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2008 Mini Clubman & Clubman S Preview

For two whole years, Mini has been dropping clues, bit by bit, about two veryimportant vehicles. The 2005 Frankfurt Auto Show saw the unveiling of the Mini Concept Frankfurt, a glistening silver rendition of the Mini you see here before you, and an all-important hint at what the next generation Mini would look like. At every major auto show that year and the next, from Detroit to Tokyo, Mini gave its little wagon concept a culture-related theme providing a twist on what would become the basic blueprint for the second generation “new” Mini. It also happened to showcase what would become the third model in the Mini expansion, and the biggest Mini yet – the Clubman station wagon.

You won't find many people denying that the Mini is a great car. In the five years the first generation car was on the market, it became known as the epitome of efficient, modern

Charming as it may be, sometimes, the Mini just isn't practical enough. Now there's no excuse with the Clubman. (Photo: Mini)

urban transportation, an automatic classic that didn't turn its back on fun or frugality. It singlehandedly made small cars cool again, drawing in people regardless of class or social status. And while the Cooper cracked the North American market, a place where size really matters, it still wasn't for everyone. For singles and couples, and for the occasional small family at a push, it was big enough, but for others it's modest cargo capacity left them wanting.And that's where the Clubman comes in – it's the car that embodies the Mini persona, but offers

The extra door on the passenger's side is called the "Clubdoor". Bouncer is optional. (Photo: Mini)

more interior and cargo room.

Inspired by the heritage of the old Clubman, Austin Countryman and Morris Traveler, the new car has Dutch-style rear doors instead of the normal liftgate. It also gains a rear-hinged access door to aid entry into the back seats, and quite cleverly it's been dubbed, “Clubdoor”. Like all other vehicles (except the Rolls Royce) this little door can only be opened after the front door is opened, which isn't so great for practicality, but does help to give the bigger Mini a cleaner exterior. One complaint that British (Japanese and Australian) journalists fired at Mini upon its immediate introduction is why the Clubdoor is only located on the right

Rear end has been reworked to include two individual doors that each has its own wiper. Symmetry rules! (Photo: Mini)

side of the vehicle, our passenger's side. Still, there's no such complaint from us, or from mainland Europe. BMW's rationale for not putting the door on the opposite side or foradding two rear doors was due to the cost of relocating the fuel filler door.

With the exception of the extra pillar on the passenger's side, the Clubman looks exactly like a regular Cooper, but stretched out a bit, which is exactly what its designers intended. It's a different story when you're looking at the back end of the car. The aforementioned “Dutch” style doors split the car down the middle with opposing door handles and, interestingly, each door features its own windscreen wiper. Given the creativity involved in this setup, it was no surprise that Mini choose to finish this unique tail with a unique paint

Huge gains in space are to be had, especially if the rear seats are folded flat. Still, the Clubman only seats four. (Photo: Mini)

scheme. The C-pillars, outer door edges and bumper trim are painted in either silver or black to match the contrasting roof colors, giving the Clubman a bit of a ring around its backside which is sureto make it stand out if somehow the rear design gets past passersby. The silver or black accents are mandatory, however, even if a body-colored roof is selected. Like the new clamshell hood, there are cutouts on the rear doors for the fixed-mounted rear taillights.

The Clubman version of the Cooper was seen as a way of allowing MINI customers to upgrade to a bigger vehicle without needing to change brands or leave the go-kart like feel of the car. With a wheelbase stretch of 3.14 inches, rear passengers now have more leg and knee room to ride in comfort. Although the rear seats don't slide back and forth as they do on some subcompacts, the Clubman can accommodate bigger bodies with less difficulty. The other big change

Zing and zippy, the Clubman reportedly doesn't lose any of its eager enthusiasm with these changes. (Photo: Mini)

is a gain in the length of the rear overhang by a further 6.29 inches. These gains are completely donated to the cargo area, which has increased to a much more usable 9.1 cubic feet overthe original 5.7 cubic feet. That's a pretty significant gain in space, but overall the Clubman's 9.1 cubic feet volume is still smaller than a regular compact hatchback. Keep in mind that the number increases by more than three fold once the rear seats are folded flat, yielding 32.8 cubic feet in total. In addition to the near flat load floor, there are also larger pockets in the trunk for stowing small objects. Overall, the Clubman measures 155.1 inches, which is more the length of a normal subcompact car rather than the mini Mini.

Internationally, the current MINI's engine lineup will be carried over, but due to the heavier curb weight of the Clubman the low-output 1.4-liter "One" model will not be offered. That means the entry-level model will be the 118 hp Cooper, and its turbocharged sibling the 172-hp Clubman S. European customers are also offered theEfficient Dynamics

Pricing is very reasonable for the Clubman. It'll cost more than a standard Cooper, but less than the Convertible. (Photo: Mini)

features to reduce fuel consumption and minimize CO2 output with features like automatic shut-off and ancillary devices that disconnect to reduce drag on the engine. The icing on the cake is the extra-frugal and all-new 110-hp 1.6-liter turbodiesel engine, which sips just 57 mpg and burps out 6.2 oz/mi of carbon dioxide. As efficient as this sounds, for much of the staff here, the idea of a Works-tuned Clubman S is currently occupying our daydreams.

Pricing for the new Mini Clubman has already been announced for Europe, but BMW is keeping quiet about how much it'll cost for our North American cars. What we do know is that the Clubman's pricetag will reside somewhere between the current Cooper and the Convertible, so expect the regular Clubman to start in the low $20s and the Clubman S to start in the mid $20s. And speaking of which, the next vehicle in line for Mini to introduce is the new Cooper Convertible, expected to debut this autumn, or perhaps as late as next spring. Regardless, provided it arrives before the weather gets too warm, it's already looking to be next summer's hottest drop-top.

Specifications (Clubman and Clubman S):

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