Fridae

It would be a huge mistake if the folks at Mini arrange the five doors like every other mundane hatchback that clogs our roads. The Mini Clubman closely follows the recipe set by its predecessors; the Morris Mini Traveller, the Austin Mini Countryman and the Mini Clubman Estate. There is a pair of doors at the rear end, not too different from a typical Euro van (think Renault Kangoo). The last door in question; the suicide door or 'club door' (as preferred by the marketing folks at Mini) is unfortunately located at the back of the driver's door on our right hand drive cars.

The Mini Clubman allows more room - all of eight centimeters to be precise - for rear passengers. The location of the suicide door does help access to the back seats - but only if the driver gets out of the way. BMW, Mini's owners, cited that all Clubman cars have the suicide doors on the right due to costs. It would be too expensive to place the club door on the left side for right hand drive cars as the fuel tank would need to relocated. Hence the Mini Clubman's practicality has been under fire since its launch late last year! I don't suppose you would want to deposit your passengers from the rear via the suicide door on the traffic side!

Rest easy Mini fans, the Clubman may not be a perfect mobile to ferry a family or friends, but it can be a perfect mate for you and Tinkerbell! Even short tiny Tinkerbell can now hop on to the stylish Clubman through the suicide door with ease. She will appreciate the additional room over Paris's purse to roam while commuting between parks and grooming outlets! The Clubman's sales slogan of being the 'Other' Mini is indeed true! The Mini Clubman offers a totally tiny unique car for our totally tiny unique fabulous lifestyle!

Fridae's Auto Club was handed a lollipop like ignition key to a blue Clubman in Cooper S guise. The Mini Cooper S Clubman offers the familiar licking good 1.6 litre four-cylinder shared with Peugeot with a twin-scroll turbocharger mustering a healthy 175 horsepower. Considering the additional 24 centimeters and 85 kg that has been added over a regular Mini, the performance, fuel economy and carbon emission has not been adversely affected! Tinkerbell will not be late for her obedience classes without any additional environmental harm done to her beloved training grounds!

A regular Mini Cooper S rides firmly, offering sporty driving manners in spades. Based on an elongated platform of the regular Mini, the Cooper S Clubman is an immensely enjoyable driving toy, retaining the driving characteristics of the regular Mini. Some may find the Clubman's ride to be harsh; however its ability to negotiate corners is more than a fair trade-off. Feedback from the steering is adequate and accurate, Grade A for handling fun for the Hilton heiress!

The blokes at Top Gear had named the Mini Clubman the ugliest car of 2007. To be fair, the Clubman does look better in the metal. Personally I found the rear end of the quirky tiny car to be rather enduring. Its split-doors (Euro-van doors) would help shout to all that you are indeed driving a new Mini without the need to squint your eyes! The enlarged boot at 260 liters is still not Maria Sharapova's dream mobile to the tennis courts with her gear. I am guessing here that the folks at Mini did not want to spoil the proportions of the car.

The build quality of the Clubman's interior is impeccable. More importantly the ambience of a retro-inspired car is offered in abundance! You would need to dig much deeper into your pockets to find another car with an interior that is as charismatic! However, notable quips would include the hampered rear vision as a result of the split-doors and the lack of an iPod connectivity on the test car.

Approach the Mini Cooper S Clubman as a lifestyle companion for Tinkerbell and you would not be disappointed with the practical enhancements over a regular Mini. Time to run to that pet shop with that Tinkerbell you have been eyeing forever?

	Mini Cooper S Clubman
Engine	1,598cc 4 cylinder 16V, DOHC
Transmission	6-Speed Automatic
Max. output	175 HP @ 5500rpm
Max. torque	260 NM @ 1600rpm to 5500 rpm (Overboost)
Acceleration 0-100 km/h	7.8 secs
Top speed	219 km/h
CO2 emissions	168 g/km
Dimensions (L x W x H) /Weight	3,958x1,683x1,432 / 1,230kg
Price with COE*	S$134,048

*Prices quoted are indicative of prices in Singapore. Please contact your local distributor for prices in your country.