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New Mini Clubman

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aerog

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I've been contemplating a new Mini for awhile and just got a note about this in an email...I can't decide whether I like it or not. The new model makes the Mini a little more utilitarian for some of us I guess.


The new Clubman Mini
 
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If it had the ability to seat 3 in the back seat, I'd buy one......the needs of having 3 kids. That's why I bought my Traveller, the whole family can go in it.
 
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vagt6

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It's not hard to figure why MINI is selling this Clubman: the marketplace seems to love them. Most manufacturers have a similar vehicle, and they seem to sell well.

It won't have the new, turbocharged engine according the the info I've read. It retains the supercharged Chrysler platform for this year's model.

Interesting car. I bet it will sell like hotcakes, another winner for the MINI lineup.
 
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aerog

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Chrysler? I'll have to read up on that. I didn't know there was anything Chrysler in a BMW machine. Zowie.

According to the Mini website, the Cooper S Clubman is a 1.6l 172hp turbocharged inline-4. The regular one is 118hp.
 

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While BMW owns the rights to the Mini name and its variants, and can use the names as they see fit, the car pictured above is not what the original Mini Clubman was. The car above (strictly speaking) should have been called a MINI Estate.

In the 1970s someone at BL thought the Mini needed a face lift so squared off the round front fenders/wings. The resulting car was the Mini Clubman.

The pictures links below are for the original Mini Clubman and the Mini Clubman Estate respectively.
Mini Clubman:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6a/Mini_Clubman.jpg/800px-Mini_Clubman.jpg
and the Estate:
https://www.austin-rover.co.uk/press/clubman_1.jpg

Not very pretty cars in my eye but to each his own. I would have thought BMW would have stayed away from the Clubman name like Ford probably doesn't want to introduce a remake of the Edsel.
 
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vagt6

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Chrysler-based/designed 1.6 engine manufactured in South America, Brazil, I think.

The new turbo lump is designed by BMW, however.

German money; English-built; American power.

A "global" car! /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/driving.gif
 

aeronca65t

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It's all really confusing....

The "old" new-MINI had a cast-iron Chrylser engine built in South America. Some had belt-driven superchargers.

The "new" new-MINI has an all-aluminum, French-built Peugeot engine also used in the Peugeot 207. Some of these new Peugeot-powered cars are turbocharged. This looks like a fabulous engine to me.

And even though the "new", new-MINI looks like the the older new-MINI, there is no interchanable body parts (almost nothing is the same, I think)

I owned a classic Mini Clubman. I never cared for the looks and always wanted to put a classic Mini nose on it. I also agree that this new car should be called the Estate.
I *do* like it!

By the way, the term "clubman" is also used to describe a class of Lotus-Seven Type racers in the UK and Australia.
 
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aerog

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I read up (a tiny bit) on it, Nial is correct - the 2007 m/y did away with the Brazilian engine and adds the British-built Peugeot*. As best I can tell both the standard and "S" models use the same basic engine, one is turbocharged and one isn't.

Looking at the prices (and a few other things) I'm going to have to compare it closely to something like a Mazda-3 hatchback though.

*edit: for the normal Mini... granted, they may be retaining the pre-2007 engine for the first Clubmans. I didn't read that much on it.
 
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Will these be available in both LHD and RHD? And in the US?If so I may HAVE to order a RHD version to match my old mini
 
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aerog

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All my info is US-only, I assume they're making a RHD version too though.
 
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aerog

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Follow-up:

I was hesitant about the Mini when I was looking in 2003, now even moreso. I guess it's not that bad but I'm not thrilled about the "fly by wire" throttle (no cable, the throttle is electronic). Along those lines I'm not thrilled with the idea of an electrically powered power-steering system...but worse yet is the 2008 m/y "feature" that shuts the engine off when you stop the car. Technically that makes the car a "mild hybrid vehicle" that saves fuel by generating electricity via braking that is used to restart the engine when you start up again. That sounds like more of an annoyance than a feature and unless it can be permanently switched off it's a dealbreaker for me.
 
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vagt6

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My '05 MCS has the electronic throttle. A position sensor on the pedal transmits data to the engine computer that controls acceleration, etc.

At first, I wasn't so sure about the fly-by-wire throttle. But after a few hundred miles of driving, it became barely noticable. There's an extremely slight hesitation, hardly enough to perceive. I'm told that later models have less hesitation. Also, I installed a cold air induction system that seemed to reduce the hesitation. But it's probably my imagination since the hesitation is so slight, anyway.

It's probably more reliable than a cable, IMHO, and would seem to be something we'll all be seeing in the not so distant future in our cars since it works so well.

The electronically-powered steering system you refer to, above, has been in BMWs for some time. I've had two BMWs with it. The power steering assist is reduced as speed increases. Although I could easily live without it altoghether, it works very well.

We driving purists are destined to become increasingly frustrated with what I call "pile-on technology" in new car models. Video screens; back-up cameras, electronics piled on top of electronics! The driver is pushed farther and farther away from the driving experience.

Sad, methinks, but inevitable.

Unless, of course, you're lucky enough to own and LBC! /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/driving.gif
 

vping

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I'm diggin it. It be nice to have that little extra space. Would it be killed by making it a four door for the Mr's and the kids?
 
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vagt6

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I knew this thing would be a winner for BMW Group. Lookee here: From the "MINI 2" website:

<span style='font-family: Courier New'>The new MINI Clubman has been on sale for less than a month and is proving a huge hit with the British public, contributing to a record November total of 4,104 new MINI registrations. In many UK dealerships MINI Clubman allocations were quickly snapped up, leaving the car sold out into 2008. Bumper sales meant MINI enjoyed its largest ever share of the UK market last month, at 2.59 per cent. November was the third record sales month for MINI in 2007.

Nearly 3,000 orders have been placed for a new MINI Clubman. A combination of unique style, performance and low cost of ownership has evidently hit home with UK customers.

Engines combining performance with fuel efficiency and low carbon emissions feature across the MINI Clubman line-up. Auto Start-Stop, Brake Energy Regeneration and a Gearshift Point Indicator are standard on all variants and help the MINI Cooper D Clubman achieve a low emissions figure of 109 g/km CO2.

That impressive figure will surely have resonated with buyers based in London. With Transport for London expected to announce changes in 2008 legislation rewarding cars with low CO2 emissions, a MINI Cooper D Clubman is likely to be exempt from the dreaded Congestion Charge. With MINI, grin-inducing driving will be a reality in Britain’s capital city.

Performance and efficiency figures are equally remarkable across the range. The popular MINI Cooper can return 51.4 mpg and emits just 132 g/km CO2. Its sporty brother, the MINI Cooper S, achieves 44.8 mpg and 150 g/km CO2.

The BMW Group’s MINI Plants at Oxford, Swindon and Hams Hall are now at full capacity in the mid-term. This UK Production Triangle is now aiming for record production of 260,000 MINIs in 2008.

To ensure flexibility and optimum performance at the home of MINI production in the UK, and to bring the forthcoming MINI SAV to market as quickly as possible, BMW Group has announced that production of the exciting new model will be undertaken by Magna Steyr in Graz, Austria.</span>

<span style='font-family: Arial'>I'm a bit sceptical of the 44.8 MPG figures, above, with the Cooper S model. With increased HP and torque in the new turbocharged engine, I don't think 44.8 is going to happen. Mine (an '05 MCS) will get 44.8 MPG only when on a very long downhill grade!</span> A bit of "creative" advertising by the MINI folks, methinks.

At any rate, another home run by BMW Group on this innovative new MINI model. And I'll bet it's a blast to drive!
 
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Now I just need to get a right hand drive model sent over here.....! /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif
 
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aerog

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44.8mpg is imperial - not US gallons, and most likely not calculated the same way ours are...and that article is reflecting numbers for the regular Mini, not the clubman. In any event, Mini-USA advertises the regular hardtop S as getting 34mpg (US) and the regular Mini Cooper gets 37mpg.

The auto start-stop garbage really turned me off. My interest in the product came to a screeching halt, but if I see one somewhere I might see if that "feature" (I use that word reluctantly) can be disabled.

The way things are going I might have to get another MG, add A/C and be done with it.
 
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vagt6

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Nial, I know how you feel about the hyper technology in today's cars. And, that's exactly one of the key things that attracts us to LBCs: simplicity!

Still, I'll bet these MINI Clubmans sell like hot cakes. We'll see . . .
 
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I went to the local dealer to price one out.....$39,000 dollars later.....OUCH....and I can't sit 3 in the back seat. $39,000 spent on my 63 would build one heck of a wagon!
 
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vagt6

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$39,000 is a bundle of cash! A bit much, perhaps?

I paid about $25K or so for my '05 MCS, with a 100K extended warranty (I figgered that supercharged engine would cost a small fortune to rehab if it let go!).

$39,000! Ouch!! /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wall.gif
 
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aerog

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How much of that was dealer markup (which I absolutely refuse to pay anyway)? I priced out a regular (non "S") clubman just the way I wanted, came to about $25500.

I have to say the "local dealer" aspect of the Mini is a real downer here. The closest dealer is about an hour away. Not a big deal for buying, but there's no place to take it for warranty stuff otherwise.

I suppose I shouldn't worry, my 5 y/o Miata has never been in any shop anywhere, but with my luck I'd buy a Mini and it'd be a maintenance headache.
 
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