So often we’re told that the US market is all about automatics. MINI USA has given us some stats that prove that is simply not correct when it comes to MINI’s performance cars. Even with the Coutnryman and Paceman included, JCW’s in the US were equipped with the manual transmission 57% of the time in […] (visit MotoringFile for the full article) More...
".... – Lets Keep it that Way" Am I the only one barfing at this? I guess, if you are a fashion victim, making sure your chosen fashion image isn't diluted by people actually 'expressing their individuality' is important.
Hmm. I'm not sure about the article. I believe there are some car models that just simply shouldn't have a standard transmission and MINI is no different. Even my son-in-law's M3 is a total hoot with the paddle shift Steptronic transmission. I actually prefer it that way.
I love the paddle shifters in my MINI and my automatic transmission shifts way faster than I could ever shift a manual. Besides, when I have a hankerin' for a manual transmission, I drive my MG.
I totally agree with their statement, and I'm actually shocked that 43% of JCW buyers actually buy an auto-seriously? Driving a manual trans on a JCW is not about"expressing individuality", it's about, well, driving the car. Developing the auto trans was a great idea to give more people the pleasure of driving. If someone has a physical impairment, by all means get an auto trans on a JCW, otherwise, learn how to drive the car by shifting gears with a manual clutch, and eventually, learning what a heel-toe downshift is. JCW drivers with autos are missing so much of the driving experience-and the fun. And if the only place someone can learn to drive a manual is on a Mini test drive, well, so be it. Hey, Mini pushes the idea of driving a manual in many of their ads, so a dealer should be more than willing to let someone new to actual car mechanics test drive one. IMO, the reason the vast majority of people in the US demand an auto trans is so they can eat, drink, put on makeup, read the paper, and most importantly, TEXT in the car while driving. They can't be bothered by actually having to drive with......gulp.....two hands...... I kind of miss the "good ole" days of the C5 Corvette: you want to drive a Z06? Well you better learn all about 3 pedals and the truth :biggrin5:
True for the old Z06, but more than half of all corvettes sold are automatics. That obviously means more MINIs are sold with a manual transmission by percentage than Corvettes. Let's keep it that way! Truth is paddle shifters are faster in the vast majority of cars, but shifting the manual takes much more skill on a track, and it's ten times more rewarding when you get it right, like hitting that ever elusive perfect golf shot. There's never a dull moment. With paddle shifters it's so easy, it takes away from the experience IMHO....
Off topic: funny how I've been seeing it all this time but never paid any attention to it. Digg is like AOL, "OMG, they still exist?". And what the hell is del.icio.us?
You lose. Whether it was your intent or not, your comment suggests that people drive automatics because they don't know how to drive manuals. Wrong!
You wanna really see panties get twisted, post manuals are better than automatics on LXM.....it's worth a good 14 hours of cheap entertainment.