MINI John Cooper Works Test Drive: A Clockwork Orange
Behind the wheel of the most extreme MINI series
Contrary to fashion trends, full autonomy, the Mini John Cooper Works whet the appetite with a classic recipe for hand-made pleasure. Here, the similarities with Stanley Kubrick's masterpiece are not limited to the color of the case ...
The villain. Insane. Hooligan. Real bandit. The figure is beyond the limits and rules - almost like that Alex from the gloomy phantasmagoria of Anthony Burgess, filmed by Stanley Kubrick in 1971 and becoming one of the examples of modern cinema. Of course, the colors here are not as thick, but in general, with the Mini JCW it will turn out - a bad boy.
With the acceleration and final transition of Mini to BMW technology in the latest generation, the car gets more. For all its speed and dynamism, even the Cooper S now behaves somehow too decently and without children's deviations from the norms of good behavior.
Whether this effect is due to advances in technology or the ubiquity of electronic assistive systems is difficult to say, but only the JCW versions remain bright and unkempt. With them, the ratio of power, size and settings still does not fit into what is acceptable for a decent citizen. Naturally, the proportion of this mixture is the most explosive in the hatchback, and in the version with a six-speed gearbox, the wick is the shortest.
Six packages
Of course, the top sports version also has an automatic transmission. Eight-speed sports Steptronic after the last phase of the model update. However, if in some European countries the term “Mini without an automatic machine” sounds rather exotic, then in many other places around the world (including Britain and Germany, which are equally native to Mini), the combination of “Mini with a gun” is just as absurd. There must be a reason.
So we're back to the short fuse that awaits you at arm's length and a foot behind the bright red start button on the center console. Press lightly on the first and hold the second firmly.
All systems require the driver to have a clear understanding of what, when and how is happening. The same applies to the operation of the steering system. The manual transmission is just the next member of the gang.
The accelerator pedal is lowered by five or six millimeters, the 231-horsepower two-liter engine responds with a cheery growl, and the rear dual exhaust kicks in with a hilarious "Bow, oh ... Bow!"
The orange JCW aims at the top of the corner and whistles in a line that few four-wheelers can afford. Mini is Mini, steering wheel like a sniper...
Unjustifiably high (yes, exactly "inappropriate") speed, sharp turns and uneven asphalt are not an obstacle here, but part of the game. From the entire entertainment program, the six-speed circuit at the top takes over the baton.
The main character is on stage, the director is driving, the action is literally in your hands. They say that there were already people who were ready to transfer all this to various automation systems and autonomous control. So much the worse for them!
CONCLUSION
"Perfect. He is enterprising, aggressive, sociable, young, brave, vicious. He'll fit... He's perfect." In this quote from the movie, the protagonist of MINI John Cooper Works is portrayed accurately and exhaustively.
