Quite a few years ago, Ferrari discontinued manual cars in favor of DCTs for better 0-to-60 and lap times. Lamborghini followed suit, and this worrying trend has also penetrated volume-oriented automakers. Merc is dropping manuals globally, with said process to be finished by the end of 2023. The BMW-owned MINI brand appears to be following suit, albeit there's no written confirmation just yet.
The speculation kicked off with the reveal of the JCW 1to6 special edition for the 2024 model year, which celebrates the manual transmission. Hearsay suggests that MINI chose this name and theme specifically to mark the switch to a two-pedal setup, and – by 2030 – to an electric-only range.
Read Article