China Leaked Mini's EV Cooper JCW Before You're Supposed to See It

China Leaked the Electric Mini Cooper JCW Bernhard Filser

Mini gave us our first taste of the upcoming electric Cooper JCW at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed. But while the electric hot hatch is supposed to make its official debut later this year, China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) has revealed a good bit of information about the car ahead of the brand’s planned announcement — as well as some details on the larger Aceman JCW model.

According to the Chinese agency, the new Cooper JCW EV shares many similarities with the existing electric Cooper SE model. The sportier model will employ basically the same footprint as its sibling, measuring 69.1 inches wide and 57.4 inches tall, with a wheelbase of 99.4 inches. The entire car is slightly longer than the standard Mini EV, however, coming in at 152.1 inches long. The JCW will also likely employ the same 54.2 kWh battery pack as the SE, which provides 49.2 kWh of usable capacity.

The MIIT did confirm that the hatch will arrive with 255 hp on tap, provided by a single electric motor mounted up front. The standard SE, for comparison, makes 215 hp in its current spec. Of course, that added power will surely come with some range penalty, so expect less than the 249 miles of range Mini claims on the (very friendly) WLTP cycle.

Andan por la web estatal china donde los fabricantes tienen que registrar sus nuevos modelos antes de ponerlos a la venta el MINI Cooper JCW en su versión eléctrica (255 cv) con sus opcionales pic.twitter.com/IQ3wKearnY

— Guille G. Alfonsín (@GuilleAlfonsin) September 17, 2024

Mini hasn’t forgotten how to make its hatches sporty just because it's in the EV era, from the sound of it. The JCW will arrive with a unique set of 18-inch wheels wrapped in stickier rubber, along with some other weight-saving measures. In fact, the JCW tips the scales at 3898 pounds, 22 lbs less than the entry-level model. That means the hot hatch has a power-to-weight ratio of 15.3 lbs per hp.

MITT also shared some general info on the larger Mini Aceman JCW, which features the same 255-hp powertrain and battery setup in a taller four-door body. Both models also feature similar styling enhancements, including blacked out details and unique badges.

The John Cooper Works Minis have been a staple of the brand’s modern revival. And while we surely miss the old-school examples, it’s exciting to see a genuine EV hot hatch in the works. Not every EV needs to outdrag most supercars from the last century.

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