Skip advert
Advertisement

Mini JCW Convertible

The Mini John Cooper Works hot hatch becomes a 208bhp, 146mph drop top for Geneva

Mini is thrashing out its hot hatch range with a convertible version of the John Cooper Works. It will be one of the swiftest small cabriolets on sale, with a top speed of 146mph and a sub-7sec dash to 62mph.

The JCW Convertible gets the same 1.6-litre, twin-scroll turbo engine as the hatchback, with 208bhp and 207lb ft of torque on tap. The engine is pretty efficient with its power delivery, boasting 132bhp per litre. The cabriolet’s top speed is 2mph down on the lighter hatch while 0-62mph is four tenths of a second slower at 6.9sec.

Advertisement - Article continues below

Emissions and fuel economy are 169g/km and 39.8mpg, a touch down on the hatch but still impressive considering the performance on offer. A 1.8-litre Focus is just 2g/km and 0.5mpg better off…

The drop-top gets the same styling package as the hatch, with the John Cooper Works aero kit and 17in alloys in attendance as well as a smattering of Works badges. There’s an abundance of acronyms on the kit list too, with six different braking, stability and traction systems as standard including an electronic diff.

The Mini JCW’s combination of power and riotous handling ensured it a high placing in evo’s 2008 Car of the Year awards, coming a close second behind the mighty Megane R26.R in our real world leg.

UK sales begin on March 28 with prices starting at £23,470. The car is entirely UK built, too, with the convertible tailgate assembled at Swindon and the body at Mini Plant Oxford. The Mini JCW Convertible gets its world premiere at the Geneva motor show, where evo.co.uk will be reporting live from the show floor from March 3.

Extra Info

Skip advert
Advertisement

Recommended

Mini Cooper S review
Mini Cooper S 2022 – front tracking
In-depth reviews

Mini Cooper S review

The F56-generation Cooper S doesn't quite live up to its billing as a truly involving hot hatch, but there's still plenty to like
7 Dec 2023
Mini announces £600m Oxford factory investment for EV production
Mini factory
News

Mini announces £600m Oxford factory investment for EV production

Mini’s Oxford factory will become an EV production facility in 2030 as the firm pivots towards an all-electric future
11 Sep 2023
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

The new Toyota GR Yaris costs £44,250 – too much for a hot supermini?
Toyota GR Yaris Gen 2 – front
News

The new Toyota GR Yaris costs £44,250 – too much for a hot supermini?

Our early impressions of the Gen 2 GR Yaris suggest that it’s an improvement in every area that counts, but can it be worth £18k more than an i20 N?
27 Mar 2024
The new Mercedes-AMG G63 has arrived, and it still has a V8
Mercedes-AMG G63
News

The new Mercedes-AMG G63 has arrived, and it still has a V8

Some of Affalterbach’s range-toppers are swapping eight cylinders for four, but the AMG G-class retains its V8 for 2024
26 Mar 2024
Land Rover Defender OCTA: twin-turbo V8 and McLaren-style suspension tech for hot off-roader
Land Rover Defender OCTA – front
News

Land Rover Defender OCTA: twin-turbo V8 and McLaren-style suspension tech for hot off-roader

The OCTA promises to be the fastest, toughest and most capable Defender yet when it launches later this year
26 Mar 2024