MINI'S take on performance is moving up a notch with the arrival of a new John Cooper Works model.

More potent than ever, the newcomer can make 0 to 60 in 6.1 seconds and through the gears can be quicker than a Porsche 911.

Such is the punch from the four-cylinder turbo engine that it can accelerate from 50 to 75mph in 5.6 seconds - that's 0.3 of a second less than a Porsche Carrera S.

For £24,445 the new JCW is a car for the purist and a flagship for the MINI performance fleet.

The one we tried was finished in a rich green paint job with a contrasting red roof. Called Rebel Green it is new to the JCW line up and in homage to the racing colours of the Cooper single seaters of the 1950s.

The new JCW can also be set off with a host of extras including an aptly named excitement pack.

It is a car designed for fun but finished with finesse and possesses some finely honed handling.

With a six-speed auto box allied to rapid-fire paddle shifters it can make short shrift of most challenges and the JCW will respond with exuberance whenever asked.

A multi-mode drive control delivers plenty of options and can switch the car from sports to economy driving by sliding a lever aft of the gear lever and in the latter setting the JCW is capable of 40 to the gallon with ease.

MINI claims an official fuel figure of 49.6mpg with emissions of 133g/km and realistically it is going to be in the mid-30s in everyday use - nothing to complain about in a car which has such potential.

At the moment the JCW is available only as an auto and as a three-door but a manual is on the way and the badge is likely to arrive on other MINI derivatives as the new-look range launched last year expands.

Sporty styling for the JCW includes a venomous look to the nose with huge air scoops at the base of the bumper.

Those are needed to provide added cooling for the 2.0-litre high pressure engine and have taken the place of the front fog lamps but to provide adequate illumination the JCW is fitted with LED headlights as standard.

Bucket seats are another feature and are nicely supportive and are upholstered in two colours with the John Cooper Works logo below the head restraints.

At the back twin exhausts peer from the centre of the diffuser and the tailpipes are larger than on the previous model for greater emphasis. Nevertheless the entire system is lighter, helping to keep the all round weight down to just 1.2 tonnes.

In the cockpit the toggle-switch controls which are such a MINI characteristic sit below a circular central display screen which itself has an illuminated bezel which changes colour from red through yellow to green to reflect the drive mode.

There is also a head up display which not only shows the car's speed but also the revs, gear shift points and sat nav instructions.

That is an extra and deck the car out in style and it is likely to top £30,000 and the model we sampled was priced at £31,945.

On the road the JCW is a gem to drive, precise and very nimble although is sport mode with firmed up suspension it can feel a little flighty on poop surfaces - a small price to pay for driving experience which overall is of the highest order.