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By
ALISTAIR KENNEDY
15 September 2008
It’s
probably a baby boomer thing but there’s something about the new
MINI that appeals to those of us who grew up in the sixties when
the original ‘flying brick’ was such a feature of our roads
and racetracks. And when Michael Caine and his Italian Job mates
were zipping around the streets, stairs and sewerage pipes of
Rome.
Although
Mini left the Australian scene in the late 1970s (at the peak of
its popularity it was manufactured here) it has been in production
continually since its launch in 1959 with the exception of a brief
period during 2000 and 2001 when the company’s new owner, BMW,
switched production to the all-new car that arrived here in 2002.
Apart
from the obvious styling similarity the BMW MINI is a totally
different car from the UK one, although it is still built in
England. At 3.7 metres, it is considerably longer than the
3.0-metre original, partly to allow safety to be engineered into
the body, partly to provide the extra interior space demanded by
the modern car buyer.
An
upgraded Mini went on sale in Australia in March 2007 and has now
been joined by the John Cooper Works (JCW) version. Formed in 2000
by Mike Cooper, the son of the legendary John Cooper, JCW is to
MINI what HSV is to Holden and AMG to Mercedes-Benz, producing
performance enhanced versions of the original cars.
The
JCW comes in both MINI body styles, the Hardtop three-door hatch
or the Clubman, five-door wagon. Neither offers much in the way of
rear seat space but that’s not what this car is about. While
there are those who buy a MINI to parade it around town as a
fashion statement, the MINI JCW is for the driving enthusiast and
ideally one who can get it on to a racetrack to really give it
free rein.
The MINI JCW that is now
on sale is based on the cars that have been contesting the 2008
Mini Challenge, an eight-round support to this year’s V8
Supercar series. The highlight of the year will be a return to the
Mount Panorama circuit, the scene of the original Mini’s
spectacular success in 1966 when they filled the first nine
places.
The
engine in the JCW is identical to that in these MINI Challenge
cars. It is based on the turbocharged 1.6-litre Cooper S engine
but with upgraded pistons, valves, turbocharger and intake/exhaust
system, all aimed at weight reduction. The result is an increase
in power over the original engine from 128 kW to 155 kW, or 97 kW
per litre, and from 240 to 280 Nm of torque. The brakes, gearbox,
exhaust and wheels have also been modified.
As
befits the MINI JCW’s racing genes the only transmission is a
six-speed manual.
Standard
equipment includes front, side and curtain airbags, ABS brakes
with corner brake control and electronic brakeforce distribution,
dynamic stability and traction control, run-flat safety tyre
indicator, climate control air conditioning, Bluetooth with USB
interface, mp3-compatible sound system, cruise control, sports
seats and rear parking sensors.
We
were fortunate enough to be able to drive the MINI JCW not only on
the open road to the north of Melbourne but also to spend some
time on the tight and testing Broadford motorcycle racetrack. The
little car performed as brilliantly as we’ve come to expect with
precise, instantly-responsive steering that’s almost too quick
until you get the hang of it. Add a little twitchiness and torque
steer under fast acceleration and it reminds you that this is a
car for the serious driver.
The
MINI JCW Hardtop can spring from zero to 100 km/h in just 6.5
seconds with the slightly heavier Clubman taking 0.3 seconds
longer. The JCW enhanced suspension is reassuringly firm and big
disc brakes feel like they could stop the car on a postage stamp.
Adding
to the enjoyment is the car’s delightful interior which looks
like nothing else on the market. There isn’t a right-angle to be
found anywhere, all the gauges and instruments are either round or
oval with the centrepiece being a round speedometer about the size
of a kitchen clock.
All
in all the MINI JCW is the type of car that the driving enthusiast
dreams about. At $48,800 for the Hardtop and $51,300 for the
Clubman it’s a fairly expensive dream but when you consider
you’re effectively getting a track-ready racecar with all the
development work this entails as well as lots of excitement and
driving pleasure then it’s money well spent.
© Copyright
Marque Publishing Company
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