Mini John Cooper Works to Debut with Manual Option in Fall 2024

Mini teases the new John Cooper Works, featuring a turbocharged engine, manual option, and aggressive design. Prototypes to race at the 24 Hours of Nürburgring before the Fall 2024 launch.

If you’re disappointed by the lack of power in the John Cooper Works trim of the fully electric Mini Cooper SE, you’ll be pleased to know a proper ICE-powered hot hatch is on the way, complete with a manual option. Lightly camouflaged prototypes of the new Mini John Cooper Works will participate in the 24 Hours of Nürburgring ahead of its Fall 2024 market launch.

The official photos provide the best look yet at the upcoming Mini JCW, essentially a facelifted version of the outgoing hot hatch. Despite sharing some interior and exterior styling cues, the ICE and EV versions of the Mini are built on different platforms.

The JCW-specific body kit appears slightly more aggressive than its predecessor, featuring a redesigned octagonal grille and bumper intakes. Other distinctive features include a gloss black splitter, fender flares, side skirts, an extended rear spoiler, and a large diffuser at the rear. 

The prototype, named «MINI John Cooper Works PRO,» is specially prepared for endurance racing. Features like Pirelli P Zero slicks on white 17-inch alloy wheels, a centrally-mounted exhaust pipe, and quick-release hood pins are specific to the racing model and won’t be present on the production version.

The red and white camouflage wrap, designed by the Mini Design Team, features outlines of famous tracks as a tribute to the classic racing Minis of the ’60s. The «37» stickers on the windows pay homage to the Mini Cooper S victory at the 1964 Rallye Monte Carlo.

The new JCW will be equipped with the Mini TwinPower Turbo powertrain, likely a reworked version of the existing turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine. While Mini hasn’t released specific details, the new generation is expected to surpass the outgoing model’s 228 hp (170 kW / 231 PS) and 320 Nm (236 lb-ft). 

Mini has confirmed that both automatic and manual transmission options will be available, with power sent to the front wheels. As the flagship model, the new Mini JCW is also expected to feature a revised chassis setup and stronger brakes.

Mini will race two JCW models at the 24 Hours of Nürburgring on June 1-2 this year. The red and white car with the #317 will compete in the SP 3T category with the Bulldog Racing team, while a black #474 car with a manual transmission will enter the VT-2 category.