New Mini Clubman released in Europe

July 29th, 2007 by gary

See it. Drive it. Love it. The new MINI Clubman is innovative, fun to drive and completely irresistible. Just one year on from the reveal of the New MINI, the family expands to welcome a new and very important new member, the MINI Clubman.

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The Mini Clubman

With its exciting and imaginative design, the MINI Clubman stands out. It’s clearly a MINI from every angle, yet its proportions and dimensions immediately secure rapt attention due to the fresh approach to the design of the rear. Authentic MINI design cues are given a fresh new twist.

The ultimate MINI Clubman advantage is that just sitting behind the wheel, or even behind the driver, occupants will enjoy the purest fun on four wheels, unfiltered, undiluted, as in every MINI.

And then there’s the Clubdoor. No other passenger car has one.

Open the driver’s door, then open the rear-hinged Clubdoor, to enter a new world of MINI accommodation, boasting greater legroom and headroom for rear occupants.

Behind this remarkable rear seating comfort lies a significantly increased and very flexible load space that caters to diverse needs.

The MINI Clubman will be ideal for fashionable folk who wish to mix their active or outdoor lifestyle pursuits with a small, prestige car that can be specified to a very high degree.

Clearly MINI, irresistibly innovative. The unique character of the MINI Clubman makes it instantly recognisable, even with a new muscular roofline that extends beyond the rear doors to form an integral spoiler, adding a further dash of zest to the overall profile.

Viewed from the rear the MINI Clubman has a striking look, defined by the vertically split doors complete with chromed handles and equipped with a wiper apiece to ensure rearward visibility in all weather. The wide-opening doors ensure easy rear-entry loading.

The upper section of the C pillar cover is swathed in a shield of contrasting trim, to further amplify the heritage link, while vertically stacked taillights offer another authentic nod to past glories.

Unlike any other car, the MINI Clubman provides an up-to-date interpretation of traditional shooting brake concepts; a sporty two-door car with a practical luggage area.

All this makes the MINI Clubman the modern successor to three legendary classics, the Morris Mini Traveller, the Austin Mini Countryman, and the Mini Clubman Estate. It is the ideal partner to the grandson of the original compact car, the New MINI Hardtop.

Three motors on debut in Europe.

The new MINI Clubman goes on sale in Germany on 10 November, exactly 51 weeks after the introduction of the R56 MINI Cooper and MINI Cooper S Hardtop.

It will be powered by the same engines offered in the R56 MINI Hardtop.

Equipped with a twin-scroll turbocharger and direct petrol injection producing a maximum output of 128 kW at 5,500 rpm, and 240 Nm of torque between 1,600-5,000 rpm (260 Nm with Overboost), the MINI Cooper S Clubman is the most powerful.

The MINI Cooper S Clubman offers not only impressive performance, but also an exceptionally good balance of driving pleasure and economy.

The MINI Cooper Clubman features fully variable valve control developed from BMW Group’s VALVETRONIC technology, for spirited performance and amazing economy under all engine loads. Its naturally aspirated engine produces 88 kW at 6,000 rpm and maximum torque of 160 Nm at 4,250 rpm.

All MINI engines represent the most advanced state-of-the-art in engine technology based on the outstanding competence in development of the BMW Group.

In their performance as well as fuel economy and emission management, both the MINI Hardtop and the MINI Clubman are virtually equal.

As with all MINI vehicles, engine power reaches the road via the front wheels. All MINI Clubman models feature a standard six-speed manual gearbox or an optional six-speed automatic transmission. The automatic transmission has a manual mode whereby the driver may select gears via steering wheel mounted paddle shifts.

Bold design and five doors in brand-new shape.

The new MINI Clubman is the ideal vehicle for a driver who enjoys not only sporty performance but also revels in unique design features.

The new generation of the MINI is the world’s only compact premium car to combine ingenious design with incomparably agile driving characteristics, high quality and acclaimed safety features and standards, as well as a wide range of customisation options, all delivered with truly outstanding efficiency. The MINI Hardtop has been awarded Five Stars in EuroNCAP testing, underlining its inherent occupant safety characteristics.

And now the MINI Clubman adds further room for enjoyment.

There’s 240 mm more MINI to love in overall length, comprising an 80 mm greater wheelbase, all of it dedicated to enhancing rear passenger accommodation.

The new MINI Clubman is instantly recognisable by its more muscular roofline and its rear vertically-split doors.

In profile, on the right-hand side (driver’s side in Australia) the extended design is highlighted by the innovative Clubdoor concept.

The Clubdoor turns the MINI Clubman from a four-door to a five-door, though thanks to the deft touch of inspired design, there is no external handle to interrupt the smooth flow of the coachwork.

Both front doors remain exactly as there are in the MINI Hardtop; in fact the MINI Clubman and MINI Hardtop are identical as far back as the B pillar.

On the driver’s side, access to the rear is supplemented by an additional rear-hinged door, the Clubdoor. For safety reasons, this can only be opened by the internally mounted handle, when the driver’s door is opened.

The Clubdoor offers comfortable and convenient access to the rear, which in some markets will be offered with an optional three-seat bench.

At the rear of the MINI Clubman, the twin doors open wide to allow easy loading for bulky goods, the load bay swallowing 260-litres with the rear seats up. With the seats folded forward a significant 960-litres of space is available for loading.

The rear seat backrest is divided 50/50. When folded and teamed with an optional folding floor section, it provides a long flat load bed. Thanks to a generous load height in the rear, plenty of sporting equipment can be carried inside, including a mountain bike with the front wheel removed.

As an option there is also a safety net separating the luggage area from the passenger compartment. And to ensure clear visibility to the rear at all times, each rear door comes with a separate windscreen wiper.

Modern interpretation of a classic concept.

In its split-door configuration, the MINI Clubman recalls the Austin Mini Countryman, the Morris Mini Traveller, and the Mini Clubman Estate sold in great numbers between 1960 and 1982.

These classic models were the source of inspiration for the 21st century iteration which is now known as the MINI Clubman.

The great potential offered by a modern interpretation of this kind of vehicle was clearly proven by the four MINI concept cars (MINI Concept Geneva, MINI Concept Frankfurt, MINI Concept Tokyo and MINI Concept Detroit). Now the most important highlights are available on the production version; the new MINI Clubman.

But an additional surprise and delight feature is the Clubdoor, which unlike the split rear doors, was not previewed by the MINI Concept cars.

The MINI Clubman is reminiscent of its classic forerunners also in terms of design, taking up and re-interpreting unique features of the classic models rendered in authentic up-to-date design language and with modern function.

Where once a wooden frame and exposed hinges characterised the rear end of the car, the door surfaces now merge smoothly and aerodynamically into the C-pillars to form one large, harmonious area.

The colour scheme also takes up the particular flair and look of the classic rear-door concept, the C-pillars on the MINI Clubman accentuated together with the bumper by contrasting paintwork and thus forming a truly striking door surround.

The colour of this rear door surround matches the roof colour. On the MINI Clubman this is a choice between Silver (in place of white) and Black.

As an option the MINI Clubman is also available with the roof finished in body colour, in which case only the C-pillars including the upper section of the bumpers are finished in contrasting Silver or Black paintwork, thus maintaining the striking look of the rear door frame on all versions of the MINI Clubman.

The individual model variants are designated at the rear by their names “Cooper” and “Cooper S”, while the additional name “Clubman” is to be seen in the right-hand door sill strip.

A typically MINI driving experience.

MINI has developed the new MINI Clubman for the active and passionate customer who wants instantly recognisable and individualistic transport imbued with agile, sporting prowess with an extra dash of practicality.

Despite its longer wheelbase and rear overhang, the MINI Clubman retains the classic MINI bulldog stance. Driving characteristics are truly agile, with legendary MINI go-kart handling a highlight.

The MINI Clubman boast sympathetically retuned suspension that lacks nothing in composure or grip; the chassis and suspension developed for the new generation of MINI guarantees superior handling safe and sporting at all times.

At the front, MacPherson spring struts ensure excellent wheel guidance, keeping the steering smooth and responsive at all times, unaffected by engine torque both on winding roads and when accelerating or applying the brakes.

The central-arm rear axle also benefits from the full competence of the BMW Group in state-of-the-art development. This advanced design is unique in the MINI segment, offering optimum road contact at all times thanks to its elaborate, sophisticated kinematics.

Aluminium longitudinal arms help to optimise the car’s weight, while anti-roll bars additionally promote the safe handling of the MINI Clubman.

Reflecting the extra power and its enhanced performance, the suspension set-up on the MINI Cooper S Clubman is even more sporting and dynamic than the sports-oriented suspension of the MINI Cooper Clubman. All models retain substantial safety reserves even when driven hard.

In Europe, the new MINI Cooper Clubman will fetaure15-inch light alloy wheels, while the MINI Cooper S Clubman has 16-inch light alloy rims with runflat safety tyres which remove the inconvenience and safety risks of changing a punctured tyre at the roadside.

MINI Clubman models on runflat safety tyres may be driven a considerable distance even when one or even all four tyres are completely flat or punctured.

Electrical Power Assisted Steering (EPAS) gives the driver exact feedback, the steering remaining sporty and direct at all times, with power assistance geared to road speed.

A further advantage of Electrical Power Assisted Steering is it weights much less than a conventional steering system. The steering function is also geared to actual demands in order to save energy. The servo motor is used only when power assistance is required by the driver.

The sports-oriented suspension of the MINI Clubman is supported by a highly efficient and powerful brake system featuring highlights such as anti-lock control (ABS), Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD), Cornering Brake Control (CBC) and Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) including hill start-off assistance all coming as standard.

The Brake Assistant on the new MINI recognises emergency application of the brakes and immediately builds up maximum brake pressure whenever required to keep stopping distances as short as possible.

Details, Details.

More than 40 exterior colour combinations.

Driving a MINI is more than just getting from A to B it is an expression of driving pleasure and the joy of powerful, trendsetting design.

The new MINI Clubman offers the enthusiast customer the choice of more than 40 combinations for the exterior paintwork alone. This amazing array of choice is further enhanced by a wide range of accessories and a great selection of options and special equipment geared specifically to the MINI Clubman.

Hot Chocolate, a particularly attractive metallic colour, is reserved exclusively for the MINI Clubman. Hot Chocolate works exceedingly well with the new Silver roof colour and the frame around the rear doors.

The MINI Clubman is available in no less than 12 body colours the three non-metallic colours Chilli Red, Pepper White and Mellow Yellow, as well as the additional metallic colours Astro Black, Sparkling Silver, British Racing Green, Pure Silver, Lightning Blue, Nightfire Red, Dark Silver, and Laser Blue as well as the new Hot Chocolate.

Everybody is an artist freedom in interior design.

All MINI Clubman customers may choose their very own individual interior design, combining four interior colours and five Colour Line variants.

Seats are available in cloth upholstery, a cloth/leather combination, full leather or the premium Leather Lounge, complete with contrasting piping and fluted panels. Cloth/leather and full leather comes in a wide variety of colours.

A wide range of trim options helps to underline the premium character of the MINI Clubman, for example through optional English Oak or glistening Piano Black paint. If the huge individual choice is too much there are two standard trim options as well as Fluid Silver and Brushed Alloy as further optional selections.

Unique, authentic, innovative. The new MINI Clubman.

The new MINI Clubman is unique which is part of what makes it a MINI.

The MINI Clubman reinterprets for the 21st century the concept of a sporting shooting brake, yet refers authentically to the standout design features of its predecessor MINI models.

But like the new generation MINI, the MINI Clubman is engineered to meet the needs of customers in all areas, safety, economy, emissions as well as lifestyle demands.

Given its unique features and highly functional layout, the MINI Clubman paves the way into a brand-new segment in the market, while the MINI premium brand, introducing this avant-garde innovation, once again underlines its leadership in the small car segment in terms of vehicle concepts, technical and design features.

This entry was posted on Sunday, July 29th, 2007 at 9:37 pm and is filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.