MINI will be in top form at the 2024 Paris Motor Show where it intends to display a variety of models. The electric Cooper, Aceman, and Countryman will all share the spotlight in SE flavor, plus a pair of John Cooper Works models. The high-performance models will be the first in the company’s history to eschew the combustion engine. That’s right – JCW is going electric.
Although MINI doesn’t disclose the identities of the zero-emissions JCWs, we’re certain they’ll be based on the “J01” and “J05.” The former is none other than the 3-Door hatchback while the latter is the subcompact crossover. Expect a bump in power over the current SE models, which pack 218 hp and 243 lb-ft of torque.
The impending launch of electric JCWs doesn’t mean MINI is giving up on sporty cars with gas engines. The 3-Door hatch (“F66”) will also get the John Cooper Works treatment to join the Countryman JCW. As before, the BMW-owned automaker isn’t doing a 5-Door (“F65”) in the JCW guise. Confusingly, the British brand does offer a watered-down JCW trim level that’s all show without any extra go.
The electric JCWs will be initially built in China, meaning they’ll be hit by the European Union’s tariffs on EVs manufactured in the People’s Republic. BMW CEO Oliver Zipse declared last week that these taxes (as high as 45%) are a “fatal signal for the European automotive industry.” However, it’s a temporary problem because MINI has already promised to start production of the electric 3-Door Hatch and Aceman in Oxford in 2026.
The 90th edition of the Paris Motor Show is scheduled to take place between October 14-20. The first day of the event is reserved for the press, so public days start on the 15th. Following their debuts, the electric JCWs should go on sale by the year’s end or early 2025.
Source: MINI
