Squat, somewhat inelastic, a bit gauche. Its athletic gait is super-grippy on the right, smooth roads, but if you find some imperfections that grip is replaced by good old-fashioned torque steer. 

This is actually kind of endearing in a #throwwbackthursday kind of way, but I wonder if this would grate in real-life ownership. The steering just off the straight-ahead isn’t too jumpy (inherited from its slower Aceman brethren), meaning it’s good for motorway work. But once you’re past that initial movement and feed in a bit of lock it can become a bit unsteady.

Ride? This is perhaps where it gets most interesting. The heavier big-battery Aceman actually rides better than the lighter model with the small battery. And this JCW Aceman isn’t actually night-and-day worse-riding than the standard Aceman. Although that perhaps says more about that car’s harsh ride than it does about this one.

Both Mini JCW and Aceman JCW get a new suspension set-up that includes more negative camber on the front wheels. It’s very aggressive. In the three-door, it’s too aggressive for my liking.

But the Aceman, with its longer suspension travel, actually works this set-up a bit better. The three-door can be a real challenge to keep on the straight and narrow, such is its hunger for almost actively seeking ruts and bumps and consequently chomping right through them. The Aceman just seems to be less drawn to the crappy bits of roads. And it is then less tied-down when it does negotiate them.