The next-generation Mini Cooper will debut later this year. The automaker is already teasing the new model, even releasing details and specifications about the Cooper Electric three-door hatchback. The EV will spawn a hotter John Cooper Works variant, which rides low in these new spy photos.
The electric Mini John Cooper Works wears a unique front fascia and a sporty front splitter with central support. Pronounced side sills, an aggressive rear diffuser, and a sizable roof spoiler help prove this is the spicier variant. The Mini also has big brakes hiding behind its wider wheels.
We know that Mini will offer the 2024 Electric Cooper with two battery packs – 40.7 and 54.2 kilowatts hours. The entry-level version with the smaller pack makes 181 horsepower from its front-mounted motor and will deliver an estimated 186 miles of range in Europe.
The Cooper SE delivers 215 hp to its front wheels while offering up to an estimated 249 miles of range across the pond thanks to the bigger battery. The JCW should have more power than the SE, and rumors suggest it’ll deliver 250 hp. The extra power will likely lower its range. Underpinning the Cooper EV lineup is a dedicated platform called Spotlight that BMW co-developed with Great Wall Motors.
Inside, we know the Mini will have a large 9.44-inch diameter OLED display in the middle of the dashboard. The company teased the car’s cabin late last month, and missing from the images was a traditional instrument cluster. Instead, a transparent screen at the base of the windshield provides pertinent information for the driver. The big central display will serve several purposes beyond just infotainment, with the vehicle speed indicated at the top of the large screen.
Mini plans to sell electric and combustion-powered versions of the next-generation Cooper, so if an electric JWC isn’t for you, there will be other options. Spy photos have already captured the company testing a gas-powered JCW.
Mini is already showing off the next-generation model, which will launch later this year. However, the automaker might not reveal the electric John Cooper Works until late 2024 for the 2025 model year. Mini has plans to become a fully electric manufacturer, so expect more EVs from the brand in the coming years, like the new Aceman.
