Mini John Cooper Works

Latest version of Mini’s hot hatch offers more performance than before, while undercutting rivals On sale Now Price from £33,265

- DAN JONES [e-mail]

KARTING HAS LONG been one of the best and most affordable ways to dip your toe into the world of motorsport. Indeed, whether it’s just for a couple of hours or as part of a long-term journey to become the next Lando Norris, karts offer an approachable way to have some motorsport-inspired fun.

And, clichéd as the metaphor might be, that kart-like feeling of approachable sportiness and fun has always been the promise of Mini models that bear the JCW (or John Cooper Works) badge.

The racy JCW treatment is now offered on Mini’s Aceman small electric SUV, Cooper electric hatchback and Countryman family SUV, but its first appearance was on the original three-door Mini hatch 20 years ago. And the direct descendant of that car is what we're looking at here.

It takes a trained eye to tell a JCW from a regular Cooper S in Sport trim. Both versions have the same aggressively styled front and rear bumpers, but the tell is that the JCW is unique in having a central exhaust outlet that’s intended as a subtle nod to the Cooper rally cars of old.

On paper, the JCW’s 228bhp turbocharged 2.0-litre petrol engine isn’t vastly more powerful than the 201bhp unit in the Cooper S. But while there’s a tiny delay when you put your foot down (as the turbo spools up), you're soon treated to a wave of momentum that would easily leave the lesser car behind. The JCW feels quicker than its 0-62mph figure suggests, and similar in pace to the Cupra Leon VZ and Ford Focus ST.