New MINI John Cooper Works first look! Petrol and electric hot hatch coming this year

• New performance-focused MINI
• Available with petrol power or as an EV 
• Full unveil scheduled for autumn 2024

There’s a new MINI John Cooper Works heading our way very soon, and these are the first official pictures. While technical details are still under wraps, the British brand has confirmed that the hot hatchback will be available as both a petrol-powered model and as an EV for the first time. We’ll get to see the new model in action later this year when it takes to the tarmac of the Nurburgring before its full unveiling in autumn 2024.

What do we know about the new MINI John Cooper Works?

The John Cooper Works name is used only for the most performance-focused MINIs, adding an extra kick to the already-sporty ‘S’ models. The new JCW follows an impressive lineage of sporty MINIs, succeeding the previous-gen MINI John Cooper Works, as well as the limited-run GP model that packed carbon-fibre bodywork and over 300bhp.

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Unlike any MINI JCW that has come before it, the new model will be offered as both a petrol-powered hatchback and as an EV. While technical details are thin on the ground, we expect the latter to use the same 54.2kWh battery found in the MINI Cooper SE, but hooked up to a more powerful electric motor.

The petrol MINI JCW is likely to use the same 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine as the MINI Cooper S, but with a healthy step up in power. The old MINI JCW had around 50bhp more than the Cooper S, an advantage that would translate to 250bhp in the new car and places it in Volkswagen Golf GTI territory. With no manual gearbox to speak of in the current MINI lineup, the JCW is practically guaranteed to come with the brand’s seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox only.

As before, we expect MINI to stick with a front-wheel drive layout for both petrol and electric models, although the Cooper E’s platform does have the potential to accept an additional electric motor on the front axle should MINI decide to develop a dual-motor, four-wheel drive model further down the road.

The official preview images provide us with a glimpse of the new JCW’s sporty styling touches, including a revised front grille pattern, wider wheelarches and a roof spoiler. We’ll get to see it pushed to the limit at this year’s 24 Hours of Nurburgring race, before it’s officially unveiled to the public in autumn 2024.

How much will the MINI John Cooper Works cost?

Official specs, pricing and availability will be announced later in the year, but given that the MINI Cooper S Sport costs over £31,000, we wouldn’t be surprised if the JCW cost closer to £37,000.

Find out more about our favourite pocket rockets by reading our top 10 list of the best hot hatchbacks….