Exclusive: MINI USA To Add JCW Trim—and Shift Paddles—to the 2026 Cooper and Cooper S

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For 2025, MINI USA is making a course correction that enthusiasts have been waiting for: the JCW Trim package is coming to both the Cooper and Cooper S. More importantly, this brings shift paddles to non-JCW MINIs in the U.S. for the first time—a long-overdue fix for a lineup that, until now, offered no manual gear control of any kind.

But this isn’t just about finally being able to flick through gears in your Cooper S. It’s the end result of a disconnect between MINI USA’s (on paper sound) product strategy and MINI Global’s product planning.

When the new F66 generation launched, MINI USA made a deliberate decision not to offer the JCW Trim on standard models. The logic was sound: if you’re selling a true John Cooper Works model, you want it to stand out. Offering the same visual package—aggressive aero, big wheels, red-stitched seats—on a base Cooper or Cooper S risked diluting the JCW’s identity in the eyes of buyers.

But that approach ran headlong into MINI Global’s product strategy. Globally, MINI tied shift paddles exclusively to the JCW steering wheel—an item only available with the JCW Trim. That meant unless MINI USA offered the JCW Trim on non-JCW cars, North American buyers had no access to shift paddles at all. And since MINI had already dropped the manual transmission, U.S. Cooper and Cooper S buyers were stuck with automatic-only control—something buyers outside of North America didn’t have to contend with.

What looked like a straightforward product planning decision turned into a massive change in the Cooper’s character.

Now, MINI USA is making it right and will be offering the JCW Trim with Cooper and Cooper S models on the F66 hatch and F67 convertible. It’s worth noting that the five door (F65) has offered the JCW Trim from launch since there is now full JCW model offered by MINI.

Why the JCW Trim Is Important to Enthusiast

As detailed in our full review, the JCW Trim brings the long-missing shift paddles to the Cooper and Cooper S, along with a suite of visual and dynamic enhancements. That includes the JCW aero kit, 18” wheels, Vescin sport seats with red stitching, and the signature JCW steering wheel. The biggest physical upgrade is actually the brakes. The JCW Trim offers the larger floating caliper JCW brakes – the same ones found on the full JCW. In fact we prefer them on cars with the JCW Style because of the more subtle black calipers with the JCW logo.

In our testing we found that the package also sharpens throttle response. This combined with better braking and manual shift controls creates a car that—while not a full JCW—feels meaningfully upgraded over the standard version.

In short, it’s the car that the Cooper and Cooper S should have been from the beginning.

The MotoringFile Take

This wasn’t about neglect or oversight on MINI USA’s part. It was a brand decision made with the best intentions: protect the JCW identity. But that goal clashed with MINI Global’s bundling strategy—and U.S. drivers paid the price. Now, the compromise is here, and it’s a good one.

If you’ve been waiting for a Cooper S with visual punch, performance edge, and paddles on the wheel, your MINI has finally arrived.

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