John Cooper Works Electric mule filmed on Nurburgring

[Domenick]

A spicier version of the Mini Cooper SE appears to be on its way. In the video below, you'll see a camouflaged version of a John Cooper Works Electric making its way around the famous Nürburgring.

Besides the big wing on the back, the body work on the side of the vehicle appears to have been reworked. I would note, though, that the piece around the wheel wells could be part of a disguise.

So, question: what kind of performance improvements would you like to see out of a JCW Electric?

 

[Lainey]

Personally I'd just like to see this come to real fruition for people to buy.

 

[insightman]

I wonder what the JCW SE will do to prevent the battery overheating that afflicts the MINI Cooper SE when driven hard?
The fog lights appear have been replaced by air-intakes. Perhaps the hood scoop will be functional now. Here's Electrek's story about this car.

 

[MichaelC]

I wonder what the JCW SE will do to prevent the battery overheating that afflicts the MINI Cooper SE when driven hard?

One of so many questions about the drivetrain in this teaser!

The fog lights appear have been replaced by air-intakes. Perhaps the hood scoop will be functional now.

Aside from the SE-specific grille, the rest of the body kit appears to be straight from the ICE GP (including the hole in the rear diffuser for the center exhaust exit). Good enough for a proof-of-concept prototype, and maybe not representative of a market-ready model.

 

[insightman]

I guess the JCW SE runs cool enough without the slot in the SE's grille. They vinyled over the slot, the E-badge, the tow-hook panel, the front parking sensors--everything but the license.

 

[F14Scott]

If they're adding the wing, perhaps they've upped the top speed. I don't find myself getting loose at the current 93 MPH. Then again, aerodynamic necessity does not always accompany wing addition...

 

[Puppethead]

I took the air dam off the front of a car I had because it was catching too much snow. After one drive I put it back on, I could feel the front end lifting.

Sometimes the foils (and other surfaces) are for show, sometimes they really do provide a useful function.

 

[CuriousGeorge]

Personally, I'd like to see this prototype SE JCW GP lead to a more-affordable SE JCW non-GP.

IOW, something with a bit more power and better handling than the current SE, but without going whole-hog the way the GP has.

 

[insightman]

Personally, I'd like to see this prototype SE JCW GP lead to a more-affordable SE JCW non-GP.

IOW, something with a bit more power and better handling than the current SE, but without going whole-hog the way the GP has.

I cannot imagine how the JCW SE wouldn't be much heavier than the SE, which is going the wrong way IMO. Looking into the bright future of battery technology, I hope there will someday be two types of replacement battery for the 2020 SE: more range or more lightness. I'll be installing the latter, which will improve both handling and acceleration.

There are ways (eg. rear sway bar) to make the SE handle better--at the expense of the cushy ride, but Colin Chapman's advice, "simplify, then add lightness" is always the best answer.

 

[CuriousGeorge]

I cannot imagine how the JCW SE wouldn't be much heavier than the SE, which is going the wrong way IMO. Looking into the bright future of battery technology, I hope there will someday be two types of replacement battery for the 2020 SE: more range or more lightness. I'll be installing the latter, which will improve both handling and acceleration.

There are ways (eg. rear sway bar) to make the SE handle better--at the expense of the cushy ride, but Colin Chapman's advice, "simplify, then add lightness" is always the best answer.

I agree that lightness is a virtue. However, I don't see how a retuned suspension and a slightly more powerful motor would add much weight. (Now a bigger battery, yes.)

 

[insightman]

I agree that lightness is a virtue. However, I don't see how a retuned suspension and a slightly more powerful motor would add much weight. (Now a bigger battery, yes.)

I assumed no one would be happy with a more powerful car offering significantly less than 110 miles of range.

 

[GetOffYourGas]

I'm not sure how much more power the current 33kWh battery can provide for that bigger motor. They may have to either go with a bigger battery (to preserve the C-rate of discharge) or change to a more power-dense chemistry which in turn is going to be less energy-dense (i.e. shorter range).