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A Mini USA survey revealed that there's still high interest in manual transmissions.
www.press.bmwgroup.com
MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS ARE FUN TO DRIVE AND STILL “IN” WITH MOST CONSUMERS – MINI USA SURVEY REVEALS HIGH INTEREST.
09.02.2023 PRESS RELEASE
Thermal, CA – February 9, 2022 – Offering a fun and engaging experience behind the wheel, driving a manual transmission car is an art that many drivers are still familiar with, but few have the opportunity to practice today. To better understand consumer insights around manual transmissions, MINI USA recently conducted a consumer survey to find out just how people feel about manual transmissions today. Commissioned by Engine’s CARAVAN®, the survey found a few indicators that were both surprising and optimistic that show manual driving still has an opportunity to shine.
Thermal, CA – February 9, 2022 – Offering a fun and engaging experience behind the wheel, driving a manual transmission car is an art that many drivers are still familiar with, but few have the opportunity to practice today. To better understand consumer insights around manual transmissions, MINI USA recently conducted a consumer survey to find out just how people feel about manual transmissions today. Commissioned by Engine’s CARAVAN®, the survey found a few indicators that were both surprising and optimistic that show manual driving still has an opportunity to shine.
Validating the appeal of driving a manual transmission car, an impressive 63% of all respondents agree that learning how to drive a manual transmission is a rite of passage and an important life skill. Additionally, “fun to drive” was the top characteristic respondents most associated with a manual transmission vehicle. However, despite this, less than a quarter (24%) of all respondents indicated they own a manual-equipped car.
Regarding consumers’ knowledge of how to drive a manual, nearly half of all Gen Z (49%) and 42% of all women indicated they did not know how to drive a car with a manual transmission. When asked if they were willing to learn, more than half of all respondents (53%) indicated they are interested in learning. Impressively, two thirds (67%) of younger respondents aged 18-34 were most eager to learn to drive a manual transmission car.
These results show a clear opportunity to impart the fun and engaging element of driving a manual to current and upcoming generations of drivers. It comes at a time when MINI USA is announcing the return of more models available with manual transmissions. As of November 2022 production, MINI USA announced the return of manuals in its Cooper, Cooper S and John Cooper Works 2-door hardtops. MINI is now pleased to announce four additional models that will be available with a manual transmission. They include:
Offering drivers the opportunity to learn to drive a manual, MINI USA in conjunction with the BMW Group Performance Center West in Thermal, CA, announced plans in November to launch a dedicated school. Effective February 8th, 2023, registration for the MINI Manual Driving School is now open with the course available at a cost of $499.
This school is designed to welcome a new generation of manual drivers while allowing others to sharpen their skills after years of driving automatic. The school creates a foundation for drivers to build their comfort with driving manual transmission vehicles, with a curriculum that focuses on vehicle controls, finding the friction point, practicing smooth starts, stops, acceleration, and more. At the conclusion of the course, participants will be tested on a timed course to assess the driver's knowledge.
To learn more and register for the MINI Manual Driving School, see here.
MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS ARE FUN TO DRIVE AND STILL “IN” WITH MOST CONSUMERS – MINI USA SURVEY REVEALS HIGH INTEREST.
Thermal, CA – February 9, 2022 – Offering a fun and engaging experience behind the wheel, driving a manual transmission car is an art that many drivers are still familiar with, but few have the opportunity to practice today. To better understand consumer insights around manual transmissions...
09.02.2023 PRESS RELEASE
Thermal, CA – February 9, 2022 – Offering a fun and engaging experience behind the wheel, driving a manual transmission car is an art that many drivers are still familiar with, but few have the opportunity to practice today. To better understand consumer insights around manual transmissions, MINI USA recently conducted a consumer survey to find out just how people feel about manual transmissions today. Commissioned by Engine’s CARAVAN®, the survey found a few indicators that were both surprising and optimistic that show manual driving still has an opportunity to shine.
Thermal, CA – February 9, 2022 – Offering a fun and engaging experience behind the wheel, driving a manual transmission car is an art that many drivers are still familiar with, but few have the opportunity to practice today. To better understand consumer insights around manual transmissions, MINI USA recently conducted a consumer survey to find out just how people feel about manual transmissions today. Commissioned by Engine’s CARAVAN®, the survey found a few indicators that were both surprising and optimistic that show manual driving still has an opportunity to shine.
Validating the appeal of driving a manual transmission car, an impressive 63% of all respondents agree that learning how to drive a manual transmission is a rite of passage and an important life skill. Additionally, “fun to drive” was the top characteristic respondents most associated with a manual transmission vehicle. However, despite this, less than a quarter (24%) of all respondents indicated they own a manual-equipped car.
Regarding consumers’ knowledge of how to drive a manual, nearly half of all Gen Z (49%) and 42% of all women indicated they did not know how to drive a car with a manual transmission. When asked if they were willing to learn, more than half of all respondents (53%) indicated they are interested in learning. Impressively, two thirds (67%) of younger respondents aged 18-34 were most eager to learn to drive a manual transmission car.
These results show a clear opportunity to impart the fun and engaging element of driving a manual to current and upcoming generations of drivers. It comes at a time when MINI USA is announcing the return of more models available with manual transmissions. As of November 2022 production, MINI USA announced the return of manuals in its Cooper, Cooper S and John Cooper Works 2-door hardtops. MINI is now pleased to announce four additional models that will be available with a manual transmission. They include:
- MINI Cooper Convertible
- MINI Cooper S Convertible
- MINI Cooper 4-Door Hardtop
- MINI Cooper S 4-Door Hardtop
Offering drivers the opportunity to learn to drive a manual, MINI USA in conjunction with the BMW Group Performance Center West in Thermal, CA, announced plans in November to launch a dedicated school. Effective February 8th, 2023, registration for the MINI Manual Driving School is now open with the course available at a cost of $499.
This school is designed to welcome a new generation of manual drivers while allowing others to sharpen their skills after years of driving automatic. The school creates a foundation for drivers to build their comfort with driving manual transmission vehicles, with a curriculum that focuses on vehicle controls, finding the friction point, practicing smooth starts, stops, acceleration, and more. At the conclusion of the course, participants will be tested on a timed course to assess the driver's knowledge.
To learn more and register for the MINI Manual Driving School, see here.
