Meet the tiny MINI that packs a mighty punch! Following our scoop in Issue 1,126 that revealed a new smaller MINI is in the pipeline, insiders have hinted that a hot John Cooper Works model will also make production.

The design is familiar to fans of the MINI range, but there’s a few crucial changes. The as yet unnamed car has shrunk to just over three metres long, although there should still be space for four inside, along with a decent boot.

Efficiency is key, even for this sporty version, and the newcomer will make use of a new 1.5-litre, 3-cylinder engine turbocharged engine currently being developed by BMW.

Despite boasting close to 150bhp, the new engine should be capable of achieving 50mpg and CO2 emissions of just under 110g/km thanks to BMW’s EfficientDynamics tweaks. Expect to see stop/start, brake energy regeneration and an aerodynamic design among the changes.

With dimensions only slightly larger than the original Issigonis designed Mini, the tiny JCW is bound to inherit some of the traits which made the original such fun to drive.

A low kerbweight means straight line-acceleration should be impressive, with the sprint from 0-62mph taking just over 7 seconds. Meanwhile, the short wheel-base and a set of stiffer springs for this hardcore version will help ensure the newest MINI will also be the most agile yet.

With One, Cooper and Cooper S versions coming in 2012, the JCW branded model is expected to follow in 2013 and should cost around £16,000.