MotoringFile Reviews The MINI JCW Coupe
This is a car that will get popular with time, and by the time this little black and red JCW finds its way into the hands of its second or third owner, the R58 will likely be spoken of in reverential terms.
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Its low-slung demeanor produces a cocooning cockpit that feels very different than any MINI before it. While that seems like an enjoyable idea, it actually took me some getting used to. Limited visibility and the lack of the typical, airy MINI cabin was a little hard to resolve for the first few days I had the JCW Coupe. Could this be one of the reasons for slow Coupe sales in this part of the country? If so, it’s a shame because after a few days scurrying about Chicago behind the wheel of our Black and Red JCW Coupe, it all started to make sense. The stance. The look. The small cabin. It felt sinister in a cheeky way. Utterly unique, yet still quintessentially MINI.
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It’s a focused car. Two doors, two seats and a silhouette that marks the Coupe as something instantly special. For enthusiasts it’s easy to get hung up on the extra 27 lbs, but the reality is that this is the most focused and best sorted MINI chassis to date. It rewards the driver with a lively yet controlled experience at the limit. Bottom line, it’s just that little bit more fun.