Based on the total cost to own the Mini JCW, is the extra horsepower really worth it?
Being a Mini fan I would say definitely! But this would be a biased opinion since I do own a JCW. Seriously, considering the Total Cost to Own or the TCO, this would be a very relative question. This would really all depend on how much you like/love the Mini. But from a practical, logical point of view I would choose the Clubman S for several reasons which I will lay out in a future post.
Concentrating on the TCO, the S is cheaper by $7000; depreciation is lower by $2500 as well as all the rest of the taxes, fees and insurance costs. You mentioned horsepower. The JCW and The S are powered by 16 valve 4cyl engines but the S has an inline and the JCW a transverse aluminum block. The JCW has 208hp and the S 172 hp for a difference 36 horses. The S can accelerate from 0-60 in a decent 6.7 seconds while the JCW can do it in 6.5 seconds. So again is the extra 36 hp and .2 seconds worth the extra clams? Again, this is a relative question only you can answer. Personally my Mini JCW is a fun ride and I love it.
There really is a lot of talk and speculation around the Mini Crossman. Few details are being released by either Mini or its parent company, BMW. We’re not even sure if it’s going to be released in the US. Having said this, it would be extremely foolish if they don’t especially the way the auto industry is going.
All we can really go by are the few concept and spy photos that come out. The Crossman appears to have a higher ride height as compared to a Clubman. Overall length is 4 meters or just about. If the other photos are to be believed, and I hope it’s true, the Crossman will have a rather unique or odd (depends on who sees it I guess) door configuration. The right rear passenger door has the “standard” setup i.e. opens outward and forward. The left rear door is the unique one. Instead of opening outward, it has a slide mechanism similar to what you’d see on a van but naturally on a smaller door. Another photo shows the rear of the Crossman sporting a 2 wiper configuration and roof rails are clearly visible on top. Engine wise, we’re all still guessing. I’ll snoop around and see if I can get more info.