Europe’s little hot hot segment dies. In recent years we have had to say goodbye to the Hyundai i20 N and Ford Fiesta Street. Cars such as the Renault Clio RS, Peugeot 208 GTI and Skoda Fabia RS are already distant memories. But there are still options, albeit limited. Volkswagen still sells the Polo GTI while Mini has this – the John Cooper Works (F66).
The JCW may have been the last hot hat from gas, which was from Oxford, and made the trip to Germany a hot round of the Nürburgring. French journalists from L’Igus took the pocket rocket around the green hell. As if the route were not already challenging enough, the construction shows that the driver has to weave through heavy traffic.
The John Cooper Works is the perfect tool for the Nordschleife. The driver clearly knew what he was doing and overtook many cars from a segment above. There were even a few exotic ones like Lotus Emira and Porsche Cayman. The pint-size-performance car even managed to keep pace with the BMW M5 CS Ring Taxi as he overtook one car after the other.
Is something missing? Yes, a manual gear. The driver used the paddle well to control the automatic seven-speed dual coupling, but it is not just the same. Some will argue that a DCT is always faster than a manual on the right track and they are right. Nevertheless, it is increasingly worthwhile to row your own gears through the endless corners of the Nordschleife.
Even without a three-pedal setup, we should be grateful that Mini still offers the JCW a combustion engine in view of the strict legislation of Europe. The turbo -charged “B48” does not sound as aggressive as you could expect, and artificial noises by the loudspeakers.
It is worth noting that the F66 has another party trick for additional drama. When the 2.0-liter four-cylinder reaches 3,000 rpm, a secondary exhaust pipe, which is angled towards the floor, opens a valve to release more decibels. While the JCW growls, the most things you hear is still improved digitally.
But don’t make a mistake, the JCW can move. It effortlessly reaches 231 km/h and quickly climbs out of the corners. His small footprint makes the Nürburgring feel like an oversized playground. This is a real track toy and one of the last gases in a dying segment.
Video: L’Arus / YouTube
