THE WORKS (some text hidden) --NONE--

By Jonathan Crouch

The fieriest kind of MINI Hatch is this one, the John Cooper Works variant. Jonathan Crouch takes a look at the latest version.

Ten Second Reviewword count: 48

MINI has rejuvenated it's John Cooper Works hot hatch - and this time, there's an EV version too. The engineering hasn't changed much with the combustion model, but the cabin design and media system certainly have. For many people, this will still be the ultimate kind of MINI.

Backgroundword count: 142

Legendary British engineer John Cooper (1923-2000) never got to see his full name attached to a BMW-engineered MINI. Hot John Cooper Works variants are now an expected part of any new MINI model line, but it's the JCW version of the small 3-door Hatch that the great man would have most readily recognised. You wonder what he'd have thought of it in its latest form, where the John Cooper Works MINI Hatch can be had not only in combustion guise but also in full-electric form. The combustion version (also offered as a Convertible) carries forward much the same engine from the previous generation Hatch JCW. But the EV variant is a new departure for John Cooper Works MINI fans - the brand's entry into a hot hatch EV sector that's filling up nicely. Let's take a closer look at these JCW models.

Driving Experienceword count: 320

If you continue to want your MINI John Cooper Works with combustion power, you won't find too many changes with this F66 version compared to its F56 predecessor. So as before, it's the twin scroll turbocharged 2.0-litre in-line four cylinder engine from the Cooper S, which in the JCW develops 228hp (compared to 204hp in the Cooper S). As with all F66 MINI Hatch models, you now have to have it with 7-speed dual clutch paddle shift auto transmission. The 0-62mph time hasn't changed, still at 6.1s, which is actually an achievement because in F66 form, this JCW model weighs 35kg more, tipping the scales at 1,330kg. MINI upped torque by 60Nm to make sure performance wasn't affected by this. The JCW convertible is 40kg heavier than its predecessor and makes 62mph in 6.4s. If you want a MINI Hatch with a 0-62mph time beginning with a '5', you'll need the John Cooper Works Electric version, which has a 258hp electric motor pushing the car to 62mph in 5.9s. But of course that's much heavier, weighing 1,425kg, which isn't very MINI-like at all. That bulk is down to a mid-mounted 54.2kWh battery pack (49.2kWh usable) which could give a range of 251 miles if you were to drive this car in the kind of manner a typical owner hardly ever would. The full 258hp output by the way (43hp more than an ordinary Cooper Electric SE) along with 350Nm of torque, is only achievable for short periods via a selectable 'Electric Boost' function. Normal running sees the motor restricted to 227hp. Because power comes from just one front-mounted motor, that's some way short of dual motor rivals like the MG4 X-POWER or the smart #1 BRABUS. A closer match would be with other single motor hot hatch EV rivals like the CUPRA Born VZ or the Volkswagen ID.3 GTX. Neither of which will feel quite like this hot MINI does.

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