New member here and I have yet to own a mini. I just sold my 1969 corvette stingray, 450 HP, and looking for something slightly more practical. Before anyone asks, I just didn’t drive the vet much. So, I have my eye on a Paceman JCW, I know it’ll be a huge step down from the acceleration I‘m used to but, I’m looking for something that I can drive in the rain and snow and toss the dog in the back but still be fun to drive. My other vehicle is a Tundra CrewMax, which I really don’t have to use as my daily driver and chew up 13 miles/ gallon! So the mini Paceman is kinda what I’m looking for. Any advice on what to look for? avoid? I’m reading some of these posts that some people are not pleased with the performance of the Paceman because of the lack of HP. Is the JCW better? I would like to find a manual, but is there much difference with the automatic? And no, I have not test drove one, I have drove a cooper S. Finding a local JCW Paceman manual is not the easiest thing to do.

 

i think mini is going to stop making the paceman. in my opinion jcw variants are highly overpriced since its hard to get one that is not fully loaded. i own a slightly modded r60s (countryman). it looks like it is much easier to find a JCW Countryman over a JCW paceman. i would get the jcw countryman if you like it and for power get a quick tune. either something like the nm-eng for 500 bucks or the JB+ from http://burgertuning.com/Mini_Cooper_...nce_tuner.html

one thing i hated about my r60s were the run flats. i changed them to michelin ps3 and it changed the car. not sure what tires you get with the JCW versions.

the fastest car that i have been in is a 2012 c300 NA v6 and my slightly modified mini felt very similar to it in terms of acceleration

hope it helps and would love to see a photo of your stingray. love them.

 

This is my take,

The manual is a down grade IMO, it yields no performance benefit because the auto holds turbo boost during shifts and the manual to me doesn’t have a true short stoke sports car feel, it shifts like a small import pickup truck (no hate mail please). The manual will also hurt resale and trade in value because it takes out 80% of the buyers (unless your leasing, then it doesn’t matter).

If I wanted an AWD for snowy winters I would go with the JCW, because the AWD seems to suck up a lot of crank to wheel break HP. It seems that the bulk of Paceman owners that are unhappy with performance have AWD’s with manual transmissions.

I own a FWD Paceman S auto with a plug and play JB+ tune and it's as quick as the two S hardtops we have owned. The smaller hardtops gave a higher sensation of performance, but it’s because the Paceman is a lot quieter, has less harmonic vibration and less body flex.

Hope this helps,

 

That's interesting, so I would have thought that the manual would give you a lot more acceleration since you have control over the engine rev's. But what you're saying is the AWD dogs the car down? Any-way of dis-engaging the AWD? I'm not liking the idea of buying less horsepower in a car that is 3000+ Lbs. Can the JCW have the JB+ added? Would that help reduce the drag? Is the JCW automatic good off the block? My theory is: It's not how fast you can go, but how fast can you get going. Every car out there can do 100+ Mph, but getting to 100, now thats a different story.

Not sure how to post pic's but I will post the vet when I learn how.

 

Here'ya go

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...s/DSCN1588.JPG

Probably see it better from my Gallery

 

That's a beauty.
I have the auto and it's nice paddle shifting is not the same thrill of a gated shifter but it's quick, I switch to manual mode all the time
Yes you can add the jb+ to the jcw also. It makes a huge difference. Not sure if you are going to mod it but there are other options too for more power. A bench tune will give more power like the nm-eng 500 buck tune. Jcw also has an upgraded fmic which I am getting for my r60s, jcw is worth it if you have the money.

Me personally, I might trade up my r60s for a jcw r60 if I can get one for 28k before trade in. I don't need extras like navigation and so on, don't use it and extra weight. I believe there are some jcw r60 owners close to 300hp and regular r60s to 270hp. I would also think a turbo upgrade on the jcw would be easier since better exhaust, fmic and so on and I think the jcw is beefier overall to handle a big power jump.

Another option is to wait 2 years or maybe less for the next gen countryman with the 2ltr turbo engine that is in the f56, hearing amazing things on that new engine. You should test drive auto and manual ones to see which you like more

 

OK so educate me, what the heck is r60 and r60s? No idea what that is. But I like the sound of the +250 HP!!

 

Haha no problem. R60 is the non turbo, r60s is the turbo model, r60jcw is well the r60 jcw r60s and r60jcw are very similar besides exhaust better fmic some beefier internals to run higher boost, suspension and a bit more. R60/s/jcw range are the countryman. R61/s/jcw are the paceman

 

With the auto you have full manual mode control via the stick and can use the wheel paddle shifters, and you can add a JB+ to a JCW. Is the AWD a dog? No… but the FWD’s are quicker in “S” trim and the JCW’s are the fastest AWD because they have more power out the box. Is the Paceman a high performance sports car? No. Are they sporty and a lot of fun to drive? I think so, but the only way to figure out what flavor works for you is to go give them a try at a Mini dealer.

P.S. The 2017 Paceman is confirmed..
http://www.caradvice.com.au/278780/b...firmed-report/


Addendum...Didn't see ayk07's post..

 

Thanks all. I was always leaning towards the Paceman JCW model, I think I still am. I realize these are not "sports" cars but of the models I've driven, "cooper S", auto, it was really fun to drive, quick and responsive. I just can't live in such a small space. Don't care for the look of the Countryman or Clubman, and actually think the Paceman has a nice, little meaner stance than the others. But with all that said, I still like to feel the power when I stomp on it. Hopefully you guys can guide me in adding mods to grab additional power The problem I have is there are Zero (0) JWC Paceman's in or around the Philadelphia area, manual or automatic to test drive.

 

All I can say is what Horse said -- avoid a manual transmission in this car at all costs, especially if you want AWD. I haven't heard officially, but I'd bet dollars to donuts they detuned this motor in 1st and 2nd gear. I know they did in the 2nd gen hardtop, supposedly so you can't wind it up and dump the clutch and tear up the whole drive train, which irked me to no end until I got a tune that fixed it. Combined with a totally crap clutch, trying to get any kind of a launch from a dead stop is an exercise in utter futility.

My wife's Countryman S All4 auto is more fun to drive than my basically equal-except-for-the-manual Paceman, and I've always preferred driving a manual. Thank you BMW for taking all the fun out of that for me. At least with the auto you can stand on the brake for a second before letting it go ... and then go it does. The JCW auto ought to be cracking good fun.

 

What's so bad about a manual? I have a 6 speed manual 2014 JCW Paceman that is spectacular. I drove an automatic 2014 JCW Paceman loaner for over a month while my car was being built at the factory. I'll take the manual any day over the auto. I'm getting significantly better mpg with the manual, 29 city 34 hwy. I went three days before I had to fill up with the auto I do four days now with the manual before a fill up.

Automatics IMO are down right boring. Even paddle shifting is boring. The performance is much better with the manual especially in sport mode. I can ascend many steep hills while in 6th GEAR comfortably doing 50+ mph. The car is a blast to drive fast whipping through slower city traffic. The shifter throw is very tight and short not as someone said above "like a pickup". Yes the car would benefit from a performance chip/tune but it's very satisfactory stock.

My former "reference" car was a '01 Audi TT 225 hp Quattro. It easily compares to this car in every way. I also own a Porsche 911 turbo which obviously doesn't compare very closely but I know what a performance car is. The JCW AWD Paceman is no slouch by any means.

But, yes, GET RID OF THOSE DISGUSTING RUN-FLATS!

If you want a JCW Paceman with less options you will most definitely have to order from the factory. They are very exclusive which makes them all the more attractive. Other than at the dealer I've seen four on the road in my area since I knew it existed when it was a prototype show car way back when.

 

I also have to add: The auto downshifted abruptly when out of the manual paddle mode. The kick down when you punched it was very crude and it jolted you considerably. For a modern 2014 car I was surprised at the less than remarkable performance for a smooth shifting automatic. Get a manual and don't look back.

 

Everybody's experiences are different, I guess. Between my manual Paceman and my wife's auto Countryman (both All4's), my experience is the exact opposite of yours. All I know is, this car has almost completely soured me on manuals. Maybe I got a leftover junk clutch from the '12 Countryman's (which still doesn't completely explain the sleep-inducing take-offs from a dead stop, even with a JB+ tune). But I've seen enough similar complaints to mine in the Countryman forum to know that I'm not alone.

 

I was finally able to test drive 2 cars, the Paceman S, FWD automatic and a Countryman all4 manual. Initial reaction was; I was impressed with both cars! All though the automatic has a lot of lag before the turbo kicks in it was still responsive, quick and handled well. I did feel the steering wheel grab and pull when accelerating, but I can live with that. In Sport mode it was a completely different car, one that I could drive all day. Don't know if keeping it in sport mode would do long term damage but that's where I would keep it. Question: when switching to sport mode, what's happening? Is the turbo punched up a little or is the gearing altered somehow?


The manual countryman was great!! The only thing that I would change (aside from adding the suggested mods for more HP) would be to stiffen up the clutch. It's probably a hydraulic clutch so I'm not sure if any adjustments could be made but it felt like nothing was there when pressed and it didn't engage until the peddle was almost more than half way out. Definitely need to feel that grab a little quicker. But again sport mode is where I would keep it.

The test drives re-confirmed my direction, the JCW manual paceman ( if I can find one) is the direction I'm heading based on the test drives.

The search is on.

 

The automatic doesn't necessarily have more turbo lag then the manual. With the auto the turbo is still making boost very low in the rpm range but it's limited due to the transmission, so the torque onset is lessened some compared to a manual.

As far as what the sport button does: it doesn't add any power whatsoever. It makes steering heavier (a very nice feel imo) and it also remaps the throttle so it is much more sensitive. Also with an automatic it places the auto in sport mode to it will shift higher in the rev range and be more aggressive with downshifts, it does not and cannot change gearing.

 

Do you have a manual JCW Paceman or just a regular Paceman AWD? You do have the JB tune, how much better was adding that? I also test drove a regular manual AWD Paceman but it definitely lacked a lot of get up and go compared to the JCW version. What do you mean by "sleep inducing take-offs". Mine can be a bit touchy from a complete stop if you don't give it enough gas.

 

Markett,

Glad you had a chance to drive both and like I said you needed to drive them to know what flavor works for you. The down side to the automatics, is you don’t get that off the line jolt from revving the engine and engaging the clutch. The upside is the auto holds boost once your rolling through the gears and quicker in the real world, but it is really about the sensation that inspires you.

I think the Paceman is a great car with zero take back to the dealer adjustments, and that is a first for me. They are fairly exclusive like JCWBlu said, I have seen more McLauren’s then Paceman’s on the road in the 9 months we have own ours.

I should also mention with all three Mini’s we have owned the performance notably increases in the first 10,000 miles. I agree with JCWBlu about the Run Flats... I’m running the 18” 5 spoke modular’ s and replaced the OEM 225 45 18 Runflats with 245 45 18 Bridgestone S-04 Poles and the difference in ride, traction and handling is absolutely amazing.

Hope everyone has a great holiday weekend...

 

My Paceman is a regular All4, not a JCW, as is my wife's Countryman. I have the JB+ tune, a Megan Racing muffler, and a VIP 'cold' air intake. It definitely has more go than stock, but that's mostly after it's moving -- i.e., acceleration is better, but dead stop launches still suck. That's the sleep-inducing take-offs -- if you get on it too hard from a stand still, the clutch just slips and burns for a second or two, especially if you're on any kind of an incline. And if you ease up enough to let the clutch grab, it's not making enough power to make it go. There's no in between -- it just won't go. I had a 1981 Honda Civic wagon 5-speed with a whopping 67 hp that I could launch better than this car.

 

What year is your Paceman? Something is not right, my car, '14 JCW Paceman, is quick out of the hole. How many miles do you have on it? The clutch slipping is also not normal by any means.

 

It's a 2013 Paceman S All4 manual, about 16000 miles. It's been like this from day 1. No, the clutch slipping is not normal, but it is not uncommon either with this car and the Countryman. There are at least a couple of lengthy threads about it in the Countryman forum. I'm going to have it looked at soon.

 

I purposely hammered mine this morning, floored it out of the hole from a complete stop in Sport mode; no slippage.

 

Thought I should put something to bed for everyone, I found out today the JCW Paceman has a different clutch setup than the "S" models.

 

In most 'normal' cars (and every other car I've driven), this is the case. However, we're talking about MINI here, who, for better or for worse, doesn't do anything normal. I don't know for sure with the Paceman and Countryman; but I do know that on the manual hardtop and Clubman, they limit the turbo boost in 1st gear. I also don't know if that was the case with automatics, but I think not. I had a RMW tune on my 2010 Cooper S which after an update got rid of that 1st gear boost limit.

Big time. Some of your ability to accelerate with RWD and FWD is controlled wheel spin that lets the engine spin up quicker into its power band. With the MINI All4's, you may get a chirp if you turn off traction control and try really hard, but no sustainable wheel spin (could be a bit more of a chirp with a JCW, but I can't see it being significant). And unfortunately, the only way to turn off AWD is to buy a FWD-only model.

Big thread here on the JB+ tune: https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...-bms-tune.html. I believe there are benefits to be gained installing it on the JCW.

And I complete agree about going fast vs. how fast you get going. I'm too cautious about LEO's in my old age to do much over 80, but I'll never lose my desire to get planted in my seat when I drop the hammer. My tuned Cooper S gave me all of that; my Paceman gives me none of it. At least with my wife's Countryman auto I can stand on the brake for a second or two to let the turbo spin up and get a decent launch. I'm sure the JCW can do better than that.

Would love to see these. I knew someone eons ago who had a '66 Stingray - that was my first thrill ride in a high-performance car as a kid. And I just saw one on the road over the weekend in stock showroom condition -- beautiful cars.

 

I believe I am an official member now...



Just brought it home last night.