Sportier attire a noticeable departure from the Countryman E and SE revealed earlier this year. Image: BMW
Until now only revealed in full-electric Cooper E and Cooper SE guises, BMW has indirectly revealed the first combustion engine version of the new Mini Countryman in the shape of the flagship John Cooper Works (JCW).
Debuting just over two months after its electric siblings, the JCW, and indeed all combustion engine models, will be made alongside the EV at the former BMW i3 and i8 plant in Leipzig, Germany without riding on separate platforms similar to the Mini Cooper E/SE and still-to-be-revealed petrol versions.
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Dimensionally unchanged from it sibling, while still providing seating for five, the Countryman JCW’s biggest differences, apart from its combustion heart, are model specific external touches made-up of sportier bumpers and door sills, red accents on the bumpers, standard LED headlights and JCW 19 or 20-inch alloy wheels.
Along with the floating C-pillar, red mirror caps and a contrasting Chili Red roof, Mini has fitted a new imitation carbon fibre insert in the centre of the grille, which expands to the “crossbar” running the width of the lower air intake.
A new vented bonnet, red brake calipers, JCW decal on the tailgate and quad exhaust outlets integrated into the diffuser completes the exterior’s transformation, along with a new colour option called Legend Grey.
Inside, Mini has kept the design of the interior unchanged, but added JCW specific elements, namely a standard red-and-black finish, JCW branded sport seats with red stitching, a JCW leather-trimmed steering wheel and red accents on the dashboard decked-out in a textile made from recycled polyester.
Also bespoke is a red pull for the central storage hold between the front seats and, integrated into the 9.4-inch OLED infotainment system, a go-kart mode that increases the sound of the sport exhaust system within the cabin when selected.
Similar to the electric Countryman, the JCW supports Level 2 autonomous driving and can be driven, where permitted, with hands-off the wheel at speeds up to 60 km/h.
With a move to mild-hybrid assistance expected ahead of Mini’s move towards becoming fully electric in 2030, the Countryman John Cooper Works does without any electrical hardware as BMW opted against fitting a belt/starter generator in conjunction with the 2.0-litre turbocharged engine.
Paired as standard to a now column-shift mounted eight-speed Steptronic gearbox with drive going to all four wheels from the off, the unit develops 233kW/400Nm, which translates to a top speed of 250 km/h and 0-100 km/h in 5.4 seconds.
Now available in the United States and soon in select European markets, the Countryman John Cooper Works has been approved for South Africa and will debuting alongside the Countryman Cooper SE in the second quarter of 2024.
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