Story so far has been that the cooper handles nicely but I have been struggling to get to grips with breaking and downshifts approaching corners all just a bit grabby.
So I found my self again late at night rolling onto a deserted devils beeftub, a glorious stretch of road heading up out of Moffat and all the way to Edinburgh.
The first ten miles are arguably the best, The road winds up the hills, initially throwing in some hairy tightening bends before loosening up into a supurb run of sweepers which can be taken as rapidly as you dare or the headlights allow.
setting off on full beam plus fogs revealed far improved vision in standard evening weather and i coupled that with pre-planned theme of heal and toe for downshifts to third or second and standard shifts when coming down to fourth of fifth.
The result was I got the car properly hooked up for the first time and it started to deliver on its early promise. The surface was damp which lessened the grip levels and bought the car alive, no slides or craziness well within the limits of the car, but it really 'got down the road nicely', as Brewer might say.
Only on catching and passing a lonesome x5 did I realise the speed we were carrying, sweeping by as if it was stationary. I did the same again to a chavvy rover a few minutes later and At around this point I also realised that the car was staking a place in my top ten night drives list, genuinely giving me a bit of a 'driving moment'.
Despite the relative lack of power it was delivering where my Leon fr failed, enjoyment and chuck it down the road type fun. Its not brilliant, too heavy and underpowered for that, but very very good.
Downsides, the quoted mpg is a pipe dream at the best of times but when you push on, boy does it like a drink!
Other than that 4,000 miles in and I am warming to the clubman, it does most things I want out of a company car, and is working well as a surf vehicle.
I wouldn't be surprised if the SD does not give similar economy and if so, with the extra shove from the engine, it must be a cracking car.
Landing in 25 mins.....
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