The third-gen Mini hot hatch is also the most powerful yet, with 231bhp. Paul Horrell drives it

http://www.topgear.com/uk/car-news/m...iew-2015-05-07

 

And a second review - of the F56 JCW by Car throttle

https://www.carthrottle.com/post/the...ld-lust-after/

 

Fabulous stuff!

-Luccia

 

I just wanted to share my 1st drive impressions of the JCW automatic I drove last night at Motor City MINI:

*The interior is wonderful, but we already know that from the Cooper and Cooper S. Personally I prefer the dark anthracite headliner over the other models' light warm grey headliner. The JCW accents are nice but not overwhelming. The steering wheel feels lovely, has nice ergonomic sculpting, and is located [and adjustable] to achieve good posture that MINI's have always shined at. The JCW seats have big bolsters but they're not in the way for ingress/egress, or impeding my elbow for shifting. This seems like a step in the right direction vs. prior generations. The cloth was grippy and looked good; the Dinamica [microfiber] added a nice touch of class and softness to the seats. I'm not a big guy, 5'9" and 140#, and the seats are a bit wide for me, but not super wide and pear shaped like the VW Mk7 GTI seats. They are roomier overall than previous gen MINIs though, to *ahem* grow with the times.

*Engine: It sounds suitably warbly and amusing, though the sound pattern does have an air of being over-engineered. It was never loud or intrusive at any load or speed, but it also wasn't hushed or silent. I feel it's appropriate for most people for a factory exhaust. Also on the lot was an MCS w/JCW tuning kit and exhaust (the one with the bluetooth butterfly), and that exhaust sounds excellent, clearly a step more enthusiastic and raw than the factory JCW exhaust. As for the power, it's obviously way more torque than any MINI before it. With the auto, it also clearly torque-limits in 1st and 2nd gear. 3rd gear pulls very nicely; someone coming from an R53 JCW to this car will be amazed how the car actually pushes them back in the seat, versus "just" sounding like it. The automatic appears to rev-limit the engine to 6k, and it does so with typical BMW butter-smoothness. The paddles are cute and all but for maximum quickness keep it out of manual mode, put it in sport mode and mash the throttle. The torque curve is very nice, instant torque off idle [as expected] and while it doesn't crescendo to redline, it doesn't feel like it falls on its face either. It's a very good balance.

*Suspension: This JCW had the 17" all-seasons, and it showed. The car understeered easily, and didn't seem as playful to be neutral or lift-oversteer as the last time I drove a 3-cyl Cooper (which was in the winter on salty roads, so there's that aspect). The JCW did however ride very smooth for a MINI, and thinking about it, it rode pretty well period. I intentionally found some legit-bad famous Detroit crap "paved" roads and was very impressed and the magic carpet ride. I'm pretty sure the car I drove had the Sport suspension, as it did feel a tiny bit stiffer than the last normal suspension Cooper I drove. The Brembo brakes were very linear, but to these legs the pedal had a bit of sponginess at the top of the pedal, and the effort overall is on the lighter side. Entering corners, the JCW had that lovely typical MINI feel, where the car is turning but it doesn't feel stressed or bothered, as if it's literally on a rail. Very few cars have that feel; there are plenty of sports cars that pull great lateral g's but the sensation is more frantic than the confidence-inspiring MINI.

Aura: The car gives me a chill Gran Turismo vibe, and that's a vibe I love. The car is super capable, quiet, quick, and comfortable, yet has boatloads of character, is confident to drive, and enjoyable. There's the usual argument from previous gen enthusiasts that MINI has lost the plot, and while I don't strictly disagree, I also feel that MINI has moved the goalposts, changed the game. This is a better car, and to do that it had to give up its hot-rod rawness. If the R53 is Metallica's Kill 'em All at ear-shredding volume, the F56 JCW is Orbital's In Sides on reference monitors in a recording studio. They're both brilliant albums for very different reasons.

I'm keeping my order

 

I bet it's great. I told my MA who sold me both Minis NOT TO CALL ME when they get one in Scottsdale

 

Great review Ryephile!

 

Love the MetallicA reference.

 

Well done review!! Can't wait to get mine crossing the pond right now!!

 

Thanks for the great review. Now that my MINI has landed I'm very thankful that MINI has said there won't be a JCW F55 anytime soon...

 

Ok, since this is where I posted my 1st drive notes, I wanted to follow up since yesterday I drove a JCW auto on the Formula 1 circuit at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The car I drove was a 2015 JCW hardtop with sport auto, JCW cloth/dinamica, optional 18" wheels but Bridgestone RE050A in 225/40-18, Visual Boost XL, HUD, h/k, and sunroof. Midnight Black with Chili Red roof. All stock except the tires, and I feel the tires made a notable improvement.

First of all, there were no traction issues in straight line acceleration, even in 1st gear. We were instructed to keep our car in Sport mode, paddle shift, and DSC-On. Indy's grippy surface plus the 20mm wider summer tire vs. cobbled Detroit roads w/ all-seasons made a huge difference in overall grip.

Engine: The car was still "new", only 880 miles on it when I sat in it, but being a Driving School car, it's definitely already broken-in. The exhaust sounded throatier for sure, and that's not a surprise compared to the fresh-off-the-transporter demo I drove last month. The engine has plenty of power, pulls clean and linear, and stays consistent until the very last of the RPM band. It's not a VTEC crescendo, but it doesn't fall on its face either.

The transmission: Ok I have to admit, this transmission is pretty darn close to awesome. The last time I drove a 2-pedal car that I actually walked away saying "hmm, that's genuinely good" was the DCT 7-speed in the BMW 135is. If you think the VW DSG is any good [and you shouldn't], you'll be blown-away how far tech has progressed. Honestly you could leave the transmission in Sport mode, and it down-shifted perfect for every braking zone, putting it in the right gear to flawlessly accelerate out of the corner. The paddle shifters added some sizzle to the experience, but IMO they're not any quicker around the circuit, the transmission programming is that good. A+ for the transmission, coming from a dyed in the wool 3-pedal guy.

The Suspension: This might be the weak point of the car. Even with the summer 225/40-18's, the car still ultimately understeers during steady-state cornering. The DSC w/CBC does help pivot the car nicely upon corner entry with judicious use of trail-braking, but in the end the car probably needs a stiffer rear sway bar to help it stay rotating through the corner. There's also notable body roll, so the camber loss in front is especially problematic at exasperating understeer. Front camber plates + stiffer rear sway bar would help balance the car.

The Brakes: The Miles Ahead staff [that consists of decorated Pro drivers that are quicker drivers than all of us], repeatedly expressed their awe of the new factory JCW Brembo brakes. I generally agree with them, they are impressive for a totally stock setup. That's probably what they mean to say anyway, as it's unfair to compare them to actual racing brakes, the intents and budget are much different. I did find the pedal feel to be quite nice, not too soft or overly firm. There's plenty of pedal travel for modulation, and that's actually something I'm not either used to or prefer. I tend to prefer a pedal where I can threshold using varying pressure rather than pedal location, though to be honest it was so intuitive to threshold brake in the JCW that whatever I'm complaining about is obviously a personal preference and not at all a performance concern. The brakes do their job and they do it intuitively. The pad selection also exhibited zero fade throughout our 30 minute sessions, which is extremely impressive for a factory street pad. A+ for the brakes

The Cabin: This is a very nice place to spend time. The materials are lovely. The ergonomics are excellent because there's so much adjustability, there's no excuse to not be comfortable except not understanding good posture. The steering wheel feels great and is positioned very well. The pedal position feels natural. Obviously I can't comment on heel-n-toe, but if it's anything like the previous 2 gen MINI's, that'll be a piece of cake.

The wind noise at 100+ mph with the windows down isn't a problem, there's no buffeting.

The JCW seats are IMO supportive and comfortable, but my bar is pretty low on the latter aspect. FWIW, I had zero seat discomfort for the entire School. I didn't find myself "clamping on for dear life" in the corners, so the bolsters must be effective. You can fingertip the steering wheel on the track, which is rare in a stock seat and a 3-point belt. So, super supportive seats, more-so than I realized at the time. The only niggle is during parking-lot maneuvers I found the side bolsters to interfere with my triceps, however they never interfered out on track, so perhaps it's just big steering wheel movements are a little hindered for me with the bolsters. Fairly minor complaint there.

The Exterior: The graphics of the school cars really helped, but I still feel the "face" of the car is fairly homely. I know, I know, it's a dead horse. The "face" is definitely subdued in Midnight Black, and that's actually exactly why I ordered my JCW 6MT in that color. Black hides design sins. Out on track however, when you're not focused on such tedium, looking at the other MINI's zooming about, they look definitely MINI and nothing else. I say that as a compliment. In the end, it's a MINI, love it or hate it.

Me? I'm more excited than ever to take delivery of my JCW. I knew the driving school would make or break my enthusiasm for the F56, but it's definitely reinforced how good the car is. It's brilliant out on track, the cabin is a wonderful place to spend time, and overall it's a better car while still being charismatic and fun.

 

Great review Ryphile...thanks for all the great information. You've made me even more excited about my JCW. I am SOOOOOOOOO impatient! LOL

 

Ryephile:

i really enjoyed reading your reviews as I can relate to what you said.

I am very glad to hear your track car was equipped with 225/40-18 tires. I was not sure if 225s would fit. I am so happy about this - and will order Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires in 225/40-18 size. BTW - did you take any pictures?

Again, very nice review. Thanks for sharing.

Cheers!

 

Did the car have the JCW 18" Cup Spoke Wheels? The reason ask is I have those on my car and I don't see how 225's will clear the strut. There is only about 8mm from the current 205 to the strut. If you order, please let us know if they fit. It would be awesome if they do. I know others on the forum are running 215's.

 

Yes, factory 18" JCW cup spokes with 225/40-18, and they didn't appear to be running spacers. FWIW they looked narrow for 225's, they were pretty square with the 7.5" wide wheels, not overhanging like I would expect. IMO they looked similar to or slightly narrower than a 205 wide Hoosier R7.

Cross post link for pictures of the event

 

Question: You said F1 track, but it looks like the Indy car oval. I'm not much of a racing fan, but don't Formula 1 courses run through streets with curves in both directions? They had one in Phoenix years ago and it was right on the city streets.

 

Indianapolis has a Formula 1 course.

https://en.wikipedia.org/?title=Indi..._course_racing

 

Wow, I bet that was cooler than S#*t! I was going, they can't drive Minis around an oval like NASCAR, that wouldn't be that great.

 

I'm going to order a 225/40-18 from tire rack and give it a shot. Worst case I send it back.

 

Great review, thank you!

 

When i test drove the JCW with the auto tranny, everything seem really great. The seating position and those seats man i love them. The interior looks great, everything very reachable. I really like the way it drove, very strong on power. But still didnt like the auto tranny even though its been improved. Coming from a DCT, well you get use to it and expect any shifts to be that quick. But in my opinion if im getting a small hatch back, its a 6 speed.

Quick question, does anyone know if the rev-match on the 6 speed, can be turned off? I mean thats great if i want to do my own re-match i wonder if its possible to turn it off.

 

If you turn DSC all the way off (press and hold the DSC off switch for 3 seconds), rev matching is turned off.