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The very British logo – well, with the exception of the very German parts – called Mini has traditionally had no difficulty in generating a wide diversity of variants of cars in their diversity. Targeting a publication south of the border, lawsuits filed through the company recommend that it soon join the ranks of OEMs that are adding a “safari” edition to at least one of their cars.
Oh yeah, the spokesperson said, “I would never say never,” referring to a manual transmission.
Let’s start there, as Mini is lately entering an era without three-pedal vehicles. Given the go-kart-like nature of their product, a stick shift adds a lot to the driving experience of a Mini, even if it has an automatic transmission. It may be technically faster on a race track. “That will never be the case again,” said Michael Peyton, vice president of Mini of the Americas, in an interview with local media in which the issue of manual transmissions was discussed.
As with many other OEMs, the manual transmission has taken a back seat at Mini, where the option was once available across its entire lineup. Blame tariffs, emissions regulations, whatever your villain of the day is; It’s worth noting that the most popular variants of the Mini, advertised under the name John Cooper Works, reportedly had around a 50/50 share in the manuals of some models.
Elsewhere in the wide-ranging interview, Peyton talked about the existing trend of expanding the factory offering with off-road features in mind, which makes sense given that the logo has invested enough in off-road racing to win the Dakar Rally six times. In that sense, something like a Countryman assembled beyond the All4 designation and perhaps even beyond the X-Raid variant that was given an extra 1. 6 inches of ground clearance thanks to the drop-down suspension and 28-inch off-road tires on 17-inch tires. Wheels compatible with beadlocks. The X-Raid is a device built by a German company of the same name, a private motorsport team specializing in cross-country rallying.
While the X-Raid was never officially introduced in North America, there are arguments in favor of a factory variant on this side of the pond. Many buyers here like the concept of a crossover equipped with off-road tires and even superior to the originals. as evidenced by the good fortune of Subaru’s Wilderness sub-brand, GMC with its AT4, and even scandalous examples of this vehicle such as the Porsche 911. Dakar and the Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato.
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Castrol-Wakefield Automotive Editorial Award 2021, Finalist
Finalist – 2023 AJAC Travel & Adventure Journalism Award via Genesis Canada
Winner: 2023 AJAC Road Safety Journalism Award through Volvo Canada
Email: matthewkguy@hotmail. com
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