BMW-owned British marque Mini has launched the John Cooper Works (JCW) variant of the 3-door hatchback in India. Priced at Rs 43.5 lakh, it not only becomes the most powerful and fastest Mini model in India but also the costliest. To put the latter in perspective, the standard Mini Cooper is priced between Rs 29.90 lakh and Rs 34.20 lakh.

The price difference comes courtesy of two reasons. One, the John Cooper Works comes to India via the CBU (completely built unit) route. Two, it is better equipped, more aggressively styled and packs more punch. The Mini JCW, like the Cooper S, is powered by a 2.0-litre, 4-cylinder, turbo-petrol engine. Where the Cooper S has 192PS/280Nm on tap, the JCW has an additional 39PS/40Nm. Do the math and you’ll get the total as 231PS/320Nm. Coupled to the engine is 8-speed automatic transmission. The setup is enough to claim a 0-100kmph time of 6.1 seconds and a top speed of 246kmph.

The standard list of features includes 17-inch JCW alloy wheels, sport suspension, JCW aerodynamic kit and sport exhaust, LED-powered headlamps and taillamps and rain-sensing wipers. Inside the cabin, the go-fast Mini comes with JCW-spec sport seats and steering wheel, Mini driving modes, cruise control with brake function, automatic climate control and a 6.5-inch touchscreen infotainment system. The standard safety kit includes eight airbags, dynamic traction control with electronic differential lock control and ABS with EBD and CBC.

In the options list, one could spec-up the JCW with features like 18-inch alloy wheels, front and rear parking sensors, tyre pressure monitor, a panorama glass roof, adaptive suspension, adaptive LED lights with Matrix technology and support for Apple CarPlay with Mini Navigation System. Mini says that JCW is available for booking and since it will come from overseas, deliveries should begin from next month. In India, the Mini JCW has no direct rivals.