“Eww, it’s not “S”? The turbo one”?
A friend had spotted the Mini Cooper Clubman tester parked outside the coffee shop, and noticed that it was missing an “S” badge on the trunk, and a scoop on the hood.
“It must be slow”.
After a likely-boring lesson in power to weight ratio, I explained how the ‘average’ driver probably didn’t really need the turbo engine in the Cooper S Clubman, and that after a 6-hour highway trek followed by a few days of around-town driving in Northern Ontario, I hadn’t found the tester lacking in the stink department.
After all, few cars make it as easy to pretend you’re driving a toy go-kart as a Mini. They’re fun to drive, fast or not-- even if we’re talking about a Mini that’s slightly stretched, fitted with a third hidden door, and intended for those 2.2 kids or extra gear you might have to haul around.
Cheeky inside and out, not to mention city-friendly
Sure, as a Mini, even this up-sized Clubman isn’t very big-- though it does make plenty of sense where a compact, fuel efficient and city-friendly little ride is desired. Not only is it cheeky and smart and nicely decorated, it’s also amusingly fun to park and dart in and out of traffic. The tester got chrome accents, two sunroofs and a two-tone colour scheme, while stripes and sporty alloy wheels dressed things up even further. For a little body, the Clubman sure wore a lot of gear.
Naturally, you won’t be loading up this Mini with 4 people and their gear for a weekend of camping, but it does have enough room for a day’s worth of errands-- for most owners anyhow. Getting in and out of the back is slightly tight for full-sized adults like yours truly, but once seated, rear accommodations aren’t half bad at all.
High-character cabin with plenty of style
But it’s up front where Mini’s designers have really showed off their unique interior decorating skills. Simple dark colours were broken up by aluminum trim, and everything has a youthful and almost toy-like appearance. There’s a tachometer and digital speedometer mounted to the top of the steering column, beside which sits the key slot and engine start button.
A friend had spotted the Mini Cooper Clubman tester parked outside the coffee shop, and noticed that it was missing an “S” badge on the trunk, and a scoop on the hood.
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| After a 6-hour highway trek followed by a few days of around-town driving in Northern Ontario, I hadn’t found the tester lacking in the stink department. (Photo: Chris Koski) |
“It must be slow”.
After a likely-boring lesson in power to weight ratio, I explained how the ‘average’ driver probably didn’t really need the turbo engine in the Cooper S Clubman, and that after a 6-hour highway trek followed by a few days of around-town driving in Northern Ontario, I hadn’t found the tester lacking in the stink department.
After all, few cars make it as easy to pretend you’re driving a toy go-kart as a Mini. They’re fun to drive, fast or not-- even if we’re talking about a Mini that’s slightly stretched, fitted with a third hidden door, and intended for those 2.2 kids or extra gear you might have to haul around.
Cheeky inside and out, not to mention city-friendly
Sure, as a Mini, even this up-sized Clubman isn’t very big-- though it does make plenty of sense where a compact, fuel efficient and city-friendly little ride is desired. Not only is it cheeky and smart and nicely decorated, it’s also amusingly fun to park and dart in and out of traffic. The tester got chrome accents, two sunroofs and a two-tone colour scheme, while stripes and sporty alloy wheels dressed things up even further. For a little body, the Clubman sure wore a lot of gear.
Naturally, you won’t be loading up this Mini with 4 people and their gear for a weekend of camping, but it does have enough room for a day’s worth of errands-- for most owners anyhow. Getting in and out of the back is slightly tight for full-sized adults like yours truly, but once seated, rear accommodations aren’t half bad at all.
High-character cabin with plenty of style
But it’s up front where Mini’s designers have really showed off their unique interior decorating skills. Simple dark colours were broken up by aluminum trim, and everything has a youthful and almost toy-like appearance. There’s a tachometer and digital speedometer mounted to the top of the steering column, beside which sits the key slot and engine start button.
 |
| Simple dark colours were broken up by aluminum trim, and everything has a youthful and almost toy-like appearance. (Photo: Mini) |