Long-term test: MINI John Cooper Works

On my opening run, I could tell the MINI had plenty of grip – only if I pushed it to extremes would it get out of shape. The JCW’s damping is exceptionally firm on the road (something we’ll cover more later on), but on a track it helped the MINI feel nimble, as did the typically MINI-like darty steering. Confidence levels were up as a result, so I pushed harder, attempting to really test the balance of the JCW through Curborough’s chicane. 

While I was having plenty of fun, there were some elements of the MINI JCW that frustrated. I quickly learned that if I was to keep the transmission in manual mode via the paddles during a run, I’d have to start in second gear, because trying to change gear on the opening tight corner (or any corner, for that matter) is very fiddly, thanks to the MINI’s tiny gearshift paddles hiding behind that fat-rimmed steering wheel. 

The transmission itself isn’t the best either. Towards the end of the day I found it better to leave it in automatic mode, because it often ignored my manual inputs. There’s a slight issue with the engine on track too. You don’t notice it much on the road, but wringing out every bhp can be tough when the gearbox often grabs a higher gear than you’d like. 

However, to the car’s credit, even after a full day of hard driving, the MINI JCW didn’t bat an eyelid. The temperatures and brakes all looked and felt good at the end.

*Insurance quote from AA (0800 107 0680) for a 42-year-old in Banbury, Oxon, with three points.

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