Leading up to the debut of the 2011 MINI we’ve been dropping hints that the revised JCW will be both a little dissapointing and a surprising at the same time. Last week with the official release it became clear that MINI’s intent was to make the JCW more unique while keeping the price relatively untouched. By untouched we mean a price increase of no more than a few hundred dollars over the 2011 JCW. The biggest visual change is the optional Chili red roof and mirrors that coordinate rather well with with the new black and red bonnet stripes. However as expected MINI will only allow the roof with these approved exterior colors: * BRG II * Pepper White * White Silver * Midnight Black * Eclipse Grey But what about the new standard and optional equippment? Here’s the list: * Gray faces gauges standard * Chili Red interior surface available at no charge * Available contrasting Chili Red roof and mirror caps for approved body colors (option 3A3) * Available Black Bonnet stripes with red outline ($100) * Black wheel option for the Challenge Spoke wheel (option 2RV – no cost) * Black Lounge Leather with red piping (as in the WC50 car) * Checkered Black Cloth seats with red stitching (exclusive) * Alternate wheel choice for the R56 and R55 is the 17” Infinite Stream (Silver or White) * Alternate wheel choice for the R57 is still the 17” Black Bullet Spoke Now here’s what doesn’t come on the car: * JCW Aerokit as standard (you must still have it installed at the port via the dealer) * Factory “MINI” aerokit is not available (more on this later) * Black headlight housing – biggest miss of the new JCW – this should be a JCW exclusive in our minds * Upgrades to the engine – MINI didn’t want to spend money on the engine due to needing more of a substancial upgrade to keep it in compliance with EU5 standards. In all it’s a nice upgrade that is perhaps only (slightly) overshadowed by the new 181 HP Cooper S. We think MINI did a decent job of creating JCW exclusive options but frankly didn’t go far enough.