Photos: 2008 Mini Cooper S Clubman

Hearkening back to Mini's original Clubman, the new version adds about 9 inches to the overall length of the Mini Cooper and 300 pounds. Beyond the body design, the car is basically the same.

Our Clubman came with these Union Jack scuttles, which replace the S badges on the sides of the car.

From the front, there is little to suggest that this is the Clubman version. It also handles almost as well as the standard Cooper.

The engine is the turbocharged 1.6-liter four cylinder, producing 172 horsepower, also used in the Cooper S.

With the extra length, the rear side window gets extended.

We had the double pane sunroof option, which gives the rear passengers an overhead pane. Mesh internal shades provide some diffusion of the light, as well.

On the passenger side, there is a rear half door that opens suicide-style. It allows easier access to the rear seat.

Acceleration doesn't suffer much with the extra weight of the Clubman. Where the regular Cooper S gets to 60 mph in 6.7 seconds, the Clubman version does it in 7 seconds.

The rear doors open to the sides, a unique arrangement. But there is a cross beam running vertically through the rear window, which you notice when you are driving.

The extra cargo room looks significant and can make the difference in how much luggage you bring on a road trip.

In the Clubman, the dashboard is unchanged from the standard Cooper.

The steering on the Mini is very responsive, so you have to keep a firm hand on the wheel.

We really like this six-speed manual transmission for its precise shifts. A six-speed automatic is also available.

This Sport button, in front of the shifter, makes for a more responsive throttle and slightly worse mileage.

The tachometer, mounted in front of the driver, includes a useful display for trip information and a digital readout of the current speed.

The big analog speedometer is mounted in the center and includes a display for car functions, with audio sources shown here. When the navigation option is present, the display is mounted here.

Mini offers HD and satellite radio as options.

Our car had a premium sound system, with 10 speakers, but we didn't find it that much better than the standard system.

The speedometer display also shows trip information.