Building an enthusiast’s performance version of a stretched coupe that was designed to appeal to small families seems like a contradiction in terms, but that’s exactly what Mini did with the John Cooper Works Clubman, and after a week with the car, we think that, in many ways, this is the perfect Mini. Enough interior space for four adults, reasonable ride comfort, great gas mileage for a performance car, and more driving fun than any previous Mini. What more could you ask for?
What is it?
The “John Cooper Works†trademark was recently sold to BMW by owner Mike Cooper, son of famous English race car builder John Cooper, and is now the label of the Mini inhouse tuning operation, producing performance accessories and the Mini equivalent of the BMW M-Series. After building a series of Mini coupes for the European Mini Challenge race series, as well as adapting the stretched Clubman version for use as safety cars for the series, the inhouse division has just introduced John Cooper Works costomer versions of the race and safety cars.
Factory production of these practical but track-ready cars starts by building a version of the turbocharged Mini engine that will produce 208 horses while still delivering fuel efficiency of 28 miles per gallon (using premium grade fuel) in combined driving. The click-slick Mini six-speed manual Getrag transmission is upgraded to handle the additional performance. To finish the package, the car is mounted on sport-tuned suspension with extra-quick steering response, equipped with 12.4 inch Brembo brakes. We drove the JCW version of the Clubman version of the Mini, but if you don’t ever have to carry life-size adults in the back seat, the JCW car be ordered in the shorter Cooper S version.
What’s it up against?
With so many new niches subdividing the auto market these days, we almost hesitate to make the claim, but the Works Clubman may be defining a class of its own. Sort of a near-luxury, fuel-efficient, subcompact, new-family, high-performance hatchback. To get more performance at the same mid-$30s price point, you could get a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X or a Volkswagen GTI, but then you’d give up interior design and ride comfort. To get more utility, you could opt for a Audi A3, but it wouldn’t occur to anyone to flog an A3 around a race track for fun or walk across the street to check it out because it was “cute.†So maybe the Works Clubman is just a better Mini for the owner who loves the Mini concept, but wouldn’t have been satisfied until he or she could get more space and more power.
Any breakthroughs?
On the previous generation Minis, the John Cooper Works upgrades came in the form of a kit to add horsepower by improving air intake and exhaust and increasing supercharger flow. That kit could be ordered from the factory or installed at the dealer. Suspension and brake upgrades with the JCW brand could also be separately ordered and installed on any Mini. Now the JCW models of the 2009 Minis can only be ordered from the factory since many of the improvements that increase horsepower and improve handling are integral with the upgraded engine, transmission, drivetrain, and suspension parts.
In particular, as in the bigger BMWs, Dynamic Traction Control (DTC) that allows controlled slip of the driving wheels during “sporting driving maneuvers†is now integrated with the Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) system on the Works Clubman. Even if the DSC system is turned off, an electronic differential lock system, like that on the new BMW 1-Series , rather than a mechanical limited-slip differential, minimizes wheel slip in aggressive cornering.
How does it look?
Externally, the basic Works Clubman looks just like the regular Clubman; our designer friends say that the Clubman’s proportions (an inch or so higher, and a foot longer than the coupe) are exactly right in the classic sense. On the other hand, many Mini owners say that when you “fix†the quirky proportions of the Cooper, the Clubman lines just aren’t quite as clean.
For those who want their Mini to stand out, a John Cooper Works aero kit, with styled lower facia and rocker panels, is available as an additional-price option, which is different from BMW’s practice of equipping all its high performance M cars with distinctive body kits in order to set them apart from the standard versions. It’s nice that JCW buyers can choose the stealth mode, which also saves a tidy $1250. We see no need to scream boy racer; those in the know will spot the subtle surfboard-shaped JCW badges on the front grille and boot lid, and notice the attractive lightweight 17-inch alloy JCW wheels. To the rest of the world, it’s just another practical family-sized Mini.
We were pleased with the color choices made on the press car we drove. The dark “Laser Blue†combined with optional black racing stripes on the bonnet and a black top managed to be sporty and subtle at the same time, an attractive improvement on the screaming red paint, black stripes, and silver roofs of the first show versions.
And inside?
When we first saw the restyled interior on the 2007 Minis, we took an immediate dislike to the dinnerplate-sized gauge cluster in the center of the dash, which contains the speedometer and most (but not all) of the audio controls. We also really don’t like the matte gray plastic finish of the control surfaces.
That said, we think the rest of the interior is really attractive. On the JCWs, the hard accent surfaces are covered in glossy “piano black†(standard Coopers can be ordered with a variety of interior surfaces from faux brushed aluminum to real wood grain). In addition, the soft vinyl trim on the doors and across the dash that Mini calls the “color line†can be selected in colors to match or contrast with the exterior.We thought the dark blue vinyl color line chosen for our car worked well with the piano black, and the anthracite roof liner which is standard on the JCWs.
The seats were upholstered in a basic charcoal fabric; a variety of different materials, textures and colors can be ordered. This is the first Mini we’ve driven that had the base fabric covering the seats –– and we found the material to be both practical and attractive.
The seats didn’t have a visual pop like the two-tone vinyl colors available, or have the elegance of the “lounge†leather with contrasting piping, but would probably stand up better to heavy track and family errand use while being more comfortable in very cold and very hot temperatures.
We couldn’t say the same thing for the optional dual-pane sunroof on our test car. Even with the roof closed and the shade screens pulled shut, so much sunlight poured through on a sunny day that the air conditioner couldn’t keep up. We’d skip this extra-price option, or have the glass tinted to a darker shade. Why Mini doesn’t at least offer a thicker sliding screen as an option, we can’t figure out.
In the week we drove the Works Clubman, we had ample opportunity to test its promise of being able to carry four adults comfortably. One Sunday afternoon, in fact, when we parked in front of the chain latté shop downtown, a number of people wanted to try out the double-opening curbside doors and see how big the back seats were. Our conclusion from this test was that if the combined height of the front and back passenger don’t exceed 12 feet, they can enter, exit, and sit in the Clubman quite comfortably.
But does it go?
Hands down, the Works Clubman is the most well-balanced Mini we’ve ever driven. With a flat torque curve that peaks at 192 lb-ft. and can briefly overboost to 207 lb-ft., official specs say the Works Clubman can hit 60 in 6.5 seconds (two-tenths of a second slower than the 300 pound lighter Works Cooper S) and carry on to a top speed of 150 mph. We’ve no doubt that’s true, which in daily driving translates into a zippy feeling whether just pulling out of the driveway or accelerating from 60 to whatever’s necessary to clear traffic or make a clean pass on the highway.
Similarly, on one of our favorite runs through the coastal northern California hills to the Pacific, the steering response on the curves was grin-producing, tuned a little bit tighter than on the base Clubman and Clubman S we drove earlier this year.
The second most-asked question of the week that we were driving the Works Clubman, after “How much does it cost?†was “What kind of mileage does it get?†The answer is 25 mpg city, and 33 mpg highway, for a combined rating of 28mpg. We’d be hard-pressed to name another trackable car that can beat those numbers.
The handling of the Clubman is somewhat different than the coupe: With its slightly longer wheelbase, the Clubman is more stable at speeds, and less sensitive to bumps, while displaying a bit more understeer than the coupe.
Our only caution with the Works Clubman car is that one needs to be ready with some countersteer when accelerating out of a corner. The added power on the Works cars makes the anticipated front-wheel drive torque steer even more noticeable, and if the driver’s not ready for it, the experience can be a little startling.
Why you would buy it:
If you think that Minis are neat, occasionally need to put adults in the back seat, don’t want to sacrifice performance for practicality, build quality, or fuel efficiency, then the John Cooper Works Clubman may be right for you.
Why you wouldn’t:
If you don’t like the Mini’s quirky looks and personality, or think that the only right place for driving wheels is in the back of the car, then something like the BMW 135i might be a better choice. Of course, BMW tells us that all Minis are sold out through the end of 2008, you can’t get delivery on the JCW until early in 2009 even if you order now, so you’ll have ample opportunity to shop around.
What we drove:
2009 Mini John Cooper Works Clubman base price , $30,800. As tested, $34,050.
Metallic paint, $500; black bonnet stripes, $100; Pacific Blue color line, $250; Premium package, $1,250; Bluetooth and USB/iPod adapter, $500; Destination, $650.
Words and photos by Gary and Genie Anderson
