[astilla]

Hi,

I'm just about to buy a new Mini and have a question about the Cooper-S, specifically about the JCW performance kit. So far, I've test driven a standard Cooper for about 30 mins in the dry, a Cooper-S JCW for about 30 mins in the dry and a standard Cooper-S in the wet for about 3 hours. I'm definitely going for the 'S' but am undecided on the JCW kit - is it worth the money? It was hard to remember how different the two (JCW vs standard S) were as I drove them about a month apart and conditions were drastically different.

Also, I keep hearing things about a new JCW coming out? Can someone confirm if I'm talking rubbish (wouldn't be the first time!) ? I'd hate to get a new Cooper-S JCW as a '08 plate only to find that something better comes out the following month or so....

Definitely looking forward to replace my Corolla with a quick Mini, although we do have an immaculate '88 white Mini Designer in the garage, owned from new with only 5k miles on the clock :-D

Andrew

[MINIAC]

The factory MCS JCW won't be available until the latter half of this year.

[theminidoc]

I am also not keen on the few extra horses for the new jcw. I am getting the cooper s any time now and plan to retrofit the jcw tuning kit coming end of this year. that is if I still want it.

[kevkbuk]

Quote: Originally Posted by theminidoc (original)

I am getting the cooper s any time now and plan to retrofit the jcw tuning kit coming end of this year.

Rumour is there are to be no more tuning kits, and the new JCW model will be a factory installed option only. Of course its all rumours at the moment, the new JCW model hasn't been officially announced, and I wouldn't get excited about ordering it until it has been.

The factory JCW is likely to have slightly more power and better brakes. I think it will be like adding the tuning kit again to the stage 1, so not really that much of an increase, and I bet it will cost more than doing that.

I'd be tempted to wait if you don't want/need to change cars now, I needed to change a year ago so I purchased the S and then found myself upgrading to the Works kit later on....

[Japper]

Quote: Originally Posted by astilla (original)

Hi,

I'm just about to buy a new Mini and have a question about the Cooper-S, specifically about the JCW performance kit. So far, I've test driven a standard Cooper for about 30 mins in the dry, a Cooper-S JCW for about 30 mins in the dry and a standard Cooper-S in the wet for about 3 hours. I'm definitely going for the 'S' but am undecided on the JCW kit - is it worth the money? It was hard to remember how different the two (JCW vs standard S) were as I drove them about a month apart and conditions were drastically different.

Also, I keep hearing things about a new JCW coming out? Can someone confirm if I'm talking rubbish (wouldn't be the first time!) ? I'd hate to get a new Cooper-S JCW as a '08 plate only to find that something better comes out the following month or so....

Definitely looking forward to replace my Corolla with a quick Mini, although we do have an immaculate '88 white Mini Designer in the garage, owned from new with only 5k miles on the clock :-D

Andrew

Andrew,

The difference in power isn't huge but after 5k miles of JCW ownership ( since new ) the sum of the parts is better than the figures suggest. The driveabillity and smoothing of the torque curve is better and mine pops big stlee on throttle blips now that it's run in. It pulls harder to the red line and the exhaust tips look better than the std S ones.

[msh441]

Quote: Originally Posted by kevkbuk (original)

Rumour is there are to be no more tuning kits, and the new JCW model will be a factory installed option only. Of course its all rumours at the moment, the new JCW model hasn't been officially announced, and I wouldn't get excited about ordering it until it has been.

I wouldn't buy into that one.

They're still readily availible here in the US.

Also, it wouldn't make sense to elimiate it as a factory tuning option for thos S owners out there that want a boost down the road, but don't want to mess with their factory warranty.

I think it's more likely that they'll set the factory car apart by making it put up some big power figures, have some monsterous stopping power and come with an extra-special body kit.

[adam_Randell]

If you were thinking about all the JCW kit i would just go for all the styling stuff i.e bodykit, carbon fibre interior etc and get an after market re-map and airfilter and backbox as i think the exta horsepower you get for the ammount of money it costs is shocking.

[Japper]

Quote: Originally Posted by adam_Randell (original)

If you were thinking about all the JCW kit i would just go for all the styling stuff i.e bodykit, carbon fibre interior etc and get an after market re-map and airfilter and backbox as i think the exta horsepower you get for the ammount of money it costs is shocking.

Not really, if you shop around you'll get it fitted for £1100. An aftermarket ECU program ( not a piggyback ) will cost around £450, a filter kit another £150 and back box another £400. The JCW ECU although not making massive gains, improves the experience in a very subtle but positive way. It's no good having massive torque figures if you can't get the front wheels to put it down.

Come resale the JCW kit will hold £400-500 of it's value. You can sell your non OEM parts, but unlikely to fetch the same return as you only have a backbox and filter to sell.

Oh and no worries with warranty either

JMHO

[kevkbuk]

Quote: Originally Posted by msh441 (original)

I wouldn't buy into that one.

They're still readily availible here in the US.

I think it's more likely that they'll set the factory car apart by making it put up some big power figures, have some monsterous stopping power and come with an extra-special body kit.

Let me clarify.... what I meant was the rumour is there will be no stage 2 tuning kit available for existing S owners. For what its worth the latest I read on MotoringFile about the factory car was that it would not feature a unique body kit or the JCW suspension, I think Mini will save that kind of thing to the end of the R56 run ala GP.

[astilla]

Quote: Originally Posted by astilla (original)

I'm just about to buy a new Mini...

Quick update... Firstly, thanks very much for all the replies - they really are appreciated. I think I'll probably go ahead with the Cooper-S purchase but speak with the dealer first before making a final decision on the JCW performance kit. I'd like it now but am happy to wait if something else comes along soon. If the new factory JCW model may be a-la GP stylee then I'm not too fussed about that - I still need to use the car for motorway journeys to work so dont want something too hardcore... :-)

My near as damnit final spec is as follows:-
Cooper-S in mellow yellow with black roof and black bonnet stripes
Piano black / mellow yellow interior
17" crown alloys
JCW performance kit (probably)
JCW bodykit
LSD + DSC
tinted side/rear glass
mutifunction steering wheel
hifi system
auto air-con
heated washer jets

It'll cost quite a bundle but if I'm going to do it then I want to get what I really want.... Will just have to live off bread and water for a few months ;-)

Andrew

[lortos_diam]

maybe add the sport button as well......

[Prowse]

Can't comment on JCW kits in the future, but I've driven r56 Cooper S's and JCW's, I much prefer the JCW it's just got a bit more grunt, though I still find I prefer my own r53 JCW. The current JCW kit is also cheap compared to the previous model.

[WRX-FOR-JCW]

For a £1100 its not worth quibbling about in my opinion. The R53 Works kits is £3500!

[FergusM]

Quote: Originally Posted by Japper (original)

Not really, if you shop around you'll get it fitted for £1100. An aftermarket ECU program ( not a piggyback ) will cost around £450, a filter kit another £150 and back box another £400. The JCW ECU although not making massive gains, improves the experience in a very subtle but positive way. It's no good having massive torque figures if you can't get the front wheels to put it down.

Come resale the JCW kit will hold £400-500 of it's value. You can sell your non OEM parts, but unlikely to fetch the same return as you only have a backbox and filter to sell.

Oh and no worries with warranty either

JMHO

Well Roland @ GTT tuning said exhaust was ok for a load more HP, panel filter is certainly not £150...so a ECU remap might give you the same as works kit.

Or £200 for the GTT stealth cat conversion..probably as much HP as works kit and also no warranty issues.

[Japper]

Quote: Originally Posted by FergusM (original)

Well Roland @ GTT tuning said exhaust was ok for a load more HP, panel filter is certainly not £150...so a ECU remap might give you the same as works kit.

Or £200 for the GTT stealth cat conversion..probably as much HP as works kit and also no warranty issues.

Probably?...........................any one seen any proof. I'm getting tired of products being released with claims of increases without any thing even showing gains.

Alta are about the only ones backing their products.

I mean you wouldn't buy a new laptop without a spec sheet would you ?.

[FergusM]

I agree....figures would be good, hence why I said probably, though read a few of thoses that quote massive power gains can be inaccurate also. (not meaning the JCW stuff which is probably spot on).

[Keano]

Quote: Originally Posted by Prowse (original)

Can't comment on JCW kits in the future, but I've driven r56 Cooper S's and JCW's, I much prefer the JCW it's just got a bit more grunt, though I still find I prefer my own r53 JCW. The current JCW kit is also cheap compared to the previous model.

The current R56 JCW is very similar in terms of performance to the 210 R53 although the prospect of a higher spec stage 2 kit is quite something - my local MINI garage said stage 2 would be 220bhp and available in just over a year. I specced up an R56 to match my current JCW R53 and it came out at just over £32K ! I will be waiting for a second hand R56 works and getting the stage two kit when it comes out...

[macmini]

hi there,

the factory workskit will be out starting in june, available as a r56 and r55
there wont be an official retrofit kit offered by mini.

the kit will come with the following items:

+ 260km/h speedo / equivilant miles speedo
+ 17" wheel (challenge spoke)
+ 4 piston brake kit
+ full catback exhaustsystem
+ optimized turbocharger
+ optimized transmission
+ optimized gearbox
+ jcw badges

price will be somewhere near 4000€ for the entire kit

cheers

mac

[Tunster]

Quote: Originally Posted by macmini (original)

hi there,

the factory workskit will be out starting in june, available as a r56 and r55
there wont be an official retrofit kit offered by mini.

the kit will come with the following items:

+ 260km/h speedo / equivilant miles speedo
+ 17" wheel (challenge spoke)
+ 4 piston brake kit
+ full catback exhaustsystem
+ optimized turbocharger
+ optimized transmission
+ optimized gearbox
+ jcw badges

price will be somewhere near 4000€ for the entire kit

cheers

mac

Very nice info, but i've just ordered a Cooper S very similarly to the OP here. To be honest, the performance kit I may consider towards the end of the 2nd year or beginning of the 3rd year of owning it to relive the experince. For now, I'm keeping to the JCW Aero Kit and working on getting a quote for the spoiler and will save for the £2000 R109 18" 10 spoke JCW Alloy's. To be honest, they will be far better to have over the JCW performance kit.

Along with the Astro Black, I've got the rear darkened windows, chili-pack (Bi-Xenon Lights, Floor Mats, Manual Aircon, Fog Lights, On-Board Computer, Leather Steering Wheel, 17" Crown Spoke Alloys), DSC (no LSD, don't see the worth of the extra £100), visibility pack, piano black trim, hifi loudspeaker system, chrome line interior and the JCW aerokit from factory rather than being fitted on afterwards.

Andrew: Go with what you want and can can afford .