[smartbomb]

Whatever it's called it's still brown. No amount of association with cool beverages will disrtact you long enough to forget.

[Paul]

"Mudslide"





Actually, I think that's got a ring to it!

[dalboyne]

How about a nice Guinness Brown? A very deep brown on the body, with the roof being the "head" of the pint, in a creamy white............

Anyone feeling thirsty?

[smartbomb]

Bathwater beige.

[Harpo]

Quote: Originally Posted by smartbomb (original)

Bathwater beige.

Do tell us smartbomb, what makes your bathwater beige?

[Minifritz]

in the daylight it looks like chocolate brown and not like bronze IMO.

[Hat]

good pic fritz

[minimad17]

i think it will highlight the character of the clubman personally

The pictures taken at Zandvoort are the first proper pictures that I have seen of the Clubman
and I am well impressed ! I am looking forward to seeing it in person and perhaps changing my Pepper White S Convertible for a Clubman when it becomes available. I hope they will make it as a van (i.e. with panelling instead of windows on the side) as well, so that it is more suitable for my business.

[AidenL]

I'm not keen I must say

The seatbelt issue will surely need sorting

[morrisminiminor]

Quote: Originally Posted by Paul Mullett (original)

I've seen a brownish TT too, looked horrible. I think this is not a decision based on people, but on "motoring trends", ie, someone somewhere decided it was a good idea, so all other marketing departments are following this "bold statement".

Would you believe that something as important as colour is actually agreed upon by the manufacturers beforehand so that no one has an unfair advantage?

morrisminiminor

[morrisminiminor]

Mind you those latest pictures really show the Clubman as one ugly car from the rear. Why couldn't they have had a hatch type opening instead of two doors with the join obscuring rearward vision?

morrisminiminor

[Paul]

I actually like it's rear end (from behind).

I'm still not convinced about the uneven suicide door configuration, inside or out, but I'm really looking forward to experiencing it first hand as some things "just work" when you finally get your hands on them.

The original "Traveller" Concept I think was a really, really nice piece of work, and the Clubman doesn't hit the mark so far on the "wow" factor, but maybe once you're in it it's a different story.

[DDon670]

Quote: Originally Posted by morrisminiminor (original)

Mind you those latest pictures really show the Clubman as one ugly car from the rear. Why couldn't they have had a hatch type opening instead of two doors with the join obscuring rearward vision?

morrisminiminor

I saw on some website can't remember which one that the rear barn doors were engineered by BMW for safety reasons. I don't remember the whole content of the article, but it said the rear pillar made when the doors are closed was needed because of the integrity of the cabin being compromised by the suicide door. The same article said this was also the reason there was one suicide door and not two. The first Brown car I saw recently was
the 02 JEEP Liberty in Woodland Brown not quite as dark as MINI's version. It was nice looking in my opinion, but only lasted one model year so obviously didn't sell well.

[Paul]

If that were the case it would be very unevenly balanced, wobbly on one side, solid on the other.

[DDon670]

Quote: Originally Posted by Paul Mullett (original)

If that were the case it would be very unevenly balanced, wobbly on one side, solid on the other.

The theory on the website is supported by the fact that full size pickup trucks were out for years with one suicide door. They were like this for years until the car companies could engineer them properly to have two suicide doors. You also have to factor in the size of a MINI and although it is just opinion maybe they couldn't make it safe enough to have two suicide doors. Also it is just common sense that barn doors with the big pillar they make are more crashworthy than hatches are.

[thebigyin]

Quote: Originally Posted by morrisminiminor (original)

Mind you those latest pictures really show the Clubman as one ugly car from the rear. Why couldn't they have had a hatch type opening instead of two doors with the join obscuring rearward vision?

morrisminiminor

The reason the doors are like that is because that is how the doors were on the original Mini Traveller and Countryman .
The doors MUST be like that to make it a MINI.

[Paul]

Yep, the barn style doors were a must to "make it a MINI".

I personally think the suicide door is a serious compromise in both design and practicality. Amazing how a small car like the (obvious choice) Mazda RX8 can pull it off, but the MINI can't.

The Traveller concept lost nothing by means of a lack of rear side doors, and I think this gains little apart from complication and an uneven look and feel.

Really not sure I could live with an interior configuration like this:





Especially as they decided to put it on the "wrong side" for the UK market, I know we're a minority in driving on the correct side of the road , but it's a shame to see it reflected so obviously in the design like this.

I don't just mean as it's on the "road side", I mean because it's on the driver's side. Generally speaking when we've taken friends out and dropped them home, Abi would hop out while the car is running and they'd get out the car and go home. The idea the driver has to get out and let them out on the wrong side, it's just all a bit back to front.



I'm still, of course, extremely interested in the Clubman and wish it well, but the test drives will have to be very good to convince me of it's merits over its drawbacks.

I'm 100% sure there will be a big corporate demand, they'll make great travelling bill-boards.

[Aurel]

yeah, I feel for you right hand side drivers ... not sure I would be interested in it either if I lived there.

is it just me or do the body bits look so much more well proportioned for the Clubman than for the R56? Its almost as if they were fitted on it for it first and the R56 inherited them ... and I am almost sure this happened considering they share a lot of body parts.

for example, looking at things "backwards" so to speak, the slimmer plastic trim around the body of the R53 would look awkward on the Clubman.

also according to factory sources on Motoringfile ... the rear part of that interior is not finished ... to qoute:

"The only thing I will say is that these interiors are not the 100% completed product. Notice how shiny the plastics are, these are not grained or ‘gold’ parts as they are known internally."

whatever ... carry on ...Right ... Cheers!

[mab01uk]

Quote: Originally Posted by Paul Mullett (original)

Cant think of many cars that sell well in brown?

These once sold very well in metallic brown and it later hid the rust!
Ford Cortina

I liked the 70's Ford metallic brown at the time but never liked the solid browns that British Leyland used on the original Mini including the Clubman Estate. (I think it was called Russet Brown?)