MINI has given the John Cooper Works version of the Clubman a mild makeover - and a massive power hike! Massimo Pini has driven it.

The very best Premier League (professional) footballers occasionally face the dilemma of choosing between club and country when they are called up for international duty while in the midst of a crucial League campaign or cup run with fixtures piling up - and it’s a similarly difficult choice of club or country for MINI buyers who need a bit more space. Well, to be precise, it’s actually ‘Clubman’ or ‘Countryman’ - and now to make that choice a little bit harder still, MINI has spruced up the Clubman, boosted the John Cooper Works version to pump out over 300 horsepower!

So why should you choose the estate-style Clubman over the SUV Countryman? Well for starters, the latter is assembled in Austria while the former is still British-built (at the Cowley plant in Oxfordshire) so it’s definitely the one to go for if you’re feeling especially patriotic. And, if that’s your thing then you’re probably going to love the new Union Jack (Flag) style rear lights. These are probably the standout features amongst a list of physical changes which include a new front grille which is larger than before and features a honeycomb style on the JCW version, LED headlights are standard with a full ring on the foglight; A range of new paint finishes including green red and black plus new door mirror profiles and new interior trim.

The Clubman currently accounts for 12% of all MINIs sold, so it’s already a popular choice but in this latest JCW form, it’s now been fully weaponised! Power is up by almost a third over the previous version with the new car delivering 306 hp and 450 Nm of torque from its 2-litre four-cylinder turbocharged engine. Unsurprisingly, this has had a dramatic impact on performance - the 0 to 62 mph sprint is down by 1.4 seconds to less than five seconds and top speed is up from 148- to a limited maximum of 155 mph - making it the fastest and most powerful production MINI ever!

To handle all that extra oomph, the Clubman JCW receives various upgrades including a new eight-speed automatic gearbox and all-wheel-drive with a mechanical locking differential at the front and an electronic diff at the rear, allowing up to half of the torque to be sent to the rear wheels, depending on conditions. There are uniquely tuned front camber settings, springs and dampers along with a stiffer, reinforced body which makes it a bit more ‘pointy’ than before while a new exhaust system makes it noisier - so prepare to fall out with your neighbours!

Out on the open road, the power hike is certainly apparent. The gearbox is not the most responsive, but once a cog is selected, the turbo-four reacts urgently to the accelerator pedal, spinning up eye-wateringly quickly towards the red line. 

But hitting the rev limiter isn’t what this car’s about. Despite the near supercar levels of acceleration on offer, the Clubman JCW responds best to smoother driver inputs; easing into corners and finding a rhythm, rather than chucking it in and relying on the chassis and grippy Michelin 225/40 ZR18s (a 19-inch wheel/tyre option is also available), is far more rewarding. This is a fairly heavy car (tipping the scales at 1550kg) and you can feel that heft on the move; even though the ride is on the firm side, the go-kart-like handling of smaller MINIs is absent.

Inside, the John Cooper Works features sports seats with contrasting red stitching and black headlining. There’s a quality feel throughout, from the fascia materials to the satisfying action of the buttons in the centre console.

Prices starting from £34,250 are competitive when viewed alongside the VW Golf R and the Mercedes-AMG A 35 which boast similar power and performance. The Golf may win the space race and the Merc is a livelier proposition but the MINI outflanks both in terms of character and charm - there’s simply more fun to be had in the Clubman.

The JCW offers a unique package in being a compact family car with super hot-hatch performance, estate-car looks and those quirky, van-like doors that provide access to its 360-litre boot. If the driving experience is paramount in your purchasing decisions, then you might be better off looking elsewhere, but if character counts for more, then the MINI Clubman John Cooper Works has that in abundance!

Model tested: MINI Clubman John Cooper Works ALL4

OTR price: From £34,250

OTR price including options fitted to test car: £37,425

Fuel type: Petrol

Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbocharged

Power: 306 hp

Torque: 450 Nm

Transmission: Eight-speed automatic, four-wheel drive

Top speed: 155 mph (limited)

0-62mph: 4.9 seconds

Economy: 38.2 mpg

CO2 emissions: 169 g/km