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2015 MINI Cooper S Clubman Spied on the Ring

 Back in February, MINI took the virtual veils off the new MINI Clubman Concept and then introduced it in the flesh at the Geneva Motor Show. The world stopped for a moment right then and there to take a look at the new MINI.
MINI Cooper S Clubman 1 photo
Photo: Screenshot from Youtube
However, it wasn’t for the reasons you’d think of at first. It was mostly because the new Concept was huge. It showed a longer, wider and taller body than its predecessor and some features that would add to an already overweight car. Such features include the panoramic glass roof that, alone, would destroy anyone’s dreams of feeling that trademark go-kart feeling British cars used to have.

Now, we’re seeing the first prototypes of the car being tested on the Green Hell. The Nurburgring doesn’t seem like the place where you’d usually drive the Clubman but when it comes to testing the chassis and engine setup of a car, there’s no better track in the world.

From the looks of things, what we’re watching at work here is a Cooper S model. The air vent in the bonnet and the twin tailpipes at the back give it away, as well as the speed and the way it negotiates corners. 

If that’s the case, we’re seeing the next top of the line version at play, fitted with a 2-liter turbocharged petrol engine making 192 HP and up to 300 Nm (220 lb-ft) of torque. This one can be hooked up to either a manual or an automatic gearbox with 6 speeds.

In the future, we wouldn’t be surprised to see even an ALL4 version coming out, using an upgraded, intelligent all-wheel-drive system as we’ve seen on the current models of the MINI line-up. So far, for the new MINI models that have been launched, the company didn’t mention anything about an all-wheel-drive model but we’re expecting to be surprised in the near future.

As for the Clubman alone, expect it to keep the rear barn-style doors alive, making it a 6-door car. Also, the interior should follow in the footsteps of the new Hardtop but with its own features included, that would set it apart from the rest of the range. The production model could be unveiled at Geneva, next year.
 
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