Photo: MINI
Stick shift is back in the MINI cars with November 2022 production vehicles for the U.S. market. The German-owned brand wants to lure in more customers for the emblematic automobile. Since the mechanical aspect of the manual drive gearheaded-ness is solved, the other crucial factor – the driver – is now addressed by MINI with a manual gearbox driving course.
Some three weeks ago, MINI made public the return of the three-pedaled cars for American buyers. However, with the vast preference for automatic transmissions by carmakers and customers alike, only a few know how to manage the floor lever in tandem with the accelerator and clutch.
So MINI USA is offering a course to solve the issue with the MINI Manual Driving School at the BMW Performance Center in Thermal, California. The facility "is open to any drivers looking for the opportunity to learn to drive a manual in an engaging and safe atmosphere.”
Held solely at the BMW Group Performance Center West, the course consists of two sections. The introduction to the technicalities of clutch-and-lever operation and the evident hands-on driving experience at the on-site test track.
MINI has always been regarded as a fun-powered and fun-powering brand. The minuscule automobile is one epitome of driving essence, with generations of owners supporting the manual transmission feature. However, some drivers may be hindered from experiencing the joy of driving an iconic manual car because they either forgot or didn’t learn at all.
MINI’s program aims to build the basics in drivers who wish to step outside the comfort zone of not caring about the gear changes while at the wheel. The studies pay particular attention to vehicle controls, learning about and finding the friction point, and mastering smooth starts, stops, and acceleration.
Before getting in the driver’s seat of a car with a manual transmission and venturing into public road traffic, attendants will take a test (against the clock). MINI pupils must prove they can handle the old-school way of using two feet on three pedals and the right hand off the steering wheel.
’’For over a decade, consumers have ranked MINI as the most fun to drive brand in America, which is exactly why we brought back the manual transmission,’’ said Rah Mahtani, Brand Communications Manager, MINI USA. ‘’The course is not only informative but also a fun and challenging learning experience for a new generation of MINI drivers that they will remember forever. ’’
From this month on, MINIs are available with manual transmission for U.S.-based fans of the brand. The Cooper, Cooper S, and John Cooper Works variants of the two-door hardtop are offered with the traditional gearbox as an option.
So MINI USA is offering a course to solve the issue with the MINI Manual Driving School at the BMW Performance Center in Thermal, California. The facility "is open to any drivers looking for the opportunity to learn to drive a manual in an engaging and safe atmosphere.”
Held solely at the BMW Group Performance Center West, the course consists of two sections. The introduction to the technicalities of clutch-and-lever operation and the evident hands-on driving experience at the on-site test track.
MINI has always been regarded as a fun-powered and fun-powering brand. The minuscule automobile is one epitome of driving essence, with generations of owners supporting the manual transmission feature. However, some drivers may be hindered from experiencing the joy of driving an iconic manual car because they either forgot or didn’t learn at all.
MINI’s program aims to build the basics in drivers who wish to step outside the comfort zone of not caring about the gear changes while at the wheel. The studies pay particular attention to vehicle controls, learning about and finding the friction point, and mastering smooth starts, stops, and acceleration.
Before getting in the driver’s seat of a car with a manual transmission and venturing into public road traffic, attendants will take a test (against the clock). MINI pupils must prove they can handle the old-school way of using two feet on three pedals and the right hand off the steering wheel.
’’For over a decade, consumers have ranked MINI as the most fun to drive brand in America, which is exactly why we brought back the manual transmission,’’ said Rah Mahtani, Brand Communications Manager, MINI USA. ‘’The course is not only informative but also a fun and challenging learning experience for a new generation of MINI drivers that they will remember forever. ’’
From this month on, MINIs are available with manual transmission for U.S.-based fans of the brand. The Cooper, Cooper S, and John Cooper Works variants of the two-door hardtop are offered with the traditional gearbox as an option.
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