Hey gang! Is everybody having fun yet? While on traffic, the Clubman gets lots and lots of stares from motorists around us, but one group in particular, SUV and pickup truck drivers (Driver and passengers alike) almost crash looking at the car!. You can see their faces salivating over this car..LOL In the 6 years I have owned MINIs, never had a MINI that caught so much attention from the SUV/Pickup set. I have had 2 guys from a full size Ford F-250 pickup truck rolling down the window and wanting to ask questions about the car. This was while waiting for a red light. SUVs (Big and small) seem to be really attracted to the Clubman. It must be the pain at the pump or finally, at long last, it is sinking in with the motoring public that as gas prices continue to rise it is becoming much harder to justify the ownership and upkeep of gas guzzling vehicles. I said it before and I will say it again.... I think MINI has scored a HOMERUN with the Clubman in this country! While the car might have had a lukewarm reception in its home turf of Europe, this car is really making waves here in the colonies! So have you had lots of stares and questions from strangers while behind the wheel of your Clubby?

 

I race remote control cars all over the South East US and needed the Clubman to save on gas and still haul all my gear everywhere. When i pulled up to the track last night at least 15 people came straight to it to gawk. They were blown away by how much stuff I had in back. I race 2 gas 1/8th scale cars, support gear bag, table, chair, easy up, cooler, bucket with fuel and rags and light and also a large briefcase sized box of tires. LOL I'll have to snap a picture of it all loaded up for a race weekend. It's quite funny.

 

Hey! I would love to see that + the 1/8 scale remote control cars!

 

What were you wearing, or not?

 

I got my Clubman S on Wed. I can feel the people looking at it.

Drove to see my parents in Indy (2 hrs). Their neighbors came out as I was loading up to head back home - asking all kinds of questions. It certainly is an attention grabber.

 

Your in South Florida. Take a ride to Mills Pond Park in Ft.Lauderdale on a Saturday night. I'm always there with about 65 of my friends and there 1/8th scales. We race every weekend.

 

Interesting. I think, in addition to the growing awareness of fuel economy and acceptance that small cars don't necessarily = penalty cars, the Clubman has something else going for it. It's big enough and functional enough to actually offer a substitute to the SUV/pickup set, especially for those "empty bed" drivers (which are as thick as ants here in Texas).

The way I see it, the coupe can carry four people, or two people and a fair amount of stuff. But it can't carry four people and a fair amount of stuff at the same time. The Clubman makes that possible. I know that (and more room and easier loading/unloading of the car seat) is why I've ordered one. And that may be why so many SUV and pickup drivers are gawking at it.

Similar thing happened a few years back when Jeep intro'd that 4-door Wrangler. A lot of purists hated that thing when it came out ("real Jeeps have two doors" and the like), but it's been a smash hit because it offers all the Wrangler goodness with the functionality of four doors. And though they play in completely different sandboxes, I think the Mini and Wrangler are both similar in their uniqueness, iconic designs, community and ownership experience.

 

I was at a neighborhood party in the park--approx 300 families--and as we were leaving had a whole lot of mini-van/SUV'ers pointing at us as we passed them in the parking lot. My wife was asking me if I knew them but I told her that is what happens when people see the Clubman. It helps to get the gawking going when they see us load up both our toddlers into the back seat without a problem. Great feeling.

 

I've had quite a few people tell me that they're now considering the Clubman because the Cooper wasn't quite large enough for them

I think they're going to be quite popular here.

 

I know my Clubman definitely gets some envious stares in the Costco parking lot, when I pack in all of our groceries into the back. It never ceases to amaze me just how much stuff can fit into it.

 

I had a guy in an Explorer stop be at a light. He asked about gas mileage and how fun it is to drive. I took off at the light to show him

 

I get a lot more looks since I've added some air to the tires.

 

I guess I was one of those SUV people interested in a clubman. I switched jobs a year ago and now have a 27 mile in each direction commute. I always liked the Mini, but wished it was a bit bigger, especially in the back seat. Well, my wish was granted

I ordered an Astro Black Clubman last week.

Kevin

 

Just got back yesterday from a 2400 mile trip along Rt 66 from Nashville home to LA...the SUV/truck phenomenon was crazy...especially given most of our trip was oklahoma/texas/new mexico/arizona. Out on the road SUV drivers were driving alongside me for miles just to check it out, getting out at gas stations, coming out of shops when we pulled into parking lots, and even at the border checkpoint into Cali the folks in the trucks-only line were shouting out questions.

We fit a TON of cargo in the car without putting down the back seats - a 8x8" box of grits, a small ice cream maker, two old goatskin warrior helmets from Oaxaca, a hickory smoked ham, two very large overnight bags, a garment bag, three medium camera bags, and about 100 goo-goo clusters.

Love the multi-level storage in the back. very practical to have three different layers.

Although

 

I have gotten so many people stopping me to ask about it I picked up a bunch of my MA's business cards (quickly wrote my name on them for referral $$$) and leave them in the back door of my Clubman. Now as people stop and ask questions I pass out his card after I show them the car.

 

Ahhh. Good 'ole memories of Nashville. Goo-goo clusters. Mmmmm.

 

I got to drive the GoMiniGo Clubman while at AMVIV and I WANT ONE!!!

 

Today at the stoplight in front of the office an SUV driver next to me rolled down their window and started asking me about my Clubman. They were very inquisitive.

 

Although I enjoy the exclusivity of driving one of the first Clubmans on the road, I would not mind more SUV drivers ditching their gas guzzlers for these cars. Wait for $4 per gallon of regular which is just around the corner.