Mini confirm Clubman 'suicide' rear door layout

[My MINI me and me]

Well I now don't have to ponder over "Mini me 3" in it's first year of release and perhaps if the door correction does not appear I won't be buying another MINI.

[AidenL]

Fresh pic, taken by a guy I know on another forum who was at the Ring this weekend

[Step_7]

Hmm, seems very low in that picture, then again maybe there's a bit of body roll going on? Need to see proper colours/trim/wheels before deciding anything really.

[swamos]

Quote: Originally Posted by AidenL (original)

Fresh pic, taken by a guy I know on another forum who was at the Ring this weekend

They certainly aren't trying too hard to be secretive these days.

[Restyle]

Is it the angle the pic was taken from, or does that rear wheel seem too offset to the rear within the arch ??

[CooperS4us]

It is funny how other MINI sites are downplaying this seemingly poor decision in part of BMW's marketing.

[Prowse]

Quote: Originally Posted by Restyle (original)

Is it the angle the pic was taken from, or does that rear wheel seem too offset to the rear within the arch ??

It's cornering hard and with the new softer suspension, you're gonna get roll.

Still think it looks like a hearse. Shame, it could have been something special, but since the first generation of cars was produced, the bean-counters have been trying to reduce manufactuing costs,

[James]

hmm definately looks like a hearse maybe because it's black?

[Avalon]

The third largest market for BMW after Germany & the US is the UK, the 5 & 7 series dont hjave wipers set up for RHD which trust me leave a blind spot when the screen is dirty or heavy rain. Do they care about the safety of British or Australian children with the clubman? apparently not, ah but they like the colour of our money, BMW should hang their head in shame their abusing RHD markets again.

[Scrogg]

Just to add a slightly different angle to this, I actually believe it is the fault of Rover that this has happened.

Allow me to explain...

Generally (although there are a few exceptions, so please don't feel the need to post pictures that disprove this), cars have the fuel filler cap on the opposite side to the steering wheel; so cars that are designed to be RHD (Japanese cars being the best example) have the fuel filler cap on the same side that the MINI does.

The reason the MINI has it there? Because it was originally designed to be RHD (a point Paul M made recently in another thread).

When the R56 (and subsequently the Clubman) was designed, it was left there, because that's how it has always been, and it was obviously easier to leave it there and work around it.

If the 1st Generation had been designed, from scratch, by BMW, rather than Rover, it would have been designed as LHD (like all BMWs) and the fuel filler cap would have been on the other side.

So, the reason the RHD market has now been "shafted" is because the MINI was designed to be RHD.

By Rover.

So it's their fault!

Of course, this raises the question, had BMW originally designed the 1st Generation MINI as LHD, would they have found a way to put the rear door on the side that it has actually ended up on, or would they have done the reverse of the situation we now have and just stuck it on the other side as the cheaper and easier option?

[Tigger, Eeyore & Roo]

The problem with your argument though Scrogg (impressively creative though it is), is that the R50 was designed by an American, who chose to fit the filler on the left hand side; Rover's own proposals (Evolution, Revolution and Spiritual One / Spiritual Too) were rejected. Come to think of it, even my old Montegos (the last cars to independently designed by Austin Rover / Rover Group) had the filler caps on the right hand side.

Yes, much of the engineering was done in the UK, but Frank Stephenson's original proposals show the filler cap on the left.

Also BMW may go down in history as the only car company in the history of the car to use the excuse of the siting of the fuel filler to provide us with only one rear door. Even bumbling Austin Rover managed to relocate the fuel fuel on the Metro from around ankle level on the first cars, to just under the side window on the last examples. So why couldn't BMW provide us with this simple modification?

Tigger.

[Joogle]

You cant blame Rover!!!

The original Clubman estate had the filler on the right hand side.............

[CooperS4us]

Actually Frank Stephenson is Moroccan. He was born in Casa Blanca and has lived in many places around the world. He is a gifted designer and very articulate in several languages (French, Arab, Spanish, Italian, English and I believe German). His father was of American descent but Frank himself is not American.

I think the longest he lived in the United States was 4 years while studying automotive design in California. After he finished his degree, he moved back to Europe where he has been for the last 15 years.

[Tigger, Eeyore & Roo]

Yes, okay, point taken!

His accent is from America though, you've got to concede that one!

Tigger.

[mister.t]

In that pic, I think it looks great!!! Just get shot of the black, and stick the suicide door on the other side aswell. I don't like the idea of odd sides, I prefer a symetrical design.