MINI set to go clubbing
Stretched Mini captured in full showroom trim ahead of its scheduled debut at the Frankfurt motor showThe much-hyped Mini Clubman has been captured sans disguise while undergoing a television commercial shoot for its upcoming marketing campaign and the resultant images have begun doing the rounds on various internet sites in Europe.
The stretched Mini is due to make its international debut at September's Frankfurt motor show, and it's due Down Under in early 2008.
Apart from its added length, which should add greatly to the car's versatility/practicality, the Clubman differs from the existing Cooper/Cooper S in several respects.
Look closely at the images alongside and you'll notice a small secondary door on the passenger side (the right-hand side in the case of the left-hand-drive vehicle pictured), and this mini suicide door is designed to facilitate ingress/egress to the rear pews.
What's more, the derriere of the car doesn't house a conventional tailgate, but rather a pair of barn doors that are split down the middle.
Interestingly, the Clubman doesn't feature twin central exhausts, as per the current Cooper S -- instead, each of its two tailpipes exits almost directly aft of the rear tyre.
Whether this is indicative of a different powertrain remains to be seen. The car's larger dimensions suggest it will weigh more than the current short-wheelbase Mini, so perhaps the company's boffins have given it some extra squirt to offset the added girth. All will be revealed at the Frankfurt show.
What remains certain is that the Clubman will open a new market segment for the Mini. The current Cooper/Cabrio has been a huge hit worldwide, but it hasn't suited buyers with kids/dogs to tote, as a result of its token rear seats. The more commodious Clubman is likely to address this handicap.
The Clubman has been a long time coming, as rumours about such a variant have been circulating for several years. In addition, Mini provided a preview of what was in store via the ‘Traveller' concept two years ago.
The original (we mean the real original) Mini Clubman debuted in 1969 and sported a more angular frontal look than the standard Mini. It took over where the Countryman and Traveller left off.
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