Countryman – MINI’s apology to back seat passengers

News that MINI was to build a small 4×4 “Crossover” did not receive unanimous praise from MINI purists: It was seen as a brand expansion too far, a dilution of the MINI ethos. They needn’t have worried, because on the basis of the first official pictures, MINI has once again hit the bullseye.

The Countryman is based on the Clubman but is wider and longer, and has four traditional doors and a hatch. 4×4 is an optional extra so you can jettison all that heavy hardware if you don’t really need it. It launches with the same engines as the hatch, later this year, but in 2011 there’s the tasty prospect of a high performance John Cooper Works version.

MINI Beachcomber revives Moke spirit

This funky looking machine is MINI’s Beachcomber concept, which is supposed to revive the spirit of the original Mini Moke. The Moke was a classic Mini based death-trap on wheels with no roof or doors which was perfect for the task of killing yourself on the roads of holiday isles. So, as you can see, the Beachcomber has no doors – which wouldn’t prove too practical on your typical windswept British beach.

Of more relevance is the fact that the Beachcomber previews the look of the MINI Countryman small 4×4 that’s coming next year. Imagine it with doors and a proper roof and it’s close to the final product. Its main purpose is to be a MINI for families, with four full-sized seats. MINI have done a great styling job, retaining the MINI hatch spirit but treading a well judged path between cutesy and rugged.

While I like the look of the Beachcomber, It remains to be seen how much of the MINI hatch’s handling and darty, fun-to-drive feel it will retain. I’m intending to keep my superb MINI JCW hatch for  a few years yet, so my long-suffering friends and family are going to have to put up with the zero rear leg-room of my MINI hatch a little while longer.