News

The Cooper name is steeped in motorsport history. A legendary car maker whose innovative designs changed the face of four-wheeled competition. The Cooper portfolio includes winning Formula One cars that were driven by icons such as Sir Stirling Moss and Sir Jack Brabham. But it’s the MINI Cooper that’s perhaps the most iconic car in the Cooper catalogue. The famous 1964 Monte Carlo rally win is the stuff of motorsport folklore, with Paddy Hopkirk hustling a MINI Cooper S to victory against rivals who had more than double the engine power. 

Today, that Cooper spirit is embodied by the John Cooper Works badge. A symbol of performance. Of engineering excellence. And a guarantee of laugh-out-loud driving fun. Until now, it’s only ever graced MINI’s combustion-engined models, but the tuning boffins at JCW have finally worked their magic on, not one, but two electric MINIs – the Cooper and Aceman. So it’s time to find out what those JCW engineers have done to ensure these cars live up to the John Cooper Works moniker. And to do that, we’re taking them for a drive around the splendid roads of the Peak District. 

Book a test drive in an all-electric John Cooper Works model

Well-judged power

Naturally, when you think ‘hot hatch’, you think ‘power’. And both the Cooper and Aceman have been spiced up to dish out 258hp and a meaty 340Nm of torque. Prod the accelerator, and the response is instant, the torque from the electric motor pushing you back in your seat. But more impressive than the outright pace itself is the way in which that power is delivered – linear, predictable and always accessible. The Cooper JCW will scamper from 0-62mph in 5.9s, while the Aceman covers the same sprint in 6.4s – both firmly at the sharp end of what you’d expect from a top-tier hot hatch. And on these zig-zagging roads, they feel even quicker than the figures suggest. Even once you’re up to motorway speeds, both cars still pull strongly, making overtaking effortless.

Indeed, all that torque made short work of the Peak District’s steep inclines. And if you ever need a quick burst of power, there’s a boost paddle mounted to the JCW steering wheel that gives you an extra 27bhp for 10-seconds. If you’re in the mood for some spirited driving, you can switch to Go Kart mode, which gives you all of the power and sharpens up the pedal response. You even get a racy synthesised engine note inside the car when you give it the beans, which adds to the sense of occasion. At the same time, the infotainment screen displays real-time power, torque and G-force graphics.

Go-Kart handling

Speaking of Go-Karts, that’s almost become a bit of a cliche for describing MINI handling, but after a few minutes navigating some twisty, undulating Peak District asphalt, it becomes clear that MINI’s signature nimbleness and agility is very much present and correct. The steering is quick, and both cars bite and turn in keenly. And that likely has a lot to do with the fact that both cars have specially tuned JCW suspension, right down to fettling with the camber – an indication of how seriously MINI have taken these new electric JCW cars. The result is confidence-inspiring handling that makes you feel like a big kid. Even on the imperfect, potholed roads, both electric JCW models constantly manage to find grip and stick to the road reassuringly. 

Of course, that added performance requires some decent stopping power. Both cars are fitted with special JCW sports brakes – something you can see from the big, racy, red calipers – which not only shed speed remarkably quickly, but have the stamina to cope with longer spirited driving sessions. Which, given the capability of these cars, you might find yourself doing quite often.

Turning heads

Of course, a proper hot hatch needs a bit of makeover so it stands out from its less potent brethren. And from the outside, it’s clear that both cars have some extra performance prowess over the standard model. In fact, each turned more than a few heads during our trip – particularly when we stopped to regroup in a restaurant car park. For starters, both cars sport unique John Cooper Works styling cues. That includes a JCW front bumper with red accents, side skirts, rear diffuser and rear spoiler. Together, they give each car a squat, muscular stance.

Our midnight black Aceman JCW was set off with red racing stripes and a black/red multitone roof, which looked rather striking with its matching 19” two-tone John Cooper Works Strive Spoke wheels. The Cooper JCW meanwhile had black stripes and a black roof to contrast its Blazing Blue paint, along with the 18” two-tone John Cooper Works Lap Spoke wheels.  

Both cars have a signature JCW LED light signature – meaning you can choose how the front LED lights appear, with options including an exclusive JCW pattern.

The design of both cars is unmistakably MINI, and their compact dimensions proved to be incredibly helpful when navigating tight village roads. Both cars were easy to park too – particularly the Cooper, which is so manoeuvrable, even the tightest spaces were easy pickings. The larger Aceman puts its extra size to good use and adds an extra dimension of practicality to this electric JCW range. The 300-litre boot came in handy – accommodating our endless bags of camera equipment. While the additional space in the rear meant everyone was comfortable on the long journey to and from our Twickenham office.

JCW to the core

That JCW styling extends to the interior too. Both cars get special JCW sports seats with exclusive knit detailing around the head and shoulder area. The rest of the seats are wrapped in MINI’s soft, sumptuous Vescin synthetic leather, and decorated with contrast red stitching to amp up the sporting ambience. The seats are comfortable and supportive, with chunky bolsters that helped keep us in place on some of the more unforgiving, snaking B-roads. In fact, the whole interior really stands out in this class for just how upmarket it is. All of the materials look and feel premium, and there’s a real air of quality about the entire cabin.

The curved dashboard features sustainable two-tone knitted materials, which look the part and feel pleasing to touch. There’s a dedicated JCW steering wheel, too, which features red stitching and a black and red material strap that acts as a third spoke. 

Fully loaded

It can’t all be about performance though, cars like these need to be useful daily drivers too. To that end, MINI has loaded them with clever tech and useful features. Our cars each had a handy heads up display which showed speed and navigation directions among other helpful things. On the topic of displays, it’s hard to ignore the big 9.4in circular OLED screen in the centre of the dash. A homage to the classic mini speedometer, the circular design is apparently a world-first. It looks slick, and features plenty of customisation, including the ability to change MINI experience modes. This alters the aesthetic and even the character of the car. 

There’s also a MINI voice assistant, which is surprisingly capable and intuitive. It does a fantastic job of interpreting your commands. For example, you could say ‘hey MINI, I’m hot’, and it’d activate the air conditioning. A shout of ‘I’m hungry’, would bring up local restaurant recommendations. Or ‘I need to charge’ would offer directions to the nearest chargers. It’s really quite clever.

We were also treated to heated seats and a heated steering wheel, which came in handy when the weather turned and the heavens opened. A wireless phone charger and USB-C ports kept our gadgets juiced up on the trip. And then there are some really clever little things. For example, when we received a call from the Aceman, the Cooper automatically closed the windows to improve sound quality. Smart stuff.

Plenty of range

After a fun day playing in the peaks, it was time to stop for a quick recharge – both for us and the cars. With up to 243 miles of range in the Aceman JCW, and 250 miles in the Cooper JCW, we were far from desperate – but we were rather peckish. When we did plug in, charging was impressively quick. Both cars are able to charge from 10-80% in as little as 30 minutes. Just enough time for us to grab a snack and a drink. A real bonus on that humid evening was being able to use the MINI app to tell the car to cool itself with the climate control before we set off.    

As we ventured back to our south London office – a big synthesised whoosh in the background as we powered down the slip road – it very much felt like these cars had nailed the brief. Comfortable, clever and sophisticated when you want to take it easy, yet rambunctious, rapid and riotously fun when you’re in the mood for some proper driving. The electric Cooper JCW and Aceman JCW are every bit deserving of that John Cooper Works badge. 

Book a test drive in an all-electric John Cooper Works model

British firm Analogue Automotive has detailed the VHPK, a dramatic new reimagining of the Lotus Elise S1 weighing just 600kg and featuring a central driving position. 

Announced to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the seminal sports car’s unveiling, it draws on the Sport Elises raced in the Autobytel Lotus Championship at the turn of the millennium.

Like in those race cars, the driver sits dead centre in the cockpit – but the interior is said to have been modified with an array of carbonfibre components. 

The bodywork too has been replaced with carbonfibre, while extra stopping power comes courtesy of a new set of carbon-ceramic brake discs – reducing unsprung weight.

Sitting amidships is the Rover K-Series engine that originally powered the Elise, but its displacement has been increased and it has been upgraded with forged-and-billet internals. 

These tweaks have netted a power output north of 250bhp, according to Analogue, giving a power-to-weight ratio in excess of 400bhp per tonne. That more than doubles the original Elise’s 163bhp per tonne.

A total of 35 examples will be built, with orders set to open next year. Prices remain under wraps, but the less extreme Analogue Supersport is priced into the six-figure range; the VHPK is expected to comfortably exceed it. 

When Autocar competed in the Autobytel Championship

More than two decades on, the Autobytel Lotus Championship is all but forgotten. But Autocar actually fielded an entry in the competition in 2001, giving a dramatically early glimpse at what can be expected from the VHPK.

Correspondent Chris Harris noted that the Elises’ lap times around Darlington’s Croft Circuit were “very similar to those of the full-house BTCC machines we supported all year” and that the cars “felt and looked like the proper item”. 

With great grip, stopping power and the signature central driving position, the Autobytel Sport Elise felt like “a baby Group C racer”, wrote Harris.

To read the full feature, published 12 December 2001, subscribe to Autocar’s digital archive today.