MINI formally unveiled an updated John Cooper Works logo last weekend during the season finale of the Rundstrecken-Challenge Nürburgring 2023. The revised JCW graphic made its first public appearance on the #616 race car fielded by Bulldog Racing, a MINI John Cooper Works Edition equipped with a six-speed manual gearbox. The track-only hot hatch was driven by Sebastian Sauerbrei (GER) and Friedhelm Thelen (GER) who crossed the finish line in the 53rd spot out of a total of 158 cars.
If you feel like it looks instantly familiar, you’re not alone. That’s because we have already seen it on several occasions. The first time it crossed our radar was at the beginning of September when the next-generation Countryman was quietly unveiled in the range-topping guise. Earlier this month, the compact crossover in spicy JCW flavor appeared in the German configurator.
Lest we forget that with the new wave of models, MINI is overhauling its trim structure. There’s now a John Cooper Works grade separate from the full-fat JCW. It’s all show without any extra go, so you can think of it as MINI’s equivalent of BMW’s M Sport Package. These not-quite-JCW models are also rocking the new logo but look less aggressive overall, especially since the lesser trim level doesn’t have the quad exhaust system that will be installed on the fully fledged JCW cars.
MINI says it will apply the new logo going forward on all models, and it’s only a matter of time before there will be an electric JCW. Chances are it’ll be an amped-up version of the 3-Door hatchback and slated to arrive around 2025. The zero-emission hatch will be mechanically related to next year’s production-ready Aceman but it’s unclear whether the subcompact crossover is slated to get the JCW treatment.
The days of gasoline JCWs are already numbered considering the Oxford-based marque has pledged to sell only EVs from 2030 when Rolls-Royce will also retire the combustion engine. As for BMW, it’s in no rush to discontinue the ICE.
Source: MINI