Sections: R55 (Clubman) May 29th, 2007 22 Comments 
What do you call a car with more cup-holders than seat-belts? A MINI Clubman. We’ve confirmed another small detail about the interior configuration of the R55 and thought it might be interesting to prospective owners. Of course there’s few things that enthusiasts disdain more than cup-holders in cars. However they are an essential part of interior design these days – for better or worse. So it must have been with some sarcastic pride that MINI designers were able to accommodate not three or four, but five full size cupholders throughout the car.
Obviously five makes a bit more sense in market that actually will have three seats in the back (the UK being one of them). However in the US, where there will only be four seats total, we can only imagine what the fifth will come in handy for. Fondue anyone?
Ketan May 29th, 2007 Link
Call me an alarmist but this will be the downfall for Mini. We will get bigger and fatter Minis as they slowly go away from their DNA. (I.E VW Golf GTI, remember what happened to them.) I like the extra room but I don’t know why they keep adding things like cup holders. I don’t know why Americans need to drink while driving. Drink before you go for a drive.
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Vanwall May 29th, 2007 Link
A six hour hot-shot to Phoenix, and I need a drink or two on the way, to say nothing of passengers, and it’s been a delicate dance to make sure easy reach means just that – five’s a good idea, seems like to me.
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vin. May 29th, 2007 Link
My first car, a 1992 Pontiac Grand Am SE (don’t laugh–okay, go ahead and laugh) had a possible 8 cupholders for a car that could seat up to 5 people (four comfortably.) Kind of shows you GM’s priorities back in the early ’90s.
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Aurel May 29th, 2007 Link
yey .. more circular things in the interior!
but really, I am liking the idea of the Clubman more and more.
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rkw May 29th, 2007 Link
What do you call a car with more cup-holders than seat-belts?
But the 1st gen MINI (US spec) already has two more cup-holders than seat-belts, if you include the ones in the glovebox door.
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Korby May 29th, 2007 Link
Why dont we get 3rd. seat in back ,my wife would want one if it had this.Is the Clubman wider?
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OttoMannS May 29th, 2007 Link
You’ll be surprised how those extra cupholders come in handy, especially on road trips. I don’t drink big gulps, in fact, I just drink water and like to keep myself hydrated at all times.
Last I heard, cupholders only add 10HP, but make your closet sports car a little less sporty.
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OttoMannS May 29th, 2007 Link
Korby, I would think having a 3rd passenger in the back seat of the Clubman will be quite a squeeze. However, it is difficult to judge MINI’s decision to offer full 5 seating in the Euro Clubman and not in the US spec model.
Equally puzzling, I might add, MINI’s decision to have placed the rear door on the “street” side of right hand drive models. Evidently, not a problem for us left drive handers, but this has created some controversy in the UK and other RHD markets.
Overall, I like the car and should give MINI a nice sales boost come next year.
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Chad May 29th, 2007 Link
Not sure what the fuss is.
By my count, my ‘05 Cooper has 5 cup-holders for its four seats. 2 short ones up front, one behind the e-brake and 2 in the rear sides (although not officially billed as cup-holders, it’s pretty clear that someone at MINI figured that cups could be be placed there — there’s a little notch in the side bins to hold larger cups).
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Jon May 29th, 2007 Link
Never knew cup-holders could be contentious, a few extra molded plastic cup-holders really don’t make me any fonder of the Clubman lol. In 5 years of owning the new Mini my wife and myself have never used more than the center rear cup-holder. Guess if you have “extra’s” in the backseat though it could prove useful.
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Lisa May 29th, 2007 Link
ok – this is starting to sound like that ridiculous Saturn commercial where they compare their plastic car to the metal Landrover… and it all boils down to cupholders!!
seriously. how can you judge a car by its CUPHOLDERS!?
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Timothy May 30th, 2007 Link
The obesity rate in the United States among adults is 30.6% (2002). In the U.K. it is 23.0% (2004).
Still wonder why the U.S. Clubman will only have two seats in back?
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Eric May 30th, 2007 Link
The obesity rate in the United States among adults is 30.6% (2002). In the U.K. it is 23.0% (2004). Still wonder why the U.S. Clubman will only have two seats in back?
not to mention the suicide door on the passenger side to get the “US Adults” into the back. LOL 3 cupholder, 5 cupholders, who cares? I still can’t wait for my clubman in Feb!
BTW, I found that a 1/2 Keg of beer lays down in the boot’s well and fits very nicely. Now to figure out a way to keep the well cold and icy. ;-)
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cletus May 30th, 2007 Link
How quickly y’all have forgotten that the ‘02 and ‘03 MINIs were severely taken to task in a JD Power owner satisfaction survey, all because of the dearth of useful cupholders! In response, MINI sent us all a stainless steel travel mug of the correct height, and with a reduced diameter at the bottom to fit beneath the toggle switch panel, seated in the existing miniature recesses ahead of the shifter that were intended to do double duty as spare change receptacles. After being bloodied for cupholder paucity once, I can understand how they’re unwilling to let it happen again! ;-)
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rkw May 30th, 2007 Link
By my count, my ‘05 Cooper has 5 cup-holders for its four seats. 2 short ones up front, one behind the e-brake and 2 in the rear sides (although not officially billed as cup-holders, it’s pretty clear that someone at MINI figured that cups could be be placed there – there’s a little notch in the side bins to hold larger cups).
Then don’t you have 8 total, including also the big one on the downtube and two on the inside door of the glovebox? I have a cabrio and don’t have the rear sides, so I only have 6 total.
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Chad May 30th, 2007 Link
Good point! Eight cupholders – gasp!
By my count, my ‘05 Cooper has 5 cup-holders for its four seats. 2 short ones up front, one behind the e-brake and 2 in the rear sides (although not officially billed as cup-holders, it’s pretty clear that someone at MINI figured that cups could be be placed there – there’s a little notch in the side bins to hold larger cups).
Then don’t you have 8 total, including also the big one on the downtube and two on the inside door of the glovebox? I have a cabrio and don’t have the rear sides, so I only have 6 total.
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fdavid Jun 1st, 2007 Link
Don’t have kids yet, but wow what a mess!! I can only imagine all those “sippi cups”, old water bottles, and spills of coffee, Coke ect… Yikes!!! Thank god I am a minimalist and this is out of the question for us. **Not the kid (s) but the mess!!!
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Aussom Jun 3rd, 2007 Link
I think the additional full sized cup holders are a great idea. Has anyone tried placing cups from drive through take-away or even standard drink cans? The original front cup holders and rear side trays are too small for modern drinks, while the central rear cup holder is a bit bigger.
Add kids to the back seat and you have a potential upholstery spill/stain accident waiting to happen – plus general in-car fighting over who gets to put their drink in the rear central cup holder. Most kids want their own drink holder, so full-sized side drink holders are a good idea.
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OttoMannS Jun 4th, 2007 Link
Fdavid, when you actually have kids, your mind will change fairly quickly….
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caly Jun 5th, 2007 Link
When are there going to be more details, spyshots or official photos of the Clubman going to be launched?????
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