I was looking at used minis but decided I would maybe do a new 4 door cooper s.

whats the deal with this 7spd auto shift manual tranny? Is it not a traditional manual transmission? Does it not have a clutch? Do you actually shift?

sorry, newbie here

 

Are you talking about the DCT? Dual Clutch Transmission. No third pedal, you can shift it or let it do it's thing in regular auto mode.

 

yes, I think so. They call it “7-Speed Auto-Shift Manual” on the spec sheet.

so no clutch, doesn’t that kinda take the fun outta driving a manual mini? Dealer says pretty much everything they have comes this way? I want a new mini with a traditional gear box.

 

It really isn't a manual transmission, it just lets you drive it in manual mode like many cars will let you.

I can no longer drive a manual without the risk of some back issues popping up at the wrong time. It isn't fun having to drive with shooting pain in your leg. I've had that happen in the past and had to pull over and rest before heading home. I liken it to someone who loses a sense (sight, hearing, etc.) and puts more focus on the remaining senses. No clutch work, find something else to like about the car or drive.

I was driving this morning on some tight S curves which had deicer and the roads were not at freezing point. And yet I lost traction anyway. Pretty hairy situation, had my fun for the day. Clutch not required.

 

MINI USA stopped importing manual transmissions around August. I was lucky that I was able to get one. There were seriously three or four options when I said I wanted manual and a F56S (2 door hardtop MINI Cooper S). They claimed they were evaluating their manual transmissions, but it seems like car makers are moving away from MTs. I'm not sure if they ever gave another official statement about the future of manual transmissions for MINI.

Oh, and from my understanding a DCT is just an auto with paddle shifters. If you want a classic manual transmission MINI, you'll have to get a 2019 (maybe still be new and suitable) or buy used, I think.

 

thanks a lot! Yeah that’s what I’m learning now. I had been looking at used and then decided I really want a new mini, but I can’t see getting an automatic. Back to the drawing board.

 

Maybe you can find a new 2019 model; it'll also have a solid discount, I imagine, if you can find it...
Although, I'd guess the manual transmissions would all be scooped up by now. I just checked the site of the dealership where I bought my MINI and they had three 2019, all automatics though.

 

From a Motor Trend article: "For the 2019 model year, Mini announced that it will retain the six-speed automatic and eight-speed automatic options in the U.S. alongside the six-speed manual, depending on the model."

At MINI USA site a build my own 2--door S could be had with the 7 speed sport double clutch transmission.

The double clutch transmission (DCT) is probably very similar to the PDK (Porsche double clutch) transmission. It is sort of like a traditional manual with a computer controlled hydraulically operated clutch (two clutches obviously). The two clutches each have their own input shaft to the transmission. One clutch controls engagement for the odd numbered gears, the other the even numbered gears. Not sure which one connects to reverse.

The DCT while a manual it is probably revised to make things lighter. Since it doesn't have to deal with the forces and abuse a human driver can deliver some components can be made lighter without sacrificing their ability to deal with the transmission of torque from the engine to the drive axle. Lighter components mean quicker shift times.

I'm sure the transmission has a "manual" shift mode in which you can move the lever to up shift or down shift. There could even be paddles on the wheel so you can leave your hands on the wheel.

There is no clutch pedal. The computer detects a shift is being made in which direction and does what it needs to do in order to disengage one clutch while simultaneously engaging the other clutch concurrent with moving the currently selected gear out of engagement while moving the being selected gear into engagement. The whole process is very smooth and very fast.

The clutches are "wet" they run in oil which is -- or was -- common with motorcycles. And some torque converter automatics have wet multi-plate clutches. Service life of these are very long. I do not know if like the PDK the DCT uses multi-plate wet clutches.

With the PDK Porsche offered "launch" control and claimed it didn't even bother to count the number of times this was used. The PDK was quite up to this type of usage. Some road tests had the driver doing launch after launch and the transmission didn't show any signs of any issues not even high operating temperature.

I drove a few loaner Porsches with PDK and it was a nice transmission. I never really pushed the vehicle hard but shifts were a bit more "crisp" or firm than those of an automatke with a torque converter.

One exception is the 8 speed automatic -- with a torque converter -- in my Hellcat. While it has a torque converter it is equipped with multi-plate wet clutches that engage/disengage gear sets and shifting is pretty crisp. The torque converter has a lock up feature so at some point the engine is connected directly to the transmission's input shaft and there is no loss due to a fluid coupling.

In automatic mode or manual mode under hard acceleration the shift speed is very quick, on the order of 150mS, a bit longer than the blink of an eye. And the Hellcat engine produces 650 ft lbs of torque and 707hp and thus the components have to be pretty heavy to deal with the forces involved.

My 2018 JCW has a 6-speed manual gear box. It is quite a good transmission and shifts up or down very fast. Downshifting is "helped" by automatic rev matching which is quite impressive. I have not had a chance to test drive a MNI with the new DCT.

My advice is go test drive an example and see how you like it. I think you'll be impressed. Oh, yeah, you give up the manual clutch and involvement with the car blah blah blah. I have driven manuals for decades and my involvement quickly reached the point it was pardon the expression automatic. One can't drive a car and have to think about the action of shifting a manual transmission. What I found when I gave up my two Porsche cars with manual transmissions and started driving the Hellcat in manual shift mode it was the *when* to shift that was the real involvement not the physical act of shifting. This was the case when I drove manual transmission cars. The physical act was all muscle memory. But it was the *when* that was important.

BTW, my A8 equipped Hellcat is loads faster than the car with the 6-speed manual. I suspect with the MINI equipped with a DCT it will be the faster car over a similar car fitted with a manual, if one can even be had now.

 

The 6-speed automatic has been replaced by the 7-speed DCT. The 8-speed automatic is still found in some models. MINI USA didn't eliminate manual transmissions, there's just a temporary production stop on them and they're back starting with March 2020 production. You can read more here: http://www.motoringfile.com/2019/10/...eturn-miniusa/

By the way, the DCT is a manual transmission in terms of functionality, but the dual clutches and gear selection are handled by the car (same as the VW/Audi DSG, Porsche's PDK, and BMW's DCT currently found in some M models). It's a true automated manual transmission, unlike the Steptronic transmissions which are normal torque converter automatics with the ability to be shifted manually by the driver.