Is the Midland tranny that bad? Should I wait for a 05 getrag?

[johnsocal]

Is a late 2004-build Midland tranny that bad? Should I wait for a 05 getrag?

[dav]

Wait, Wait, Wait! The new Getrag 5-speed unit should be awesome!


"This news comes from the industry publication Automotive Engineer Magazine:

Midland Gear, the BMW-owned firm that supplies the R65 gearbox for the MINI ONE and MINI Cooper, is to be wound up in June/July 2004, John Mortimer reports. The plan was for the site to stay operational until 2006, but a decision by MG Rover - which also takes a similar version of the R65 gearbox - to switch supply to a Getrag factory in France forced BMW's hand, bringing the closure forward.


...Until June/July, Midland Gear will continue to supply BMW's assembly plant at Oxford with it's version of the R65 gearbox containing a synchro pack. The first MINI to take the Getrag five-speed will be the MINI Cabriolet, which starts production in April 2004. At that point the MINI ONE and the Cooper will also switch to the Getrag five-speed gearbox."

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