2017 Mini John Cooper Works

This MINI John Cooper Works is an uncommonly well specified and maintained example of an iconic modern classic. First registered on the 9th of February 2017, its specification includes 17-inch JCW Track Spoke black alloy wheels, a black roof and mirror caps, a sports exhaust (which is Bluetooth controlled and no longer available…) and both alloy wheel and paint protection.

The interior features a front centre armrest, heated front seats, Parking Distance Control, and a Visual Boost radio. All-up, it set the vendor back £25,000 on the nose, a not inconsiderable sum even taking into account the £3,000 discount he received.

Never tracked and no longer available with this amount of torque and power, the exhaust is as anti-social as the gases it channels; the control unit for the dealer-fit system sits in a cupholder and you just double-click it to open up the straight through exhaust and again click it again to turn it off – and brilliantly, it automatically turns off in towns. This might have been a £2,500 indulgence but one that was worth every penny in our opinion.

Being offered with a recent MOT and a full service history, this is your chance to get your hands on a blue-blood modern classic for around half the price it would cost you new – even assuming you could still buy one with this power output, which you can’t….

We aren’t sure whether the outstanding condition of the Moonwalk Grey paintwork is due to the car’s modest age and mileage, a conscientious owner, or the ceramic coating (with its five-year guarantee). No matter what the cause, all we have to say about it is almost unmarked bar the odd minor stonechip and a slight scuff on the offside rear bumper.

Everything else is pretty much as per the factory – and because the vendor bought it new, he’s in a position to guarantee that it has never been crashed, thrashed, or tracked.

The 17-inch JCW Track Spoke black alloy wheels are all good bar the odd very minor scuff and they are shod with matching Pirelli P-Zero tyres.

As we will never tire of explaining, our experience shows that matching high-quality tyres are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly. Their presence does not, of course, preclude the need for a thorough inspection - something the vendor would welcome, by the way – but it does perhaps give you an insight into their attitude towards maintenance.

The overall impression is discreet but purposeful; with that understated grey coachwork and black wheel arches, wheels, door mirrors and roof, the only hint of flash comes via the badging, brake calipers, and red stripe on the grille. And the vast air intakes, obviously.

So, that’s it: short and sweet, we have nothing else to say about the exterior – but then that is the very best news possible if you’re thinking of bidding.

It’s much the same story inside. Beautifully appointed and practically unmarked, the Dinamica cloth seats are virtually like new. Very sporting and ultra-supportive, they’re as attractive as they are practical.

The rest of the interior has the usual John Cooper Works accoutrements, and there is even the odd flash of carbon trim in addition to the funky JCW bezel on the main instrument cluster.

We could waffle on about it for another couple of hundred words to bulk the advert out a bit but what would be the point? As you can see from the photos, it’s as per the factory specification and in exactly the sort of condition you would expect coming from a self-confessed fastidious owner.

In fact, aside from the need for a valet, the only fault we can see are some scuffs to the hard plastic trim on the boot lid and sill.

Oh, and while it comes with a tyre repair kit we have a spare rim and tyre should the new owner want it.

The servicing regimen is short but then that’s only to be expected given how new the car is and how few miles it has covered. Its one-and-only service came courtesy of Chandlers of Brighton on the 3rd of March 2018 at 7,793 miles.

The engine bay is clean and tidy, as is the underside – but then what else were you expecting? It also drives as it should and that £2,500, Bluetooth enabled exhaust is ridiculous - and ridiculously good fun. No longer available due to the noise the straight-through setting produces, few cars made us smile as widely as this, especially on the overrun when the system injects a small amount of fuel to provide the necessary pops and crackles…

Of course, the MINI’s somewhat terrier-like nature can be tamed using ‘Green’ mode or enhanced using ‘Sport’; this ability to tune its mood to suit yours is a very attractive trait.

Faults? Well, the tyre pressure light, which has come on. However, that’s easily reset and the extent of the mechanical problems we found.

The MINI’s MOT certificate, its first, is valid until March 2021 and was gained without a single advisory point.

It also still has its original owner’s handbook, stamped service history, book pack, and storage wallet plus two sets of keys, a period sales brochure and the original sales invoice.

The service invoice is shown, and the vendor tells us that it is also stored on the key fob and dashboard, too.

Please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing where you will find photos of this and other paperwork to support our claim that this car has been maintained to a very good standard.

If you’d like to inspect the car prior to placing a bid – something we would encourage – then please use the Contact Seller button to arrange an appointment.

Every MINI, no matter how humble its specification, provides a go-kart-like driving experience that few of its rivals come even close to equalling – and the JCW, with its 231bhp engine, is the pinnacle of the breed.

Better even than the JCW GP cars whose 300bhp makes them almost undriveable in normal use, we agree with the vendor who argues that this model’s power and torque output are so beautifully balanced that they are the “perfect” fast road MINI.

And, with a guide price of between £14,000 and £18,000, it’s not as if you’re spending a fortune either. Plus, cars like this are always in demand, so you might do surprisingly well in the medium-term now that someone else has taken the initial hit.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; to arrange an appointment please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.