MINI to Offer Factory Installed Cooper S Works Starting in October

Whats the fastest and quickest OEM MINI that money can buy? If you said the Cooper S Works, youd be wrong. While its true that its a mighty MINI thats still covered by the factory warranty, the Works is a package which must be ordered separately. If you wanted one, youd have to be an existing owner with some extra cash in the wallet, not to mention ten hours of time to install it, or even more cash to throw at your local MINI service center for installation. But, from October onwards things will change as the MINI Cooper S will be available with the Works kit, directly from the factory.

After two and a half years and 10,000 units sold, demand for the JCW (John Cooper Works) kit has increased. As if being the only MINI-endorsed tuning kit on the market werent enough, BMW has added the icing on the Cooper cake by officially making it part of its production line option list this October. While the 2006 Mini Cooper S and Cooper S Cabriolet supercharged inline-four is stronger than ever, with a 170-horsepower 1.6-liter now under the abbreviated hood, the kit liberates an additional forty horses giving drivers of the tiny British subcompact near unlimited thrills.

The Mini Cooper S JCW kit, purchased separately is an engine treatment which injects some added kick into the standard motor, includes a new cylinder head with higher compression, an upgraded supercharger, increased output fuel injectors, a racing-spec air filter, revised engine mapping, and new pulleys for the supercharger. The 210 horses that the kit provides trims the MINI Coopers 0 to 60 mph sprint down from 7.1 seconds to just 6.5 seconds.

When ordering the JCW package at your local MINI dealer, its always been a pick and choose affair. Many of the components, such as the air filter, and the low-backpressure exhaust system can be bought separately. However, the Cooper S Works option purchased straight from the factory comes with all the performance goodies, plus JCWs new larger 16-inch Sports brake discs, heavy duty calipers, sports suspension, strut tower brace, apron kit, special exhaust tips, and a limited slip differential to harness the extra power. Works kick plates, exterior badging and a certificate of authenticity seal the deal.

For Mike Cooper, son of the famous John Cooper and managing director of John Cooper Works Ltd, the inclusion of the JCW kit on the Oxford assembly line shows the ability for a small manufacturer to work with a major carmaker. He said, "Im pleased that the partnership with the new MINI has been such a success. The kits offered as a factory-fit option show how closely we work together and will provide us at John Cooper Works with more time to develop further high-performance products."

While the Cooper S Works is always topping headlines in magazines and newspapers, the company hasnt forgotten about regular MINI owners. Starting later this year, a Works Sound Kit will be made available for Cooper and Cooper Classic models. It includes a high-flow air filter and a low-back pressure stainless steel exhaust to provide an additional increase in power, plus a great-sounding burbling exhaust note. The John Cooper Works company also provides a number of different interior dress-up trims for purchase, including special sports seats for front and rear passengers, plus carbon-fiber dashboard inserts and sill plates.

For more information, contact your local MINI retailer.