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2016 John Cooper Works Clubman is torquiest Mini ever

Mini fancies its latest Clubman as more an executive car than a typical premium compact. Think BMW 5 Series to the regular Hardtop's 3 Series. With that in mind, you can think of the new John Cooper Works Clubman as a Mini M5 of sorts. The new JCW Clubman boasts a number of features not offered on its little brothers. Mini engineers are squeezing 228 horsepower out of the 2.0-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder, just like on the Hardtop model. But the bigger John Cooper Works gets a significant bump in torque, up from 236 pound-feet of torque to a more robust 258 lb-ft. And with a standard All4 all-wheel-drive system, the JCW Clubman maximizes the ability to deploy that extra power. View 15 Photos Regardless of transmission, the new Works model hits 60 in 6.0 seconds and runs up to 147 miles per hour, 0.9 seconds quicker and five miles per hour faster than the S model we drove last year. A sportier suspension, meanwhile, drops the ride height 0.4 inches, so expect at least slightly better handling from Mini's newest Works model. Exclusive two-piece sport seats should keep drivers in place while exercising the newfound handling ability. But beyond the extra power, all-wheel drive, upgraded suspension, and neat seats, the JCW Clubman is largely a mishmash of parts we know and like. It uses the same standard six-speed manual and optional eight-speed automatic as the regular car, while the polarizing six-doored body wears the usual JCW tinsel – 18-inch wheels and a more aggressive body kit that promises better engine and brake cooling. And it still has a weight problem – the new car weighs in just under 3,500 pounds to the standard car's 3,300-pound curb weight. Mini hasn't published pricing, but if the trend set by the Hardtop and Convertible continues, we'd wager the new JCW will start around $35,500, tacking $6,000 onto the S model's $29,450. Well, at least Mini has the executive-level pricing down. The John Cooper Works Clubman should hit US dealers in December. Related Video: Related Gallery 2016 Mini John Cooper Works Clubman View 18 Photos News Source: MiniImage Credit: Live photos copyright 2016 Drew Phillips / AOL MINI Wagon Luxury Performance mini clubman

New Mini to bow on Nov. 18, on Alec Issigonis' birthday

Miniacs, note November 18 on your calendar. That's when the all-new Mini Hardtop will debut. Now, this might not be a great deal of news, after all, we already showed you the car, codenamed F56, a few weeks ago. But this full unveiling should bring with it even more detailed exterior images, a full look at the cabin and if we're lucky, performance numbers.
History buffs will also note that November 18 is the birthday of Sir Alec Issigonis. It was Issigonis that penned the original idea for the Mini on a cocktail napkin, envisioning a car with a transversely mounted engine, the wheels pushed out to all four corners and plenty of cabin space for occupants. That car had a remarkably small footprint and was quite efficient, perfect for tackling the fuel shortages brought on by the Suez Crisis in 1959's Great Britain. An unintended side-effect of its design was that it was also an absolute hoot to drive.
The November 18 debut will take place at Mini's home, Plant Oxford, in the UK. Following that, November 20 will see a near-simultaneous debut at both the Tokyo Motor Show and Los Angeles Auto Show. We'll be on hand to bring you all the details.

How Mini shacked up with John Cooper

The late Sir Alexander Arnold Constantine Issigonis, Alec Issignonis to his Internet friends, designed a car that was sold as the Morris Mini-Minor, the Austin Seven and later the Austin Mini. Go to the Mini USA website and check out the models, though, and every one of them is called a Cooper of some sort, e.g., Mini Cooper Paceman or Mini Cooper S Roadster. So who is Cooper?
It's probably obvious that it's the same Cooper we get in "John Cooper Works," those JCW Minis that always make up the top of the line. But many probably don't know that that John Cooper, founder of John Cooper Cars, is the same man who accidentally got the motorsports world to switch to rear-engined race cars and the same Formula One constructor who won two titles in 1959 and 1960 and who fielded drivers like Bruce McLaren and Stirling Moss.
On its way to driving the Mini John Cooper Works GP II, XCAR goes back to the beginning to find out when Alec met John, and how the first Mini Cooper came out in 1961, two years after the first Mini. You can watch the story and the car review in the video below.