Vehicle Description
BMW's reintroduction of the Mini Cooper already blurs the line
between a premium sports car and a versatile hatchback, but cars
like this 2011 Mini Cooper S John Cooper Works take performance
even more seriously. Featuring a slick black-on-black presentation,
a very peppy 1.6L Inline-4 Turbo motor mated a 6-speed manual
transmission, and relatively low mileage, this well-preserved,
loaded, JCW Mini represents the best-of-the-best in modern Mini
motoring.
America was reintroduced to the Mini in at the turn of the century,
so by the time cars like this 2nd generation hot-hatch hit the
dealerships we were already thirsting for them on this side of the
pond. The look is immediately recognizable pretty much everywhere
in the world, and universally loved by people from all walks of
life, including petrol heads. A JCW package built on the Cooper S
model is exactly what you get when you aim to move fast and look
cool doing it, with an appearance package that's much more
aggressive than your basic Mini gas-saver. 2011 ushered some
changes for the model, including a reshaped front end with
aggressive top-and-bottom grilles, a cool-looking hood scoop,
redesigned bumpers fore and aft, new taillights, a new rear
diffuser with exhaust cutouts, and an entirely new line of slick,
oversized alloy wheels. The deep, Midnite Black Metallic paint is
indeed the car's factory finish, and despite the 90K+ plus miles
the finish looks very fresh, with only minor imperfections to speak
of - most of which could easily be remedied with a detailed
buff-and-wax. White paint on the roof and side mirrors provides
that great secondary color contrast that Minis have always been
known for, and even the roof spoiler was painted white to really
make it pop out from the top of the car. The hard plastic cladding
on the lower body and fender flares are in great shape too, and
with an electric double sunroof on the roof this JCW is practically
a convertible. Just enough factory chrome was added to the JCW
design to really kick up the hatch's curb appeal, and it's been
neatly polished up to a bright bling that stands out against the
dark exterior. The whole car fits together very nicely, which is
both a testament to a vehicle that was engineered under BMW
tutelage in Oxfordshire and the fact that it's only averaged about
9K miles annually.
Despite this Mini's JCW racing heritage emblazoned on the badges,
there's actually reasonable room for four inside the Carbon Black
cabin of this hot-hatch. Add in the versatility of a hatchback, and
this is a genuine family car that can just as easily chew up the
N�rburgring as it can the car-pool line at your kid's elementary
school. Black leather seats fore and aft are all-day comfortable
and very stylish, with sculpted and supportive buckets up front
that are in excellent condition with only minor signs of use. Slip
behind a grippy, leather-lined three-spoke factory wheel atop a
tilt column and you'll instantly spot the big tachometer straight
ahead that keeps an eye on jumping revs, with a large speedometer
mounted in the center in this driver-focused machine, a la the
original Austin Mini. The dash is in excellent condition with no
cracks or fading of any kind, and there's a sporty 6-speed manual
shifter inside a factory console between the seats that practically
taunts you to cycle through some gears and drop the hammer down. As
Mini's top-of-the-line offering, it's loaded with just about every
power options and amenity you could get in 2011, and between the
push-button starter, the booming stereo, and ice-cold A/C, most
people would be miffed to learn this car is already 10 years old.
You also get the modern safety convenience of multiple airbags and
ABS, and the aforementioned double sunroof might be the car's
coolest trim option.
There's a reason people clamor after this particular Mini, and it's
all in the upgraded John Cooper Motorworks drivetrain and sport
suspension. It's faster, firmer, and a whole lot more fun than just
about any other Mini ever made. The JCW package only came on the
already-exciting Cooper S model, yet added a 208HP version of the
turbocharged 1.6L Inline 4 motor, a quick-shifting 6-speed manual
transmission (equipped with hill-assist technology), along with a
firm and racy suspension. Even with the low miles this particular
JCW has been very well-maintained, with a recently rebuilt
high-performance turbo and new pop-off valve topping the list of
service items. The result is a ton of power for this lightweight
rocket ship, and you have full control of it all with a responsive
gearbox that's incredibly fun to cycle through up-and-down the
throttle. The fully independent suspension, lively power steering
system, and Brembo 4-wheel disc brakes with drilled and slotted
rotors make sure this retro car's performance lives up to the John
Cooper name, along with continuing a revolution that crowned the
first Coopers as giant killers on the racetracks and rally circuit.
Finishing the look is a killer set of 17-inch alloys that were new
for 2011, and they're wrapped in sporty 205/45/17 Continental
performance rubber with plenty of grip left.
Whether you're looking for an affordable future classic or
something super-cool to keep the miles off of your vintage ride,
the competitive price on this legendary hot-hatch means you need to
hurry up and grab this JCW before it's gone. Call today!
