MINI has always been a typical staple in the automotive world, well at least in the last decade. It makes cars known for darting through alleys and tumbling down stairways like they were stolen, a la The Italian Job.
The sleek four-door you see above begs the question: Does MINI’s new age Clubman concept still embody that classic heritage?
Its design still makes use of classic elliptical headlights, rectangular grille, and inherently MINI mirrors. It seems that MINI is really updating its tried-and-true interior with all new intelligent controls, in the form of adaptive lighting and haptic feedback on three intelligent switches.
As we all know MINI will never reduce the options it provides for customization. Premium interior materials include nubuck and soft Nappa leather to compliment use of wood and silver. The interior has an overall larger feeling to it. This accompanies the Clubman’s new footwork, as it is now 26 cm longer and 17 cm wider than the current Clubman.
The body of Clubman concept features “AirCurtains”. These can best be described as aerodynamic elements that give the wheel arches a smoother and more optimized closure. The Aircurtains extend from both corners of the front fascia to just behind the front wheels. The sides of the new MINI convey its longer wheelbase and flat, boxlike dimensions. Chrome bits are included here and there and show off the flush door handles and integrated turn signals.
Even the top-of-the-Clubman has been touched up. Two Plexiglas strips can be seen running longitudinally across the roof, giving this MINI a wonderful bird’s-eye view.
All the subtle design elements hint toward a more luxurious experience in the Clubman. Hopefully more MINI won’t mean less fun.