MINI has previewed its inbound 2025 MINI John Cooper Works E PROtotype ahead of the near-production electric high-performance hatchback’s debut this week at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.
No further information has been released on just how much more power the MINI John Cooper Works E PROtotype will pack compared to the battery-electric MINI Cooper SE, but expect a huge boost over the 160kW/330Nm donor car.
Although it’s based on a GWM platform rather than the petrol version’s BMW-sourced architecture, some pundits suggest the MINI JCW E could adopt the e-motor from the BMW i4 eDrive40 M Sport that produces 250kW and 430Nm.
It’s not known if the all-electric MINI’s Chinese platform can support a dual-motor powertrain, but if it can the JCW E will be all-wheel drive and could pump out more than 300kW, making it one of the hottest electric hatchbacks on the market.
In any case, expect 0-100km/h acceleration of less than 5.0 seconds – a big improvement over the Cooper SE’s 6.7sec time.
The JCW E is also set to feature a substantial chassis overhaul with a wider front and rear track that will package broader tyres, while the larger wheels will hide a set of bigger brakes.
If the JCW E remains front-drive it might also feature a sophisticated limited-slip differential and the car-maker’s next-generation torque vectoring.
The standard 160kW Cooper SE tips the scale at more than 1700kg, so the John Cooper Works division will be trying to keep weight down, possibly engineering some lightweight parts such as a carbon-fibre roof.
As part of the upgrades, the MINI John Cooper Works E should also get a substantially overhauled aero to boost downforce without increasing range-sapping drag.
Speaking of range, if the JCW E shares the Cooper SE’s 54.2kWh lithium-ion battery, the quickest-ever MINI will have a range of around 400km.
While the prototype will be unveiled at Goodwood, MINI is expected to show the production model later this year.