For everyone adorning their vehicles with “Save the Manuals” decals, you’ll be happy to hear that Mini is bringing back the manual transmission to certain models in the month of November. So, if you’ve been wanting a new Mini equipped with a manual transmission, this is your big chance. Per a recent Mini press release, “Excellent news for performance enthusiasts who enjoy the fun of shifting their own gears, the Mini Hardtop 2 door range will see the return of the manual transmission as a standalone option starting with November production allowing Mini owners in the U.S. to once again, purchase a Mini Hardtop with a six-speed manual transmission. The reintroduction of the manual transmission is offered on the Cooper, Cooper S, and John Cooper Works variants of the Mini Hardtop 2 Door.” Perhaps this is coinciding with the month in which Thanksgiving falls, Mini is giving us another reason to be thankful.
In addition to re-offering a manual transmission, the trio of Special Editions launched earlier this year, the Resolute, Untold, and Untamed, have options for new body colors, interior upholsteries, and engine variants. The Resolute updated options include Enigmatic Black metallic paint, Nanuq White for the Hardtop variants, and Lounge Leather Carbon Black upholstery. The Untold brings back Cooper S and Cooper S All4 trim levels and offers Midnight Black metallic paint. The Untamed can be ordered with the new Nanuq White paint color. Due to resolutions with supply chain issues, the Signature 2.0 and Iconic 2.0 trim levels are now being offered across Mini’s lineup.
If you’d like to continue to see manual transmissions offered by Mini and BMW, get out there and buy them! They’re only going to continue to offer them if there’s a demand. Similar to the fate of wagons in the U.S., if there’s no demand, there won’t be any supply. —Mike Bevels
[Photos courtesy of BMW.]