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The Mini was one of the seminal cars of my youth. I grew up going to slaloms and drag races with my father watching Conrado “Dodo” Ayuyao in his Mini Cooper 1275 S duking it out with Pocholo Ramirez in his Toyota Corolla and Chito Monserrat in his Ford Escort. The Mini Cooper was very competitive and often won those duels; it became the dream car of a car crazed youth. I had mixed feelings when the brand was eventually acquired by BMW in 2001. I was afraid that the Mini would go the way of so many other brands whose fate was doomed by a merger or acquisition, but BMW is an enthusiast’s car company and I was needlessly concerned. The new car is faithful to the original but slightly bigger and a whole lot better.

The MINI Cooper Clubman made its debut for 2008 essentially as a new body style of the MINI Cooper, with dual swing-out rear doors, that coincided with a redesign of the MINI Cooper line. With the new design come new engines, a better ride, and a richer interior.

In the tradition of the Mini Traveller, the Mini Cooper Clubman is a roomier Mini that maintains the personality of the original, with more cargo space and easier access to the backseats. The added passenger-side mini-door is undoubtedly one of its most important features. So is expanded rear legroom; backseat passengers will enjoy vastly more space (an additional 3.2 inches), thanks to a wheelbase that picks up 9.5 inches. Twin cargo doors replace the hatch found in regular Coopers, and they open up to a larger cargo area: 32.6 cubic feet with the rear seats folded down, 9.1 with them still up.

The Clubman is the choice for those who plan to have backseat passengers; adults can ride willingly in back, though all is not perfect inside. The instrument panel will not be to everyone’s liking, although I like it just fine. The switch gear’s positioning harkens back to days long gone, but once you figure out where everything is, it works just fine. The side mini-door, although useful, still requires some contortions for taller passengers to gain egress to the rear seat, but that’s the extent of my gripes about the car.

We had no trouble getting two golf bags and all our gear into the rear of the Clubman. The rear seats fold down in a 50-50 split and the bar with the baggage cover lifts out readily to accommodate larger loads. In this configuration, it would even be possible to haul three golfers and all their gear to the course, provided that no one had a large staff bag in tow.

The engine and gearbox in the Mini—along with nearly all of the mechanicals—mirror those in the Mini. The 2009 Mini Cooper Clubman made its debut for 2008 essentially as a new body style of the Mini Cooper, with dual swing-out rear doors, that coincided with a redesign of the Mini Cooper line. With the new design come new engines, a better ride, and a richer interior.

The Clubman has a ride that’s surprisingly good, with very little of the road noise that’s expected from smaller cars. Six airbags, anti-lock brakes, and traction control are standard on the Mini Cooper Clubman. Stability and traction control are standard, as is a hill-start feature that holds the vehicle in place when starting uphill.

We took the Clubman to Splendido Golf and Country Club in nearby Tagaytay to shake it down. The ride was surprisingly good for a car with such a short wheelbase. Even on concrete roads with pronounced expansion joints, it acquitted itself admirably and never drew complaints of a choppy ride. Power of the standard 1.6 liter normally aspirated engine is quite adequate for all but the most power hungry autophile and the automatic transmission with manumatic shifting option worked very well on the winding roads up to the mountain top city. The manumatic option was particularly useful on the steep road down to the golf club.

The six speaker stereo system works very well and has a pleasing natural sound, although operation of the head unit is a bit idiosyncratic, as are most things German. The Clubman is solidly built with nary a squeak nor rattle marring the driving experience. It handles like it’s on rails and is a sheer pleasure to drive on a twisty road. To top it off, this thing is automotive eye candy and does not fail to draw admiring stares from an adoring public.

If you golf and must have a Mini Cooper, the Clubman is the only choice. The Mini Cooper Clubman and the rest of the Mini Cooper line is now available in the country through the Autohub group. Look out for the opening of the new dealership at Fort Bonifacio in Taguig soon. But get your cheque book ready; the Mini Cooper Clubman will be a tough act to resist.

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