MINI John Cooper Works Cooper 3-Door Review

Red accents on a MINI hint at a John Cooper Works (JCW) model - such as this 3-Door Cooper that I am driving this time round. And a JCW offers many reasons to get excited - power, handling and sound, these cars will give you the ultimate hot hatch experience.

Well, at least historically, that had always been the case. With the current generation, silent JCWs actually exist - I would know, I've driven the electric JCW Cooper and JCW Aceman in Thailand earlier this year.

Eager to experience a JCW with an engine, I sprung for the opportunity when the 2.0-litre JCW Cooper was offered to us for a review. It was both what I expected, and what I didn't expect at the same time… What do I mean? Read on and you'll see.

Built upon the same platform as its predecessor, those uninformed might not realise that they are looking at a new model at a glance

It's new, but quite familiar

For the latest generation of MINIs, the EVs and internal combustion engined counterparts are built on entirely different platforms. The EV MINI Cooper (J01) is an entirely new car, and the result of a joint venture with Great Wall Motor; meanwhile, the internal combustion MINI Cooper (F65/66/67) is actually a heavily updated version of the previous generation, built upon the same platform as its predecessor.

The new JCW Cooper is markedly wider than its predecessor, and the front and rear overhangs have also been slightly shortened

As a result, the MINI JCW Cooper that you see here looks plenty familiar. But that isn't to say that the new car's just a facelift. Dimensions have been updated, with the new JCW wider than the old car, and having overhangs shorter than before. The rest of the car has also been updated, in line with the EV version's design language.

Well, I've got to admit that I can't identify the different generations of MINIs that well - especially from the front (they all look quite similar). The main differences that I can see are the head light signatures, as well as the general shape of the front grille; although the entire front end is also more upright than before, apparently.

With the new trapezoidal taillights, the new MINI Cooper is much more identifiable from the rear

Move on to the rear, and the distinction is much more apparent - the new trapezoidal taillights flow into the middle trim piece to create a distinct ribbon-like look. Being a JCW, there are plenty of sporty components throughout the car, including the red mirror caps, red roof, red stripes on the bonnet, the sporty front lip and rear diffuser, JCW-specific rims, and my personal favourite - the single, central exit exhaust.

Old is new again

Cars like the MINI Cooper are more evolutionary than revolutionary - much like Porsche 911s. And I'm particularly appreciative when designers pay homage to the brand's history when designing new models.

The central round infotainment display is a cool nod to the original Mini Cooper models; wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity provides ample convenience

Take a peek inside the JCW Cooper here and you'll know what I mean. The central round infotainment display is a clear homage to the large central speedometer found on the original Mini Coopers. With this generation, the central display is truly circular, and no longer a rectangular display in a round housing; wireless smartphone connectivity for both Android and Apple users also makes media and navigation a breeze.

At the same time, you'll get a head-up display, which allows you to keep an eye on the speed with ease - you get form and function without compromise here. The JCW-specific details continue within the cabin, with red checkered designs on the dashboard, JCW badge on the steering wheel, and a pair of supportive sport seats.

Front occupants get supportive sport seats, however, the rear seats are best left for short trips, kids, or pets

While the 3-door Cooper is a four-seater, the rear seats are best left for short trips as the leg room is only adequate for kids. But I'll gladly give the JCW a pass for the lack of cabin space - it is, after all, a car with a small footprint, and it shows when you drive it…

Fun, controllable and pretty darn wild - with 380Nm of turbocharged torque sent to the front wheels, the JCW is a riot

Compact, agile and plenty of fun

Cars with short wheelbases are distinctly agile. Couple it with a well-engineered front-wheel drive setup and you can get a controllable and fun machine, which is exactly what this JCW Cooper is.

The 2.0-litre turbocharged engine puts out 228bhp and 380Nm of torque to the front wheels

Powering the JCW Cooper is the stout 2.0-litre B48 turbocharged inline-four engine - a potent powerplant that can be found in many sporty BMWs and MINIs in various states of tune, including the new M2 Racing. While the 228bhp output in this JCW doesn't seem like much, it puts out an incredible 380Nm of torque - 30Nm more than the electric version! What this translates to is an excitable hot hatch that will readily punish the front tyres when the engine comes on boost.

The JCW Cooper will complete the century sprint in 6.1 seconds, but it does it with plenty of drama due to its boosty nature. When you put your foot down and the boost comes on, it starts with a shove-in-your-back, accompanied by audible suction noises of the turbo, which culminates with the subtle 'psssh' noises from the recirculation valve as you lift off the throttle.

All aural drama from the JCW comes from the intake side of things - the exhaust is unexpectedly quiet

That said, while the intake side of things sounds entertaining, the car is totally lacking in the exhaust noise department. Clearly, the tightening emissions and noise regulations have taken away the JCW's voice - instead of a throaty exhaust with pops and crackles, this JCW sounds just like a base model Cooper.

The JCW Cooper doesn't exhibit torque steer or chronic understeer despite being a powerful front-wheel drive

Thankfully, the drive more than makes up for the lack of noises. And I'm not talking about driving it normally from point A to point B - I'm talking about actually driving the car spiritedly and perhaps even aggressively. Despite being a powerful front-wheel driven car, there is no torque steer observed, and more incredulously, the car not only turns in well, but grabs on without understeer (as long as you aren't overdriving it). And it achieves this without a mechanical LSD, which is quite incredible. The performance-biased suspension also keeps the car settled and controllable without being backbreakingly harsh.

The engine-powered JCW has its distinct charm

Even though the internal combustion JCW Cooper is unexpectedly quiet, it is still incredibly charming. The agile handling, dramatic power delivery, and the turbo noises, it is all exactly as I would expect from a JCW Cooper, and they are also the reason I had a great time with this car.

The JCW Cooper offers unmatched agility at a cost

Going at $300,888, this internal combustion JCW Cooper 3-Door costs a fair bit more than another popular hot hatch, the Volkswagen Golf GTI, which comes in at $266,900. While the JCW is also less powerful than the latter, it does have a unique charm - its agility and excitable nature are simply unmatched. If you are in the market for something small, fun and dramatic, the JCW Cooper checks all the right boxes for a pretty penny.

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