Mini creates the John Cooper Works Paceman

Four weeks before its official debut at the Detroit Motor Show, Mini has shown off the first snaps of its new John Cooper Works (JCW) Paceman.

Thinking it looks awfully similar to the Mini JCW Countryman? That's because, like the standard Paceman, it's the racier three-door version and features exactly the same turbocharged 1.6-litre petrol engine with 215bhp, ALL4 four-wheel-drive and a six-speed manual 'box.

Agin, like its five-door brother, the JCW Paceman has a top speed of 140mph and returns 38.2mpg - even the CO2 figure of 172g/km is the same.

However, the three-door "Sports Activity Coupe" gets to 60mph one tenth quicker than the JCW Countryman, at 6.7 seconds.

JCW Pacemans get lowered suspension by 10mm, a sporty bodykit with deep side skirts, a rear apron with twin chrome tailpipes, a sports exhaust and 18-inch alloys. There, are, naturally, many, many John Cooper Works badges dotted around various parts of the bodywork.

Inside there's the obligatory sports button which firms up the suspension, weights up the steering and gives a more rarity exhaust note, a sports steering wheel, four individual seats, anthracite roof lining and even more John Cooper Works badges.

They will be nine colour options when the JCW Paceman arrives next March, including the JCW-specific black and red combination. It costs from £29,535.

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