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Manuals return to the Mini lineup for 2021

The 2021 Mini Cooper will offer a manual transmission again, after the 2020 model had to go without a stick shift due to problems certifying that powertrain. It had been hoped that the emissions issue would be straightened out in only a few months, but as it turned out, Mini had to go through the entire 2020 model year with its cars offering only two pedals. The 2020 Cooper and Cooper S models got a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic, while the John Cooper Works variants and the ALL4 versions of the Clubman and the Countryman got an eight-speed unit. For 2021, the standard Mini Cooper with the 134-hp 1.5-liter turbo three-cylinder will offer a six-speed manual in the hardtop, four-door, and convertible body styles. The 2021 Mini Cooper S, with its 189-hp 2.0-liter turbo four, also will come standard with the six-speed stick in hardtop, four-door, and convertible form. The John Cooper Works hardtop, with its 228-hp 2.0L turbo, shares in the manual-transmission goodness, but the JCW convertible remains automatic-only, with the seven-speed DCT. The 2021 301-hp John Cooper Works GP hardtop will be eight-speed automatic only. For the 2021 Clubman and the Countryman, the picture is still murky. It's likely that the JCW Clubman and JCW Countryman, which also get the 301-hp engine, will continue to be offered only with the eight-speed automatic gearbox, although the less-powerful versions could get a stick shift again. Mini says, "Manual transmission offerings will be confirmed once 2021 model year information for these models is released later this spring." Given the persona Mini has cultivated, this brand seems like one that should continue to offer stick shifts for as long as possible. Mini spokesman Andrew Cutler claims that the Mini hardtop generally has had the highest take rate for manuals in the U.S. market, with 45% buyers of the (2019-model) John Cooper Works version opting to row their own gears. Related Video:      

BMW strategy gets green with future i8 Roadster, PHEV Mini

Recent concepts like the Vision Next 100 have signaled BMW's plan to become a leader in automotive tech in the near future, but the Bavarian automaker added some concrete details to that strategy during the company's annual press conference. The business promises there are updated i models and more plug-in hybrids on the way, and a vehicle called the iNext could bring an autonomous EV to the road early next decade. Before we see any completely new vehicles, look for BMW to refine its current green models. Later this year, the i3 will get a larger battery capacity, which will increase the hatchback's range. After seemingly endless teasing, the BMW i8 Roadster will finally arrive in 2018, according to a slide during the conference. The company will also launch a plug-in hybrid Mini, but it didn't give a specific arrival date. At the beginning of the next decade, BMW will also introduce a fully autonomous i model. At the beginning of the next decade, BMW will also introduce a fully autonomous i model, which it currently calls the iNext. "BMW iNEXT heralds the next era of mobility," company CEO Harald Kruger said. "This symbol of our technology leadership will demonstrate how we will bring the future of mobility into series production." BMW refers to its research into autonomous driving as Project i 2.0. Just as the initial development of the i models led to better EV tech and innovations in carbon fiber, the new undertaking should result in improvements to networked motoring and driverless tech for the iNext. The company plans to focus on high definition digital maps, sensor technology, cloud technology, and artificial intelligence. The company's product plan for the i range doesn't show any vehicles between the i8 Roadster in 2018 and the iNext early next decade. Perhaps the new model is the fruition of the many rumors about a family-oriented i5. As BMW eyes the future, it still sees the combustion engine as an important tool for the present, and there are still more traditional models to look forward to. Without offering any details, BMW promises more M models are under development. The larger X7 CUV will also arrive soon, and there'll possibly be even more crossovers, too. "We are also taking an in-depth look at the additional potential of this highly attractive segment," Kruger said.

BMW Vision Neue Klasse, next-gen Mini due out at Munich auto show

Munich replaced Frankfurt on the global auto show circuit in 2021, and the shift works in the BMW Group's favor — one of Europe's biggest automotive events now takes place in its backyard. The company has detailed the new BMW and Mini models it will bring to the 2023 show. One of the most important unveilings for BMW — and likely one of the most noteworthy cars we'll see displayed at the Munich show — is the Vision Neue Klasse. More than merely a concept car, the design study will serve as an accurate preview of how BMW's entire range will evolve in the coming years. We haven't seen it yet, but we're told it's packed with electrification- and digitalization-related innovations. While the brand notes that the Vision Neue Klasse will be on the road "before long," it's reasonable to assume that the plug-in hybrid variants of the eighth-generation 5 Series that will also debut in Munich are closer to reaching production. Two models called 530e xDrive and 550e xDrive are due out in spring 2024, though it's too early to tell whether we'll see them on our shores. The former uses a hybrid system built around a four-cylinder engine, while the latter benefits from a straight-six. In both systems, the electric motor is integrated into an eight-speed automatic transmission. The 530e and the 550e put 299 and 489 horsepower, respectively, under the driver's right foot. BMW notes that integrating the 19.4-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack into the 5's underbody lowers the center of gravity while keeping trunk space intact. The 530e can drive for up to 63 miles on electric power, a figure that drops to 56 miles for buyers who select the 550e, though both numbers were achieved on the optimistic WLTP testing cycle used in Europe. Both cars come with a 7.4-kilowatt charger. Mini will unveil two new models at the Munich show: the next-generation Cooper (which replaces the Hardtop, or the Hatch if you're reading this from the United Kingdom) and the next-generation Countryman. Both models will be available with gasoline or electric power. We've seen the Hardtop's new-look interior in official images, it notably loses the outgoing model's instrument cluster and gains a round OLED screen in the middle of the dashboard, and we've seen the little hatchback undisguised in spy shots. Spy shots have also revealed the next-generation Countryman, which wears a boxier-looking exterior design and seemingly grows in size, before the official unveiling in Munich.