There's Now A US John Cooper Works Upgrade For The Most Practical Minis

Yep, it’s another story out of SEMA, and it’s yet more noise on the tuning side of things. After the Civic Type R crate engine news of earlier today, Mini is taking a turn on the go-faster train.

If you want your (relative) practicality with an extra slice of performance, Mini has released a John Cooper Works Tuning Kit for the Cooper S versions of both the Clubman and Countryman – in both two- and four-wheel drive.

The mods, which fit both cars, span a new exhaust system, John Cooper Works style upgrades and an ECU tweak to shunt power from 189bhp to 208bhp. Torque gets a nudge, too, from 207lb ft to 221lb ft.

Mini says the changes make the 2.0-litre turbo engine more responsive thanks to reduced exhaust gas back-pressure and the more aggressive ECU software. The whole upgrade package can be bought and installed at any US Mini dealer, and it doesn’t need to be fitted to brand new cars. Any 2018 model year Clubman and Countryman will do.

The power boost might be modest, but the exhaust upgrade is pretty sweet. It includes a Bluetooth-actuated valve with two modes: Sport and Sport+. Sport is approved for road use but Sport+ mode is a track-minded loud-mouth that will earn you a rapid ticket if the law catches you using it on the road.

Naturally, buyers of the $1950 upgrade pack will also get a few John Cooper Works baubles. Expect a couple of badges, at least.

Also on display on the Mini stand at SEMA is the Ice Blue special edition Cooper S hatchback, which is what you see in the pic above. Details are sparse for now, but it mostly looks like a styling exercise.