08 Mini Cooper Clubman By ALAN GELL www.CarColumns.Net Mini Coopers were popular in England for a number of years and have been often been used for racing.  But it was the movie, “The Italian Job”, where the Mini really caught the attention of consumers in the US.  The movie featured Edward Norton and Charlize Theron and was a story about heisting large amounts of gold out of Italy.  The supercharged Mini Cooper S cars zipped along a concrete lined river, zoomed through narrows streets, hid out in railroad cars, and generally stole the show.

Really!  How much of the movie do you remember except those Mini Coopers racing and that beautiful blond Charlize maneuvering her baby station wagon through that big traffic jam?  Women had never really enjoyed car chases until that movie.  Now, college girls, as well as older females, are inspired to look cute behind the wheel.  The movie was a great public relations gimmick for BMW.

My wife Judy was one of those who fell in love with the cuteness of the Mini and has wanted one ever since she saw that movie.  Our daughter Charity even gave her one of those little remote controlled Mini cars.  In today’s world of soaring gas prices, however, it is not just my wife, college coeds, or other women wanting one.  Men are being attracted to the fuel savings of this great little car as well as the efficiency of space.

BMW purchased the Mini-Cooper company back in 1994 and are just recently making major inroads into the American market.  We are now seeing more and more of those little wagons on the road.  And apparently, BMW is going to be adding more and more body styles to inspire sales.  The single body style was the mainstay.  A convertible was added.  Now, the body style has been enlarged, doors changed, and a lot has been reconfigured in the Clubman model.  I expect to see a four wheel drive model in the future.

I’ve seen the Clubman a number of times now.  My first view of it was at the Frankfurt Auto Show in 2007.  When it was first put on display, BMW called it the “Traveller”, but the Clubman seems to fit a whole lot better.  My best up-close look was at the Hawaii International Auto Show in March 2008.  It was outfitted with surfboards and all the beach attachments that could be put on it.  The Detroit Auto Show in January unveiled it as its US debut.  Then, the Clubman was featured at the New York Auto Show and the Dallas Auto Show. 

The new design adds a lot more practicality and more versatility to the Mini Cooper.  The wheelbase is 3.1 inches longer than the standard Mini.  The back cargo compartment is configured with two side-by-side doors that open outwards instead of the typical single hatch that raises upwards.  Also, there is a small rear door on the passenger side of the vehicle.  It is much like those small doors on extended cab pickups.  This one is so small you hardly notice it, but it does make the rear seating more accessible.  These two major changes allow the Mini Clubman to offer superb space efficiency.

An interesting note is that this extended side door, sometimes referred to as the Club Door, is designed for the American market, but will be sold worldwide.  The cost of manufacturing the single door for European countries with right-hand driving apparently does not make a lot of financial sense.
 
There are two engine configurations for the Mini Cooper Clubman.  Both are four cylinder.  The S model, which is the Sport style, has a turbocharged 1.6 liter, four cylinder, 175 horsepower engine.  The standard model has the standard Mini four cylinder 120 horsepower engine.  Either engine can be matched with a six speed manual or a six speed automatic transmission.

There are lower priced small cars available, but Charlize wouldn’t look as cute zipping around in something else as much as she did in that movie.  The Clubman starts about $ 19,950, but with some extras, it will probably be about $22 or $23 thousand.  Whether you are a female wanting something cute or a guy wanting something economical and versatile, check out the Clubman and all the other Mini Coopers at your BMW dealership.