The Countryman became the largest car to ever wear the Mini badge when it launched in 2010, and 2014’s facelifted model has now received the John Cooper Works (JCW) treatment unlocking greater performance for the X1 rival.
Priced from £30,675 on-the-road, the Mini JCW Countryman comes fitted with the brand’s most powerful engine to date – a two-litre, four-cylinder unit producing up to 228bhp and 350 Nm of torque, mated to a six-speed manual or eight-speed automatic.
This means the car can race to 62mph from a standstill in 6.5 seconds.
Features that comes as standard include Mini’s ALL4 all-wheel-drive, Bremo sports brakes, sports suspension, sat-nav, LED headlights, 18-inch wheels and keyless entry and start. The interior is characterised by a specially designed cabin and JCW sports seats.
Measuring at 4,299mm long and 1,822mm wide with a height of 1,557mm, the JCW Countryman is 19cm longer and 3cm wider than its predecessor and compares to the Audi Q2 and BMW X1 in terms of size, but we doubt it’ll want to pick any fights with Mercedes’ GLA45 AMG with its 4.4-second 0-62mph sprint.
JCW Styling
Stylistically, the JCW treatment results in the addition of a model-specific roof spoiler and large cooling inlets in the front apron on the outside, while the cabin gets a sports steering wheel and an optional 8.8-inch colour screen.
This most potent Countryman includes some specially developed components reserved for JCW models including specific pistons, a large charge-air cooler and an additional radiator.
There is also a sports exhaust system that not only supports the engine’s performance characteristics but also gives it an impressive acoustic and visual dimension.
Reduced exhaust gas pressure promotes spontaneous power delivery, while a controllable exhaust flap and the special geometry of the tailpipe help generate the recognisable John Cooper Works sound. The sports exhaust system also has tapered chrome covers for the dual tailpipes.
The aforementioned ALL4 system means the JCW Countryman can bring its high level of performance to different types of surfaces, improving traction and enhancing ride stability on tetchy dirt roads, as well as improving agility.
The Mini JCW Countryman is available to order now.
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