The Mini Cooper JCW looks the part ? the two boy-racer-stripes send the message loud and clear. The aerodynamic body kit that includes black air scoops, JCW front apron, black trim around fog lamps, 18? double spoke composite alloy wheels, carbon-fibre reinforced plastic roof spoiler sends a clear Friday-Night-Cafe-Racer message.

But what truly sets the JCW apart is the power its diminutive 1.6-litre ?hot? mill that churns out enough power to stay with bigger firebrand rivals. Assisted by a twin-scroll turbocharger it winds out 141kW and imposing 270Nm in ?overboost? mode under heavy acceleration while shifting through the first three gears. I really enjoyed this bantamweight street fighter with big car performance.

Turbo response is ultra quick and when combined with its proverbial ultra sensitive go-cart steering response and handling you?re in performance car heaven. Add to this frugal fuel consumption and it is what true performance car perfection should embrace.

You can either buy a John Cooper Works car off the floor or convert your own Mini Cooper S with a tuning kit from Mini. The Mini JCW kit is available in three phases. The first is the engine tuning kit that includes electronic control unit, exhaust manifold and exhaust pipe, turbo inlet pipe and performance air filter. The second option includes JCW drilled front brake discs, front suspension strut brace while the third option provides the aerodynamic body kit and 18? alloy wheels.

On the track the JCW?s track manners were awesome, and the overall feel race-like. What was a major for plus on this tiny bomb was the almost total absence of turbo lag ? surprising for a 1.6 litre. The overboost, though not evident, assists in offering remarkable acceleration. In fact this all-new engine develops power in a far more linear fashion than the old 16-valve SOHC engine.

This time around the 16 valves are driven by a twin-cam set-up offering far superior breathing abilities ? a SOHC engine, even with 16 valves, is no match for the twin-cam 16-valve engine.

It is not common for a manufacturer to supply kit to turn your present car into a hotshot and almost competition car. Mostly upgrades are in the form of visual add-ons and suspension tweaks What?s more it can be ordered as new with a combination of options. A feature of the JCW tuning kit is its compliance with the most stringent John Cooper Works and BMW Group standards and is only available at Mini dealerships nationwide.