Meet the 2025 Mini John Cooper Works Countryman, the top-of-the-line performance trim of the new Countryman family revealed earlier this year in electric and combustion form.

The JCW Countryman sticks to the latter, employing a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine developing 312 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque in US specification, matching that of its BMW brothers, the all-new BMW X2 M35i. Unlike chief rivals like the Alfa Romeo Tonale, the Mini doesn’t employ hybridization. All-wheel drive and a seven-speed Sport DCT help put the power down, sending the crossover from 0-62 mph in 5.4 seconds, beyond which it’ll run into its speed limit at 155 mph.

Along with more power than ever before (it needs it to compensate for this being the largest JCW Countryman), the new JCW Countryman gets beefy styling, and the new John Cooper Works checkered flag logo makes its roadgoing debut for the first time.

Mini has worked hard on the character of the JCW, making it dynamically capable and emotionally involving. While we can’t speak for the former statement just yet, the latter is taken care of by a variable exhaust system with a flap that opens up in sportier driving modes to enhance the sound of the four-cylinder motor. Also included is something called the JCW sound extension, which “boosts the sound of the engine start and intensifies the soundscape with racing-inspired engine sounds,” presumably through the speakers.

Visually, 19- and 20-inch wheel designs are exclusive to the JCW model, wrapped in 245mm wide rubber that now has an extra 30mm in its profile to enhance ride quality, with Mini adamant that more tire will enhance the so-called go-kart-like qualities. We’re of the opinion no Mini has ever handled like a go-kart. Behind the wheels, a high-performance braking system has Chili Red-painted calipers.

Curiously, Mini’s release materials made absolutely no mention of suspension enhancements, but we suspect adaptive suspension will feature to capitalize on the extra power, mirroring the X2 M35i. The majority of the release focused on tech and style over mechanical upgrades, which tells a story in and of itself.

Visually, the JCW Countryman gets a unique checkered-flag octagonal grille and bespoke LED headlight graphics that invoke the new JCW logo’s horizontal strakes. Bordering the grille, wide air intakes for the brake cooling mirror the checkered flag theme, with vertical strakes in the body accent color.

The floating roof design is achieved with an accent-colored roof and blacked-out roof pillars, save for the drop-down element of the C-pillar, shown here in roof-matching Chili Red with the JCW logo. At the rear, new JCW-specific LED taillight graphics, a roof-mounted wraparound spoiler, and quad tailpipes give the chunky faux-by-four some attitude.

Available color schemes have been kept under wraps, with the Chili Red/Legend Grey reveal livery being the hero scheme. We expect several two-tone schemes to be available, hopefully incorporating British Racing Green of some sort.

Adhering to the KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid) philosophy, the interior is split into upper and lower sections by a horizontal dash cut-off that wraps around to the doors. The lower sections are finished in a plain dark hue, while the upper dash is wrapped in red and black fabric, with vertical AC vents and Mini’s new, round OLED infotainment touchscreen, which can project OLED light displays across the dash in place of traditional ambient lighting.

The red-and-black theme, which Mini says pays tribute to its racing heritage, continues on the JCW-specific front bucket seats and chunky perforated leather steering wheel with prominent thumb grips, a flat bottom, and red contrast stitching.

As with the base versions, there’s no traditional instrumentation, but like all other new Minis without it, a head-up display will be standard fare on US-spec models.

The infotainment display also doubles as the interface for driving modes, which includes the Go-Kart mode. Drivers can tailor the drive modes, ambient lighting, and even soundscapes to match their mood.

In addition to touch functionality, Mini’s onboard virtual assistant (Spike the bulldog) responds to voice commands for everything from mobile connectivity to navigation and entertainment. The bulldog avatar responds to your inputs, and on-screen animations register your interaction.

The new JCW Countryman has more driver assistance than ever before, with 12 ultrasonic sensors and four surround-view cameras enabling Level 2 partially-automated driving that can detect gaps in traffic, effect lane changes, and guide you towards exits on highways. This hands-free, eyes-on system lets you take your hands off the wheel at speeds of up to 37 mph on what Mini classifies as “highway-like routes.”

US-market production starts in March 2024, with the first units touching down in early May. The 2025 Mini John Cooper Works Countryman is priced from $46,900 plus a $995 destination charge – $3,500 cheaper than the X2 M35i.