2nd Gen R60 Countryman The Independent : Mini Cooper SD Clubman Hampton Review

Discussion in '2nd Generation: 2007+ R55 through R61' started by Nathan, Aug 11, 2011.

  1. Nathan

    Nathan Founder

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    Great news for anyone who thought that Mini had lost its way with the introduction of the bloated Countryman, a group that probably includes just about everyone who isn't in need of an urgent appointment at Specsavers – BMW has made some very worthwhile improvements to the core Mini range which increase its appeal quite a bit.

    First, there is a new, lavishly equipped special edition called the Hampton. A lot of people worry that the Mini is becoming a German car that happens to be built in Britain, rather than a truly British product, but the introduction of the Hampton provides reassuring evidence that there is surely at least one person with a sense of humour at BMW's Munich headquarters, a person who understands the Mini's cheekily subversive British character and has a good working knowledge of Cockney rhyming slang. It really is all most encouraging. Once you get past the name, the Hampton package is a bit of a mixed bag. My test car, a Clubman estate, was fitted with some fantastic leather seats with contrasting piping, which were great to look at and great to sit on. Less succesful was a strange purpley tint that had been applied to much of the interior trim, and a maroon pinstripe pattern on the main dash panels. It's all a matter of taste, I suppose, but on the grounds that increased choice is almost always a good thing – the extension of the Mini range to include the Countryman being the obvious exception that proves the rule - I'd classify the introduction of the Hampton models as a plus.

    Read More - Mini Cooper SD Clubman Hampton - Road Tests, Motoring - The Independent
     

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