BMW CEO Lindsay Duffield jokingly commented at a recent conference that although BMW group doesn't build pickup-trucks, the new Mini Clubman was readying for launch as a 2008 model. His joke no doubt stems from a common complaint about the current 3-door Mini model: its dismal storage space for occupants or cargo.
To solve the problem and aim the Mini brand at a new selection of customers requiring more than miniature capacity from their small car, Mini has created the Mini Cooper Clubman and Mini Cooper S Clubman. The new five-door model takes styling lessons from past Mini's, including the Morris Mini Traveller and Austin Mini Countryman.
The Cooper and Cooper S Clubman models are powered by the same engines as their 3-door counterparts. These engines employ technologies like variable timing and twin-scroll turbocharging for an optimized blend of economy and power, topping out at 172 horsepower in the S model.
The major difference, identifiable at a mere glance, is the additional set of doors housed underneath the lengthened roof. BMW says that the Clubman takes on a character all its own starting immediately behind the B-pillar. The rear doors pivot from just ahead of the taillights on external hinge mechanisms, allowing a generous opening for loading.
The Clubman model is 24 centimeters longer than a standard Mini, and cargo capacity is rated at nearly 33 cubic feet with the rear seats folded down. Stay tuned for pricing details.
photo:MINI
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To solve the problem and aim the Mini brand at a new selection of customers requiring more than miniature capacity from their small car, Mini has created the Mini Cooper Clubman and Mini Cooper S Clubman. The new five-door model takes styling lessons from past Mini's, including the Morris Mini Traveller and Austin Mini Countryman.
The Cooper and Cooper S Clubman models are powered by the same engines as their 3-door counterparts. These engines employ technologies like variable timing and twin-scroll turbocharging for an optimized blend of economy and power, topping out at 172 horsepower in the S model.
The major difference, identifiable at a mere glance, is the additional set of doors housed underneath the lengthened roof. BMW says that the Clubman takes on a character all its own starting immediately behind the B-pillar. The rear doors pivot from just ahead of the taillights on external hinge mechanisms, allowing a generous opening for loading.
The Clubman model is 24 centimeters longer than a standard Mini, and cargo capacity is rated at nearly 33 cubic feet with the rear seats folded down. Stay tuned for pricing details.
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photo:MINI
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