Very expensive Club-man
Mini is an icon and icons do command a certain premium but BMW Malaysia is aking RM260,000 for their Clubman Cooper S and that, is even more than what they are asking for their 320i and almost the same money that Mercedes-Benz is asking for their C200 Kompressor Avantgarde.
I think this is silly money for, what is essentially the same small Mini with a few extra doors. The cabin space may be a bit bigger than the standard Mini but no way can you say that it is spacious or roomy. Have a big guy sitting in front and the people in the back seat are going to find their kneeroom limited.
That said, I think that fans will flock to the showrooms and be happy to hand over the money to BMW because they like the car. In the next few months we will see if BMW has judged their brand strength correctly.
In terms of the mechanicals, the Clubman shares the same engine and transmission as the original so you get the same punchy 1.6-litre four cylinder engine that belts out 175 horsepower and this is more than enough to shift the 1,280 kilogramme unladen weight of the car quickly.
0-1oo km/h is despatched in an impressive time of 7.6 seconds and more impressively the car will accelerate from 80 km/h to 120km/h in 5.9 second sin fourth gear and 7.6 if you leave it in fifth. These are good enough times to keep a keen driver happy on winding single carraige roads.
Keep it in third and fourth on your favourite back road and this Mini will not fail to put a grin on your face.
From the start, BMW never intended the Mini to be a practical machine, in the sense that it is not sold because of its super efficient packaging and ability to squeeze five adults in a small box, like the original. It was and is designed as a lifestyle item, as an accessory to a successful career. The stylish shape and nice detailing is testament to that philosophy and this is why BMW can charge a lot fo money for a small car.
Take a look at the rear lights for example, it looks just the same like on the standard Mini but they went through a lot of trouble to keep it and find room to for the sideways hinges that was necessary for the twin swing-out rear doors.
From this picture you can see that the lamps are fixed to the body and peeks out of the aperture cut out in the doors which extend all the way to the sides where it meets the hinges. This is not a practical or cost effective solution to the problem of access but they do look good and when the doors are closed, you are left wondering where the doors actually open.
Just try not to get in a rear-end collision because those large doors with their interlocking centre are going to be expensive to replace. I don’t think they are easy for the panelbeaters to knowck back into shape.
The gunmetal-coloured car you see here has the sports package fitted and this includes those mean wheels and bunch of suspension changes. It looks more determined than the standard Cooper S and should be more attractive when you want to re-sell the cars later so if you do have the spare change do opt for this variant.Hey, it is already an expensive lifestyle accessory so whats a few extra thousand bucks.
After all, if you are buying a Rolex, it’s OK to go for the cheap stainless steel model if you are buying it for functionality but if you paid for a Swiss watch to look good, then cough up the extra cash for the one that really looks good.
I would like to tell you to quickly rush your deposit to avoid a queue but the high price may very well mean that your patience would not be tried even if you took your time making a decision.
BMW Malaysia is not fretting if the Mini does not have a long waiting list , after all BMW Malaysia boss Wolfgang Schlimme said that a long waiting period for a car is not a sign for desirability, but an indication of poor volume management. Hmmm….
I think his volume management for the Mini will be spot on, there probably won’t be any waiting period, if there is, you can always call him to say that he got his volume management wrong.
