Fourth-Gen MINI John Cooper Works Debuts with No Manual Option

The fourth-gen MINI John Cooper Works debuts with no stick-shift option and a 228 HP-rated turbocharged inline-4.

MINI has completed the lineup for its fourth-gen MINI hatch lineup as the automaker unveils the new MINI John Cooper Works and JCW Convertible. These new JCW-badged hatches offer petrolheads a combustion-powered alternative to the new JCW Electric hatch, although some of them may find them to be less fun than their previous iterations.

For starters, both the JCW hatch and JCW convertible share the same 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbocharged engine that is now rated at 228 HP and 380 NM, making them about 60 NM peppier than their previous versions. However, the new JCW is no longer offered with a stick-shift option, as the inline-4 mill is only offered alongside a 7-speed DCT automatic gearbox, which is the same unit used on both the MINI Cooper C and Cooper S.

Despite the torque boost, the new JCW hatch still holds the same century sprint time finish of 6.1 seconds as its predecessor. This is partly due to the extra 35 KG heft that the new JCW hatch carries over the ongoing model, as it tips the scale at 1,330 KG. Compared to its electric twin, the new JCW hatch is still 0.2 seconds slower on the straight line.

On the design front, the new JCW hatch is almost indistinguishable from its electric twin, as it gets the same JCW treatment that features tons of sporty additions and performance parts. Key highlights include the striking two-tone red and black livery, an aggressive front bumper with extra air inlets and a more opened front grille design, a more prominent rear end featuring a JCW-badged rear spoiler and a centre-mounted tailpipe, as well as 17- and 18-inch alloy wheels with JCW-specific design.

The JCW convertible, on the other hand, gets the same JCW treatment as its fixed-roof counterpart, albeit missing both the red-hued hard top and the JCW rear spoiler, as it opts for a Union Jack-pattern soft-top convertible roof itself. According to MINI, this soft-top roof on the JCW convertible can be retracted in about 18 seconds at speeds of up to 30 KM/H.

On board, both the JCW hatch and JCW convertible carry over most of their tech bits from the existing MINI Cooper S, which includes the 9.4-inch OLED circular infotainment display, the Harman Kardon premium audio system, and many more. And just like their exterior, the innards for both these cars have also been decked in the same red-black colourways which can be seen on the sporty front seats, the three-spoke steering wheel, and the front dash.

Deliveries for both the all-new MINI JCW hatch and JCW convertible are slated to begin later next year, with pre-registration prices set at £31,200 (RM175,820) for the hatch and £35,200 (RM198,361) for the convertible in its native UK market. Should MINI keep its promises to go all-electric by the end of this decade, then these two models might be the last examples of ICE-powered JCW models ever to roll out of the marque’s Oxford plant.