That car is fugly.

 

My 2006 R53 JCW is in complete agreement. Though if the weird black plastic piece in the grill could be changed to have one solid grill, I would be interested enough in the F56 JCW to consider it. I just can't get past the nose, other aspects I could overlook, but that just makes me sad. There was an opportunity to have a big, one piece grill like the classics, and they slapped some giant plastic trim in the middle that looks terrible. :(

 

Sorry, but that piece covers the bumper bar - and it's a structural member. The only thing you can do is paint it or ignore it.

 

I think people just wished it either wasn't as large as it is or did not stick out as much. Audi has had a cascading waterfall front grille for a few generations of models and from a distance you'd be hard pressed to know there is a bumper bar directly behind the grille. Audi's designers did an excellent job disguising this engineering requirement. However on the F56 the bumper juts out, cannot be ignored and isn't an interesting part of the design; it's merely there.

 

The Mk7 GTI has 210hp (220hp with performance pack) with 258lb/ft of torque and weighs 230lbs more than the F56 S in US spec and roughly 320lbs more in non-US spec. The Focus ST has 252hp and 270lb/ft to lug around 463lbs more in US spec and 550lbs in non-US spec. The Fiesta ST is about 40lbs less than the US F56 S but only has 197hp and 202lb/ft of torque.

Although I would like the see 230hp to match the engine's output as in the 225i Active Tourer, the hot hatch market has different players at various weights and outputs so I think it's naive to say that 250hp is necessary. Many other hot hatches have less than 250hp and are just as fun if not more. Although enthusiasts would like a mechanical LSD, BMW and MINI have been refining the EDLC. The GP II has beaten much more powerful cars in comparison tests namely the Audi S1 and Audi Quattro Sport with less power than the F56 JCW will likely have and without a LSD. Regarding auto start/stop, this is a standard non-defeatable feature on BMW M3s and M5s, so don't count on there being a permanent MINI JCW disabling method. Although auto start stop takes a while to get used to, it is very quick in operation and I'm glad they are finally bringing this to the US after being standard on the R56 in other markets for years (will little complaints).

The VW GTI is and usually has been a better value proposition so do not anticipate this changing. What I really want to see from the JCW is better handling and character. The F56 is quieter and smoother than previous MINIs and the limited number of skidpad review numbers look a little weak. I want to see a noticeable difference in handling, power, sound and overall experience. I want better skidpad numbers, I want to be able to hear nice induction and exhaust noises from inside the cabin, I want to be able play with the throttle while on the limit and have the chassis respond obediently and when you want to be a little naughty I want some traditional MINI lift-off-oversteer.

 

There two parts of the new front end design I think that could be appreciated independently. The primary one is obviously the large mouth grill. While I strongly believe the appeal for integrated bumper within the grill envelope is largely misunderstood and not truly liked by consumers (which I would agree was mostly popularized by Audi) manufacturer probably can't deny large grills as an overall strategy has become a means to make vehicle more noticeable and aggressive. To stay competitive everyone does it now days which is unfortunately something car makers have a hard time ignoring or deviating from. I personally am not a big fan of the new MINI grill approach yet it is something I can leave with.

The other part of the new design is however a bit more problematic for me which is the lower venting integrating the brake ducts opening on the "S" and now "JCW" trim. While once again I think the styling trends pressure auto makers to constantly make overly exaggerated features to make thing more aggressive and in this case lower to the ground in appearance, I cannot help but found the resolution on the latest MINI quite inelegant. It is literally like a pimple on one's face. It's made out of the same skin characteristic but it is also not pleasing to look at. It does make a lot of sense as an evolutionary element MINI as been developing over the years and to that intent it does it well. But to me it remains a badly resolved area where the previous cooper S model remain superior, and in comparison the current JCW as well. I've said it before, personally I would highly favor the 2014 cooper front end styling over this of the S and now JCW for the time being until this is changed to something I deemed superior and a better evolution to the 2013 S and JCW styling. The cooper is not more sporty or aggressive than the S or JCW, but at least is not unpleasant to look at.

I'm curios to see what the JCW looks like once truly unveiled but for me, from the spy shots, it isn't very promising...

 

Unless there is a completely new muffler on the JCW F56, a functional diffuser like on the GP2 cannot be added later. The current muffler is huge and is mounted sideways under the rear preventing any type of diffuser mount.