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All-electric Mini John Cooper Works GP confirmed for production

Mini has confirmed its electric hot hatch – which was photographed by spies earlier this year – is on its way.


The Mini JCW Electric GP is coming, the brand confirmed yesterday.

Unlike the Mini Electric, which is designed as a city car, Mini's upcoming JCW Electric GP will be a proper emissions-free hot hatch.

Images of the vehicle were published wearing a light camouflage wrap, but CarAdvice contributor Alex Misoyannis has put together a render of what the final product can be expected to look like (top).

The news comes a month after the all-electric John Cooper Works prototype was spotted driving in Germany, next to the Nurburgring circuit, and weeks after sketches of the vehicle were teased in a YouTube video.

These official images now show the electric mule driving on the famous track, sending a strong signal from the brand that this Mini is going to be more than a mere town runabout.

Wearing a body kit from the Mini JCW GP – which has 225kW/450Nm from its 2.0-litre turbo engine – the electric version is expected to deliver a healthy upgrade over the 135kW/270Nm offered in the current Mini Electric.

While details on the upcoming JCW Electric GP are limited, it's possible Mini – which is owned by BMW – could borrow the vehicle's powertrain from the fully-electric BMW iX3.

The iX3 offers 210kW of power and 400Nm of torque from its single electric motor, which would be plenty in the smaller and lighter Mini hatch.

In early November 2020, Mini's boss Bernd Körber revealed JCW would evolve to become a stand-alone sub-brand, dedicated to producing electric models.

"What we would like to do is make John Cooper Works a real electric performance brand," Mr Körber said at the time.

A spokesperson for Mini Australia told CarAdvice: "The Mini JCW Electric GP is at the moment a study on potential possibilities with electromobility in a small package".

"Mini Australia cannot confirm arrival into Australia, but is excited about the brand defining itself in the small, sporty and electric space."

It's expected the Mini JCW Electric GP will be fully unveiled in 2021.


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Ben Zachariah

Ben Zachariah is an experienced writer and motoring journalist from Melbourne, having worked in the automotive industry for more than two decades. Ben began writing professionally more than 15 years ago and was previously an interstate truck driver. He completed his MBA in Finance in early 2021 and is considered an expert on classic car investment.

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