2013 Mini Paceman JCW: three-door pocket rocket to top Australian range

The three-door Mini John Cooper Works Paceman will launch in Australia from the middle of next year, a few months after the standard Paceman range arrives in local showrooms around late February/March.

Like the standard Paceman line-up, which will command a premium of just under $2000 over the larger five-door Mini Countryman on which it’s based, the Mini Paceman JCW will be positioned just above the circa-$60K Countryman JCW, which is also due around March. The anticipated low-$60,000 pricing will make the Paceman JCW the most expensive standard production model in Mini Australia’s line-up.

Like its John Cooper Works Countryman big brother, the Paceman JCW boasts a 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine with 160kW and 280Nm (300Nm on overboost). Available with six-speed manual and automatic transmission options, the JCW comes standard with Mini’s ‘ALL4’ all-wheel-drive system, which can send up to 100 per cent of the engine’s power to the rear wheels.

The Mini Paceman JCW sprints from 0-100km/h in 6.9 seconds and kicks on to a top speed of 226km/h (224km/h auto). As well as being the quickest, the manual variant is also the most frugal around town, consuming 8.0 litres per 100km on the combined cycle versus the auto’s 8.3L/100km.

The Paceman’s chunky frame sports a racy body kit in JCW form, highlighted by its muscular front end, bespoke side skirts, 18-inch black-burnished alloy wheels, and meaty rear end with twin exhausts integrated into the lower bumper.

The cabin features black leather upholstery with red stitching, black roof liner and a sports steering wheel. To turn the red and black theme up another level, Chilli Red trim strips (pictured) can be optioned in to replace of the standard piano black trim.

Australian pricing and specifications will be revealed closer to the local launch of the Mini Paceman JCW in 2013.

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