Just to add fuel to this 'MINI' fire (get it... oh nevermind!), MotoringFile have posted this today.
MotoringFile Archive MF Review: JCW Stage I vs Stage II
Nice article and pretty interesting although I note it's a review from cars sold over the pond - for a change, our US cousins are the ones getting "short changed" with no areo kit as standard on their factory JCW!
Thanks to Popey for starting this interesting thread - I've had a pants week so far, so this bit of entertainment and debate is very welcome.
Bored at work over the weekend, I decided to visit the Mini UK website to play on their car configurator. Was messing about speccing up a factory JCW and was surprised to find that the JCW that I would like to order was much cheaper than I expected! This is mainly because many of the options that I normally insist on such as auto air con, darkened rear glass etc were "standard" (for me "standard" includes the Chili pack as I would never consider buying a Mini without one). The bonus with the factory JCW being of course that there are several performance bits than you can't easily obtain for the MCS.
Let's just say that the MCS Clubman I am eagerly awaiting delivery of is probably going to work out at least as expensive as the factory JCW that I "built" online.
Whether or not the factory JCW represents good value for money depends on the way you approach what constitutes "good value for money". If you compare the cost to a new Mini One then maybe it doesn't offer good value for money - and by that token the Mini itself is a pretty expensive small car compared to the likes of Fiat's 500. Which model we buy will depend on what priorities you have, what you can afford and what you can justify to yourself in terms of parting with your hard-earned cash. For example, I would quite like the built-in sat nav package but feel that it is ridiculously overpriced compared to a couple of hundred quid for a Tom Tom so would never spec it on any of my Minis.
I remember looking at a Dooper Clubman originally but by the time I specced it up with things that came as standard on the MCS such as Xenon lights, clear indicators etc., it was so close in price to the MCS (and I much preferred the drive of the MCS), I ordered an MCS instead.
For me, I think the factory JCW represents pretty good value for money - I think I would quite enjoy the boost in power (although I personally wouldn't be prepared to pay for the Stage 1 tuning kit on my MCS as for me the MCS has enough power), I like the aero kit (front and side skirts anyway
), it comes with nicer, bigger wheels and those nice red brake calipers. I doubt that I would be prepared to pay for these bits individually on an MCS but taken as an overall package, I feel that the factory JCW weighs in at about the right price.
Unfortunately, as my other half cannot drive a car with manual transmission, my hands are tied and I have to go for an MCS (plus the JCW Clubman isn't out until next year). Although I would like some R105s on my clubman, I cannot justify to myself spending the equivalent of 10% of the value of my car again on a set of wheels when I actually like the standard Pace spokes. However, I am interested in seeing what the JCW aero kit looks like when it arrives next year!