New MINI John Cooper Works – first look at the new ICE version

The new petrol-powered MINI John Copper Works is revealed in camouflaged ‘PRO’ guise ahead of a debut at the Nurburgring next week.

We’ve got a new petrol-powered MINI, based on the previous ICE MINI, and we’ve got a new electric MINI too. Now it’s time to start delivering performance versions of the two new MINIs, first with the ICE MINI John Cooper Works followed next year by the MINI JCW EV.

In the lead-up to the reveal of the ICE JCW, MINI has delivered photos of the new car in ‘PRO’ guise and covered in red and white camouflage honouring the livery of Paddy Hopkirk’s 1964 Monte Carlo-winning Mini Cooper S.

The ‘PROP’ car will make its debut at the 24 Hours Le Mans this weekend, but it’ll be autumn before MINI reveals the car proper and details of power and performance on offer.

Still, despite the reality that some of the aggressive appendages featured on this camo’d car will be toned down for production, the production JCW will still be more aggressive-looking with a butch grille, bigger air intakes, big rear diffuser and upturned spoiler at the back.

As the ICE MINI is a titivated version of the previous MINI – and not a new model like the MINI EV – it will come with the same 2.0-litre turbo petrol, likely to be boosted to around 250bhp, and sure to come with an auto ‘box as MINI has dropped a manual option in this generation and tweaked suspension for better agility and responsiveness.

Despite an appearance this weekend, and the photos, MINI says it will be autumn before the new MINI JCW debuts.