Small Space Driving: Mini Cooper Clubman

I need a new car. My Jeep still functions properly, but it is officially ten years old. I’m quite impressed with how well its held up but it’s time for something new.

I have been quite impressed with all the incentives lately as auto manufactures try to out do each other with interest rates and warranties. So I have been checking around for the best deal.

My wife and I love Minis and we are definitely in the market for a more fuel-efficient vehicle. We are also urban dwellers, so smaller is definitely better.

The Mini has much of what we are looking for except well its mini. We travel a good bit in the summer — especially to and from the cottage. Thus we need some cargo room. That’s where the Mini Cooper Clubman comes in.

The Mini Cooper Clubman is the 2008 version of the Mini Countryman, a sort of a mini Station Wagon. It is still petite at only nine inches longer the current Mini. But it also has some interesting features that make it a bit more realistic than the standard Mini.

The passenger side of the Clubman has an addition door that provides more direct access to the back seats. The back also opens — it has two smaller doors that hinge to the right and left rather than one large door. These rear doors also have offset hinges that allow you to fill the entire cargo area without worry of the doors sliming the opening. The rear seats fold down providing even more cargo area.

My favorite feature, however, is the gas mileage — 37 MPG is great. With prices starting at 20,000, the Mini Cooper Clubman is definitely a real contender for our next auto.

Small Space Folding Bike

Brompton Bicycles has been making its genius little folders for more than 30 years. These bikes fold down to a 10" x 24" x 32" package to facilitate easy storage.

The bikes fold and unfold quickly. They are not the lightest bikes; most models weigh around 25 pounds, but the weight denotes the quality of the build. The 16" wheels may look small, but offer performance similar to larger wheels — they have more strength.

Bike riding is all around good. It’s good for you and good for the environment. Anything that makes biking easier gets kudos from me. An easy to stow bike could be just the thing you need.

Skeppshult Bikes

Photo Credits Skeppshult Bikes
Bikes are an ideal mode of transportation in the city, epically if you live in a bike-friendly city. Pittsburgh is a fairly bike-friendly as far as the infrastructure goes. There are paved bike trails everywhere, and bike lanes on many streets. The geography is slightly less bike-friendly — if you have ever been here, you know it’s a hilly bugger of a city. Despite the geography handicap, I continually see more and more people on bikes.

If you intend to make a real go of commuting on a bike or even using it for short jaunts, you need a good bike. When your bike is constantly breaking down or it is not tough enough to deal with the rigors of city life it makes biking a lot less fun.

Skeppshult has been producing classic bikes in Sweden for nearly 100 years. Bikes are far more prevalent in all of Europe than here in the US. I think these rugged handsome bikes have a good deal to do with that. Skeppshult Bikes are built to last. Their most popular model, the Nature, is the quintessential classic bicycle. There is just something romantic and enduring about the design of this bike.

As spring nears, get out there on your bike. If you can’t ride to work, take it to the corner store. Or just cruise about your neighborhood. Its great exercise and better for the environment than your car.

Small Space Nomad

There is something romantic about the thought of a nomadic existence. Traveling around the world, seeing the sights and bringing home with you! We have all seen Airstreams and various other travel trailer options. This is something totally different. The TerraCross “Home on Wheels” manufactured buy UNICAT has it all.

These are some of the most remarkable living and traveling options I have seen. The exterior looks a bit like a European delivery truck or perhaps a military vehicle. But the inside is a marvel of small design; they remind me of high-end yachts. Not sure I exactly want to know what the price tag is.

Pacsafe Dailysafe Backpack

If you’re like me, you have stuff. Ok I’m unabashedly a gadget guy. I have it all — Laptop, iPod, GPS and so much more. I don’t often travel with it all, but sometimes I need stuff. So the problem when you travel: how do you bring all your stuff and not worry about who is doing what with it in the hotel room.

Pacsafe has solutions for all your travel needs. They make a complete line of travel friendly, slash proof, lockable and snatch proof bags. The dailysafe is one such bag. It is small enough to be easily carried and large enough to stash quite a bit gear. It is not possible to easily cut through the Xomesh panels that protect your stuff. It also has a snatch proof teather that allows you anchor the bag to objects in your hotel room like the bed frame or pluming fixtures. With such features, it nearly impossible to heist your valuables.

If you travel — or even if you live with unsavory roommates — it’s a great way to protect your investments.

$2,500 Mini Car The Tata Nano

At $2,500 the Tata Nano or “the peoples car” is set to become the new Volkswagen Beetle. Although smaller than the Beetle, technology has allowed for some innovations over the German version of “The Peoples Car”. This 4-door, 5 passenger mini car has a 2-cylinder 634cc rear-mounted engine. It is expected to get 50 MPG. Though I’m not sure we would actually see this vehicle stateside, I think Cadillac Escalades would roll right over it like a speed bump, it’s set for release in India.

I am already hearing about the environmental impact flooding the roads of India with a million of theses buggers a year, that’s the intended production number. I also can’t help but to think, how can we cast the first stone; at least they are flooding the streets with small cars.

Still it is quite a marvel that in today’s market that a company could sell a vehicle, all be it a small one, for $2,500. I am sure this car will enrich the lives of many.

Small Space Travel

I have always loved Airstream travel trailers. They are an American classic; they conjure up images of 1950’s family vacations. The sleek aluminum lines have always looked futuristic to me like some sort of torpedo on wheels roaming the highways.

Now just to make us lust after them even more, Airstream has teamed up with Design Within Reach to design a 16-foot tribute to modern design. Designer Chris Deam has put together a fantastic piece of classic Americana. It can all be yours for just under $50,000, but oh the places you could go.