MINI John Cooper Works ALL4 Clubman – thrill maximised in wagon with sporty aura

Having entered the compact station wagon market with its uniquely-positioned new Clubman, the latest member of the John Cooper Works family now takes the compact sports wagon segment by storm, too.  In terms of its exterior dimensions and space, the new MINI John Cooper Works ALL4 Clubman is the biggest “top athlete” in the history of this British brand to date.

Sporty roomy wagon with JCW credentials and 4-wheel-drive

The bonus in terms of roominess, everyday practicality and long-distance suitability offers a new range of opportunities to enjoy in the Clubman wagon with John Cooper Works and its standard 4-wheel-drive system.

The fact that the extremely sporty temperament – typical of the John Cooper Works models – reaches a whole new dimension in this model is due to the fact that the most powerful engine ever fitted in a MINI is combined with the latest version of the ALL4 all-wheel drive system for the first time.

The ALL4 forms part of a precisely assembled overall package comprising not just the powerful 4-cylinder turbo engine, the sports suspension, 18-inch John Cooper Works light alloy wheels (bigger 19-inch wheels are available), the Brembo sports brake system and distinctive body features (for optimised aerodynamic properties and cooling air intake) but also with a model-specific cockpit with John Cooper Works sports seats.

This drivetrain configuration guarantees performance when accelerating from zero to 100 km/h, which takes 6.3 seconds with either the standard 6-speed manual transmission or the optional 8-speed Steptronic sports transmission, accompanied by the sports exhaust system sound.  The previous still-small John Cooper Works Clubman was quick, but, being front-wheel-drive, could not always transfer the engine’s willingness down to the road.

Power transmission to all 4 wheels increases agility on spontaneous sprint manoeuvres as well as when taking bends in dynamic style, ensuring supreme forward thrust even beyond the asphalt.

Modern interpretation of tradition-steeped wagon concept, with sporty aura

Its appearance is distinctive, not least due to the 4 side doors and the hallmark 2 split doors at the rear, but also for having 5 fully-fledged seats and a luggage compartment volume that can be expanded from 360 litres to as much as 1250 litres by folding down the rear backrest.

The car shown here in Rebel Green paintwork (a classic non-metallic dark green – darker than the British Racing Green metallic) is also available without the Chili red roof and red go-faster stripes (did someone sneer Christmas tree?) while you can further customised through MINI accessories, like different fender inserts – the John Cooper Works badge can be replaced by a red upper line with a lower chequered flag.

The car’s modern interpretation of the tradition-steeped station wagon concept – giving it a top standing within the brand model range in the area of functionality – is combined with a sporty aura.

Price for new MINI John Cooper Works ALL4 Clubman in South Africa?

Although the MINI John Cooper Works ALL4 Clubman will only arrive in South Africa after the onset of 2017, pricing (including taxes) has been revealed:

MINI John Cooper Works ALL4 Clubman manual    R 550 612
MINI John Cooper Works ALL4 Clubman auto    R 576 516