After driving perhaps the most hardcore car we have driven around a racetrack, we thought of dialling things down a bit. But fate (our choice) had other plans. The next car we drove was a MINI. A MINI Cooper 3-door to be precise. A souped-up MINI called MINI Cooper JCW to be even more precise. JCW stands for John Cooper Works. It is the exclusive in-house tuning, development, and international automotive racing division for MINI. In short, they make exciting MINIs, bonkers MINIs. 

Coming back to the one we drove, it had 228 horses which makes it a pocket rocket. Additionally, there is more work done on weight savings, some suspension tuning and more. What that translates to is a lighter and stiffer MINI Cooper S with 30 more horses. We own a MINI Cooper S and we love it. It is exciting and fun to drive whether we are in the city, on the freeway or some winding roads. The JCW we drove at the Dubai Autodrome was even more peppy and taut. 

This experience was a part of our time at Dubai Autodrome. Read about it here.

After driving the barebones DXB which was rear-wheel drive, it took us a while to figure out the FWD MINI Cooper JCW. But once we were able to rewire ourselves, it proved to be a lot of fun. Again, the DXB was RWD and on rails around the corners so the understeer was palpable on the MINI Cooper JCW but as we mentioned, you have to rewire yourself to enjoy it. On the flip side, it is a much easier car to go fast around a racetrack. 

It is a zippy little hatch which had no problems, well, zipping around the rather technical circuit of the Dubai Autodrome. While an increment of 30 horses may not seem much, the weight reduction and dynamic refinement, the JCW feels very different from a base MINI Cooper. In fact, it was a delightful surprise how quick one can be of the confidence it inspires. Its nimble handling and spirited performance make it an ideal choice for those seeking a thrilling yet manageable track experience.