These hot-hatchbacks are growing blisteringly fast.
Many purists won’t like the car’s 301 horsepower (22.2 kilowatts), but they will love the power. BMW turbocharged 2.0-liter turbocharged engine We’d be remiss if we didn’t mention that the John Cooper Works first upgrade kit was powered-focused. The added power can take the hot-hatch from 62 to 100 mph (100 km/h) in just five seconds to 149 mph (240 Kph) in less than 24 seconds. It’s all very well, but there’s more to JCW than meets the eye.
For the uninitiated Mr. Cooper is a race legend who built cars that won championships in Formula 1 driven the likes Stirling Moss and Jack Brabham. After making his mark in open-wheel racing, Cooper took on the challenge to make the BMC Mini race-ready.
Spoiler alert! The small hatchback was an excellent platform for lightweight racing cars. The first version was built for rally racing. It featured a stroked-out engine, close-ratio gearbox and front disc brakes. Only 1,000 copies were produced. Although it doesn’t seem like much, it was enough for the Monte Carlo Rally to be blitzed in the 1960s. Minis were the first vehicle that allowed circuit racing legends such as Jackie Stewart, Niki Lauda and James Hunt to start their careers. We think that speaks for itself.
Although we don’t know what John Cooper would think, it is clearly one of today’s most capable front-wheel drive hot-hatchbacks. The latest model retains some of the racing DNA that was present in its predecessors, whether you love it or not.