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First Drive: 2008 Mini Cooper Clubman S
Little distinguishes the new longer, roomier Mini Clubman's driving experience from that of the standard Mini. Which is great news: None of the coupe's quick reflexes, playful nature, or overall Mini-ness is diminished. The differences are all about space: 3.2 inches more wheelbase (which yields an equal bump in rear legroom), 9.6 inches of increased overall length, and a cargo hold that grows from 24.0 to 32.6 cubic feet with the rear seats folded. Plus a few more doors. From the driver's seat, you'll hardly know there's more Mini behind you. But your rear-seat passengers, pets, surfboards, golf clubs, shopping bags, swap-meet treasures, and mall haul will really appreciate the extra room.
The Clubman notion isn't a new idea, but it remains a good one. It's the third body style in the reborn Mini lineup, alongside the second-generation coupe, which came to market early this year, and the convertible, still on the carryover gen-one platform for another year or so.
Mini's design job is clever. The longer roof appears flat at first glance, yet there's a gentle curve to it. Like Clubmans of old, access to the cargo bay is via two hinged "barn doors." Besides the squarer look, the exhaust pipes are no longer centered in the rear valance, instead splitting to the sides in a more conventional, dual-exhaust fashion. A spoiler at the top of the rear deck integrates the center high-mounted stoplight. In keeping with the Mini's USP of allowing the owner a wide variety of color combinations, there are many different ways to spec out the body, bumper, roof, and window-surround finishes.
Joining this club is all about space and access to it, so besides the split rear-cargo doors, there's a rear-hinged, half-door-size access panel on the passenger side that makes back-seat entry and egress a much easier proposition than in the coupe-all the better by which to enjoy the much-needed increased legroom. A squeege over three inches more room may not sound like much, but it's a world of difference in a car this compact. Full-size adults now sit comfortably in back, with plenty of head and knee room for six-footers.
This access door is well integrated into the exterior styling, with the door handle mounted inside so as not to spoil the smooth two-door look. In the name of safety, it can be opened only when the front passenger door is open. The split rear seats fold to create a commodious space for stuff-interesting in that packaging efficiency was one of the aspects that set the original Mini apart from other compact city cars of the 1960s. The centers of the two cargo area doors come together to form a pillar that bisects the driver's view out the rearview mirror, not so different from what the driver of a 1963 "Split Window" Corvette experiences. But the blockage isn't wide enough to hinder rearward vision, and it's something you quickly get used to.
No special structural reinforcement was required to accommodate the increased number of doors and hatches. Overall weight grows by about 175 pounds. Engine, transmission, and equipment levels are otherwise a direct carryover. We spent all our drive time aboard a turbocharged, 172-horsepower Cooper S version and could detect no meaningful decrease in acceleration. The extra ounces will, however, take a bit of sparkle off the naturally aspirated, 118-horsepower base model's straight-line punch. We'll verify this with instrumented testing as soon as we have the opportunity.
Same goes for handling. Overall, the Clubman S feels no different through a smorgasbord of cornering situations from the new Cooper S we just added to our long-term test fleet. One major difference in the Clubman's driving persona is ride comfort. Those three-plus inches of additional wheelbase really smooth out the standard Mini's tendency to hop on bad pavement, over railroad crossings, and the like. It's a dramatic improvement, and one that, combined with all the extra room, makes the Clubman a much happier long-distance car than the short-wheelbase model.
One bane that hasn't been exorcized, at least in the S, is torque steer. Power out of a corner, and the wheel wiggles in your hand. When the turbo boost kicks in, it wiggles worse. Perhaps Mini could have dialed out some of the effect, but steering feel would have diminished because of it. While this problem doesn't kill the Mini's fun factor, it knocks it back a notch or two. There'll never be a rear-drive Mini, but an AWD version might be fun, no?
The car's only other maddening trait, also shared with non-Clubmans, is the HVAC system's too small, too slippery, and just poorly designed fan and heat/cool controls. The tiny, click up-and-down fan switch is slick plastic and practically requires long fingernails to operate. Wearing gloves? Forget it. Why not some large, knurled knobs? And much of the center-stack lettering is too small. These are two instances where function followed form, and Mini ought to get to fixing them. Now.
Mini hasn't yet released the Clubman's pricing structure, but indicates it'll fall midway between the current coupe and convertible models. That translates to about $20,750 for a base Clubman and around $24,000 for a Clubman S, reasonable enough if you fancy the new model's design and extra space.
Besides being a blast to drive, reasonably economical, and a cheeky fashion statement, the Clubman's most significant accomplishment is that its increased passenger comfort and extra cargo room make the Mini a real car for more people. For many buyers, this functionality will more than offset the few extra dollars and the few extra pounds the Clubman packs over the standard models. Mini USA estimates that 15 percent of the cars it sells will be Clubmans. We say it had better be prepared to build more than that.
| 2008 Mini Cooper Clubman S | |
| Base price | $20,750-$24,000 |
| Vehicle layout | Front engine, FWD, 4-pass, 2+1-door wagon |
| Engines | 1.6L/118-hp/118-lb-ft DOHC 16-valve I-4; 1.6L/172-hp/177-lb-ft turbocharged DOHC 16-valve I-4 |
| Transmissions | 6-speed manual; 6-speed automatic |
| Curb weight | 2850-2900 lb (mfr) |
| Wheelbase | 100.3 in |
| Length x width x height | 155.8 x 66.3 x 56.4 in |
| 0-60 mph | 7.5-10.8 sec (mfr est) |
(Source: http://www.motortrend.com)
2008 MINI Cooper Clubman
The problem with the Mini is that it's so, well, mini. That has been addressed, to some extent at least, with the newest member of the Mini family: the Clubman, which is just now reaching dealers.
Which is not to say that anyone will be trading in their Chevrolet Suburban on a Clubman. At 155.8 inches long, it's 9.4 inches longer than the regular Mini, but 13.1 inches shorter than a Chrysler PT Cruiser. Still, it's certainly bigger than a Mini, and -- this is the surprise -- no less fun to drive.
As you might expect, Mini has one of its irreverent advertising campaigns waiting in the wings to introduce the Clubman which, says the company, "looks odd. It runs on irregular. It is the brown sheep of the family." See? Cute, but not precious.
As if Mini will need a big ad campaign to sell the Clubman: BMW, Mini's parent company, is one of the few major corporations rich enough to actually build fewer Minis than they can sell. This keeps the transaction price high, resale value even higher.
Under the station wagonlike body, the Clubman is pretty much a regular Mini, with the wheelbase stretched by 3.1 inches. Like the Mini, it comes in two basic flavors: the regular, and the S.
The regular Clubman has a 1.6-liter, 118-horsepower four-cylinder engine, with a standard six-speed manual transmission, or a six-speed automatic offered as an option. The Clubman S has that same engine and transmission choice, but the engine is turbocharged, meaning that a fan powered by escaping exhaust gas forces air and fuel into the engine under pressure, resulting in more horsepower -- 54 more horses, for a total of 172.
Mini says the regular Clubman will accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 8.9 seconds, and the S takes seven seconds. The Clubman S gets you more than just the turbocharged engine: You also get 16-inch tires and wheels, instead of the regular 15-inchers. You get different seats, different interior trim, a different exhaust system, and the S is also heavier -- it weighs 2,855 pounds, compared to 2,723 pounds for the regular Clubman.
The Clubman S is undeniably more fun to drive, as that extra horsepower makes highway passing much easier, and winding backroads just that much more interesting. But given the difference in the base price -- $20,600 for the regular Clubman, and $24,100 for the Clubman S -- I'm not sure the S is $3,500 more fun. Around town, you barely notice the difference. Fuel mileage suffers a little with the S: It's EPA-rated at 26 mpg city, 34 mph highway, compared to the regular Clubman at 28/37.
As far as the Clubman compared to the standard Mini Cooper: From the driver's seat, you can barely tell one from the other, which is very good news. Handling is as crisp and precise as ever, steering is almost telepathic: All the things Mini owners love about their cars, they'll love about the Clubman.
And there is more to love, of course. Rear seats are still quite tight, but since the Clubman has a half-door on the passenger side, it's much easier to climb into the seat, or just put cargo there. As with other such three-door vehicles, including some pickup truck models and the old Saturn coupe, that third door can't be opened from the outside, and the front passenger door must be open before the third door can be opened. There is, I suppose, a safety aspect to this: Kids in the back seat can't get out until you let them out, and when they do get out, it's on the curb side, as opposed to the traffic side of the car.
The rear hatch is two-piece, configured like a side-by-side barn door. (Mini calls it a "Splitdoor," and calls the third door on the side a "Clubdoor," which actually is a bit precious.) There's decent space behind the rear seats for some luggage or groceries, or you can fold the rear seats flat for even more room. Those rear doors each swing out wide, past the taillights, making for easy access. Mini engineers agonized over this rear hatch configuration, considering a more conventional flip-up window and drop-down tailgate, but this seems like a pretty good solution.
Inside, the Clubman cockpit is pretty much Mini, with some instruments and controls designed and configured more for looks and symmetry than function. Options include a navigation system, Sirius satellite radio with a lifetime subscription (for the car, not the driver), a parking distance alarm, xenon headlights, Blue-tooth, a huge glass sunroof, a roof rack and lots of the expected personalization-type features, such as a Union Jack or a checkered flag on the roof. Lots of safety features are standard, including stability control and six air bags.
The Clubman, says Mini, "is the oddball member of an already slightly eccentric family." Really? I think it's the most sane, makes-sense member yet.
(Source: http://www.cars.com/)
MF Review: The 2007 MINI Cooper and Cooper S
MINI had a tough task following up the R50 and R53. To gain a larger audience, there’s little question the car had to become easier to live with. That meant, less rattles, less of a jarring ride, and a more refined engine. But the challenge (at least with the latter two) was to do all of this and retain the car’s charm and performance feel. Based on some early European reviews of the new car, indications were mixed. Could BMW possibly create a vehicle worthy enough to follow-up the incredibly successful R50 and R53? Apparently they could and they did. Not only is the new MINI has fun to drive on the road and track, it’s refined and effortless in many ways the previous car was not. It achieves a balance that the 2002-2006 MINIs simply never had.
Nothing exemplifies this balance more than the sport button. Driving in the Cooper and Cooper S with the sport button turned off (the default position) there’s little question the car is meant to be easier to drive for the masses. Its steering is lighter, the throttle response is more laid back, and the overall feeling is one of comfort compared to the previous car. One could easily be fooled (as some journalists have been) into thinking that BMW missed the mark with the new MINI with the sport button in the off position.
With the sport button on however, the car comes alive. In a fraction of a second it becomes a more refined version of the car that preceded it - the R50 and R53. In fact the steering felt weightier and the throttle response was noticeably sharper than the stock 2002-2006 Cooper S.
With the sport button (made possible by MINI’s new electronic steering and some clever ECU tuning) MINI is able to appeal to a larger base of customers while offering a car that retains the key attributes that have made the previous generation such a success. A classic case of a win-win.
The interior of the new car follows many of these same principles. The center stack has been thoroughly redesigned with an emphasis on reducing its width and giving both driver and passenger more legroom. A great improvement for long trips and track days alike for all of us over 6 feet tall.
However, in making this change, there were some design choices made that many current owners will surely lament. The biggest complaint seems to be the apparent cheapness of the center stack face plate. Because the climate controls, radio, and toggle bank are no longer separate components, they are all covered with a single piece of black textured plastic.
The effect in photos is not good. While in person (with more of a sense of dimension) the design work a little better, it’s not the strongest point of the interior design. It does get slightly better with auto heating and cooling controls though. And with the optional navigation system, so much of the plastic is taken up by the extra DVD slot-loading drive that you don’t have as much of an expanse of the face plate to stare at. Still, it’s something that will take time for most previous MINI owners to get used to.
Sitting in the R56 for the first time, you can’t help but be struck by the improvement in seat quality. BMW has gone with an entirely new supplier. It shows in a number of ways. Despite the sport seats looking like something out of a 60’s lounge, they have much improved side bolstering. The lower cushion is also much more comfortable and extends further towards the knees, giving better support. Finally, the mechanism to push the seat forward functions in a completely logical manner. In fact, the design is taken straight from the latest BMW 3 Series Coupe.
The Lounge Leather option (our test car came with the gorgeous Redwood Lounge Leather) had almost a “pillow-top” effect that gave the seats an extra layer of comfort, which I greatly appreciated throughout the day. The red-orange of the seats makes for what I believe is the best looking MINI interior yet.
Another big change made in conjunction with the slimmed center stack is the integrated radio/speedometer. The R56’s radio has gained quite a bit of functionality. It now has a more complex interface that contains optional bluetooth functionality, along with input selection and audio control. However, taken as a whole, the sound-system isn’t intuitive. The screen and button interface aren’t obvious at first and will surely be a step back for MINI owners who aren’t a tech savvy.
It’s also worth noting that there was some alarming panel gaps between the glossy piano dash and what MINI calls the “color-line” just below it. While we were reminded that these cars were essentially pre-production US-spec, it’s not as if they haven’t producing cars for the rest of the world for three months. We can only hope that this issue was only relevant to the US press cars and not to actual production units.
The digital read-out in the tachometer is one area that really stood out as a revelation. You our now able to have a digital display of your speed at three times the size on the previous car. A handy tool for those who like to challenge speed limits a little.
Speaking broadly, the interior of the R56 is a revelation. The design works very well in person. The fit and finish is unquestionably a step above what we all know well with the previous generation MINI. Most of the glaring issues have been resolved and the feel has taken on a fresh personality that helps give the R56 its own character.
But perhaps the biggest change BMW has given us with this new MINI is under the hood. The new 1.6L engines are more refined, produce more power, and have broader torque curves. This translates into a more comfortable road experience from stop and go city driving to highway cruising. More than once I found myself well into triple digit territory without realizing it. Something that is almost impossible with the previous MINI. With the R53, you not only heard, but felt triple digits. The R56 by contrast goes about high speed cruising much like a BMW, with a feeling of effortlessness.
So it may come as little surprise that BMW was solely responsible for the design of the new engines. In fact Erich Sonntag, who headed up development of MINI’s new engines, had previously been in a similar position working on BMW’s exceptional inline six cylinder power-plants. Mr. Sonntag (who was on hand for the US introduction) mentioned to me that he found the opportunity of incorporating BMW’s proven technology on such a fun car like the MINI hard as an exciting challenge and one that was hard to pass up. He also mentioned that there was some natural collaboration with the BMW engineers working on the 300hp 3.0L Turbo Inline Six recently introduced in several BMWs
But what about tuning the new MINI? I asked Mr. Sonntag what he thought might be an obvious area to start with. With a smile and a twinkle in his eye, he said that getting much more power out of these engines would be difficult without truly knowing every detail of their inner workings. It seems they are already very well optimized. However, he did mention that the first place to start (that wouldn’t be too expensive) would be a larger intercooler on the Cooper S.
Mr. Sonntag also delivered the bad news that the US market cars have indeed lost the exhaust burble so many of us have grown to love on the 2005 and 2006 cars. Apparently BMW was inundated with complaints from US customers about the sound so they decided to simply turn it off in the ECU programing. This is perhaps one off the biggest disappoints I found with the new car. Yes, it’s really not anything more than ear candy. Still, it was a great part of the 2005 and 2006’s character.
On the track, the eagerness to rev and the greater torque down low in the power band gives the R56 a very different character than the previous car. The power delivery is particularly smooth and powering out of low-speed corners is distinctly different from the R53. However, LSD still remains a must for any track work.
The new Getrag 6 speed manual is also an improvement over what was offered in the R53. It now feels a bit more BMW like in it’s execution and performance. The transmission’s slickness allows for quicker shifts without sacrificing feel.
The automatic Cooper and Cooper S I sampled have the same 6 speed auto unit featured in the R53. The software is new but the frustration of slow reactions are not. Like the R53 the auto continues to be a poor choice for those who want ultimate control and feel. However for the Cooper, the Aisin unit represents a huge upgrade from the CVT that was previously offered. All told, it’s a great commuting car that most enthusiasts will stay away from.
Over the course of two days, I grew to really enjoy the look of the new MINI. However, there’s little question that the taller bonnet and taller belt-line make 17? wheels almost mandatory. 15? wheels look especially awkward on the car. While I personally like the look of the larger wheels and smaller side-wall, I can’t help but feel a bit of the purity found on the R50 was lost in the new car because of the need to comply with Europe’s new pedestrian crash standards.
Another area that might disappoint; the panel gap between the front wheel arches and clamshell hood was still not totally rectified as it still appeared to be a little too healthy. I ask MINI USA Product Manager Jeff Stracco about the issue and he said that the Oxford Plant had been working hard to eliminate the issue over the last couple of months. He believed it had been fixed 11th or 12th production mold finally doing the trick. However he believed our press cars had been produced after the final changes were made.
I won’t go into any more details (especially since we posted an entire design analysis a few months ago) but I will say, as a whole, BMW has done an exceptional job of retaining the look and character of the original R50 despite the new safety challenges.
I had hoped that the R56 would not disappoint. To be truthful, I was quite concerned that the needs of the market would dictate a softer MINI and the focus on performance would erode. But, by the end of the weekend, with hours of track and road driving under my belt, there was little doubt in my mind that BMW nailed this car. The new MINI is a better MINI for both the enthusiast and the non-enthusiast alike. Some of the visceral character of the previous car has been lost. However, so much more has been gained in performance and livability.
(Source: http://motoringfile.com)
2007 Mini Cooper: official photos
BMW has released the first set of official shots of its latest cheeky little Mini Coopers. Although, being 2.76 inches longer, the new Minis will preserve their distinctive looks, including the famous white roof and large headlights.
Inside, both the Mini Cooper and Mini Cooper S feature the same 1.6-liter flat-four engine. The one installed into the Mini Cooper sports Valvetronic technology and produces up to 120 horsepower reached at 6,000 and 118 lb-ft (160 Nm) of torque.
More powerful Mini Cooper S is equipped with a turbocharger, which helps the tiny motor achieve a maximum of 175 hp @ 5,500 rpm, and peak torque of 177 lb-ft (240 Nm).
To make the hot Mini a little safer, BMW has introduced curtain airbags and seatbelt force limiters available to all passengers.
Leftlane News has lots of hi-res photos of both the new Mini Cooper and Mini Cooper S.
New Mini will be 'slightly bigger, quicker'
The new Mini, set to be launched this winter, will be similar to the current model, although getting a little bit bigger to provide additional legroom and luggage space. BMW plans to employ a series of new petrol engines, which will help to move the heavier body. To move it fast.
British magazine 'What Car?' reports that the engines, co-developed with Peugeot-Citroen, will provide the car with more power, yet will be less gasoline-thirsty than the current motors. This has been achieved through the clever use of aluminum in the engine and suspension.
Initially there will be only two models available at launch in December: the Mini Cooper and the Mini Cooper S. The former will cost about ?12,600 and the latter will carry a price tag of about ?15,700. Mini Cooper will feature a 118 bhp 1.6-liter engine, while the Cooper S will be equipped with a 1.6-liter turbo, producing a maximum of 173 bhp and accelerating the car from zero to 60 mph in just 7.0 seconds.
Standard set of equipment will presumably include six airbags.
(Source: http://autoreview.belproject.com)
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