By: IOL Motoring Staff
As you would have expected, the new Mini John Cooper Works is the most powerful car that the cheeky British brand has ever produced.
For this feisty application, BMW's 2-litre four-cylinder turbopetrol is tuned to produce 170kW between 5200 and 6000rpm and 320Nm from 1250rpm. That, says Mini, is enough to blast you to 100km/h in just 6.1 seconds in the case of the six-speed automatic version and 6.3 seconds if you're in the six-speed manual. Combined EU lab fuel consumption amounts to 6.7 l/100km.
There's a lot more to the JWC than just raw performance though.
The pistons, for instance, were specifically designed to help deliver a more emotional engine soundtrack and engineers have done everything short of create its own rail system to ensure grin-inducing agility. In addition to the reworked suspension, electronic diff lock and 17-inch 'Race Spoke' alloys, the JCW also comes with a newly developed Brembo sports braking system.
For that extra dash of visual swagger, the JCW struts around with an aerodynamic body kit that includes a bold front and aprons, large air inlets and bespoke side sills. The cabin's wow factor mainly revolves around race-style sports seats with integrated headrests and other garnishes include an anthracite roof liner and stainless steel pedals.
Keen? South Africans only have to wait until the second quarter of 2015 to get their hands on this little critter.