Manual Transmission - Very Clean 1 Owner Clean Carfax - Financing Available on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Mini to introduce all-wheel-drive Clubman

The latest Mini Clubman shows how the diminutive brand will go in a larger, more utilitarian direction in the future. The next step might make the wagon an even more versatile option for buyers. A rumor from MotoringFile that cites "sources familiar with the plans" claims that the vehicle will get the automaker's next-gen All4 all-wheel-drive system as soon as spring 2016. Allegedly the all-wheel-drive system derives from the setup that's available on the BMW 2 Series Active Tourer, which shares the Mini's UKL platform. The layout uses a multiple-disk clutch at the rear axle to manage power to the back wheels and can route up to 100 percent of the grunt to the tail in a pinch. When extra traction isn't needed there, power goes exclusively to the front. The All4 system will allegedly be available on both the Clubman Cooper and Cooper S models, and MotoringFile estimates the cost of ticking the option box at around $1,500. After introducing the tech on the standard versions, a hotter John Cooper Works model capable of powering all of its wheels will also reportedly begin production around next November. Mini will reportedly also offer this all-wheel-drive tech in the next-generation Countryman. The vehicle will use the UKL platform like the rest of the brand's lineup, but the crossover will grow even larger to look more off-road ready, according to rumors. We reached out to Mini USA spokesperson Mariella Kapsaskis, who says "she can't confirm anything officially about an all-wheel drive Clubman or JCW variant." Related Video:

Mini USA will temporarily stop importing manual transmissions

Emissions certification woes strike again, this time at Mini. The U.S. arm of Blighty's iconic car company has had to temporarily put a stop to importing any models with manual transmissions beginning with July production, which is when BMW typically begins rolling the new model year down assembly lines. According to MotoringFile, calibration testing for the six-speed manual is taking longer than expected. The outlet guesses the interruption will conclude by September, because it has "seen these type of delays in the past and they've lasted from 1-4 months." It has queried the brand's head of communication, who said, "As much as we at MINI USA would like to have a definitive timeline, it would be too early to say." The spokesman did, however, say that Mini remains committed to the manual gearbox. That comes in contrast to Toyota's recent breakdown of manual take-rates across a range of vehicle types, Hyundai jettisoning the manual on the 2020 Elantra, and stalwart enthusiast rides like the Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 and Chevrolet Corvette leaving the stick-shift fold. Nevertheless, Mini's efforts feel, at best, like raging against the dying of the light, especially because the end of the MF report states, "the other big news is that Mini USA is also eliminating the manual option from some models all-together." MF isn't yet certain about which models are affected, though. Buyers stepping up during the row-your-own intermission will get a crack at the long awaited seven-speed dual-clutch transmission or a revised eight-speed automatic. The DCT will slide into the Cooper and Coooper S models, the traditional automatic makes a home in the 301-horsepower John Cooper Works Clubman and Countryman.

The electric Mini SE crushes its EPA range estimate in our real-world test

The range meter of my fully charged 2020 Mini Cooper SE reads 110 miles as I fasten my seatbelt, which is hardly a surprise because that number matches the official EPA-certified range of this all-new electric car. But then I turn on the climate control system, at which point the range prediction promptly falls to 103 miles. “Uh-oh. This could get interesting,” I say to myself. My range test course, you see, is a vast loop that measures about 105 miles around. I donÂ’t really think IÂ’ll end up walking, though. I remind myself that most electric cars IÂ’ve tested — the Porsche Taycan among them — routinely outperform their rated range. But “most” is the operative word in this train of thought, so I ease out of my driveway to begin the test under a tiny cloud of uncertainty. Will the Mini Cooper SE prove to be one of the outliers? Will I encounter any low battery warnings? All will become clear in the next three and half hours. None of my initial hand-wringing should be taken to mean the MiniÂ’s rated range of 110 miles is somehow insufficient. ItÂ’s not, in my view. The length of my course has no special meaning. It doesnÂ’t represent the “right” number of miles. How the test was run My loop in Orange County, Calif., represents what I call typical suburban city driving. ItÂ’s not as dense as the notorious gridlocked areas found in West Los Angeles or certain big-city downtown environs, so itÂ’s applicable to the vast majority of drivers. It features suburban residential and arterial streets, with speed limits that range from 25 mph to as much as 60 mph. But thereÂ’s no pure freeway mileage, and the entire route is peppered with more than 310 signals. As for elevation, it ranges from sea level to just over 600 feet. I run with the automatic climate control system set within the range of 72 to 75 degrees, aiming to settle on one specific setting throughout that delivers adequate comfort. IÂ’ll try whatever Eco drive mode there is, but if throttle response is anemic IÂ’ll use the normal setting. Here, the default mode is the “green” mode, and IÂ’m sticking with it because the SEÂ’s driveability is totally agreeable. As for speed, IÂ’m running mid-pack between the leadfoots and the slowpokes. I wonÂ’t try to out-drag anyone leaving signals, and I look far enough ahead that I can choose the best lane and anticipate when the next signal is going to change. In short, IÂ’m aiming to land halfway between hypermiling and hyperactive.