 2010 Mini Cooper S convertible JCW. Click image to enlarge |
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2010 Mini Cooper S convertible JCW
Mission, British Columbia – A half century ago, legendary British car designer and race engineer John Cooper discovered how well the Mini handled, and using a wealth of knowledge gleaned from his many years at the track (including success on the world stage of Formula 1) he reworked the tiny car into a motorsport dynamo, fittingly named the Mini Cooper.
When BMW needed a small car to complete its lineup it revived the Mini nameplate (a brand they had acquired through the purchase of Rover in 1994). In a clever effort to emphasize the long sporting heritage of the marque rather than being confused for just another economy car, BMW named the re-born car the Mini Cooper.
 2010 Mini Cooper S convertible JCW. Click image to enlarge |
After making speed components for the new generation of Minis under his father’s name (John Cooper Garages), John Cooper’s son Mike finally came to an agreement to sell the speed shop to BMW in 2005. BMW now had an in-house performance division for its thriving Mini models similar in concept to the M division that performs this task for BMW’s own cars, and JCW personnel could no doubt lean on the M Power staff when it came to further development of the car. The performance equipment offered by John Cooper Works would now be added on the assembly line rather than in a small shop after initial purchase of the car. To the consumer this was good news as it meant prices would likely come down, the performance gear would be part of their finance charges, and everything would carry a BMW warranty.
At the moment, the complete John Cooper Works upgrade (available in Canada since 2008) is available on both fixed-roof body styles – the two-door hatchback and the five-door Clubman – as well as the hair-tussling convertible. Styling cues include more aggressive front and rear fascias with unique grill inserts, Cross Spoke Challenge lightweight 17-inch alloys, subtle side skirts with rear brake cooling ducts, a large roof spoiler, and centre-mounted twin chrome exhaust tips. A full complement of JCW badges adds some flair, even to the bright red Brembo brake calipers.
 2010 Mini Cooper S convertible JCW. Click image to enlarge |
There are several styling cues shared with the sporty (but less exclusive) Cooper S. These include the aggressive air-inlet that resides on the hood, a black grille, white turn signal lenses, and a body-coloured tailgate handle. Flashes of chrome appear on the fuel filler door, side air inlets, and as is the case with all Mini models, along the window frame.
The inside is as roomy and luxurious as that of the standard “S” model and a whole host of luxury and comfort equipment can be ordered from the factory, but in a perfect world, I would want a stripped down version of this car so that I could maximize its performance potential. Having said that, the eight-way manually adjustable sport buckets are supportive, the instrumentation and controls are where they should be, and the pedals allow for heel-toe operation. Luxury appointments include Park Distance Control (albeit rear only), Bi-xenon headlights with integrated washers, and should this car be your four-season ride, both the side mirrors and windshield washer jets are equipped with heating elements.
  2010 Mini Cooper S convertible JCW. Click image to enlarge |
The three-spoke, thick rimmed steering wheel is very comfortable and benefits from just enough power assistance to keep the driver feeling in control. Secondary controls for the audio system and cruise control functions allow you to stay focused on the task at hand. The design team obviously had a penchant for circles, as the shape is in abundance throughout the interior. Everything from the door pulls and air vents is round, backed up by the typical supporting cast of audio speakers and gauge faces.
Retro touches like aviation-type toggle switches and oversized instruments hearken back to the equipment featured on early Mini models. Something not seen on previous Mini convertibles is the Openometer. This interesting gauge is mounted on the driver’s left, and is designed to monitor the amount of time you’ve spent with the top down. Sure, it seems like a novelty, but in reality, it may prevent a sun burn from creeping up on you.
