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.
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.
