MINI JCW

IF you find yourself a little bewildered by the rate of new MINI models all arriving at once, that's not surprising.

- Jordan Katsianis

But the latest MINI John Cooper Works is mercifully simple. It's the most powerful and dynamically focused petrol variant of this new generation, and it rivals other internal- combustion supermini hot hatchbacks such as the Volkswagen Polo GTI and... well, that's about it.

Where once there were similar pocket rockets in plentiful supply, growth in this segment is now largely represented by EV offerings – MINI's all- electric JCW included. But this petrol model continues to hold its fort with a compelling collection of numbers. Under its clamshell bonnet - yes, the petrol car still has one of those - is a BMW-sourced, 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with a turbocharger that powers the front wheels via a seven-speed automatic transmission.

Peak power is rated at 231bhp, although it's the impressive 380Nm of torque that stands out. This is not only due to the generous figure, but also the fact it's available from as little as 1,500rpm. This is a good thing on paper, yet as we'll come to, it has an effect in terms of the engine's character.

There's no manual option; overall performance benefits from the quick-shifting automatic 'box, with the JCW posting a suitably rapid 0-62mph time of 6.1 seconds and a 155mph top speed.

It feels every bit as fast as those numbers suggest – and thanks to the engine's immediate rush of torque it'll happily overwhelm the front wheels if you're not careful.

Beyond the more powerful engine, the model features a retuned ‘Go-Kart’ mode, which sees more weight in the steering, more pointed throttle response and dialled-back traction and stability controls.