Audi S3 Sportback versus Mini JCW Clubman GP inspired Edition. On paper it's great. Two premium sports compacts with a sharp mind, a sha...
Audi S3 Sportback versus Mini JCW Clubman GP inspired Edition. On paper it's great. Two premium sports compacts with a sharp mind, a sharp eye and inspired "fun". A very different sporting philosophy but with high performance. And in practice? It's also top, we expected nothing less from these two bombshells which perfectly represent the identity of their respective brands. There's a lot of know-how. Making their compact sports cars exclusive, excessive, endearing, even provocative, providing real driving pleasure, that's how top-of-the-range manufacturers, generally German, defend their image. This is where the result is achieved.
Opposite spirit and look
So we wanted to oppose two very strong heads, two representatives of a certain idea of sportsmanship at both Audi and Mini. On the one hand, the S3 Sportback is a reference of its kind in this very popular segment. It is the 4th generation of a line that appeared in 1999, which has won the hearts of a population, not always well-off but passionate, and thanks to it, it has gained access to sportiness at Audi.
On the other hand, a special Mini Clubman, a very exclusive limited series whose personalization is an integral part of the package. A Mini Clubman that says a lot about its intentions.
Long? As long as its patronymic! "Mini Clubman JCW ALL4 GP inspired Edition "... Once read or said, you wonder if you didn't forget some on the way !! This limited series of 299 units worldwide is nothing more or less than a John Cooper Works, the Motorsport of the Mini manufacturer, with 306 hp and four-wheel drive, whose fittings and equipment, judiciously marked, are inspired by the very swift "Mini GP" version.
As a reminder, the GP, as its name indicates, is a sulfurous two-seater Mini Hatch which plays in a very "competition" category, with its puffy wings and its big wing... Because if, here, the Clubman benefits from an all-wheel drive, just to make sure that all the power is transmitted, the very nervous GP doesn't have any.
The JCW Clubman remains a chic and sporty station wagon without any real additional technical transformation. No roll bars for example. It respects the color codes of the GP, it has some nice stickers, a little bit of false carbon here and there, some "covering", some well brought baton touches. It's well "inspired", but it costs 9900 euros per option! Paf. That's Mini, the queen of personalization, who has understood how to make money. Fun, young, but rich.
On the other hand, the Audi S3, which comes in two variants, 4 or 5-door, sedan or Sportback, is the sporty version of a sedan. The new A3. Undoubtedly more serious than its competitor, the S3 modernizes its style with a more aggressive front end. It fits perfectly into the Audi tradition, where sportiness is undoubtedly a little less exuberant, but don't forget to show it off.
The "Sportback" version, without ostentation, declines its pedigree rather subtly: a rather devastating look, very sharp and marked by its wide single-frame honeycomb grille and surmounted by an open worked bonnet, like the A1, and plunging, S5 style. Its horizontal optics can now be fitted with "matrix LED" technology. The black side skirts enrich its personality. And its double exhaust outlets are well integrated by a four-blade diffuser. The chassis is 15mm lower to respect sportiness.
Very disparate interiors
The Mini Clubman, which, by the way, has the largest boot, with 360 liters, 50 liters more than its rival, respects the So British tradition that we love so much. Let's not forget that it is nevertheless a German car, BMW group since 2000...
But the English authenticity is well respected. We enjoy life on board, she enthuses her guests, makes them smile too, because the slightest touch of instrumentation remains playful, the ergonomics, appreciable, the atmosphere, colorful, but above all the interior of this bombo is treated with great care. You don't always have to go into the menus, which are sometimes complicated to handle, but the infotainment, connectivity, and so on, allow you to take to the road with a certain serenity. The alcantara steering wheel (really sporty) and the paddle shifters give it a lot of character.
The Audi S3 is more sober, even if the sportiness has undeniably entered the cabin... It's serious and we're less surprised. It's serious and we're less surprised. We smile less, too. Maybe it's just a matter of getting used to it?
But the environment reminds us that Audi remains a reference in terms of well-being and use. Simplicity of the menus, "high tech" technological environment and superb intuitiveness.
The superimposition of layers of materials, rather modern, for the treatment of the dashboard is well done but there is, all the same, a feeling that the perceived quality has declined. A fight against weight? Some assemblies are not always in tune... To be checked. Nevertheless, the level remains top of the range. Let's be a little more demanding for cars that cost more than $50,000
Let's roll, let's abuse, the performances are there!
In the gorges of Daluis, in the hinterland of Nice, the roads are particularly well adapted to their use... With its proven Quattro, the Audi S3 Sportback, like the trunk variant, has a 2.0-litre 4-cylinder TFSI engine developing 310 bhp. This is combined with a 7-speed S Tronic transmission. The Mini Clubman GP is also generous in effort, as we said, with only 4 small horses less (306 hp). It is also equipped with a 2.0-litre 4-cylinder engine with a torque of 50Nm more than the Audi, i.e. 450Nm in total. But the car is heavier, so it compensates.
Flawless sportiness for the Audi S3
The Audi S3 is a little aseptic, but ultra-efficient, and it plays (almost) anything. Without any unpleasant surprises, particularly light and agile to drive, it offers good sensations at high speeds. The sporty Ingolstadt sports car gives a real sense of sportiness with the character you want from this kind of compact... efficiency. However, the engine is a little far away in sound. You have to apply the "dynamic" mode to get a semblance of character, which is funnily close to the mythical "home-made" 5-cylinder.
It is powerful: The results prove it. 4.8s on 0 to 100 km/h, a tenth better than the Mini, 250 km/h... the 2.0 liter turbo is alert and distributes its power to all four wheels in a non-permanent way. The good old "Haldex" system which, thanks to its electronics, feeds the transverse engine models. Naturally traction, the Quattro distributes power to the rear wheels if needed. You're never at fault, and more comfortable than in the Mini.
Mini Maxi, the little one with a dog
So it's true that a Mini is generally rather "funny" to drive... But this one is even crazier. It gives you a lot of money, it gives you money for your wallet and it's worth getting to know. It's perhaps the most surprising of the two. Even if at times, I'm not a fan of the overhang, which is a bit long to ensure precision, and of the "piece of wood" tyres that sportiness always imposes.
It's steep. And its firmness sometimes hinders the sensations. Its heaviness can be a handicap. But here it is, vigorous without being out of breath, the little one has temperament, the engine and gearbox work in unison, it grows all the time, it's full of life, with energy and sensations. Its chassis is quite dynamic, especially in "sport" mode in a "karting" spirit: this allows the steering wheel to better understand the road, to be one with the machine. The gearbox is reactive and the exhaust offers you the musicality of a car with character.
It's a success, all the more so because, as a guarantee of safety and efficiency, 4-wheel drive is essential for good traction distribution. No front wheel steering effect that would be complicated to use.
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