Mini Coupe John Cooper Works 2013 review

Someone has put the boot into the Mini Coupe and that can only help buyers when the newest addition to the Mini range arrives in late October or November.

The turbocharged 1.6-litre John Cooper Works version of the coupe is the quickest Mini in the stable, but it also has the biggest cargo area in the family at 280 litres, up from 160 litres in the hatch.

It’s the first Mini to handle a set of golf clubs and BMW Australia spokesman Piers Scott said that boot space will be a major selling point.

“The performance side of the car is one aspect, but a lot of Mini buyers buy the whole look and lifestyle,” he said. “Some people who just like the brand haven’t come across because they needed more boot space. Now they’ve got it.”

Value

The coupe is pitched against the likes of the Audi TT, Volkswagen Scirocco and Peugeot RCZ and will be priced accordingly, with prices expected to be just below $50,000 for the base model Cooper S, climbing to $60-something for the JCW. The oilburning SD (sports diesel) will slot between the two.

Scott said the sporty focus of the coupe means the base Cooper model is unlikely to make it to local showrooms.

The coupe will be given time to establish itself before the open-top Roadster arrives midway through next year.

Driving

The stability control light is flickering, but the power drain on the Mini Coupe is constant as the two-seater squats and tries to squirt 155kW as it exits the corner of an Austrian racetrack.

Hit the straight, push the button to the right of the six-speed manual gearbox to turn the stability control off and the JCW engine is let off the electronic leash.

Traction control is still on (the button has to be held for three seconds to switch all the aids off) but it is intended purely to maximise grip by braking the inside wheel through the turns and there’s no sensation of losing grunt.

That’s when the Mini’s character reflects its “backwards baseball cap” roof that is one of designer Anders Warming’s proudest achievements with the car.

“It shows the character of this car,” he said. “This is about attitude, a little bit macho and about being street smart. And it goes like stink.”

That it does. But straight line speed, despite a 6.4-second lap time from 0-100km/h, isn’t the best bit about the latest Mini. It’s the way it holds its line in the corners and the instant response to throttle and steering changes that makes this the nimblest Mini yet.

Can it tackle a TT or stay with a Scirocco? Figures suggest it should and that means the 80 cars due to arrive this year are likely to be snapped up quickly.