RE: Mini Reveals Clubvan concept

[anonymous-user]

best mini yet! that in standard cooper spec with normal wheels could be perfect!

[si easter]

may get one as a spare to keep in the back of my caddy maxi !

[RODTHEKIWI]

I find it odd, that old 'HUGH BUCKINGHAM the Sign Writer from Southport', bought a LHD vehicle! Especially since his side door is on the other side.

[anything fast]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

dont knock it! when i was a lad my cousin (who was a builder) had an escort van with RST running gear, RST bodykit etc. I spent a summer working with him and I would look forward to our lunch break when we would zoom around looking for somwhere to get some grub. That escort van was bloody fast and amazing fun! We were the fastest and the slowest builders around

[lotus99t]

Here's one I made earlier - Blue Peter Styliee

[GoodDoc]

Chrisw666 said:

It is also worth remembering that this car won't just be aimed at the UK and in other countries (Ireland and Netherlands spring to mind) there are significant tax savings to be made by buying a van over a car.

The tax laws in the Republic of Ireland make commercial vehicles very cheap to run and as a result you see lots of commercial versions of three door hatchbacks like the Golfs and Focuses. You also get lots of 5 door 4x4 SUV/Jeep type vehicles with the rear seats and windows removed and a flat floor installed, included Discos and X5s, so there's a decent chance that a mini van will sell by the boat load in the Republic of Ireland.

[Mr2Mike]

Garlick said:

I hear you, but I don't think it's aimed at the building trade, more small business who don't really do dirty work. For that purpose it's ideal, no? Great for the customer to see them arrive in a nicely sign written Mini Van as they deliver your wedding cake, bunch of flowers, new fitted blinds etc.

I suspect being able to get more than one cake or bunch of flowers in the boot would still be handy. Unless it's image is more important than load carrying ability (i.e. the main purpose of a van) then it seems pretty pointless.

If you want a small van, then surely something like a Citroen Nemo/Fiat Fiorino would be a vastly better option? About the same size as a Clubman, good looking but with a genuinely useful amount of space and a sliding door and I suspect a fair bit cheaper.

[K 5ive]

I don't get all this brand stretching business! Did they not do that with the original one? Hello!!! Mini Van and pick up anyone? People that say this were either not around when the original was about in it's earlier years, don't know their history or have just forgotten and are just riding on the criticism of the new Mini bandwagon.
I like the Mini van idea. Also if you ever owned a van you will know how handy a side door is.

[crossle]

K 5ive said:

Also if you ever owned a van you will know how handy a side door is.

It certainly is when it's on the kerb-side. This one is fine if you drive on the right...

[K 5ive]

crossle said:

It certainly is when it's on the kerb-side. This one is fine if you drive on the right...

Do you always park at the kerb? I know I very rarely do. Any side door is better than no door. I have a Combo with no side door and I wish it had one even if was on the wrong side.

[Mr2Mike]

K 5ive said:

I don't get all this brand stretching business! Did they not do that with the original one? Hello!!! Mini Van and pick up anyone? People that say this were either not around when the original was about in it's earlier years, don't know their history or have just forgotten and are just riding on the criticism of the new Mini bandwagon.
I like the Mini van idea. Also if you ever owned a van you will know how handy a side door is.

The classic mini was available as a saloon, an estate, a van (derived from the estate) and a pickup. There was no grotesque SUV version, no convertible (apart from after market conversions), no coupe, no roadster.

[Mr2Mike]

K 5ive said:

Do you always park at the kerb? I know I very rarely do. Any side door is better than no door. I have a Combo with no side door and I wish it had one even if was on the wrong side.

Surely a van is more likely to be parked next to a kerb than anywhere else, at least if it's making deliveries or carrying tradesmen and their tools?

[s m]

Mr2Mike said:

K 5ive said:

I don't get all this brand stretching business! Did they not do that with the original one? Hello!!! Mini Van and pick up anyone? People that say this were either not around when the original was about in it's earlier years, don't know their history or have just forgotten and are just riding on the criticism of the new Mini bandwagon.
I like the Mini van idea. Also if you ever owned a van you will know how handy a side door is.

The classic mini was available as a saloon, an estate, a van (derived from the estate) and a pickup. There was no grotesque SUV version, no convertible (apart from after market conversions), no coupe, no roadster.

Not forgetting the Moke as well

[Garlick]

Mr2Mike said:

The classic mini was available as a saloon, an estate, a van (derived from the estate) and a pickup. There was no grotesque SUV version, no convertible (apart from after market conversions), no coupe, no roadster.

Coupe and SUV cars we're rarer at that time though, I'd wager that were they around today you would have seen all of the above from the original Mini, it was just less important for success at that time. There were many incarnations though, so it wasn't as if they were a one-model brand.

The closest (perhaps) to the original Mini today is the Smart and that has/ had a coupe, cab, Brabus, diesel, cross-blade and 4 seater.

It's just the times we live in.

[Chrisw666]

crossle said:

It certainly is when it's on the kerb-side. This one is fine if you drive on the right...

Which is a much larger market than the UK one.

[Dickster]

I kinda like it and as a small cheese shop owner, could see myself having one. BUT there is no way I'd get my drums in it of an evening I reckon.

If they maxed the space out then it'd be worth a look but even so...

[Fire99]

Prefer the Pick-Up

[K 5ive]

Mr2Mike said:

The classic mini was available as a saloon, an estate, a van (derived from the estate) and a pickup. There was no grotesque SUV version, no convertible (apart from after market conversions), no coupe, no roadster.

You don't know your history. There WAS a convertible and it was an official Rover car. Moke? was that not a kind of grotesque SUV before SUV's exisited? Plus in the 60's there was a plethora of conversions from other companies wanting to capitalise on the Mini. OK they were not official but there were many many more spin off than there are now. Oh yes did i forget to mention the Unipower mini coupe?

[Fire99]

K 5ive said:

You don't know your history. There WAS a convertible and it was an official Rover car. Moke? was that not a kind of grotesque SUV before SUV's exisited? Plus in the 60's there was a plethora of conversions from other companies wanting to capitalise on the Mini. OK they were not official but there were many many more spin off than there are now. Oh yes did i forget to mention the Unipower mini coupe?

For me, the key issue with the current wad of MINI versions compared to the 'classic' cars is that the conventional ones (Van, Estate, Pick-up, Moke) were all far more capable than they looked. You genuinely could cram far more into them than the car's diminutive size would suggest.

The current ones from BMW are the opposite. They are all about the visuals and less about the ability. The Mini was designed to be efficient. The MINI has been designed to look pretty and trade on the merits of the original.

[s m]

Fire99 said:

For me, the key issue with the current wad of MINI versions compared to the 'classic' cars is that the conventional ones (Van, Estate, Pick-up, Moke) were all far more capable than they looked. You genuinely could cram far more into them than the car's diminutive size would suggest.

They designed the Moke for the military originally but it didn't have enough power or ground clearance to be successful in the end so not sure it was 'capable enough' in that instance