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Avenue of the Giants Weekend Run - Sat. March 23, 2024

Saturday will be a very full day of cruising from Novato up through the Avenue of the Giants and ending at Eel River Brewing in Fortuna. Sun...

MotoringFile's Take On The MINI Coupé S And JCW


MotoringFile makes these observations about the vehicle,
. . . A pressed steel structure lies under the upholstery with only the boot pass-through door cutting through it. This creates a sort of “H” in the structure of the car. The result is impressive. If anything, the Coupé feels stiffer than its hardtop siblings. . . .
. . . Those extra structural pieces have shifted the center of gravity much lower in the car. The result is a rigid chassis platform ripe for suspension tuning. . .


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At the other end of the roof, the first of the Coupé’s two spoilers gives the car its distinctive backwards baseball cap look. I came to learn that this first spoiler serves a dual purpose. First, it directs airflow down the tail of the car toward the pop-up spoiler on the boot lid. This not only aids the downforce produced by the second spoiler, but serves to reduce the drag on the rear of the car. Secondly, the airflow off the first spoiler, according to MINI, keeps the rear window clean. This is why you won’t find a rear wiper on the Coupé. I’m curious to see if this turns out to be true in real world use.

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While the rear window essentially fills the rearview mirror, the position of the window meant that for taller drivers like me, you’re only able to see things immediately behind the car. It bothered me that I couldn’t see more than few car lengths behind me at any given time. I also couldn’t see the horizon behind me, let alone get a real picture of what traffic was doing. I couldn’t help but think that if I had a cop on my tail, I wouldn’t see him until he was right on my rear bumper. With the rear spoiler in the up position, you see even less out the rear view. I joked with one of the other journalists that it’s almost as though the rear window is there just so you can watch the spoiler move up and down in your rearview mirror. And really, the spoiler is so much fun that I’m completely okay with that. MINI is aware of the spoiler’s impact on visibility though, that’s why at 37 mph, it automatically retracts.

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There are small windows between the B and C pillars, but the view through them is so limited that you’re left with a significant blind spot. Adjusting the side mirrors takes care of most of this issue, but it’s a significant difference from what R56 or R55 owners are used to.

It concludes,
If I had to pick one over the other, I’d spend my own money on the Cooper S Coupé, rather than the JCW. Not because of price though, because when you stack the JCW Coupé against its rivals such as the Audi TT, you’re getting terrific value for money. No, I’d choose the Cooper S Coupé because it’d be so easy to live with and fun to drive in those every day situations. With the available JCW body kit and brakes added, the Cooper S Coupé would be the sweet spot for my garage. However, if you’ve got regular access to the kinds of roads that would really challenge it, or are a much more avid auto-x’er or track day enthusiast than I am, the JCW Coupé may indeed be your ultimate MINI. It’s a car that fully lives up to its halo aspirations.

In terms of overall feel, the Coupé felt like a slightly more well-balanced R56. In fact, everything about the Coupé felt familiar yet special. The thoughtful interior touches, such as the cabin parcel shelf behind the seats, made the car feel wholly intentional. The Coupé, at every level, feels like a bespoke special edition — like a much more limited edition car than it is. When you drive one, you don’t get the sense that it’s a production car. It seems too right, too unique, too custom tailored. From the outside, it’s the same story. The Coupé looks so intentionally MINI, yet so uniquely its own animal. If it were the only one in existence, it wouldn’t surprise you. The looks I got from other drivers told the whole story. From one fellow in a minivan, it was a huge thumbs up and a bounce in his seat — especially when I put the boot spoiler up for him. From another guy in an older Z4, it was an open mouthed stare of pure envy. My favorite reactions, though, were from other MINI owners. I got waves, pointed fingers and huge smiles from folks in Coopers, Clubman and Countryman — exactly who this car is aimed at. If you’re a fan of MINI, your hero car is here.