pet connection

A few days ago I was jazzed by the idea that there will soon be a Mini wagon in the U.S. And now, maybe an ultracool little dogmobile from Honda, too!

First, the Mini. As reported in Automobilemag.com:

Despite rumors that Mini’s concept car at Frankfurt would be an SUV, a four-door sedan, or a roadster, it ended up being less removed from the traditional tiny two-door Mini that so many have fallen in love with. The concept, called Mini Concept Frankfurt–a name that Homer Simpson might have come up with–is still a two-door box, taking its inspiration from the Mini Countryman of the 1960s. The difference between this one and a regular Mini is that it has a longer wheelbase and a station wagon rear end. Most of the extra space goes into the rear cargo compartment, which German BMW executives showed off with an obedient twenty-five-pound pooch. Access to the back end is through vertically split rear doors, which are notable for the fact that they open independent of the taillights (see photos). Rear-seat passengers who like the wind buffeting in their faces would enjoy the sliding rear side windows.

How cute is that? Here are more pictures, and the whole article.

Then, Dr. Becker sent me a link to a story about a cool new dog van from Honda. Currently only  avaliable in Japan, the vehicle apparently comes equipped with your choice of dog. (Talk about your option packages!) From Autoblog:

Honda has come up with a special edition vehicle that combines my fascination with all things kei with my love for our canine friends. It’s all uniquely Japanese of course, which makes it even better. Seriously, stuff like this is the reason I keep an eye on JDM happenings. Getting to the point, I’m referring to the newly released Honda Vamos Travel Dog edition.

The Vamos, for those of you unfamiliar with Honda’s home-market offerings, is a kei-class minivan (that incidentally can be made to look unbelievably cool with aftermarket help). The Travel Dog edition equips it with several features that make it easier to accommodate your furry best friends when they’re along for the ride.

Again, very promising! Here’s where to go for the rest of the story and more pictures.

Today is trade-out day here at Dogmobile Central. The Subaru B9 Tribeca (review soon) is being picked up, and a Dodge Nitro being dropped off.