The JCW comes only with a six-speed manual, and thankfully, it is a great unit. Although the shift knob is strangely shaped and uncomfortable, and the throws are long, the gear changes themselves are fluid and engage smoothly. In the 1,750 km I spent behind the wheel of the JCW, I never missed a shift. The Mini does cruise at high rpms on the highway; 100 km/h arrives at 2,500 rpm in sixth gear while 120 km/h is at 3,000 rpm. The exhaust, which sounds sporty while ripping around town, becomes a bit of a droner on the highway. An upside to this high gearing, though, is the immediate power delivery in sixth gear at highway speeds. The car is more responsive at 100 km/h in sixth gear than in some V8 muscle cars travelling in high gear thanks to the high rpms at cruising speed and low turbo lag. In fact, the Mini has a deceptively faster-than-it-really-is feel as it seems much quicker than the officially rated 0–100 km/h time of 6.5 seconds.
  2012 Mini Cooper S John Cooper Works Hatchback. Click image to enlarge |
But power is merely one half of the performance upgrade the JCW brings to the Mini; handling is the other. The JCW package adds high performance 205/45R17 tires, upgraded brakes (316 mm up front, 280 mm in the rear), and an upgraded suspension. I had been warned by several people before driving the Cooper S JCW hatchback that the ride would be punishing. I was expecting medieval levels of torture from the horror stories I had heard, but honestly, it is not that bad. Sure it is a rough ride, but it is certainly no stiffer or jolting than a 2010–2012 Hyundai Genesis Coupe and is almost on par with the 2012 MX-5 GT in ride comfort; two vehicles I have spent extensive hours behind the wheel of. I drove the JCW clear across Detroit twice in my week with it and survived—without bruises.
The upside of this stiff suspension is handling prowess. The levels of grip are impressive, but the JCW’s pièce de résistance is the intuitive handling that makes it feel like an extension of your body. When put into the JCW’s sport mode, the over-used term “go-kart handling” really does apply. I found myself quickly taking highway on-ramps and off-ramps with more confidence than normal. The car just lets you know what it is doing at all times. Think of it as the FWD RX-8 when it comes to driver feedback. Oh, and the usual front-wheel-drive understeer push is all but missing in this car; it takes real dedication to achieve the levels of speed in a corner that upset this chassis.
As great of a performer as this car is, it is a Mini, so it must also look cool. The JCW package adds side air inlets that are chrome-plated, an 85-mm centre-mounted twin-outlet exhaust, custom black 17-inch wheels and a two-tone paint job complete with Mini-appropriate striping. I am usually not a fan of two-tone paint jobs, but the Mini’s dark grey paint job with red roof, red mirrors, and red outlined black stripes looks great. It is the sort of paint job only a Mini could get away with.
