Category: Mini

Want to own a John Cooper Works (JCW) Mini, but can’t really afford the $50,000-plus asking prices? Or perhaps you aren’t interested in being a track-day charger but want a Mini that looks hot? If you answered yes to either of the above questions, the Australian Mini importer is bringing in John Cooper Works Option Packages that can be installed in all models in the Mini Cooper S range. The Packages include JCW Chili Red paintwork, previously a shade only offered on the Works car; then there is the JCW… Read more

Hot on the heels of the announcement of the standard convertible versions of the third generation Mini comes information on the hottest of them all – the John Cooper Works (JCW). Powered by a highly tuned version of the Mini 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine, the JCW unit produces 170 kW of power between 5200 and 6000 revs, and 320 Nm of torque that’s on tap all the way from 1250 to 4800rpm. Sitting beside the engine is a six-speed sports automatic transmission that can be overridden by paddle shifters. A… Read more

Mini has added to its lineup with the introduction of a third generation open-top car. This time around it is a pure convertible, not a cabriolet. That’s because the fixed rollover hoops have been replaced by a rollover protection system that automatically raises the bars when the car’s sensors detect rolling over is a possiblity. The gen-three open-top Mini is coming to Australia in Cooper and Cooper S variants, there is no lower cost Mini One. May we speculate a hot JCW version is in the design stages? To our… Read more

Mini has continued the progressive release of its third-generation models with a new Clubman station wagon joining the previously launched three and five-door hatches. Like the second-generation Countryman crossover SUV and the gen-three five-door hatch the new Clubman breaks with Mini tradition by adding conventional rear passenger doors for the first time. Indeed Clubman goes one step further because, by retaining the previous side-hinged ‘barn doors’ at the rear of the car, it has become the first ever six-door Mini. As is the norm with model upgrades the new Clubman… Read more

Aussie Sir Jack Brabham and Pommie father and son Charles and John Cooper were major players in top level car racing for many years during the 1950s and ‘60s, with Brabham winning the F1 world championship in 1959 and 1960 driving Cooper cars. Sadly, none of them are with us anymore, but John’s son Mike Cooper is still involved in the road-going Minis that bear John Cooper’s name. The JCW – John Cooper Works – Minis have been the high-performance versions of the Mini range for many years and hold… Read more