Mini John Cooper Works Electric review

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The first purely electric halo Mini hatch is here and spoiling for a fight

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This new Mini John Cooper Works Electric is 1725kg before its driver has climbed in. It’s hard not to fret for its dynamism. 

Other cars, such as the current-gen BMW M3 have received criticism for similar mass, while a Nismo GT-R is actually a few bags of sugar lighter.

It’s the first purely electric halo Mini Cooper, and it arrives with reasonable potency. Its 255bhp and 258lb ft peaks drive the front wheels for 0-62mph in 5.9sec; the latest petrol JCW is 320kg lighter but 0.2sec slower. 

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DESIGN & STYLING

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To my eyes it appears more cohesive than its petrol equivalent – a benefit of its base car being a blank-sheet design on a newer platform. 

But bear in mind you can apply a JCW styling kit to cheaper, smoother Mini Cooper Electrics if it’s only the looks you crave.

The bespoke suspension set-up proves how seriously Mini is taking this.
Murray Scullion
Digital editor

It gets its own unique suspension set-up, including more negatively cambered front wheels, and forgoes its petrol sibling’s adaptive damping to deliver the tenacious responses JCW buyers apparently demand. 

INTERIOR

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Inside, its huge OLED circular display is deliciously rich, admirably resists sunlight and makes short work of turning off active safety tech. 

Though the black and red colour scheme is a tad overwrought, and it’s hard not to smile at a third steering wheel spoke being a dynamic strap of fabric. 

Apple CarPlay integration is poorly done - it’s a small box on a large circular screen
Murray Scullion
Digital editor

Mini remains tongue-in-cheek in the electric age – an enviable character trait to help it stand firm against an increasing bank of fresh, sometimes humourless Chinese cars. Mini’s is a design team that continues to have fun, and you need a heart of stone to not indulge their more whimsical notions. 

ENGINES & PERFORMANCE

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This JCW is fast and urgent in the way you expect of an EV, but there’s a pleasing linearity to its throttle response and some amusing scurries of wheelspin when you go looking for them. 

Its trick of combining a vigorous kick of electric torque with sustained and involving acceleration is a neat one. Speed continues to build beyond 60mph, making rural overtakes a doddle, and this might make a great little track toy if such endeavours wouldn’t leave you twiddling thumbs while it charged for the journey home. 

Its Boost paddle provides another 27bhp for a 10-second hit of acceleration. If you’re in the raciest Go-Kart driving mode, you’ll have the full 255bhp already.
Stephen Dobie

Praise for its synthesised sound, too, which complements the swell of pace well and builds some amusing wap-wap-wap overrun into sudden lifts of throttle. 

It anchors you into the powertrain nicely, which should always be the main purpose of these systems, while entertaining in that chintzy Mini way. Crucially, you miss it when it’s turned off.

RIDE & HANDLING

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JCWs have always been rambunctious little cars; a less subtly styled and more sledgehammer way to pick apart a Great British B-road than the Minis beneath it. This first impression suggests nothing has changed. 

Heck, this is a firm car, making a meal out of visibly smooth surfaces and betraying every knot, rut and bump to its driver with no real end game; on tighter roads it can be a challenge keeping it tucked neatly between the white lines. 

The JCW Electric is still fun, mind you, but there’s little nuance to the ragged thrill of wrestling it through corners. 
Stephen Dobie

It’s a clenched-fist of a car, presumably to keep all that weight in check, and you may quickly pine for a stricter diet regime to tease more nuanced agility from it.

We're familiar with firm performance cars, of course, but the precision and accuracy they chase isn’t quite evident here. 

Works Minis were never the most eloquent, of course, and perhaps the experience simply feels disjointed without a snorting petrol engine and snicking manual ’box to mirror the brash responses beneath. 

MPG & RUNNING COSTS

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A 49.2kWh (net) battery combines with claimed 4.1mpkWh consumption for a WLTP-stamped 230-mile range, while max charging is 95kW. 

We scored 3.5mpkWh without much sop to smooth progress, too, suggesting you’ll nudge easily towards its claimed efficiency figure in mixed, everyday use to help assuage any concerns about its tame DC charging speed.

I would expect it to offer sub 200 miles of range in day-to-day driving
Murray Scullion
Digital editor

VERDICT

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Aside from the venerable Volkswagen Polo GTI, it’s the only small petrol hot hatch still on sale, making it perhaps the shrewder John Cooper Works purchase for a little longer at least.

Nevertheless, this electric iteration carries plenty of intrigue, while its ragged dynamics and notable tyre roar ensure it vehemently avoids the path of swisher, more cocooning small electric cars. 

You could pay around £1700 less for a petrol JCW. Still a boisterous affair, it is noticeably fleeter of foot and has the lift-off hooliganism of older Works Minis more readily on tap.
Stephen Dobie

There’s clear depth beneath its rougher edges, and, keeping our glass half full, it joins a promising little sector. 

The Alpine A290 proves you can nip under 1.5 tonnes and offer decent ride quality with its hydraulic bump stops, while a brand-new Peugeot e-208 GTi soon joins the fray.

It will be a while before we can gather them together, but this punchy little Mini feels ready to scrap.