MINI John Cooper Works Clubman and JCW Countryman now with 302bhp

MINI has overhauled the John Cooper Works Countryman and Clubman models for 2019, including a huge power hike to 302bhp.

The MINI John Cooper Works Clubman Estate and John Cooper Works Countryman SUV have been overhauled for 2019, but it’s a bit more than the usual new bumpers, new wheels, new lights and a bit of added tech. 

In fact, MINI has gone to town on the performance of its bigger MINI performance variants, giving them the sort of power and potential the John Cooper Works badge perhaps should have had all along.

Both the new JCW Clubman and Countryman get a turbo 2.0 litre four-pot under the bonnet, but this one is the same lump destined for the BMW M135i.

That means it goes up in power from the previous 228bhp to a really rather impressive 302bhp – and a chunkier 332lb/ft of torque – with the power going to all four wheels through and eight-speed automatic gearbox and MINIs ALL4 all-wheel drive system.

That’s enough to get the new JCW Clubman to 62mph in just 4.9 seconds and the JCW Countryman in 5.1 seconds, pretty much 1.5 seconds than before, and on to a limited 155mph.

MINI say it has revised the suspension to deal with the hefty chunk of extra power – including a 10mm drop in height for the Countryman – and you can also option adaptive dampers.

Away from the power boost, there’s also new JCW Sports Seats and steering wheel, 18″ black alloys, LED headlights, 6.5″ Touchscreen, Parking Sensors, reversing cameras and heated seats as standard.

On sale in July in the UK, the new JCW Clubman costs from £34,250 and the JCW Countryman from £35,550.