Confirming a rumor from December 2019, the 2021 Mini Hardtop and Convertible models in the United States will be available again with a manual gearbox after being automatic-only for the 2020 model year. The vehicles getting the three-pedal setup will include the Cooper and Cooper S 2-door hardtop, four-door hardtop, and convertible, in addition to the two-door John Cooper Works hardtop. The major exception will be the 2021 John Cooper Works convertible that will get a standard seven-speed dual-clutch automatic.
"Fun to Drive is the number one reason why customers choose to purchase a MINI, and many of them enjoy the experience of driving a Mini with a manual transmission," Patrick McKenna, Head of Product Planning for Mini USA, said in the automaker's announcement.
There will potentially be even more 2021 Mini models with a manual, too. The company will announce later in the spring whether the manual will be available for the 2021 Clubman and Countryman. Although, Mini already confirms that the all-wheel-drive versions of these vehicles wouldn't get the six-speed gearbox.
The 2021 Mini John Cooper Works GP also won't get a manual gearbox, but this will be the case worldwide. The manual transmissions in the parts bin can't handle the 301 horsepower (231 kilowatts) and 332 pound-feet (450 Newton-meters) from the model's 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder. With a limited run of 3,000 units, there isn't a business case for developing one, either.
Through the first quarter of 2020, Mini deliveries are down 35.1 percent. In that period, the deliveries totaled 5,237 units, versus 8,072 vehicles in Q1 2019.
