John Cooper Works always has a solution for MINI fans that want significant power from tiny bodies, and they’ve yet to disappoint. In answering the needs of Malaysians who want to paint the town red with the Clubman and Countryman, MINI Malaysia has launched the most powerful versions of said vehicles. 

Under the hood of the JCW vehicles are a 2.0-litre turbocharged engine trained to produce 306hp and 450Nm. In comparison, the MINI Cooper S Clubman possesses a paltry 192hp and 280Nm of torque. To reach those lofty figures, JCW changed the compression ratio from 10.2 to 9.5 to match the increased system charging pressure. 

Other things that JCW did is to redevelop the air intake duct and have it dethrottled as far as possible. The new multi-hole fuel injectors arranged between the valves has increased the flow rate with an injection pressure of up to 350ba. And, the turbocharger integrated into the exhaust manifold is fitted with a blow-off valve for better response.

The engine is mated to an eight-speed Steptronic Sports automatic transmission that offers the right balance of performance, efficiency and comfort. The gearbox even allows the MINI JCW to go into ‘GREEN’ mode that coasts the car when your foot goes off the throttle between 50-160kph. 

With engine and transmission combined, the Clubman gets delivered to 100kph from standstill in 4.9 seconds while the Countryman accomplishes the same in 5.1 seconds. Both cars have the same electronically-limited top speed of 250kph.

Heat is managed at all times, on-road and on track, by two external radiators, a model-specific expansion tank with an increased volume, an independent cooling module mounting, an electric ventilator with increased output and a third cooling level realised using a condenser. The transmission also has its own cooling system.

Bringing speed down is the responsibility of the redesigned sport brake system, including the four-piston, fixed-calliper disc brakes on the rear wheels. Large disc brakes at the front and rear have its own coolant duct geometry for braking stability. 

The JCW sport suspension drops the cars by 10mm closer to the ground. Only the Countryman comes with the Adaptive Suspension where compression and rebound can be adjusted to suit driving conditions. The JCW Clubman and JCW Countryman add the ALL4 All-Wheel, giving the cars better road-holding capabilities. 

Of course, no performance-tuned car is complete without special interior bits, and these MINI vehicles are no different. Carbon Black Dinamica Leather upholsters the seats, and JCW leather wraps the steering wheels. The instrument cluster, centre display trim, start screen and door sills get the JCW treatment. On the floor, Stainless-Steel Pedals awaits your proddings. 

The MINI JCW Clubman is priced at RM358,888, and the JCW Countryman is priced at RM378,888; both on the road without insurance. Each JCW car comes with MINI Malaysia’s 5 Years Roadside Assistance programme and MINI 4 Years Unlimited Mileage Warranty with Free Scheduled Service. Balloon Financing is available — RM4,098 per month for the JCW Clubman and RM4,328 per month for the Countryman — based on 80% loan on a five-year tenure.

Yes, it costs a pretty penny but if you want the hottest MINI is town, well…