### Introduction The John Cooper Works (JCW) badge has been synonymous with Mini's performance credentials since the 1960s. However, the latest iteration of the JCW, the 2025 Mini Cooper JCW, feels like a car built to deliver aesthetic appeal rather than dynamic excellence. With its focus on features like the circular OLED interface in the dashboard, this Cooper JCW doesn't feel like its predecessors, and the evolution of Mini's lineup over the last decade shows a continual move away from the performance sensibilities that earlier JCW variants exemplified. ### Handling and Performance The JCW's chassis feels overly loose and undisciplined, with copious body roll and occasional alarming leaning. The electrically assisted power steering delivers sharp responses but muted feedback, nullifying the pleasure of the car's crisp turn-in. The only benefit of the chassis's lack of composure is its ability to yaw, producing big angles of lift-off oversteer on track. However, ...
### Introduction
The John Cooper Works (JCW) badge has been synonymous with Mini’s performance credentials since the 1960s. However, the latest iteration of the JCW, the 2025 Mini Cooper JCW, feels like a car built to deliver aesthetic appeal rather than dynamic excellence. With its focus on features like the circular OLED interface in the dashboard, this Cooper JCW doesn’t feel like its predecessors, and the evolution of Mini’s lineup over the last decade shows a continual move away from the performance sensibilities that earlier JCW variants exemplified.
### Handling and Performance
The JCW’s chassis feels overly loose and undisciplined, with copious body roll and occasional alarming leaning. The electrically assisted power steering delivers sharp responses but muted feedback, nullifying the pleasure of the car’s crisp turn-in. The only benefit of the chassis’s lack of composure is its ability to yaw, producing big angles of lift-off oversteer on track. However, this doesn’t translate to the best lap times or a sense of precision, as earlier JCW Minis managed to combine entertainment with agility with speed.
### Powertrain and Braking
The BMW-shared inline-four powerplant is torque rich, reaching peak shove at 1500 rpm, and helps this Cooper JCW retain the characteristic corner-exit clawing feel of its predecessors. The braking hardware stays sturdy and rewarding to dig into on track, where none of us ran out of braking power, even after the hard-worked pads turned pungent.
### Features and Design
The JCW’s design language is characterized by its cute, kitschy aesthetic, which now seems to be the essence of the brand. The circular OLED interface in the dashboard is a feat of look-at-me design but is difficult to use. The car’s focus on features like this, rather than performance, is a departure from the priorities of earlier JCW variants.
### Conclusion
While the 2025 Mini Cooper JCW is not a bad car by any means, it feels like a John Cooper Works in name only. The priorities of earlier JCW variants, which emphasized performance and handling, have been replaced by a focus on aesthetics and features. This is not necessarily a bad thing, as the JCW’s design language is certainly appealing. However, for fans of the JCW badge, this latest iteration may be a disappointment.
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