Mini Clubman 2010 News

Minis aren’t actually very mini any more. The brand has become more a style statement than an appropriate description, given the size and stature of the cars it now produces. Each successive model grows in size to fulfill new roles, or simply appeal to a wider audience.And the new Clubman Concept -- which is undoubtedly the production car robbed of its door handles and given some showy wheels -- is no different. Where the outgoing model is compact and quite obviously part of the small Mini family, this one appears to be more Countryman than Cooper.The concept is 4223mm long, 1844mm wide and 1450mm tall, representing a marked increase in size over the current Clubman which is 260mm shorter and 170mm narrower. As a result the 2015 model boasts greatly improved cargo and passenger space.The Clubman features the same face as the new Cooper range, meaning refreshed headlights with day-time running lamps and a mildly massaged front bumper are used. From the front angle it’d be difficult to tell the Clubman apart from the Cooper, its extra width and height the only telling factors.Move around to the side of the car however, and you’ll realise just how vast the new Clubman is. It’s longer and wider than the Paceman coupe-SUV-thing. The new model is also a conventional four-door, where the outgoing model features two standard passenger doors and a curbside suicide door.However the Clubman still employs two ‘barn-style’ rear doors to give improved practicality and versatility over a conventional single-door setup. A pair of slightly awkward looking rear light clusters trimmed in chrome – like most of the Clubman’s features – sit on the doors and are unique to the new car. The model pictured here has likely been given the ‘S’ treatment, which includes sportier twin central exhaust tips, roof spoiler and fruitier 2.0-litre engine.The interior looks further from production reality than the exterior. A large circular display dominates the dashboard as in all recent Minis, while the dash itself is a round shape similar to an aircraft wing, giving the cabin an open and airy feeling. Two smaller circular screens sit overlapped in front of the driver displaying engine and vehicle speed, and satellite navigation information. We expect the production-ready Clubman to use an interior closer in design to the new Cooper range.The Mini concept will debut at the Geneva Motor Show next week, with news of a production-ready version likely to follow. If the production car retains the concept’s dimensions the iconic Clubman will become Mini’s largest ever model, and the British brand’s first ever five-door station wagon. 

The born-again British bombshell has already grown from a city- friendly hatchback to a convertible and a Mini Clubman wagon _ with the all-wheel drive Countryman finally going public this week _ but the man driving Mini says there are more models to come."It's three at the moment and it will be six in the next two years, and it doesn't stop there," says Ian Robertson, the sales and marketing chief for BMW Group, which includes Mini.  "We've got lots of ideas, some of which won't come to production, but I think there is a lot more potential within a small-size car."One of those ideas is the Beachcomber concept displayed at the Detroit Motor Show, where Robertson talks about the success of a car that has become a brand."In this case size really does matter," he says.  "Four metres is about the bandwidth. But there are some interesting concepts that could be there if you look at the Beachcomber."If you look back in Mini history, there were even more concepts of mini around. There were tuners, but there were other concepts done by the company.  Now, we're not going to make a Mini-van, but I think there are enough ideas to keep the brand moving forward and continue growing, which is what we want."Robertson will not talk about the potential for a Mini coupe, one idea floated in the past six months, but he is happy to chat about the Beachcomber.  "This is the first time it's been seen. The reception has been very positive . . . but, like all things, we need to create a business case for it," he says."At the end of the day there are a number of factors on that car that are not easy to resolve. There is side crash, for example. The fact is that Mini Mokes of the past were not burdened by any of this, so if you look at actual crash situations you have to do some very smart stuff to make that a viable proposition. It's not a matter of whipping the doors out and saying that's ok."Robertson is convinced Mini has a big future because of its widespread appeal.  "It's huge. Seventy-year-olds buy Minis, with big smiles on their faces."From the young kids through to the aging pensioners, it is a car for all ages and all social sets as well. So for people who have a lot of money, and people who are scrambling to get money, it's appropriate for all of them."It's a really unique proposition. And when I talk to some potential competitors of Mini they all say 'Yes, but Mini is really different and really special'. Because it is different and characterful."We've taken a car that was small and cute and had a nice history, and turned it into a brand. And I think that's a major achievement. And in a relatively short period of time."Here we are in Detroit, and if you'd asked me three or four years ago if America would be the largest market for Mini I'd have said 'Unlikely, with a small car and a small engine' . . . but for the second year running it's the biggest market in the world.  "And it came from a standing start in America as well. There was no real history of Mini here in America."

Photos of the production car, which is expected to be unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in March, show a connection with the Mini Beachcomber concept shown at the recent Detroit show.Apart from the high-riding stance, the car has “All4” badging to indicate that it’s all-wheel drive.  Unlike the barn-style rear doors in the Clubman, the four-wheel drive appears to have a conventional rear opening hatch.Like the front-driver, the all-paw version is expected to have petrol and turbo-diesel engines.  The car is expected to go on sale in Europe later this year and possibly Australia early next year.

Its first all-wheel drive, which will become one of the world's smallest crossovers, looks set to go sale in Australia late in 2011.The yet-to-be-named crossover, which is nearly production-ready, is likely to be launched at the Detroit Motor Show in January and go on sale in Europe and the United States late next year. It should arrive in Australia six to nine months after that.It had been tipped that the wagon would be shown at the Geneva motor show in March, but Mini has reserved that spotlight to launch a JCW version of its sexy new cabrio which is coming to Australia next year.Mini is still remaining coy about the crossover, the first Mini not to be built at its traditional home in Oxford, England. Instead it will come off the same production line as the existing BMW X3 at the Magna Steyr plant in Austria.The X3 will soon shift to Spartanburg to make way for the crossover which will be built on an all new and larger 4.1-metre platform. It had been tipped Mini would use BMWs new X1 platform but Mini insiders say this has been discounted as not practical.What we do know is the crossover will use a modified version of BMW's full time xDrive system which proportions drive between front and rear axles. Mini engineers have had to convert it from having a rear-wheel drive bias as in BMWs X3 and X5 to fit Mini's primarily front-wheel drive layout.As for the name: forget Crossman, as widely reported by German media. It definitely won't be called that.“We had issues with MAN trucks over the Clubman name so we won't go there,” says Andreas Hofmann, the head of Mini's marketing communications.“We are still working on the name and choice of engines."The engine range is expected to match those under the bonnet of the existing Mini line-up but Hofmann hinted a diesel was more than likely for selected markets including Australia.Production costs will mean the crossover will come as a conventional four-door wagon which is cheaper to build, although the design of the tailgate whether a single door, two barn doors or a split lift up, drop down design still has to be signed off.Mini has been studying several tailgates on the crossover test mule which has kept the media guessing."We will be making a final decision on the design within three months," Hofman says.The crossover concept, shown at the last Paris Motor Show, had a sliding rear passenger door on one side and a conventional door on the other.And while the third generation Mini hatch will be launched in 2012, Mini traditionalists can relax — it won’t be stretched any further to fit on the longer crossover platform.Mini insiders say there won’t be a maxi Mini. The current hatch will not grow any more in size as it would be out of proportion on the crossover’s 4.1-metre long platform.If you’re hanging out for a hot hatch Mini with all-wheel drive, you will be waiting for a long time.Mini will fit a BMW-sourced xDrive system to its upcoming crossover wagon but the system won’t be fitted to any other model just yet.A Mini all-wheel drive JCW hatch or cabriolet would be desirable as a flagship, but Mini says it would be far too expensive. 

THE Mini brand makes no bones about it: its new cars will be `a pair of red-hot racers for the road'.Cashing in on the interest of the Mini Challenge race car series around Australia, the new John Cooper Works Mini and Clubman (station wagon) will run high-performance versions of the 1.6-litre engines used to power the familiar Cooper S along with other hot-up bits. Light alloy 17in diameter wheels, red caliper performance brakes and a new exhaust system are part of the go-faster kit on the John Cooper Works versions.“These cars will bring the thrill of the race track to the road,” says Mini national manager Justin Hocevar. “We are excited that these red-hot models will be coming to Australia at the same time as our Mini Challenge race series will be showcasing Mini handling and performance prowess at race tracks around Australia.”The engine has been uprated to generate 155kW of power at 6000rpm - not bad from a 1.6-litre motor. Torque is a good 260Nm on tap from 1850rpm to 5600rpm. But there's an over-boost system in the turbocharging, allowing a temporary 280Nm between 2000rpm and 5300rpm.The engines use aluminium cylinder blocks and bearing housings, twin camshafts and exhaust valves filled with sodium to better handle the cooling requirements.The John Cooper Works cars have reinforced and specially-ground pistons and special material for intake valves and valve seat rings to make them more resilient. The two-door and Clubman wagon have aero packages and sports chassis of springs finished in red, as well as rear spoilers and perforated brake discs.Mini says the cars are the first front-wheel drives to have the Dynamic Stability Control from parent company BMW.It allows the threshold at which these systems intervene to be raised, so allowing an amount of slip on the driving wheels. Stability control can be switched off, too.The standard Mini Cooper is no slug, especially if the road has some tighter twists and turns. It will accelerate to 100km/h in 9.1 seconds and run to 203km/h. The Cooper S does the sprint in 7.1 seconds on the way to 225km/h. The John Cooper version clocks 6.5 seconds and 238km/h or in the Clubman wagon 6.8 seconds and 238km/h. The Clubman weighs 75kg more than the two-door.The John Cooper Works versions get a six-speed manual gearbox (no auto option) that has been beefed up to take the high torque loads.They are performance cars but are still gentle on petrol use and emissions. The two-door Works car averages 6.9 litres/100km and the Clubman 7 litres/100km. Emissions are 165g/km and 167g/km. 

Naughty but nice is the latest take on the Mini Clubman, which looks set to continue its starring role in fun and fashion events around the world.This time the Clubman, which was the subject of a dress-up game that resulted in many wild concepts before the car even got to showrooms, has been dressed to impress by British lingerie label Agent Provocateur, which has a huge following in Europe.Agent Provocateur has really done a number on the Clubman. By harking back to the days when the original Mini was a police paddy van in Britain, it has turned the 1960s machine into a patrol car that would be a dream machine for petty criminals.“The divvy van with a difference has been kitted out like a burlesque bedroom on wheels, thanks to the manic machinations of Agent Provocateur's founding father Joseph Corr,” Mini Australia spokesman Alexander Corne says.“It comes with fold-flat reclining rear seats and restraints for ankles and wrists, ensuring the wickedly dressed assume a supremely supine position for interrogation.“Barred rear windows, obscured by luscious blinds, ensure no one, especially the paparazzi, gets to peek in while the rozzers do their thing.”Corr has even included a whip, in case the police need some extra persuasion.The body of the car has been painted in regulation white and black, but the look also includes drag-racer-style alloy disc wheels.Inside, it's a padded cell with pink and black leather trimming.The Agent Provocateur Clubman was created to star at one of Europe's biggest annual fundraising events, the Life Ball in Vienna, which helps fund research for a cure to AIDS.For the past four years Mini has provided a one-off car created by an edge artist, including Donatella Versace, to sell through the ball.Now that the Clubman has made its run up the red carpet and starred in a shoot with models also dressed by Agent Provocateur, it goes up for auction on eBay from June 5-15. 

In his 15 years at BMW, the Munich car maker's US-born head of design has overseen the creation of some of the industry's most admired and imitated, if controversial, cars.

The wide-eyed French wonder has a hybrid HDi drivetrain from which Citroen claims fuel consumption of just 3.4L/100km.As well as saving fuel, the concept aims to cutback on resources used in its construction. The cabin is made up of just over 200 parts, which Citroen says is about half the usual number. Peugeot's sleek 308RCZ concept gives a big nod towards a future body style for the 308 family.The ultra-light 2+2 coupe uses aluminium, polycarbonate windows and carbon-fibre body parts and is powered by a 160kW 1.6-litre twin-scroll turbo jointly developed by PSA Peugeot Citroen and BMW.Mitsubishi will unveil its Concept-cX compact SUV at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Concept-cX uses interior trim materials made from bamboo and other plant-based resins.The concept is powered by a new high-output, high-efficiency 1.8-litre diesel engine, featuring a variable geometry turbocharger for optimum boost control and a diesel oxidation catalyst with diesel particulate filter, and Mitsubishi's new twin-clutch sport-shift transmission which will be a key element in the Lancer Evo X.GM will show environmentally-conscious concepts at Frankfurt, including the HydroGen4 fuel-cell car, the Volt all-electric car and further adaptions of its EcoFlex technology.The HydroGen4 produces an electrical output of up to 93kW backed by a 73kW electric motor.GM claims it can accelerate from 0-100km/h in 12 seconds and has a top speed of about 160km/h. It will also show off its E-Flex strategy, which combines various fuel-efficient propulsion systems in the same vehicle shape and design to suit local demands, in an Opel Corsa small car.Of the production cars being launched at the show, the Mini Clubman wagon is likely to rate highly. The five-door model has double rear doors and a suicide door on the driver's side. The suicide door, which is rear-hinged, is designed to allow passengers easier access to the back.Renault will also show a mini wagon with its Clio Sport Tourer, due to go on sale in Europe early next year.Halfway between concept and reality is the 2008 World Rally Car concept from Subaru.It is both a pointer to what the next WRC will be like and an insight into how the new WRX STI, which will go on sale in Australia early next year, will look. 

The spiritual successor to the original Mini Traveller van, the new Clubman will be the third distinct body style to spring from the modern Mini design concept.Joining the classic two-door hatch, the Cabriolet and the seemingly endless “special” trim and engine combinations, the Clubman brings the Mini aficionado yet another choice.First official photos of the car, evolved from the Mini Traveller concept that starred at the 2005 Frankfurt Motor Show, are released today ahead of the car's official public debut at this year's Frankfurt Show in September. It goes on sale in Germany on November 10.Mini's Australian operation is negotiating to get the car into local markets but there are still no guarantees on timing.“We're pushing hard to get the Clubman here in the first half of next year,” is all Mini's Alexander Corne will say on the issue.The most obvious design change from the original concept car is the addition of a single side door for back-seat access in the rear-hinged “suicide-door” style popularised in modern design by the Mazda RX-8.Mini refers to this as a “Clubdoor”, which is on the right-hand side of the car in both left- and right-hand-drive models.As with the Mazda — and other similar designs — the door can be opened only when the front door on the same side is open.For right-hand-drive markets, such as Australia, having the only side access to, and exit from, the rear seats on the traffic side of the car is a design trade-off once common in early peoplemovers imported from the US.The five-door configuration of the Clubman comes from the vertically split rear doors, which open independently to give added access to either the rear seats or luggage-loading area depending on the interior configuration.At launch in Australia the Mini Clubman will be offered with the same two engines and gearbox combinations — six-speed manual and six-speed automatic — currently available on the Cooper and Cooper S.The 1.6-litre engines are those developed and built in co-operation with French giant PSA, the naturally aspirated version making 88kW and the turbocharged four a creditable 128kW.Although the European markets will be offered a slightly more advanced version of those two engines with similar power but slightly better emission control — plus an aluminium turbo diesel — Australian buyers will not see those in the immediate future.With an 80mm stretched wheelbase and 240mm more in overall length, rear passenger space — one of the shortcomings of the two-door models — has been considerably enhanced.The colour palette is extensive and, in keeping with Mini philosophy, the possible interior/exterior combinations run into the thousands, giving each owner the opportunity to trim up a unique car.