Monday, January 7, 2019

Half Price Hot Hatch: R56 Mini Cooper S JCW

MINI’s JCW (that’s John Cooper Works) name is older than you might think. Its heritage stretches back to John Cooper, the British racing driver and engineer who not only pioneered the rear-engined layout in single-seat racers, but also figured out that the Issigonis-designed BMC Mini would make a rather good race and rally car. A point that went on to be proved most famously by Paddy Hopkirk’s fabled win in the 1964 Monte Carlo rally.

Admittedly, the raucous, 1.6-litre turbocharged, 208bhp, front-wheel drive ‘R56’ version of the MINI JCW we are focusing on as today’s Half Price Hot Hatch is a long way from the original Mini in nature. But the fact you can now buy a second-hand one from as little as £6,000 is something to be celebrated.

Launched in 2008 and then in production for six years, this particular JCW is based on the second generation of BMW’s reimagined modern MINI. Its high price put it up against more practical but equally rapid competition including the Ford Focus ST and Honda Civic Type R, but it had enough MINI magic to justify the price. Compact yet butch, and with an aggressive theatricality (not to mention a premium badge and a tendency to hold its value far better than its rivals), the Mini JCW had a lot going for it then, just as it does now.

THE DRIVE
Finesse isn’t one of those things, though. If you want a precise, textural front-wheel-drive track car, look to a Renaultsport Clio rather than the MINI. The JCW is about brute speed, a delightfully parpy exhaust, and blunt but grippy cornering.

A 0-62mph time of 6.5sec arrives in a fizz of turbo whine from the four-cylinder engine (actually a unit borrowed from Peugeot), which has a bigger turbo, modified valves and cylinder head, and a more free-flowing exhaust over the standard Cooper S. Stick it in Sport mode for maximum overboost thrills, and it’s beyond 5,000rpm that the JCW’s modifications really show, with usefully better high-end responses than you’d enjoy in lesser MINI models.

An electronic diff-lock can apportion up to 100 per cent of the power to either wheel and helps to give the JCW the ability to claw its way out of corners with liberal early-on-the-throttle forgiveness. Just be wary of the odd squirm of torque steer, but otherwise this most tenacious of MINIs (short of the hardcore, limited-run GP version) is almost like a small, front-wheel-drive Subaru Impreza STi.

Certainly, it has a similar bolshie brutality to its heavy steering and planted, chuckable handling – and the same insatiable appetite for rabid point-to-point drives. Which in turn will make you all the more grateful for the impressive stopping power of the standard Brembo brakes.

One pay-off for all this gumption is the stiff suspension. Certainly, a Volkswagen Golf GTI will be a more comfortable daily driver, but the MINI JCW will still be a fine daily commuter for anyone that’s keen to keep the hot hatch thrills near the surface of their driving experience. It’ll even do 40mpg in sensible use and there’s an automatic gearbox on offer, too, although the manual is much more fun.

CHECK POINTS
The scariest thing that’s prone to going wrong on the R56 Mini Cooper and JCW models is the hydraulic timing chain tensioner, which – if weakening – will emit a rattle or brushing noise when the engine’s cold. This was improved on post- 2011 models, but even so, keep an ear out for the so-called ‘death rattle’ and be prepared to regularly top up the oil to help prevent this happening; the JCW will likely use a litre of oil every 1,000 miles or so.

Cars built between 2007 and 2011 should have been seen for a recall affecting the water pump, too, while poor idling can suggest coke build-up, and it’s worth being alert to clutch feel as these can also go at surprisingly low mileages. The sunroof is also a known weak point with this generation of MINI and it can start to leak or become reluctant to open or close.

With such potential issues to be aware of, it could be worth paying more up front for a meticulously maintained JCW to minimise the chance of expensive bills. For the same reason, a post-2011 car is a better bet if you can stretch to it, plus it’ll benefit from the improved interior that came in with a 2010 facelift.

FAST FACTS
MINI Cooper John Cooper Works (R56)
Built: 2008-2014
Power: 208bhp @ 6,000rpm
Acceleration: 0-62mph in 6.5 seconds
Top speed: 148mph
Search for a used MINI Cooper S JCW on CarGurus

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