Attention, lovers of sprightly, engaging little cars: The world makes a little bit of sense to you again. Mini is once again selling 6-speed manual transmissions.
The company never meant to stop. But back in May, supply chain problems forced BMW’s Mini division to stop building stick-equipped cars.
The manual transmission is a rare sighting these days. Nearly 90% of vehicles for sale in the U.S. in the 2022 model year don’t even have one available as an option. One recent report found that as few as 6% of cars are now sold with a third pedal.
But Mini has always sold a higher proportion of manuals than most automakers. Mini’s cars, with their focus on fun handling over raw power, appeal to a certain type of driver who loves having more direct control over their car.
Those drivers have an option again. Mini says it will start building 2-door hardtops with manual transmissions next month. That includes sporty Cooper S and high-performance John Cooper Works models.
The stick will be available only on 2-door models for now. Mini hasn’t provided an update on when, or whether, the clutch pedal will return to the rest of the lineup.
Mini lovers, however, should know they have a window of just a few years to buy a manual Cooper. BMW has announced plans to make the brand all-electric by 2030. Electric cars lack transmissions altogether, though Jeep once found a way around that problem.
