Britain's hot hatch buyers are power hungry.

Not so long ago, a couple of hundred horsepower would put a racy three-door at the head of the pack.

But now VW's Golf is nudging the 300bhp mark with the R and the new Honda Civic Type R can boast 306bhp.

Not to be left behind, our home-grown, iconic MINI has just launched its most powerful production model ever - the new John Cooper Works.

With a two litre turbo packed in beneath its snub bonnet, the diminutive hatch pumps out 228bhp which is enough to see off a Porsche Carrera in a dash from 50-75mph in fifth.

Prices start at £23,050 for the six speed manual with the slightly quicker and more frugal Steptronic auto costing £24,380.

Based on the established Cooper S, marketing chiefs want to the new JCW to be a stand-alone halo model in the line-up. Prices are more than £3,000 up on the S, but as well as nearly 40bhp extra buyers are treated to new wrap-round front seats, unique front bumper, wider sills, deep rear bumper and larger twin exhaust pipes...so the new car will be easily recognised.

Revised suspension, four piston Brembo brakes and 17-inch exclusive alloys add to the performance touches of third generation JCW.

With 10 per cent more guts and 23 per cent greater torque than the last version, the changes are immediately felt.

The new six speed Steptronic gearbox is rapid and empathetic and allows the 0 to 62mph time to tumble by 0.2 of a second over the manual to a brisk 6.1 secs.

It is also noticeably more economical - 49.5mpg combined which corresponds with impressive CO2 emissions of just 133g/km. Top speed for both manual and auto is 153mph, which is 7mph faster than the ordinary Cooper S.

The original Cooper and Cooper S built their reputation half a century ago on their go-kart like handling and tenacious roadholding. These qualities were replicated in the first BMW MINI and are very much in evidence in the new JCW.

Put aside for a moment the thump-in-the-back acceleration and the spirited new sound track, and you can revel in the sharpness of the JCW's responses both from the seat of your pants and from the tips of your fingers.

A morning's track driving at a windsdwept, damp Goodwood circuit allowed me to explore its higher limits without fear of incurring the wrath of other road users (or the police). Most of the time it goes exactly where pointed with pin-sharp accuracy. Only the occasional puddle, or greasy patch would disturb this precision with a tad more understeer than wanted.

On public roads, the adhesion limits are so high few drivers will ever intentionally approach them. You do, however, notice the stiffness and resilience of the suspension. It pays to play with the various damper and suspension settings on the computer program to strike the right personal balance.

The cabin is a thing of intrigue and some beauty, dominated in the business area by an 8.8in central display surrounded by various colour lights seemingly continuously changing like a rainbow on a stormy day. A clever feel-good touch is the passenger storage bin which slides and opens with a silky soft touch.

Of course in true MINI style, there are countless options, colour permutations and extras that will mark out your car as individual...as well as inflating the price. The Chilli pack is regarded as a virtual must (price: £2,470) and I would definitely recommend the opening panoramic sunroof (price: £675) which lightens up the rather sombre cabin.

Fun, very fast and iconically British, the MINI Cooper S JCW is almost irresistible.