MINI JCW hot hatch to go EV

As British car-maker MINI flicks the 'go' switch on its first EV in 2020, it signals the brand's intent to explore all electric avenues.

It now seems that include its pulse-pounding hero models, including the next-generation MINI John Cooper Works (JCW) high-performance models and the limited-edition MINI GP.

“Why not make the pinnacle of the brand an EV? Currently with this generation, no – but yeah, why not? Why should we exclude that [JCW models from EV powertrains]?” said Andreas Lampka, head of communications at MINI.

“Even if we agree we're not total fans of electric cars, the torque and the acceleration is impressive. So that's one thing we learned about EV. So why not bring that to John Cooper Works?”

Lampka was speaking at the global launch of the brand’s first production EV, the MINI Electric, a circa-$50,000 electric car coming to Australia in July with a roughly 235km range.

That car's high-performance successors, however, will take more time to make the EV switch, and it will not be an easy transition.

As the MINI comms boss explained, making its hero cars electric will cause the brand much angst as it grapples with how to maintain the raucous car's fiery personalities – particularly in terms of acoustics.

EVs have been criticised for being soulless compared to combustion engine cars and the MINI JCW and GP models are loud and outgoing machines – something that's not easily reproducible in an EV.

“We would need to re-invent that. The emotional appeal of a JCW is the sound of it. And that's something we just now can't achieve with an EV,” he said.

While Lampka wouldn’t talk about when the next-generation MINI JCW models will arrive, they're expected to lob in the next two or three years, when the current generation will turn 10 years old after launching in 2014.

At present, MINI JCW hatch models pump out 170kW and 320Nm from their 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engines.

MINI Clubman and Countryman JCW models are newer and get a more potent 225kW/450Nm 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine.

The MINI GP hatch gets the same fiery 225kW/450Nm engine, but next-gen versions of these vehicle could leave them for dead with instant torque and clever power and traction management.

“We would not rebadge an [existing] EV with a JCW logo – we would need to make a suitable car,” added Lampka.

Asked if the MINI GP would continue to be a combustion engine car, he responded: “No”.

“This limited production run will be a combustion engine, but the next generation is really under discussion.

“We don’t have taboos when it comes to that, but the car needs to be a real JCW. If you don’t have this blipper and all of that [character] then I don't know what to do,” he said.

“There's nothing more boring than having a digital car that accelerates like this [makes dull noise].”

Lampka agreed that all-wheel drive, twin motors and possibly even interchangeable batteries for racetrack work are options being discussed.

But without its trademark personality, the JCW EV’s potential to fail is real.

“It's difficult because there's never been a car like that. I'm personally thankful for a car like the Porsche Taycan. The Teslas did some ground work, but they're not appealing to me.

“But the Taycan shows that if you're open to solutions, you'll find one. No one will argue that a Taycan is not an emotional car.”

Most EVs drive in near-silence, but it's looking increasingly likely that the next MINI JCW will not be one of them.