I regrettably sold my 2006 JCW MINI about 6 weeks ago and replaced it with a 2006 330ci convertible. Now I'm looking to upgrade back to another JCW MINI and I've run across something I don't recognize and Google/NAM search function aren't helping me with:

2009 MINI COOPER JCW GT KIT? I went to run a CARFAX on a 'potential' and it came back as that. I don't think its anything like the GP kit on the 2006s, as this particular car has a backseat and sunroof. The VIN on my 2006 factory JCW decoded as simply a 'regular' MINI Cooper S.

I guess my question(s) are: What is the GT kit on the 2009s? Is it simply a JCW designation as decoded by the VIN or is there more to it then that?

 

All of the 2009 JCWs that I checked out on Ebay decoded as being 2009 MINI COOPER JCW GT KIT (s) so I'm deducing that the John Cooper Tuned MINI's finally got an actual VIN designation.

 

possibly it's the designation for the factory JCW vs kit?

 

If I recall correctly, your in 2006 there wasn't "factory" JCW's, all of them were a dealer option installed on MCS's. Starting in 2007 they started the factory JCW option which in turn created the VIN designation for the factory JCW's.

 

I believe the "factory" mini wasnt available until 2009. That is the production year that JCW was folded into mini and the JCW was built on the production line. Up until then JCW was a seperate company whose products were sold and installed by the dealer or mini, but after production. I also belive the tuning kits are still available and can be added to a cooper s even if it is a 2009. If I were you I would call a mini dealer and ask them what you are looking at by giving them the VIN.

 

I'm 99% sure it was factory. The window sticker had the JCW package included under options rather than a dealer add-on a the end. I didn't really shop around a lot before I bought my '06 but I saw one or two other JCWs on Ebay that had 'dealer writing' at the end of the window sticker showing where the options were added.

From the research I did at the time, I understood mine to have been a factory package.

 

Just from what I've seen when insurance shopping, it seems the JCW GT KIT is how the JCW is designated in some central model database as several insurance companies listed my factory 2009 JCW that way (Yes my window sticker says John Cooper Works and lists 208hp, Brembo, EDLC, etc. so its a factory car).

 

Factory JCW cars started in 2009 and up. All the other JCW cars before 2009 are JCW kit add ons.

 

From everything I've read this morning, the dealer-installed JCW packages started in 2006 (late 2005 build dates). Like I said, on my previous JCW, the package was listed on the window sticker as a $6,300 option.

 

the r56 John Cooper Works is its own model in the mini line up

since the 2009 model year mini began offering 3 levels of car with each level having 3 bodystyles


base level cooper ,cooper cabrio , cooper clubman

Mid level cooper s , cooper s cabrio , cooper s clubman

top level John Cooper Works Hardtop,John Cooper Works Cabrio , John Cooper Works Clubman .

You can add Jcw accessories to cooper and cooper s models but that will still not equal the performance or resale value of a factory John Cooper Works model .

 

 

In late 05-06 dealers did not add 1 JCW item to JCW cars.

Factory R56 JCW began in 09.

 

He was just misinformed, its all good. I'm trying to decide how much I really another MINI. I've had my E46 330 convertible for barely a month. Its one of those "just because I can doesn't mean I should" situations.