Want to Order a New R55 Clubman? You Have Days Left.
Literally days. Production ends in June and orders need to be in within the next few days to make the deadline.
Have one coming? Already have an R55 in the driveway? Let us know in the comments.
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<p>And an even longer wait till the all-new MINI Clubman.
That starts production in July 2015.</p>
<p>The one in our driveway is a 2009 Justa. It has been a reliable grandkids-carrier, rally-going, fun-to-drive gardening truck.</p>
<p>There is also no contrasting roof available – it will need to be a solid color.</p>
<p>Disagree, reality, I tried to order one on March 5th 2014, no more slots available in the USA, meaning no orders.</p>
<p>This news is directly from MINIUSA.</p>
<p>And it also depends on the dealership. “Guest1” may have this issue but many other dealerships still have slots left. Maybe they don’t realize each dealership has a certain number of order slots.</p>
<p>And his dealer probably didn’t try to get one from anywhere else to help him out. Call many. You’ll find a slot.</p>
<p>Clubman S, if slots are available no dealer was willing to trade or help out. Located in Mid-Atlantic called dealers up to 500 miles away working until March 27th, nobody had slots for a 2014 Clubman S and several dealers mentioned nothing available nationwide. I had a bag full of cash, you think they would walk from that, just to be difficult. Maybe MINI opened things up after 3/27 or maybe their ploy did it’s job I ordered an F56 Cooper S.</p>
<p>The direct replacement for the R55 Clubman, the F55 five door, starts production soon. Dealers in the UK are already taking orders for F55.</p>
<p>Do you over there in the UK have any specific timetable re the F55 orders reaching your dealers in late summer/early fall as well as getting on the MINIUK website?</p>
<p>Here in the US, I’m very interested in the 4 door F55 possibly being my next MINI, so any info as the time draws near over there will be of great interest over here across the pond!!! Guess like most new models, the dealer arrivals will be a bit later here in the US, hopefully before the end of the year.</p>
<p>As soon as R55 ceases production, the lines will be cleared and upgraded for F55 production, which should start in July to build up stocks for an October UK launch.</p>
<p>The other day I had the opportunity to look at an F55 in North Oxford. Despite it still wearing about 75% camo, I have to say that I was instantly smitten, and the slightly longer rear-end makes the whole car look better proportioned than the F56. It just looked ‘right’, as if the whole car had been designed as a five door from the outset.</p>
<p>From a design standpoint, that’s how I always felt about the Clubman – that it was the car that the R5X series design language was really meant for.</p>
<p>On the basis of what you’ve never had you never miss, I am convinced that the Clubby would have been more popular without the Club door. I know, from personal experience, how useful that extra door could be at times, but it was always a controversial feature, especially in RHD markets. It added considerable extra weight, especially with all the extra strengthening that had to built into its structure, and was expensive to make.</p>
<p>R55 was also controversial at board level. It was originally intended that R55 would be launched as the final variant in the first generation MINI, which is why its code number pre-dated R56. Ultimately its conception was problematic , from both an engineering and political point of view, and its launch was delayed until well into the second gen MINI had been announced.</p>
<p>Despite all its faults, however, R55 will be remembered by MINI enthusiasts with great affection and I believe, given time, it will become one of the most coveted of the R Series MINIs.</p>
<p>I always felt like it should have had two club doors from the beginning. The lack of symmetry always bothered me, as well as the RHD market considerations. As db would say, suicide doors are rad.</p>
<p>That was always my thought too, but I doubt if it would have passed EU crash testing regs!</p>
<p>Did Mazda sell the RX-8 in Europe? Seems like something that could be engineered to work. But whatever, hindsight is 20-20.</p>
<p>I knew you would mention the RX-8 🙂 Well like the Clubby, it’s never been tested, so we can only speculate how it would perform. Personally I would not like to be in either in a really heavy crash.</p>
<p>I am sure BMW tried to design a clubby with two rear club doors, but by all accounts it was an engineering nightmare with just one, so it was never going to happen.</p>
<p>Sounds good! Can’t wait to see the F55 completely undisguised as we get closer to production. Wonder if all the color choices & interior options will be identical to the F56, or if the F55 will have a few specific choices for that model (or if there will be any changes in those colors/options for the 2015 F56/55 versus the 2014 F56)??</p>
<p>If you already like F56, you will love F55. The F55 that I had the privilege to view, was a left-hand drive ‘S’, in monotone black, wearing UK plates. In the limited time available, as far as I could tell the interior was identical to the F56 I had viewed a couple of weeks earlier. I suspect that it will have the same options and colours as F56, and that it will be too soon to expect any changes for 2015. I have configured ‘my own’ F55 on that assumption :-)</p>
<p>From the few partially disguised photos I’ve seen, I find the increased rake/bulge of the back end on the F55 very interesting in a good way…ie a bit of a fastback compared to the straighter back of the F56. Have read this 2″ added length will translate to 2″ extra rear leg room….a big plus for those that do plan to put adults in the back seat now & then along with that needed easier access over the F56.</p>
<p>I’ve also been building an F56 as a prelude to what I can expect on the F55, guessing the F55 could cost roughly 1.5K US more than the F56. But don’t think it would cost as much as the outgoing R55 Clubman.</p>
<p>Farewell, R55 Clubman. Might go down as MINI’s hardest working model ever.</p>
<p>Any end-of-model R55 editions forthcoming?</p>
<p>They’ve done that for the past few years.</p>
<p>Mine just entered production yesterday after 6 grueling weeks of anticipation. An instant classic.</p>
<p>2014 S Clubman Bond Street</p>