With the advent of electric cars, manual transmissions will become increasingly rare, even if some manufacturers intend to find a solution. For example, Toyota and Lexus are working on an amazing manual transmission for electric cars. In fact, it would be an element that would allow you to “simulate” gear shifting, but which, however, would bring some idea of ​​the pleasure of driving.

Because yes, while a manual transmission isn’t necessarily the pinnacle of everyday versatility in terms of sportiness, it is an important element of driving pleasureespecially for some models like Mazda MX-5 or Toyota GR Yaris.

The big return of manual transmissions in the Mini?

On the Mini side, the manual transmission has recently disappeared from the catalog. But the British manufacturer intends to continue to offer this transmission. Moreover, it also intends to revive the manual transmission in the United States, a country where the automatic transmission is legion.

Mini USA recently conducted a survey of its US customers. It found that 63% of respondents agreed that learning to drive with a manual transmission was a rite of passage and an important skill. In addition, according to the study, one of the main benefits that customers receive from a manual transmission is it is also a pleasure to drive.

However, despite this, only 24% of respondents indicated that they currently own a vehicle with a manual transmission. Almost half of Gen Z (49%) and 42% of women said they could not drive a car with a manual transmission. Despite this, 53% of them indicated that they are ready to learn. 67% of respondents aged 18-34 showed the greatest interest in learning to drive a car with a manual transmission.

School of learning to drive on a mechanical gearbox

In response to these results, Mini USA will expand its offering of manual transmissions beginning in Year 1^Er March 2023. Four additional Mini models will be available with a manual transmission, namely the Mini Cooper Convertible, Mini Cooper S Convertible, Mini Cooper 4-Door and Mini Cooper S 4-Door. In France, As of last year, Mini no longer offers a manual transmission.

And that’s not all, as Mini USA has partnered with BMW Group Performance Center West in Thermal, California to launch the Mini Manual Driving School. This school allows customers who want to learn about manual transmissions by offering workshops on finding the slip point, starting on a hill or shifting gears. At the end of the course, participants will take a timed test.