White Roof Radio #172

O(=^=)OCapn Jul 31st, 2007 Link

Hey, Cool new header. What happened to the checkered flag, it was so unique! I will miss it.

Gabe Jul 31st, 2007 Link

I’ll miss it to. However it was time to move on and introduce something a bit more lasting and unique (not to mention integrated).

Moe-jiller Jul 31st, 2007 Link

Some asker about the rear door open / close sequence – The Clubman Exterior video -Rear Cargo Doors – shows that the right side ‘Female’ latch requires the Left door to be latched closed before the right side door can latch closed.

lavardera Jul 31st, 2007 Link

You guys dismiss the seats folding flat. I would not be so quick to do that. A flat cargo bed offers more utility, period, and if Mini had to compete with any other cars they would find that their competition increasingly has seat backs that fold flat. If the MC Clubman hopes to take buyers away from the Fit Sport for instance they are going to find the utility of their storage space widely outclassed.

Look, when you offer a new model you are not creating any new buyers – you are only taking them from somewhere else. I know you can say that the Mini is much more of a drivers car than a Fit (although the fit is a great handling small car), its true, but if you are going to loose some customers that are a little more biased towards utility over driving because the seats won’t fold flat, which you will, then you are leaving money on the table and making it harder for the car to be profitable.

jyarrow Jul 31st, 2007 Link

Good point about seats that fold flat. We seriously considered a Honda Fit when we bought our R56. It’s a different car in many ways, but they were the 2 on our radar screen. The Fit has incredible cargo capability and competes more with the Clubman than with the R56.

And as a second thought – I always enjoy the show and look forward each week to the new ones.

DB Jul 31st, 2007 Link

You guys dismiss the seats folding flat. I would not be so quick to do that. A flat cargo bed offers more utility, period, and if Mini had to compete with any other cars they would find that their competition increasingly has seat backs that fold flat. If the MC Clubman hopes to take buyers away from the Fit Sport for instance they are going to find the utility of their storage space widely outclassed.

Great point! But I really don’t think they are going to try to market this at, or attempt to steal buyers from, the station wagon/small truck/Fit or any other car that has seats that fold totally flat. This car, I think, is for the potential MINI owner that needs more room to haul some stuff or people (or both) that isn’t afforded in the R56.

But really, how much do you expect to be able to carry in only 9.1cu/ft of space (32.6cu/ft with the seats down)? It is an increase over the R56 to be sure, but not that much to make this a serious hauler. But it is enough room to take the family on a weekend trip at least.

If I were in need to carry serious amounts of cargo, MINI is the last place I would look.

lavardera Jul 31st, 2007 Link

Well the Fit does not carry serious cargo either, but the magic seats definitely make it more useful than it would be otherwise.

jyarrow Jul 31st, 2007 Link

I think seats folding flat helps. In many ways, the MINI is not the most practical car for me and my family. Yet we bought an R56. It is practical in that it gets good gas mileage, is fun to drive, and you really can’t underestimate the importance of good design. The aesthetic quality of the car is also practical. Good design needs to be valued and thought of as practical.

Any added functionality and making the most of the available seats helps us to decide to have this great car. I believe that it is essential to convince more people in this country that bigger is not better and aesthetics matter.