The Mini JCW E Prototype provides a sneak peak at firm’s hottest electric hatch

We’ve already had a taste of what the future holds for hot Minis with the 215bhp Cooper SE, but soon, the electric Mini hatch will get the JCW treatment to take its performance to another level. At this month’s Goodwood Festival of Speed, a John Cooper Works E Prototype will run up the hill to preview a production version arriving later in 2024.

While the JCW’s technical specification is still under wraps, it’ll be based on Mini’s bespoke EV platform that has been co-developed with Chinese firm Great Wall Motors. This is entirely distinct from the architecture used by petrol Minis, and positions a battery pack within the floor of the car and a single electric motor at the front. The JCW is likely to use the larger of the two battery packs offered with the electric Mini (49.2kWh) on account of its performance-oriented powertrain.

Mini hasn’t confirmed whether the JCW will retain the front-drive layout of the Cooper SE or move to a dual-motor setup, but either way, it’ll be the most powerful electric Mini hatch of all. As such, it’s expected to outgun the 217bhp Alpine A290, which matches up closely to the Cooper SE for power. 

Where the Alpine will almost certainly hold an advantage is in terms of weight. It’s already 126kg lighter than the 1605kg Cooper SE, and if the JCW receives beefier drivetrain components or a second motor, that gap will widen. With that said, expect the JCW’s extra power to trim down the Cooper SE’s 6.7sec sprint to 62mph, potentially beating the Alpine’s 6.4sec time.

The chassis will gain unique JCW tuning too, building on the agility and fast reactions of the Cooper SE. Whether that’ll be enough to out-handle the A290, which is also being developed with a clear focus on driving dynamics, remains to be seen.