Although the MINI Clubman has proved to be the worst kept secret from any automaker in recent memory, the one unknown is how BMW's boffins would engineer and design the interior of the stretched Cooper. We knew it would retain the same funked-up, yet toned-down aesthetic of the new R56 MINI, and these stellar shots provided by Gabe over at MotoringFile tell the tale.
Even thought the third, suicide-hinged door on the passenger side will aid ingress and egress, it's still a move best attempted with the front seat tilted and moved forward. The oval inset trim that defines the doors is present fore and aft, with the third door slicing into both shapes. The semi-circular handle allowing passengers inside to open the door seems a bit out of place among the other elements, but we'll reserve judgment until we see the whole package in the next few months.
We're digging the wood-rimmed wheel and brown leather chairs, but we're really looking forward to seeing the Clubman in its exclusive Chocolate hue. Clicking the image above will send you over to MotoringFile where several other photos await.
[Source: MotoringFile]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Tim @ Jul 19th 2007 11:07AM
No comments. Does anyone here care? Its a longer fatter MINI. Why dilute the Koo-Aid?
psarhjinian @ Jul 19th 2007 11:17AM
I like this car. A little more practicality for not much sacrifice of ability or aesthetics. Think RX-8 with cargo versatility.
Hinging the seatbelts to the doors is an annoying touch, though.
Mat @ Jul 19th 2007 12:27PM
I agree on the seatbelts... the placement in the suicide door just seems like it's asking to get tangled up. (not that I have a better idea)
I LOVE the chocolate brown seats though. Brown is a very under utilized color in todays auto market imo and gives a classy touch.
Darrell @ Jul 19th 2007 11:54AM
I almost passed this post because I thought it was a story of an old Buick interior. Man, I'm not feeling that. I'll stick with black or tan leather, thank you
BLS @ Jul 19th 2007 11:58AM
Which side will the third door be on the american version? If it is on the driver's side as it is here. I would want 4 doors because they would have all the pieces necessary to make it a 4 door. However if it is on the passenger side (i.e. using the door shown above but with LHD) I would question the usefullness of it.
CeeP @ Jul 19th 2007 12:10PM
What the hell is all fuzzed out in that picture?
Christopher Watts @ Jul 19th 2007 12:47PM
That's what I was wondering too. It's like the 'Others' in a MINI.
fizzandpop @ Jul 19th 2007 4:58PM
It's the ghost from Three Men and a Little Lady.
Ligor @ Jul 19th 2007 12:37PM
it should have been 4 regular sized doors if they wanted more practicality.
I dont see another 4-5inches being a big deal. it might have even brought in more sales from the Civic followers
rv @ Jul 19th 2007 1:06PM
Hopefully the build quality is better than previous versions. The floor model for the mini I looked at in the San Francisco bay area had several broken bits and lots of cheap touches. Ended up passing on a text drive - seemed way too cheap (and none of my friends would even get in the car with me - doh!) Somebody just compared this little thing to and RX-8? You're joking, right? One is a very sporty, fun car to drive - one is the official car of the Rainbow Coalition. I'd say they're a bit different, eh?
Jim @ Jul 19th 2007 1:40PM
I've owned Minis for the past 6 years, and "a very sporty, fun car to drive" is a very accurate description. You should really try driving one before making performance comparisons.
I've never had any build quality issues, but I have heard of others encountering them. My personal and subjective rating based on my experience and talking with other Mini owners at my local dealership, would put the Mini above average in general, and well above average for cars in this class, in terms of build quality. I'd expect the same or better in the Clubman.
Colin Smith @ Jul 19th 2007 2:12PM
"I dont see another 4-5inches being a big deal."
Lucky you!
Tsunami Racer @ Jul 19th 2007 2:36PM
i saw an old 57 cadillac eldorado brougham this weekend and wondered why more companies hadn't adapted this great freestyle door concept in the last 50 years. mini got it half right by putting it only on one side.
Xcountryflyer @ Jul 19th 2007 5:59PM
Very similar in design to the RX-8. The 8 also has seatbelts attached to the door. It would be better if they were attached to the seats like most other cars. The fuzzy object is what is left of the person after they were forced to sit in the back seat too long. This could be the dilution of the brand.
ebm14 @ Jul 19th 2007 6:01PM
Can anyone see the other photos?
ebm14 @ Jul 19th 2007 6:09PM
http://jalopnik.com/cars/spy-photos/2008-mini-clubman-279694.php