The brand new Mini Cooper S John Cooper Works has hit the internet prematurely in a set of official photographs. It is set to make its public debut in early January at the Detroit Motor Show and will go on sale in the second quarter of next year. We already know it is based on the three-door Cooper S but it receives a number of visual upgrades and of course a performance improvement.
A unique front bumper with larger air ducts, revised LED headlamps, new wheels arch cladding, wider sills, prominent spoiler, deeper rear bumper and a twin centrally mounted chrome exhaust pipes complete the cosmetic upgrades.
Power comes from a revised version of the Cooper S’s 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine and it delivers 228 horsepower making it the most powerful engine to be fitted to a regular production Mini model. This is a 20 horsepower hike over the 1.6-litre turbocharged engine from the previous generation and is 39 hp stronger than the normal Cooper S. It receives an electronic differential lock to help keep the car on the tarmac and buyers can choose between a six-speed manual or automatic gearboxes.
It is 100kg lighter than the previous generation and can apparently hit 100 km/h in 6.1 seconds making it 0.8 seconds quicker than the old Cooper Works which of course makes it 0.8 seconds quicker than the Cooper S. The 17-inch wheels are wrapped in 205/45 profile tyres and you get an awesome Brembo braking system to make sure you get your braking spot on.
