Vehicle: 2008 Mini Cooper S John Cooper Works with JCW Comfort Pkg, Comfort Access, Chrome Line interior and Media Connect
Price as tested: CDN$43360

Performance: With John Cooper Works behind the helm of the already impressive 1.6 liter 16-valve DOHC 4-cylinder turbo engine in the Cooper S. This engine has been upgraded to 208hp and 192 lb/ft of torque, up from standard Cooper S’s healthy 172hp and 177 lb/ft of torque. With the overboost feature standard in the JCW, this 192 lb/ft of torque will upped to an amazing 207 lb/ft of torque with a touch of the “sport” button on the center console. Consider this JCW S has a curb weight of 1225kg, it still has plenty of “go” to back up its legendary John Cooper Works with Cooper S’s performance linkage. This JCW’s turbo boost up without the usual turbo lag once associated with small displacement turbocharged engine. Plus everything have done in a linear and refined fashion even in a hot hatch. The throttle response is instant and prompt. On the other hand, its top end feels surprisingly willing for a small forced induction engine thanks to the advaced variable valve timing technology. 0-100 km/h in only 6.5 seconds is considered as quick despite its weight. The sweet 6-speed manual gearbox is the only way to go in JCW. The clutch engagement point is perfect, while the gates are sharp and well-defined. While the throw still has that somewhat long linkage as in other Mini Coopers we have ever driven, thanks to JCW, it already got a huge improvement from a driver’s perspective.

Handling: Along with the already stiff and strong chassis that Mini has known for, JCW has upgraded the most important ingredient to Cooper’s ride and handling. That is the sports suspension. JCW has produced a sports suspension that rides less harshly than those in the standard S. In the standard S, we complained the ride as too harsh for daily driving. With this JCW S, while the ride remains firm, it doesn’t feel as harsh in reality. What it really surprise is how it manages to produce a nearly flat cornering abilities without sacificing the ride comfort. Its the ideal handling and ride compromise thanks to the supple JCW sports suspension, which has dialed in the perfect damping, for both cornering prowess and daily drivability. As for understeer, its almost non-existence even when pushed. The steering is sharp and precise, without feeling too twitchy on bumpy roads even with its sensitive fast steering ratio. Thanks to CBC and DSC-3, which stands for Cornering Brake Control and Dynamic Stability Control, its tough to get JCW-S into trouble. The DSC-3 only steps in when this little fun car starts to rear its ugly heads, which have enough threshold for any enthuisasts to play with its over and understeer. This JCW simply has taken Cooper S’s go-kart handling into a new height. Its really that good!

Brakes: With its standard 4-wheel discs and ABS, JCW has one of the best braking systems I have ever tested. The stopping distance is short while the pedal feels superb. Its ABS only steps in necessarily. Even after a couple of high-speed stops, it remains fade-free.

Interior: You won’t feel any difference between a JCW and an S inside. Its the usual Mini instrumentation gauges. There remain too many buttons around the center console, as well as many rounded designs. Those bucket seats hug driver and passenger with excellent side and thigh support when cornering.

As with the hatchback, this JCW has dismal rear interior and cargo space. If you prefer to have a more pratical Mini, Clubman is the way to go. Clubman Cooper S is also benefitted from this JCW upgrade.

Conclusion: With the JCW Cooper S, you got everything you want to get through aftermarket with the benefit of factory warranty. In addition, all of these have been done with JCW’s expertise in Mini engineering through engine and suspension upgrades. That alone is good enough to justify the premium over the standard Cooper S.

OVERALL VERDICT FOR 2008 Mini Cooper S John Cooper Works
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Performance: 5/5
Handling and ride/fun-to-drive: 5/5
Interior/ergonomics/user-friendliness: 4/5
Fit-and-finish/build quality: 4/5
Cargo/accessibility/layout: 2/5
Value-for-money: 3/5

Overall rating: 4/5