2003 Mini Cooper S Carfax Certified 6-speed Manual Trans Sunroof Leather on 2040-cars

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Why the 2020 Mini John Cooper Works GP doesn't have a manual

LOS ANGELES — The 2020 Mini John Cooper Works GP is an interesting machine. While it shares a lot in common with its predecessors, such as the big rear wing, no rear seat, four-spoke wheels and other aggressive design cues, it has a number of distinct differences. In particular, it has a massive amount of power relative to old models, and it doesn't have a manual transmission. This all left us with some questions that we brought to some Mini representatives. We'll start with the big one: "Where's our manual?" The representatives said a lot about how manual take rates are declining, and the smooth, quick-shifting automatic transmission fits a track-oriented car. But they also eventually admitted that they don't have a manual transmission available that would be strong enough to handle the turbo 2.0-liter engine's 301 horsepower and prodigious 332 pound-feet of torque. On the other hand, the engine, which is also used in the John Cooper Works Countryman, Clubman, and small BMWs, already has an automatic developed. And obviously, the company didn't feel it was worth it to develop a stronger gearbox for a run of just 3,000 cars. At the very least, having experienced Mini automatics in the past, they are good, and to make the experience a little more engaging, Mini has custom 3D-printed aluminum alloy shift paddles for the GP that do feel good. Another thing we were curious about was the disappearance of the Nurburgring lap time from the dashboard. Spy shots showed a time of 7:56.69 on a 3D-printed dash panel. The 3D-printed dashboard remains, but it will now have each model's production number instead. The display car uses 2020 as an example. The Mini representatives said that past customers cared more about which number of car they had, rather than a lap time. This is also in keeping with past GP models that all displayed their production numbers somewhere in the interior. The new GP's most striking features, though, are its carbon fiber fender flares. They serve a couple of purposes, such as accommodating the car's wider track and tires. According to one of the representatives, they also help direct airflow and reduce drag, but she didn't say by how much. Then there's the appearance, which is unusual at the least, looking almost like vertical wings, and it's inspired by the outrageous concept. Although they're made of carbon fiber, it's more of a molded style than the woven variety seen on many cars.

Consumer Reports no longer recommends Honda Civic

Consumer Reports annual Car Reliability Survey is out, and yes, there are some big surprises. First and foremost? The venerable publication no longer recommends the Honda Civic. In fact, aside from the walking-dead CR-Z and limited-release Clarity fuel-cell car, the Civic is the only Honda to miss out on CR's prestigious nod. At the opposite end there's a surprise as well – Toyota and Lexus remain the most reliable brands on the market, but Buick cracked the top three. That's up from seventh last year, and the first time for an American brand to stand on the Consumer Reports podium. Mazda's entire lineup earned Recommended checks as well. Consumer Reports dinged the Civic for its "infuriating" touch-screen radio, lack of driver lumbar adjustability, the limited selection of cars on dealer lots fitted with Honda's popular Sensing system, and the company's decision to offer LaneWatch instead of a full-tilt blind-spot monitoring system. Its score? A lowly 58. The Civic isn't the only surprise drop from CR's Recommended ranks. The Audi A3, Ford F-150, Subaru WRX/STI, and Volkswagen Jetta, GTI, and Passat all lost the Consumer Reports' checkmark. On the flipside, a number of popular vehicles graduated to the Recommended ranks, including the BMW X5, Chevrolet Camaro, Corvette, and Cruze, Hyundai Santa Fe, Porsche Macan, and Tesla Model S. Perhaps the biggest surprise is the hilariously recall-prone Ford Escape getting a Recommended check – considering the popularity of Ford's small crossover, this is likely a coup for the brand, as it puts the Escape on a level playing field with the Recommended Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, and Nissan Rogue. While Ford is probably happy to see CR promote the Escape, the list wasn't as kind for every brand. For example, of the entire Fiat Chrysler Automobiles catalog, the ancient Chrysler 300 was the only car to score a check – there wasn't a single Dodge, Fiat, Jeep, Maserati, or Ram on the list. That hurts. FCA isn't alone at the low end, either. GMC, Jaguar Land Rover, Mini, and Mitsubishi don't have a vehicle on CR's list between them, while brands like Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, Nissan, Lincoln, Infiniti, and Cadillac only have a few models each. You can check out Consumer Reports entire reliability roundup, even without a subscription, here.

2014 Mini Cooper

If I had a dollar for every time I heard someone from Mini refer to 'go-kart-like handling,' I'd be retired, living on a beautiful piece of coastline somewhere in the Caribbean. Perhaps even on the shores of Puerto Rico, where Mini chose to launch its latest Cooper and Cooper S hatchbacks. As with so many frequently used phrases, though, there is indeed some truth to the cliché - while the Mini Cooper has never actually handled quite like a go kart, it has always had a certain directness in its movements, reacting to steering inputs with an immediacy and fervor unlike most any other automobile meant primarily for the street.
Combine those unique driving dynamics with a sense of fun that permeates the entire brand from pre-sales marketing to the actual sales process itself and you end up with a marketplace success. As an ex-Mini owner myself (a 2009 Cooper S Convertible), I can attest to the kinship felt between fellow Mini drivers who share in the knowledge that they are having more fun than the poor appliance-driving masses sharing the highways and byways of these United States. It's no surprise that the style-conscious US continues to be the marque's single largest market year after year.
This enviable brand perception hasn't been attained without its own fair share of flaws, however. Though the quirky design and massively customizable bits and pieces that have made up the Mini brand's interior philosophy since it was reborn in 2001 have proven somewhat endearing, the Cooper Hardtop's ergonomics have always been an unmitigated disaster. Plus, this is a very small car, with a rear seat that's practically uninhabitable by adult-size occupants. While that adjective seemingly goes hand-in-hand with the brand's name, the modern Cooper has never been as ingeniously packaged as its 1959 forbearer, which offered up as much interior space as possible through innovative engineering and minimalist design. Further, parent company BMW has positioned Mini as a premium brand, so the Cooper's diminutive size has never equated to low prices. And for being such a small car, the Cooper historically hasn't been well-known for its fuel efficiency.