Mini makes the 2008 Mini Cooper S Clubman a bit more practical with extra cargo area, while preserving the things that made the relaunched Mini stand out in the first place.
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.
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.
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 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.
