New Mini Cooper JCW revealed, Australian launch due soon

The 2021 Mini John Cooper Works has just been unveiled ahead of an Australian debut set for the third quarter of 2021.

The JCW's stylistic upgrades are many, and perhaps most prominently, the entire front fascia of the JCW has been completely redesigned.

There’s an imposing matt black grille with a striking hexagonal design, contrasted by a new red stripe along its centre, signifying that it is no regular Mini.

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Tough-looking, body-coloured air ducts sit below the grille on either side of the number plate mounting point, feeding cool air onto the Mini’s braking system.

Also blanketing each end of the sporty new bumper is another set of angular air openings, working to cool the fiery powertrain.

At the rear, there’s a new, super-aggressive diffuser finished in a shade of matte black that seamlessly blends into the finishing edge of the flared rear wheel arches.

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Sitting square in the middle of this novel diffuser is a set of 85-millimetre stainless steel sports tailpipes with a contrasting chrome finish.

Underneath the bonnet sits the same punchy 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine as the outgoing JCW, which produces the same 170kW and 320Nm.

Like always, drive is sent to the front wheels via either a six-speed manual transmission or an eight-speed slushbox torque-converter auto.

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The 0-100km/h sprint is taken care of in just 6.3 seconds when optioned with the manual, while the auto shaves two-tenths of the sprint, taking just 6.1 seconds.

To help slow the hot hatch down, Mini has redesigned the braking system in conjunction with industry doyen Brembo to make sure the JCW stops as quickly as it accelerates.

The four-piston front brake calipers are also painted in a striking shade of red and adorned with the fabled John Cooper Works logo.

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In front of the new brakes is a set of new Lightweight John Cooper Works alloy wheels, which can be had in either a 17 or 18-inch sizing.

A bespoke chassis tune for the suspension comes as standard for the JCW, and as an optional extra, buyers can tick Mini’s Adaptive Suspension box.

These electronically controlled dampers make adjustments to suit the road conditions in just 50-100 milliseconds, ensuring a more supple and dynamic ride.

There will also be a number of different modes that can be selected depending on the driver’s mood, which includes ‘Lounge’ and ‘Sport’ mode.

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Inside, the updated hatch comes with a host of new features including a redesigned central instrument cluster and an 8.8-inch touchscreen display.

The Mini’s infotainment software has also been updated, benefiting from a revised display that makes interfacing with the audio, navigation, communication and app systems more intuitive.

The JCW also comes with a host of safety features as standard that include adaptive cruise control with stop and go functionality and parking assist.

The 2021 Mini John Cooper Works will be launched in Australia in Q3 of 2021, and local pricing will be announced by the manufacturer closer to the launch date.

Be sure to circle back to WhichCar as we bring you all the updates on Mini’s latest hot hatch.

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