Video: Forthcoming Mini JCW on the Hill

14th July 2024

Adam Wilkins

As we segue into the EV era, Mini’s next-generation John Cooper Works edition is going to be available in both electric and internal combustion forms. As you’ll immediately tell from the audio in the above video, this is the fruity-sounding petrol version. The only visual difference between the two versions, which are so radically different under the skin, is the door handles.

But we digress. The fossil fuel JCW is due for its global reveal in the autumn, which is why this pre-production version is semi-disguised with camouflage made from the outlines of various race circuits. Shining through, though, is the red and white theme that pays homage to competition Minis of the past. It’s also easy to see how the pumped-up front end will look with its exaggerated air inlets making it more aggressive than its lower-ranking siblings.

The Goodwood Hill wasn’t the JCW prototype’s first venture on track. Last month it took on the challenge of the Nürburgring 24-hour race, which is hinted at with the car’s number plates. The pre-production car was given the modifications needed to meet the rigours and regulations of competition. In went a full rollcage, KW suspension and upgraded brakes. It was enough for the all-German three-driver crew of Michael Bräutigam, Andreas Hilgers and Sascha Korte to come home first in class. Interestingly, the Mini JCW was the only manual car in the entire grid.

Along with Nürburgring 24 spectators, visitors to the 2024 Goodwood Festival of Speed presented by Mastercard were among to see the new range-topping Mini in the flesh. Watch it tackle the 1.16-mile ascent months before its road-going equivalents begin to hit public roads.