I've owned 2 previous MINIs - 2006 and a 2012 S and we just ordered convertible 2 months ago - 2024 S manual loaded (every option). I was stoked and watched the build, shipping, tracked it, and currently sitting at the Port of Newark, NJ ready to ship soon. We had a weekend away without the kids and stopped into our MINI dealer (approx 1.5 hrs from us) and to just check in. I was bummed the car wasn't able to clear the port quickly enough to get it this week in tandem with our weekend trip. Well, our sales advisor is f'ing awesome. She wanted to show us around, show us eh service center, and in the process we got to talking on being on the fence if the S was gonna scratch that itch on performance. She got an S manual and a JCW auto convertibles pulled around and suggested, in fact insisted, we go drive them. It's a good thing we did. I've owned quite a few manuals but broke my left ankle a few years ago. My Porsche was easy with the ankle but the MINI manual was torture and just an odd angle comparatively speaking. The clutch has a really longer travel and I found myself lifting and using my leg to work the clutch more than just my foot. This could be just me and my pins, rods, and plates.... In contrast, the JCW auto was actually more fun, hell of a lot more comfortable, and found the extra power worth it in my opinion. The JCW had every option that my incoming S manual had so we decided to flip over the the JCW and now are picking it up tomorrow.

....I'd normally always swear that manual transmissions are the way to go, but the manual package in the Mini S (2024) just didn't do it for me. After taking both out, the JCW was way, way, way more fun. Thoughts? Am I on crack? Am I the only one that found the manual ergos less than ideal, or have others come to similar conclusions running both head to head (back to back)?

 

do you have some photos of it ?

 

Here's the photo of us leaving with the JCW convertible instead of an S!!

 

amen

 

I have literally the same car (except for JCW mirror caps. IMO those red ones don't quite work.)
I wanted a manual, but wanted a convertible more. And the JCW was a must, for several reasons. So...

I do miss not working a clutch pedal, but the paddle shifters still engage you, and in some ways make it easier to work a fast, tight turn.
Full auto works surprisingly well also, but using the paddles lets you keep the revs higher, (once you break in the engine) which makes the car a bit more responsive.

Sadly, the response of this tranny is a little sluggish when using the paddles. I'm seriously planning on retrofitting next year's dual clutch auto, if & when it can be done.

Lovely car, though. I never drove such a solid convertible before. No flex, no roll, just incredible.

 

In sport mode it should change the shift points and make it more connected.

DCT: https://www.motoringfile.com/2017/12...fficial-debut/

" The DCT can only cope with 221 ft lbs of torque – far less than most JCW tunes." so who knows if it can hold the JCW power? Maybe the newer one.

I would like to feel what the DCT is like, I have driven all but the 7 speed DCT. F54 8 Speed was smooth, but shifts without sport on paddles was a little sluggish.

 

That's the current DCT.

The one coming out next year will reportedly handle a LOT more torque. It will be on the new JCW, which will make 258 ft lbs stock. If they still make a GP, then this new tranny will have to handle even THAT much, since there's no more manual tranny. I suspect that that's what they designed it for.

 

Yep, hopefully the new one hold the TQ on that. i bet limit is maybe ~300 ish. Cool to see it done.