An Ace in style and speed

Mini's JCW Aceman is wild when it gets a boost, and it does not hurt that the car sports good looks too

- Lee Nian Tjoe

The shift paddle marked "Boost" in capital letters on the electric Mini's steering wheel is not for the fainthearted.

Pulling it unleashes an extra 20kW of shove that lasts for 10 seconds. Flooring the accelerator before the countdown timer runs out sends the front tyres on the Mini JCW Aceman scrabbling for grip. JCW stands for John Cooper Works and such models represent the top version of standard Mini models, with more performance, equipment and, ideally, more driving thrills.

The Aceman SE was already a rather brisk electric crossover, but in JCW form, it is positively wild.

Power is upped by 30kW to 190kW, and torque is raised by 20Nm to 350Nm. The result is a half-second reduction in the 0-100kmh timing to 6.4 seconds.

It is a handsome car. Compared with the SE, the JCW version has a meaner-looking body kit and a panoramic glass roof.

Bits like the cladding over the wheel arches, part of the flanks and the bumpers are painted black, instead of being left unpainted on the SE. The rear spoiler is slightly bigger and more angular.

A set of 19-inch two-tone alloy wheels rounds up the exterior differences.