By J.A. Ackley

The new Mini Cooper JCW 2 Door: Is it still fun?

What does Mini like to pride itself on? Speed? No. Luxury? No. Utility? Not necessarily. The answer is fun. What’s the headliner among the marque’s amusement park of rides? The Mini Cooper JCW 2 Door–and it’s all-new for 2025. So, how does it fare in the fun department? We took to the streets of historic Savannah, Georgia, to find out.

Inside

Let’s start with looks. Mini says it wanted to simplify the design language of its new cars in the spirit of the original Minis. The classics, though, often sporting chrome trim and a wealth of gauges, are still visually busier than today’s Minis. The modern-day Minis offer a minimalist contemporary vibe, with an interior almost akin to a Tesla. It’s not quite Tesla soulless, though.

A few design elements break up the monotony of the interior, such as the textured dash that features different patterns of lights based on the “Experiences” (aka modes) you select–and all the interior lighting is customizable, as are the patterns for the headlights and taillights. But with more nooks and crannies than an English muffin, the dash appears difficult to clean. Mini reps say not so, just simply use a vacuum and use upholstery cleaner as needed.

With no gauges, all the car’s information comes from a large, 9.4-inch OLED display right in the center of the dash (like a Tesla, too, but round) and a heads-up display. Samsung helped develop the Information Center, as Mini calls it, and if you’re an Android user, you might feel at home.

Photo courtesy Mini.

Yes, there are still some buttons and levers, but far fewer. Among those physical controls is a faux knob resembling the top of the key to start and turn off the car, which is a quirky way to do it, but oddly satisfying. One lever puts your car into gear and the other lever selects your Experience.

Go-Kart Experience screen.

Most of these Experiences are purely for aesthetics, such as Timeless, which offers a retro design for the screen. It’s cool, kinda gimmicky, but yes, a bit fun. A Personal mode is offered that saves, you guessed it, your personalized settings for your car via a phone app. (You can even upload your own photos on the app to display on the screen.) While offered on all Minis, JCW drivers might take a particular interest in Go-Kart mode, the closest thing to a track mode for Mini owners. You can adjust “Drivetrain” (Comfort, Sport and Sport Plus), “Driving dynamics” (Sport, Sport Plus and DSC Off) and “Steering behavior” (Comfort and Sport).

As you may have guessed, the JCW comes with no shifter and no third pedal. While the take rate for manuals exceeded 40% for the previous JCW 2 Door, it’s a relatively small number when compared to global manual sales for all Minis. Financially, it just didn’t make sense for Minis to continue manuals. Sorry, fellow enthusiasts.

Instead, you have a responsive seven-speed Steptronic DCT with paddle shifters. While paddle shifters are cool (and fast), those who long for a fun pedal and a stick will understandably feel some level of disappointment. The last JCW came with a nearly dummy-proof clutch, too, which made some of the most hesitant manual users feel at ease.

The JCW seats lean more toward the comfort side of things rather than performance side as far as support. All JCWs come with a black vegan-leather interior. Gone are the fun, very British upholstery patterns of the past. However, 11 exterior colors are available, including some bright ones such as Blazing Blue Metallic, Chili Red or, my personal favorite, Sunny Side Yellow.

There’s more than enough headroom and legroom for this 6-foot-4 guy, but at times I found myself bending to see a traffic light. (I spoke with a 6-foot-9 member of the media and he told me he had no problem–your experience might vary.) Overall, though, the Mini feels like another British icon, the TARDIS–it’s small on the outside but seemingly quite large on the inside.

The steering wheel feels nice and beefy in your hands. The number of buttons feels appropriate for this day and age. It’s the right kind of balance between minimalism and functionality.

Outside the Driver's Compartment

Mini execs prided themselves on not dramatically increasing the size of the JCW 2 Door. How does it compare with the previous generation? Width-wise, the 2 Door grew 0.7 inches. It’s also 1.5 inches taller. And the 2 Door actually shrunk in length by 0.2 inches. On the scales, it weighs 3047 pounds, roughly 100 more than the older version. Considering how every new model seems bigger and fatter than its predecessor, this isn’t a sizeable increase (relatively), and Mini 2 Doors rank as one of the smallest cars on the U.S. market.

Mini often says its cars drive like go-karts, and the JCW 2 Door epitomizes that, for better or for worse. As with a go-kart, on rough Savannah cobblestone roads, it feels like you’re riding on no suspension. The JCW uses mechanically adaptive dampers–not electronically controlled ones like on many of Mini’s BMW cousins–and while simpler, they do not cushion the blows well on rough roads. However, when pushed to the limit, they’ll most likely shine for you.

The new JCW 2 Door features a retuned 2.0-liter B48 engine, the same one as its predecessor. It puts out the 228 horses like before, but now features 280 lb.-ft. of torque rather than 235 lb.-ft, which is a noticeable upgrade. Those power numbers may seem small in comparison to many of today’s sports cars, but in a small Mini 2 Door, it’s more than enough to slam you into the seat as you hit the gas pedal. Ultimately, its top speed on track will be limited by its horsepower, but you can really make this car go spiritedly around the turns, even as a front-wheel-drive car, making it quite a bit of fun. Throw in a reengineered brake package (same sizes, though, as the previous generation) and it stops just as well as it accelerates. Overall, the controls inspire confidence.

Because it’s front-wheel drive, though, torque steer is a thing, but not unique to this Mini. An all-wheel-drive JCW 2 Door would be incredibly enticing (its Mini cousin, the Countryman SUV, is all-wheel drive), but AWD would definitely add to the car’s heft, subtracting from what makes the 2 Door what it is. For those dreaming of an AWD version, we’re told the current platform cannot support it. Bummer.

Another thing to note is its revised exhaust, which now is just a single pipe out the rear. The exhaust note still sounds pleasantly throaty, but it’s a bit more subdued from the cockpit of the new 2 Door than the previous generation. Opt for the JCW convertible, and you’ll enjoy the sound a bit more–and you’ll also hear the delightful, yet respectful, turbo sounds.

When it comes to pricing, Mini said it starts at $38,200 until at least the end of May (subject to change with the ever-evolving tariff situation). Yes, that seems a bit much, and let’s face it, money affects the fun factor, but let’s compare that to other cars. This task can be a bit difficult, though.

A unique demographic gravitates to the Mini JCW 2 Door. The Volkswagen Golf GTI (starting at $33,670), Toyota GR Corolla ($38,860) and Honda Civic Type R ($45,895) seem like logical alternatives on paper. But is a GR Corolla shopper the same as a Mini shopper? Maybe. Maybe not.

Believe it or not, a Mini rep said that many Mini customers cross-shop with Jeeps. If you think about it, it makes sense. What do Jeep owners like to do? Fun things with their Jeeps with other owners. What do Mini owners like to do? Fun things with their Minis with other owners. Perhaps the biggest part of the fun of owning a Mini is the community it attracts.

These two cats showed up for the photo shoot with the JCW 2 Door. They may have been fighting for seat time, and that's when we proceeded to hightail it out there with the 228-horsepower, 285-lb.-ft. Mini.

But is the new Mini JCW 2 Door still fun? It certainly has more digital bells and whistles to express itself, which might appeal to a younger demographic. While its design is a bit more subdued–like a modern-day McDonald’s versus one of the 1980s–it’s still a Mini and still colorful, at least on the outside (and in interior lights). More importantly, it still possesses that go-kart feel, with even more oomph when you press the gas and improved brakes. In fact, I’d love to see a JCW 2 Door hit our official test track, the Florida International Rally & Motorsport Park, aka the FIRM. Would it be as lightning fast as a Corvette? Definitely not. Would it create nice spikes on the data chart, indicating great handling, braking and acceleration? I’d be willing to put my money on it. But those spikes might level off toward the end of the straights.

Ultimately, if you like marching to beat of your own drum, want a small car in today’s big-car world and/or want a reason to hang out with other people who love what you love, the all-new Mini JCW 2 Door still delivers, even if that fun feels a bit more grown up.

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