The special edition hot hatch gets 170kW and bespoke styling to send off the manual Mini.
The Mini John Cooper Works 1to6 has been revealed as the brand’s last ever manual car as it pushes forward with automatic gearboxes and electric powertrains.
The special edition – of which just 999 examples will be made, all in three-door format – ends 64 years of manual Minis.
It has been created with “driver enjoyment and involvement” at its core, said brand boss Stefanie Wurst.
To be launched at this weekend’s Nürburgring 24 Hour race, the JCW 1to6 also “celebrates Mini’s legendary motorsport history”.
As previously reported by Automotive Daily Network partner Autocar, Mini’s future line-up – which will gain its final new ICE car in 2025 and be EV-only from 2030 – will use the familiar ZF eight-speed auto.
The brand said it was “99% sure” that it wouldn’t offer manual options on future products, and neither of the brand’s upcoming ICE models – the Cooper hatchback or the Countryman SUV – will offer a stick.
The 1to6 will be a collector’s item, then. It comes in a fixed specification, with additional trinkets, such as a bonnet stripe depicting a graphic of a manual transmission and ‘one of 999’ lettering on the sunroof and dashboard, over the standard JCW.
It’s finished in Midnight Black metallic paint, has bespoke gloss black 18in alloy wheels and bears 1to6 badging on the C-pillar and rear splitter.
Inside, alongside an 8.8-inch touchscreen, the same transmission emblem found on the bonnet stripe is repeated on the door sills, floor mats, passenger side trim and lower spoke of the steering wheel, which is coated in Nappa leather.
The car is powered by the same 170kW 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine as the standard JCW. In the 1to6, it delivers the 0-100km/h sprint in 6.3sec, matching the Hyundai i20 N and beating the Ford Fiesta ST by 0.2sec.
Jonathan Bryce