Hey all,

New here, recently considering a Mini Cooper S or a JCW for daily driving/weekend autocross duties.
I currently own a finicky 2006 Mitsubishi Evo 9, full bolt ons + upgraded turbo etc, and I'm looking for a reliable daily with good gas mileage but that won't be too boring driving to work, and also have some decent utility.

Looking forward to looking into all the threads here to pick up more information. Some things I've noted so far:
- the older R53 definitely looks better IMO, but the R56 is arguably a little more livable, which is what I'm looking for.
- the newer R56s get better gas mileage, are a little bigger, etc etc, so the R56 is probably what I am looking for.

I think where I am now is more or less torn between maybe a 2009 JCW for the power, motor/trans upgrades vs 2011 MCS with some of the upgrades that it also comes with. Any insight/links to threads would be great, I have been making my searches through the forum, but help is always appreciated.

Thanks

 

I was also having a little trouble find a year-by-year model change thread - could anyone help out with that?

 

My advice would be to get a low mileage JCW over the MCS, in the end you will be glad you did. Especially if your coming from an Evo.

Don't write off the R53 either, both cars have their benefits. Drive both and see which one you prefer. You will find nothing but opinions and misguided info about the whole R53 v R56 debate on the forums. It's best to make the decision for yourself.

Do you plan on modding the car?

 

Thanks for the input. I plan on keeping the car stock - I will still consider the r53 but I think the general increase in size and comfort is what draws me to the r56. I'll be looking into the differences in motor differences in the 56 between the mcs and the jcw, especially between the older jcw and the post 2011 mcs.

Along w keeping the car stock, I plan to run the car in the scca stock class

 

If you are autocrossing the car and have even the tiniest inclination to add speed parts, I would suggest looking for a JCW. I drove an S for almost 2 years and spent about 18 months of that time looking at a JCW, which I finally bought. At the end of the day, the R56 has a French engine. No getting around that. In an S model, the engine simply has a turbo strapped onto it with little regard for the extra stresses that entails.
The JCW still has a French engine but it was worked over by BMW's M sport group to withstand higher boost pressures and is assembled in Germany. All of the things you can do to an S, you can do to a JCW with that much more benefit plus additional reliability.

 

Great thanks. That will probably be the push for me. I probably will still leave the car stock but I like the robustness of the jcw engine. So basically, the jcw engine for the r56, with all of its workovers, will still be better than the current day mcs motors? That's all I needed to know. As long as the trans and clutch are decent, I will be looking for an 09 jcw.

 

Start a Carmax notification to look for one. They come up fairly often.

 

The current day MCS motor is a revised version of the N14 called the N18. See thread: https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...14-vs-n18.html

The JCW (2007 through 2012 model year) has always used the N14 engine instead of the N18. So if you are comparing JCW model years the updated engine does not apply

 

I have a R53. I'd have gotten the O6 GP if I could afford one, but I'm perfectly happy with the Cooper S at the moment. I plan to keep it as long as I can . If you have the money, I say - JCW!! That being said, they're both Brilliant cars

 

i meant comparing the jcw n14 with the mcs n18, but thanks for the link i will look into that

 

Perhaps on the 2013 JCW but he is looking for a used one. Also, I had in mind the forged pistons, larger turbo, lowered compression ratio, heavy duty clutch, intake/exhaust, and where it was assembled. For the N18 differences, I have not followed up on whether similar differences are to be found.

 

Definitely, thanks for the great info guys. I'm completely new to Minis, so before this I had actually thought all the JCW was was a MCS with a tune and suspension kit, had no idea about the bolstered motor.

The comparison applies since I was looking at R56 JCW's vs 2011+ R56 MCS's, but I think the JCW has me here.

Thanks

 

The JCW was late to receive variable valve timing, which it did in 2013. That is the primary difference between N14 and N18 engines. I believe it went on the S and Cooper in 2012. You will also be getting MASSIVE stock brakes on the JCW.
Also, no one has yet figured out how to remap the N18 ECU.

 

hmm - what is the best year jcw?

i'm having difficulty finding a thread about model year differences between 07-10/11 besides the n18 coming for the newer jcws

 

I would personally be indifferent to model year as long as it was a factory JCW.

 

gotcha thanks - I was previously only looking at 09+ JCWs, but I'll take a look at the 07's and 08s too

 

I don't know if you've driven both models, but I'd suggest driving both R53 and R56 before making your selection. I recently took an R56 for a test drive thinking the same as you and found it to be a lot less enjoyable to drive than the R53. The R56 was faster in a straight line, but I left the car underwhelmed. That's never happened in any R53 I've ever driven.

 

interesting - i'll definitely consider that - I mean I can tell the R53 will be a bit more 'raw', the same discussion/debate happened when the Evo 10s came out from us Evo 8/9, but I think for a DD weekend autocrosser I'll be happy with the R56. Regardless, I'll take both for a spin.

 

Definitely try out both, only way to know which one will fit you best...and besides that, its always fun to take out cars for a spin.

 

The Cooper has had VANOS and Valvetronic since '07. The Cooper S got the full treatment in '11 (previously only had VANOS on one side and no Valvetronic), and the JCW in '13 (only had one-side VANOS previously, like the S).


The JCW *functionally* didn't change much between '09-'12. Same engine, same suspension, same brakes, same trans, etc. Available colors, wheels, and standard features are pretty much the extent of the differences.


Model Year '09 was the first year for "Factory" R56 JCW's. If an '07-'08 MINI claims to be a JCW, it's just a Cooper S with the "JCW Tuning Kit" or something.


Agreed. Definitely drive both.

That said, even my almost-stock base R56 Cooper is very capable at Auto-X's (faster than several Evos last time, for instance) and on the racetrack (Sebring, Road Atlanta, Roebling Road), and has been totally reliable.

Point being, it's a good idea to drive 1st Gens, 2nd Gens, Coopers, Cooper S's, JCW's, etc., in order to really get a feel for the differences.

 

^ great info, thanks