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By Jonathan Crouch

The F56 MINI John Cooper Works 3-Door hatch delivers a maxi-sized helping of potency. Jonathan Crouch reports.

Ten Second Reviewword count: 49

The improved MINI John Cooper Works hot hatch gets a slightly sharper look and extra equipment. As before, it delivers a potent 231hp output. In addition, there's a chassis that has been forensically fettled, lots of the JCW good stuff inside and a price tag that's far from unreasonable.

Backgroundword count: 140

It's not often that a car manufacturer allows you to buy one of its most powerful engines in its smallest car, so when the stars align in just such a fashion, it's time to sit up and take notice. That's exactly what MINI is offering in its John Cooper Works three-door hatchback and anything with the JCW badge attached to it tends to be a wild ride. So, if you've grown a bit weary of hatches that have piled on the weight and which, as a result, need around 300hp to put a smile on your dial, you might want to have a look at what the MINI JCW offers - especially in this recently revised form. It's a very beguiling blend of rawness and refinement that isn't even particularly expensive when viewed in the context of its key rivals.

Driving Experienceword count: 201

Against the clock, the latest JCW's 2.0-litre 231hp turbo four punts it to 62mph in just 6.1 seconds with the now-mandatory 7-speed Steptronic auto 'box to do the gear changing. Flat out it'll hit 153mph. In a MINI. We'll let that number sink in for a moment. A key change with this revised model is the new option of adapative damping, a useful box to tick if the car will be used for commuting duties as well as performance driving. The suspension and the electromechanical power steering have been tuned to allow drivers to exploit the JCW's extra power and torque, and there are some fantastic four-piston Brembo brakes within 17-inch JCW alloy wheels although practically every owner is going to option in the JCW 18-inch alloys. Dynamic Stability Control (DSC), Dynamic Traction Control (DTC), Electronic Differential Lock Control (EDLC) and Performance Control allow drivers of all abilities to get thrills without too much white-knuckling. Dynamic Damper Control adjusts both rebound and compression settings in the dampers and is an option that you might want to tick if your route to work takes in a variety of surfaces and you'd prefer to be able to switch between Comfort and Sport modes.

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