BMW drives in Mini John Cooper Works at Rs 43.50 lakh

BMW, the second biggest German luxury car maker in the country, on Thursday introduced its new Mini John Cooper Works, a race car in disguise, priced at Rs 43.50 lakh to boost sales in Asia's third largest economy.

The imported Mini John Cooper Works sits on the apex of hot hatches in India, with no specific rivals as such.

This new hatchback belongs to a niche category and the range-topping three-door Mini JCW costs Rs 9.30 lakh more than the sporty Mini Cooper S variant.

Although the Mini JCW does not have a direct rival in the country, the hatchback can compete against the Skoda Octavia RS as these two are the go-to cars for spirited driving.

Mini had brought to India the JCW Pro Edition in 2017 and it was a riot but was limited to just 20 units, and now the hardcore Mini Cooper in the new avatar has been launched in the country. This is the facelifted version of the car which has been launched in international markets already.

"A unique combination of heritage, exclusivity and performance, John Cooper Works has always been in a league of its own," Hans-Christian Baertels, President at BMW Group India, said.

"Our premium performance models that are named after the legendary John Cooper are the most powerful and exclusive Mini models ever built," he boasted.