours lapis luxury blue ($1,000); Cold Weather Package with heated front seats ($750); satellite radio with 1-year subscription ($300); color line glowing red ($100)

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