   2013 Mini JCW Convertible. Click image to enlarge |
Review and photos by Simon Hill
Buying a convertible isn’t something you do based on practical considerations or cold, hard logic. It’s an emotional choice. And so as long as you’re listening to your emotions and buying a convertible, it might just as well be one that stirs those emotions deeply. Good thing then that Mini offers its iconic Convertible in JCW (John Cooper Works) trim.
In base trim Mini’s spunky little four-seat drop-top is already a car with abundant character, and the John Cooper Works treatment gives it a big helping more: The JCW Convertible is a car that seems designed to put a grin on your face. And while Mini is set to roll out a new third-generation lineup for the 2014 model year, the 2013 JCW Convertible is already so close to perfect as to make waiting for the new model seem pointless.
After all, Mini has always staked its fortunes on retro-heritage appeal, and the next-generation car looks to be a little more modern and therefore to offer a little less retro appeal than the current generation car. I mean, Minis have always had a gigantic central speedometer and a four-cylinder engine, right? But not the latest Mini, which will arrive with a central entertainment display and a three-cylinder engine, at least in the base model (performance versions will continue to use a four-cylinder engine). It’s enough to set original Mini designer Sir Alec Issigonis spinning in his grave. Well, actually, he’d probably approve — but I digress.
Externally the current JCW Convertible is only subtly different from the regular Mini Cooper convertible. It has a more aggressive front fascia and rear bumper, and adds embellishments including strategically placed JCW badging, and side skirts with slatted scoops at the back. Of course Mini is all about personalization, and so there’s a plethora of customization options to choose from. My test car was decked out in eye-catching (and comment-inspiring) Spice Orange Metallic paint ($490), with optional bonnet stripes ($130), 17-inch Black Star Bullet Alloy wheels ($250), blacked out headlights ($75), wind deflector ($150), black-capped mirrors (no charge), and Carbon Black Lounge Leather upholstery ($1,900). Overall effect: still cute, but with a wicked edge.
Under the skin, the JCW Convertible gets a hairy-chested version of Mini’s ubiquitous 1.6L four-cylinder engine, with an overboosted twin-scroll turbocharger, a big-bore stainless steel exhaust, remapped ECU and other tweaks to bring the total output up to 208 horsepower and 192 lb-ft of torque (207 lb-ft in overboost mode), versus 121 horsepower and 118 lb-ft of torque for the garden-variety Mini Cooper, or 181 horsepower and 177 lb-ft for the more conservatively turbocharged Cooper S.
   2013 Mini JCW Convertible. Click image to enlarge |
Giving the JCW Convertible dance moves to match its acceleration are several chassis tweaks including variable electronic limited-slip differential, dynamic traction control, and big Brembo brakes. These feature red-painted four-pot calipers up front and single-piston calipers (also red painted) in the back. The base suspension in the JCW is the same tuned suspension as in the Cooper S, and while there’s an optional Sport Suspension available for an additional $250, this would perhaps count as being from the “Department of Redundancies Department” — which is to say that even in stock form the JCW’s suspension is superbly quick and precise-handling on smooth tarmac but definitely on the firm side, so it can already be a bit jarring on rough city pavement. Structurally, the JCW Convertible is reasonably solid for a convertible and my test car exhibited only a little bit of cowl shake over the bumps when the top was down, though I did notice a couple of squeaks and rattles (and rather restricted visibility, too) when the top was up.
