John Cooper Works treatment for MINI Cooper and MINI Aceman

• First ever electric MINI John Cooper Works models revealed
• JCW treatment for MINI Cooper Electric hatch and MINI Aceman
• Both get 258 hp
• Priced from £38,420 to buy outright

MINI has given the full John Cooper Works treatment to the electric Cooper hatch and Aceman crossover - launching performance EVs for the very first time.

The ‘John Cooper Works’ tag indicates you’re getting a race-inspired, performance MINI, with legendary British designer John Cooper having first developed sportier versions of the old Mini way back in the 1960s.

You can already lease the petrol-powered MINI Countryman in ‘JCW’ trim.

And now, for the very first time, MINI is preparing to unleash two battery-powered JCW models in the form of the MINI John Cooper Works Electric and MINI John Cooper Works Aceman.

Both are underpinned by a 54.2 kWh battery capacity that unleashes 258 hp and 340 Nm of torque when you punch a special ‘Boost’ button on the steering wheel.

The smaller MINI Cooper Electric is the quicker of the two, capable of accelerating from 0-62 mph in just 5.9 seconds. The Aceman is a shade slower, doing the same sprint in 6.4 seconds.

Either way, the new JCWs have similar amounts of power to the traditionally-fuelled VW Golf GTI while the Cooper hatch can match the GTI for pace off the line. They’re also both quicker than the Abarth 500e.

When it comes to charging, the pair can each accept 95 kW DC at a fast-charging station which can take the battery from 10 to 80 per cent in under 30 minutes.

Besides the extra power compared with the regular models, the MINI John Cooper Works Electric and MINI John Cooper Works Aceman also get dedicated JCW suspension and grippier tyres as standard, as well as much more aggressive exterior styling.

Black side skirts, aeroblades at C-pillar level and a rear spoiler provide better aerodynamics, while red vertical reflectors and diffusers contrast with the rear black apron.

The Cooper Electric gets 18-inch alloys while the Aceman JCW has larger 19-inch rims.

The cabin features a unique circular OLED display, ambient lighting, surround view cameras, and an automatic parking system, among other goodies.

Order books open later this month and we’ll bring you leasing prices soon.

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