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Mini John Cooper Works 1 To 6 Edition extols the manual transmission

Throughout the final year of this generation of Mini Cooper, the Anglo-German brand has been rolling out limited editions about every 90 days. We got the Mini 20 Years Edition last September, the Mini Convertible Seaside Edition in March, the Mini Clubman Final Edition in April, now we have the fourth to complete the set: The Mini John Cooper Works 1 to 6 Edition. It memorializes Mini racing and the "pure essence of motorsport" as a JCW with a six-speed manual transmission, hence the 1 To 6 name. It copies the formula for the Clubman Final Edition in being almost only special badges, colors, and materials; there's little more to this than a retail Mini JCW with a stick shift and three more horsepower. Outside, there's a Midnight Black body ornamented with Piano Black for the grille surround, side scuttles, and waistline finisher. The 18-inch Circuit Spoke rims come in Jet Black. The gray bonnet stripe is composed of shift pattern line drawings, the same shift pattern showing up on the hatch in black. Red, white, and silver 1 to 6 badges appear on the side scuttles and C-pillars. Mini's making 999 examples for global buyers, so "One of 999" appears in places like the sunroof, steering wheel, and instrument panel. The black and gray interior shows off an antracite-colored headliner, illuminated red bezel for the instrument cluster, red ambient lighting, badged floor mats, and course, the stick shift with special stitching. The special makes its world debut at next month's Nurburgring 24-Hour race. One car will compete as part of the Bulldog Racing team wearing race number #126, driven by Charlie Cooper, a regular competitor who also happens to be the grandson of the John Cooper that Mini's fastest trims honor. It's a pairing that shows how the "essence of motorsport" has progressed; the hardcore Mini JCW that Bulldog Racing runs is fitted with an eight-speed automatic. We'll find out soon how many of the Mini JCW 1 to 6 Editions will come to the U.S. and the premium Mini will charge over the $35,400 of the regular Mini JCW.

Mini John Cooper Works wears a racing suit for the Nurburgring

Mini is returning to the Nurburgring 24 Hours, one of the most grueling races in the world, after a decade-long hiatus. The BMW-owned British firm is supporting a private team called Bulldog Racing that's entering a heavily-modified John Cooper Works Hardtop into the event. The track-bound hatchback doesn't look, sound, or feel like a standard John Cooper Works Hardtop. Several modifications were made to prepare it for the race, including fitting the turbocharged, 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine normally found in the Clubman and the Countryman. It develops 306 horsepower and 330 pound-feet of torque, and it spins the front wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission with an integrated differential lock. For context, the standard John Cooper Works Hardtop is rated at 228 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque. The engine slurps fuel from a bigger, 26-gallon tank and it exhales through a modified exhaust system. Dialing in more power wouldn't be much use without suspension and braking modifications to keep it in check. To that end, the Hardtop gains an adjustable suspension system, reinforced Uniball bearings for all moving chassis and suspension parts, and more powerful brakes from BMW M Performance. Bulldog Racing also installed a full body kit that looks like the one worn by the John Cooper Works GP, which is limited to 3,000 units. It includes a front splitter, flares over the wheel arches, an adjustable rear wing, and a rear diffuser. There's more than initially meets the eye: we're told that the underbody is completely covered as well. Makrolon windows replace the production car's glass units to reduce weight. Inside, you won't find many components that still carry a Mini parts number. Open the driver's door, which now features a carbon fiber panel, and hop over the full roll cage to settle into an OPM racing seat that faces a KMP quick-release steering wheel. The digital instrument cluster and, somewhat surprisingly, the infotainment system's screen remain, but the rear seats and most of the trim pieces have been removed. Bulldog Racing will continue to fine-tune the track-bound Hardtop in the coming weeks. Some tests will be performed on the Nurburgring, while others will take place on the private test track that BMW operates near Miramas, a town in the south of France. The hot hatch is scheduled to make its competition debut at the 50th edition of the Nurburgring 24 Hours taking place in Germany from May 26 to 29.

British company announces turn-key EV conversion kit for classic Mini

Swindon Powertrain unveiled a turn-key EV conversion kit that makes electrifying a Mini built between 1959 and 2000 relatively easy. It bridges the gap between the original model and the Cooper SE released earlier in 2020. Available in December 2020, the kit consists of an electric motor mounted on a modified Mini front subframe, and purpose-designed inner CV joint housings designed to work with regular-production half shafts. Swindon notes no modifications are required; installing the kit requires removing the original front subframe, probably selling the stock engine and the transmission in the local classifieds, and bolting the new subframe to the Mini's body. Rated at 107 continuous horsepower, but programmed to offer a peak output of 160 horsepower, the motor spins the front wheels via a single-speed transmission, which seemingly settles the debate over magic wand, direct, and remote gear changes. It offers more power than any four-cylinder fitted to the Mini by the factory. After tightening the subframe bolts, owners need to source additional powertrain components, like the battery pack, the motor controller, the on-board charger, and the DC-DC converter. All of these parts are available directly from Swindon Powertrains, or from a growing list of aftermarket vendors, but they're not included in the kit. Electric technology isn't cheap, and Swindon's kit is no exception. It's priced at GBP8,850 (about $11,500) before taxes and shipping enter the equation, meaning it's more expensive than rebuilding an original four-cylinder engine. Viewed in this light, electrification is better suited to some of the high-zoot custom builds (like the stunning Remastered available from David Brown Automotive) priced in the six digits than to a beater 1980s City model.