Detuned from the Countryman John Cooper Works, the hatch also eschews the manual gearbox, but adds a drop-top option not available with the electric powerplant.
Mini has seemingly completed its renewed line-up of electric and combustion engine Cooper products, the latest being the latter versions of the performance John Cooper Works (JCW) hatch and Cabriolet.
Debuting just over a week after the EV displayed in hatch form only, the petrol-powered JCW appears almost identical, apart from the grille no longer sealed and a single exhaust outlet jutting out from the middle of the diffuser.
Mounted on the same 18-inch alloy wheels as the EV with model specific 17-inches being optional, the petrol also retains the same JCW exterior as the EV with the Cabriolet’s roof opening and closing in 18 seconds at speeds up to 30 km/h.
Unlike the Cooper S, the JCW hatch will seemingly continue to be offered solely as a three-door with the Cabriolet likely to omit any the electric hardware entirely most likely as a result of weight associated with the battery pack and added body structure strengthening due to the roof’s removal.
Inside, the 9.4-inch OLED infotainment system also carries over, as does the knitted decorative inserts, synthetic leather sport seats with JCW branded headrests, red-and-black detailing and the Harman Kardon sound system no longer found on the options list.
Available with the optional Chili exterior package with the Cabriolet gaining a new model exclusive colour called Copper Grey, the JCW’s main difference is the presence of the familiar 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine underneath its bonnet.
Although uprated from the Cooper S, Mini has opted not to mirror the power outputs of the Countryman JCW, meaning outputs decrease from the latter’s 233kW/400Nm to 170kW/380Nm.
Paired exclusively to the seven-speed dual-clutch Steptronic gearbox, the John Cooper Works hatch will get from 0-100 km/h 6.1 seconds and hit a top speed of 250 km/h.
By comparison, the Cabriolet will complete the benchmark sprint in 6.4 seconds before hitting the electronic speed limiter at 245 km/h.
Not yet approved for South Africa
Produced at the Oxford Plant in the United Kingdom and not at the Zhangjiagang facility in China where all of the EV models are made as part of parent company BMW’s joint venture with Great Wall Motors (GWM), the JCW has reportedly already been stickered in the United States with a starting price of $38 200 (R670 742).
For the moment though, it remains unconfirmed for South Africa similar to the electric model.
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