Mini Cooper SE JCW unveiled with more hype than horsepower

06 December 2023

Mini's latest offering, the Mini Cooper SE JCW, may have a sporty look, but it's nothing more than a sheep in wolf's clothing. The hype surrounding this new release may have you thinking it's a powerhouse, but the reality is quite different. Once you strip away the marketing gloss and take a closer look at what the “new” Mini has to offer, you may be left looking elsewhere for driving fun.

First, the numbers: boasting 218 horsepower and 330 Newton meters of torque, the Mini Cooper SE JCW can sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in 6.7 seconds. Certainly decent, but it's no different from the standard Mini SE. That's right - the only changes are cosmetic. It's like putting lipstick on a pig and calling it a supermodel.

John Cooper Works (JCW) has a rich history of delivering high-performance vehicles. In fact, having a JCW badge on a Mini always meant the driver was the proud owner of a missile wrapped up in a car’s body. But this time, Mini slapped the JCW badge on a car that's barely different from a standard model.

Sure, the Mini Cooper SE with the JCW sticker (or as Mini likes to call it - JCW Trim) comes with a few cosmetic tweaks. It sports a new bumper, new colors, and some fancy trim inside. But these are superficial changes that don't transform this car into a true performance beast. The JCW legacy deserves better than this.

But, if you're still willing to give it a chance, here are some specifics: the Mini Cooper SE JCW Trim features 18-inch wheels in Lap Spoke 2-tone design, JCW brake calipers in red, and bonnet stripes to emphasize its "sporty character." The front and rear sport diffusers, high-gloss black radiator grille surround, and Chilli Red mirror caps are all there to tick the "sporty" box.

Inside, you'll find JCW-themed seats with synthetic leather and red stitching, along with multi-colored knitted material. The black and red color scheme continues on the dashboard and door coverings, adorned with the JCW-specific pattern in the style of a checkered flag.

The central OLED comes with a John Cooper Works-inspired GO-KART Mode, which sounds cool until you realize it's just a fancy name for some visual adjustments.

But let's not lose sight of the bigger picture here. JCW has a reputation for delivering pocket rockets, and its badge used to mean something. Now, it's been slapped onto a car that's essentially a dressed-up version of its standard EV. The new Mini Cooper SE in JCW Trim may look the part, but it's a far cry from the powerhouse that JCW enthusiasts would expect.

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