Hiya
 

I'm looking into getting a new Clubman S.
I wanted an S back in '03 but got pissed off at the $5k mark up from the local dealers. I ended up getting a PT GT. I've had fun with it - lowering/stiffening the suspension, upping the boost, etc. It does low 14's in the quarter, but it's still a pig in the twisties compared to the Mini. It is extremely functional inside, hauling my big dogs without a problem. With 50k miles on it, I've done everything I can short of a larger turbo/water injection. I'd like to get better than 20-24 miles per gallon. My eyes have been seduced by the new Clubman and I'm about ready to jump.
The Clubman is more practical for me than the standard S - being 6'5" only an amputee could fit behind me in the regular mini. I'd like to be involved in track days. I realize they are pretty new - are they still competitive? 9 inches and 80 pounds difference doesn't seem like much.
The closest dealer has a couple Clubman S 6 speeds.... at $3k over msrp. I'm going to expand my seach. According to the sales guys, most of the clubman's are selling with the automatic to family types.
One question I forgot to ask him and something that wasn't in the literature - do the S models require premium gas? My PT GT requires premium and I'd like to get away from that. The Mazdaspeed 3 intrigues me too, but it too requires premium.