A mid-life update for the most fiery car in the family turns up the styling temperature.

NOTHING changes when measured against the stopwatch – where it cuts more of a dash is in the look.

 So it goes for the refreshed edition of Mini’s fastest model.

Unveiled overnight and set to release in New Zealand in the third quarter of this year, the latest John Cooper Works street racer has the same power and performance figures as its predecessor.

 Don’t consider that to be a disappointment. Underneath the bonnet sits a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine producing a very respectable 170kW and 320Nm, driving the front wheels via either a six-speed manual transmission or an eight-speed torque-converter auto. It’ll smack out 0-100kmh in 6.3 seconds in manual, 6.1 in auto. Quick enough for a hot hatch, right?

As much as the refresh stands as being an easy ride for the BMW-owned make’s engine tuners, it’s certainly kept the styling department plenty busy.

There are numerous upgrades to the look. Most particularly, the entire front fascia has been completely redesigned. 

There’s an imposing matt black grille with a striking hexagonal design, contrasted by a new red stripe along its centre, signifying that it is no regular Mini. 

Tough-looking, body-coloured air ducts sit below the grille on either side of the number plate mounting point, feeding cool air into the braking system. Another set of angular air openings is there to cool the powertrain. 

At the rear, there’s a new, super-aggressive diffuser finished in a shade of matte black that blends into the finishing edge of the flared rear wheel arches. 

Sitting square in the middle of this novel diffuser is a set of 85-millimetre stainless steel sports tailpipes with a contrasting chrome finish. 

To help slow the hot hatch down, Mini has redesigned the Bremdo-provisioned braking system. The four-piston front brake calipers are also painted red and adorned with the John Cooper Works logo. 

The 2021 model also achieves new lightweight John Cooper Works alloy wheels, which can be had in either a 17 or 18-inch sizing. 

A bespoke chassis tune for the suspension comes as standard for the JCW, and as an optional extra, buyers can tick Mini’s Adaptive Suspension box.

These electronically controlled dampers make adjustments to suit the road conditions in just 50-100 milliseconds, for a more dynamic ride. There will also be a number of different modes that can be selected depending on the driver’s mood, which includes ‘Lounge’ and ‘Sport’ mode. In other works, hit the switch to achieve various degrees of joltiness. But, still, it’s not being promoted as a limo, right?

Inside, the updated hatch comes with a host of new features including a redesigned central instrument cluster and an 8.8-inch touchscreen display.

The Mini’s infotainment software has also been updated, benefiting from a revised display that makes interfacing with the audio, navigation, communication and app systems more intuitive.  

The JCW also comes with a host of safety features as standard that include adaptive cruise control with stop and go functionality and parking assist.