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Mini to debut John Cooper Works concept at Detroit Auto Show

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Mini has announced that it will use the 2014 Detroit Auto Show in January to flex a little bit of muscle and reveal the John Cooper Works concept.

The car is a high-performance iteration of the all-new 2014 Cooper Hardtop that Mini showed off at the L.A. Auto Show in November. Mini -- an offshoot of BMW -- has traditionally built a John Cooper Works version of nearly every model it builds.

Powertrain details on the JCW concept haven’t been disclosed, but it will likely use a tuned version of the 2.0-liter turbocharged four cylinder engine in the new Cooper S. That model makes 189 horsepower and a maximum of 207 pound-feet of torque, so certainly expect a healthier piece of performance pie from the JCW version.

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PHOTOS: Mini John Cooper Works concept

Other upgrades will be made to the suspension tuning to make the car tighter under hard driving, and unique style features will include new 18-inch wheels, LED headlights, a rear diffuser and spoiler, and a twin-tip sport exhaust system.

The JCW concept is just the first in what is expected to be a long line of Mini Cooper models based on the Hardtop that debuted in November. In addition to the JCW version, Mini makes six other styles of the outgoing generation of Cooper, including a convertible, several four-door models and a coupe.

The new Cooper is the first vehicle under the BMW corporate umbrella to use an all-new front-wheel-drive platform that the brand will use throughout its small-vehicle lineup. Future models will include the BMW X1 crossover and the 1-Series sold abroad.

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