The 10 weeks it took to finally receive "Billie" absolutely killed me. As some of you are still waiting to get your JCW, I thought I would share my initial thoughts on the car.

A little bit about where I am coming from... I am in the US Army, stationed overseas in Germany. I traded a 2011 BMW E92 M3 in for the JCW. Now let me preemptively address the various reactions. The M3 was (and still is) an amazing car. I knew that moving into a MINI would be a step down in power and speed. I didn't expect the JCW to be able to do 180mph (its legal on the autobahn) like my M3. But I was looking for a completely different driving experience. I wanted something that was still quick and fun in the corners, but would also be a more economical daily driver. I've always loved the character of the MINI, and so it seemed like the right time to pull the trigger on a JCW.

Many of the things I read in the lead up to me placing my order about the Gen 3 MINI are true. Especially the quality of the interior. Coming from a BMW, I genuinely appreciate a top quality feel to the vehicles I drive. My best friend owns an R56 Cooper S. A coworker and close friend of mine just took delivery of a 2015 328i. In comparing the feel of the interior of these four vehicles (R56, E92 M3, F56, 328i) I would rank the JCW interior to be on par with my old M3. It is definitely a huge step above the R56, and perhaps slightly less luxurious feeling than the 328i. This is just my opinion of course, but I wanted to report that I am very pleased with the quality of the interior of my new car.

The second thing I would like to highlight is the sport suspension. It can be harsh. Since delivery, I've driven 700 miles over the past weekend in a different driving conditions to include: city driving, highway driving, and twisty road driving. I also drove the car in a mixture of modes in each setting. My thoughts on driving the car in each condition:

City driving: The JCW is the perfect city car IMHO. It is quick, sharp, precise, and responsive (obviously more so in sports mode). In and around the city, darting in and out of traffic, the JCW shines. The steering precision allowed me to make quick lane changes and turn corners on the streets with the confidence needed to navigate the streets of a busy European city (I took a road trip to Brussels). I found green mode to just be utterly useless in the city. In fact, green mode is quite dangerous in the urban setting. The sluggish acceleration down right frightening. Normal mode was more than adequate as well, but sport mode is just so much fun! If you live in a large city, I'm sure you will find the JCW fits the bill.

Highway driving: It can be difficult to compare highway driving in Germany to highway driving in the states. Speed is definitely a relative term. When a Porsche GT3 flies by you while you are doing 160 mph (in my M3), it can blur one's perspective. I say that to say this. The JCW did great on the highway. No, the top end will not be earth shattering, but I doubt that is what any of us bought the car for. If you did, cancel your order and buy something else. But, for highway driving at "reasonable" speeds (

 

Green mode worked well on the highway, and allowed me to conserve some fuel, although the exact amount I did not calculate. Passing power is spot on, and although I drove mostly in green mode, the car still passed other traffic with confidence. The sports suspension, however, was brutal on the highway. my teeth quite literally chattered a few times when hitting some of the heavier bumps. But that I imagine is the compromise that comes with having stiff suspension. Good for handling, but not so comfortable.

Twisty road driving: Obviously this is where the JCW is king!!!! Billie ate up the back roads without breaking a sweat (or the tires). The passengers in my car were a bit frightened, but only because they know that I like to push the envelope. I won't go on and on about how well she handles. I imagine that most of us bought the car for that very characteristic. I'll just say that the JCW drove the back roads like a dream. I ordered Billie with all season tires (required by law in Germany from OCT to MAR), but I can only imagine how well she will handle when I put 18" wheels and performance tires on her next spring.

So with roughly 800 miles on the clock, I am ready to perform the break in oil change. I know that the break in period is 1200 miles (but we can argue the break in debate in another thread).

Motor on!

 

Thank you for your service. What beautiful car. Looks like the one I have waiting for me at the VPC in GA. Wish I was back in Germany with a Mini to drive on the Autobahn. I'm so jealous. Enjoy it in good health.

Motor On!!!

 

Thanks for the feedback. Love those colors!

 

Congrats and enjoy your new MINI! My uncle was stationed in Germany for many years and he loved to drive his 87' Mustang GT on the Autobahn.

 

I would say the harsh ride can be attributed to the runflats. But it is a sporty suspension with a short wheelbase. Definitely worthy trade offs for how much fun the mini is. I had an e90 m3 and I love my R58 JCW way more. I'm considering the F56 too.

Enjoy the car! Great color combo too!

 

Congrats, and an excellent color combo if i do say so

 

Congrats, and good color combo. I would second each of your points, having traded in an E93 M3 for my JCW two weeks ago. I would argue that I'm having more fun in the JCW than I did in the M3, which unless you were wringing it out on a track, you weren't really using all of the car. My JCW has just the right amount of power to be fun and legal around town or the SoCal freeways. Enjoy the new ride!

 

Thanks for all the feed back. It's good to hear that others are really enjoying their JCWs as well. Incredible car IMO. I'm having way too much fun with her!!