Launched over a year ago, the MINI John Cooper Works Challenge model was introduced by the British company as a proper track car that you could also drive on public roads. The car was developed with the help of proper car enthusiasts as well as representatives from Evo Magazine, to deliver on all aspects you’d want it to, and then some. The end result is a model that is unforgiving on the road but quite fun on the track.
The guys from Carfection took it out for a spin to do a short review of it and they decided to head to a local track to do so. After all, where else would you be inclined to review a car that was developed on a circuit and created for it? Therefore, we applaud their initiative and were surprised to hear that this little special edition model actually surprisingly delivers on its promises. We’re surprised because as you’re about to hear, the Challenge has the same amount of power as a standard JCW and yet ended up being a bit heavier.
That’s all due to the enhancements done to it to provide more thrills for the person behind the wheel. A new limited slip differential was added to the front axle for example, to allow you to carve through tight corners with the precision of a neurosurgeon. And then there’s the new exhaust that has a track mode which transforms the car into a fast-going machine gun with four wheels attached to it.
All in all, the MINI JCW Challenge seems to be a proper upgrade but then again there is some bad news. Leaving the pricing aside as that’s always going to be a controversial subject, there will be only 100 of them made and, apparently, all of them are reserved by UK customers. That means, you’re pretty much out of luck if you watched the video below and thought to yourself that the Challenge would be a good addition to your garage.
