The new Mini John Cooper Works is the firm’s hottest electric hatch
Mini’s new John Cooper Works E will join the electric hot hatch fold later this year, and this is our first look at the production model
A new pair of hot Mini John Cooper Works models is debuting at the Paris Motor Show in 2024 and right on cue, the only supercharger in sight will be the one you’re plugging them into, not one to be found under the bonnet. For these new hot Minis are all electric. We’ve already had a taste of what the future holds for hot Minis with the 215bhp Mini Cooper SE, and this is what comes next.
The electric Minis to get the JCW treatment include the new Mini Cooper SE hatch and the all-new Mini Aceman, with both getting motors good for up to 254bhp when John Cooper Works mode is activated, or 227bhp as standard, with 250lb ft of torque.
> 2025 Mini John Cooper Works gets design tweaks but no more power
That means (when using the boosted JCW mode) the Mini John Cooper Works Electric and Mini John Cooper Works Aceman will get from 0-62mph in a respective 5.9sec and 6.4sec.
For reference, the JCW Mini Electric beats the old petrol JCW’s 6.1sec time and is quicker than the new Alpine A290, which has 217bhp and hits 62mph in 6.7 seconds. The top speed of the new cars is a little short by comparison to the old petrol car, managing just 124mph. They’re quicker than the Alpine though, which tops out at 99mph.
The electric range on the WLTP cycle is 251miles for the hatch and 243 miles for the Aceman – both marginally better than the Alpine, which targets 234 miles. Both are fed by a 54.2kWh battery. Charging is at up to 95kW on a DC charger, allowing for a 10 to 80 per cent top up in under 30 minutes.
Nevermind the boring stuff, though. What makes these Minis JCWs in terms of their handling? Each get JCW-specific suspension settings, as well as (unspecified) performance tyres. There aren’t more details than that to go off but the JCWs certainly look like they ride lower, while there’s likely a JCW Mode specific adaptive damper setting.
There’s more aggressive aero on these JCW Minis too, with even the standard 18-inch and 19-inch wheels for the Cooper JCW Electric and Aceman JCW also being optimised for airflow management. It’s the Cooper JCW hatch that gets the more aggressive GP-esque rear wing. JCW models are also marked out by their standard Chili red brake calipers and roof.
On the inside, it’s typical Mini JCW. That’s to say bristling with personality and aggressive JCW detailing, with the black and red JCW colour theme appearing on the knitted surface of the dashboard. There are accents on the seats too, while the headlining lighting is a JCW exclusive. Present and correct is a 24cm circular OLED display and Mini’s latest (and overly chunky) steering wheel.
The Mini experience modes from other models carry over, including Timeless and Go Kart. ‘Wahoo!’ – those who have driven a new Mini and put it in Go Kart Mode will get that reference and depending on how they feel about it, giggle, or angrily close the tab…
The new Mini John Cooper Works Electric and John Cooper Works Aceman will start from £38,420 and £40,220 respectively and are available to order this month. Deliveries are set to begin from April 2025. We’ll line one up alongside the new Alpine A290 for an electric hot hatch showdown before too long…
