John Cooper Works Convertible
The New York International Auto Show is a great venue for MINI to make its debuts. The cars are stylish, hip, small, and have a bit of attitude… everything a NY car should be. For 2017, MINI has upped its attitude quotient with the John Cooper Works convertible. JCW is the moniker the company uses to denote its spunkiest models, and the convertible is no different. Power comes from adding boost to the already turbocharged 2.0L 4-cylinder, bringing the final numbers to 228 ponies at 5,200 – 6,000 rpm and 236 lb-ft of torque as low as 1,250 rpm. That’s 39 more hp than the Cooper S and good enough for the company to claim a 0-60 mph time of 6.3 for cars with automatics (add 0.1 second if you like to row your own gears). Both transmissions will be 6-speeds. A sportier suspension and Brembo breaks also set the JCW convertible apart. Besides its badging, you can spot the JCW by its aero kit, center exhaust tips, standard 17-inch wheels, and the exclusive Rebel Green exterior paint. On sale this April, the JCW convertible starts at $36,450.
Cooper Clubman ALL4
The reveal of the all-wheel-drive Clubman ALL4 literally came the same day our office was closed due to a massive blizzard that hit the Denver area… while we had a 2WD Clubman sitting helplessly stranded in our studio. Irony aside, small AWD cars are always a welcome addition to the world, especially here in Colorado. The ALL4 will be available on the standard Cooper and the peppier Cooper S, the latter will bare the full model name of Cooper S Clubman ALL4. Engines carry over from the 2WD Clubmans. The Clubman ALL4 comes with the 134-hp 1.5L 3-cylinder, while the more potent S variant gets the 189-hp 2.0L turbo four. Both are paired to an 8-speed auto or 6-speed manual. 0-60 mph times for the Cooper S Clubman ALL4 are a claimed 6.6 seconds for automatics and 6.7 seconds for manuals. The Clubman ALL4 will go on sale this April, although pricing has not yet been announced.
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