The renewal arrives for the MINI John Cooper Works Countryman and Clubman

While the MINI John Cooper Works GP continues to be fine-tuned at the Nürburgring, the legendary name reserved for MINI’s sportiest models is back in the spotlight, this time for the Countryman and Clubman, which not only get an updated look with purely sporty features, but also have the honour of becoming the most powerful MINIs ever built by the English brand. At least until the arrival of the JCW GP.

A familiar engine, improved to reach 306 CV

As this milestone is not something that happens every day, let’s focus on their mechanics and on what lies beneath the attractive bodywork of the JCW Countryman and JCW Clubman. MINI’s engineers have taken as their base the 2,000 cc engine of the S versions of both models, but have worked to get the most out of it while keeping the displacement and increasing the power, also benefiting from the latest TwinPower Turbo technology of the BMW Group.

Beyond implementing this technology, MINI’s engineers focused on improving other engine components, including a new reinforced crankshaft, a new main bearing with an enlarged cross-section, pistons and connecting rods specific to this engine, and a new vibration damper with optimised cooling. In addition, along with the installation of a new, larger turbocharger with a wastegate, the engine’s compression ratio has been reduced from 10.2 to 9.5, which helps avoid possible problems or damage to the combustion chamber.

Thanks to these improvements, the engines of the new MINI JCW Countryman and JCW Clubman deliver a considerable output of 306 CV between 5,000 and 6,250 rpm, together with a torque of 450 Nm available between 1,750 and 4,500 rpm. Paired with this engine is an eight-speed Steptronic automatic gearbox, also equipped with a differential lock capable of generating up to a 39% locking effect, which offers great ride comfort as well as quick shifts when needed, including starts from a standstill thanks to the Launch mode.

Both the MINI JCW Countryman and the JCW Clubman come as standard with MINI’s ALL4 permanent four-wheel drive, giving them excellent traction when accelerating from a standstill. In practice, the John Cooper Works Countryman can accelerate to 100 km/h in just 5.1 seconds, while the John Cooper Works Clubman improves slightly on that with 4.9 seconds. Top speed for both is electronically limited to 250 km/h.

On top of this, other standard equipment will help make the most of all this power, such as a revised sports suspension which can optionally be adaptive, and new sports brakes with four-piston calipers gripping 360 mm discs on the front axle and 330 mm on the rear axle; finally, a exhaust system with 95 mm outlets for the JCW Clubman and 85 mm for the JCW Countryman.

Sporty styling combined with technology

With the new styling applied to the base versions of the Clubman and Countryman, both benefit from an aerodynamic kit that gives them a much more aggressive look, comprising new front bumpers, side skirts, and new rear bumpers including a new rear diffuser to house the exhaust outlets on each side. They also get new 18-inch alloy wheels in the Black Grip Spoke design, although other designs in 18 and 19-inch sizes are optionally available.

Inside, a sporty atmosphere is also provided by the John Cooper Works parts fitted, such as the multifunction sport steering wheel, the gear lever and the sport seats with integrated headrests. Naturally, all of this is accompanied by the latest technology and safety systems, including the MINI Visual Boost radio with a 6.1-inch touchscreen, which can optionally be upgraded to the Connected Navigation Plus system with an 8.8-inch touchscreen; comfort access and LED headlights.

For now, we will have to wait a little longer to learn the price and market availability, as MINI has yet to reveal these details.