There’s no better way to unwind than on a year-end road trip to Kuala Lumpur in a MINI

Photos by: Jay Tee and Luke Pereira

KUALA LUMPUR

If there is one thing worth setting aside time for after a busy year, it’s definitely to recharge and unwind on a road trip. It didn’t take much convincing for my friend Jay to agree as we shared the wheel in a MINI embarking on a drive up to Kuala Lumpur (KL), the national capital of Malaysia.

You see, we gents take style really seriously. And the MINI Cooper S Clubman is not just one of its best-selling, compact luxury wagons around, but it packs plenty of serious sartorial points too.

Take, for example, the LED Union-Jack tail lights, and the updated front radiator grille which extends across the entire bumper. Another way to identify the Cooper S Clubman, besides the bonnet scoop and the ‘S’ badge, is the black ‘eyeliner’ around the headlights, which nicely fits our theme for the trip: Licence to Thrill.

The Cooper S Clubman is essentially the wagon, or estate, version of a modern MINI. It blends MINI style with practicality, such as the hands-free opening of the rear hatch doors. The wide loading aperture is another plus. Should Jay turn out to be a hidden shopper inside, the Cooper S Clubman offers 360 litres of boot space and up to 1,350 litres with the rear seats folded down, which got me thinking, how much can a guy actually shop in a day?

Throughout the trip, I could enjoy the MINI App’s digital services once I got connected to the car. This includes the sending of navigation destinations from my smartphone to the vehicle and receiving information regarding the ideal departure time depending on the real-time traffic situation. It was also a cinch to check up on the Clubman Cooper S’ location and fuel level via the Remote Services function – I could also activate the headlight flasher, horn, and ventilation, and manage the door locking and unlocking all with a push of a button.

Connecting to the MINI App was very easy, too. All you need is your vehicle’s VIN number, and simply key it in the app when you get your vehicle. That would prompt a verification code to your MINI which you can access under ‘MINI Connected’  and you can retrieve that code via the ‘messages’ function. Then, key in the six-digit code in your MINI app and your MINI is successfully mapped to your app. All that convenience under a minute of your time is extremely seamless and fool-proof.

I don’t know much about Jay, but I had little intention of stopping as the idea of our gorgeous boutique hotel awaits us. What’s left is some 337km of highway driving before we can check ourselves into a really Instagram-worthy overnight stop.

I had no worries throughout the drive up to KL. I must admit, the Cooper S Clubman’s interior is comfortable and very roomy for a car of this size, partly a result of its elongated and flat roofline.  There’s no mistaking what brand of car I was in with the Union Jack motifs in many places inside and outside the car.

The dashboard features MINI’s traditional central circular infotainment unit, which includes a dependable 8.8-inch touch-enabled screen, making our search for food extremely efficient as our bellies were groaning by the time we arrived at Yong Peng’s rest stop. The incorporation of Apple CarPlay was also a great touch since we digital-age inhabitants wouldn’t survive a day if we had to rely on printed maps.

The Cooper S Clubman offers a lovely ride quality, with its long wheelbase ironing over lumpy road surfaces. Despite its greater dimensions, it doesn’t feel large and still carries MINI’s great driving position. The nice control weight and feel are unique compared to its rivals. If you’re into the technical figures, the MINI Cooper S Clubman is powered by a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder turbocharged engine that produces 178PS and 280Nm of torque.

Having not been to KL for the longest time, as we passed every welcome signboard, it reminded me how every corner is a testament to assimilation into urban life regardless of origin and class. The vibrancy of KL, from the glittering skyscrapers to the quaint coffee shops, is a real experience. It wasn’t long until we made it to KLoé Hotel.

KLoé is a boutique hotel for creative nomads. There are 80 rooms in total and five artist lofts hugging a central courtyard, connected by open walkways and lush green walls. You can opt for either the city or pool view for rooms. The lobby offers a really zen vibe, which was exactly what we needed after spending hours on the roads.

We decided to hit Troika Sky Dining for dinner, which is atop the iconic Norman Foster building with views overlooking the KLCC park and the KL skyline. There’s no escaping the fact that traffic is heavy given that we’re in Malaysia’s largest city, so having a dinner location two kilometres away from our stay would seem right.

Troika is made up of five different restaurants and offers some of the city’s best dining experiences. After reviewing their menus, we decided to go with Italian fare at Strato. Located 23 floors above the ground and overlooking the picturesque KL skyline, Italian food surely didn’t disappoint. The food was flavourful as well as value for money. Should you find yourself in KL and looking for a place that brings both flavour and ambience, this is the place for you.

After stuffing our tummies, we decided to go for a drink. I found a place called Frank’s Bar, located at Avenue K mall, 150m from Strato. Frank’s Bar had live Christmas trees, and warm ambient lighting paired with brown leather couches, which was a no-brainer for us gents to relax and unwind. Frank’s Bar stood out from the others as it was all about music. The bar has a ‘sonic-ageing project’ which uses a new-age ageing method that is known to speed up the alcohol ageing process and enhance the flavour of barreled liquor by the use of music.

I had the Signature Jack N’ Fig’s while Jay went with a non-alcoholic mojito – that spelt the end of my time behind the wheel (for the day) as we are big believers in driving responsibly.

We got up bright and early at six to avoid any potential jams on the way back to Singapore which meant McDonald’s breakfast on the go. We waved goodbye to our lovely KLoé hotel with some four hours of highway driving (338km estimated) till home sweet home.

Jay and I shared the wheel on the way back with the intention of stopping as little as possible. I was relatively impressed with his taste in music throughout the drive, and the Clubman Cooper S’ standard six-speaker system did a lovely job of banging out our favourite tunes. Given how Jay just loves his music, I really felt the reverberation from the bass notes, with the sweet clarity all through the rest of the range.

Nothing beats a year-end road trip with some friends for an exciting time in KL. Even better, you can do it in a car like the MINI Cooper S Clubman, which consistently provides the best in refinement –  just what a gentleman is looking for.

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