MINI Australia has announced the arrival of its latest model, the John Cooper Works Cabrio. It’s kind of a MINI Challenge racecar for the road, but without the roof, obviously!
“The MINI John Cooper Works brand continues to reinforce MINI’s authenticity, providing enthusiastic sports drivers a range of vehicles powered by the very same engine that’s used in the MINI CHALLENGE race series,†said Justin Hocevar, National Manager MINI.
That means JCW Cabrio owners will enjoy 155kW from their 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine, which is boosted by a twin-scroll turbocharger. MINI say this is the fastest Cabrio they have sold, and with a 0-100km/h sprint of 6.9 seconds it’s not too shabby off the line at all. The real joy of this engine, though, is its torque. The addition of a well sorted twin-scroll turbocharger means peak power is all yours from a low 1850rpm and available right through to 5600rpm. Peak torque is 260Nm, with MINI’s familiar Overboost function nudging things along to 280Nm.
The JCW Cabrio is fitted with a six-speed manual transmission ensuring the driver has complete control over that sweet, sweet engine. Its gearing also helps achieve an impressive fuel consumption figure of 7.1l/100km. Although, in testing the JCW hardtop, I discovered the gears are matched very well to the available power and that great economy does not come at the expense of unnecessarily tall gearing.
As to be expected the JCW Cabrio comes with a lot of fruit, and with a list price starting at $56,900 it would want to.
There’s a large image gallery on offer after the jump, along with MINI Australia’s full press release.
MINI Opens the Lid on Another Race Bred JCW
With MINI John Cooper Works experiencing unprecedented sales success, MINI is pleased to confirm a new member to the John Cooper Works performance family.
The MINI John Cooper Works Cabrio is confirmed for market introduction in September this year and will join the MINI John Cooper Works and MINI John Cooper Works Clubman.
“It’s certainly been a big year for MINI with the release of the MINI Cooper D, the 50th anniversary, an all new Cabrio and now another member is being added to the growing MINI family,†said Justin Hocevar, National Manager MINI.
Powered by the race bred MINI Challenge engine, pumping out 155kW the MINI John Cooper Works Cabrio makes its way to the market as one of the fastest accelerating open top vehicles on the road under $100,000.
“The MINI John Cooper Works brand continues to reinforce MINI’s authenticity, providing enthusiastic sports drivers a range of vehicles powered by the very same engine that’s used in the MINI CHALLENGE race series,†said Justin.
This year alone MINI has placed close to one hundred factory built John Cooper Works vehicles in the hands of customers, with 26 percent of MINI Cooper S sales attributed to the MINI John Cooper Works. In June alone, the penetration of John Cooper Works hit an all time high with over 50 per cent of MINI Cooper S vehicles wearing the famous John Cooper Works badge.
“The John Cooper Works represents the pinnacle of the MINI range and customers are choosing them in greater and greater numbers due to the level of performance, specification and value the car offers. It is a car you simply must drive to truly appreciate its appeal,†said Justin.
With unprecedented demand, the MINI John Cooper Works Cabrio joins the fray in typical John Cooper Works style. A 1.6-litre four-cylinder power unit, complete with a twin-scroll turbocharger and direct fuel injection propels this dynamic open air machine from 0-100km/h in just 6.9 seconds. Maximum output is 155 kW all the way from 1,850–5,600 rpm, with peak torque of 260 Newton-metres, increasing in Overboost mode to 280 Newton-metres.
These impressive power figures make the new MINI John Cooper Works Cabrio the fastest MINI Cabrio ever to be sold in Australia.
Power is transmitted by a six speed manual gearbox engineered to accommodate the increase in torque and fuel consumption is just 7.1 litres per 100 kilometres on the combine cycle, well ahead of its rivals.
Dedicated John Cooper Works features include 17 inch Cross Spoke Challenge light alloy wheels, brakes, exhaust, badging and speedometer to 260 kilometres per hour. Additional standard features include sports seats finished in combination cloth leather, piano black décor trim, tinted windows, bonnet stripes Dynamic Stability Control with integrated Electronic Diff Lock Control, Dynamic Traction Control, automatic climate control, the unique Always open timer, Sports Suspension, Xenon lights and Harmon Kardon HiFi speaker system just to name a few.
Like all MINI models, the number of customisation options are enormous, from the extensive list of factory options to the wide range of genuine MINI Accessories and John Cooper Works performance components, each John Cooper Works customer has the ability to create an exclusive and personalised vehicle.
The John Cooper Works Cabrio will be priced from $56,900*.
* Manufacturer List Price is shown and excludes dealer charges, stamp duty, statutory charges and on-road charges which are additional and vary between dealers and States/Territories. Customers are advised to contact their nearest BMW dealer for all pricing inquiries.
