This Upcoming Mini John Cooper Works EV Looks Like the Electric Hot Hatch We Deserve
Mini’s electric vehicle lineup is expanding—and more importantly, getting faster.
If you thought the current crop of electric Minis needed more power, it looks like your wish is John Cooper Works' command. Mini's next addition to its electric vehicle lineup will be under its John Cooper Works performance brand, where the brand promises not to give up its fun-to-drive street cred in the name of electromobility.
Mini showed off its electric John Cooper Works-ified Cooper concept ripping around the Nürburgring Nordschleife in cute camouflage that has race track outlines all over it. This concept EV sports an obviously lumpy black void hiding where its usual grille would sit, some aggressive boxed fender flares and a delightfully big wing that appears to have been borrowed from the ultra-hot John Cooper Works GP.
Mini is already dipping its toes into electrification with models like the all-electric Mini Cooper SE and the Mini Cooper SE Countryman All4 plug-in hybrid, which currently account for 10% of the brand's sales.
While Mini is billing a John Cooper Works EV as the next step in its electrification plans, don't expect the non-electric John Cooper Works cars to go away just yet, though. Head of Mini Bernd Körber explained in today's announcement:
"John Cooper Works models with conventional combustion engines will still continue to have an important role to play, to make sure we’re addressing the wishes and needs of performance enthusiasts all around the world. With this new focus on electric performance, we’re also creating the opportunity to sharpen the distinctive profile of the John Cooper Works brand more than ever before.”
The cool part is that we'll be getting a choice soon, and one of those choices has sweet instant electric torque. In the meantime, though, we'll just have to be content looking at photos of someone else driving it around the Nürburgring and having more fun than us. Is it our turn yet?
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