Photos: Mini Cooper Clubman

Click the image to access the gallery

(Credit: BMW)

Mini just released all the details on its forthcoming Cooper Clubman, which is scheduled to arrive in Europe later this year and in the States early in 2008. While it might not be in the same league as the stretch Mini limo that we saw earlier this year, the new Mini Cooper Clubman is nearly 10 inches longer than the standard Mini Cooper. It also features a bizzare unique carriage door on the right hand side to allow greater access to its roomier rear seats, as well as a couple of BMW's most recent engine management technologies. Check out our gallery of the new Biggie Mini.

[make_or_break]

Neither bizarre or unique

Aside from the apparent strut, that is.

Just ask Saturn, Honda, Nissan and Mazda. Each are just a few of the companies who have recently used or proposed using this type of reverse (suicide) swinging door on models...past, present and future. If any door is weird on this car, I'd say it's the two-leaf door solution at the [i]rear[/i] of the car. Certainly wouldn't have expected this full-sized panel van solution on something this [i]small[/i].