The 231bhp Petrol Mini JCW Is Here To Keep Purists Happy

You! Yes, you. Did you immediately take to your keyboard to voice your displeasure when the first ever all-electric John Cooper Works Mini was unveiled last week? If so, there’s good news: it’s pretty quickly been joined at the top of the new Cooper range by a petrol-powered Mini JCW, which ought to keep you happy. Well, for the most part.

The new petrol JCW is currently available as both a hatch and a Convertible, and packs the same 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder as the latest Cooper S. Power, though, is lifted from 201 to 231bhp (or, oddly, 228bhp in the Convertible), while torque is up from 221 to 280lb ft.

This is sent through the front wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox, and if you were banking on the hardest, most driver-focused version of the new Mini marking the return of the good old-fashioned manual, you’re out of luck.

Still, it’s a properly quick little thing. 62mph takes 6.1 seconds for the hatch and 6.4 for the Convertible. The hardtop’s max speed is a very Germanic 155mph, while the drop-top drops that to 152.

Styling-wise, there’s very little to differentiate it from the Cooper S equipped with the Sport trim package, but it has a new, much more visible central exhaust pipe, and some new wheel design – 17 inches as standard, with optional 18s.

Everything’s pretty familiar on the inside, too, with a mixture of funky materials and a stylish but clunky-to-use 24-inch 9.45-inch circular infotainment screen. The standard car’s suite of interior ‘Experience Modes’ gains a new JCW-specific setting, which provides information about power and torque usage, temperatures and peak G.

There’s no mention of any changes to the car’s suspension hardware, but the basic Cooper S is already a very well-sorted car in the handling department, and an extra 30bhp should be no problem at all.

Available to order now, you’ll need to find at least £31,200 for a new JCW hatch, and add exactly £4000 to that for the Convertible.