New Mini John Cooper Works 1to6 Edition launched to celebrate the manual gearbox

The Mini has always served as a blank canvas for cosmetic personalisation, and the brand itself has produced its fair share of design-led specials with this in mind. The latest of these is the new John Cooper Works 1to6 Edition, which takes the 228bhp hot hatch as a base and is limited to just 150 units on our shores. 

The 1to6 Edition will make its debut at the Nurburgring 24 Hour race weekend, but its motorsport links stretch as far as that. There are no mechanical changes for the limited-run car, although Mini has purposefully omitted the JCW’s eight-speed automatic gearbox option in favour of a six-speed manual, to celebrate the joys of driving with three pedals and a stick. 

The familiar B48 turbocharged four-pot – sourced from BMW – is nestled under the bonnet, sending 228bhp and 236lb ft to the front wheels. The 1to6 sprints to 62mph in the same 6.3sec as the regular manual-equipped JCW, two tenths shy of the equivalent automatic.

Arriving with a bespoke exterior and interior specification, each 1to6 is painted in Midnight black with a grey bonnet stripe made up of a tiny ‘H’ pattern, fittingly. Piano black exterior trims, privacy glass and black 18-inch alloys complete the moody design theme, which continues inside with black nappa leather upholstery and dark suede trim. This is lifted by red stitching accents and bespoke badging to denote the special edition’s production number. 

Adopting the same upgraded chassis hardware as the standard JCW, the 1to6 comes equipped with four-pot front brakes and a firmer chassis setup than Cooper S models. The Mini’s UKL architecture is related to that of front-wheel drive BMWs, using MacPherson strut front suspension and a multi-link rear end. 

The 1to6 arrives with an extensive list of standard kit for its £39,600 asking price, which includes heated front seats, a reversing camera, a head-up display and a Harmon Kardon sound system. The latest Mini’s familiar infotainment setup, comprising a fully digital dash and an 8.8-inch touchscreen nestled in the dashboard, remains. Order books for the 1to6 Edition are open now.