If I couldn't get the Italian job, I'd currently go for the "everything in silver" Mini Clubman John Cooper Works, with black alloys and a black roof rail. This theme comes very close to the 2005 concept Clubman.
And Chocolate leather interior, please, without the stupid beige interior bits. Keep it simple. And a panorama sunroof. Keep it airy and light.
I know, pretty unusual, not very Miniish, my choices. And silver is so old school. True, but the Mini is old school and silver is the only colour, which can be had in matching body colour pillars for the rear. BTW colourwise, I liked the previous generation cream white, though the white of the Mk2 Mini seems colder. And a Clubman in white with black pillars looks simply weird. Though is it just me, or do Clubman owners usually order the same colour combinations. Dark silver or the weird white, both with black roof and black pillars.
The Sky Motoring host had once an orange Clubman long term tester with black alloys. Looked pretty sexy. But try to order the orange for a Clubman Cooper S or a JCW... Here we go again, the maddening marketing customer restrictions. It is not possible to choose certain combinations, try pure silver, silver pillars and a black roof. Or dark silver, silver pillars and a dark roof. Why making it more complicated and frustrating for the customer? And as I have written about the Scirocco R, manufacturers tend to restrict the option lists for the top sporty versions of the range. That is simply mad marketing.
So my Mini would not feature the typical JCW spoilers (those optional wings definitely spoil the looks of the Mini), no Miniish go faster cosmetics, no black top (though I couldn't choose one even if I wanted to) and a roof railing on a JCW... try to google pics of a Clubman with this spec, I haven't found one yet. that's why this one is so automental :-) And with the top half C-piilar in black, why not using black plastic foil? And a bit of chrome / aluminium trim to bridge the "gap". MMmhhh why not blackening the chrome line? Such a detail might make a small but emphasizing difference.
A little Mini Design critique: I really like all Minis, despite my height, I easily fit, I like the steep front screen, the good all around visibility. All Minis are cute, some details a little too much so. There are too many details, like the rear door handles of the Clubman, the fake grills of the rear bumper and so on and so on. Similarly I like the interior, though again, too much clutter. Dear Mini design team, please next time, make the looks of the future Minis a bit cleaner and leaner.
The Clubman is my favourite Mini, though the Cabriolet is certainly fun. The Clubman looks more purposeful , more poised and has this little bit of added practicality. The double rear doors are a bit too thick, so how about a horizontal split, or a folding hatch in the future? The length of the Clubman has the added benefit of offering a little bit more high speed stability.
A little Mini Design critique: I really like all Minis, despite my height, I easily fit, I like the steep front screen, the good all around visibility. All Minis are cute, some details a little too much so. There are too many details, like the rear door handles of the Clubman, the fake grills of the rear bumper and so on and so on. Similarly I like the interior, though again, too much clutter. Dear Mini design team, please next time, make the looks of the future Minis a bit cleaner and leaner.
The Clubman is my favourite Mini, though the Cabriolet is certainly fun. The Clubman looks more purposeful , more poised and has this little bit of added practicality. The double rear doors are a bit too thick, so how about a horizontal split, or a folding hatch in the future? The length of the Clubman has the added benefit of offering a little bit more high speed stability.
That's my selection after having spent more than an hour playing with the Mini configurator :-)
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