We don’t usually expect the latest Mini news to come from China, but now that the country is home to the electric Mini, perhaps we should expect this to change. Hot off the press are the John Cooper Works (JCW) versions of both the three-door Mini and the Aceman. Both use the same 190 kW (255 hp) electric motor for the most powerful electric Mini to date.
Visually, the three-door car is similar to the Mini John Cooper Works E PROtotype, which was displayed at Goodwood in July. From the MIIT listing, we know that it has dimensions of 3863, 1756, and 1458 mm (l/w/h) along with a wheelbase of 2526 mm. This differs slightly from the Mini Cooper’s length of 3858 mm. Curb weight is 1670 kg, and the car is only offered with 18-inch wheels.
The local regulator in China must approve every car before reaching the market, and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) publishes the list of vehicles that go through the homologation process every month. Chinese carmakers are not very happy about this as it reveals production version images and specs before the cars launch. Usually, this doesn’t really affect international producers with their world models as the cars will launch in China later than overseas. However, it seems that in the case of the latest John Cooper Works versions of the Mini, we owe a big thank you to MIIT this month.
The big news, though, is the HC0002N0 electric motor mounted on the front axle. This provides a peak power of 190 kW (255 hp), a considerable increase over the 135 kW (181 hp) available with the Cooper E or the more powerful 160 kW (215 hp) with the Cooper SE (see specs). This gives the JCW version a top speed, likely a limited one, of 200 km/h.
It’s reported that the car will use the same 51.5 kWh battery pack as used in the other versions of three-door electric Mini in China. The more powerful motor will lead to some degradation in the range which in the SE version is 452 km CLTC. It should be noted that the same battery in the Cooper E gives the car a range of 456 km CLTC, meaning that the JCW version will likely have a quoted range of 440 something kilometers. The battery uses NCM chemistry and is sourced from Svolt. It should be noted that Svolt is a subsidiary of Great Wall Motor with whom BMW has the joint venture known as Spotlight, producing the electric Mini in China.
Externally, the car looks sportier, with many features blackened, such as the Mini logo. John Cooper Works badges are also added, and at the back, there is a large black decoration that includes a three-dimensional checkered flag. From the MIIT option listings, it appears there are provisions for items such as contrasting-colored mirrors on the body and stripes on the hood.
Powering the JCW version of the Aceman is the same HC0002N0 electric motor. Given that the larger, heavier, five-door has the same top speed of 200 km/h, these speeds are highly likely to be electronically limited. Dimensions for the JCW Aceman are 4094, 1754, and 1515 mm (l/w/h) with the wheelbase also being longer at 2606 mm. Curb weight is 1768 kg, and the car comes with larger 19-inch wheels. MIIT lists the battery supplier again as Svolt. It should be noted that in the UK, the Aceman comes with a choice of 42.5kWh and 54.2kWh battery packs, and the JCW will likely use the larger.
Like the three-door the Aceman gets blackened styling. This is probably most noticeable with the grille which is now blacked out. There are also red stripes on either side of the front fender. The MIIT listing options show various ways buyers can customize the look of their car. These include non-matching mirrors and hood art.
It should be noted that in China, the three-door version of the Mini JCW is officially a four-seater, whereas the Aceman is a five-seater.
Source: MIIT
