People thought Mini’s “1 to 6” manual version, shown off last month, was the brand’s second-to-last three-pedal car. Insiders at Mini say that manual gears have yet to be completely ruled out for the next-generation Cooper. This means that those rumours were likely too early. But if Mini keeps using them, which our source says is still theoretically possible with the car’s new platform, they will be more challenging to find than they used to be. Stefanie Wurst, who is in charge of the Mini brand, started the lie about manual Minis when she said in an Autocar interview that she was “99% sure” that future model would not have three pedals. The newspaper says that Mini’s remaining internal combustion engine (ICE) cars, including the next-generation Mini Cooper hatchback in 2025, will only have a ZF eight-speed transaxle. But 99% isn’t 100%, and a person close to Mini says there’s a good chance we’ll see more manual Minis, especially in the U.S. “It’s clear that we’re making a lot of noise about keeping manuals around whenever possible.” It still needs to be completed. One person says that we are cautiously hopeful about what can be done. The author says, “The 45 percent take rate on JCW manuals in the United States is a strong indicator that there’s a business case, even for a limited run.” “Has it been completely forgotten that I haven’t gotten any advance information on the next generation of hardtops and convertibles with internal combustion engines?” “No,” they said with a strong voice. “However, I think the question is whether or not the business case can work.” Will the business plan work? Drilling a hole in a car’s floor and using an engine is easy. We will be sure once we find out more about the goods. Mini has already listened to its fans and made a limited number of its famous EV convertible prototype available in certain places. Our source says it was just a design exercise at first, but the overwhelmingly positive reaction from fans persuaded Mini that a limited production run was a good idea. The same thing could happen if enough people buy Mini guides now and want more in the future. As electric cars become more popular over the next ten years, the source says that Mini may keep some of its analog charms by making it look like it has a manual transmission. They talked about how some CVTs are designed to work like geared transmissions. They also discussed Toyota’s plans for an electric vehicle (EV) that works like a manual transmission. They said that Mini is closely monitoring how this technology develops. “At the end of the day, it doesn’t look as good for those who love manual transmissions.” The door is closed, but it is not yet locked. Even though realism isn’t the primary goal, it’s clear that Mini loves the manual experience. This will likely appear in limited-edition models that sell well, like the 1to6 or the JCWs coming out soon. If we can’t buy them, we might have to use fake instructions or spend money on something else. Still, cars like the Mazda MX-5 and Ford Mustang made for the driver will be around for a long time. Mini will only lose if it gives us what we want, even if it’s just certain speed trims. And Mini seems to know about it.
