Just curious how many NAM members are waiting to place a MCS order until the new Automatic transmission is available. It's the same gearbox used on the Audi TT and VW Beetle. Should appeal to customers who spouse or significant other refuse to consider an MCS model because of no automatic option, or those who drive in city traffic. The tranny is Japanese manufactured by Aisin.

 

AUtomatic .... on a Mini...! Yucko!

 

Bah humbug.

 

Remember, BMW is in the business of selling cars. Surely this will increase Mini Cooper S sales, but it is sad from an enthusiasts point of view. Up until early 2005 everyone knew that the Cooper with the hood scoop came with a manual transmission only.

 

I could see owning a automatic if all you did was drive in traffic,but then why not just get an Echo

 

No need to wait. You can order them now.

-- Jay
"Refusing to get sucked into yet another discussion on the merits of the auto S"

 

January 1, 2005 start of production...

 

My brother's 3.2 TT has that tranny and it's a great box! Lightning fast shifts and the paddles let you fantasize that you're driving F1.

(Will the MCS have the paddles?)

Personally, I love driving a car with a clutch. It makes me feel like a kid again, and makes that connection to British sports cars of the past and the original Mini. (Can't heel-and-toe an automatic!) But for people who have to drive in stop-and-go traffic every day or deal with the hills of San Francisco all the time, this could be a real godsend. (And it will probably do wonders for BMW's sales - more power to 'em!)

I also understand this will bring a lot of people into the "S" that were shut out before. I enjoyed the exclusivity. ("You can't drive a stick? Oh, too bad!") But I gotta say, the first time I see one at a club event, I won't be sneering at it. I'll be saying, "Hey, cool! Can I try it?"!

This is a serious, high-performance transmission!

 

It will have the paddles .

 

I'm expecting my lobotomy, first!

 

If it's good enough for F1, it's good enough for me. I think it looks like quite a bit of fun!!

 

Well we all knew it was going to happen. If BMW wanted to increase sales of the Cooper S, they would have to offer it with an auto box in the states. While I like paddle shifters, I much more prefer three pedals. If they make the shifting sporty, it should be a nice car...nowhere near as quick as an F1 car, though . I'm not sure what my first reaction will be when I see a MCS creep at a stoplight .

 

Then they would offer a manual with a real clutch modulated by the car. An automatic and an SMG transmission are VERY different.

 

Why? THey already sell more MCSs than they expected to. BMW expected the base Cooper to sell a much larger percentage than it has.

 

I am looking forward to test drive the MCS with the Aisin 6-speed slushbox. Should be quite interesting.


I spent the weekend driving the wife's Cooper CVT and man that car is fun, fun!

I love the three pedals and slick 6-speed Getrag in my MCS, but to ignore the virtues afforded by today's high tech automatics is simply being a pretty narrow minded "Car enthusiast".

I hope that Spycar chimes in......

 

I don't see many MINIs up here,but the split is 50/50 MC vs MCS.
Most are driven by Women,or as I see it.

 

Ahhhhh... The Sequential Manual Gearbox (SMG). Now THAT'S a tranny that will convert any died-in-the-wool manual transmission lover. A friend of mine was fortunate enough to be a passenger in a BMW M3 on a track with the SMG transmission option. He was absolutely stunned by the speed of the shifts. It is not possible for a human to shift a manual transmission faster than the SMG clutchless engineering marvel. I predict these new clutchless manual transmissions will be the wave of the future in performance automobiles. With this fairly new technology making it's way into production cars, I can finally let go of being a manual transmission only car guy.

 

While I love my 6-speed Getrag transmission, I look forward to the owner reviews of the new MCS automatic trannies! Hoping for the best!

Clover

 

Well if it works for F1 and Indy cars,then it work it's way down to us
We pay big money to develope this kind of thing

 

AT MINI's... just not for me. Maybe if it was SMG and running high boost
all the time on roadcourse.

For weekend fun on the streets, I can't see myself on a clutch pedal-less car.

 

If the tranny is indeed the same one as in the Audi TT 3.2 and New Beetle TDI, then it will be the Direct Sequential Gearbox (DSG) with dual clutches. However, in everything I've read so far, the MCS gearbox will be more along the lines of a Tiptronic as in the New Beetle Convertible. Anyone know for sure?

 

According to the Aisin transmission manufacturer website link, it lists the vehicles that use this transmission. Find the gated shift pattern, click on "2nd gear", then highlight "automatic transmission". The Mini is not listed because it's not yet in production. About halfway down the web page look the the TF-60SN model transmission for more information.

 

Even then, manual. My parents forced me to learn a manual, and I'm never going back. You are more in touch with your car.

 

I WANT S-M-G MINI (not an autobox)

 

The SMG option on the current M3:

6-Speed w/Overdrive & Sequential Manual Gearbox $2,400.00