I was looking at the Clubman site on MINIUSA and I noticed something on the back seat. If you look at the picture in the link it looks like they moved the shoulder belt buckles from the center of the seat to a more outboard position in between the LATCH points. Also, if I look at the seat, it almost looks like there is a center lap belt.

I know this is not how the rear seat looks in my '08 and I don't recall it being like that in the 09's.

http://miniusa.com/sections/gallery/...93480_1600.jpg

 

It does look like they changed something but i am not sure that the 09's are like that. I will be at the dealer tomorrow and will check a new one and see.

What i can tell you is that there is a three passenger rear seat option in the UK. It also has a shoulder belt that has s mount in the ceiling of the car for the center seat position. I do not have an y pictures of it but it can be viewed in the parts diagrams.

 

Yep (on the three seat passenger option), and here it is:

RealOEM.com - R55 Cooper - Seat, rear, 3-seater
RealOEM.com - R55 Cooper - SAFETY BELT REAR
RealOEM.com - R55 Cooper - Headlining / Handle

It's optional in Europe. MINIUSA, in their infinite wisdom didn't even bother offering it here.

EDIT: Found a picture of it - sorry it isn't higher res!

 

I knew that they didn't offer the three passenger seat here in the states but this looks even a little different than that because it does not have the center headrest. Pretty sure the '09's were not like the picture as we were in the dealer a couple weeks ago but...

Edge, In looking at the links you had, I can't figure out, it it possible to add the center headrest on a car that was two seats originally or is it a different seatback all together?

 

I'm afraid I don't know... I imagine that the process of "converting" from the 2-seater to the 3-seater involves all new seats, both the back and the base, in addition to the extra seatbelt, matching headliner, etc.

I'm sure it can be done, but wouldn't be cheap.

I've never actually seen one in person, but I did manage to dig up that tiny photo (added to my previous post) with a bit of searching.

 

After looking @ my 2009 S Clubman and the ones @ the dealer when I was there today, I came home and checked the interior photos on the MINIUSA site, and I notice the speedo pic is of the old style and goes to 150 not 160 as the "09s" .Maybe the photos should be updated or maybe I'm out on a limb...

 

Lots of "plus" (fat) sized people in the US of A.

 

And amazingly enough, we fit in the MINI

 

In my 09, if you lift the bottom rear seat up, there is tape covering what I suspect are bolt holes for the middle seatbelt.

 

Awwww....yours goes to 160 ...mine only goes to 150


But really....they go the same speed from what I recall. It's like ford putting a 120 mph speedo in their old Escorts, when you just KNOW they can't break 80 downhill... with the wind... on the planet Jupiter.

 

My 09 has the seat belts pretty far to the outside of the seats. Whenever the back seats have been down, I have to be careful putting them back up so that the belts don't get caught behind the seats. Those extra looking latches in the seats on the link to MINI USA are for car seats. There is no way you could fit a 3rd person in the back. My two kids fit great back there but 3 kids or adults would be a very tight squeeze.

 

That is the same on all Clubman's

No. The MINI site shows the 3 person seat option that is available in Europe. Not the world side 2 seat option. The picture shows four (4) latch points for child safety seats and two seat belt latches, there is also an extra seatbelt latch under the left one for the center seat belt which is not show in the picture for some reason.

I do not know how old your children are but younger children in the age range of 6-8 will fit 3 easily in the back seat unless they are obese. The three seat option in Europe is available as some countries do not have as strick regulations on baby/young child seats as the USA.

BTW i have had three adults in the back seat of my Clubman. I was not one of them and I am sure they were not comfortable but each of them was 5'8" or taller and weighed in at 180 or better. We only had to go about 10 miles, but none of them complained.

 

Gang,

Here are pic's of my 2009 Clubman [ordered in December 08 / picked up in February 09]. The pics from Tall MINI are definately different.





Regards,