MINI brought out their Works versions of the Cooper and Clubman in Geneva today. Using a fleet of R/C cars and rally legend Rauno Aaltonen (The Flying Finn), they hammered home the idea that MINI's are small on size but big on excitement. We had already seen a ton of press pics so there weren't any real surprises, just a healthy appreciation for these great small cars that now have John Cooper Garage's tuning prowess added to the mix. The JCW Cooper and JCW Cooper Clubman have indeed hit the bullseye for enthusiasts once again. Featuring performance upgrades and new interior appointments, these are the cars that will be used as the basis for the MINI CHALLENGE 2008 race cars.
In JCW trim, the turbocharged MINI 1.6L four now puts out 207 HP. The resulting 0-60 should now clock in at just under 6.5 seconds for the Cooper, while the ever so slightly portlier Clubman is likely to be a tick or two slower. Unique light alloy wheels, a new performance exhaust system, upgraded suspension, and a modified six-speed manual transmission are just some of the mechanical upgrades. Aesthetically, the John Cooper Works models stand out with their distinctive body kits and unique interiors, all for a not-so-mini base price of under $30,000.
