The John Cooper Works Clubman is the MINI I've been waiting for
But the JCW, for all its racing cred, isn't all that useful in daily life. What I really needed was a wagon-y version.
Dream, and you shall receive.
On Tuesday, MINI announced the arrival of the John Cooper Works Clubman, an evolution of the original Clubman, a stretched MINI whose cargo space was accessed via bi-swinging doors. It was a coupé-wagon, with lots of MINI panache. The second generation added a pair of rear doors.
"With a motorsport-inspired turbocharged four-cylinder engine and the newest generation ALL4 all-wheel drive system, the new MINI John Cooper Works Clubman brings a new level of high performance to the most practical and versatile MINI model in the lineup," MINI said in a statement.
That "level of high performance" is impressive.
According to MINI, the JCW Clubman "can accelerate from 0-60 mph in six seconds with both the standard 6-speed manual transmission and the optional 8-speed Steptronic sports transmission, while the ALL4 all-wheel drive system can distribute the appropriate power as needed between the front and rear wheels in every situation on the road."
The car even has launch control function, which "enables traction-optimized acceleration with maximum dynamic performance from a stopped position."
Check out the probably beastly new MINI JCW Clubman: