In the readers’ vote held by German magazine “sport auto”, the top athlete of the British premium brand defended its title in the “small car” category importer ranking, winning the title of the Sportiest Car of 2016 once again. With 28.2 percent of the votes, it left the competitors in its class far behind. The latest version of the MINI JCW still belongs to the circle of models which continues to thrill the public interested in sporty and dynamic driving.

“Sport Auto” readers have already been voting for their favorites in the performance and driving experience disciplines since 1980. This year readers were able to choose from 235 current models in 25 categories for series production and tuning automobiles. Since 2015 participants have also been able to vote on the sportiest import models produced by series manufacturers. 16 953 votes were cast in the magazine’s current readers’ choice.

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The MINI John Cooper Works hardtop owes its extremely sporty temperament to the most powerful engine ever installed in a model of the British premium brand. The 2-liter 4-cylinder powerplant featuring model-specifically refined MINI TwinPower Turbo technology, generates a peak output of 231 hp and offers a precisely harmonized package for extreme driving fun in combination with the sports suspension, the John Cooper Works Aerodynamics Kit and the distinctive cockpit design. The sprint from standing to 100 km/h takes the MINI John Cooper Works 6.3 seconds. In conjunction with the optional 6-speed Steptronic transmission it reaches the 100 km/h (62 mph) mark after only 6.1 seconds.

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The latest version of the top athlete takes up the traditional connection between MINI and John Cooper Works, which raises the incomparable MINI go-kart feeling to racing-oriented performance levels. Alongside the extremely sporty 3 door variant, the new MINI John Cooper Works Convertible has also moved into row 1 of the starting grid. And the third member of the new John Cooper Works model range is already waiting in pit-lane. With its versatile interior and standard ALL4 all-wheel drive, the MINI John Cooper Works Clubman, which premiered at the Mondial de l’Automobile 2016 in Paris, ensures that hallmark racing passion is also established in the premium compact segment.