I was kind of holding out for a Mini Cooper with the new BMW M4's twin-turbo 425 horsepower inline six, but that will continue to exist only in my dreams. In the meantime, meet the next generation of Mini John Cooper Works.
The official shots and specs on the car dropped online today ahead of its official unveiling at the Detroit Auto Show next month. The JCW is the hotted-up version of the all-new Mini that debuted earlier this year.
The new Mini is bigger than the one it replaces, but it's quite good and I happen to like it.
Unfortunately, I'm a bit disappointed in the specs of the JCW. Power comes from a 2.0-liter turbo four with 228 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque from a low, low 1,250 RPM. The zero to 60 mph run arrives in 6.1 seconds with the six-speed automatic or 6.3 seconds with a six-speed manual.
It's now the most powerful Mini ever made, and substantially juicier than the old JCW. But it's still only marginally quicker than the Cooper S I tested earlier this year, which had 189 horsepower and did zero to 60 mph in 6.4 seconds with an automatic. I have no doubt the JCW will feel quicker, but I was expecting a bit... more.
There's other tweaks though too, including a revised suspension, an electronic locking differential, Brembo brakes and optional adjustable dampers. There's also a revised front end and JCW badges to let people know what's up.
Not bad all around, but I'm hoping Mini will decide to get a little crazier at some point. The potential for more is definitely there.