M/A Team submitted a new Article: MODEL YEAR 2020 MINI LINEUP PRICING AND EQUIPMENT UPDATES Read more about this article here...
All JCW’s. All John Cooper Works Hardtops and Convertibles will now come standard with an 8-speed Steptronic Sport Automatic Transmission
I've got nothing against that type of translation, but heck a JCW should be available with a 6 speed manual too. Another nail in MINI's coffin?
2005 R50 track MINI: 5sp manual 1974 Austin Classic Mini: 4sp manual 1973 Datsun 240Z Track car(280Z drivetrain): 5sp manual 2014 Elantra GT: 6sp manual 2009 VW Rabbit: 5sp manual 2018 Toyota 4Runner people carrier/tow vehicle: auto.....boooo 2009 Mazda5 MicroVan/race van: 5SP MANUAL! Come on MINI! Don’t loose me as a customer!
I had a Porsche Cayman with a DSG transmission. I was a pure "manual only for a sporting car" guy until I drove that car. I wanted the manual, but couldn't find one even close to being in the spec that I wanted in my state, so I got the DSG. I was in sport mode one morning a few weeks after getting the car and was flying down my favorite hill near the house. The guy in front of me hit the brakes for no reason that I could discern (maybe a small animal ran out in front of him), but I had left plenty of room, so I just got on the brakes hard. In the speed change from 60 MPH to 10 MPH (done as quickly as I could), the car downshifted and rev-matched at least 3, possibly 4 times. I think Mario Andretti couldn't have pulled it off better than than and it sounded spectacular! As long as I was in sport mode, that transmission was damn-near wired directly to my brain and chose the exact gear I was hoping for. The only time I disagreed with it was when I was going down long mountain passes and wanted more engine braking than the car did, but a quick tap on the paddle shifter made it right. I would have enjoyed rowing the gears in that car, but that DSG was a spectacular piece of work. It was also quite lucky for me, as I wound up having an ankle issue on my left foot that put me in a boot for 4-5 months and that would have made clutch work difficult. A standard auto (which this sounds like) might be a deal breaker (especially one this expensive) on a car that is supposed to be the sporting model.
I was a die-hard manual guy too. Right up to the point that my orthopedic doc said get thee an automatic to save what is left of your knee. I was super bummed out, no CVT, no torque converter slush box was going to be ok. What to do? Test drove a GTI with a DSG & man it was pretty darned good. After acclimating myself to it I'd say it's great. I'd like a Boxster with a PDK, oh yes I would.
I hope they have an option for a manual in the JCW's. While I admit, SMG, PDK, etc are faster I still love the art of shifting. That said, the 8 speed appears to be getting good reviews. https://www.roadandtrack.com/new-cars/car-technology/a27332349/why-so-many-carmakers-use-zfs-eight-speed-automatic/ In this article, it appears this transmission is being used in a wide range of vehicles: https://www.caranddriver.com/features/a23367341/automatic-transmission-best-zf-eight-speed/ "In 2017, some 3.5 million 8HP transmissions were built for a laundry list of manufacturers that includes Aston Martin, BMW, Fiat Chrysler, Jaguar Land Rover, and the Volkswagen Group. Beyond performance, the eight-speed’s appeal is rooted in its versatile modular design." And this: "Has the dual-clutch transmission met its match, then? You might think that’s the case, given the recent defections by the Audi RS5 and the BMW M5, which switched from dual-clutch transmissions to ZF’s 8HP torque-converter automatics. That’s also the opinion of Andy Palmer, CEO of Aston Martin, who claims ZF’s 8HP is lighter, cheaper, and quicker than a dual-clutch transmission." That said - for the McLaren Senna it's still dual clutch.. granted two very different cost / performance expectations. "And engineers maintain that a good dual-clutch ’box does shift quicker. “For our kind of product, it’s about a really fast shift, which the pre-engagement element of a dual-clutch gearbox helps us with. We think that’s still got a decent speed advantage,” says Marcus Waite, chief engineer of the McLaren Senna. Again, would love to see the option for a manual even if its not standard.
I'm curious if mini has announced prices for the 2020 GP? Save the "If you are asking about the price, you can't afford it" jokes.
Nothing yet! I've done a few events with it and they're keeping it well under wraps until the LA auto show this November.