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Get your shift together

  • By Karla Pincott
  • Carsguide
  • 09 August 2011
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    Mini is urging drivers to 'Get your shift together'.

It's a stick-up job.

Mini is trying to 'manual up' the US with a cheeky ad campaign aiming to lure people away from automatic transmissions.

Urging drivers to 'Get your shift together', the BMW-owned brand is offering $500 off any manual-transmission Mini in the US dealererships.

It's all in praise of Manualhood, the campaign says, going on to declare that 'Stick Happens'.

There's a more serious side to the campaign, which points out that a manual transmission means better fuel economy, more control over the car, boosted response from the engine and – perhaps most importantly – a cheaper price to start with.

Dealerships will also be offering training on the spot, teaching novices how to shift for themselves. Sorry ... but if Mini can resort to bad puns, so can we.

But with the US even more auto-nomous than Australia (and manuals are rapidly becoming an endangered species here too), there may not be many takers for that $500 discount.

Do you prefer a manual to an automatic? Take our poll ...

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Comments on this story

Displaying 3 of 9 comments

  • How many of you manual drivers notice when taking off from a stand-still (traffic lights, railway crossings) that the driver behind you has an auto, we are not racing car drivers and it takes a few seconds to change gears, clearly has no idea the time it takes to change gears and drives up the clacker behind you nearly creating a rear-end smash. Auto drivers need to back-off a little instead of giving people in front a heart attack.

    CarlMc of Taree Hinterland Posted on 17 August 2011 2:40pm

  • I have a DSG Polo Trendline Petrol Engine. Have had it for 34K but many problems. VW is in a state of denial. Looks like the DSG unit will be replaced ... at last. Auto drivers are not deadbeats as suggested by Jeeves of Hobart. The deadbeats are the dealers who don’t really give a “rat’s arse” after the money has been paid over.

    QuentinR of Sydney Australia Posted on 16 August 2011 8:36pm

  • What?s sad about having an auto over manual? Get out of the dark ages people. You live in a city with lots of stop start driving that auto very quickly starts to make sense. Gone are the days where autos drank more fuel then manuals, had poor gear selection. These days most autos will out drive the average motor head. Me, I prefer manuals. That is what I put in my last two project cars, mostly because I like the feel. The family car though is an auto and I look forward to the day when dual clutch auto boxes are commonly available on motorbikes (which is what I use as a daily vehicle).

    Shaddow of Newcastle Posted on 16 August 2011 8:29pm

  • I think Kimbo does mean if you choose an auto over manual if you had the choice. If Aust had compulsory driver training for P-Platers or whatever, I reckon the popularity of manuals would increase.

    santa maria Posted on 15 August 2011 8:40am

  • “But with the US even more auto-nomous than Australia” Did I hear right? Australia has left the US behind years ago with auto-centric drivers.

    R. Sole of Sydney Posted on 13 August 2011 8:33pm

  • Kimbo - I would far rather a manual, but I have an auto. Why? Because that is what the company provided. Does this mean that I can’t drive? No. I have driven my mates WRX (manual), sisters Mazda 6 (manual) and many other manuals, but I have an auto because I had no option. One day I would like to get a Monaro CV6 (can?t afford to run a V8). I would get an auto, because they never made one with a manual box. If and when I get one, would it make me a bad driver? No. Think about what you say before you say it - some people drive autos because they have no choice. PS, people that get autos out of preference have to be total deadbeats, though.

    Jeeves of Hobart Posted on 12 August 2011 9:08am

  • Pretty sad if you can’t drive a manual ...

    Cly Zor Posted on 10 August 2011 4:02pm

  • It’s simple really, if you can drive, you have a manual, if you can’t (like most Australian drivers), you have an auto.

    Kimbo of Australia Posted on 10 August 2011 11:44am

  • That’s good marketing!

    mannix Posted on 09 August 2011 4:25pm
Read all 9 comments

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