One could say I am a bit of a Mini fan. Back to the early days of inception from the notebook of Alec Issigonis, the Mini changed mainstream motoring forever. Having been given the chance to drive many Minis over the years, new and old, I have loved almost every single one. That said, I had yet to sample one of the all-electric offerings BMW has served up in recent years, until now.
The conventional Mini range has expanded considerably too and the incorporation of EV silent running offers buyers more choice than ever. The classic 3-door Cooper naturally has option of the EV treatment, which brings us to the full-fat performance All-Electric Mini Cooper JCW.
Like any Cooper with the John Cooper Works badge, this represents the ultimate expression of a go-faster electric Mini, until if a GP version makes itself available at some point that is. For now, however, those wanting the EV performance peak from Mini, the $72,990 Cooper E JCW is it.
The electric aspect of name comes from a 54.2kWh battery pack which sends out 190kW/350Nm and even allows for a half decent zero to 100 kph time of 5.9 seconds. Capable with both 11kW AC and 95kW DC fast charging, you have claimed AC charge time of 5 hours and 15 minutes from zero and 30 minutes if you charge up to 80 per cent from 10 per cent with a 95kW DC fast charger. Up to 371kms of range is available, which is more than enough for the kind of driving most buyers will do, and combined energy consumption is rated at 16kWh/100km.
The current Mini Cooper still retains the iconic profile and styling cues which has won the icon legions of fans the world over. I quite like the “mini-malist” take on the rear taillight cluster and the use of clean-cut curves and lines front to rear. JCW badging looks good as to the red sporting brake callipers look good behind striking looking 18-inch Lap Spoke, 2-tone alloys. The Midnight Black II colour scheme looks great, but I can’t help thinking a more colourful paint scheme would suit the car more.
Inside, it’s a classic Mini fest with all the chunky switchgear and funky graphics we have come to expect. The 240mm Circular OLED Central Instrument Display offers crisp graphics and a unique style. The chunky JCW sports steering wheel, with its fabric middle spoke and John Cooper Works badge, feels comfortable and keeps controls accessible. While head and legroom are adequate, the door handle placement makes it awkward to reach due to the driving position.
The electric JCW is not a tech fest but there is still plenty of toys here for your convenience. Wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, a head up display, wireless charging phone charging, ambient lighting, adaptive cruise control, heated steering wheel, heated front seats, driver’s seat with built in massage function, blind spot monitoring, lane change warning, park assist, a 360-degree rear view camera, steering assist and lane control assist to name but a few features.
I love certain bits which are unique to the JCW, such as the recycled knit polyester dash with JCW red stitching and that steering wheel. You have 210L of boot space which can grow to 800L with the second-row seats folded away. Said seats are comfortable and thanks to the backs of the front seats, you get a smattering of legroom. However, it’s pretty snug in the back and probably best suited for children or modest sized K9 companions.
Talking of dogs, on start up the JCW gives you the option of watching a short video of an animated bulldog jumping around London in the rain, getting lost in the rainforest before starting a hot lap of a circuit and what seems like being shot out of a cannon in slow motion before the Mini logo appears. Textbook marketing for sure, but so entertaining to watch especially as it pretty much covers every aspect of modern “Mini-ness” to coin a phrase.
Any new Mini needs to incorporate the same happy go lucky, go-kart characteristics we have all come to expect from a legend of urban fun, especially if you slap a John Cooper Works emblem on for good measure. For the All-Electric Mini Cooper JCW, it’s very much business as usual but with the addition of that instant electric torque, despite feeling its 1650kg kerb weight, it darts off the line with an extra degree of verve and eagerness.
Core is the default drive mode but from here you can flick through a plethora of different drive modes, or as Mini likes to call them, experiences. These “experiences” include Go-Kart, Green, Vivid, Balanced, Personal and Timeless, each of which has their own unique set of graphics and in some cases, artificial sound. I spent most of my time in Go-Kart, Timeless, Core (obviously) and Green, the latter displays a flapping hummingbird to show when you are driving efficiently and a running puma when you are driving, well, not efficiently.
Timeless gives you a classic analogue speedometer and a growly sound which plays through the Harman/Kardon speakers, but my favourite was Go-Kart mode. After a distinct “wahoo” from the speakers, everything tightens up and you can give the all-electric Cooper JCW the full send, along with added sound effects when accelerating hard and throttling off which seem to mimic the Death Star’s tractor beam from Star Wars.
Part of me would have preferred the growly burble of an old school naturally aspirated or even turbocharged four pot, but after a while of snaking through the tight and flowing bends of Evan’s pass on my way to Lyttleton via Sumner, this desire faded somewhat as the electric JCW is still a real laugh. Plus, a flick down of the “boost” paddles gives you 10-seconds extra oomph from the battery which can easily satisfy those sudden urges to overtake.
The only trade off if is even if you soften everything up, the ride is still rather firm and those electric leather seats have decent bolsters to hold you in place, they aren’t the plushest feeling around. That said, if you champion some point-and-shoot back road or urban fun, they are more than up to the task.
Its $73k price tag is steep but what we have here is something I didn’t expect to enjoy half as much as I did. Despite some ergonomic oddities and lacking some of the zing of the petrol models, it’s hard not to be charmed by the sportiest of all-electric Minis, especially you want all the ingredients for high powered Mini fun with the addition electric frugality and efficiency.
RATING: 7.5/10
