Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4
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I’ve already said it: the biggest and best reason to buy a Mini is because of the way it drives. Still, I have a feeling if you canvas Mini owners you’ll get a lot of them proclaiming that they bought their Mini “because it was cute!”
I suppose that is okay, but you do not buy a JCW Mini because it’s cute. You buy a JCW Mini because it feels like a go-kart. The suspension is taut (firm to some), the steering is precise and the power delivery intoxicating. With the top down the burble from the exhaust adds even more to the experience although I can’t help but feel the convertible ruins the dynamics of a JCW car.
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The soft-top doesn’t do much for keeping the heat of the sun out, so I suspect the winter may be a challenge as well. And forget backing out of a parking space without worrying about getting T-boned constantly because the blind spot is massive where the C-pillar would be in a tin top. But of course this is a convertible and these issues are pretty much common to all of them – so drop the top and melt your worries away.
The top drops in about 15 seconds and can be done when you are moving as well (under 30 km/h). With the top down wind noise is actually controlled very well through the cabin and if you put the windows up it is actually comfortable even at 120 km/h. There is a wind-blocker that came with the car but I haven’t felt the need to bother installing it.
How’s the rest of the drive? Well, the brakes grab quickly and due to the light nature of the car, coming to a panic stop is quick. But the best two features are the six-speed transmission that has a great mechanical feel to it and positive gate selection, coupled with the 1.6L turbocharged engine that outputs 208 hp and 192 lb-ft of torque at just 1,850 rpm. Every time you hop into the JCW Mini Convertible you drive like a hooligan as you snick through the gears and turn corners at breakneck speeds… I hope nobody has noticed.
