Tag: JCW

Categories
MINI

2015 MINI JCW hatch – Australian pricing & specs

F56 MINI John Cooper Works

MINI Australia has released pricing and specification details for the new JCW hatch, which will go on sale locally later this month. And it is packed with standard kit!

MINI JCW standard equipment (Australian market)

  • 170kW/320Nm 2.0 litre four-cylinder TwinPower Turbo
  • 18-inch light alloy wheels
  • Dynamic Damper Control
  • John Cooper Works Sports Seats
  • LED headlights with LED daytime running lights
  • Head-Up Display with enhanced JCW specific content (gear indicator, rev display and shift lights)
  • Professional Navigation with 8.8-inch split screen monitor
  • DAB+ Digital Radio
  • Park Assist with front and rear Park Distance Control
  • Reversing camera
  • Extended Bluetooth with armrest and music streaming
  • MINI Visual Boost functionality
  • MINI Driving Modes
  • MINI Excitement package

List pricing starts at $47,400 for the standard 6-speed manual and from $49,950 for the 6-speed Steptronic auto.

In addition, MINI TLC service packs offering up to five years of coverage start at $980.

Continue reading “2015 MINI JCW hatch – Australian pricing & specs”
Categories
MINI Video

VIDEO: F56 MINI JCW reviews

MINI JCW review

Filming and committing a car review to video for the world to see would be much harder than it looks. For one there’s critical people like me willing to cut you down while having no comparable experience.

And so, here’s two video reviews for the new 170kW/320Nm MINI JCW that we’re not too sure about.

The first one is from Xcar and aside from the presenter’s manner of adding, annoying and, unnecessary emphasis, every, two, or three words, is not too bad.

Recombu Cars is responsible for the second clip and if you come away from that feeling like you’ve been treated like an ignorant idiot you probably won’t be the first person to do so.

Actually, the first clip is a bit like that too. Aside from that there’s some good detail on the new JCW’s features.

But, a question for both presenters, is it really necessary to deal in so many clichés?

[Thanks to John for the tip]

Continue reading “VIDEO: F56 MINI JCW reviews”
Categories
MINI MINI Challenge Video

VIDEO: 3rd-gen MINI Challenge car

MINI JCW Challenge car

MINI Challenge cars are very, very cool. Take one road-going JCW hardtop, rip its guts out and turn it into a bona fide racecar. Do that a few times over and put them all on a track and you have a recipe for fun and rubbing doors.

The 3rd-gen MINI Challenge car is ready to terrorise circuits around England. We trust you’ll enjoy this video brought to us by Xcar.

Continue reading “VIDEO: 3rd-gen MINI Challenge car”
Categories
MINI Video

The first video for the new MINI JCW

MINI JCW with Tony Hawk and Guerlain Chicherit

MINI is a brand that is a triumph of marketing. That’s been the case since BMW bought the British icon over a decade ago. More often than not MINI’s marketing has been very good. There’s been a lot of hits and not many misses.

Watch this video for the new JCW hatch, featuring skate guru Tony Hawk and ski/rally guru Guerlain Chicherit, and see if you think this is a hit or a miss.

Continue reading “The first video for the new MINI JCW”
Categories
MINI

2015 MINI JCW details announced (official)

F56 MINI John Cooper Works

MINI UK has quickly responded to the overnight leak of information for the new John Cooper Works hatch by publishing a short press release. You can see that after the break, along with more 2560px images.

In side profile the new JCW looks pretty good and dare we say it, we’re even starting to soften our views on that god awful front body kit. A 2.0 litre engine knocking out 170kW/320Nm is nothing to sneeze at, even if we suspect it’s marketing reasons only from preventing the hottest MINI hatch from having more power to play with. And four-pot Brembo brakes are a nice touch too.

There’ll be more info in a few weeks when Detroit lights up and we’ll bring you up to speed then as well.

UPDATE #1: 15 page press kit now available for download (165kb PDF).
UPDATE #2: 11 new pics added below.

Continue reading “2015 MINI JCW details announced (official)”
Categories
MINI

Sadly the MINI JCW bodykit has been spied

MINI Cooper S with JCW bodykit

We really want to like the new MINI. But we’re finding it pretty hard to do, visually anyway. Yes, it drives well, but its looks aren’t getting any better. In the past the John Cooper Works bodykit (aka JCW aero kit) has made a nice visual improvement over the regular Cooper S bodywork.

But not anymore.

That guppy mouth front-end is just so cumbersome and clunky that even the work experience kid would be ashamed. It had better have some pretty solid wind tunnel numbers behind it, otherwise we cannot see how on earth it ever got signed off. It is hideous!

We got a preview with the JCW concept late last year. Alas, it seems they were serious. Yes, it will look that bad.

In more positive news the MINI JCW should be online for us all to see sometime next month, before making a physical debut at Detroit in early January. That’s when we’ll learn how much power BMW will let MINI play with now that the Cooper S range employs 2.0 litre turbo engines.

The tip is around 170kW/345Nm. If nothing else it will be better to read about the next JCW than it will be to look at.

[Source: MotoringFile | Thanks to Andrew for the tip]

Categories
MINI

Here comes the new MINI JCW

F56 MINI JCW prototype

The F56 MINI John Cooper Works has just been photographed in testing at the Nürburgring. We already know the new Cooper S has a bit of spunk about it and while we’re not mad keen on the styling of the next JCW, we do think the 170kW+ offered by its 2.0 litre turbo four should be a bit of fun!

The all-new JCW will be revealed later this year and should be on sale in Australia in the early stages of 2015.

[Source: Autoblog | Pic: CarPix]

Categories
MINI

MINI John Cooper Works Concept previewed

2014 MINI JCW Concept

MINI brings an early Christmas present for fans of its John Cooper Works range by previewing a new concept model, based on the F56 hatch, which will be on display at the Detroit Auto Show next month.

There’s no technical details yet, so we don’t know what benefits the introduction of a 2.0 litre turbo engine will bring to the next-gen JCW. It should be good! We do know the car has new 18″ wheels, is finished off in Bright Highlands Grey paint and has too many red highlights, which makes the car looks a bit fussy.

But consider our interest piqued. We’re very keen to learn more in January, after we’ve imbibed too much festive spirit.

Continue reading “MINI John Cooper Works Concept previewed”
Categories
MINI WRC

MINI WRC Team officially launched

MINI WRC team launch

The MINI WRC Team was officially launched in Oxford overnight. To celebrate the occasion, one of the team’s works drivers, Kris Meeke, took to the Plant Oxford forecourt and performed a motorkhana display in his new MINI John Cooper Works WRC. Amateur video footage of that run can be seen below.

It’s all about development for the MINI WRC in 2011 and they will take part in a reduced program competing in just six of the 13 rallies on the WRC calendar. From 2012, though, the MINI WRC Team will be hoping the lessons learnt this year will allow them to challenge the established teams from Ford and Citroën. Meeke will be joined by Spanish rally ace Dani Sordo, so the driving roster should be up to the task at hand.

Rally Jordan takes place this weekend, then in early May, the MINI WRC will debut at Rally d’Italia in Sardinia.

David Richards, Chairman and Chief Executive, Prodrive Group, can’t wait for the team’s first race, “We have been working towards this moment for more than two years and it is truly exciting to be launching the MINI WRC Team and what I believe is the most stunning car in World Rallying, the MINI John Cooper Works WRC. We have an experienced team, a talented driver pairing and, most importantly of all, a strong partnership with MINI. We are now eagerly looking forward to demonstrating the performance of the car on its debut in Sardinia in just a few weeks.”

More detail below from MINI motorsport, including a link to download the team’s full media kit. There’s over 30 pages of info to keep you interested. You can also keep abreast of MINI motorsport activities by checking out their website, which includes links to various social media.

[Thanks to Aaron for the video tip]

Continue reading “MINI WRC Team officially launched”
Categories
MINI

MINI refreshes local lineup

2011 MINI range

The faclefited MINI range is now on sale in Australia. It’s a pretty standard refresh with minor cosmetic changes, including front brake ducts, LED rear tail lights. MINI has also thrown a bit more fruit into the standard equipment, such as Bluetooth phone capability across the range. Mechanically, things are pretty much the same as before.

Full details, including pricing, can be found in the MINI Australia press release after the break.

Continue reading “MINI refreshes local lineup”
Categories
MINI Challenge

2010 MINI Challenge – Round 4, Townsville

MINI Challenge, Townsville

Chris Alajajian extended his lead in the 2010 MINI Challenge by claiming the round in Townsville earlier this month. Reigning title holder Paul Stokell finshed Round 4 in second place and Beric Lynton, making his first appearance of the year, claimed the final podium spot in the three race program.

Speaking after the final race Alajajian said, “My team continue to do a fantastic job with the R56 Challenge car and it makes it so much more comfortable for me to drive because I have full trust in my car and team. We now have a big gap until the next round at Phillip Island which is a really fast event where anything can happen so expect some exciting racing down there MINI Challenge fans!”

There’s a selection of images on show after the break, as well as the full press release from MINI Challenge. Round 5 action takes place on Phillip Island in mid-September at the L&H 500.

[Pics: Spherix]

UPDATE: TV highlights have been added below.

Continue reading “2010 MINI Challenge – Round 4, Townsville”
Categories
MINI

MINI John Cooper Works image gallery

MINI John Cooper Works

As part of MINI’s mid-life refresh the John Cooper Works model has been adorned with a raft of cosmetic changes. The option of a Chili Red roof is the most obvious introduction.

The red theme continues inside, too, with contrast red stitching and red trim panels now available. Also included are anthracite dials for the dash and Lounge Leather seats with red piping. Back outside, the JCW’s Cross Spoke Challenge wheels can get a free coat of shiny black paint if you so desire.

Sadly, there’s nee no mechanical changes or increases to the 155kW from the current John Cooper Works model.

Here at AUSmotive we’re not so sure about the red roof. Take a look at the images after the jump and let us know what you think.

Continue reading “MINI John Cooper Works image gallery”