Yes the R56 JCW was an Astro Black model.

 

i think the overhead lighting was bringing out all the metallic in it, cuz it was looking good

 

The 135i high up was kinda disappointing, I really wanted to check that car out.

Also, no WRX STi at the auto show...why? seems they are selling too fast & local dealers didnt have any in stock to send to the auto show :impatient

 

The auto show was fun, went yesterday. Sorry I missed everyone. The MINI Clubman seemed pretty cool. I hopped in the Cooper S version and sat in back to see how much space there was. Lots of room for a MINI! We'll have to see how quick it is vs. the regular S. Of course the real reason I went was to see the 128 and 135i BMWs. Imagine my surprise when I found no 128is and only one pedestal mounted 135i! Heck, people were climbing all over a $110,000 M6 cabrio, why was the 135i not open so we could see inside? At least MINI let folks jump in and climb around the MINIs. Overall, I really like the 1 series. I may have to get one when they finally come out... preferably a cabrio.

 

i was disappointed about that as well. but i believe the reason for that is the 1 series is just coming out and there are a limited number of those here on this soil now. VS, the M6 cab has been out for awhile so they don't have to worry about it getting "messed" up so to speak.

hopefully by one of the next auto shows, they will have it out in the open. NY maybe.

 

i did see the clubman, but i walked behind the S. i came from the back of the BMW area and the clubman in back was the first thing i saw. i got in the back and said, hey, i can actually sit back here, thats new.

anyway, i was also surprised at the lack of the STI and that the WRX was out of reach. Mitsubishi had the evo just sitting out there (albeit locked) so where was the STI? i also thought it was strange that the evo was just out on the floor, while the lancer gts was the focal point of the whole display. it wasnt even the ralliart which is supposed to come out soon, just the GTS.

 

I was impressed with the Clubman. After all the ups and downs and varying opinions I've been reading here on NAM, my final personal opinion is that I am satisfied. I think MINI accomplished what they intended with the Clubman which was to provide two full rear seats and some additional cargo capacity. Some additional points I walked away with:

1. It's still a MINI! By this I mean, only necessary changes towards the accomplishment of the above mentioned goal were made.
2. The rear seats are roomy and comfortable.
3. Those LONG rear windows are kinda cool and provide great visibility.
4. The rear doors work well.
5. The storage space in the boot seems like it just keeps going.

As for motoring, well, that's still a wait & see. I suspect they'll sell fairly well though and I'll have no problem welcoming them at future events

Final thought, I really wish it said "Clubman or "Clubman S" on the back instead of Cooper....
Edit: technically, it should say "CLUBMAN" or CLUBMAN S" since the emblem is all upper-case.

 

I was there from about 11-1:30 on Saturday. The clubman was cool, but there were too many people. I thought Rose from MoT was there at the mini desk, but that was seeing her head from behind. It was some lady from MoS, I think. I didn't recognize anyone, but I'm terrible with names/faces. Except for the Opel* and Mini displays, I was pretty disappointed in the show. I get really tired of GM's "look at all of our environmentally friendly cars which you cannot buy for at least three years" show.

*It's about time the Astra comes to the US...I seriously might have bought a 3 door Astra instead of a mini if it had been available in '06.

 

The Evo was the most disappointing new car of all. There is a reason they made the GTS the focus...cuz it's selling. The Evo will probably not, they're gonna need a redesigned Evo X.5 (I'm not sure how they do fractions in roman numerals!) to redeem them selves.

 

i think i agree with you. however, the STI is not its former self either. they are both trying to be something they arent, and i cant forsee them being successful at it. but then again, i dont make cars for a living, so well see.

 

The Subaru WRX STi is very underwhelming in it's neutered state - however I heard Subaru is giving you a set of STi gonads on a key chain with every new STi. :-)

 

hmmm i was looking for the STI....i guess i missed it...saw the WRX but not the STI....dangit

 

I got on the floor to get a pic of the R56 JCW exhaust. I thought it would make some of you drool - like I did.

The other two are of the SkyLine GTR

 

Nice, and actually, the suspension is as equally exciting to look at

 

Actually, it's just window. Only one long one, on the driver's side... the other one is kinda interrupted by the Club door.

I agree with everything else you said - especially the badging. They should have dropped Cooper from the name completely. "MINI" is the brand name, "Cooper" is the model... and the Clubman is a different model than the Cooper or Cooper S! Well, that's my opinion.

I guess if you look at it a different way, the Clubman is the "stationwagon" version of the same car, so maybe Cooper should stay in the name, in that case... but I still don't like it that way.

 

for anyone interested here are my pics from the show.

http://s40.photobucket.com/albums/e2...20Show%202008/

 

It's confusing nomenclature. MINI is the brand. But it's like the model is a MINI too. To me it feels as if both the brand and the model are MINI. Here's why. I've always thought of Cooper and Cooper S as trim and equipment packages more than model names, same with 'D' and 'One'. In the U.K. they have the...
MINI One
MINI D
MINI Cooper
MINI Cooper S

In the cabrio they call them
MINI One Cabrio
MINI Cooper Cabrio
MINI Cooper S Cabrio

In the Clubman you've got...
MINI D Clubman
MINI Cooper Clubman
MINI Cooper S Clubman

So at least they're consistent. But most of us are used to Chevy Impala SS. Brand, Model, then Trim. They're listing brand, trim, then model sort of. Except that if it's not a cabrio or clubman you're left with just MINI for both brand and model.

I guess I'm just backwards and indeed D, One, Cooper and Cooper S are models. It just doesn't taste that way to me. I'm used to it so that when there's one car,one unibody with four different engine and suspension levels that is what is usually called four levels of one model. Chevy does't make a model called the SS and offer it in Malibu, Cobalt, HHR, and Tahoe. Just the other way around. OK, now I made my head hurt.

So I guess as they release new 'models' they'll just add the modifier to the end.
MINI Cooper SUV
MINI Cooper Pickup
Truimph Cooper S Cabrio?