2008 MINI John Cooper Works range
September 8, 2008 by George Skentzos
Another two race bred MINI’s have arrived in Australia for 2008 straight from the John Cooper Works production line at Plant Oxford in the UK.
Both the Cooper and Clubman models have been given the JCW overhaul, raising their performance in line with the 2008 MINI CHALLENGE race cars.
Under the bonnet, the 1.6-litre twin-scroll turbocharged direct petrol injection engine has been coaxed into producing 155kW of power with maximum torque of 260Nm – which jumps to 280Nm during Overboost.
“The MINI John Cooper Works brand continues to reinforce MINI’s authenticity, providing enthusiastic sports drivers with the very fastest road going models available, powered by the very same engine that is used in the MINI CHALLENGE race series.”
This added horsepower has been extracted strictly with racing in mind, gaining new pistons, valves, turbochargers, intake and exhaust system while at the same time complying with the yet to be introduced EU5 emission standard.
The brakes, gearbox, suspension and exhaust manifolds have all been modified along with a recalibrated Dynamic Stability Control system and a unique Electronic Differential Lock Control which is activated when the DSC is turned off.
The interior has been appropriately upgraded to match the performance, now featuring a leather-wrapped steering wheel, Anthracite finish roof lining and glossy Piano Black surfaces.
A final sentimental addition is the new 260 km/h John Cooper Works speedo which dates back to the 120 mph speedo of the Classic MINI Cooper S.
Available in MINI Garages around Australia from September, the MINI John Cooper Works is priced from $48,800 while the MINI John Cooper Works Clubman carries a price tag of $51,300.
Print it: 
Great car. I would love to buy one. Only you must be a 5ft Millionaire to drive one out the showroom. have you got anything in a long wheel base?
How does this car compare to the Lotus for Price vs Handling vs Crampness?
Haha, MINIs are small, sure, but they’re not that cramped. Granted I’m not overly tall, but still, there’s comparable foot room and head room in these compared to a Golf, for example. For front seat passengers anyway. Fair enough, the rear seat room is small, although not so bad once you’re in, but not suited to long drives. And the boot is a rear glove box, rather than a boot.
I drove a new JCW last week, and there’s still not much around in its segment that compares to its direct steering and immediate feel, even if the steering has dropped a fraction of its sharpness over the earlier R53 models.
If you can spend $50K on a hatch, and the reduced convenience/sizing isn’t an issue for you, the JCW is definitely worth considering. They love to be driven and driven hard and the rewards for doing so are great.
Check out the fuel consumption claims as well. If you’re still looking for a fun drive without burning a hole in your pocket each time you fill up the MINI JCW makes a pretty compelling case for itself.
Love these.
The price is simply over the top.
Compared to what?
A MINI is an emotional purchasing decision, not a rational one. Therefore it could be argued the price of a MINI is no more over the top than, say, a 911 Turbo. Maybe a daft comparison, but you probably get my drift.
Liam. Come clean, you have bought one haven’t you? Or maybe you work in a Mini garage? Seems you have some emotional attachment either way
I’ve been driving a Cooper S since 2004. ;)
Does the jcw version come with lowered JCW springs? Last time in inquired, they hadn’t passed ADR yet. pft.. The “sports suspension” in the S and Chili are the same height as the normal suspension. I hate how the R56 looks likes it’s on stilts.