We took the new Mini John Cooper Works for a first test drive. Here’s how it went.
The Mini John Cooper Works is one of those cars that, while maintaining a style that’s always understated and typically tied to the brand’s tradition , manages to amaze once you sit behind the wheel, offering a distinctive go-kart feeling. The new version has arrived and is intended to prove the British manufacturer’s purists wrong about the mixed reviews of the previous F56, bringing several aesthetic and functional changes and reintroducing driving dynamics that remain enviable for the segment. We had the opportunity to test it near Lake Iseo, trying to grasp all its strengths, despite the heavy traffic and roads not really suited to its potential.
- TECHNICAL DATA SHEET
- EXTERIOR DESIGN
- INTERIORS
- ROAD TEST
- PRICE
TECHNICAL DATA SHEET of Mini John Cooper
TECHNIQUE of Mini John Cooper:
ENGINE: 2.0 Turbo petrol, 4 cylinders
POWER: 231 HP (170 kW)
TORQUE: 380 Nm
TRACTION: Front
TRANSMISSION: 7-speed dual-clutch automatic
DIMENSIONS of Mini John Cooper:
LENGTH: 3.876 mm
WIDTH: 1,744 mm
HEIGHT: 1,452 mm
WHEELBASE: 2,495 mm
WHEELS: 17″
TIRES: 215/45 R17
WEIGHT: 1,330 kg
TANK: 44 liters
BOOT: 210–725 liters
PERFORMANCES:
MAXIMUM SPEED: 250 km/h
ACCELERATION: 0-100 km/h in 6.1 seconds
CO₂ EMISSIONS: 147 – 154 g/km
CONSUMPTION: 6.5 – 6.8 l/100 km
PRICE: starting from €39,900
EXTERIOR DESIGN of Mini John Cooper
As soon as you look at it, it’s clear that this is no ordinary Mini. The John Cooper Works (JCW) version immediately strikes with its bold and determined presence: the front is dominated by a huge black grille, embellished with the JCW badge with its iconic three-color scheme, and flanked by sharply cut air intakes, leaving no room for doubt as to its sporty intentions. The rear continues the sporty style: a sporty diffuser, a central single exhaust pipe, and an aerodynamic spoiler complete the unmistakable design. The LED headlights with horizontal daytime running lights, designed in typical JCW style, add a high-tech touch, while the optional decorative strips on the hood and the two-tone paintwork offer plenty of scope for customization as standard.
Its compact size remains one of its main strengths: with a length of less than 3.9 meters and a width of less than 1.75 meters, it allows you to move with agility in urban environments and dance around the curves when heading for a mountain pass, for example. Its low weight of 1,330 kg helps it in this dance, but be careful not to bring too many backpacks for the trip because the trunk has a minimum capacity of 210 liters, expandable to 725 by folding down the second row of seats.
INTERIORS
As soon as you step inside, you immediately understand: it’s a Mini, but with an even faster heartbeat. The atmosphere is certainly characteristic of the brand, made up of iconic details and vintage references, but here the sportiness of John Cooper Works is palpable in every corner.
The interior design is a well-balanced mix of retro charm and modern technology: classic toggle switches, a mechanical-style ignition rotor, and a large central speedometer reminiscent of the Minis of the past, now reinterpreted in a hi-tech key.
JCW details are scattered throughout, from the backlit fabrics to the racing-style inserts. The three-spoke steering wheel, with quilted covering, exudes a high level of craftsmanship but, as is now the tradition with the BMW Group, is a bit too bulky , which can sometimes ruin the feedback of the very precise steering.
The seats are sporty and well-shaped , offering good support and also proving to be quite comfortable. At the center of the dashboard is the new circular OLED display, which integrates vibrant colors, dynamic animations and a rather cutting-edge layout. However, not everything is extremely functional; in fact, the multimedia interface can be unintuitive and quite distracting, especially while driving. Even the head-up display has some limitations, as it is compromised and not very visible due to the steeply raked windshield.
ROAD TEST
Only when you sit in the driver’s seat can you truly appreciate what this JCW F66 has to offer: under the hood remains the familiar 2.0 Twin Power turbo 4-cylinder petrol engine capable of developing a power output of 231 hp and maximum torque now reaches 380 Nm (up from the previous 360 Nm), available between 1,500 and 4,000 rpm. The gearbox has also been modified, becoming a 7-speed dual-clutch that boasts great fluidity in response and selection. Performance places it in the compact sports segment, with its 0 to 100 km/h sprint time of 6.1 seconds and a top speed of 250 km/h.
If the previous generation was much criticized for having lost the much-celebrated “go-kart feeling,” this new version returns to prove them wrong: it delivers appreciable driving dynamics, always manageable and fun, allowing you to not compromise on anything. It should be emphasized that if you are looking for a raw, rugged and pure Mini, perhaps the F66 is not for you, as this car has been equipped with many technologies that make it even more “connected.”
It certainly does not express the best it has to offer when seeking maximum speed, but when you decide to take it around the bends, it reveals its true potential. This JCW gave me the impression of wanting to dance between the bends because, thanks to very precise and direct steering and an ability to always remain composed during load transfers, it always manages to guarantee a surprisingly expected feeling . It is a shame, however, as anticipated, that the very thick steering wheel rim sometimes ruins such a precise feeling.
The ride is stiff and low, and while it can be a bit of a nuisance in the city, when you want to push this Mini, it really comes into its own, giving the driver a feeling of extreme grip on the road with a racing feel. The oversized braking system works well, proving precise and adequate for the car’s exuberance, and the pedal allows you to fully appreciate what it has to offer.
The accelerator response is very good, always prompt and decisive, although I noticed that, rather than slamming down on the accelerator pedal, it’s much more pleasant to apply progressive and linear pressure to fully enjoy the available power. I would have appreciated a better sound, which would have significantly enhanced the sporty driving sensation once the accelerator pedal was pressed. As always, during a first test drive, I don’t feel like discussing the ADAS functionality and their calibration because it would be quite superfluous, just as I find it quite pointless to discuss fuel consumption, data that we will soon explore in more detail in a future test drive.
Price
The new Mini John Cooper Works is available starting from €39,900, a price that is certainly not insignificant but in line with the technical content it has to offer, while the price rises to €43,900 for the Cabrio variant, which maintains the same characteristics but adds the touch of open-air driving.