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Mini testing new JCW on the Nurburgring Nordschleife

Mini fans have had plenty to chew on lately. In the past month alone, the Anglo-Saxon automaker revealed its quirky, one-off Paceman Adventure pickup and dazzled showgoers over the weekend at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este with the Superleggera Vision concept. But what enthusiasts (to say nothing of dealers) have been really waiting for since the debut of the new Mini hatchback late last year has been the new John Cooper Works performance model. And that's just what we have here.
Spied undergoing testing at the Nürburgring, this JCW prototype looks about ready for production, but is still keeping its front end under wraps. We can still discern the larger front intakes and bigger brakes with red calipers front and rear, and while the rear bumper is still stock, the wheels are definitely JCW: similar to those worn by the John Cooper Works Concept unveiled in Detroit a few months ago, they look more like five-spoke versions of the outgoing GP model's four-spoke units than the BBS-style alloys of the last John Cooper Works hatchback.
The new JCW is still probably a few months away from debut, but we're expecting around 230 horsepower under the hood when it does arrive.

2017 Mini John Cooper Works Clubman ALL4 | Pint-size performer with a premium price

Last September, Mini revealed the Clubman John Cooper Works (JCW). It applied the same general JCW formula used on the regular three-doors to the longest Mini by giving it even sportier suspension and the potent 228-horsepower turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine. But from there, Mini gave the Clubman JCW even more torque than other JCW models, and the most of any Mini model, with a total of 258 pound-feet. It also fitted standard all-wheel drive. On paper, it sounds like the ultimate performance Mini, and it doesn't hurt that it's about the most practical model. So how did it hold up in practice? First of all, this Mini has a serious weight problem. You might be tired of alarmist auto journalists whining about the increasing size of vehicles, but it's a major issue with this Mini. It actually weighs more than a V6 Chevrolet Camaro. The Camaro weighs 3,435 pounds, and the Mini weighs 3,450. That's for the manual transmission version, too. Our automatic-equipped test car weighed more than that. As a result, it feels noticeably slower than the competition, despite making 228 horsepower and the aforementioned torque. There's an area in which the Clubman JCW could easily lose some weight, and that's in the all-wheel-drive system. It's a Haldex-style system that only kicks in when the front wheels start to slip, so it's only beneficial for traction in bad weather, not for improving the driving experience by, say, reducing the car's understeer. That's fine for more mainstream Minis, but the JCW line is all about performance and speed, so if the all-wheel-drive system doesn't improve the driving experience, it should simply be dropped to make the car lighter. Despite the Mini's prodigious portliness, there are good points. The engine is very smooth, and power comes on almost instantly. In more aggressive driving modes, the exhaust pops and burbles almost every time you lift off the gas pedal. T he eight-speed automatic paired with this engine was equally up to the task. Shifts were fast and smooth. And it even worked well leaving it in automatic mode. It held gears smartly, and it would downshift while braking to ensure you had the right gear when taking off again. The Clubman JCW also has the brand's trademark corner-carving skills. Body roll is nearly absent in the normal driving mode, and what little was evident is removed when switching to Sport mode. The car responds immediately to each steering input, and it has tenacious grip through corners.

2019 Mini Oxford Edition is the cheapest way to get a Mini, but only for college students, grads

Mini makes a play for young car buyers with its latest 2019 Hardtop model, the Oxford Edition. It's more on par with a new trim level, but it's a highly compelling one as it's the cheapest version of the Mini available, and it comes with even more standard features than the regular base Mini. The catch is you have to either be in college, or recently graduated, to get it. Specifically, you have to be a full- or part-time student enrolled in a 2-year, 4-year or graduate school program at an accredited college or university. You're also eligible if you've graduated from one of those programs within 12 months of buying the car. If this describes you, you can have a turbo-charged three-cylinder two-door Mini Hardtop for $20,600, or the four-door for $21,600. That's a $2,150 discount over a normal base trim Mini called Classic. Even better, the Oxford Edition is equipped much better than the Classic, with larger 17-inch wheels, heated seats and a panoramic sunroof as standard. There are even a couple more colors to pick from adding British Racing Green and Starlight Blue to the Classic's selection of red, white, black and silver. An automatic transmission is also standard, which is usually a $1,250 option on the Classic, but a manual transmission is still available. Mini says that all the features amount to a $6,900 value, though it's difficult to gauge that since features such as the sunroof aren't available on the Classic, but it's a standard feature on the roughly $26,000 Mini Signature. All-in-all, the Mini Oxford Edition is a great deal for a young buyer with a desire for a Mini. And that's easy to understand, since we've enjoyed the ones we've driven. Related Video: