   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.
Firm ride or no, driving the JCW Convertible is a pure joy. With a curb weight of only 1,275 kg and a slick-shifting six-speed manual gearbox (a six-speed automatic is optional), the turbocharged four will sling the car from 0-100 km/h in a quick 6.9 seconds while actually feeling much faster. The engine has a delightful throaty growl when accelerating hard, and in Sport mode (which is where I left it most of the time) it pops and burbles whenever you lift off the throttle. Best of all, the thrills don’t cost you too much at the pump: the JCW Convertible does ask for premium fuel, but its official city/highway ratings have it using only 8.2 / 6.0 L/100 km. My own consumption was surprisingly close to this ballpark, ranging from 7.7 to 10.0 L/100 km in mostly city driving and despite the fact that I was driving like a complete maniac the entire week (the JCW Convertible has that effect on you).
    2013 Mini JCW Convertible. Click image to enlarge |
In practical matters the JCW Convertible is certainly no minivan, but then it’s a whole lot more practical than, say, a motorcycle. Trunk space is 170 L, and Mini says there’s 660 L of cargo room with seats folded, although I imagine with the top lowered and a little bit of inventiveness you could do even better than that. My teenage daughter took one look at the diminutive trunk and said that it was more a “compartment” or a “locker” than an actual trunk, but whatever you want to call it, it will in fact hold three or four grocery bags, or a couple of small carrybags, with room to spare for an iPod.
A nice touch is that the power-operated convertible top can accordion part-way open like a sunroof, and can open all the way in about 15 seconds at speeds of up to 30 km/h. There’s an “Always Open Timer” gauge that measures how long you’ve had the top down (I call it the sunshine meter) but it counts only fully open hours, not sunroof-open hours.
Whether the top is up or down you can enjoy your hours in the front seats in excellent comfort, with supportive sports seats, reasonable elbow room, and plenty of legroom provided you’re motoring two-up. Put passengers in the back seats, however, and anyone in the front who’s over about 5’6″ will find they need to scoot their seat well forward in order to provide leg room behind them. I managed to load my family into the JCW Convertible for a quick trip to a downtown restaurant, and while everyone had fun getting there with the top down, it was definitely a cosy experience for the four of us. My daughter refused point-blank to take the Mini on the 40-minute drive to my parents house for dinner the next day, despite the fact it was perfect convertible weather. “It’s a 20-minute maximum back there,” she explained. Fair enough, I reckon, and the car’s more fun without the extra weight aboard anyway.
    2013 Mini JCW Convertible. Click image to enlarge |
The rest of the interior is typical Mini, which means it’s stylish but a little quirky, with controls that can take some getting used to. It’s certainly not lacking for comforts and convenience features, with automatic climate control, push-button start, Bluetooth connectivity, USB audio input, ambient interior lighting, leather-wrapped tilting and telescoping steering wheel, cruise control, and a full array of safety equipment standard across the range. On top of all its performance goodies, the JCW trim adds features including park distance control, auto-dimming mirror, heated front seats, automatic headlights and stainless pedals. My test car further upped the luxe factor with an upgraded Harman/Kardon sound system ($750), satellite radio ($550), Comfort Access system ($350), and an $1,850 Wired Package, which includes navigation with voice command recognition, integrated multifunction display (this takes up the centre of the Mini’s dinner-plate sized speedometer, leaving the pointer swinging around the perimeter), and smartphone integration.
  2013 Mini JCW Convertible. Click image to enlarge |
If there’s a rub to all of this, it’s the total cost. Whereas the base Mini Convertible starts at $29,555 including the $1,955 destination fee — making it competitive with its spiritual counterparts – the Volkswagen Beetle Convertible and the Fiat 500c — the JCW Convertible starts at a suggested retail price of $44,855 destination in, putting it in the same league as the BMW 1 Series Cabriolet, and well above the performance-oriented Fiat Abarth Cabrio. Add in the previously listed appearance and convenience options included on my test car, and the total as-tested price came to a not-so-mini $51,350 including destination. There’s no arguing that the JCW Convertible is a huge amount of fun — the nearest thing you can get to a four-wheel, four-seat motorcycle, really — but by the time you crack the $50,000 barrier it’s playing at a price point that encompasses a wide range of potential competitors and is remarkably close to some pretty rich rides, from sporty rivals such as the BMW Z4 sDrive28i to more practical performance sedan alternatives such as the Audi S4. Still, the JCW Convertible would leave at least a couple thousand dollars in your pocket compared to either of those cars, and it’s not as if you can fit four people into the Z4 or drop the top on an S4. And did I mention how much fun the JCW Convertible is?
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Pricing: 2013 Mini JCW Convertible Hybrid
Base Price: $42,900
Options: $6,495
Freight: $1,955
A/C tax: $100
Price as tested: $51,450
Competitors:
BMW 1 Series Cabriolet
VW Beetle Convertible
Fiat 500c / Abarth Cabrio
Crash Test Results:
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS)
