John Cooper Works Countryman: A Mini with maximum power

Mini's 306hp JCW Countryman offers plenty of oomph, but at some cost to efficiency

The John Cooper Works Countryman sports a 2-litre inline-4 turbocharged engine that makes 306hp and hits the 100kmh mark in 5.1 seconds.
The John Cooper Works Countryman sports a 2-litre inline-4 turbocharged engine that makes 306hp and hits the 100kmh mark in 5.1 seconds. ST PHOTOS: ONG WEE JIN
The John Cooper Works Countryman sports a 2-litre inline-4 turbocharged engine that makes 306hp and hits the 100kmh mark in 5.1 seconds.
The John Cooper Works Countryman sports a 2-litre inline-4 turbocharged engine that makes 306hp and hits the 100kmh mark in 5.1 seconds. ST PHOTOS: ONG WEE JIN
The John Cooper Works Countryman sports a 2-litre inline-4 turbocharged engine that makes 306hp and hits the 100kmh mark in 5.1 seconds.
The John Cooper Works Countryman sports a 2-litre inline-4 turbocharged engine that makes 306hp and hits the 100kmh mark in 5.1 seconds. ST PHOTOS: ONG WEE JIN
The John Cooper Works Countryman sports a 2-litre inline-4 turbocharged engine that makes 306hp and hits the 100kmh mark in 5.1 seconds.
The John Cooper Works Countryman sports a 2-litre inline-4 turbocharged engine that makes 306hp and hits the 100kmh mark in 5.1 seconds. ST PHOTOS: ONG WEE JIN
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If 231hp makes a Mini sizzle, what would 306hp do? Well, as it turns out, it makes it a rock star.

The new John Cooper Works Countryman is the first to sport a 2-litre turbo tuned up to breach the three-century mark. It is the most powerful engine Mini has employed for a production model, surpassing the previous JCW engines by 32 per cent.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on February 22, 2020, with the headline John Cooper Works Countryman: A Mini with maximum power. Subscribe