And
Winding Road tries to answer it for you. They took a new 2011 John Cooper Works Mini Cooper S and tried to best it for about the same money by hypothetically modding an MCS. Their conclusion:
The final tally for our Mini mods comes out to $4538 for shade-tree mechanics, while the cost to have the work done will run you around $700. Compare that to the $6100 price premium of the factory car, and the aftermarket seems quite appealing. But there is an elephant in the room, and it takes the form of the manufacturer-backed, four-year, 50,000-mile warranty that comes with a JCW Mini.
You see, modifying your car is a great way to void the factory warranty, should something go wrong because of your modification. Therein lies the appeal of the JCW, in that you can get a great deal of performance, with the security blanket of a warranty for less than $2000 over the price of the aftermarket car we just built here.
That leaves potential buyers with a decision: are you a car tinkerer that doesn’t mind voiding your warranty, or the type of person that just wants a quick Mini with protection straight from the factory? If you find your self in the former, start modding. If not, then the John Cooper Works Mini Cooper S is probably the perfect car for you.
