Wheels

Drive Ride: Mini Cooper Clubman S x Giant Propel Advanced 1

Two powerhouses

that were made

for each other

and right side, allowing for quick deposit
and retrieval of items, while negating
the trouble with lifting hatchlids which
might hit low-rise ceilings. Boot space
is separated into two decks, with a
detachable middle floor that gives rise to
even more boot space. Not enough? The
seats fold down quickly with a pull of the
risers, resulting in 1356 litres of usable
space in a reasonably compact body.
The MINI Cooper Clubman featured
in this particular feature is its higher-
horsepower S variant that boasts a 2.0
litre engine that churns out 192bhp, pretty
impressive for a car weighs in 1.4 tons.
A helpful dose of 280Nm of torque and
an eight-speed automatic gearbox whips
the 0-100km/h record in just slightly over
seven seconds. Being a natural MINI, the
Clubman S carries the typical handling
traits that the world so remembers it
for. Thanks to its adaptive suspension
settings, these can be left in Comfort
Mode for a relaxing drive, or set into
absolute firmness with the Sport setting,
providing maximum go-karting pleasure
when one feels like carving corners.

The Giant Propel Advanced 1
It is no secret that Giant is currently the
world’s largest bicycle manufacturer. The
Taiwan-based company has facilities all
across the world, in its native country, as
well as in China and even the Netherlands.
Giant’s reputation for creating some
of the most “bang for buck” bicycles
is renowned. The Taiwanese bike
manufacturer has various distribution and
sales points setup across the world, due
to the large demand for their bikes. These
countries include the United States of
America, Australia and even Japan, who
make up for quite a fair bit of demand for
bikes that serve a niche purpose.
Giant’s delving into all disciplines of
biking has earned it some fame, with
bikes that have been created for the
sole purpose of excelling in each sector.
The bike of interest today however, is
the Propel model, a road bike that offers
exceptional value, given the extensive
amount of research and development
that Giant has put it through.
The Propel as the name suggests,
is an aerodynamically sculpted
bike, created in the bowels of
Giant’s laboratory, which houses
wind-tunnel facilities. Designed to

deliver cutting edge aerodynamic

performance with the lowest drag

coefficient possible, the Propel is

offered in two materials, ALUXX and

carbon composite. Today’s interest

however, is in the Propel Advanced

1 model, finished in lightweight

and durable carbon composite.

Delivering race-like performance at

an affordable price, the folks at Giant

have delivered the Propel Advanced 1 in

black and orange contrast. Stiff enough

for the hardest of sprints, the Propel

Advanced 1 packs an OverDrive steerer

tube and a PowerCore bottom bracket

to further sharpen its speedy properties,

alongside a multitude of top-tier parts,

such as Shimano’s 11-speed Ultegra

groupset and aerodynamic brakes

tucked behind the front and rear forks

for ultimate aerodynamic efficiency.

Match Made On Earth

These two machines are the perfect

match on the roads, both surpassing

previously-set expectations. The MINI

Cooper Clubman S takes Giant’s Propel

Advanced 1 neatly with the easy swing of

the “barn doors”, proving that space isn’t

really a constraint even on a MINI. The

Clubman S will take you on an adventure

through winding roads, while you soak up

the extra miles at punishing speeds with

ease on the Giant Propel Advanced 1.

March 2016 // 49