Mini Cooper Clubman retains the classic but improved MINI motor that boasts DOHC, 1.6L, 16-valve, transverse-designed, aluminum engine with variable valve timing that promises maximum fuel efficiency, improved engine responsiveness, and more stable handling in a smaller amount of space. Just like its racing ancestors, the engine of the Clubman is located in front, and is fueled by an electronic throttle system. This not only makes fuel injection more responsive than most cars in its price radar, the throttle is also equipped with an overboost function that provides you with the extra push every time you hit the pedal a little harder. This feature allows you to engage in red-hot pursuit if your Batmobile is under repair.
The car is powered by 118-hp engine; it accelerates from 0 to 60 km/h in 7.3 seconds and attains maximum speed of about 202 km/h. It runs for 28 miles per gallon of fuel in bump-and-go roads and 37 miles per gallon in freeways. With a tank that can be filled up to 13.2 gallons, you can drive this car from Indianapolis, Indiana all the way to Birmingham, Alabama in just one full tank and still have spare to fight the traffic. You don’t even have to worry about nail sticking in your wheels.
Main Features
Apart from the machine, the thing that makes Mini Cooper Clubman worthy of being a Cooper would be the handling. If other cars its size does a sharp, hi-speed turn on a corner, you’d expect it to tip to one side and roll over. Clubman is designed to cut corners with its wide wheelbase, high-quality performance suspension, balanced shaft, and integrated sensor-torque-brake-throttle system. This makes driving safer and a lot more fun especially when you make the usually fatal choice of stepping on the throttle while turning.
One of the worst nightmares of mini-car drivers is when they get head-to-head with a bigger car on the wrong side of the road. Clubman engineers know that, and they have developed a way to make every part of work for the safety of the Clubman rider. Every part means solid side-impact door beams, advanced crumple zones, excellent torsional rigidity among standard and optional offering that put safety principles in every part of the Clubman. It’s like having your own panic room on mobile.
With best pick rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and four-star safety rating from NHTSA, you can focus more on driving faster and less on how would you look like when your Clubman gets clumped by other vehicles.
Individual identity is always something in MINI and that thinking goes right into the Clubman. Choose among two column stripe colors, three roof colors and ten body colors before you even get to open the door. Inside, get a load of standard and optional accessories and gears to choose from. Your design option is limited only by your imagination. And yes, you don’t have to be Michelangelo to have your Clubman admired. It’s a natural.
]]>On Speed and Controls
Mini Cooper Clubman is bigger than the conventional minis, but it still retains the notoriety the car is known for: fast and fierce control of corners. Clubman boasts of a Getrag six-speed manual transmission stick with a dual layshaft design that has a two-output shaft and a four-input shaft. In layman’s terms, this means the Mini Cooper Clubman has a more compact but powerful transmission system.
The car’s 12’11” by 5’6.3” dimension is powered by a 1.6L, 116 Valve Engine made of aluminum with the trademark traverse engine design and fueled through an electronic throttle system. These features make Clubman powerful and compact at the same time. With 118 horsepower at 6000 rpm, this 1,230 kilos worth of fast-moving metal drives with a top speed of 202 kilometers per hour. Factor in the Sport key, which further improves not only the steering responses but also the acceleration rate – the Mini Cooper Clubman really is one heck of a go-kart.
With great power must come greater control features; and with the Clubman you’ll never get scared to press on the throttle harder. Mini Cooper Clubman is designed to be the widest car in proportion to its length; this width in combination with lower center of gravity promotes more stable driving and control of the car. The Clubman boasts Dynamic Stability Control system that uses a combination of sensors, braking mechanism and torque adjustments to make those hi-speed, sharp turns not only possible but safe. The so-called alphabet braking system, which allows for distribution of braking power in every wheel, allows for smooth, more balanced stops and turns.
Customize It the Way You Want It
With more than 40 combinations of exterior designs and more than ten million combinations of standard and optional offering, you can have complete control of what goes in, on and around your dream car. You can choose the color of the body, the trimmings and the roof; you can add on and upgrade details like mirror caps, turn signal, fog lamps, headlamps, bonnet stripes, seating, dashboard, wheel mags, and lots more. Have complete control on other stuff like your transmission, the sensors, interior accessories, and even your plate number holder. If you want it just the way it is, then that’s no problem either. With the Mini Cooper Clubman, you don’t have to worry about how the car would look; it is bound to be noticed in any case.
Built for Comfort and Safety
It may not seem apparent at first, but driving a Mini Cooper is driving not only in style but also in comfort. The driver’s seat allows a full-grown man to sit in comfort with ergonomic seating and driving position that stress comfort and correct driving posture. Clubman is also 3.15 in. longer at the wheelbase than the conventional minis, providing more leg room in the passenger seats and more cargo room at the back.
Clubman is relatively small, but it packs all the safety precaution you need to prevent and survive crashes and other disasters. Because of its size, the cars are designed to make every component works for the safety of those who are driving the Clubman. Increased Torsional Rigidity eases pressure on the suspension and prevents the car from curling and pinning passengers during car crashes. Equal-length drive shaft prevents uneven force on the sides of the car, while the performance suspension makes it safer to perform high-speed turns and hi-speed cruising on unstable and uneven terrain. The Clubman also boasts front, back, and curtain airbags to prevent head injuries as well as those that result from shards of broken glass.
]]>Engine and Performance
The Mini Cooper Clubman sports a 1.6L, traverse-design, DOHC, 16-Valve aluminum engine capable of delivering 118 hp @ 6000rpm. The horsepower rating doesn’t look anything special especially when you compare it with the 2008 Volkswagen Rabbit (170hp @ 5700rpm) or the 2008 Suzuki SX4 Crossover (143hp @ 5800rpm), but IT IS SPECIAL – and you don’t have to drive a Clubman to believe this.
The motor consumes less fuel to do the same amount of work as compared to other cars in its class; this provides the Clubman one of the highest mileage-per-fuel ratios at 28mpg (city driving) and 37mpg (highway driving).
The Clubman has six transmission gears that seem designed for a sports car, throwing the Clubman from park speed to highway speed in 7.3 seconds. Speed-wise, Clubman can outpace most of those in the small-car category with maximum speed of 202k/h, when the average speed (minus the MINI) is around 175 to 190 k/h. Better yet, the Clubman does so with a smaller motor, lower fuel consumption and a heck lot more style and fun.
Safety
The worst fear one can have with a small car is that it has not much room to bang around in when you’re hit. Its small size and lighter build makes it a perfect projectile once it comes in contact with a much bigger car on the wrong side of the road. Thankfully, you have a better chance of preventing this very same thing from happening when you’re driving a Clubman rather than another vehicle in its class.
The Clubman, with its unique combination of active and passive collision and safety systems, makes its every part function as a safety mechanism to make sure you survive a crash if you could not avoid one.
Appearance
There’s actually no need to discuss this part at all. Its design is edgy and sleek and the customer’s individuality is secure. Minis are the royalties of the attention-grabbing cars. There is simply no car in its class that can outshine the Clubman, whether on the road, or in the parking lot. And you don’t even have to get all the optional accessories to make every other car owner die of envy.
Price
With all the trimmings and fittings that come with it, the Clubman is a worthy car investment, albeit somewhat pricier than many cars of its size. Toyota Yaris, for example, sells for a little over $11,000 while a Honda Fit costs only a little less than $14,000. The Mini Cooper Clubman’s base price, however, runs to almost $20,000 and it is not so difficult to make it way over $31,000 with all the nice optional gadgets and add-ons that you can opt for.
Unfortunately for those who think price is important, the Mini Cooper Clubman is more expensive than other cars in its class. For a more discriminating buyer who puts great stock on value rather than face-value price, however, the Mini Cooper Clubman with all the snazzy and smart features that come with it can only be a great deal.
]]>On Design and Handling
What sets apart Mini Cooper is far more than just their contrasting rooftop; it’s the overall design and superb handling that can bring out the Schumacher in any driver looking for more thrills than what an open freeway can give. When you see a Clubman doing what it does best around tight corners you see a machine designed with personality and power.
With Clubman, you have a machine designed to suit the driver’s need for identity and power – yet could fit on a small gift wrapper. Well, not that small but imagine the trouble you’ll have with an SUV.
Critics love the fact that it has more leg room, bigger cargo space and the same handling like that of its small cousin (or is it brother?) Mini Cooper. It retains its expert handling ability, thanks to Electrical Power Assisted Steering (EPAS), six-speed, dual layshaft Getrag transmission, and Dynamic Stability Control.
Some critics, however, find the 75kg Clubman less powerful for it uses the same 118hp motor that comes with the Mini Cooper. They also find the Sport Button, less sporty, because they say they don’t feel the difference. Maybe BMW should make a mini jet engine and add jet options to make the difference felt.
The Doors
Clubman has two unique doors, namely: the clubman and the rear barn doors. These doors are reminiscent of the good old days’ Austin Mini Countryman, Mini Clubman Estate and Morris Mini Traveller. These doors, however, are designed with modern technology and functionality, or should have been.
All agree that the Mini Cooper Clubman door allows more flexibility for the rear passenger seats. This comes handy when you have kids riding in your MINI car, but some wonder why it can only be found on the right side. Moreover, while the rear barn doors are constructed so as to provide space, some see it as a mobile hazard that waits for its turn to obstruct some unlucky guy who will hit a tree.
Their Verdict
Some think that the Mini Cooper Clubman is a great car, while some think that the limited size and functionality of the Clubman will force you to give the last of your grocery bags to the birds. Other thinks the features compensate for it, while others think that if the indicator light wasn’t on they can’t even tell the difference.
Perhaps the beauty of Mini Cooper Clubman, and that goes for all cars that have MINI stamped all over them, lies on the fact that not everybody can appreciate a compact and notoriously corner-sleazy mini-car. Some people think cars like MINI Clubman should be placed where they belong: right beside the other go-karts. Others, who see Clubman differently, drive Clubman to make a speedy and often dusty point.
This natural exclusivity endears Mini Cooper cars to its drivers, who’d rather have a small car and be different than take a luxury car and see their individuality gone forever. The Mini Cooper Clubman, after all, is not really just a means for getting from point A to point B; it’s all about getting from point A to point B in S-T-Y-L-E.
]]>While it’s fun to relish the thought of the Clubman being driven under an 18-wheeler truck or taken out at a hundred miles an hour run, the car is not exactly built to make everybody happy. Owning a Clubman is like entering a secret underground society. There are only a select set of people who, for one reason or another, can appreciate and enjoy the perks of a Mini Cooper Clubman. Here are some of these people who would be right at home on a Clubman.
The Attention Grabber
Who says you need a big car to attract attention? Attention grabbers know too well that a shiny Clubman can do the trick better than a big gas guzzler. With 44 ways to design its interior and ten million more ways to customize everything you can take apart, seeing a MINI driving around is always a one-of-a-kind experience.
The Mini Cooper Clubman just takes personalized car one pole vault jump higher. What better way to get everybody’s attention and become the focus of everyone’s envy than to drive a sleek, compact car around crazy bends in the metropolis? In fact, you don’t even have to drive your Clubman anywhere to attract attention. Simply park it outside parallel to the street and watch while your Clubman makes all passersby goggle-eyed.
The Power Tripper
This kind of Clubman driver knows fully well that the greatest force can come in small packages, and the Mini Cooper Clubman exemplifies the maxim. With 1.6 liters of 16 valve aluminum warhead pushing a car weighing just around 2,700 pounds at 118 horsepower, the Clubman can run from nothing to lightning in no time. With its six-speed Getrag transmission, violating the speed limit on the race track has never been this smooth and easy. Thank God no Power Tripper has found a way to attach a set of wings to his Clubman – not that this would not give other Power Trippers an idea…
The Control Freak
The Control Freaks are people who want to enjoy break neck speed but still want to keep their hands on the steering wheel, their feet on the pedal, their butts on their seats, and their wheels on the road. Clubman developers, fortunately, have found a way to keep the Clubman from flying off the ground. They developed MINIs to have higher width-to-length ratio, lower center of gravity, a more intelligent braking system, and reactive handling and steering. These are just a few of the things a Control Freak needs to make some clouds out of some lazy dusts. Fork in the Sports mode and the Electronic throttle system and you have the car any Control Freak will be drooling over.
]]>It’s All in the Name
A brand is something that defines you and sets you apart from the rest of the crowd. Instead of portraying something strong, big and muscular, British Motor Corporation, the original manufacturer of MINI, came up with a name, well MINI.
Obviously you can’t sell a car with a name like MINI if it hasn’t established itself in some place, let’s say, a hi-speed ring. So James Cooper took a small car, placed a good set of motor in it, let the likes of Rodger Wards behind the wheels, let him drive it around a track and what do you know, he just started a small auto-revolution.
MINI has become an icon and has changed the way people look at something short and small. From the original design of Frank Stephenson, the MINI spirit continues under BMW. The classic motor and idea behind the car are backed up by technological advancements aiming to make other car’s air filter eat dust, and lots of it.
The Factory
With the size of Cooper cars, you might be tempted to think the factory is small. Just like the car, the looks can be deceiving. The MINI Factory, located south of Oxford, is one big modern breeding area of the world famous MINI cars. In Plant Oxford you have a unique mix of cutting-edge technology and thousands of employees making MINI wonders 24-hours a day at a rate of some 3,500 MINI Cooper cars every week.Having of thousands of workers working round the clock alongside robots and other machines, however, is not enough. With MINI’s maxim of “Respect for the Product” and “Built to Customer Order”, you might need to expect something better than strict adherence to job well done. Perhaps that’s the most obvious thing that binds MINI and the MINI factory: the drive with pride, respect, difference, and excellence.
The Future for MINI
The return of a well-loved car from circa 1960 made its mark not only in the roads but in the hearts of those who drive it, and those who saw and marvel at the build and the power a small car like MINI have. We have seen it in racetracks, freeways, in less than favorable roads, and sometimes under a moving truck in an intersection. Where else would we see a MINI Cooper next?
Just like the way they customize almost every feature that their cars have, MINI’s future directions are seemingly endless, with the possible exception only of producing behemoth cars. We may be looking at more powerful MINI cars with better fuel efficiency, more safety features, better handling, and participation to more races. Or if you think ill of the hundred thousand MINI Cooper cars running around the globe, then probably they are looking at possible world domination.
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