[MiniOneSam]

Well I managed to pop down to Stratstone Milton Keynes on Saturday (unfortunately after work so they were shut ) however I did have a chat with the security guard as some peanut had left the back door open on a Clooper D (new name for Clubman Cooper D I think? ).

I've not been as big a fan of the R56 shape as I maybe should be *runs from R56 owners* but to be honest the shape has grown on me. After seeing press release photo's of the Clubman I wasn't sure, however after seeing one in the Metal (and sitting in it yesterday) I must admit I am taking a liking to the new shapes, Clubman included. On a recent run a few R56 S Works turned up and bloody hell they were rather nice

So what does everyone think of the new Clubman? (And the idea of Clooper S, D etc )

[Tigger, Eeyore & Roo]

Yep, love the "Clooper" name

I'm affraid that I didn't like the R56 when I first saw it, but it's never grown on me either (sorry all you R56 owners, I don't mean to cause offence, it's just personal taste). The Clubman adds some useful space and a better balanced style, but the design is still a bit frumpy and over ornate. We shall definitely hang on to the current S until at least 2012 when the next generation MINI is likely to be with us.

Tigger.

[simeds]

I love the clubman, after not being too keen on the r56 shape. But i love my r53 jcw more!!.
Having said that i'm seriously considering one, as, being a one car family, a clubman would be a lot more practical than my small but thirsty beloved

[bubblegoose]

love it...

didn't like the pictures at first, but after driving it & seeing it in the flesh.. its ace!

[MiniOneSam]

Quote: Originally Posted by Tigger, Eeyore & Roo (original)

The Clubman adds some useful space and a better balanced style, but the design is still a bit frumpy and over ornate.

I agree, especially the fact they kept the third door on the right hand side, obviously designed for the bloody global market and not at home where they're made in Britain

[simeds]

when i park in my drive, its normally the rhs thats accessible, and i rarely park anywhere else than car parks with the kids. his whole rh lh door thing isn't a big issue to me

[MiniOneSam]

Quote: Originally Posted by simeds (original)

when i park in my drive, its normally the rhs thats accessible, and i rarely park anywhere else than car parks with the kids. his whole rh lh door thing isn't a big issue to me

True, but hey for the kerb drop offs for which it was designed, it wasn't done too well in my opinion Never mind!!
Must admit I did like the slight bit of extra space in the back, AND a third seat!!

[Tigger, Eeyore & Roo]

Quote: Originally Posted by MiniOneSam (original)

I agree, especially the fact they kept the third door on the right hand side, obviously designed for the bloody global market and not at home where they're made in Britain

For the money that they are charging for this car, the excuse that they couldn't justify redesigning the fuel filler pipe to allow for the door to change sides is utterly unacceptable Also unacceptable is mounting the seat belt on the suicide door; as the car ages (and the spring in the inertia reel becomes slacker) that belt is going to start to droop; if it isn't a trip wire already, it will be when the car's a few years old.

I'd suggest that the reason for standardising the fitment of the door to the right side of the car might be to make it safest in the single country most like to sue in the event of product liability claims

On the upside, the Nightfire Red was quite nice

[MiniOneSam]

Quote: Originally Posted by Tigger, Eeyore & Roo (original)

|I'd suggest that the reason for standardising the fitment of the door to the right side of the car might be to make it safest in the single country most like to sue in the event of product liability claims

lol probably
I also noticed that the suicide door can only be closed once the main door has been shut...nothing major, but damn it could really mess up the door paintwork if you slam that thing accidentally, or in wind?! Just a thought

[Tigger, Eeyore & Roo]

It's going to happen and it's going to happen on the side door AND the back door. Just check the back doors of any van that's a few month's old and you can see the dent

I'd respectfully suggest that anyone who buys a Clubman buys two blocks of rubber, sticking one to each of the doors where it is going to be hit and leave them in place for a few weeks until you have trained yourself to close them the right way. If you have children, leave the blocks in place indefinitely!

Tigger.

[Zack]

I agree,because the other night at the MINI dealer i was looking at the Cooper S clubman and someone was behind the wheel with the door closed slightly, whilst someone was in the back with the clubdoor completly open, and because it was so busy some idiot walked past to quick and bumped the clubdoor which very nearly hit the drivers door, but luckily the person in the back was getting out and just stopped it. [ otherwise there would have been a dent on it a day before it was launched ]

[Shaun]

Did you know the right hand door takes more effort to close this helps remind you not to close it first.

Funny I never once closed the sprinter doors out of order in all the years we had one.

[mister.t]

I loved it in the pictures. REALLY love it seeing/sitting in it in the flesh

[supa-dupa-cooper]

Love it Great car!

[Step_7]

There's a rubber bumper already fitted to the LH rear door to minimise damage if you do shut the RH one first!

Dealer pointed it out to me!

[kalexan]

Well my other thought about the door problem was...if the issue was just with the fuel cap, moving it and redseign costs, why did they not fix the rear barn doors as a gesture to the UK that they were not being overlooked?.

After all the problem is not just with the drivers door, if you park up on the road you have to first open the barn door on the RH side into traffic before you can open the LH door.

Guess I'm being a bit too picky and its not a showstopper for me considering buying one.

[phil_wkl]

Not really, the rear doors only open 90 degrees, so they're never in the line of traffic.

[Tigger, Eeyore & Roo]

Although the down side of the rear doors not opening through 180 degrees (as any well designed van doors do) is that if you park on the side of the road, you can't open both of the back doors AND access the pavement around the car parked right behind you

Incidentally, the only point of having barn doors on a vehicle is to:

a) allow loading by a fork lift truck (so that the tailgate doesn't obstruct the fork lift masts)

and

b) allow it to reverse up to a loading bay (but the doors need to be able to fold back through 180 degrees. Oops)

If MINI had been really clever, they'd have made the barn doors of unequal size (with the longest door on the driver's side), but then they'd have got them the wrong way around for the RHD market anyway

[Bonj]

I loved it. Lets face it - anyone that bothered by practicality would buy a Golf. Why a club door? because they could. Why the barn doors? Because nobody else has. Everything added together makes it unique and very 'mini'. I had a play around on launch night and tried getting three people in the back seats (two guys under 6' and 12stone and my mum who is 5' and about 8stone). No chance. Only a pigmy or a jack russell could fit in the middle and as all kids under 11 have to have a booster seat, it's totally piontless.... I tried the club door and considering you have to put the front seat forward to get out kind of defeats the object..... but again, I drive a mini because I love the look and drive of a mini, not because I want a sensible 5 seater.

Actually, the only thing I didn't like was the silver roof. I love the white roof and wish that was an option

I'm happy with my R56 S right now but in about 18 months I may get one. Why? Just because of the barn doors.

[dalboyne]

Quote: Originally Posted by Tigger, Eeyore & Roo (original)

If MINI had been really clever, they'd have made the barn doors of unequal size (with the longest door on the driver's side), but then they'd have got them the wrong way around for the RHD market anyway

Interesting thought - the Dacia Logan estate (they call it an MCV) has this asymetric arrangement of the rear doors (it is also blesed with a conventional complement of passenger doors...)

Dacia