#LAAUTOSHOW: Mini Says New John Cooper Works GP Will Be Automatic Transmission Only

Mini took the Los Angeles Auto Show by storm earlier this week unveiling its most powerful and fastest model in history. The new John Cooper Works GP is here with massive amounts of grunt, dramatic aerodynamics, and an automatic transmission. Bummer.

However, it turns out Mini has a very excusatory reason for not offering a stick-shift ‘box for its latest and greatest hot hatch. Speaking to Autoblog.com during the LA show, representatives of the company confirmed Mini just doesn’t have a manual transmission currently available that could handle the 2.0-liter turbo’s 301 horsepower (231 kilowatts) and 332 pound-feet (450 Newton-meters) of twist. See, while they could probably invest in a new gearbox, there’s no way the limited run of just 3,000 examples would create a successful business case for such a development.

CANADIANCOMMENTS - 11/22/2019 11:56:34 AM

0 Boost

They will have a better chance selling all of them by not offering it only in a manual.

PUGPROUD - 11/22/2019 6:29:34 PM

0 Boost

Actually they would have a better chance of "selling more of them" by offering both a manual and automatic.

MDarringer - 11/22/2019 4:14:49 PM

-1 Boost

"Mini took the Los Angeles Auto Show by storm earlier this week..." They did?

CarCrazedinCali - 11/22/2019 5:59:59 PM

+2 Boost

It's guaranteed to be a riot to drive, good fun from MINI!