Hello Whiston,May I just ask a few questions to you and the other JCW owners? I have been interested in a JCW for a while now but the reviews of the automatic put me off,they say it holds the car back from its true potential,fortunately Mini have now put the manual JCW back into production so maybe it’s time to get one. Did anyone opt for the Intelligent Adaptive Suspension? What options did you order?(are they worth it? Would you give up your auto premium plus for a manual premium? What was the waiting time for the JCW? To the new JCW owner who’s not used the Sport Mode yet shame on you (that’s the first button I’m pressing on the test drive ?)
Hi Mate,
I’ll give you my views on your queries can’t speak for anyone else obviously
I had read the same couple reviews moaning about the auto gearbox ( there were plenty more positive reviews though ) But I’ve found zero evidence of this, quite the opposite tbh , I’ve found my last 2 diesel VW’s ( same engine as the GTD ) changing gears much earlier than I would have liked in comparison to the JCW even after changing the throttle response in OBD11 I found in auto when I’m really wanting the the car to rev up it would change too early
some reviewers alway compare cars to 500bhp monsters which are obviously gonna lack the same driving experience
but believe me I had it in sport mode leaving the dealers car park lol
the launch control is locked until the car hits 2k miles, this is something I’ll prob try twice to be honest lol
the adaptive suspension is a freebie but you need to remember to tick it, I ticked it ?? I think it makes a good difference
I opted for the bigger wheels, only due to asthetics and I’ve always liked the look of bigger wheels. They have run flats which I’ve never been a fan off but I’ve got absolutely no complaints – the car and seat is super comfy , you def feel bumps in road but it’s so fast to react with zero body roll that dodging bigger ones even on corners is a breeze , when you hit some bad road it sounds worse than it feels
never tried the 17’s which I expect to be comfier , but I’ve no intention of swapping
I also chose the aluminium dash again just for asthetics and I’m happy with that choice
also went for the JCW bonnet stripes , never had a mini so thought why not
I got the belt line in black again for asthetics and for the fact I’m absolutely useless at trying to do any intricate work like that with some tape etc – that option wasn’t available on the configurator but the dealer could add it for around £400
i went for the premium plus pack which at £500 for £3500 worth of equipment was a no brainer for me , pano sunroof , Harmon Kardon stereo , reverse cam and some other safety stuff , stereo sounds great – better than the Dynaudio one I upgraded to in my VW
space wise I can def live with it, it’s just me on my own , it does have boot with some extra storage underneath – you wouldn’t be doing trips to ikea in it for a large flat pack items that’s for sure – but that’s another bonus ?
but what will surprise you is the room you have in your driver/passenger seat , I bet you there is more space in my mini in the front there than in your golf ( and Im a massive VW Fan ) probably not much lower either – it’s only 2 seats in the back and I don’t think I’d like to sit there lol, kids would be fine tho
If you’re considering it then try get a decent length of time for a test drive on your own to see if you think you can live with it , I guarantee after about 30/45 mins you’ll have a smile on your face
I wouldn’t swap to a manual even if they offered the car for free tbh
again the premium plus is completely worth it in my eyes but if there was a car in stock that you could immediately that didn’t have it then you’d have a very serious dilemma on your hand cos the car is fantastic without it, the pack just adds some nice touches to it
lots of colours , combos to chose from , just pick your fav combo then change your mid over and over again lol , such a great looking car I don’t think there’s a wrong decision
I waited about 3 months , but when collecting was told more and more JCW’s were being ordered on MB once the word got out and as they build much fewer JCW’s the waiting time had grew but still nowhere near some other cars
Nothing is perfect and life is very from it my friend but I can honestly only praise this car , if you can live with the dimensions and physically able to get in and out and afford it then go for it ??
When life hands you melons...,
Make melonade!