The Mini John Cooper Works gets a Version 2 facelift in what could be the Mini four-cylinder turbo engine’s last hurrah

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SINGAPORE

A complete rollout of the twice-facelifted Mini lineup took place earlier this year, and we’ve already reviewed the 2021 versions of the Mini Cooper S Convertible, Mini One, and Mini Cooper SE. Of course the super hot shot version of the Mini isn’t about to get left out, so here’s the face of the 2021 Mini John Cooper Works, in 3-door hot hatch form.

If you’ve always thought that all Minis kind of look the same anyway you’re not alone, as their styling has always maintained a sense of continuity between generations and variants. But the John Cooper Works, or JCW, version of the Mini has always been a very special car. It’s the quickest, dartiest of all Minis, and car enthusiasts know of it as a genuinely entertaining sports car. It’s still not the fastest series production Mini though, as that honour goes to the very limited edition Mini John Cooper Works GP that was last spotted here in mid-2020. 

The updates are mainly cosmetic, with more framing components around the front end of the car and gaping air intakes on each side just ahead of the front wheels. In the car, an updated infotainment system brings it right up to spec with the other Minis. It’s touchscreen enabled and operates very much like a smartphone, but the small car interior means that the main command cluster is set behind the gear lever, very far from the screen itself.

The BMW-sourced, four-cylinder turbo engine of the 2021 JCW is carried over from the first facelift version, and the power output remains pretty much the same, as does the car’s punchy, lively character. An eight-speed automatic gearbox sends drive to the front wheels. While a 0 to 100km/h sprint time of 6.1 seconds seems pedestrian in this age of 5-second plus electric runabouts, It’s realistically about as quickly as a front-wheel drive production sports car can safely go without totally shredding its tyres. Even the current Volkswagen Golf GTI manages the sprint in 6.4 seconds, and it has 14 horsepower more than the Mini JCW.  

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The interior gets supportive JCW sports seats lined with alcantara for a suitably sporty look, but we found that they don’t ventilate or shed heat well. An afternoon drive on a hot day will leave you with a sweaty back, even if the air conditioning is already freezing your face. Sepang track days in this car in our tropical climate will be a sweatier experience than normal. Headroom in the back seats are fine, but it’s the legroom that will be an issue if the front seat occupants are tall people. 

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As expected it’s the most stiffly sprung Mini in the range. Drivers with bad backs need not apply, but car enthusiasts will recognise the feel of a keenly tuned sports car. Turn-in is sharp and incisive, the car holds a very stable line in corners, and accelerates with gusto out of them. The heads-up display isn’t very big but displays the tachometer and selected gear in sport mode, so you don’t even have to look down at the instruments when the going gets really quick.

There are two engine drive modes to flip between, but the suspension is a fixed system that does not have selectable damping, which in this case may be a good thing as that’s one less component that can go wrong in ownership. For a less choppy ride, the Mini Cooper S isn’t a bad choice either.

This version of the Mini JCW may well be the last of the breed as it has been announced that Mini will eventually transition to an all-electric brand in the near future. If you have in excess of S$200k to spend on a car, and fast little sports cars with turbo engines are still your thing, then this still delivers the thrills. That is as long as you don’t need to worry about space for a big family.

Mini John Cooper Works 3-Door

Engine	1,998cc, in-line four, turbocharged
Power	231hp at 5200-6200rpm
Torque	320Nm at 1450-4800rpm
Gearbox	8-speed automatic
0-100km/h	6.1 seconds
Top Speed	246km/h
Fuel Efficiency	6.4L/100km
VES Band	B / neutral
Agent	Eurokars Mini Habitat
Price	S$230,888 with COE
Availability	Now
Verdict	Still a seriously fun and darty front-wheel drive sports car, but interior styling is starting to feel dated despite updates