Mini Clubman News

Mini Australia has announced it will make a previously-optional safety pack standard across the Cooper hatch, convertible and Countryman ranges.

Almost fifty years ago, an unusual police vehicle patrolled Australian roads, partnering with the likes of the Ford Falcon, Holden Kingswood and Valiant Charger - the humble Mini Cooper.

The Clubman JCW's 170kW/350Nm 2.0-litre turbocharged four-potter is the most powerful engine fitted to a Mini yet.

Mini spices up the Clubman with JCW-spec for Paris, Australian introduction expected for first half of 2017.

Mini Australia has confirmed local specs and pricing for its new six-door member of the Cooper range - the Clubman.Based on the existing five-door Mini Cooper, the Clubman is a more practical option with a larger boot – 360-litres seats up instead of 278-litres – and dual doors at the rear for easier cargo loading.Measuring 248mm longer and 73mm wider, with a 103mm increase in wheelbase compared to the standard five-door Cooper, the Clubman can carry a total of 1250 litres with the rear seats lowered compared to 941 litres. Pricing starts at $34,900 for the entry-level 100kW/220Nm turbocharged three-cylinder variant which consumes 5.4L/100km on the combined cycle and takes 9.1-seconds to reach 100km/h.Standard features include a six-speed auto transmission, reverse camera with rear parking sensors, Bluetooth phone and audio and forward collision warning.A more powerful Cooper S Clubman variant is also available priced from $42,900 that’ll do 0-100km/h in 7.1 seconds courtesy of a 141kW/280Nm 2.0-litre turbo four.Based on the existing five-door Mini Cooper, the Clubman is a more practical option with a larger boot.Stepping up to the Cooper S also adds a standard eight-speed auto, 17-inch alloys, satnav, selectable drive modes and sports leather steering wheel.Despite the slightly wider dimensions over the rest of the Cooper range, the interior design is almost identical, while outside the Clubman uses horizontally mounted taillights instead of vertical ones. 

Luxury brands vie for attention with opulence and drop-tops.

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. 

It means every Mini model including hatch, Clubman, Coupe, Cabriolet, Roadster, Paceman, Countryman and GP now includes a John Cooper Works, or JCW, variant.All are powered by a new generation 1.6 litre four-cylinder direct injection engine featuring twin-scroll turbo technology, variable valve control and a host of technical features.Highlights include reinforced cylinder head and pistons, sodium filled exhaust valves and lightweight crankshaft which help the excellent revving capability With a maximum output of 155kW and 260 Nm of torque (280 Nm with overboost), which increases to 160kW and 280Nm (300Nm with overboost) in the all-wheel-drive JCW Countryman and  JCW Paceman.The exhaust note is trumpeted through a JCW sports exhaust system, which produces a deliberately tuned raw note under acceleration, along with a symphony of burbles and crackles on over-run.In two-wheel drive variants, the drive is transferred to the front wheels via a  six-speed manual transmission. In the case of the JCW Paceman and JCW Countryman, power is channelled via the electromagnetic centre differential of the all-wheel-drive system between the front and rear axles to all four wheels.An optional six-speed automatic transmission is available for all JCW variants except the JCW GP limited edition model. JCW sports suspension, which comes as either standard or a no-cost-option depending on the model, has dynamically tuned dampers and anti-roll bars.  Stopping power is enhanced by a high performance sports-brake system.A Sports button in the centre console allows the driver to tweak the engine's responses and soundtrack, as well as the power assistance provided by the steering. In models fitted with automatic transmissions, pressing the Sport button also quickens shift times.

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.