For the original British Leyland Mini Clubman (1969âˆ'1980), see Mini
The Mini Clubman is a supermini (first generation) or small family car (second generation) engineered and manufactured by BMW and sold under the Mini marque. It was introduced in 2007, as a variant of the Mini Hatch (hatchback). A commercial version called Clubvan was added to the range in 2012.
Background
The use of the name "Clubman" is a departure from Mini tradition. "Clubman" was originally the name given to the 1970s facelift of the classic Mini, which mostly resulted in a squared-off front end, whereas the classic Mini estates had traditionally been named "Traveller" or "Countryman" (a Clubman-styled estate was, however, available in Australia). However, BMW did not initially purchase the rights to use those names, and so decided to call its estate-variant "Clubman", a name which it did own rights to.
The first generation was the first Mini to have suicide doors, but the second generation lacks them.
The model variants are the same as the Hatch/Hardtop version; being in available in One, Cooper, Cooper D, Cooper SD, Cooper S and John Cooper Works (JCW) (2007-2014) variations.
First generation (R55) (2007â€"2014)
Design
Identical to the 3-door hatchback from the B-pillar forward, the Clubman features a length increased by 240 mm (9.4 in), an 80 mm (3.1 in) longer wheelbase, increased rear-seat leg room and cargo space deeper by 160 mm (6.3 in), providing an increased 260 litres (9.2 cu ft) of space â€" growing from a total of 680 to 920 litres (24 to 32 cu ft) with the rear seats folded. The Clubman model weighs 64 kilograms (141 lb) more than its two-door counterpart.
The Clubman features access to its cargo space via bi-parting rear doors, known as barn doors or splitdoors. Also, all Clubman models feature a single backwards opening side door to access the rear seats. It is marketed singlarly as the Clubdoor, and is always located on its right side of the body â€" irrespective of market. It is much smaller in comparison to the regular driver and passenger side doors. This in turn creates differences between right and left-hand driver markets. In right-hand markets, the steering wheel won't allow the driver's seat from folding as far forward as the passenger seat. This means that left-hand drive markets feature increased access to the rear seat. For right-hand drive markets, including the car's home market, the bi-parting door is located on the road side of the car, requiring rear passengers to exit into the road.
In 2007, Torque magazine called the Clubman "essentially a 4-door hatchback design". However, this characterization might be confusing due to the complexity of the Clubman design. The passenger doors configuration and split rear cargo doors of the Clubman made it a unique model on the market at the time of release. Some sources suggest that MINI created their own segment with the Clubman due to its irregular configurations.
In 2013, the company unveiled the Clubman Bond Street, named after a prestigious shopping destination in London, featuring exclusive and stylish appointments inside and out.
Specifications
Four-cylinder engine, automatic transmission and manual transmission selections are identical to those used in the corresponding hatchback models, except for the 66Â kW (90Â PS; 89Â bhp) One Diesel which is not offered in the Clubman. The rear suspension setup shares many of the same design features, including the rear trailing arms and the anti-roll bars.
The Clubman comes with 6 airbags; stability control, brake assist driving and electronic brakeforce distribution.
Clubvan
A panel van commercial version of the Clubman was first shown to the public in June 2012, called the Clubvan. Initially shown as a concept car at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show, a pre-production version was shown at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Sales in the US began in early calendar 2013 but it was withdrawn in July with only 50 units sold, the Chicken tax having made it more expensive than a Clubman wagon.
Cargo
The cargo area of the first generation Clubman received mixed reviews. Although it was far bigger than the Mini Hatch, most critics still believed that it was too small in comparison to one of its main competitors, the Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen. Many complaints were also cited about the trunk. The majority of the car behind the B pillar was said to have created much road noise, especially at high speeds. Also, the rear seats did not fold flat with the load floor of the trunk. Critics also said that the "storage package", which included options such as a 12V power outlet, perimeter lighting, and nets, should have been a standard option on the vehicle.
Second generation (F54) (2015 â€" Present)
A second generation Clubman was announced in 2013, with model code F54. A concept version was unveiled at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show, with the production model debuting at the 2015 Frankfurt IAA MotorShow. The new model, based on the BMW UKL2 platform, features more space. At the time of its debut, the Mini Clubman was the largest Mini ever manufactured by the brand, measuring 427 centimetres (168.3Â in) long and it is wider measuring 180 centimetres (70.9Â in) in comparison to the previous 396-centimetre (155.9Â in). The new model has 4 doors for passengers.
This generation of the Mini Clubman comes with two engines for the North American Market. The basic model comes with the 100Â kW (134Â bhp) 3-cylinder engine mated with either a 6-spd manual or 6-spd automatic transmission, while the new MINI Cooper S Clubman comes with a 4-cylinder engine and 189 bhp, mated with either a 6-spd manual or 8-spd automatic transmission. All-wheel drive in the form of MINI's all4 system is optional in the Cooper S in select markets.
Clubman ALL4
This generation of the Clubman is the first to receive MINI's all wheel drive system, known as "ALL4". The system uses an electro-hydraulic system, which, as the name suggests uses an electronically managed hydraulic pump to adjust the clutch sending power to the rear wheels in what Mini calls ‘fractions of a second’. The system can then divert up to 50% of the engine’s power to the rear wheels, and the system actually defaults to AWD from the start, not FWD. Similar to BMW’s Xdrive system, which defaults to a 70/30 split rear to front and is able to divert 100% of power to the rear wheels, All4 starts at 50/50 and is able to re-allocate up to 100% of power back to the front wheels. Unlike one of its main competitors, the Volkswagen Golf Alltrack, the ALL4 version of the Clubman does not feature any raised suspension or rugged exterior design and body panels. Originally when it first arrived at dealerships, the Clubman was only available with ALL4 on the Cooper S model, but as of the 2017 model year, it is now available on the base Cooper model as well.
Vision GT Concept
In 2014, work began on the MINI Clubman VGT, which was designed for the videogame Gran Turismo 6. The car features four-wheel drive and carbon fibre components to save weight, and at nearly 400 horsepower, is one of the most powerful Minis. It was made available to players via an update in February 2015.
Reception
In October 2014, Top Gear magazine placed the Mini Clubman on its list of "The worst cars you can buy right now", describing the car as "Lamentable to drive - shuddery, messy and as comfortable as a marble mattress." However, the second generation has been a big improvement. BMW has said that they felt the need to put higher quality materials into their new lineup to make the brand feel like it is marketed as: premium. MINI used many soft-touch plastics to cover the dash and majority of the door panels, real leather upholstery, and several, upscale trim options. Also praised was the new MINI Connected + Visual Boost and navigation system. It was said to be a pleasantly fun design that was more thought out than the 1st generation's system.
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