[imported_MPower]

Originally Posted by Inside Line

The sportiest Mini yet, the 2008 Mini John Cooper Works will make its debut in early March at the 2008 Geneva Auto Show. An upgraded 218-horsepower turbocharged 1.6-liter engine, revised chassis tuning, distinctive body kit and new interior help distinguish the John Cooper Works from the standard Mini trims.

The new car, which also forms the basis of the latest Mini Challenge racecar, will be sold in both two-door hatchback and three-door Clubman styles in North America.

Modifications to the front include a deeper front bumper and standard foglights, but in the rear, the look differs on each model. The hatchback gets chunky sills underneath the doors, while the longer-wheelbase Clubman retains the standard sills. A unique bumper and exhaust pipes are part of the package.

The Cooper S's MacPherson strut front and multilink rear suspension has been heavily retuned, with firmer bushings, springs and dampers together with more resilient stabilizers and a lower ride height. Along with the standard suspension, Mini offers two optional packages to further improve driving dynamics, including a Sports package that adds firmer dampers at each corner and beefed-up front and rear stabilizer bars.

Above the Sports package is the John Cooper Works package, primarily for track use. It further lowers the ride height and adds firmer dampers and larger stabilizers. Other changes include the weighting of the electronically assisted steering system and the mapping of the throttle, controlled by a "Sport" console-mounted switch.

Larger brakes have been added with red calipers bearing the JCW emblem, and the Challenge racecar lends its multispoke 17-inch wheels mounted with 205/45R17 run-flat tires.

Inside, the John Cooper Works model uses a new three-spoke steering wheel, revised instrument panel, sport seats and Alcantara headliner.

The John Cooper Works goes on sale in August, with U.S. pricing set at $28,550 for the Mini John Cooper Works coupe and $30,800 for the Clubman John Cooper Works.

More: http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do...cleId=124917#2

And the decisions get harder and harder....

[mikeo]

218hp -- I hope they got the torque steer under control. It was already scary-bad in the Cooper S with LSD.

[imported_MPower]

Originally Posted by mikeo

It was already scary-bad in the Cooper S with LSD.

That's a gross exaggeration if I ever heard one. There is torque steer but if you think that the MCS has "scary-bad" torque steer, I'd like to see what you think of some 90s turbocharged Saabs...

[mikeo]

MPower, with all due respect, I'll be the one that states when a characteristic of a car scares me, not you. And I've scared myself a couple of times getting on the '07 MCS in a corner, and having to fight to keep the damn thing from running off the road. And as far as the '90s Saab, if it was worse than the MCS, I'm glad I never experienced one.

[atr_hugo]

Saab Viggen - nailed one of those on a tight uphill right hander and I was all elbows and Hail Marys trying to keep it in my lane when the little old lady in the Buick arrived in the corner with her eyes this wide:

:eyebulge:

Drove the Ford Focus FR200 at SEMA a number of years ago. It felt like it was a 'toy-on-a-string' being yanked by a deranged two year old - YIKES!!

[mikeo]

Our '02 Cooper S had a 15% pulley, but no LSD, and had nowhere near the torque steer of the '07. Of course, it had nowhere near the low end torque either. I wonder if the LSD exacerbates the issue?

[bmwfreak]

I remember driving that Viggen and being amazed that cars could drive (torque steer!) so badly. With that said, the Mini Coop is such a fun drive, i'd have confidence the JCW MCS is going to be badass!!

[mikeo]

I love our MCS, torque steer warts and all. The Works car will most definitely be badass!

[imported_MPower]

Originally Posted by mikeo

I wonder if the LSD exacerbates the issue?

In my experience, it doesn't do much. Definitely an improvement in grip but torque steer is still there.

BTW, I have noticed that as I rack some miles up on my MCS that the torque steer has gotten less and less evident. This is actually something the dealership told me repeatedly. Don't know why this would happen but torque steer, truthfully in my experiences, has not been the problem I have heard from others. There is no question, though, that the R53s had much less torque steer (if any) and if you hopped straight out an R53 and into an R56, you would probably think the car was dangerous at any speed.

Also, I recently picked up a copy of the latest issue (I think it was the Feb. issue) and they had a really nice write up of their long-term MCS. Its worth a read as I think it accurately describes why I enjoy the MCS so much, torque steer and all.

[mikeo]

Good points. I know when I swap to the summer 18" Works wheels with Kumho SPTs there is noticably less T-steer, just because it takes more torque to spin those larger wheels. I agree it's a wonderfully fun car, I just have to remind myself I'm in a FWD turbo car before I do anything stupid.