No special structural reinforcement was required to accommodate the increased number of doors and hatches. Overall weight grows by about 175 pounds. Engine, transmission, and equipment levels are otherwise a direct carryover. We spent all our drive time aboard a turbocharged, 172-horsepower Cooper S version and could detect no meaningful decrease in acceleration. The extra ounces will, however, take a bit of sparkle off the naturally aspirated, 118-horsepower base model's straight-line punch. We'll verify this with instrumented testing as soon as we have the opportunity.
Same goes for handling. Overall, the Clubman S feels no different through a smorgasbord of cornering situations from the new Cooper S we just added to our long-term test fleet. One major difference in the Clubman's driving persona is ride comfort. Those three-plus inches of additional wheelbase really smooth out the standard Mini's tendency to hop on bad pavement, over railroad crossings, and the like. It's a dramatic improvement, and one that, combined with all the extra room, makes the Clubman a much happier long-distance car than the short-wheelbase model.
One bane that hasn't been exorcized, at least in the S, is torque steer. Power out of a corner, and the wheel wiggles in your hand. When the turbo boost kicks in, it wiggles worse. Perhaps Mini could have dialed out some of the effect, but steering feel would have diminished because of it. While this problem doesn't kill the Mini's fun factor, it knocks it back a notch or two. There'll never be a rear-drive Mini, but an AWD version might be fun, no?
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