LAS VEGAS: It has never been a problem to spice up your MINI’s performance, thanks to the company’s John Cooper Works range of upgrades and compete cars. However, until now, it was only possible to give your British automotive style icon a boost if it was the core 3-door Cooper S model.
But that is all about to change. At SEMA, MINI will be showcasing a factory warranty-backed upgrade kit that works with its more sensible, roomier models — the Clubman and Countryman Cooper S — so that the whole family can have some automotive fun.
And don’t worry, the kit is much more than simply a set of bigger wheels and a few John Cooper Works emblems. As long as your MINI is a 2018 Model Year vintage, the tuning kit will nudge output up to 208hp from 189hp. And to ensure that boost can actually be felt and appreciated, the kit also reduces exhaust gas back pressure, allowing the next cylinder to fully detonate and evacuate its gases, therefore increasing engine responsiveness and efficiency.
What’s more, that exhaust has a two-stage system so that on the open road, where noise is less of an issue, a push of a button allows gasses to escape even more quickly with less muffling. Then when on the track, the muffler bypassing goes up yet another notch for even better performance.
And if that’s not enough, MINI will also be showing off the new Ice Blue Edition model — a limited run model in two states of tune (Cooper or Cooper S) developed specifically for the US market.
Both variants come in a unique Ice Blue Exterior paint finish and a panoramic glass sunroof as standard, but the Cooper S model stands out even more thanks to an orange stripe along the rocker panel and orange wing mirror caps contrasting with the 17-inch black alloy wheels.
The Cooper version follows a more classical styling brief with its twin white hood stripes, white roof and white mirror caps.
Inside, both boost sports seats and black leatherette upholstery, while under the hood the Cooper S gets a 189hp turbocharged engine mated to a six-speed manual transmission, while the Cooper model sends its 134hp to the front wheels via a six-speed automatic gearbox.
Keyword: MINI getting into a performance free-for-all for SEMA