Hybrid Clubman S or über JCW? You Decide.
Update: Thanks to an MF reader we now know this car is actually a GETRAG Hybrid demo car. This is from Gettag; “The GETRAG hybrid demo car is a joint development of the hybrid cooperation GETRAG/BOSCH. Torque-split and axle-split hybrid versions are integrated into the same vehicle, making it possible to experience various possibilities of hybridization in the same vehicle.â€
World Car Fans is reporting the existence of a hybrid Clubman S but a closer look puts that statement into question. A look at the spy photo’s provided shows what appears to be a very aggressive JCW GP like body kitted Clubman with “hybrid drive” printed on the doors. Also notable is the peculiar location of the tailpipe, sidepipe’s just ahead of the left rear wheel.
Even more strange? The kit is eerily similar to an aftermarket kit we’ve seen many times. Could it be an aftermarket company trying to get some viral play in the market place?
So we have a über aggressive looking aftermarket bodykit on a very low riding Clubman with a large and quite noticeable intercooler behind the new front facia. Yet the exhaust and the words “hybrid drive” on the side seem at odds with the idea that this is some kinda of hyper sporty Clubman.
With that said we’d like to invite our MotoringFile faithful to speculate in the comments about what this mule possibly represents, and whether it is indeed a MINI project and a third-party tuner exercise.
[poll id=”17″]
<p>Probably a hybrid or something else, the brakes are pretty small.</p>
<p>I don’t know about this, but what happened to the M7 chassis stiffener (or whatever it’s called – the one behind the rear seats) review that was up here earlier today?</p>
<p>lame, the WCF gallery is not working for me.</p>
<p>I hope they are not wasting development money on a heavy, space consuming, and boring hybrid when there are perfectly good diesel engines sitting on the shelf…</p>
<p>Aftermarket kit… does anyone really think that they’d be testing something without swirl stickers, or with a label on the side that told the world what it was?</p>
<p>It looks to me like turd sandwich, with a toasted bun.</p>
<p>A licence plate would confirm if it is a BMW AG Prototype Vehicle.</p>
<p>It is the GETRAG Hybrid Democar. “The GETRAG hybrid demo car is a joint development of the hybrid cooperation GETRAG/BOSCH. Torque-split and axle-split hybrid versions are integrated into the same vehicle, making it possible to experience various possibilities of hybridization in the same vehicle.”</p>
<p>More here, including press photographs: <a href="http://www.getrag.de/en/1088" rel="nofollow ugc">http://www.getrag.de/en/1088</a></p>
<p>+100 Internets to Minipuma for ending the speculation so quickly.</p>
<p>Who really cares what it is?</p>
<p>In other photos of the rear (it’s tucked nicely), but you’ll notice that there are no tail pipes. Is this perhaps more than a hybrid?</p>
<p>I do find it suspicious that the side of the car says hybrid. Definitely not something that I would expect BMW to do (so I highly doubt it’s a prototype from them)…</p>