South Africa's
Daily Maverick reviews the MINI Roadster. With regard to the JCW version Deon Schoeman writes, in part:
Those looking for a comfortable ride should look elsewhere, though. On undulating surfaces, or roads where potholes lurk, the Mini quickly feels out of sorts. The ride becomes too bumpy and crashy for comfort, and keeping it pointed in a straight line is a challenge, let alone negotiating corners with any measure of accuracy.
Of course, die-hard enthusiasts will argue that the unforgiving ride suits the gung-ho character of the car, and that softies not up to the driving challenge should stick to the more forgiving (and cheaper) Roadster versions.
But then, the Mini Roadster JCW was never meant to be a volume seller. This car’s virtues lie in the rather specialised combination of rapid, responsive road manners, and that wind-in-the-hair motoring experience South Africans love so much.
So, you need to be a bit of a hooligan – or a very committed Mini lover – to live with the Roadster JCW. More than any other Mini, this one breaks the rules. Which is exactly why, almost against my better judgement, I like it so much.
