#JohnCooperWorksMini

It’s been about 10 years since I last drove a MINI John Cooper Works.

The John Cooper Works (JCW) MINI lineup will all get a revised 1.6-liter engine based on its predecessor with performance numbers being the same at 208-hp and 207 lb-ft of torque.

MINI has been experiencing tremendous success in America and it appears that the cute British brand has no plans to slow down. There are now reports that MINI is strongly considering bringing its diesel powerplants to the U.S. and could be turning John Cooper Works into a sub-brand tuning division, similar to BMW‘s M models.

MINI‘s JCW Countryman took a bow in Austria, revealing the next generation of high-performance John Cooper Works variants. No specific details have been released on the new JCW Countryman, but rumor has it the 1.6-liter turbocharged powerplant will have at least 215-hp, while the suspension has been tuned with stiffer spring rates and lower the vehicle 0.40-inch.

Mission accomplished. After the official reveal of the MINI Cooper Coupe, the fun British brand wanted to show off its reliability and performance through two John Cooper Works Coupes campaigning at the 24 Hours of Nurburgring. Both vehicles passed with flying colors, running strong throughout the 24 hour race and crossing the finish line after campaigning almost 3,500 miles at the Green Hell.

The John Cooper Works Endurance MINI Cooper Coupes got a 500-lb weight savings thanks to a gutted interior and a single Recaro race seat. There was a slight bump in performance as well, with the Nurburgring racers sporting 247-hp and 243 lb-ft of torque compared to the stock JCW’s 208-hp and 207 lb-ft of torque. And of course, tackling such an arduous track as Nurburgring is, aerodynamic enhancements had to be made to the body of the racers.

Check out a highlight video of the JCW MINI Cooper Coupes campaigning on Nurburgring after the jump:

AC Schnitzer is laying claim that they sport the world’s fastest MINI, with their John Cooper Works-based AC Schnitzer Eagle. And while you’re probably thinking AC Schnitzer set some record on the quarter mile or out at Nurburgring, their test bed was actually the famed Grand Prix Circuit at Hockenheim. It was there that their Eagle laid waste to the track, clocking in a 1:13.341 lap time.