Hey there! So it seems my focus rs vs jcw thread got moved, but I had just one more question for you all!! What made you switch from whatever car you had to a JCW?

 

My first mini was a 2006 JCW, it was a dealer installed kit, and the original owner did not get the JCW brakes or suspension, just the go fast stuff, and a LSD. When it came time to get a new one, there was no way I could get anything other than a JCW, lol.

 

Have wanted one since the R53 days and came very close to buying one on a few separate occasions. I finally decided to add a small car to my garage and the Mini proved to be more family-friendly than coupes like the M235 and Mustang, so I killed two birds with one stone. The F56 isn't as zany as the R53 or R56, but those models are getting old enough that I'd never want to own one with the various reliability issues they have. Quite happy overall with the car.

 

My prior car was a 2006 S, heavily modified & one helluva drive.

I bought my new JCW because I wanted the best of what MINI could offer in a 2 door hatch: I wanted the JCW interior & exterior kit, and all the mechanical bits such as the JCW brakes, improved powertrain components, etc. I wanted a car that I'd have to make few modifications to, to achieve the level of performance that I wanted, and the JCW is it.

 

Its the M of MINI, and offers a Idi......-proved-setup, and enough power, it not so vulgar as Mercedes BMW and Audi and offers inside the same features.

 

Was going to replace my 2014 SS Camaro (6sp) with a 2018 SS w/1LE package but instead got a 2018 JCW (6sp). Easier to drive, very nimble, I wouldn’t dare say more fun.I’m also guessing it gets traction in the snow.

 

this is funny because I was about to buy a 1le but I couldn't handle the visibility at all!!

 

I swapped a 2014 WRX hatch into a 2012 R56 JCW. After owning several Subaru's and driving the WRX for 3yrs daily.. i was in love at first drive with the JCW. Over the WRX the styling is a sure win, for daily driving the WRX is a herky-jerky AWD mess in traffic and gets MPG in the 'utter *****' range @ ~18mpg city/24mpg hwy. Dont get me wrong.. any WRX is a very capable car, in all types of weather.. but they like to riden hard and give the best feedback when pushed hard on questionable surfaces. The JCW was just fine puttin around or ripping through the gears and i noticed (vs the WRX) the acceleration comes with much greater urgency.

*After mods and stg2 ECU remap, I still get ~38mpg @ 83mph on the freeway.

Pros for me:
smaller/lighter
better mpg
faster 0-100
much faster 100-0 (JCW brembos ftw)
styling
comfort

Things i miss about my Subie:
mech LSD
heated sport seats

 

The 1LE is an amazing car. I seriously thought about one as well. Three big problems with it other than interior space: (1) the trunk opening is ridiculous--may be smaller than the Mini's, (2) if you want to stay with the high performance stock rubber you can budget for about $2k a year in tire costs, (3) the limits on the car are so high that its impossible to safely or legally push on the street.

 

agreed!! And the gearing was so long I'd be to 60 in first gear!

 

After owning 2 F56S both were modded, intake, exhaust intercooler, burger tuner and some suspension bits. To me it was a natural progression to the JCW(International Edition)

 

I was shopping for a 2nd sports car and looking at another MB SLK series and the MB dealership had a stepchild next door, a Mini dealership. I really did not know much about minis, but decided to test drive one. First a base model and it was fun, then an S and it was fun too. I followed that with a JCW coupe (2012). And, finally a JCW hatch that was the most engaging and fun car I had driven since my venerable, but long gone Austin-Healey 100-6. I bought it, an R56 JCW, on the spot and never looked back. In 2015 I ordered a 2016 F56 JCW that was really decked out and unfortunately listened to my wife, who advised me that we would never drive the R after having the F and she was correct, but I still miss it as it was more nimble than the F. I am keeping the F56 JCW and plan to order the GP when it becomes available. Alas, it appears the minis that we know and love will no longer be produced due to the EU regulations. Hopefully, this will not impact the planned GP since it is a limited production run.

 

One of my previous cars was a 2002 Porsche Boxster. It was a fantastic car and I never thought I'd get rid of it but at 317K miles something went wrong and 2 dealers tried a total of 3 times and were not able to determine what was wrong. The 2nd dealer told me essentially it would take a blank check before it would delve into the cause of the problem. This could involve partial engine tear down, possibly even with the engine removed from the car. While the car was still in good shape, the clutch needed doing which would have been a $3K+ job, and this on top of what it would cost to find the source of the persistent P1128 (a Porsche specific air/fuel mixture error code) had me decide to just sell the car as a roller.

I had already decided to sell my 996 Porsche Turbo and in fact before I bought the JCW had replaced it with a new 2018 Dodge Challenger R/T Scat Pack. The R/T Scat Pack was to be my hot rod/pleasure/GT car, taking the place of the Turbo. And breaking with a decades old tradition of buying cars equipped with a manual gear box I elected to get the R/T Scat Pack with the 8 speed automatic (which proved to be a very very nice automatic).

When I decided to sell the Boxster, I then had need of a "commuter" car -- my work commute is 60 miles a day -- and decided upon a Mini and to ensure an adequate amount of performance I elected to get the JCW.

At the dealer with the JCW, I test drove a Mini S (one with an auto the other with a manual) and found the S surprisingly peppy and I think I could have been happy with the S, but I had specifically driven 90 miles to this dealer for the JCW it had on its showroom floor -- the only 6-speed manual out of 8 or 9 other JCWs for sale in around a 100 mile radius of where I live -- and managed to buy the JCW at a good price.

Then 2 months -- to the day -- after I bought the R/T Scat Pack, and not quite 2 months after I bought the JCW, I traded R/T Scat Pack in on a new 2018 Dodge Challenger Hellcat. (This too I got with the 8 speed automatic.)

Have put over 8K miles on the JCW since Dec. 27, 2017 and it is proving to be a very fine automobile. The JCW of course runs good. (It has more power/torque and is lighter than the Boxster which was a very light car relatively speaking.) The JCW is highly maneuverable, easy to park, and is comfortable and economical and just a real joy to drive. It also helps the dealer where I have the car serviced appears to offer great customer service.

 

RockC. Can you elaborate on the differences between the Boxster and the JCW? Confirm you had 317,000 miles, at that point car doesn't owe you anything? I test drove a Charger R/T Scat pack, very nice but I was looking to keep a manual.