Mini Clubman
Makuhari Messe, Japan
To say the Mini Clubman model was a popular attraction at Tokyo would be like saying Boston baseball fans were slightly exicted about winning the World Series ... again. Here, for once, is a car which fits neatly in the Japanese scheme of things, an imported car with great credentials (made by BMW!) which doesn't take up much more space (or use much more fuel, if any more at all) than some of the most popular cars made in Japan for their home market. Mini's Clubman might seem ridiculous to people in the US, who buy a station wagon or minivan specifically for the extra interior space it offers; the Japanese see it as a different take, and from a well-respected European manufacturer, on a type of vehicle which has been popular for decades in Japan. There was another model on display which we may not see in the US for a few years yet ... That is, a Mini powered by a diesel engine.