Category: Affordable Sports 
Price Range: No data available
Astounding pulling power, great performance, supreme handling, cheap to run.
Too much torque steer, firm ride, uncomfortable seating, fiddly controls. Expensive.
Class-leading performance to go with tax-friendly emissions and admirable fuel economy. Is it worth paying extra £4,750 over the 'normal' S. You decide...
The John Cooper name is an extremely valuable and convenient commodity for BMW and Mini. While other brands search desperately for new ways of marketing their hottest hatches with a series of arcane initials, Mini doesn't have to worry - the name is right there, complete with reputation and motorsport credentials.
Since 2001 the Cooper Car Company in East Preston was offering Mini turning kits and accessories that allowed owners to 'pep up' their Cooper S. In 2006 BMW took over the John Cooper Works name and now it has its own 'super' Mini - a sort of M version of the standard Cooper S.
So the Mini John Cooper Works represents a perfect marriage - an established, popular car maker aligned to the romance and sheer history of a legendary motorsport name.
And it's not just about the names - the JCW has got it all: it's quick, it's stylish and represents manna from heaven for the dyed-in-the-wool Mini enthusiasts who want even more bang for their bucks without having to go to specialist tuning companies.
The JCW comes in Clubman and hatch form, and a Convertible version is planned for next year. We tested the Clubman and hatch and both variants are extraordinarily capable.
The stats speak for themselves: the JCW hatch is faster than all of its rivals: it'll do 0-60mph in 6.5 seconds, which is faster than a Ford Focus ST, a Renault Clio Cup and a VW Golf GTI. Only the Renault Megane F1 Team R26 is on par in terms of outright acceleration.
The added bonus is that the JCW is emits just 165g/km of carbon dioxide and fuel consumption is a very creditable 40.4mpg on the combined cycle. You get the best of both worlds: awesome performance and cheap running costs.
So what's the catch? That'll be the £21K purchase price, which certainly concentrates the mind. You have a simple choice: do you want to pay an extra £4,750 to get a little extra performance, or hand over £16,245 for the standard Cooper S, which still takes you from 0-60mph in a pretty handy 7.1 seconds?
We know which one we think represents the better value for money, but read on and make up your own mind.
