MINI John Cooper Works BACK from its WLTP sojourn

Production he MINI John Cooper Works had to be temporarily halted earlier this year as it fell foul of WLTP emission testing, but it’s back for 2019.

The WLTP tests for car emissions and economy, which came in to force in September, has impacted on many car makers as they failed to get their cars ready – and in a queue – for the new testing regime, resulting in quite a number of cars being prematurely binned or temporarily removed from sale.

One such was the MINI John Cooper Works – Hatch and Convertible – which disappeared from MINI’s production line in June, but is now back in the mix in the UK and Europe as MINI finally get it WLTP compliant.

Not only is the MINI JCW back it has, unlike other WLTP casualties, returned with its full complement of horses, with all the newly compliant 228 horses still available and economy officially at 40.9mpg for the manual and 46.3mpg for the eight-speed auto.

MINI say that after its absence the MINI JCW returns with a bit of enhanced kit including Piano Black trim inside and out, Dinamica Leather John Cooper Works Bucket Seats and 17″Track Spoke Alloys.

The MINI John Cooper Works Hatch and MINI John Cooper Works Convertible officially go on sale in January, with first UK customer cars due in March.