The Mini Countryman has already proved to be the model of choice for those who want to share their hot hatchback with lots groceries or multiple passengers; but it looks like Mini may want to make those grocery runs more fun. Our friends at Motor Trend caught what looks like a John Cooper Works edition Countryman testing at the Nürburgring.
While the model doesn’t have any badging to prove it, the car spotted is most likely a hotter JCW Countryman. With more weight to fling around, the JCW Countryman is rumored to also have more power: the 1.6 liter turbo four-cylinder from the Cooper S should be tweaked to produce between 220 and 230 hp — well more than the 208 hp the rest of the JCW Coopers churn out. No surprise at the added output since the Countryman weighs in at 3208 pounds in Cooper S Countryman form with all-wheel drive. As we’re used to with JCW editions, we can see that there are some look-fast items like special wheels and an aero kit to go with the go-fast items, as well as a tweaked suspension.
Pricing for the JCW Countryman will most likely garner a $6000 to $7000 premium over the regular Cooper Countryman S — similar to the rest of the line-topping JCW models — putting the sportier crossover into the low-$30,000 range. It remains to be seen if it will be front-wheel drive only or offer Mini’s All4 all-wheel drive system.
Head over to Motor Trend to see all the photos, and expect to see the John Cooper Works Countryman later this year.
Source: Motor Trend
