2012 Mini Cooper Hardtop Hatchback 2d on 2040-cars

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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

Mini John Cooper Works GP spied with wide body, big wing

The Mini John Cooper Works GP was just announced to have over 300 horsepower, and we got an early glimpse at it with teaser images. And now one of our spy photographers caught the car with very thin camouflage. The spy photos reveal that the Mini GP is sticking fairly close to the Frankfurt concept, but toning everything down a bit. At the front, the Mini GP clearly is using the current John Cooper Works hardtop front bumper, but it does have deep chin spoiler additions that allude to the GP concept's massive splitter. The grille has been revised, and the gloss black lower sections are now made of a matte black mesh design. The slot in the middle could have red accents on each side like the red stripe on the concept. The front spoiler blends right in to the new extra-wide fender flares. While the fender extensions don't protrude as far as on the concept, they're otherwise very similar in how they sweep backward at the tops and stand away from the body to allow air to flow through. Something else noticeable from the side are the enormous front brakes. The rotors nearly fill up the wheels, and the calipers look really beefy. The five-spoke wheels on this prototype will be replaced by GP-signature four-spoke wheels as revealed by teaser shots. The back of the GP looks about how we would imagine it. The split rear wing is roughly the same shape as the concept's, but a little narrower. The bumper has a big diffuser area that doesn't necessarily look functional, but should at least look cool. The rear exhaust tips look bigger than normal Mini John Cooper Works models. The Mini GP will go into production in 2020. Only 3,000 examples will be built. We suspect the GP will use the same turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine as the BMW X2 35i, which makes 306 horsepower and 332 pound-feet of torque. Coupled with weight savings, possibly involving a rear seat deletion, and upgraded suspension, and this should be a shockingly fast Mini. Related Video:

Mini USA will temporarily stop importing manual transmissions

Emissions certification woes strike again, this time at Mini. The U.S. arm of Blighty's iconic car company has had to temporarily put a stop to importing any models with manual transmissions beginning with July production, which is when BMW typically begins rolling the new model year down assembly lines. According to MotoringFile, calibration testing for the six-speed manual is taking longer than expected. The outlet guesses the interruption will conclude by September, because it has "seen these type of delays in the past and they've lasted from 1-4 months." It has queried the brand's head of communication, who said, "As much as we at MINI USA would like to have a definitive timeline, it would be too early to say." The spokesman did, however, say that Mini remains committed to the manual gearbox. That comes in contrast to Toyota's recent breakdown of manual take-rates across a range of vehicle types, Hyundai jettisoning the manual on the 2020 Elantra, and stalwart enthusiast rides like the Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 and Chevrolet Corvette leaving the stick-shift fold. Nevertheless, Mini's efforts feel, at best, like raging against the dying of the light, especially because the end of the MF report states, "the other big news is that Mini USA is also eliminating the manual option from some models all-together." MF isn't yet certain about which models are affected, though. Buyers stepping up during the row-your-own intermission will get a crack at the long awaited seven-speed dual-clutch transmission or a revised eight-speed automatic. The DCT will slide into the Cooper and Coooper S models, the traditional automatic makes a home in the 301-horsepower John Cooper Works Clubman and Countryman.