When it comes to outlandish special edition offerings, few can top the creative minds over at BMW’s MINI brand. MINI has always been known for offering customers a strong roster of models that not only embrace their quirky British heritage but also offer an impressive array of options and features designed to help buyers personalize their MINI to suit their distinctive tastes. One of these is the 2023 MINI Clubman Untold Edition which not only celebrates the end of production for the Clubman model but also promises to show buyers the untold side of the model. But is the Untold Edition more than a mere splash of snazzy paint and a marketing tagline? We were eager to find out.
Styling Tweaks Define Largely Carryover Clubman Experience
At first glance, it would be easy to assume that MINI didn’t do too much to the Clubman with the model’s core essentials being largely carried over from the last one we drove several years ago. It still has the traditional MINI shape and it even retains its quirky rear barn doors that make it stand out from the rest of its corporate stablemates in showrooms. With nothing new to talk about in terms of exterior styling, we have to instead focus on some of the unique styling touches that make the Untold Edition stand out from a standard Clubman.
A prominent update that buyers will notice is the exterior color selection, with all Untold Edition models being available only in Sage Green which is exclusive to this model. The color looks nice but it will spark plenty of debate from your quirky art friends who insist that it looks like a shade of blue versus being a member of the green family. The slick paintwork is contrasted by splashes of copper accents while the MINI badges themselves get black accents. A cool feature that we liked on our tester was the stripe that runs from one end of the Clubman to the other. Unlike other MINI models that we have seen in the past, this stripe is incorporated into the paintwork and adopts the unique visual symbol that defines the Untold Edition. That’s also included in the 18-inch two-tone “Untold” spoke wheels which also serve as a prominent calling card for the model.
The end result is a look that’s distinctive and will undoubtedly get plenty of attention from passersby. We put that to the test when we went to a Cars & Coffee-style event that our local BMW showroom was hosting. While our MINI was the lone representative of the brand in the BMW-dominated event, we did notice some curious buyers admire its paintwork in the early morning sunlight.
Untold Edition Interior Adds Pop To Clubman Themes
Slip inside the interior of the Untold Edition and it’s largely the same story as the exterior with the cabin also carrying over largely unchanged when it comes to the core DNA. Sage Green accents find their way inside and the color is mixed with splashes of brass and piano black trim to create a distinctive effect. The Leather Lounge seats in our S grade example (JCW models can also get the Untold treatment too,) were comfortable and even come with textile inserts in the upper portions of the seats and the backrests. The steering wheel gets an Untold Edition symbol in the lower spoke and distinctive piping also adds charm too.
The rest of the cabin still offers solid build quality and Clubman owners will appreciate the MINI style switches that are scattered about. The infotainment system sits in a round display and while there’s still no Android Auto functionality to be found, MINI does offer standard Apple CarPlay. Look past the screen and you’ll see that the vibrant outer ring still continues to be offered with this ring being used to not only serve as a visual reminder of the volume for the radio but also the distance indicator for the rear parking sensors and more.
Front seat room is decent but due to the Clubman’s small size, space in the rear seats is still tight for taller passengers. Folding them down is still the best use for them anyway and when you do that, owners get 44 cubic feet of space to work with. That’s noticeably lower than rivals like the Subaru Outback which offers 76 cubic feet of space when its seats are folded but we suspect that will be just fine for most Clubman buyers especially those that only need an urban commuter. Rear visibility is also not that great but we’re glad that our tester came with Blind Spot Monitoring to help us keep an eye on things when doing lane changes.
Clubman Performance Still Checks All The Untold Boxes
Performance for our S grade Untold Edition came from a 189-horsepower, 2.0-liter, turbocharged, four-cylinder that has been a familiar companion in other MINI offerings for the past few years. Sadly, the Untold Edition is not available with a manual and buyers will instead be limited to the seven-speed dual-clutch automatic. But while this will certainly sour the mood of purists, the seven-speed is more than capable for the average buyer and the combination helped our tester be entertaining to drive especially on tight windy roads outside of town.
Front-wheel drive is standard but our tester arrived with the optional All4 all-wheel drive system which helped improve power delivery and gives the Clubman four-season capability. The suspension tuning is on the firm side and some of Michigan’s rougher roads were potent reminders of that. However, move to spots where the roads are smoother and the MINI does offer good amounts of ride quality and comfort. Fuel economy is also pretty good with our tester getting an EPA-rated 25/35/29 mpg in city/freeway/combined driving. Switch over to another Clubman model with the standard six-speed and overall fuel economy does dip a bit with this transmission being rated at 22/32/25 in the same categories. Braking continues to be a MINI strong suit and our Untold Edition Clubman delivered smooth consistent braking (including in an unexpected emergency stop to avoid hitting a roaming buck that bounded into the roadway on one of our journeys.)
Value Quotient
In addition to offering buyers an impressive degree of customization, MINI products have also been known for their high price tags, and this trend continues in earnest with the MINI Clubman. A base model starts at $35,045 but our Untold Edition arrived with a base price of $42,500 before optional extras. Speaking of those optional goodies, our example arrived with a figurative laundry list of them which caused the final price tag to balloon all the way past the $50,000 barrier. That’s alot for a Clubman but we suspect that the Untold Edition’s unique charm and curb appeal will please die-hard MINI loyalists who wouldn’t mind paying the extra coin to have the privilege of owning a unique piece of MINI history.
The Untold Edition will continue into the 2024 model year but buyers will need to act quickly, Clubman production is ending after 2024 and in addition to the Untold Edition, the brand will also offer a special 1969 Edition (limited to 1969 units) that will formally see the model off into the sunset. MINI will be focusing on promoting a simplified lineup moving forward while also preparing to embrace an electrified future over the next few years.
Carl Malek has been an automotive journalist for over 10 years. First starting out as a freelance photographer before making the transition to writing during college, his work has appeared on numerous automotive forums as well as websites such as Autoshopper.com.
Carl is also a big fan of British vehicles with the bulk of his devotion going to the Morgan Motor Company as well as offerings from Lotus, MG, and Caterham. When he is not writing about automobiles, Carl enjoys spending time with his family and friends in the Metro Detroit area, as well as spending time with his adorable pets.