The first images of the MINI Countryman JCW (John Cooper Works) surfaced the web today. The carmaker announced it will premiere the new high-performance version at the 2012 Geneva auto show. The Countryman JCW in these images is still wearing a bit of camouflage tape, but we can definitely get a general idea about the car. Judging from the parts they covered, the Countryman John Cooper Works will feature a slightly re-styled front bumper and hood, new side skirts, and a modified rear bumper. Even tough it doesn't show up in these images, we're pretty sure the JCW version of the Countryman will also get a rear roof spoiler.
Mini Cooper will power the new Countryman JCW with the same turbocharged 1.6-litre petrol engine as the one used in the Countryman S. The power output of this unit will be raised to 215 hp, which should drop the zero to 62 mph (0-100 km/h) sprint time of the Countryman JCW down to 7 seconds.
The Countryman JCW will have an even lower suspension setup than the S version. This means its ride will be harder, but it will also have improved stability in the corners.
Our sources claim that the JCW Countryman will sit 10 mm lower than the S. They also say it will have a 23 mm front anti-roll bar and a 17 mm rear one. Mini will also upgrade the brakes for the John Cooper Works Countryman. The JCW will get 296-mm disc in the front and 280-mm ones on the rear axle.
Currently, the MINI Countryman JCW is conducting winter testing in Austria, but expect it to hit the dealerships sometime next year. If you're wondering about its price, add a few thousand Euros on top of what the S costs, and you'll get close to the official figure.
We'll have more details on the Mini Countryman JCW as soon as they're available.
[Source: Autocar]
