2018 Mini John Cooper Works Countryman: Mini to the Max

By now, the Mini introduction cadence is familiar: Each new body style launches in Cooper and Cooper S form, followed by the high-zoot John Cooper Works (JCW) version. In the case of the Countryman, the second generation of Mini’s neo-SUV, the JCW is following hot on the tailpipes of the standard models, which were unveiled last fall at the L.A. auto show. In terms of arrival in showrooms, the models are even closer, with the JCW due in April 2017, one month after the Cooper and Cooper S versions of the Countryman.

If the pattern is familiar, so are the JCW enhancements. The JCW Countryman’s mechanicals mimic those of the JCW Clubman four-door wagon. Its turbocharged 2.0-liter four is pumped up to 228 horsepower at 6000 rpm and 258 lb-ft of torque at 1450 rpm—the JCW versions of the Hardtop and Convertible make do with slightly less torque: 236 lb-ft. The Countryman’s engine exhales through a variable exhaust system using a flap that can open for an enhanced engine note.

Buyers may choose either a six-speed manual or an eight-speed automatic transmission, the latter augmented with shift paddles and a launch control program. All-wheel drive, which Mini calls All4, is standard and is abetted by Mini’s electronically controlled limited-slip differential. The system defaults to front-wheel drive until slippage is detected. The brakes are supplied by Brembo, and the calipers are finished in red with JCW logos. Mini’s Dynamic Damper Control is standard, with a sport suspension optional; it’s tuned more firmly than in other Minis. Eighteen-inch wheels are standard—the design is called Black Thrill Spoke—and 19s are optional.

Naturally, the JCW features a splashier exterior treatment, with a honeycomb grille, a restyled lower front fascia with larger air intakes, a roof-mounted spoiler, and red accents. Compared with the previous JCW Countryman, the new version provides a bigger canvas—8.0 inches longer and 1.3 inches wider—on which to apply spoilers and stripes. It also sits astride a wheelbase that has grown by 2.9 inches to 105.1 inches, same as in the Clubman. Interior upgrades include sport seats with integral headrests, a JCW-specific steering wheel and gear lever, and a black headliner. As always, expect Mini to offer myriad customization possibilities to give buyers the opportunity to spice up both the exterior and the interior.

Mini hasn’t yet released pricing for the John Cooper Works Countryman, but if it, too, follows convention, buyers can expect to pay about $6000 or so above the ask for a Cooper S. Will that make the JCW Countryman the most expensive Mini of them all? Possibly not. There’s also a plug-in-hybrid Countryman coming. That model could surpass the JCW in price, if not in power.