Is There Club Door Fallout?

Sections: R55 (Clubman) Sep 21st, 2007 15 Comments

What is, actually, a favorable review of the Clubman by the Telegraph UK. After you get past the harsh, and warranted, criticism about the location of the club door.

Sorry, I forgot to ask the Germans why they chose the Clubman name for the new estate version of the MINI, rather than Traveller or Countryman (yes I know there was an estate version of the old Clubman, but the name really identified the squared-off bonnet). MINI Clubman

I also forgot to make any jokes about the 1966 World Cup, or to mention the war.

Fact is, having voiced the main British complaint about the latest MINI, that it has turned its back on the British market, I was too busy trying to understand the answer.

And that’s just for a start.

“No. Only the driver can open the Clubdoor. He can see gaps in the traffic and control the passengers’ exit.” Not a suicide door, then, more an assisted suicide door. In London there are no gaps in the traffic. And how controllable are a couple of lively children?

Good points all around. Worth checking out.

[ MINI Clubman is offiside! ] Telegraph.co.uk

Written By: DB

15 Comments

Gabe Sep 20th, 2007 Link

I don’t think it’s quite as warranted as some people think. There are plenty of people in the US who would prefer it on the driver’s side as it is in the UK.

That said I do want to say… I totally called this :)

Kennedy Sep 21st, 2007 Link

I have to say, I have quietly been wondering about this “issue” since it first came up. When the 3rd door first debuted on pickup trucks a few years ago (back before they had them on both sides), I think it was GM, they actually put them on the driver side for compact pickups, and on the passenger side for full-size pickups. If I remember correctly, this was because most compact pickup owners were supposedly traveling solo (and would use the door to load luggage), while full-size truck owners would “have passengers to let out on the street side”.

I don’t necessarily think there’s great logic to putting it on one side or the other. I don’t think the addition of doors on the “street side” of minivans has greatly increased the number of people jumping out into traffic. It’s just that if you put the door on one side vs. the other, you’re going to put it on the wrong side for some fraction of people.

From a “performance” point of view, keeping the number of gaping door-holes in a car will help keep it much stiffer with less weight, so it will theoretically handle better and at least for one side, should benefit in a side-impact.

Not to get too far off subject, but I have noticed for years the Honda CRV tailgate, actually hinged on the right (passenger) side of the car, so if you were loading from the curb, you had to walk around further INTO traffic to load the car. That didn’t really change the “success” of that car (SUV) — although they have changed that now.

I hate to put it in the same category, but I think the door for the Clubman is a much smaller issue than that, I think there will always be people unhappy with whatever side the door falls on – but I wonder, at the same time, if it’s just going to be a minor gripe that most people just happily live with and accept?

RB Sep 21st, 2007 Link

He said the left hand drivers were in the minority? I thought, country-wise, that there were more LHD countries around the world? Maybe he just meant in the european market. No matter where you live parking spots are getting smaller, as are driving lanes. Try opening this mess up at even Wholefoods if parked next to a SUV or any other vehicle. In space challenged europe, opening up that 2 door kluge is going to be tricky. BMW suggest it creates a safety zone? Huh? I’d say a target would better explain it.

Trbo Sep 21st, 2007 Link

I cano’t seem to understand how this 3rd door is an issue with the Clubman. I mean how do they cope with cars that only have 2 doors and more importantly sedans (4 doors)?

Would it not be more of an issue for these other types of cars in the UK? SOMEONE will have to get out of the car on the street side regardless of the 3rd door or 4th door. :/

Kennedy Sep 21st, 2007 Link

I would agree that the door will be harder to deal with in a tight parking lot, where if you’re next to another car, you open both doors to get out and now you’re fenced in between 2 open doors, a car, and a MINI.

Vanwall Sep 21st, 2007 Link

This all could’ve been prevented by better location of the gas cap and the associated crash protection – but there’s only so much development and fabrication money to go around on a price-point car, so I guess MINI made the best choice as they saw it. The very first time I walked into the dealer, wondering at that moment if a wagon would ever be in the mix, I had an epiphany looking at the gas cap location – “Not gonna have any extra doors if they do, or they’ll have to move that thing.” And I realized the engineering was set in stone right then – crash standards precluded any other area. I didn’t think about a suicide door, but I thought a 2-door was all that would work. Out of curiosity, do Euro standards have any say on which side the cap is on?

gokartride Sep 21st, 2007 Link

The heck w/ London….MINI is right. If it’s too congested/dangerous in London to get out of the club door, then it’s too congested/dangerous to get out of the driver’s side door??? I thought not.

MiniMatt Sep 21st, 2007 Link

Why didn’t they just have one on each side? that would have solved this issue right? Or am I thinking to simplistically?

AN Sep 21st, 2007 Link

gokart is right. If you think it’s dangerous, don’t use it.

per Sep 21st, 2007 Link

well,

to be honest : english people are know for their own ways…. - driving the wrong side - different rail tracks than other countries - stupid rules about foreign animals - doesnt wants to join the euro currency

I guess they had to pay the price one day,

Kurt Sep 21st, 2007 Link

He should ask his countrymen why the Germans own so many British car companies. Blimey!

OH Steve Sep 21st, 2007 Link

I think it is a great compliment to the designers that the only negative they seem to find in this car is the placement of the rear door. What a poorly written bit of journalism. Love those wheels.

jordan Sep 22nd, 2007 Link

i dont think it will be a problem in the uk? because if your were in a 4 door car anyway you will be getting out onto the road anyway! if the car has your mates or family in it with you.

GregW Sep 24th, 2007 Link

Mini was and is a “British” car. You can’t complain in Left hand drive markets because it suits your side of the road. Us in right hand drive markets have to suffer for for the German influence. Yes – it is of big concern to English markets. There aren’t many people who exit the car into oncoming traffic – if you are dropping someone off the driver stays seated and the passengers exit on the kerbside. Don’t forget that this effects Japanese and Malaysian markets as well. I wonder what Frank Stephenson thinks about the clubdoor design.

Most Jap cars have the fuel filler on the LH side. My partners PT Cruiser gas cap is on the RH side.

msh441 Sep 24th, 2007 Link

Having kids loading in and out of my car (and potentially my wife’s future clubman), I can see a benifit to having the third door curb-side (provided we only get one extra door). You ever had to contoll a 3-year-old and a 5-year-old while you load them and their stuff into a car seat? Impossible and terribly unsafe in urban traffic.

Even if there are an equal number of countries that drive on the left (which there aren’t)… I think the volume of actual drivers worldwide on the right far exceeds the number on the left.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Driving_on_the_left_or_right

If you look at the countries on the left, Australlia and the UK are probably the biggies MINI sales markets. So from a business standpoint, it makes sense to have the door on the curb side for the majority of the potential buyers out there.

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