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Even Mini's manual transmission take rate is only 11%

Of all the automakers we've talked with so far, Mini seems to sell the largest percentage of its cars with a manual transmission. A representative from the company shared numbers with us that show 11% of its 2019 sales have featured a stick. That beats Subaru's 7%, Volkswagen's 5% and Honda's 2.6%. It likely helps that Mini is a more niche brand, and it offers a manual on nearly every version of its cars. Still, it's sad that 89% of Mini owners decided to get an automatic anyway. The manual take rate between different models varies quite a bit. The high-performance John Cooper Works models are most frequently sold with a manual transmission. The two-door hardtop and convertible versions have the highest percentages for the JCW at 41% and 32%. The JCW Clubman and Countryman follow at 22% and 19%. We're not surprised that the fast versions of Minis are sold with a manual more often than others, but we're surprised that even with two in 10 JCW Clubman and Countryman models selling with one, Mini would drop the option from the new 301-horsepower versions. Unsurprisingly, other trim levels aren't purchased with a stick as often. The least popular is the front-drive Cooper S Countryman at 0%, followed by the regular Cooper Countryman at 1%. Then there's the Cooper Clubman at 3%. Weirdly, the all-wheel-drive Countryman and Clubman models always have a higher percentage of manuals than the front-drive models, with differences ranging from 2% to 10%. The two-door Minis are typically the most likely to sell with a manual even for core models. In the convertible, the 6% of regular Coopers are manual while 30% of the Cooper S are. That nearly matches the JCW convertible. For the hardtop, the regular Cooper's manual take rate is 11% and the Cooper S model's is 17%. These numbers will probably drop in the short term, though. Mini announced that it's temporarily stopping imports of manual Minis due to some emissions calibration issues. After a few months, though, we expect the manual sales to bounce back.

Mini says goodbye to Coupe and Roadster

Mini has tried a variety of body-styles in recent years, and while some of them have been successful, others have not – most especially its two-door models. Aside from the standard Hardtop (which is now available with an extra set of doors), the Clubman (which is also getting extra apertures in its next iteration) and the Paceman (which isn't expected to make it another generation), the Coupe and Roadster models have been particularly slow sellers for the brand. So after much speculation on their future, Mini is now officially showing both two-doors the door. Although the manufacturer has't said exactly when production of the two will cease at the plant in Oxford, UK, it has confirmed that "The two individual two-seater athletes Mini Coupe and Mini Roadster will finish their career together and as planned." In their place, Mini is said to be working to put the Superleggera Vision concept into production. Just when that may come to pass, or if it might breed a fixed-roof version to take the coupe's place, remain to be seen. But for now, you'll need to get your Mini with three doors or more. Related Video: THE MINI COUPE AND THE MINI ROADSTER: TWO ATHLETES TURN INTO THE FINAL STRAIGHT British premium automobile manufacturer continues the change of generation in its model program - production of both two-seater models at MINI Plant Oxford is about to end as planned. Munich, Germany, February 11, 2015. Changeover at MINI Plant Oxford: while worldwide demand for the new MINI 3 door and the new MINI 5 door launched a few months ago increases continuously, production of two model variants from the preceding generation of the original in the premium small car segment is about to come to an end. The two individual two-seater athletes MINI Coupe and MINI Roadster will finish their career together and as planned. In taking this step, the British premium car manufacturer continues the change of generation in its model program and in terms of vehicle production at the Oxford plant. The new MINI 5 door is now produced there in seven engine variants, as is the new MINI 3 door. The MINI Coupe was originally launched in the "Green Hell": the new model saw its world premiere at the 24-hour race on the Nurburgring Nordschleife immediately before its appearance at the Frankfurt International Motor Show (IAA) in 2011.

Mini exiting WRC after just one year

There was a fair bit of hullabaloo two years ago when Mini announced a return to the World Rally Championship for this season, but the road to making that happen has been as rocky as a gravel stage. It spent 2011 developing its JCW Countryman WRC challenger, changing its mind about how it wanted to work with Prodrive, dumped a driver due to budget issues, then registering its entry after the deadline had passed in a ploy that might or might not have been a protest aimed at the WRC promoter.
Mini had stated that it wanted to win the whole championship in 2013, and spent 2011 doing six WRC rounds as development. As it stands for this year, the WRC Team Mini Portugal - paid for by Mini, run by ProDrive - scored 26 points in the first rally at Monte Carlo and has so far blanked the rest of the season. The relationship between Mini and ProDrive appeared to be an ever-contentious affair, at the end of this season, even the money will dry up along with what support there was.
Because it contested every race in the calendar, though, Mini says it has completed the FIA requirements for homologation of the JCW Countryman WRC; meaning that privateers can continue purchasing the car and run it in the WRC. BMW Motorsport is continuing development and parts supply of the 1.6-liter turbo engine, and a report in Autosport indicates that ProDrive will continue to run Minis in the series next year.