The 2025 MINI John Cooper Works Hardtop tries too hard

Go ahead. Go on the MINI site right now. Specifically the John Cooper Works section. Look how they shoot the car, all aggressive with angles. See that logo, like a checkered flag? And the writing – “IF LOOKS COULD THRILL”. Haha, please bro.

MINI doesn’t understand their own freakin’ car. That’s a shame, because the 2025 John Cooper Works MINI Coupe is a damn good one.

The 2025 MINI John Cooper Works Hardtop overview

Cars are a totally global thing. Every brand, and every model, are affected on a worldwide scale.

It wasn’t always so. American cars used to be ‘Murica, damn it. Now they make more of them in Canada and Mexico than here. That doesn’t bother me at all – the cars are made well, I’m happy, life goes on. But what about when the identity of the brand is its heritage?

I suppose every make suffers from this at least a bit, but for some reason the British seem particularly proud (and they still do build much of it there). Can you get a Hinomaru on a Supra? Well, you can get the Union Jack on a MINI – on the roof, the mirrors, the brake lights…is it even street legal here? They’ve 23 and Me’d this car to death.

No, what this car is, is German. One hundred percent authentic BMW. You wouldn’t know this if you’re a civilian, because from the looks alone it’s kind of dorky. BMW doesn’t do dorky (sit down, i3). But this John Cooper Works MINI Coupe shares almost everything with BMW’s X2, among others.

They’ve tried with this Coupe. It’s like the Porsche 911, an iconic shape from 60 years ago that they’ve brought into 2025. Quick, peppy, nimble – these are MINI qualities that can be carried over easily enough.

But are they here?

Performance Score: 7. Zoom, zoom?

Hey, that’s Mazda’s line! But there is some truth to it here, because this is the lightest new car I’ve driven yet, just 3,000 pounds.

That’s refreshing. because it makes this MINI feel at least a little different from many other cars on the road.

Engine

You’re probably going to be mad at me, but I think this is the wrong motor for this car. As in, wrong kind of motor. Let me explain.

MINI is all about personality, and this turbocharged 2-liter engine has none. There is no snort, no roar, not even a single burp from it, even in sport mode. The single exhaust pipe might as well be a pea shooter.

Oh it’s fine – refined, quick, somewhat eager to rev, but not really engaging. This thing is absolutely begging for the three-banger from the GR Corolla, or at least something like it. 

Or, or…(here’s where you’ll get mad at me) – just make it electric. Yes, really. The Hyundai Ioniq 5N is a lot of fun, and MINI already makes an electric coupe, sooo…why not?

This motor works okay in an X2. But in a car meant to be a real sonofabitch, it needs a punk motor.

Transmission

Doling out the power is a seven-speed dual clutch transmission. BMW’s DCT feels alright – seems just like what’s in the X2. I suppose it’s a way to differentiate cars like the MINI from more expensive offerings with the eight-speed automatic, and it does offer snappy up-shifts (especially when using paddles), so at least it’s fun.

Does it bother you that this car is front-wheel drive? It shouldn’t – BMW does an excellent job hiding the fact, and unless you STOMP on the pedal at full lock, you’ll never induce torque steer. 

MINI’s cockpit layout has you reaching for a toggle switch to engage drive and reverse, and that button is just a bit to far out of reach to be convenient. Looks fun though – at least it’s different.

Chassis and Steering

Do you know when you’re driving down a road, and you see a pothole coming up that you can do NOTHING about? So you clench your butt and say a quick prayer to the Car Gods?

“Please, pleeeease don’t let this break my car in half.” BOOM!

Usually nothing happens, looks worse than it is, and you go about your day. But because of a combination of its adjustable sport suspension and short wheel base, every ditch, rut, bump, pothole, even pebble, becomes a butt-clenching experience in this JCW MINI Coupe. The best way to avoid this is to keep the car in its normal mode, though the harshness never really goes away.

However, I will say that same short wheelbase and light weight imbues this car with go-kart like responses. It’s nimble, quick, and fun to drive hard just for the hell of it. If you know the road, put it in sport mode and have a ball. Not many cars left are this light and tossable while still feeling substantial (lookin’ at you, BR-Z). 

That steering wheel is great too – direct and responsive. I must say, BMW is getting better at it, and I like the MINI’s steering much better than say, an M3’s.

Brakes

I just finished telling you about the Audi SQ5, and doesn’t it look like the brakes are identical to this MINI? Bravo for the MINI, boo for the Audi since it’s $30,000 more expensive.

Nothing fancy about ’em, but the pedal is firm and bitey – maybe you want to add slotted rotors for autocross days, but overall this simply adds to the MINI’s competent and fun feel.

Lifestyle Score: 7. Runabout shout out

I enjoy the shape of this car. It’s easy to see out of, easy to get out of, my head doesn’t hit the roof, and it’s easy to park. Score one for the box.

The seats up front are just a little bit small – the bottom cushion is short and the bolsters narrow – but it’s not enough to prevent me from getting comfy. They are taken out of the M235i/X2 catalog, but finished differently for the MINI brand and look great.

The back seat works for kids, but adults will be short on legroom. At least they can sit tall – there’s no slope in the roof. That leads me right into the trunk, which is small with the seats up, but nicely-sized once you fold them down. It’s really well thought-out, just like the original MINI.

Fuel Economy: 8. Go the distance

The 2025 MINI John Cooper Works Hardtop will get up to 30 combined MPG, and that’s pretty good for a car without any hybrid or electric cheat codes.

You can get more performance in the GR Corolla, with its very angry three-cylinder, but that only achieves 24 MPG combined. Is the Corolla six MPG better?

…Yea.

But to look at it another way, the all-electric Hyundai Ioniq 5N weighs nearly 2,000 pounds more, despite being in the same hot hatch category. The 5N is fun in its own right, but “go-kart” is a word that does not come to mind.

Features and Comfort: 9. B-MINI-W?

BMW simply does not have a “cheap” parts bin, so the MINI gets a lot of features and materials that are usually reserved for much nicer things.

Coupe scoop

This is a really nice car inside for $40,000. Even loaded like our example here adds only about $4,500 to the bottom line. I can tell you that coming from that GR Corolla, this JCW Coupe is like a Rolls Royce.

There’s dual sunroofs, meaning your back passengers get their own view (though it’s an awkward reach if you want to open it on your own, no power). MINI gives you all the driving aids, a Harmon Kardon stereo that’s pretty good, ambient lighting that works better than what’s in an X3, and dual automatic climate control.

MINI’s infotainment system works just like iDrive, but like the Countryman there is no dash in front of you. Just a HUD that shows speed and not much else. I get that the original had the speedometer in the center of the dash, but this is one design element that should stay in the 1960s – it’s dangerous and hard to use.

Box bro

Again, lots of good stuff here on the outside. MINI has a lot of color options for the coupe, along with contrasting roof and mirror choices, so the chance of seeing yourself come down the road are slim. 

This is Melting Silver Ice III Metallic with Chili Red roof and mirrors, and I’d call the new look subtle over the last gen. It’s most easy to tell this is the new MINI from the rear, where LED taillights that came out of an 80’s arcade greet you. 18-inch wheels JCW wheels complete the look.

MINI is stuck with this shape, so you either like it or you don’t. I do – they’ve managed to bring the design forward enough. I better not hear that this is “twice the size” of the original. Don’t be salty bro, they can’t make cars like that anymore, and you wouldn’t survive a crash in one if they did.

Others to consider

• 2025 MINI JCW Countryman ALL4
• 2024 Subaru BRZ tS
• 2023 Nissan Z
• 2022 BMW X2 M35i
• 2025 Toyota GR Corolla
• 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5N
• 2021 Volkswagen Golf GTI

The 2025 MINI John Cooper Works Hardtop is a great car, but is it a MINI?

Let’s play pretend. What if Porsche took the entire powertrain from a 911 GT3 and shoved it underneath a Cayman? I mean the full beef, unneutered, maximum horsepower version. Would that NOT be the most epic Porsche ever made?

Now, let’s say they shaved off the Cayman badge and glued a 9-1-1 on the butt. Would that change the car from epic to poseur? 

“Oh yea bro, I was gonna get one, but that’s not a real 911.” Sure you were Jordan, now go sit down and have a Coke and a smile. 

Maybe a 911 is a feeling, and not just an engine layout. Too hung up on tradition, modern car enthusiasts are. The Supra works. The Corvette works. And this MINI works. Almost.

This MINI is just a little too BMW. The engine needs to snort. The ride needs to be a little less crunchy. It feels like the M guys broke into the MINI factory and pressed a few buttons they weren’t supposed to.

“Ya – press the maximum track attack button!”

That’s not this MINI’s mission. Fun at 7/10ths, not performance at 10/10ths. But it’s still a better car than most on the road.

British, German – whatever. The MINI JCW Coupe just works.