Picture Of

Cooper Mini Clubman

It’s exciting for us when we get to report on a new, more powerful version of a much-loved car, but this isn’t one of those moments. Thankfully, we also like it when a much-loved car becomes available in a less expensive formula. What you see here is the soon-to-be minted entry-level version of the MINI Clubman Cars. The stretched version of BMW’s MINI has until now been offered only in Cooper guises: The standard Cooper with 120 horsepower, the sportier Cooper S with 175hp and the diesel Cooper D with 110hp. The MINI One Clubman makes do with lower levels of equipment and a less powerful 95hp 1.4-liter four, mated to the buyer’s choice of a six-speed manual or automatic transmission. Despite the lower content, it also includes such green touches as regenerative braking and start-stop engine management, giving the One the second best fuel economy and emissions figures in the range, trailing only the Cooper D. Naturally, the decontented Clubman will come in as the cheapest version of the MINI wagon, retailing in the UK for £13,290 (approximately $19,250). That’s a comparable price to the smaller but more powerful MINI Cooper hatchback (£13,715), about a grand more than the MINI One hatchback, but more than a grand less than the Cooper Clubman. MINI will continue to offer the North American market the Cooper, Cooper S and JCW versions, while the MINI One Clubman makes its debut in Geneva this coming March.

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Picture Of

Cooper Mini Clubman

Parent company BMW has issued a recall for 560 MY2009 MINI and MINI Clubman John Cooper Works models equipped with 16 inch diameter front brake discs - rather than 17 inch discs. According to the NHTSA, under conditions of intense brake usage, braking performance on these models would be reduced. The company’s dealers will inspect the front brake discs and pads and, if necessary, replace them free of charge. The recall is expected to begin during October 2008. If you have any questions, we’d advise you to contact BMW/MINI directly at 1-866-275-6464.

Related : Cars
Related : Cars Article