Yuck nasty or what!!!!! How much extra is the JCW over this though?

The factory fit one is £950 I think...the JCW is £975 plus fitting, but I bet you could get a deal.

I've just ordered the JCW kit from Wollaston's and it came in at £1175 fitted. Not bad. Though I know Woodmans in Blackpool are doing it for £995, it's just too far to drive for me.

Cheese

the only thing ill miss from my r56 is the turbo

Hey all,

After having a word with our fleet manager looks like as a company car it will be much cheaper for us to get a new JCW

I was thinking that there was no contest there, as the tax differential will be HUGE!

If the new car has any serious benefits, it's in fuel consumption, emissions and tax take. it's probably best to ignore which is the best car of the two and simply go with the new one....

(Unhelpfully, I've still voted for the old one anyway! :rolleyes: :D)

Had a test drive earlier of the JCW and have decided I'm going to order one :-)

To start with though I would say if I had the option right now for the older Super Charged one tax differential aside I would still go for the old one it drove far rawer than the new one and always responded instantly to throttle inputs. However the big saving in car tax cant be ignored I think it works out to about £180 saved a month over the Z4 :-)

The new one is stil a great car though it felt like the cooper had grown up a little its probably technically a quicker car but its lost some its playfullness as well.

Didnt get to really thrash it on the test drive obviously but it did feel like it had good power when it was on boost and seemed to spin up the gears much faster than the old JCW. Maybe the gear ratios have been revised or something?

It felt slightly bigger somtimes it reminded me of an A3 Quattro Turbo I used to drive not sure if that was because of the turbo or how it felt slightly bigger than the older mini. I think the word is "Corporate".

One thing I must say is I didnt like the new dashboard and centre console it looks too different for me.....

However I've put a request in to order the following hope it gets signed off :-)

17" Flame Spoke Alloys
Chilli Pack
Heated Mirrors Wash jets
LSD
Multifunction steering wheel
Works Kit
Astro Black with a matching roof
Chrome Line Exterior
Chromed Mirror Caps
Darkened Rear Glass
Hi Fi Speaker System
Smoker Pack
Sports Suspension
IPod Kit

Looking forward to my corny mini adventures again :-) lol....

nice spec mate - you had the same choice to make as me Z4 or JCW - and made the same decision - for the same reasons - plus the sheer fun factor too :D:D

Shame you didn't drive the car on your test drive, in the way you normally would.
I make a point of driving the same way I would do on everyday on my test drive. -That way you get a true reflection of the car and how it goes. I might frighten the Sales exec a little - but my dealership have gotten used to me now - and trust me enough to let me loose and not trash their demonstrator

One more question for you all as part of the chilli pack you can select sports suspension as a free option - is it worth getting or is the std setup good enough?

I want great cornering yet am sick of how stiff the Z4 suspension currently is - a filling rattler!

One more question for you all as part of the chilli pack you can select sports suspension as a free option - is it worth getting or is the std setup good enough?

I want great cornering yet am sick of how stiff the Z4 suspension currently is - a filling rattler!

I'd stick with the standard setup aving 17's that come with the Chili pack, ride is a good compromise!

I've had extensive drives in the Z4 Coupe 3.0si and the Z4M Coupe - as they are cars I was looking at moving to from my current R53 MCS. I have also driven the R56 with JCW Tuning Kit with Sports Suspension and LSD on JCW 18"

My conclusion is that whilst the handling of the Z4 Coupe is exceptional - as a cruiser it is a brusiing ride. - The MCS even with sports suspension is very complient much better than the R53 even though it might not be quite as sharp/direct. The standard suspension is very good but I felt was too soft and dumbed the car down in comparision to my current R53 MSC. The R56 with Sport Suspension is much closer to the R53 with a better ride and with the extra power of the JCW tuning kit it is perfect.

Hence my decision to order exactly that combo - R56 MSC w/Chilli Pack, LSD, Sports Suspension and JCW Tuning Kit

<----------Puts on flame proof suit.:D

I love my new R56 JCW as an everyday car it is quick fun to drive, comfortable, economical to own and for what I want right now it is perfect.

However it just does not have the sense of occasion of my old R53 JCW which had character by the bucket load especially the supercharger whine and the instant involvement from the driving experience. IMHO the new car isnt as good to look at as the old one either.....

I guess I must add this is based on two weeks with the new car verses 6 years with the old one so it may not be that balanced a view.
But its probably the best judgement of both cars;)

I had a fair amount of access to driving an R56 MCS for a while, and as much as it was easy to drive, its like Washy says that roar isn't there, its still a hoot, but it all depends on what you want.

In the end I decided the R56 wasn't going to be my new car so picked up a GP, which is even more fun and crazy than my last JCW MCSC:D

:( all valid point I agree damn I'd just gotten my mind set after all that pondering....

A nice problem to have though but is the new one really that bad it still felt like it had a nice kick to it but not as raw as the older JCW agreed....

Didnt get to drive it in anger - does it spit lovely burbley noises out the exhaust when pushed hard? Is the turbo whistle addictive? Is the Turbo actually any improvement to drive over the older JCW is it all bad?

Questions oh so many.....

Its not that is bad, its just a case of horses for courses;)

If you want raw, untamed then it has to be the old car, if you want smooth torque effortless comfortable driving then its the R56, both are MINI's, but both have their fans that sit on different sides of the fence.

I'm still staying on this side of the fence until something comes along that can give me as many grins and turn as many heads as what I drive at the moment:)

Some good feedback on here and the review itself....

Why cant i find any reviews on the new JCW anywhere when its already out and the last one got heavy coverage hm......

Article Comments - 2007 MINI Cooper S Full Test - CarSpace Automotive Forums (http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct/view/.f134b28)

:( all valid point I agree damn I'd just gotten my mind set after all that pondering....

A nice problem to have though but is the new one really that bad it still felt like it had a nice kick to it but not as raw as the older JCW agreed....

Didnt get to drive it in anger - does it spit lovely burbley noises out the exhaust when pushed hard? Is the turbo whistle addictive? Is the Turbo actually any improvement to drive over the older JCW is it all bad?

Questions oh so many.....

The R56 is a huge improvement over the old model in my opinion. I couldn't stand the old car with its thrashy ride, naff engine and various other issues I had with - fuel economy was a joke so when my wife mentioned that she wanted to swap her Z4 for a MINI I wasn't too enthused, given that I have to drive it too.

Went to the stealer determined not to like the flaming thing and was gobsmacked by the improvements in virtually all departments. For a turbocharged car, it doesn't remotely suffer from lag as I used to with my Impreza and the only negative is the looks which I agree are somewhat odd, especially from side on with the wheels looking very undersized.

Put it this way, I'm more than happy to use it when my Z4M needs a rest.

Thanks for the feedback. I've bitten the bullet and have ordered the following.

Does anyone know where I can find a piccie of a simliar spec?

17" Flame Spoke Alloys
Chilli Pack
Heated Mirrors Wash jets
LSD
Multifunction steering wheel
Works Kit
Astro Black with a matching roof
Chrome Line Exterior
Chromed Mirror Caps
Darkened Rear Glass
Hi Fi Speaker System
Smoker Pack
Sports Suspension
IPod Kit