The 2008 MINI Clubman Exposed
MF Exclusive: We’ve got a great look at both outside and inside the new MINI Clubman. In fact these are the first pictures we’ve seen that not only shows the interior of the new car but the entire 3rd door mechanism and the space is provides. A big thanks goes out to to lilcoopr and timc for the images.
As always you can click on each to see larger versions of each photo. Once you click an image you can also use the “n” and “p” keys on your keyboard to go to the next and previous (respectively).
Thanks Gabe 🙂
Excelent job to all.
Cheers,
Jack
Nice!
didn’t realize the rear entry was going to be so cumbersome looking with the seat-belt being in way… looks messy…
Great shots! Nice to see the little details. Looking forward to driving it!
Where’s the MF watermark?
how about airbrushing out the guy on the door handle on pic 9.
Great pic
Still have to say that I still would have prefered the extended doors of the concept Clubman. Have to say though that I think Mini has a winner here. Not something that I will be bringing home, but looking forward to seeing many of them on the road.
Thanks lilcoopr for sharing the shots.
Hey – check out the rear seat legroom and the seat belt that will cause people to get tangled in and trip into on-coming traffic in RHD markets like this car is made for. The rear seat access looks more difficult to navigate into than a 4-door BMW 1 series!
Photos look like someone from the Plant took a car home for lunch or for the night.
silver brown and wood ICK!!!
i’ve stated my aesthetic dislike before. Now i get it in spades, with blurred out childrn to boot.
I am liking the functionality of it here displayed.
Are the pixelated kids a factory option or dealer-added accessory?
<blockquote>Thanks lilcoopr for sharing the shots</blockquote>
Thanks should go to timc too! It was a team effort 🙂
I like the space the 3rd door opens up for accesibility, but the door panel interior looks horrendous.
Thanks Guy !
Absolutely love that chocolate leather and door trim but a bit disappointed by the rear legroom. Still, looks like a kickin’ li’l waggon.
I’m a bit disappointed that they haven’t redesigned the instrument stack if I’m honest… particularly after it has been criticized so much… other than that it looks great!
As stated before….. The front seatbelt is totally in the way of rear passenger entry.
Don’t like door mounted seatbelt mechanism. These were found to be not effective in GM cars from the early 1990’s.
The rear entry cavity looks cumbersome, hope it is better in person.
In despite of these shortcomings, still love the car.
RHD markets will suffer with the rear door on the side of traffic…bad execution!
Thanks for the pictures – I think the Clubman is looking better and better.
<blockquote>how about airbrushing out the guy on the door handle on pic 9. </blockquote>
He’s in photo #3 as well on the windshield frame. LOL
Shame this person brought home the one Clubman with the unfinished rear barn doors. I assume these are unfinished prototypes and not the real thing.
It looks very nice. Now the choice will be either Dark Silver, Pure Silver or Sparkling Silver (Unless we can get NightFire Red on the Clubman S).
I have only one question.
When will we get an S version with AWD???
I don’t want AWD, Makes the car heavier and uses more fuel. No one needs AWD in the Sunshine State…
im sorry, i tried to like it. its HIDEOUS! (and yes i know the back is covered up) i hope these never catch on, i don’t want people to know im a MINI driver and think that i could be driving one of these.
submitted story to DIGG – not that my submissions ever get noticed there.
love the 4 door concept—reminds me of honda element.
i wonder about the ‘rear” of the car—seems still comouflage.
good addition to mini family if wallet permits.
Oh me – my doubts about the awkward rear barn doors are now reinforced by this messy third side door. Even with the supposed added rear legroom of this model it sure looks like anyone in the rear isn’t just going to just hop out when they’re dropped off without the front passenger first undoing their lap belt, swinging open the door, getting out and letting their seat back go forward, etc., etc. Pretty much the same drill as required in the coupe – what’s really the advantage? I’d still like to see a shot with the rear doors open and the seats folded down to reveal the added space. Also, I guess these big ribs on the sides of the roof were required for strength but the more I see them the less I like them. Other than that – I’m lovin’ it! 😉
In perspective, that BMW 328i sportswagon doesn’t look bad at all either. And you have 4 real doors.
thank you for the pics, lilcoopr and timc. fabulous work! good to see kids using the space, too.
I wonder if the 3rd door/jam will present LHDrivers with a blind spot. ?
really like the brownie interior.
looks good, it’ll open the market up for families that like the Cooper or Cooper S but need a little more room for the kids / babyseat.
It looks like the seatbelt pulls out of the way a bit when the SS door is open. Still I think most will forgo opening it when letting rear passengers out. They’re probably still deciding on the what the back is going to look like (but are running out of time). Aren’t these suppose to debut officially in Sept?
It looks like the back is only a two person seat. Is that the final or is the three across bench still in the works?
Anyone have any idea how much heavier the Clubman will be over the coupe? I’m wondering how much of a performance hit the Clubman Cooper S will take compared to the Mark 1 Cooper S coupe.
Hmmmm…… not sure I like that particular interior colour – would have to see it in person. I agree, it does look cumbersome with the seat belt attached to the suicide door. Can this door only be opened if the front door is opened first? I wish they’d hurry up and reveal the final design, although I’m still keen to put my order in.
I was pretty much on board for one of these, but after seeing these pictures, I am getting into a “wait and see” mode. It looks like there may not be much added convienience for the extra $2000.
I like it and I’m sure I’ll like it even more in person. We whine about every little detail and in the end are usually won over…might the same be true here?? Let’s give the designers some credit or at least the benefit of the doubt. My opinion.
I want to meet the guy who gets to put on the black tape…what a superbly devious and underhanded job!!!
I’d also want to be the vendor who sells black tape to automakers. Lucrative!!!
I can’t see how folks will not get tied up in that belt. Also the leather looks like the interior of my grandfathers car some 25ish years ago, ick.
why is the roof all thick lookin?
Are the black vertical lines in the rear passenger windows camo, or is that something we’ll see in the release?
I like the leather. Everything else seems to put me off though. I’ll have to see this in person and try climbing in and out of the back seat a few times and compare it to the coupe. See which is more annoying.
Classy wood steering wheel trim + two tone plastic + video game controller buttons = bad. I thought I’d really like the wood wheel, but apparently only the outside half inch. I won’t miss it.
I really hope that rear suicide door does not become another source of annoying rattles….
All that the third side door seems to offer is an opportunity for problems such as a poor window seal, additional road noise, fit issues, etc. Bluzeke has hit the nail on the head…what is the benefit?
not sure about it, whats the front like, bet its nothing like the proper (original) clubman
in britain i just saw a few minis in the showroom with sticker prices equivelelnt to $60 000 dollars lol it is mad although if i had endless cash i would buy a kitted out one
Didn’t want to say it before but a chocolate brown with this interior is too close to the buick station wagon I grew up in. Isn’t this the image they were trying to avoid?
I still like it but they’d need the MCcm D w/AWD to entice me to dump my Impreza.
So lets count the colors spread around the interior on this one…
1) Dark Greyish Black (dash/certain plastics)
2) Glossy Black (door rings)
3) Flat Black (other dash/tach plastics)
4) Silver (various controls/accents)
5) Orange (some interior lighting)
6) Red (other interior lighting
7) Chocolate Brown (seats)
8) DooDoo Brown (door panels)
9) Creamy White (color line/seat piping)
10) Off White (headliner)
11) Chrome (door handles/other accents)
12) Fake Wood Trim (dash/wheel/shifter)
Ok I’m tired of counting, but I didn’t include the different color mood lighting available, the yellow and white warning labels, the green lighting for some buttons, etc. Basically, they are trying to fit as many colors of the rainbow into one interior, and I’m not sure it’s pulled off very well.
Drew
The seatbelt will not be in the way unless you plan on sliding out of the car instead of stepping out. Look how closely it is mounted to the door frame. One the front seat is tilted and pushed forward their will be plenty of room for rear entry/exit.
Over on MINI2, Paul Mullett made an interesting observation (not only this photo set but also previous Clubman photos). The left and right taillights are different: one side has a reverse light and the other side has a rear fog. Apparently some countries only allow rear fog on the passenger side, and some car manufacturers are using the location on the other side to put only one reverse light. I hope the USA version won’t be like this.
<a href="http://www.mini2.com/forum/mini-clubman/144072-mini-clubman-opens-up.html#post3101253" rel="nofollow">CLICK HERE</a>
I agree that the rear door area looks messy when opened. But then, the rear door is supposed to be a compromised design, and is not used very often. But then, that is still not a very good excuse of the great MINI design team.
I love the UK version of the lounge leather seating. Those airbag sensors in the seat in the US version sure robs it of the full retro effect.
Some of the color combinations are not very appealing. I think a very nice BRG with a contrasting tailgate section and tan lounge leather would be very nice. Of course, I want to buy something like that in a cabrio without the Sidewalk…no luck there either.
Thanks for sharing the shots, even with the kidlets in view!
Agree on the comment that the rear door entry looks a bit cumbersome. I know why they have done it, but the two black stripes on the far side rear glass also looks a bit daft.
Still, can’t wait to see and drive one when they get to Australia.
Cheers!
I think that seatbelt hanging there really looks daft…
The suicide door seems to offer less access than I imagined it would. I had hoped it would be much better, similar to a RX8. The front seat belt on a RX8 doesn’t get in the way at all and there is better access. I think BMW may want to consider revising the door a tad to at least have the belt out of the way. Either that or have the belt on the front seat like a convertible.
Looks to me like the same team that designed the center stack worked on that awkward rear door setup. It looks horrible from the inside! Looks like I’ll be holding on to my Scion xB for winter driving.
By the way, I know for a fact that the guy who took these shots was fired by BMW the next day.
Feel like I should chime in here. I just test drove one of these last weekend — and ended up buying one (ordered it, actually). I found that the side door provided ample space for any passenger climbing in and out of the back seats — certainly more than any 2 door car I’ve seen. My 6′ tall wife ‘stepped’ into the back seat area, rather than scooting in awkwardly as with other cars. And, while she drove the car, I sat in the back seat with a surprising amount of legroom (I’m 6’4) — my knees did not touch the seat in front of me. OK, it’s not a BMW 7 series, but the interior space and ease of access to the rear seats is better than you might think. For the price, it would be tough to find a car that would challenge the quality and attention to detail found in the Clubman.