Mini may have been a little subdued at their stand at the Johannesburg International Motor Show, but when the company’s product strategy is as practised as it is, it is difficult to get excited about the inevitable. Yes, the only model without a John Cooper Works version yet was the Mini Paceman, and now the latest John Cooper Works completes the range, and Mini showed it at JIMS.
Mini bringing us the Paceman John Cooper Works, all 160 kW and 280 Nm of it from its familiar 1.6-litre turbocharged engine, is a bit like answering the call for a question no one has ever asked, but it is the Paceman range-topper nonetheless. That means it is 25 kW up on a regular Cooper S model, and torque has swelled a further 20 Nm. Mini claim a 230 km/h top speed and 100 km/h acceleration in 6.9 seconds, with either the manual or auto box, which means you’ll be sticking with Ford Fiesta STs off the line. The Mini Paceman John Cooper Works has All4 four-wheel drive as standard.
People are most likely going to enjoy the John Cooper Works version for its visual punch and the Paceman gets factory-fitted 18-inch rims and sports suspension with a 10 mm ride drop and the bodykit gets bespoke full-length side skirt air intakes. On the inside the piano-black-trimmed cabin gets red stitching and loads of John Cooper Works badging. With individual seats front and rear, Mini promises space for four grown-ups and claims up to 1080 litres of luggage space with the rear seats folded. Expect it to go on sale early 2014, if not sooner.
