Europe’s small hot hatch segment is dying. In recent years, we’ve had to say goodbye to the Hyundai i20 N and Ford Fiesta ST. Cars like the Renault Clio RS, Peugeot 208 GTi, and Skoda Fabia RS are already distant memories. But there are still options, albeit limited. Volkswagen still sells the Polo GTI, while MINI has this – the John Cooper Works (F66).
Possibly the last gas-fueled hot hatch from Oxford, the JCW made the trip to Germany for a hot lap of the Nürburgring. French journalists from L’Argus took the pocket rocket around the Green Hell. As if the track wasn’t already challenging enough, onboard footage shows the driver having to weave through heavy traffic.
Small, nimble, and packing decent power, the John Cooper Works is the perfect tool for the Nordschleife. The driver clearly knew what he was doing, overtaking plenty of cars from a segment above. There were even a few exotics, such as the Lotus Emira and the Porsche Cayman. The pint-sized performance car even managed to keep pace with the BMW M5 CS Ring Taxi while overtaking one car after another.
Anything missing? Yes, a manual gearbox. The driver did make good use of the paddles to control the seven-speed dual-clutch automatic, but it’s not quite the same. Some will argue that a DCT is always faster than a manual on track, and they’d be right. Still, rowing your own gears through the Nordschleife’s endless corners is always more rewarding.
Even without a three-pedal setup, we should be grateful that MINI is still offering the JCW with a combustion engine, given Europe’s strict legislation. The turbocharged “B48” doesn’t sound as aggressive as you might expect, with artificial noise piped through the speakers.
It’s worth noting that the F66 has another party trick for extra drama. When the 2.0-liter four-cylinder reaches 3,000 rpm, a secondary exhaust pipe angled toward the ground opens a valve to release more decibels. While the JCW does growl, most of what you hear is still digitally enhanced.
But make no mistake, the JCW can move. It effortlessly reaches 144 mph (231 km/h) and surges forward quickly out of corners. Its small footprint makes the Nürburgring feel like an oversized playground. This is a veritable track toy and one of the last gasps in a dying segment.
Video: L’argus / YouTube
