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Mini To Showcase The New JCW In Detroit

Topics: Mini Cooper

Mini To Showcase The New JCW In Detroit

Geoff Maxted
DriveWrite
December 20, 2013

Not so long ago DriveWrite tested the John Cooper Works version of the MINI Paceman and great fun it was too. Next month, in Detroit, the company plan to show the concept for the new JCW Mini.

The John Cooper Works Concept offers a look ahead to the next generation of this elite sports version. The car will be presented for the first time at the North American International Auto Show in January and flies the flag for innovative sportiness in time-honoured John Cooper Works style, with features including exclusive body paintwork in Bright Highways Grey, familiar MINI red colour accents, bespoke aerodynamic features and 18-inch John Cooper Works light-alloy wheels in a newly developed design.

The sporty driving experience is the result of an overall concept developed on the back of the brand's many years of motor sport experience. The precise interplay of the ultra-high-performance powertrain and chassis technology with the car's aerodynamically optimised exterior features ensures that the handling we have come to know as the MINI ‘go-kart’ feeling shines brightly in extremely sporty driving situations as well. The result is hardcore driving fun, according to the Company.

The John Cooper Works Concept is based on the latest-generation MINI. Its origins are clearly recognisable in the longer wheelbase and wider track over the outgoing model, which has a direct effect on the car's driving characteristics. The model variants of the new MINI available from launch have already shown themselves to be more powerful, punchy and agile than their predecessors. Weight savings and improved aerodynamic properties have also contributed significantly to the new car's driving talents - and these developments likewise have a positive influence on the MINI John Cooper Works Concept.

Large air intakes - filling the space reserved for fog lights in the series-produced MINI models - and precisely formed air-channelling elements mark out the front of the MINI John Cooper Works Concept, which also features LED headlights and a black surround for the front grille. The model-specific John Cooper Works aerodynamic kit also comprises specially contoured side skirts and a rear apron with flaps and a diffuser element. The concept further features a roof spoiler and additional body components designed to channel air efficiently around the C-pillars for optimised aerodynamic balance at high speeds.

The MINI John Cooper Works Concept is fitted with a sports exhaust system including John Cooper Works silencer system, and the striking twin tailpipes with chrome finish also carry the JCW logo. With the new elite sports model destined to benefit from further development, these features suggest its enticingly sporting aura will not be restricted to visual features: an unmistakable engine soundtrack promises to share centre stage. We like the JCW cars very much. Hopefully, if it comes to fruition, this new car will be another leap forward in the story of MINI.