Ahead of its debut at the Geneva Motor Show, Mini has taken the wraps of the John Cooper Works Countryman.
This week at Winding Road, we open up the taps on a 2012 Mini Cooper JCW Coupe.
In terms of engine mods, the JCW features reinforced pistons, a lower compression ratio (10.0:1 versus 10.5:1 in the Cooper S) and more boost (1.3 bar in the JCW, 0.9 bar in the Cooper S) from a larger turbocharger and exhaust manifold. A larger cold-air intake and mass airflow sensor are also fitted to improve throttle response. Finally, a reworked exhaust system produces a genuinely mean sounding note, that barks and burbles on overrun. All that mechanical nonsense means there’s 208 horsepower and 192 pound-feet of torque (207 pound-feet during overboost) at the disposal of your right foot.
We’ve just gotten our first official look at the newest member of the growing Mini family. The Mini Cooper Coupe represents a return to basics, with a sporty two-seat layout instead of the two hardly usable seats found in the hardtop.