2009 Mini Cooper: In addition to the usual base Cooper and Cooper S choices, you'll find the 2009 Mini John Cooper Works at the top of the model line. The John Cooper Works costs over $6,000 more than the Cooper S, but a larger-capacity turbocharger and exhaust manifold liberate an extra 36 horsepower and 15 pound-feet of torque. The JCW car's totals are 208 hp at 6,000 rpm and 192 lb-ft from 1,850-5,600 rpm (206 lb-ft on overboost).
This is enough to drop a half-second off the car's 0-60-mph time, says Mini, and raise the top speed from 140 mph to 148. It's no surprise, then, that all Mini Coopers adopt a 160-mph pie-plate speedometer this year in place of last year's 140-mph dial.
Other upgrades specific to the Mini John Cooper Works hatchback include larger brakes, lighter-weight 17-inch wheels and various cosmetic touches, including revised front and rear fascias and sassy side skirts — so everyone will know you're driving the most elite of the Minis. Inside, the changes are subtler, but only the 2009 Mini John Cooper Works has piano-black trim. If the standard suspension calibrations aren't aggressive enough for you, there's a sport suspension available as a factory option. Or you can buy the even stiffer John Cooper Works setup as a dealer accessory, which lowers the car 0.4 inch.
We expect Mini to offer a JCW version of the redesigned Cooper convertible as well, but for now, Mini convertibles will come with either the base 118-hp, 1.6-liter four-cylinder or, on the 2009 Cooper S Convertible, a turbocharged version of that engine making 172 hp. Even though they are redesigned, the Cooper convertibles look much like their predecessors and continue on with a traditional cloth top. A major functional upgrade is the switch to an electromechanically operated rollbar, which stays hidden until it's needed, providing much better rearward visibility than before. In addition, a new shelf system in the cargo bay should provide slightly more hauling flexibility than in the old Mini convertible.
The 2009 Mini Cooper and Mini Cooper S hatchbacks carry over with few changes. You'll see a few new wheel designs this year, along with subtle changes in the interior color schemes. Additionally, stability control is standard across the board this year, and it now incorporates a dynamic traction control feature.
2009 Mini Cooper Clubman: Changes to the 2009 Mini Cooper Clubman wagon line are nearly identical to those for the regular Mini Cooper hatchback. The price jump to the 2009 Mini John Cooper Works Clubman from the S version tops $7,000, and indeed, it is the only current Mini with a base price over $30,000.
Changes specific to the Clubman for 2009 include two new factory options — roof rails for those of you who don't want to put your surfboards inside the Clubman and a roof spoiler for those of you who simply have bad taste.
Add A Comment »