MINI John Cooper Works

The JCW's suspension remains the same as the standard Cooper S, which means a passably pliant ride that won't shake your eyeballs from their sockets. Quick. Very quick. The JCW gets a revised version of the Cooper S's 1.6-litre turbo engine with more turbo boost and an all-new exhaust system. That means a sizeable 208bhp and a 0-100kph time of 6.8 seconds, making this the quickest Mini ever. It feels it, too - there's a massive thump of mid-range torque and almost no turbo lag. Cool!!! A bit too badged-up and bodykitted to be properly cool, but there's something inherently cool about a Mini that'll whip anything shy of a Maser GranTurismo off the lights. No aftermarket stick-on tat here: Mini has brought the JCW firm in-house (think BMW M-division), so all the additional bits feel properly integrated. BMW build quality means there's nothing to fear mechanically, either. A massive laugh to drive. The JCW gets an 'electronic differential lock system' - essentially an electronic diff that redistributes torque across the front wheels - which means there's mountains of grip and traction, even when conditions are a bit slippy. OK, there's a touch of torque steer, but no more than you'd expect from a front-wheel drive hot hatch like this. Overall, though, the JCW is one of the best-driving hot hatches around. Just as cramped inside as any other Mini, but somehow in a performance version it doesn't seem to matter so much.