Mini ditches the guide transmission
2 min read
Mini will not supply a guide transmission in its redesigned Cooper hatchback, which suggests the transmission is formally useless at a model that till now was considered one of its strongest proponents.
Talking with Top Gear at this week’s 2023 Munich auto present, the place Mini confirmed off its new Cooper in electrical guise, model boss Stefanie Wurst confirmed neither the electrical model nor the yet-to-be-revealed gasoline model will supply the choice of a guide.
The brand new Cooper arrives as a 2025 mannequin however precise timing for the beginning of gross sales within the U.S. hasn’t been introduced. A redesigned Countryman has additionally been revealed for the 2025 mannequin 12 months, and a smaller crossover to be known as the Aceman can be on observe to reach for the 2025 mannequin 12 months to finish the next-generation Mini lineup.
The loss of life of the guide at Mini is not an enormous shock because the model in Could rolled out a particular 1to6 Version model of its outgoing hatch as a celebration of the guide transmission.
2024 Mini John Cooper Works 1to6 Version
A senior government at Mini’s BMW dad or mum firm additionally stated in June that each the guide transmission and dual-clutch computerized are on their approach out, as typical torque converter-based automatics are higher suited to the EV transition.
Mini earlier this 12 months printed the outcomes of a survey, which confirmed that just about half (49%) of all Gen Z respondents indicated they did not know tips on how to drive a guide. When requested in the event that they have been prepared to study, 53% of the Gen Z respondents indicated they have been concerned with studying tips on how to row their very own gears. That proportion grows when all ages as much as 34 are counted; on this case 67% stated they have been wanting to study.
To cater to people seeking to discover ways to drive stick, Mini has been operating a guide transmission driving course since final fall on the BMW West Coast driving college positioned on the Thermal Membership personal racetrack in California. It is not clear whether or not the course will stick round now that the model is ditching the guide.
