Press Releases | Lyon-Waugh Auto Group

PEABODY, Mass. – Car buyers looking for big power to go along with the biggest MINI will not have much longer to wait, as a John Cooper Works (JCW) package is coming to the Countryman next year. Rumoring to be debuting at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show in March before reaching MINI dealerships in the second half of 2012, the MINI Countryman JCW is expected to feature a series of performance-based upgrades like a lowered suspension, increased horsepower and aggressive exterior additions.

The MINI Countryman is the only MINI available with all-wheel drive, but it has yet to receive a performance upgrade from MINI’s JCW package. Named after John Cooper, a famous Formula 1 car builder that developed the early race-winning Mini Coopers, the JCW package upgrades MINI models with revised engines, suspensions, brakes and wheels for the most devout driving enthusiasts.

“I don’t think anybody would accuse the Countryman of being a slow car, but a John Cooper Works package would really strike the right note with some of our customers,” said Marshal Cabot, general manager of Greater Boston MINI dealer MINI of Peabody. “The JCW package makes MINI models that are already fun to drive an absolute blast to motor around in, and I know the John Cooper Works version of the Countryman won’t disappoint those who want amplified performance to match the capability of MINI’s crossover.”

The JCW trim of the Countryman will likely be propelled by a revised version of the turbocharged 1.6-liter found in other MINI JCW models. While the smaller MINIs come with 208 horsepower in JCW trim, automotive publication Autoblog predicts that the Countryman JCW will be packing around 223 horsepower, an increase of 15 horsepower to help offset the Countryman’s added weight.

Current 2012 MINI Countryman models come in three trims, including the base Countryman Cooper with its 121-horsepower engine, the Countryman Cooper S with 181 horsepower and the Countryman Cooper S ALL 4, which adds all-wheel drive into the mix. The Countryman JCW is also expected to make use of MINI’s all-wheel-drive system, adding in an electro-magnetic rear differential to increase grip in slippery conditions.

The Countryman JCW won’t be the only new performance-oriented MINI to reach dealers in 2012. MINI will officially reveal the MINI Roadster for the first time at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show in January before it goes on sale in late February. Based on the MINI Coupe, the Roadster sheds the tin-top in favor of open-air driving. The two-seater will join the Cooper Convertible as MINI’s drop-top offerings, providing two different ways to get a tan while driving in 2012.

“The Roadster will be a great addition to the always-expanding MINI lineup,” Cabot noted. “Like the rest of the family, it will be an incredibly engaging ride no matter what engine you specify. The Roadster will appeal to people who want something small and sporty like a Miata, but with the personality that only MINI can bring.”