As we write this it's still only January, but we'd be pretty confident in awarding the Mini Aceman JCW our Most Contrived Car of the Year award for 2026. It's a masterclass in self-conscious style and attitude.
Click here to see our full review of the Mini Aceman SE
As we already know, Aceman is Mini's one-and-only bespoke battery-electric model. There are electric versions of everything in the brand's lineup, but you can only buy an Aceman with plug-in power. Petrol is not permitted.
Aceman is in-between Cooper and Countryman in size, an urban vehicle like the Cooper 3-door but with 5 doors and a bit of SUV style like the Countryman. Or it's an electric alternative to the Cooper 5-door if you like, which is petrol-only. Yeah, it's all a bit complicated.
We've already reviewed the Aceman in its standard form, but this is the performance-oriented JCW version. You can probably tell by all the stickers and blacked-out trim. Actually, it's nicely executed; so no, that's not the contrived bit.
It's this: Mini has exploited the instant torque of an electric motor to make the Aceman JCW feel all hyper and scrappy, even though it's not actually that fast. Sure, it has 30kW more than the Aceman SE, but there's only one way to access all of it (stay tuned, we'll get to it).
The JCW can hit 100km/h in 6.4 seconds, which is a mere 0.7sec quicker than the SE; decent, but not exactly fast. It's not really about that.
It's about urgent acceleration off the line, comedy noises from the Mini Sound generator (okay, you can switch those off) and lots of torque steer, the front axle wriggling from side-to-side under power. It's all designed to make you feel like this performance-oriented Mini is a real handful. It's not, really.
We don't necessarily have a problem with the above, by the way. Modern Minis are contrived by nature and so much is executed with tongue firmly in cheek.
This is an EV and it would not be that hard to add a locking e-differential to the front to keep the torque in check and allow you to apply the power more usefully to the road. Mini hasn't done that, because it's funnier to have the car supposedly struggling for traction under power.
About that. While the cabin is pretty much the same as the regular Aceman save some seats and trim choices (which is to say a wacky blend of fashion shapes and textures), for the JCW Mini has added a Boost paddle to the steering column. Yank on that and you get full power for 10 seconds, complete with a countdown graphic both on the instrument panel and infotainment screen.
Quite fun, although in typical Mini fashion each number in the countdown gets a different visual presenation, so it's temping to look at that and be delighted rather than focusing on whatever you wanted full power for (overtaking?).
Sans Boost, the go-faster Aceman makes around 170kW, which is only 10kW more than the non-JCW SE version.
The hard suspension generates a giggle, too - at least for a while. The standard Aceman is already quite firm, but the JCW goes to extremes. Yeah, we get it, but for what's essentially a city car, the hunkered-down suspension grates after a while. Winding it back a little wouldn't hurt.
It's not all a massive in-joke. Mini has fettled the suspension substantially for improved handling and it does work. It's still a very heavy car for its tiny footprint, but the quick steering and more agile underpinnings do mean you can really enjoy the Aceman JCW on a backroad. But we also can't help but think that more compliance would help, rather than hinder, the handling engagement.
The Aceman JCW could sell on style and the performance-promise of the JCW name alone. And it is only $5k more than the SE. It's a hoot and hugely likeable, but we'd recommend a thorough test-drive to make sure you can live with the car's larrikin behaviour and hard ride. Otherwise, an Aceman SE with a few choice accessories might be the go.