Performance-focused John Cooper Works (JCW) models will soon join Mini’s Cooper Electric and Aceman ranges, these being Mini’s first ever all-electric performance cars.
Called the Mini John Cooper Works Electric and Mini John Cooper Works Aceman, these models differ from their standard counterparts thanks to “racing-inspired” interior and exterior touches and more powerful electric powertrains.
Both models are powered by a 54kWh battery and 258hp electric motor pairing. For the JCW Electric, this translates to a 0-62mph sprint time of 5.9 seconds – eight tenths of a second quicker than the 218hp Cooper SE in the standard range that uses the same battery – and a range of 251 miles.
The heavier JCW Aceman can complete the same sprint in 6.4 seconds and can muster up to 243 miles on a single charge. Both cars have their top speed electronically capped at 124mph, and both are compatible with rapid DC charging speeds of up to 95kW, with a 10% to 80% battery top up taking less than 30 minutes.
The JCW Electric has a very familiar two-tone exterior design, with red racing stripes and a red roof contrasting the black bodywork. Another JCW specialty, the hot hatch also comes with a more prominent rear spoiler and a sportier 18-inch alloy wheel design (with red brake callipers), both of which Mini says improve the car’s aerodynamics.
The black and red colour scheme continues inside on the knitted surface of the dashboard and the synthetic leather seats. The JCW Electric comes with the same circular OLED infotainment screen as the standard Cooper.
The JCW Aceman also gets a two-tone exterior finish, this time contrasting red with green. Over the standard Aceman, the high-performance crossover has red inserts either side of the front bumper, an alternate aerodynamically-optimised 19-inch alloy wheels, and a large spoiler that frames the rear window.
The new JCW Electric and JCW Aceman will become available to order in the UK this month. Pricing for the hot hatch starts at above £38k – £8k more than the entry-level Mini Cooper – while the JCW Aceman will cost over £40k.
In addition to these electric JCW models, a new petrol-powered version of the JCW hatchback is also expected to be announced before the end of the year.