John Cooper's cooperation with Mini began back in the days when the British automaker produced the original Mark I car. Developed as an homologation car for rally racing, the original Cooper->ke629 and Cooper S models were built until 1967. The modern-day John Cooper Works was founded in 2000 by Michael Cooper, son of John Cooper. The first Mini JCW was released in 2008. The company is now a wholly owned subsidiary of BMW->ke178 and is the in-house tuning arm for all Mini->ke57 vehicles, much like the M division is to Bimmer. Seven years since the inception of the first modern-day Mini JCW, John Cooper Works has released a brand-new iteration of the beefed-up hatch.

Based on the recently redesigned Cooper Hardtop, the new JCW is the most powerful Mini ever developed as of 2015 with 228 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque at its disposal. The 2015 John Cooper Works Mini is set to bow at the 2015 Detroit Motor Show->ke222 and go on sale in the United States a few months after its debut.

Updated 1/12/2015: Mini has officially revealed the Cooper Hardtop John Cooper Works at the 2015 Detroit Auto Show. Not that we didn't already know nearly everything about it already. The only new information available is its starting price of $30,600 plus $850 delivery fee, its release date of spring 2015, and that Mini will be running the Cooper Hardtop JCW in the Street Tuner (ST) class of the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge in 2015.

Updated 01/23/2015: We've added a series of new images from the car's official debut at the 2015 Detroit Auto Show. Check the new images in the "Pictures" tab.

Click past the jump to read more about the 2015 Mini John Cooper Works.

Update History

Updated 12/11/2014: Mini revealed the first details on the John Cooper Works - the most powerful version in the new Cooper lineup. The model will make its official debut in January at the 2015 Detroit Auto Show. Details after the jump.

Spy Shots

November 14, 2014 - Mini John Cooper Works testing in Northern Sweden

May 26, 2014 - Mini John Cooper Works testing at Nurburgring

February 14, 2014 - First Sighting

Exterior

Based on the redesigned Cooper hatch, the brand-new JCW stands out thanks to a host of exterior upgrades that enhance its performance-oriented nature. The front bumper is almost entirely made of large air inlets, which speak volumes of the high cooling requirements of the uprated engine and the front brakes. The front grille sports a unique honeycomb pattern and a John Cooper Works badge on its left side. Both the headlamps and the daytime running lights feature LED technology as standard. Around back, the bumper comprises no less than four distinct outlets, with two of them incorporated into the diffuser-like element. The latter also includes a center-mounted exhaust exit. A JCW logo and a slightly reshaped tailgate round off the hatch's new rear styling.

Other exterior features unique to the JCW nameplate include black wheel arches with bespoke contours, body-colored side skirts, and a roof-mounted spoiler. Naturally, the model can be ordered with a laundry list of options, including black stripes with Chili Red lines for the bonnet, black, white or Chili Red mirror caps and special exterior paints. Included in the 11-color palette is the special Lapisluxury Blue Metallic and the JCW-exclusive Rebel Green Metallic.

Interior

The interior of the new John Cooper Works is sportier than ever and due to the increased dimensions of the redesigned Mini, the high-performance version is also roomier than its predecessor. Now there is more legroom in the back, while the luggage compartment offers up to 34 cubic feet of space when the rear seats are folded.

As far as new features go, the JCW comes with newly developed John Cooper Works sports seats with integrated headrests and enhanced bolstering. The standard seats are wrapped in Dinamica/fabric, but customers can select leather upholstery from the options list. The JCW also boasts a new, leather-wrapped steering wheel with multifunction buttons, a John Cooper Works shifter, branded side sills, and stainless-steel pedals. Red accents and Piano Black trim rounds out the interior.

Also standard is the new Mini Driving Modes, which allows the driver to select between the Green, Mid and Sport driving modes. Each mode influences acceleration, steering, shifting, as well as the engine's note.

Drivetrain

The brand-new JCW gains a new turbocharged, 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine, which injects significantly more power into the beefed-up hatch. The four-banger makes 228 horsepower at 5,200 rpm and 236 pound-feet of torque from 1,250 to 4,800 rpm in the 2015 JCW, figures that account for a 20-pony and 29-pound-feet increase. With that much oomph sent to its wheels, the 2015 Mini JCW is the most powerful production Mini ever built as of 2014.

The new Cooper JCW is also the quickest, needing only 5.9 seconds to charge from naught to 60 mph with the six-speed automatic transmission, making it 0.3 seconds quicker than the previous model. When equipped with the six-speed manual, the benchmark increases to 6.1 seconds, but that's nothing to sneeze at in the world of hot hatchbacks. In fact, the JCW's 0-to-60 sprint is a lot quicker than its closest competitor, the Ford Fiesta ST, which needs nearly an extra second more to achieve the same benchmark.

Top speed has also been upped by 7 mph, putting it at 153 mph.

Drivetrain Specifications

Prices

Mini has priced the 2015 Cooper Hardtop JCW at $30,600, plus an $850 delivery fee. Prices will shoot up from there based on options added.

Competitors

Fiat 500 Abarth

The 500 Abarth may not as powerful as the Mini JCW, but it's the latter's No. 1 competitor based on heritage alone. For 2015, Fiat left the 500 Abarth unchanged on the outside, but equipped its cabin with a revised center console and an updated instrument panel. There's also a new cup holder, a new USB port, and Bluetooth streaming audio.

Power comes from a turbocharged, 1.4-liter, inline-four that cranks out 160 horsepower and 170 pound-feet of torque. Routed to the through either a five-speed manual or a six-speed automatic, the oomph enables the little Abarth hit 60 mph from a standing start in about 6.9 seconds, a full second slower than the automatic John Cooper Works model. Top speed sits at 129 mph.

Pricing for the 2015 Fiat 500 Abarth starts from $22,395.

Ford Fiesta ST

Ford's latest sporty hatch is dominating every comparison test and making waves with enthusiasts. With 197 horsepower and 202 pound-feet of torque at its disposal, as well as outstanding handling, it has become the darling of the automotive world. The Fiesta ST gets its juice from a turbo, 1.6-liter, four-pot that mates to a six-speed manual transmission. The small batch takes only 6.8 seconds to hit 60 mph, which makes the Fiesta nearly a full second slower than the JCW automatic and 0.7 seconds slower than the manual version. The ST's top speed sits at 130 mph, a figure that's also inferior to the Mini's.

On the outside, the Fiesta ST is as fresh as it gets, having received a makeover for the 2015 model year. Thanks to its aerodynamic body kit, the ST looks good anywhere on the road, while the sporty and well-equipped interior makes it an attractive option. This little hatch fetches $21,400 before options. Even when loaded with all the goodies, it still chimes in under $30k. Additionally, now that Mountune is offering Fiesta ST goodies in the U.S., you can quickly bump the small hatch to 215 horses and 236 pound-feet, which drops its 0-t-60 sprint to 6.4 seconds for just an extra $1,200. Plus this kit is endorsed by Ford.

History

The John Cooper Works line of Minis builds on the decades of of racing heritage from the original cooper that was piloted to victory by John Cooper himself. The current company John Cooper Works is a tuning house that was started by John's son, Michael. The company is now a wholly owned subsidiary of BMW and is the in-house tuning arm for all Mini vehicles. It operates much the way BMW's M division handles high-performance version of standard cars.

The first JCW model Mini was released in 2008 and was based on the Cooper Hardtop.

Conclusion

Granted, the new JCW is everything we expected it to be. It has aggressive styling, the most powerful engine fitted in a Mini as of 2015, a decent amount of luxury and a host of customization options. But just like any other Mini, the JCW is basically a fashion accessory that's a tad too expensive for this segment.