MINI Clubman opens its doors
The MINI Traveller has finally arrived, and we are shutting off the "No Vacancy" sign. OK, so the car will officially be called the Clubman when it arrives in dealerships "in the next three years." Traveller has been deemed too protected to legally secure for use here. But as William Shakespeare once said, "What's in a name? That which we call a rose/By any other word would smell as sweet."
Sporting the split rear doors and taillight-concealed hinges of the show car, this MINI wagon looks as stylish as it is practical. With seating for five allowed because of the longer body, MINI has also added a pair of reverse opening rear doorlets, making this a six-door model. And the trick rear hinges will allow a wider opening than would fixed taillights and conventional hinges, so BMW appears to have maximized the utility of this MINI.
Finally allowing five adults room to breathe, and still bring along some luggage, the Clubman answers our few complaints about the original. Clever and cute are what MINI has been doing best since the beginning, but with the extra room and clever split rear, they are taking it to the next level. One note of caution, owners should prepare themselves for the inevitable, "Hey buddy, your barn door's open," jokes.
[Source: AUTO EXPRESS]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Mal Fuller 10:45AM (9/08/2006)
I count 6 doors!
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emulous1974 11:28AM (9/08/2006)
Looks like BMW/Mini have given a Honda Element a look and applied it to the Mini brand (albeit in a much nicer looking package). I think the Clubman will take more sales away from small suvs than any crossover vehicle currently being released. I think folks are gonna really love a vehicle that is versatile and extremely fun to drive.
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All World Automotive 1:26PM (9/11/2006)
Still not a big fan, even though I do like the back doors
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beaker 11:38AM (9/08/2006)
It's nice to know that Jeep isn't the only company diluting their brand while trying to expand beyond a niche market.
Why is it that companies keep trying to be more that what made them great in the first place? It the long run, they're just shooting themselves in the foot.
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pedro 11:50AM (9/08/2006)
Umm, beaker, The old mini had many variants, among them a wagon. Do a google search for Morris Mini Traveller. This is a pretty fantastic concept, as it still is a Mini, but with far more usability, and I love those clamshell doors!
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gkz 11:55AM (9/08/2006)
i'm not a big fan of the look of it, but you have to give mini credit for a pretty cool idea
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erolb 2:35PM (9/08/2006)
I hope they do a new version of the Mini Moke
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BartMack 12:08PM (9/08/2006)
I'd trust the guys over at Motoringfile.com before I'd trust AutoExpress.... MF says the rear suicide door will occur on one side only (US passenger side/UK drivers side). AutoEx tends to over-photoshop and over-speculate =)
Check out their take on the Clubman here: http://motoringfile.com/2006/08/28/new-clubman-test-mule-photo/
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geno endicott 12:18PM (9/08/2006)
Yeah I would go with Motoringfile and the only having on suicide door.
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CJ 12:20PM (9/08/2006)
Are you sure about the pair of doorlets? I heard there was only on the passenger side. (making 5 doors)
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J 1:00PM (9/08/2006)
They should have called it the MaxiMini.
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MarkWeb 12:24PM (9/08/2006)
I'd rather have a conventional rear hatchback, but everything else about it is really cool. I especially like what appears to be a much larger trunk, my main beef about the current model. I need at least enough space to carry a single backpack to Yosemite.
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DJ 12:37PM (9/08/2006)
I haven't seen anything as to whether it will only come with the base engine or if the supercharger will be available.
By the way, it has to be a 5-door based upon the gas cap being located directly behind the left side door.
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tbyron 12:48PM (9/08/2006)
I own a Cooper S and have two small children. Having the suicide door setup (doorlets...how British) and just a few extra inches of rear seat legroom would be huge improvements. There is, however, NO WAY that lengthening the car will allow a 5th passenger unless they are supposed to sit on the floor in between the front and rear seats.
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Den in IN 12:59PM (9/08/2006)
Its hard to tell without driving, but some cars that are a riot to drive when small are a full blown drag when stretched to be just a little more practical. It would be a shame to loose the personality of the car in the transition, or is a not so mini-Mini still a Mini at heart?
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Leo 11:20AM (9/12/2006)
cool idea, but not my flavor to consider buying.
I wish they would do things like this with other cars as stationwagons rule on the versatility and economy compared to SUV's and such
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beaker 1:51PM (9/08/2006)
pedro,
thanks.
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ivana 1:57PM (9/08/2006)
reminds me of my swiss army knife....
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Daniel Cowan 1:54PM (9/08/2006)
They should have just called it a mini wagon. But then, what would the fun be in that? That's what my brother would like, an original mini wagon. We already have a '75, what would one more do?
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Paqza 2:13PM (9/08/2006)
It's "by any other name", not "any other word".
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