The Mini JCW Hatch is going electric, with the first EV version of the German-owned British brand's hot hatch to be revealed later this year.
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Shown as a camouflaged pre-production vehicle known as the Mini John Cooper Works E PROtotype, the electric Mini JCW will sit atop the new-generation Cooper range and get similar performance-focused upgrades to the petrol-powered version that will be revealed alongside it between September and November.
There's a sportier body kit that looks quite similar to the JCW Trim version of the Cooper SE offered abroad, with more aggressive front and rear diffusers as well as side skirts to go with the larger wheel and tyre package.
While Mini hasn't shown any images of the interior, we can expect sportier interior trimmings such as suede upholstery and contrast red accents in keeping with other Mini JCW and JCW Sport models, and bucket-style front seats.
What's likely to be the key differentiator between the new JCW E and the SE JCW Trim will be the drivetrain.
Currently, the Cooper SE features a 160kW/330Nm front-mounted electric motor hooked up to a 54.2kWh lithium-ion battery pack. Mini quotes a 6.7-second dash from 0-100km/h, and a WLTP-certified range of 402 kilometres.
For reference, the outgoing Mini JCW Hatch featured an uprated 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol petrol engine making 170kW and 320Nm, and the special-edition JCW GP upped that further to 225kW and 450Nm.
The 170kW JCW claimed a 6.1-second 0-100km/h time, while the 225kW JCW GP dropped that to 5.2 seconds.
Stay tuned to CarExpert for our coverage of the reveal of the new Mini JCW and JCW E in the coming months!
MORE: Everything Mini Cooper
Content originally sourced from: CarExpert.com.au
