Since the John Cooper Works arrived on our fleet, MINI has upped the price from £31,200 to £33,530. That’s a fairly significant jump, because it means the car is now more than £2,000 dearer than its closest competitor, the Volkswagen Polo GTI. 

In addition, the JCW is now £5,000 more than the MINI Cooper S and £3,500 more costly than the new Skoda Fabia 130 – two cars that I would definitely consider going for, thanks to their slightly softer, more friendly chassis set-up. 

If you do opt for the JCW, it makes sense to do what we did and choose the £3,800 Level 3 option pack. This brings much-needed tech such as a heated steering wheel and seats, a panoramic roof and a head-up display, which is a must considering the lack of a screen for the driver.

MINI John Cooper Works: Second report

Funky hatch is – mostly – helping our man recapture his youth

• Mileage: 6,331 miles
• Efficiency: 38.7mpg

If there’s one car brand that trades heavily on its youthful appeal, then it’s MINI. And potentially the most youth-oriented of its models is the JCW hatch I’ve been running over the past few months. I really enjoyed blasting it around the Curborough sprint course when it first arrived, and more recently I’ve noticed this hot hatch may have been influencing a change in my lifestyle. 

Although I’m very much on the far side of 30, I’ve decided that now is as good a time as ever to get into some of my old pastimes. Despite how creaky and distinctly un-youthful my body feels, I’ve managed to nail down a ‘pop shuv-it’ in skateboarding (you might want to play Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater if you don’t know what I’m on about), started playing for my local 11-a-side football team, and even tried to make sure I’m not completely wasting the money I spend on my gym membership.