If you liked the classic old legends, you’ll remember that Little John was Robin Hood’s faithful sidekick in all their shenanigans to thwart and evade the Sheriff of Nottingham as they set about robbing the rich to give to the poor. However, the name “Little John” was something of a joke along the lines of calling a redhead “Blue”, as this character was a massive bloke who really knew how to handle a quarterstaff. The Mini John – as in the Mini John Cooper Works Clubman – is still the mini we know and love – a hot little car that will appeal to the Robin Hood type rogue in all of us (and to the Maid Marion roguesses, too).

The Mini John Cooper Works Clubman – no, let’s call it the Mini JCW Clubman – has something of the legendary lines of the original Clubman (does anyone else remember the old wood-trimmed Clubman… complete with moss growing inside the window frames if the owner wasn’t the most scrupulous?). But gone is the pottering-down-to-the-bowling-club image. The Mini JCW Clubman is more of a hot hatch (three door or five-door) in spite of the classic boxy retro-looks. Those rounded front lights look like they’re about to give you a cheeky wink. But there’s nothing retro about the 155 kW motor, nor in the flat torque “curve” that resembles the roof line, putting out the maximum of 260 Nm throughout a huge range from 1850–5700rpm – bumped up to 280 Nm at 1950 with the overboost function. Given those figures, what can you do when you get your hands on the multifunction leather-wrap steering wheel and put all six gears through their paces? But fear not, if you worry that the Mini JCW Clubman is going to rob you and give your cash to the poor petrol attendant: the Mini JCW Clubman has a combined fuel economy figure of 7.0 litres/100 km.

The retro looks are continued on the inside. The speedo, for example, may have figures all the way up to 260 km/h, but it looks like the old original. The curves and chrome styling of the dashboard is continued throughout the Mini JCW Clubman’s interior, from the ellipse in the door around the handles to the pedals. And today’s Mini JCW Clubman fits five – two in the front and three in the back – with the driver and front passenger sitting very comfortably in the sports seats. Standard interior features in the Mini JCW Clubman include automatic climate control, a 6-speaker audio system (radio/CD with an MP3 auxiliary jack), Bluetooth connectivity, cruise control and an auto-dimming anti-dazzle rear view mirror.

Safety has come a long way since Minis beginnings, and the Mini JCW Clubman comes fully equipped – a real must on a small car that’s this peppy. Let’s start with a nice bowl of alphabet soup – also known as the active safety feature list – containing ABS, EBD, BA, CBC, DSC, DTC and EDLC. To translate the alphabet soup, these features are Anti-Brake Skid brakes, Electronic Brake Distribution, Brake Assist, Cornering Brake Control, Dynamic Stability Control, Dynamic Traction Control and Electronic Differential Lock Control. These features don’t just help with emergency situations; they also enhance the driving experience in the Mini JCW Clubman, as they improve the handling and grip no end. The passive features include six airbags strategically placed around the strengthened cabin: front, side and curtain.

The current model series includes the:

• Mini JCW Clubman

For any more information on the Mini JCW Clubman, or for that matter any other new car, contact one of our friendly consultants on 1300 303 181. If you’d like some fleet discount pricing (yes even for private buyers!), we can submit vehicle quote requests out to our national network of Mini dealers and come back with pricing within 24 hours. Private Fleet – car buying made easy!

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