Comments on: First Impressions: MINI Cooper S Clubman

By: Supercharged

Supercharged — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 03:27:52 +0000

I think the Clubman looks great. I love the rear doors. I’m gonna have to go try out one of these babies if we have them in our area, I haven’t seen one yet.

With 172 HP in a car like that it must feel pretty powerful. It has more HP that my 6 cyl!

By: Brian DR1665

Brian DR1665 — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

A smaller car which still has room for four adults and their gear? That’s almost an oxymoron, don’t you think?

I think it’s great that the Mini has stepped up into this territory, even if I’m not exactly a fan of the styling. It’s also particularly refreshing to see that it can be had with a turbocharged engine *and* a manual transmission! I’m partial to the sinister sounds that come from the earlier models with the supercharger, but either way, it’s a smart move providing the option to actually drive a car with a sporty engine, rather than mating it to a dull slushbox.

Are there going to be other Mini models, though? The Mini was popular because it was *THE* Mini. Now there’s a slightly larger version called the Clubman. Next, there will be some kind of sports coupe? If you put too much of a good thing on the market, there’s a risk it won’t all look as good anymore…

By: Andrew

Andrew — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

Four adults, yes, their gear, not so much. The Clubman is larger than a standard MINI but it’s no SUV. You can toss a couple of duffle bags behind the back seat but you’re not making a run to Home Depot.

I’m sure the Clubman is MINI’s response to the “general” car buyer. Potential buyers thought the MINI too small, so they responded with something a little larger. Die hard MINI fans couldn’t care less and would rather see the car in it’s original form. They’re the ones who see a brand diluted.

But for the most part, the brand is still intact. It still looks like the modern day MINI, just a little longer.