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Sleeping in a car is never an enjoyable experience. Sleeping on a car usually isn't much better, but what if you could somehow bung a tent into the equation to ease the pain?
Step forward Italian firm Autohome, who specialise in providing roof tent solutions for a variety of vehicles. This time, they've teamed up with MINI to provide a neat system for the new Countryman that takes the misery, grazed knuckles and swearing out of pitching a tent in the wind.
Accessed by an aluminium ladder and featuring enough space for two, the tent looks just like a conventional roof box when closed, with aerodynamic lines for minimal wind resistance. Gas pressure springs open up the rain-proof structure once safety clamps are released, and the assembly measures 2.1m long, 1.3m wide and just under a metre tall at full spread. There's an LED interior light included, along with a mattress and plenty pockets for storage.
Handily, the system utilises the Countryman's standard roof rails and fits directly to the roof rail carrier found on MINI's own options list, and is available in either black or white to go with the car's roof and door mirror caps. Autohome have been at this gig for more than fifty years and their products are even used on professional expeditions, so the odd spontaneous night under the stars should pose no problem for this bit of kit.