New JCW f56

[mj2k]

Well, the M has now been retired to a weekend toy, having put 17,000 fun filled miles on it over the last 18 months.

Picked this up today to be the daily drive.



Big grin on the drive home. The bimodal exhaust is just great fun with the pops and shotgun bangs on overrun when in sports mode & the valve open

Something about a hot hatch that is just great fun

Only niggle is the idrive is a little tricky to use with its position. Am sure I will get used to it though.

Seems well put together, can't wait to get the 1200 mile run in completed to open it up above 4K.

 

[Wondermike]

Looks great. Drove 600 miles recently in a standard S and it was great fun, even they sound pretty good in sport mode. Did you look at the S with tuning kit and exhaust before going for the JCW?

 

[original guvnor]

 

[mj2k]

Looks great. Drove 600 miles recently in a standard S and it was great fun, even they sound pretty good in sport mode. Did you look at the S with tuning kit and exhaust before going for the JCW?

I did think about it, but realised that if I didn't go for the JCW I'd probably regret it down the road. I drove the S as well, and it's huge fun still. Had the previous generation JCW and this one is so much more grown up, but still maintains the mini charm.

Heads up display is brilliant,mouldy definately order again. Reversing camera seems to make parking more difficult! Need to practice a bit more with it and get used to it..

 

[Nictrix]

Nice looking car, dont like the wheels though, they dont look chunky enough.
Had just a normal Cooper for around 4 years and I wouldnt have another Mini if you paid me.
I think they are completely overrated.

 

[Zeld4]

Nice motor! Would be good to see some photos of the interior if you ever take any. Glad you went for the red wing mirrors, funny how he little things can really make a difference

 

[mj2k]

Nice looking car, dont like the wheels though, they dont look chunky enough.
Had just a normal Cooper for around 4 years and I wouldnt have another Mini if you paid me.
I think they are completely overrated.

Know what you mean about the wheels, they are 18" and still lost a little. Very strange profile to the also, almost like they have been bowed to clear the callipers, and then only by about 3mm at the front.

I swore after my last JCW is never have another mini, but the M135i, Golf R etc didn't really excite me. And I didn't need the space a 5 series or X5 offered.

 

[mj2k]

Nice motor! Would be good to see some photos of the interior if you ever take any. Glad you went for the red wing mirrors, funny how he little things can really make a difference

Love the red roof and mirrors on the silver white car. Same colours as my last JCW.

Will get some interior ones taken tmrw

 

[jimmybell]

How do you find it compares to the zed on a backroad blat?

Only ever driven a Cooper S many years ago, always liked them in black and tinted

 

[Wyldie85]

Very nice! Good colour combo. These new shape mini's are starting to grow on me.

 

[mj2k]

Nice motor! Would be good to see some photos of the interior if you ever take any. Glad you went for the red wing mirrors, funny how he little things can really make a difference

Here you go

 

[mj2k]

How do you find it compares to the zed on a backroad blat?

Only ever driven a Cooper S many years ago, always liked them in black and tinted

On paper it is much slower, on the twisty stuff I reckon it is quicker but will lose out on a straight. Mine is still being run in, so this was based on the test drive which I didn't hold back on.

Weirdly all the reviews say how good the brakes are, but they aren't a patch on the M ones, they just look beefier. All the reviews saw me expecting some huge level of retardation, left my braking late and it didn't scrub speed as expected...took much more through the corner than planned, and a nervous glance from the salesman :lol:

 

[mj2k]

Very nice! Good colour combo. These new shape mini's are starting to grow on me.

I have the same issue every time a new mini comes out. Still don't think it is as good looking as my old JCW in R56 shape.


Same colour combo as last time, wanted to go thunder grey, but when I saw the colour in real life I changed the order.

On the F56 I had the front aero kit fitted, which blends the front 'overbite' in a little more. That's still the part of the car that jars with me the most. Inside, it's so much more grown up vs the previous generation but keeping the charm. Miss the big rev counter in front of you though - although the HUD has a rev counter in it..

 

[Wyldie85]

Very nice! Good colour combo. These new shape mini's are starting to grow on me.

I have the same issue every time a new mini comes out. Still don't think it is as good looking as my old JCW in R56 shape.


Same colour combo as last time, wanted to go thunder grey, but when I saw the colour in real life I changed the order.

On the F56 I had the front aero kit fitted, which blends the front 'overbite' in a little more. That's still the part of the car that jars with me the most. Inside, it's so much more grown up vs the previous generation but keeping the charm. Miss the big rev counter in front of you though - although the HUD has a rev counter in it..

I quite agree, not as good looking as the R56 shape!!

 

[ZermattV]

Nice looking car - did you consider one of these

http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/mini/210-challenge-edition/first-drives/2016-mini-john-cooper-works-challenge-review

the interior looks fantastic - but i wished they'd move the revcounter to a central position and display the speed in the revcounter .

The way its going we will need a Hot Hatch Section for all those of us running a modern Hot hatch as a daily alongside the weekend toy.

 

[mj2k]

Nice looking car - did you consider one of these

http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/mini/210-challenge-edition/first-drives/2016-mini-john-cooper-works-challenge-review

the interior looks fantastic - but i wished they'd move the revcounter to a central position and display the speed in the revcounter .

The way its going we will need a Hot Hatch Section for all those of us running a modern Hot hatch as a daily alongside the weekend toy.

I did consider one, but decided to go and pretty much fully load a std one.

Agree on Rev counter being central like the R56 had, this new one is hard to see & on the dark grey dial the needle doesn't really pop. The revs appear in the HUD, but it's not quite the same as a proper large central rev counter.