Volante - Issue 9 - 2016

F SUR TO

BIA - A S RA

PLEME N UP

TERRE A LA

A JOURNAL FOR THE GENTLEMAN DRIVER

HOME SPEAKER SYSTEMS REDEFINE THE SOUNDS OF YOUR SUMMER

ASTON MARTIN DB11

OUR EXCLUSIVE ROAD TEST REVEALS WHAT ALL THE FUSS IS ABOUT

ISSUE 09

THE FUTURE OF CARS A RADICAL NEW VISION FROM MINI, BMW AND ROLLS-ROYCE

Ferrari Roars Back

QR40 AED40 BHD4 KWD3 OMR4

We tame the California T HS

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BEST NEW WATCHES FOR THE MODERN GENTLEMAN

PLUS: MERCEDES-AMG S63 CABRIO (AND ITS WILD GREEN COUSIN)

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1950 Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 SS

Pinin Farina Super Sport cabriolet, exceptional restoration, matching numbers, Weber carbs

1965 Shelby 289 Cobra

CSX2524, late production with rack and pinion steering, documented in Shelby World Registry

1958 Ferrari 250 GT PF coupe

S/N 0953 GT, Pinin Farina coupe fresh engine rebuild, restored, factory Classiche Certified

1988 Porsche 959 komfort

Graphite metallic with grey, 21kkm, original manuals and tools, fresh major servicing

Copley Motorcars 37 Chestnut Street Needham, Massachussetts 02492 USA Tel. +1 781.444.4646 I e-mail: copleycars@gmail.com I www.copleymotorcars.com

Thoroughbred Motorcars For almost half a century, The Stable, Ltd. has been quietly providing discriminating clients with fabulous collectible cars.

We have enjoyed these automobiles and immensely appreciate the interests and loyalty of our many, many repeat customers upon whom our business is based.

Purveyors of Automotive Heirlooms for 43 years.

2017 Main St. • Gladstone, New Jersey 07934 • Fax: 908-781-2599 Sales: 908-234-2055 • Service: 908-234-1755 • Storage: 908-234-2595 www.stableltd.com

A sampling of motorcars we have privately placed recently.

2007 ASTON MARTIN DB-9 VANTAGE VOLANTE

1960 BENTLEY S-II JAMES YOUNG CONTINENTAL SALOON

1969 JAGUAR XKE COUPE

A pampered local car since new. Unmarked black interior with as-new Parchment hide interior and black top. V12, 190 mph, a true sports luxury car. All original manuals, tool and service records.

11,582 miles. $76,500.

One of just 36 beautiful cars built by James Young. Ordered, built and delivered to Sir Egbert Cadbury, Director of Cadbury Chocolates.

Gorgeous Garnet body, new tan Connolly hides throughout. 41,437 miles. $195,000.

A truly rare find: one owner/one driver since new! All numbers matching, never damaged! Every repair order since 1969, all original delivery papers, window sticker, manuals, tools, brochures, etc., just serviced. Fabulous throughout in Willow Green/biscuit leather. 83,315 miles. $78,000

1937 BENTLEY 4-1/4 CLOSE-COUPLED, RAZOR-EDGE SALOON

1965 ALPHA ROMEO 2600 TOURING SPIDER

2000 FERRARI 360 MODENA F-1 BERLINATTA

Gorgeous Touring body in red with original cream leather and new black cloth convertible top. Original 2.6-litre, twin-cam, triple carb. engine and 5-speed trans. Original tool kit. We sold this car 10 years ago with 58,877 miles and have just gotten it back, now with 57,074 miles. Beautiful and drives fabulously well. $125,000.

The 1937 Freestone and Webb Earl’s Court Bentley show car w/ fabulous razor-edge styling, polished aluminium fascia, etc. Just had $70,000 mechanical overhaul. 77,618 miles. $220,000.

With a top speed of 189 mph and a 0-60 time of 4.2 seconds, this is fabulous. Ours is beautiful in “Tour de France Blue” with sumptuous Cuoio leather piped dark blue. Heavily optioned with Scuderia Shields, Challenge Tachometer, Grill and Exhaust, electric Daytona seats, yellow brake calipers, etc. Service records including major belt service. 14,141 miles. $83,000.

1969 MERCEDES-BENZ 280SL COUPE ROADSTER

1971 ALFA ROMEO GTV COUPE

1948 TALBOT LAGO T-26 RECORD COACH SURPROFILE SUNROOF COUPE

A pampered local car since new. Unmarked black interior with asnew Parchment hide interior and black top. V12, 190 mph, a true sports luxury car. All original manuals, tool and service records.

11,582 miles. $115,000.

Original 1,750-cc drivetrain but now with twin Webers. Beautiful red body and black leather interior. Drives wonderfully well.

58,381 miles. $47,500.

Purchased in France in 1960 and owned by one enthusiast for the past 51 years. An extremely elegant, original and correct car, driven on many tours and VSCCA rallies over the years. Recently serviced and ready to continue tours and rallies. 50,945 miles. $135,000.

2011 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 COUPE A local, collector-owned car with an amazing list of options, Nearnew, 100% original condition throughout. Beautiful Sonic Blue Metallic with Graphite leather and equipped with the Z07 package, carbon fibre, ceramic brakes, etc. Accompanied by all original books and tools. 17,092 miles. $59,000

1986 MERCEDES-BENZ 560SL COUPE/ROADSTER We just purchased this from the estate of its local long-term owner. A gorgeous, absolutely rust-free body in original Signal Red (body and hard top), beautiful untouched Palomino leather and excellent convertible top. Just fully serviced by us and drives great. Accompanied by original tools, manuals, first aid kit, etc.

44,104 miles. $34,000.

1950 MGTD ROADSTER An amazingly correct, pristine and great driving car. Beautiful black body, dark red leather, black top, tonneau and side curtains.

Complete with original owner’s manual, shop manual, parts manual and showroom brochure. “MG Midge” mascot is present on the radiator. 71,941 miles. $29,000.

1986 AC AUTOKRAFT COBRA ROADSTER

2001 PORSCHE 911 TURBO COUPE

1962 CORVETTE FUEL-INJECTED CONVERTIBLE

With full and interesting history from new. Completely original and gorgeous red all-aluminium body and black leather. Extremely strong original fuel-injected 5.0-litre Ford engine and Borg Warner 5-speed gearbox. Every bit of documentation since being flown from England to its home here. Fabulous to drive! 7,212 miles. $165.000.

A low mileage, California car from new. With the twin turbo, 3.6-litre engine, Tiptronic S transmission, all-wheel-drive plus PSM, the car is fabulous to drive. Completely original in unmarked Guards Red with as-new black leather. Accompanied by all books and tools. Serviced right up to date. 26,807 miles. $53,500.

A true survivor in white with black interior with both tops, original fuel-injection (just rebuilt). A California car which moved to Florida 15 years ago and has remained very correct and fabulous to drive. 60,894 miles. $95,000.

THOROUGHBRED MOTORCARS

53 great cars currently in our Gladstone showroom 217 Main Street ● Gladstone, NJ 0734 ● Fax: 908-781-2599 Sales: 908-234-2055 ● Service: 908-234-1755 ● Storage: 908-234-2595 www.stableltd.com

WHERE ALL ROADS LEAD WHEREVER YOU’RE FROM, AND WHEREVER YOU’RE GOING, YOU’LL FIND A CAR THAT MOVES YOU.

editor's letter

M

y desk in the Volante office looks out over Doha’s sweeping Corniche. Some afternoons – especially late in the day and especially over deadline – my mind will wander, and I’ll gaze out over the view of the Gulf. Inevitably, my eye will stop on the traffic on Al Corniche Street.

One of the great automotive stereotypes you’ll hear about this region is that the cars are “all white Land Cruisers”. What I’ve found – through my laborious studies of that rush hour traffic – is that that’s simply not true. Every time I look out of my window, high up in Salam Tower, I’m struck by the diversity of the cars on our roads. Jeep. Ferrari.

Aston Martin. BMW. Infiniti.

You’ll see marques from all over the world in this region. America. Italy. Great

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Is it the Camaro’s Indy 500 heritage that makes it so appealing?

Britain. Germany. China.

That atlas of automobiles acts like a microcosm of the region: a place where it seems like everybody you meet is from somewhere else.

That’s something we’ll always celebrate in the pages of Volante: vehicles we love, from all over the world, and in all shapes and forms – whether that’s new cars, classic cars, bikes, boats or anything else.

If it moves you, it moves us.

In our revamped First Gear section, you’ll read about the local launch of the new Chevrolet Camaro.

It’s not a luxury automobile (there you’re looking at the über-cool Aston Martin DB11 or the Mercedes-AMG S63 Cabrio), but it’s certainly a car that moves me. It’s hard to explain my fascination with the Camaro. It may have to do with its Indy 500 pace car heritage; it’s more likely because, often when I stare out my window I’ll have an old Pearl Jam song playing in my head: “I wish I was the full moon shining off a Camaro’s hood…”

It could be either, depending on how you look at it.

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PS. On a personal note, I have to thank Volante founding editor James McCarthy for the outstanding product he’s handed over to me. I feel like the satisfied driver of a classic car, who’s taking the wheel of a vehicle that’s been driven well, maintained impeccably, polished regularly and kept in perfect running order.

Thank you, James.

EDITOR Mark van Dijk

YOUR EYES ONLY DB11 After the DB9 – and with a James Bond 10 in between – Aston Martin return with a triumphant DB11.

Contents 

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Does the new Aston Martin DB11 live up to all the hype?

We took it for an exclusive pre-launch test drive to find out.

When I write that I am one of a select few media to drive a pre-production Aston Martin DB11, I do so with a sense of glee that's rather difficult to contain without appearing like a smug you-know-what

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The Camaro celebrates 50 years at the Indy500... and a thrilling launch in Qatar!

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Maserati's Levante SUV blows into the GCC. Are you ready for an extreme luxury off-roader?

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Meet the smart new scooter that extends your journey from your car to your desk.

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Now hear this! We reveal the best new sound systems for your home – and your weekend.

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Our cover story takes the Ferrari California T’s Handling Speciale package for a test drive.

It’s loud, it’s entertaining… but is it any better than the original Cali?

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Start your engines! First Gear includes the launches, concepts and news you need to know from the motoring world, while our revamped Gear pages showcase the accessories your lifestyle demands.

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We encounter the Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG 4-Matic Cabriolet on the glamorous French Riviera... and then meet its big green sibling, the new AMG GT R.

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Our cover story looks at the Ferrari California T's new Handling Speciale package, and the difference it makes to the Cali's driving experience.

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We showcase 23 new models, from BaselWorld 2016 and beyond, which prove that there's never been a better time to invest in a luxury wristwatch.

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Wind back the clock at the Grand Prix Monaco Historique, where classic racing cars do what they were born to do: race!

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p66

Between smartwatches, fitness trackers, wearable tech and the simple fact that most people just use their phones to tell the time, you'd be forgiven for thinking the global watchmaking industry's time is up. You'd be forgiven, but you'd be mistaken.

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To celebrate its 100th anniversary, the BMW Group present an ambitious glimpse into the future of automobiles. We reveal three automotive concepts – from Mini, BMW and RollsRoyce – and examine what they will mean for the Gentleman Driver of the year 3016.

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Contributors KEVIN HACKETT A Dubai-based freelance writer, self-confessed curmudgeon and perennial Volante favourite, Kevin Hackett has written for publications in the UK, USA, Europe, Australia and, of course, the Middle East. He’s one of just 30 journalists in the world to have driven the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport – and he tested out the new Aston Martin DB11 before pretty much anybody else in the GCC. Instagram: @mrkevinhackett

DAMIEN REID One of Australia’s finest exports, Dubai-based freelancer Damien Reid has been test driving cars – and writing about it – since before most of his peers had their driver’s licences. We love his written work, but most folks know him for his voice: he’s Formula One Management’s official outdoor commentator for the F1 Fanzone in Abu Dhabi, and circuit commentator for the Dubai Autodrome and Yas Marina Circuit.

Instagram: @damienreid

JAMES NICHOLLS A writer, lecturer, broadcaster and auctioneer, James Nicholls has had the life and career that most journalists – and most men – can only dream of. He’s worked in an official capacity at eight Summer and Winter Olympics, and used to be a professional cricket player. As a qualified General Purpose Deck Hand, he’s our go-to man when it comes to classic boats.

Twitter: @ScarabottiJames

NOTE FROM THE EDITOR: It’s inevitable, when a new editor takes the wheel, that a magazine will change direction slightly. That, naturally, will be the case now with Volante as I step into the role recently vacated

by James McCarthy. As this issue’s content shows, we will always write about cars: new cars, classic cars, concept cars, luxury cars, rare cars… as well as motorbikes, boats and anything else that has a motor and a driving passion behind it.

After all, Volante is, and will always be, a journal for the gentleman driver.

But there’s more to the life of a gentleman driver than merely his automobile. His life – and our expanded vision for Volante – includes where he goes, how he lives, what he wears, how he experiences his world and how he distinguishes himself as a gentleman. It includes a look into his future, together with a respectful nod to his past, and to the rich heritage of the brands, places and vehicles that fill his life. You’ll notice some of these changes in this new-look issue, with further changes in our issues going forward. We like to think of it less as a change in direction, and more as a continuation of the journey. And as always, we’re very happy to have you along for the ride.

QUOTE OF THE ISSUE “Whenever I’m home, I’m transported back to my childhood, and to the sound of that bass and ballbearing exhaust idling up my street.”

– Damien Reid, Grace And Noise, page 50 12

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DIRECTOR OF PUBLICATIONS Mohamed Jaidah m.jaidah@firefly-me.com GENERAL MANAGER Joe Marritt j.marritt@firefly-me.com EDITOR Mark van Dijk m.vandijk@firefly-me.com CREATIVE DIRECTOR Helen Louise Carter FINALISER Ron Baron INTERNATIONAL SALES DIRECTOR Julia Toon j.toon@firefly-me.com REGIONAL SALES Area Manager, Qatar Chirine Halabi, c.halabi@firefly-me.com PRINTING & DISTRIBUTION Logistics Manager Joseph Isaac PRINTER Ali Bin Ali Printing Press, Doha, Qatar PUBLISHER: Firefly Communications, PO Box 11596, Doha, Qatar.

Tel: +974 4434 0360 Fax: +974 4434 0359 info@firefly-me.com www.firefly-me.com www.volantemagazine.com @volante_magazine ©2015 Volante is published as a monthly supplement to Sur la Terre Arabia by Firefly Communications in Qatar and Urjuan Media in the UAE. All material is strictly copyright and all rights are reserved. Reproduction in whole, or in part, without the prior written permission of Firefly Communications or Urjuan Media, is prohibited. All content is believed to be factual at the time of going to print, and contributors’ views are their own derived opinions and not necessarily that of Firefly Communications, Urjuan Media or Volante.

No responsibility or liability is accepted by the publishers or editorial staff for any loss occasioned to any individual or company, legally, financially or physically, as a result of any statement, fact, figure or expression of opinion or belief appearing in Volante. Thanks to Lord Sebastian de Groot van Embden, for his unwavering support and sweet, sweet snacks.

The publisher does not officially endorse any advertising or advertorial content for third party products. Photography and image credits, where not otherwise stated, are those of Getty Images and/or Shutterstock and/or Firefly Communications / Urjuan Media, each of which retains their individual copyrights.

CAMARO CHAMELEON PACE CAR The Chevrolet Camaro's Indy500 legacy began with the 1967 Camaro.

First Gear

global news

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CHEVROLET

FLEXES ITS MUSCLE

Plus: The Camaro’s proud history at the Indianapolis 500

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In automotive news, the Mazda RX-Vision joins Volvo and Aston Martin as winners at the Car Design Awards.

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We unveil the latest new cars, including the Austin-inspired Mini 7, the Audi A5 and (believe it or not) the #PinkBeetle.

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There's no future for the retrostyled Kawasaki W800.

So what killed this iconic motorcyle?

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We showcase the tech your lifestyle demands... including the latest sound systems for your listening pleasure.

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New Launch Every part of the new Camaro has been reimagined, resulting in a lighter, more precise vehicle.

LIGHTS, CAMARO, ACTION

All-new 2016 Chevrolet Camaro flexes its muscle at exclusive regional launch 14

I

n the States, they’re usually called muscle cars… but in some parts of town they’re also known as “pony cars”: compact, highly styled automobiles with a performance edge and a sporty attitude. The all-new 2016 Chevrolet Camaro ticks all those boxes, but with the powerful 6.2-litre direct-injected Small Block V8 kicking out 455bhp, it also boasts plenty of horsepower, and – if you’ll excuse the equestrian theme – it’s got a kick like a mule.

The six-generation Camaro celebrated its Middle East launch at the Chevrolet showroom in Jaidah Square in Doha. Speaking at the exclusive event, Mohammed Jaidah, Group Executive Director of

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FACT

27%

Jaidah Automotive, said: “We are excited to reveal the all-new 2016 Chevrolet Camaro, which utilises the latest technologies in its segment and limited to the Camaro.

General Motors are continuously seeking innovative means to further enhance performance and appearance.

As Chevrolet’s most popular model, the all-new Camaro has exceeded expectation. Its performance and handling capabilities provide a faster, smoother driving experience.”

It’s the sort of car that screams for a test drive – if only for its raw power. In testing, the 2016 Camaro went from zero to 100mph (160km/h) to zero in just 313 metres. That’s 100m less than its closest sector competitor. It pulls this off thanks, in large part, to a 90kg weight reduction and an aerodynamic design that came out of 350 hours of wind tunnel testing. Like the fifth-generation Camaro, the 2016 version is available as either a coupe or a convertible; but it’s 58mm shorter in length, 20mm narrower and 28mm shorter in height.

The smoother driving experience that Mohammed Jaidah was talking about is a result of the Camaro’s Magnetic Ride Control active suspension (previously only available on the Camaro ZL1), and active suspension that reads road and driving conditions 1000 times per second,

of Indy500 races have had a Chevy pace car LEADER OF THE PACK Highlights from Camaro’s proud history at the Indianapolis 500

1967

The inaugural Camaro serves as the Indy pace car.

1969

The Camaro RS/SS features iconic orangeover-white stripes.

“AS CHEVROLET’S MOST POPULAR MODEL, THE ALL-NEW CAMARO HAS EXCEEDED EXPECTATION. ITS PERFORMANCE AND HANDLING CAPABILITIES PROVIDE A FASTER, SMOOTHER, DRIVING EXPERIENCE.” automatically adjusting the damper settings to optimise ride comfort and control. And it really is “all-new”: over 70% of the sixth-gen model’s architectural components are unique, and are not shared with any other current General Motors vehicle.

Other features include an all-new Drive Mode Selector, Head-Up Display, wireless smartphone charger, Apple CarPlay., and segment exclusive Interior Spectrum Lighting that delivers 24 different ambient lighting effects on the dash, door panels and centre console.

If you’re interested in a test drive (and, like we said in paragraph 3, why wouldn’t you be?), Jaidah Automotive has four showrooms in Doha, at Jaidah Square, Salwa Road, Jaidah Flyover and Al-Khor.

1993

The Z28 pace car launches the fourth-gen Camaro.

2016

Roger Penske drives the 2017 Camaro SS 50th Anniversary Edition.

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Camaro marks a milestone at the Brickyard as Indy 500 turns 100 WHEN THE INDIANAPOLIS 500 celebrated its 100th race this May, US motorsports geeks went into overdrive on their facts, stats and percentages. Among the records: Chevrolet’s dominance as the race’s official pace car. This year marked the 27th time since 1948 that a Chevrolet served as pace car, and the ninth time for Camaro.

The 2016 pace car was a unique version of the 2017 Camaro SS 50th Anniversary Edition, driven by Roger Penske, who himself marked 50 years as a race team owner. With 455 bhp on tap, the Camaro SS didn’t need any performance modifications ahead of the race.

Ahead of this latest edition of “The Greatest Spectacle In Racing” (gotta love that trademark American understatement), Chevrolet gathered all nine Camaro pace cars at the Brickyard for a retrospective celebration.

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HAMMER TIME

Rarities and collectibles catch the eye at Silverstone Auctions’ May sales.

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Lamborghinis, including that rare 1983 Countach 5000 S (sold for £281,250) and a 1989 Countach 25th Anniversary edition (£241,875). A very rare right-handdrive 1962 Maserati Sebring Series I, believed to be one of just 10 ever made, sold for £196,875, while a 1987 Ferrari Testarossa with just 12,425 miles on the clock went for £120,375. Nice deals, if you can get ’em.

A week later Silverstone Auctions headed outside the UK for its international debut at Denmark’s Classic Race Aarhus, where it achieved total sales of more than €2-million. Here the highlight was a pair of beautifully preserved Mercedes.

A hand-built 2010 recreation of the iconic Mercedes Benz 300SLR – one of only five in the world – sold for €326,250; while a 1964 Mercedes 600 formerly owned

by Danish tycoon Simon Spies sold for €140,630 (more than €20,000 over its lower estimate). Meanwhile, a 1991 BMW 850i with just one owner and an indicated mileage of 759km sold for €87,750 – reckoned to be a new record.

FACT

t sounds like a classic car lover’s ultimate wish list: 1962 Mercedes-Benz 190SL; 1983 Lamborghini Countach 5000 S; 1962 Maserati Sebring Series I... and so it continues. Those were just three of the cars sold at Silverstone Auctions’ May Sale at the Silverstone Circuit, where total sales passed £3.2-million. The ’96 Mercedes alone went for £101,813 – more than £30,000 over its estimated price. The highlight of the auction was a set of four

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£3.2m total sales at Silverstone

LAMBORGHINI

EXTRA INTEL At the Aarhus auction, we liked the as-new 1974 Volkswagen Beetle, which was found in a barn with barely 90km (that’s nine-zero) on the clock.

It sold for €38,250.

NEWS IN BRIEF

MASERATI

FERRARI’S SPECIALE DELIVERY 

STONER’S TAKE ON NEW DUCATI

The latest custom creation from Ferrari’s One-Off programme is the 458 MM Speciale, which was built for a British client who demanded extremely sporty lines and a ‘visor’ effect for the glasshouse. To meet the brief, the Ferrari Styling Centre used a black-painted A-pillar to provide a seamless wraparound between the windscreen and side windows.

You’ll never get an impartial review from a former employee… but when it’s ex-MotoGP champ Casey Stoner talking about Ducati’s new max-enduro, it’s worth hearing him out. “I love it,” he said after a test ride in the Bologna hills. “We know how Ducati is on-road, but honestly in off-road I can’t explain how good the Multistrada 1200 Enduro works. The weight keeps the bike stable – as on all of the big bikes – but on the Multistrada 1200 Enduro it feels like it’s a toy all the time. You want to change your line, and it changes line. It’s really something special. It has no limitations.”

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VOISIN SPEEDSTERS SET TO RETURN

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Nearly 90 years after smashing 17 speed records at Linas-Montlhéry’s 51° banked circuit, four classic Avions Voisin cars will return to Paris this September for the Les Grandes Heures Automobiles (LGHA). The 1927 Speed Record Voisin, which set a blistering pace of 183.8km/h 89 years ago, will appear alongside a 1921 C1 Competition, 1922 C3 and 1923 C6 Laboratoire – plus 200 other competition cars and motorcycles.

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WRAITH WOLF ROLLS INTO TOWN

A one-of-a-kind Rolls-Royce Wraith Wolf recently landed in the Doha showroom.

H NEWS IN BRIEF

ere at Volante, we have a thing for RollsRoyces. The new, one-of-one RollsRoyce Wraith Wolf Edition has done nothing to diminish that. The bespoke vehicle was hand-crafted by Rolls-Royce specialists in the marque’s Goodwood base over a period of 12 months, and features a striking Twilight

 CARBON COPY McLaren’s Special Operations division has created a limited edition MSO Carbon Series LT, based on the 675LT Spider but built almost entirely out of carbon fibre. Everything – from the front bumper and side skirts to the side intakes, diffuser, Longtail airbrake, electrically retractable roof and tonneau, A-pillars and rear bumper – is made out of carbon fire. Even the fuel filler flap. The result is a brutally stripped-down look with a brutally light weight and optimised aerodynamic performance. If you want one, you’re going to have to buy used: only 25 units were built, and they’ve all been sold already.

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Purple exterior with a wolf symbol placed Wolf motifs throughout the interior, as on each of the twin coach lines. embroidery on the headrest and as a central Unless it’s found an owner by the veneer inlay in the instrument panel. The time you read this, the Wraith Wolf craftsmanship continues through the bespoke can be admired at Rolls-Royce clock, all the way to the “One of One – The Motor Cars’s Doha showroom at Wolf Wraith” treadplates.

The Pearl.

“Wraith”, of course, refers to an EXTRA INTEL imperceptible force, inspired by Sir Henry Royce’s famous rallying cry: The Wraith Wolf uses a simple but “Take the best that exists and make striking colour palette: Twilight Purple it better.” The concept behind the for the exterior, with a light Magnolia Wraith Wolf is that it captures the interior and Purple Silk leather details. synergies between the mystical animal and the Wraith’s fleeting, enigmatic presence.

“True luxury is authentic, handcrafted and rare,” Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Doha General Manager Ihab Allam said on the Wolf Edition’s arrival in Qatar.

“The power of Rolls-Royce’s unparalleled Bespoke programme is that it FACT applies this ethos to the creation of automotive Time it took masterpieces that embody to build the the character of their Wraith Wolf owner. The Wraith Wolf Edition is the perfect demonstration of this.”

The Bespoke Designers

1 YEAR

FERRARI TAKES ENGINE OF THE YEAR Ferrari took the main prize at the International Engine of the Year Award ceremony, held in June at the Engine Expo 2016 in. The 63 jurors from more than 30 countries singled out the twin-turbo V8 that powers Ferrari’s 488 GTB, 488 Spider and the California T (albeit with a slightly different displacement).

Awards co-chairman Graham Johnson called the engine – which also won the New Engine and Performance Engine prizes – “a giant leap forward for turbocharged engines in terms of efficiency, performance and flexibility. It truly is the best engine in production today and will forever be remembered as one of the all-time greats.”

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 JEEP TRICKS In a publicity stunt that left even the most cynical of souls nodding in appreciation, Jeep recently took a Renegade Trailhawk up and down a 250-metre Olympic-standard white water rafting course. Jeep and Red Bull ambassador Aimee Fuller did the job at Cardiff’s International White Water Centre, battling a water flow that exceeded four tonnes per second.

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THE LONGEST DRIVE A THREE-MAN TEAM IN A PORSCHE CAYENNE SHATTER THE SPEED RECORD BETWEEN THE TOP OF EUROPE AND THE BOTTOM OF AFRICA. ou

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the hood. It’s packing a 12-cylinder engine, which punches out 507kW at 8000rpm, sprinting from 0 to 100km/h in 3.4 seconds.

Peak torque is 697Nm at 5750 rpm – and 80% of that is available at just 1750rpm.

It’s a powerful, sporty car – and it’s screaming for a test drive.

ut

"The GTC4Lusso brings unprecedented versatility to Ferrari driving"

So

The GTC4Lusso integrates Ferrari’s 4RM Evo four-wheel drive system with rear-wheel steering for the first time, responding to every grip condition.

FACT

muddy roads of

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EXTRA INTEL

he’s saying.

The GTC4Lusso builds on the sports-luxe heritage of the 330 GTC, the 330 GT and the 250 GT Berlinetta Lusso, but this one’s a four-seater (hence the 4 in the name), with a tapered roof that sits somewhere between a hatchback and a fastback.

Inside, it’s all about comfort and luxury, with a Dual Cockpit setup designed to create a shared driving experience for both driver and passenger.

Another new feature is the Infotainment platform, which includes a 10.25-inch HD screen with capacitive touch technology.

But interior comfort is only half the story here.

The reason we were so taken with the GTC4Lusso, is not so much what’s inside the cabin, but what’s under

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Ferrari’s luxurious new GTC4Lusso has landed in Qatar – and it’s screaming for a test drive.

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IN MAY, AN ADVENTUROUS team of three gentleman drivers completed a record-breaking drive from the top of Europe (Norway’s Nordkapp: Europe’s northernmost point) to the bottom of Africa (South Africa’s Cape Agulhas: Africa’s southernmost point).

The “Longest Drive” team – led by Dane Jan Kalmar, and including Lithuanian Vitoldas Milius and South African – covered 17,450km in their kitted-out Porsche Cayenne, travelling through 21 countries and every weather condition imaginable. They completed the journey in 8 days, 21 hours and 3 minutes (stopping only for fuel), beating the previous record by a mere 7 hours and 6 minutes.

Along the way, The Longest Drive raised donations for Farm Africa. Read more at thelongestdrive.net.

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THE 2016 AWARDS WENT TO:

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Labelling the S90, V90 and XC90 as “handsome in an understated way” (a phrase we’re sure you’ve often heard to describe yourself), the jury praised Volvo’s post-Ford design language for its “cleaner, more elegant, updated take on the organic simplicity of the Peter Horbury era”. They noted how, under new design chief Thomas Ingenlath, each Volvo will have its own personality, “though with the familiar trademark grille and ‘Thor’s hammer’ headlamps”.

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fter being mothballed in 1997, the prestigious Car Design Awards returned this year, with a new look, a new energy and a new category. The 2016 jury – drawn from a selection of international car magazines – selected outstanding design work in Production Cars and Concept Cars, as well as in Brand Design Language (awarded to the design team that has best maintained the brand’s visual language over its entire product range).

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The jury hailed Mazda’s RX-Vision – the rotary-powered research prototype that made such an impact at last October’s Tokyo Motor Show – as being “an example of how a skilled, well directed design team is able to create formal beauty by simply clothing the mechanicals, without adding unnecessary frills”.

MAZDA'S FORMAL DESIGN LANGUAGE, "KODO - SOUL OF MOTION", IS MARKED BY BOLD, ESSENTIAL LINES

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Calling attention to the “rakish interpretation” of Aston Martin’s signature long engine hood, thin greenhouse and muscular rear fenders, the jury noted how the new DB11 demonstrated the marque’s ability to blend elegance and power. “With overdesign becoming the dominant characteristic also for iconic sportscar brands, such a result was all but a given,” they said.

the-scenes access to some of the world’s best events, experiences and bespoke products.

“Aston Martin’s Art of Living distils our spirit and ethos,” says Executive Vice President Marek Reichman. “It is a beautiful mix of design, technology and style to enhance your life.”

The full range of Art of Living experiences is now available via a new digital platform: astonmartinartofliving.com.

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#PINKBEETLE HITS

THE STREETS

Making history as the first car to be officially named after its own hashtag, Volkswagen’s #PinkBeetle will complete its journey from concept (first seen at the 2015 New York Auto Show) to a limited-edition production car this autumn. #smh

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The landmark SUV – named after an unpredictable Mediterranean wind – blows into the GCC.

f you’re still trying to wrap your head around the concept of a Maserati SUV, you’d better get a move on. The landmark luxury SUV, fresh from its debut at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show, recently arrived in Qatar.

“This is the first ever SUV by Maserati, so it is a complete game-changer, particularly in this region,” Charly Dagher, General Manager Maserati Qatar at Alfardan Sports Motors, said at the announcement. “Maserati is renowned for exotic sports cars, so our mission was not just to build an SUV, but to build a Maserati. Exciting times are ahead and we are glad to be able to offer Maserati aficionados a completely new experience.”

Fortunately, the experience will not be entirely new: the Levante is based on an evolution of Maserati’s sedan platform, with the chassis developed to offer off-road capability. The designers at Mirafiori focused on performance-related features, using lightweight materials and ideal 50-50% weight distribution, and giving the Levante a lowest in class centre of gravity.

Still… A Maserati SUV? Get used to it.

Maserati’s signature 3-litre V6 petrol engine (with latest GDI and twin turbo) is available in two Levante variants: the 350bhp and the top-of-the-range 430bhp. The more powerful of the two hits 100km/h in 5.2 seconds and has

Luxury It's an off-roader, with onroad comfort.

a top speed of 264km/h, while the 350bhp version gets to 100 in 6.0 seconds flat and tops out at 251 km/h. It’s an SUV, sure. But it’s still clearly a sports car.

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NEWS IN BRIEF

MASERATI’S LEVANTE OFF-ROADER ARRIVES

First Look NISSAN’S VISION KICKS ON Nissan’s latest crossover could be the sign of bigger things to come. The on-board tech of the all-new Kicks uses four on-board cameras to provide a view of the car and to warn the driver of any unseen hazards. It’s a segmentfirst for the region, and it’s a step on the road to Nissan Intelligent Mobility, the company’s vision of zero-emission vehicles and zero road fatalities.

MINI’S SEVENTH HEAVEN The new generation Mini Seven is, ultimately, a lick of paint added to the existing three- and five-door Mini Cooper and Cooper S. But while the change is mostly cosmetic, it’s a change you’ll like, with a look that hearkens back to the original Austin Seven. Colour options include Pepper White, Midnight Black and our favourites: Lapisluxury Blue (pictured) or British Racing Green.

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EXTRA INTEL Japanese bikes are being especially hard hit by Euro 4 emissions legislation, which governs all mass-produced vehicles sold in Europe.

Expect more old-school models to either change, or fall away.

END OF THE ROAD

Kawasaki and European emissions regulations kill off the retro-styled W1

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ifty years after the W1 entered the market, Kawasaki has announced that it’s pulling the plug on its iconic W series, acknowledging that the current machine will not meet future European motorcycle regulations.

The limited-edition W800 Final Edition will, as the name suggests, be the final edition. It’s a crying shame, really: these bikes have felt like stylish retro throwbacks since the beginning, with their signature parallel-twin four-stroke vertical engines and their old school styling.

The W800 is – or was – the modern descendant of the

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MECUM AUCTION HITS $50-MILLION SALES

AUDI ANNOUNCES NEW FAMOUS 5 Audi’s is set to launch a secondgeneration A5 and S5 Coupé, boasting an all-new chassis, powerful engines and innovative infotainment features and driver assistance systems. Lighter, more powerful and more efficiency, the A5 Coupé will launch in Germany with five engines (two TFSI and three TDI).

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If you like big numbers, you’ll love what happened at Dana Mecum’s 29th annual Original Spring Classic auction in Indianapolis in May. In total, 1567 vehicles crossed the auction block, with 1094 being sold (that’s a 70% sell-through rate) and a massive $48,873,590 in total sales. The top five sales included a 1967 Shelby 427 Cobra Roadster, sold for $1.1-million; 1964 Shelby 289 Cobra Roadster, sold for $1-million; 1965 Shelby GT350 Fastback ($500,000); 1970 Plymouth Hemi Cuda ($425,000); and a 1972 Ferrari Dino GT ($310,000).

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1960s W series, which was itself based on the old BSA A7. Launched in 1966, the W1 had a tough and reliable 650cc engine and 50hp, and was the first large capacity high performance four-stroke to ride under the Kawasaki banner. The W1 was particularly popular in the United States, where it helped Kawasaki crack the US bike market.

The W1 was followed by 1998’s retro-styled W650, which was in turn followed in 2011 by the W800.

The retro attitude extended into the W800’s performance as well – which wasn’t a bad thing. The air-cooled, 773cc parallel-twin, four-stroke engine had a distinctive sound. But the engine was also the was ultimately spelled the bike’s end: the W650 was fuelled by a carburettor, and failed emissions regulations tests; the W800 is/was fuel-injected… but again, it’s not green enough to be future-proof.

“It’s never easy to say goodbye to an old friend, especially one as iconic as the W800,” Kawasaki Motors Europe’s Corporate Planning Director, Morihiro Ikoma, said in the announcement. You said it, Mister Ikoma.

NEW CARBON PACKAGE FOR AVENTADOR Bespoke carbon fibre outfitter Vitesse AuDessus recently launched an extensive carbon fibre package for the Lamborghini Aventador LP 750-4 Superveloce Coupé and Roadster. “One of the car’s few aesthetic failings lies in the use of highly-visible plastic bodywork,” said Vitesse AuDessus CEO Stefany Sanchez. “Our offering completes the visual story.” Visit vitesseaudessus.com for more.

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GEAR, TECH, TOYS, TRENDS...

HERE'S WHAT MOVES THE GENTLEMAN DRIVER WHEN HE'S NOT ON THE ROAD.

< KICK START >

Peugeot and Micro’s eKick is the mobile accessory every SUV should have.

Usually we wouldn’t devote a huge amount of column space to a gimmicky SUV accessory – but we have to admit, Peugeot’s e-Kick caught our attention for all the right reasons. It’s an electronically assisted scooter, developed by Peugeot and Micro and packaged with the new Peugeot 3008 SUV. Here’s why we like it: the e-Kick folds up and stores away in the boot of the car, where a special dock station has been installed to charge the e-Kick’s battery while the vehicle is driving. The idea is to create a seamless “last-mile” experience, where the scooter takes you from your car to your ultimate destination. “e-Kick is a truly multi-modal designed not just to be a mobility solution in itself but also to link all the other solutions together,” Peugeot Design Lab Manager Cathal Loughnane says in the media release. “The two handles used in driving mode fold up into a single handle that allows the scooter to be rolled along on one wheel, making it effortless to hop from your home to your car to a train to your work.”

It’s light (8.5kg), it’s zippy (25km/h top speed), and it’s easy to stash away. But it’s also the kind of accessory that will – we hope, because we’re kids at heart – become standard on all SUVs from this moment on.

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< BEAT THE HEAT >

It’s going to be a long, baking-hot summer in the GCC this season. Keep your cool with our hand-picked range of men’s lifestyle essentials.

SACOOR BROTHERS We have to admit – and we’re not at all ashamed to say it – we like Sacoor Brothers, and we really like their Spring/Summer 2016 menswear collection. The Portuguese-based international label – which has stores open in the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain – draws on its Iberian roots with nautical shades, mixed with warm and neutral colours.

The casual range blends sportiness with sophistication, and the lace-tie polo shirts are a basic that should be in every man’s wardrobe. The classic menswear line, meanwhile, is also worth a second look: the fabrics come in a variety patterns (from plain to checks to herringbones), while the cut is distinctly slim-fit, creating a bold, masculine silhouette.

The in-store tailor (yes, of course Sacoor Brothers offer free in-store tailoring, as well as a small coffee bar for while you browse) will ensure that you get the fit that’s just right for you. sacoorbrothers.com

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OXFITNESS LAB

Unless they’re backed up by a personalised, balanced nutrition plan, no amount of gym sessions will give you the all-round physical fitness you’re looking for. That’s why we like the approach of OxFitness Lab, the new gym at The Gate Mall in Doha’s West Bay. It’s far more than just a “new gym”, though. The OxFitness Lab benefits from a highly-trained team (OxTeam) of personal trainers and fitness experts.

On sign-up, they will collect and assess your data to form a customised plan and bespoke training routine (OxTraining), designed with full-body workouts to achieve – and maintain – your desired fitness targets. oxfitnesslab.com

BENTAYGA FLY FISHING With its exquisite luxury combined with go-anywhere driving ability, the Bentley Bentayga has always been among the vehicles of choice for the fly-fishing Gentleman Driver. Now, with the aftermarket addition of Bentayga Fly Fishing by Mulliner, it’s the catch of the day. Hand-crafted by Bentley’s bespoke coachbuilding division, this installation houses all the equipment you’ll need for a successful day on the river – whether you’re in Alaska, New Zealand, Oman or anyplace where the fish are biting.

The Bentayga Fly Fishing by Mulliner provides tubes for four rods, together with a pair of landing nets in matching leather bags, stored in a bespoke, carpet-trimmed hard pocket built into the side of the boot. The key to it all, though, is three individual, removable, Saddle-leather-trimmed units: a master tackle station, a refreshment case, and a waterproof wooden stowage trunk for your waders. Waterproof bootfloor and rear-sill-protection covers are also discreetly integrated into the rear of the unit, with an electronic dehumidifier ensuring the area stays fresh and dry.

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ROGER DUBUIS EXCALIBUR SPIDER

A relative new kid on the Haute Horlogerie block, Roger Dubuis has, since its launch in 1995, built a reputation for daring design work. The new expansion to its Excalibur Spider Skeleton Flying Tourbillon collection continues that trend.

Being a skeleton piece, the Excalibur Spider won’t be to everybody’s tastes… but you can’t help but appreciate its raw, stripped-down beauty.

Being a Roger Dubuis set, and in keeping with the brand’s patented “Soft Stones in the Sky” manufacture, this trio of course features rubber set with precious stones: 60 baguettecut night black spinels, red rubies or blue sapphires.

For more eye-catching wristwatches, turn to page 58.

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FIAT 500 RIVA

<MERCEDES-BENZ STYLE EDITION GARIA GOLF CAR > You may recall how, at golf’s 2013 British Open, Mercedes-Benz presented sketches for a golf cart concept, based on an international call for creative ideas. Three years on, around the time of this year’s Open, they launched the production version.

The Mercedes-Benz Style Edition Garia Golf Car – the result of a collaboration between Mercedes-Benz designers, Daimler’s Think & Act Tank Business Innovation and golf cart manufacturer Garia – is not entirely what the early pictures promised, but it is a bold, luxurious reinvention of what golf carts can be.

It’s nothing like the buggies you’d normally see zipping around Dubai Creek or the Doha Golf Club. Yes, it’s an electric vehicle, as you’d expect in the refined air of a golf course. But in this cart the driver and passenger both have a view through a large, curved windscreen, and the dashboard has a central, integrated, 10.1-inch hi-res on-board touchpad which tracks the cart’s remaining range, speed, power consumption and parking brake status. This touchpad also controls functions like the driving mode, headlamps, windscreen heater and wipers. Yes, it has wipers. It also has a sports car-style double wishbone suspension, which gives it a tight turning circle of 5.2m (or, seeing as it’s a golf cart, 17 feet).

Expect to see one around a golf course – or estate – near you soon.

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There’s a huge Riva logo above the steering wheel. The dashboard is finished in handpainted mahogany with maple inlay work. The door sills and gear knob are carved from a solid piece of mahogany. The seats are trimmed in ivory leather, in colours and materials that you’d swear belong in the Aquariva Super. In fact, if it weren’t for the four wheels and the distinct lack of open water, you’d be forgiven for thinking that the new limited edition Fiat 500 Riva was a luxury boat, such is its unmistakable nautical influence. And that’s why we’ve placed it here, rather than in our automotive news section: it’s a collaboration between Fiat and luxury yacht manufacturer Riva, celebrating the mobility of the original 1957 Fiat 500 and the luxury of the Riva’s iconic Aquarama speedboat.

GIORGIO ARMANI FOR BUGATTI “It was very natural to come together with Bugatti. We both worship things that are made well, made to last, created out of the best materials.”

That was Giorgio Armani, commenting on his brand’s new collaboration with Bugatti: an artisanal capsule collection of leather accessories and refined men’s clothing. The stand-out item in the collection is an elegant briefcase, hand-made in either soft calfskin or crocodile skin. The collection also includes include belts, wallets and iPad cases, together with a coat and blouson jacket in refined double cashmere, superfine cashmere sweaters, a leather jacket with raised collar and concealed hood, and treated denim jeans.

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< VIRTUAL REALITY >

The new Gran Turismo Playstation game has brought at least two fascinating concept cars off the screen, and into the real world.

Ready, Player One?

Sony will launch the 13th instalment in its insanely popular – and insanely fun to play – Grand Turismo driving simulator series, Gran Turismo Sport, this November. It’ll be released on the Playstation 4 console, and will feature three game modes (Campaign, Sport and Arcade).

But that’s not what we’re here to talk about.

In May, Sony held a special launch event for the game in London’s Olympic Park, where a handful of cars – previously only ever seen in virtual form, in the game – were brought to life in the largest single gathering of GT concept vision cars. The event showcased eight full-size models of concept cars created

by Aston Martin, Bugatti, Chevrolet (Chaparral), Mazda, Nissan, Infiniti, Renault (Alpine) and Volkswagen, along with two scale models from Peugot and SRT (FCA).

In total, 25 car companies have created models for the game; but only those eight turned those virtual cars into real-life vehicles… and we liked the looks of two of them especially.

INFINITI CONCEPT VISION GT First was the Infiniti Concept Vision GT, which made its first appearance outside of China at the GT Sport launch. The car was developed through close collaboration between Infiniti’s design team and the creators of Gran Turismo, and offers a visualisation of what a high performance Infiniti might look like

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in the future.

The Infiniti team like to call the Concept Vision GT “part beauty, part beast” – and that certainly comes through in its aggressive shape. But it’s not just about what the car looks like on screen: the designers put the concept a battery of examinations and calculations, focusing on aerodynamics and engine performance.

“A naturally aspirated V8 is mounted in the front, with a front-engine rear-wheeldrive layout using a rear transaxle,” said Hiroyuki Takemura, Manager of Infiniti’s Advanced Vehicle Engineering Department.

“Based on this, we packaged a car that feels good to drive and that makes you want to watch your replays over and over again.”

NISSAN CONCEPT 2020 VISION GT

Nissan’s design team really got behind the gameplay aspect of it all with their GT concept. According to Michael Reinth, designer at Nissan Design Europe: “The design brief was more or less: ‘Try to V O LA NT E | Is sue 9 |

design a car that looks fast, that looks super interesting, that just makes people go ‘Wow!’. The Nissan Concept 2020 was basically what every designer always dreams about. It was super exciting to work on a project with no boundaries at all. It’s super extreme, super low, super wide, but also very aerodynamically defined.”

Again, the Nissan Design Europe design team didn’t treat this as a visual exercise only, developing a virtual 3D model that allows air to pass through between the tyres and the cabin, cutting through as little air as possible, and reducing drag.

They drew on input from their Japanese engineering colleagues, adapting design cues from current Nissan performance models. As a glimpse into Nissan’s GT future, the Nissan Concept 2020 Vision is fairly instructive: as Nissan themselves said, “Concepts often do become reality.”

DICE CUFFLINKS

A-MAZE CUFFLINKS

Tateossian also do cufflinks with abacuses, USBs and tiny thermometers – but again it’s the wrist-flicking charm of the dice set that had us charmed.

If finding north doesn’t entertain you, then these ones will. Available in blue, black or red, they’re an interactive maze, with a small metal ball that rolls its way around.

Perfect for killing time.

< OFF THE CUFF >

This limited-edition set features a free-spinning rhodium-plated globe, held within a rose gold frame – and with a Paraiba topaz set into the back.

MINIATURE CHESS GLASS BOX CUFFLINKS WITH MINI CHESS PIECES Barely an inch (2.4cm) across, these little boxes feature metal chess pieces, which rattle around against a chequerboard background.

When it comes to formal wear, a well-dressed gentleman has only a handful of ways to stand out from the crowd. Novelty ties aren’t an option. Loud socks? Maybe… but you have to tread carefully. For truly understated individuality, cufflinks are the best trick to have up your sleeve.

We like the new seasonal selection of handcrafted cufflinks by Robert Tateossian – and when you take a look at this year’s Spring/Summer range, you’ll soon see why.

From chess pieces to dice to compasses and clockwork, anything goes: and while they’re classic in style, they never take themselves too seriously.

Tateossian was born in Kuwait and educated in Rome (in French schools), and he worked as an investment banker in London and New York before launching his cufflink workshop in Birmingham’s silversmith district.

That background has given him a global outlook – and it’s why his cufflinks translate so well, no matter where in the world you’re wearing them.

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A-MAZE CUFFLINKS

NOTE: Tateossian cufflinks are available in fine stores across the Gulf, and are sold on board Qatar Airways flights. www.tateossian.com

GLOBE XXV ANNIVERSARY CUFFLINKS

It’s not often that we’ll devote an entire page to a bunch of cufflinks… But when it’s the new seasonal collection from Robert Tateossian, we’re happy to make an exception.

If finding north doesn’t entertain you, then these ones will. Available in blue, black or red, they’re an interactive maze, with a small metal ball that rolls its way around.

Perfect for killing time.

COMPASS CUFFLINKS Yes, it’s a pair of compasses. A tiny (2cm) pair at that – and a pair that’ll have you rotating your wrists to find magnetic north while you’re stuck at a boring business lunch.

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< SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE >

What the Gentleman Driver listens to at home isn’t as important as how he hears it.

B&O PLAY A1

How to describe the B&O Play A1? We’ve been trying to find an automotive equivalent, but the best we can come up with is the Ferrari GTC4 Lusso: it’s Bang & Olufsen’s lifestyle model, but it carries all the class and quality you’d expect from a market-leading brand. It punches far above its weight, it’s loads of fun to own and use, and it’s an absolute joy to behold. (Wait. So maybe it’s more like an Audi TT?) The Play A1 is a compact, portable Bluetooth speaker, which produces a full day’s worth of play time from a single battery charge. It’s handy (48mm high, 133mm circumference), easy to carry around, and small enough to stash in a carry-on, but it packs a fair amount of power (140W at peak) and it can go anywhere you want it to. (So maybe it’s more like a Porsche Macan?) However you want to classify it, the B&O Play A1 is affordable (retailing at about USD249) enough to buy on a whim, and durable enough to keep you listening for a very long time indeed.

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YAMAHA YSP-5600

This unit (and, at 730mm, it’s a big unit) is not so much a speaker, as it’s a sound projector: it bounces sound off your walls and ceiling to create a surround sound effect, powered by a 44-speaker array. As the first sound bar to offer Dolby Atmos and DTS:X support, it’ll give your home theatre an immersive, 3D sound, equivalent to 7.1.2 channels. It’ll need a subwoofer, but that’s a minor quibble – and with the MusicCast multi-room system, it’ll take over your entire home.

7.1.2

BEOPLAY H3 ANC These beautifully designed in-ear headphones are all about two things: comfort and active noise cancellation (that’s what the “ANC” stands for). “When designing a headphone to wear inside the inner ear for many hours, comfort is the most important factor,” says Jakob Wagner, the award-winning Danish industrial designer who created these buds. “The human ear is a delicate and fascinating part of the body. I wanted to honour that and care for it, to make H3 sit beautifully in the outer ear, as a piece of jewellery.” The H3 has microphones mounted on its earpieces, which measure incoming ambient noise from the outside, and send it to the processing unit, where the information is deciphered and a reverse sound pattern is generated, cancelling out critical parts of the outside noise in real-time.

Basically, it means that you only hear what you want to hear.

Channel surround sound reproduction BEOSOUND 35 Bang & Olufsen’s new all-in-one music system is another wireless home speaker system that looks as good as it sounds, with an elegant, slim-line pentagonal structure and metre-long wingspan providing a balanced, 180° sonic environment. You can operate the soundbar via the BeoRemote One or the BeoMusic app, or through AirPlay, Bluetooth or DLNA-based devices. Nice and easy. It’s long, but elegant – and it’ll fit nicely above doorways or below TV screens.

your device. It pumps out sound via a twoway speaker design, and has a large passive radiator which produces a surprisingly thumping bass sound. Surprising, that is, because it’s such a small package: just 243mm wide, 157mm high and 113 mm deep.

YAMAHA WX-030 With a name like that, it sounds like it belongs in a cantina on Mos Eisley. But – Star Wars references aside – this Wi-Fi-enabled streaming speaker is so compact and so versatile, it’ll do the business in any room, and on any planet. It’ll stream music from your smartphone or tablet (via Bluetooth or AirPlay) using the MusicCast app, which lets you pause, play and adjust the volume from

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EXCLUSIVE...

FOR YOUR EYES ONLY The new Aston Martin DB11 shows why it's worth the hype.

Road Tests road test

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PLUS: One final mission for the DB10

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We take the sleek Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG 4-Matic Cabriolet – the brands first S-Class convertible since 1971 – for a spin on the French Riviera, and discover the beauty of sound in motion.

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We take the Ferrari California T Handling Speciale out onto the open road, and discover why this new set-up makes the Cali T the complete package.

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written by Kevin Hackett

likes a show-off. And that makes it awkward at times as a motoring journalist, because some of us do get to experience some quite extraordinary things. So when I write that I am one of a select few media to drive a pre-production Aston Martin DB11, I do so with a sense of glee thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rather difficult to contain without appearing like a smug you-know-what. The first media drives of the groundbreaking new Aston are still weeks away, but I can tell you with absolute certainty that it is a blindingly brilliant machine that bodes well for the future of this most hardy of brands.

When a model as impactful as the DB9 requires eventual replacement, the task is not one to be undertaken lightly. That car, for all its faults (not that there were many) turned Aston Martin around, from a smalltime British manufacturer into one that could finally be taken seriously on the world stage. Unfathomably beautiful and powered by a glorious 6.0-litre V12 engine, it quickly came to define glamorous, sophisticated motoring. Few cars could hold a candle to it, when it came to covering huge distances in comfort, speed and impeccable style.

This car feels entirely nimble, easily disguising its bulk and weight

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And despite what the legion naysayers and keyboard warriors say, I have never been let down by an Aston Martin – DB9 or otherwise – in the tens of thousands of miles I have covered in them over the past decade. Granted, I’ve never actually owned one… but that’s not something I can say about certain other manufacturers.

You know, ones with a big cat as its emblem, for instance. And even if a DB9 did break down while I happened to be behind its wheel, I’d just get out and look at it while awaiting rescue. It’s just that kind of car.

After a production life of some 13 years, however, the venerable DB9 had begun to show its age. Dynamically it had been left behind by its more capable rivals, and its interior had long since failed to bowl anyone over. Its transmission was a major letdown and, let’s be honest, a Bentley Continental GT V8 or a Porsche 911 Turbo was not only less expensive, but a better choice all round. Aston Martin badly needed a game changer and finally it’s here.

Why the jump from DB9 to DB11, though?

Aston made a similar leap when the DB9 was launched, its forebear being the flawed gem that was the DB7, arguing that the new model was so far advanced when compared to the old

one that it deserved to be awarded two jumps in nomenclature. This time, though, the DB10 moniker had already been snaffled by James Bond, whose company car in Spectre was a rebodied V8 Vantage. So DB11 it is, and I’m about to climb inside one and drive it.

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he car in question is a development mule, still liberally covered by camouflage, with Bridgestone branding all over it. Even up close it’s difficult to get an accurate impression of the beauty that lies beneath, but, having seen a proper one at an unveiling a few weeks ago, I know exactly what it looks like and it’s a showstopper par excellence. It’s immediately obvious who makes it (thanks to certain design cues), but it’s much more aggressive in its visual attitude than the DB9. That it manages to be more masculine yet entirely beautiful is testament to the sterling efforts of a company fully in tune with its heritage while moving towards an altogether more profitable future.

There’s a reason for that Bridgestone wrap: I’m at the tyre manufacturer’s proving ground, just a short drive from Rome, where the tortuous tracks and special surface facilities

SHAKEN OR STIRRED So how is the DB11 positioned?

As Aston Martin's man told us, "It's a GT car; it isn't meant to be a supercar."

are being used to carry out some final tweaks before the chassis is signed off for production.

The data being gathered here and sent back to Aston Martin’s development and engineering teams at their Gaydon headquarters will be pivotal in making the DB11 the best it can possibly be and, unusually, the company has decided to let some global media play a part in that by allowing them to drive it – hard – and provide some important feedback.

Bridgestone has been the chosen tyre supplier for Aston Martin since the DB7 was developed in the early 1990s, and that relationship has gone from strength to strength ever since, with each new model having its own tyres specifically developed to bring the cars’ best attributes to the fore. This is something that has become more crucial as production cars have been getting ever more powerful and fast, placing previously unheard-of demands on the black rubber bands that are fitted to those huge alloy wheels.

For a luxury GT car such as the DB11, the tyres need to be able to cope with enormous physical pressures due to the car’s weight, girth, torque and sheer pace, while offering maximum fuel efficiency, comfort and rigidity. A tall order perhaps, but one that’s unavoidable as part of any new model’s development process.

Here the DB11 has been pounding tight circuits, oval banking, wet handling areas and mock-ups of country roads, where its levels of grip, pliancy and refinement are shown up as if under a microscope. There is no hiding and, at this stage in the model’s pre-manufacture rampup, the pressure is on to achieve the perfect setup for the car to go into series production just a few weeks from now.

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nside the car, cables poke out of panels and enter data recorders. It’s all a bit rough around the edges, a million miles away from what a customer will experience when seeing the real deal inside a showroom.

But everything works and, having recently spent plenty of seat time in one of the last DB9s, it’s safe to say that there’s more room in the 11 and that the displays and controls that came in for criticism for being ‘past it’ have given way to fully electronic information systems that have been developed and supplied by Aston Martin’s new technical partner, Daimler (or, as everyone knows it, Mercedes-Benz).

The silly key fob that was laughably known as the ‘Emotion Control Unit’ (I kid you not) has been jettisoned in favour of a circular start button situated in the centre of the dashboard,

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The aim here was to make a substantially large car feel like itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s much smaller on the road

THUNDERBALL The DB11 is powered by an all-new 5204cc twin-turbo V12, making it Aston Martin's first turbocharged series-production vehicle.

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NOBODY DOES IT BETTER That the DB11 manages to be both masculine and beautiful is testament to the sterling efforts of Aston Martin.

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and the architecture throughout the cabin has been thoroughly overhauled. Even in this development car you cannot escape the impression that the DB11 will offer occupants previously unseen levels of sophistication and luxury, while keeping true to its sporting DNA. Key to the development of this car has been the appointment of Matt Becker, who is my guide and co-driver as I head onto the tarmac. Becker spent more than two decades at Lotus, where he was in charge of new model development, and, despite being hamstrung by pitifully small budgets, he managed to make that company’s models the envy of the world when it came to handling prowess. For him to be in charge of getting the balance right between genuine sportiness and continenttouring refinement is a brilliant development, and he’s extremely enthusiastic about being able to have such influence over the upcoming individual models.

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e says that each will have its own very distinct set of characteristics and makes no bones about the DB11’s positioning. “It’s a GT car; it isn’t meant to be a supercar,” he says. “But the aim here was to make a substantially large car feel like it’s much smaller on the road. It shouldn’t feel cumbersome or intimidating, rather it should shrink around its driver and offer the agility of a sports car when required, while still offering the comfort of a long distance tourer.”

That’s no mean feat, and he says that the car I’m driving is yet to reach the ideal compromise between those two opposing attributes. There’s work still to be done on the torque vectoring system, which varies the amount of twist sent to either rear wheel, and the brakes aren’t quite there yet, either. But still, I’m told I can drive it as fast as I’m comfortable with, so long as I “don’t bend it”.

The DB11’s platform is entirely new, as is its V12 engine, which for the first time in any production Aston Martin is turbocharged. It’s smaller than that in the DB9, losing nearly a litre of capacity, but it certainly hasn’t lost any of its voice. On the contrary, as I pile on the speed and increase my levels of confidence, it’s the one thing that reminds me of previous models. The rest is an entirely new experience, the differences between the way this car goes and handles compared to any Aston Martin before it are like night and day.

Becker has excelled. This car feels entirely nimble, easily disguising its bulk and weight.

Much of this is to do with the fitment of those Bridgestone tyres, which provide the final, essential link between the driver’s senses and the surfaces driven upon. Whether on dry tarmac or sodden, on twisting track or straight line, high speed areas, they provide boundless grip and adjustability, making for hilarious tail slides when the electronic stability systems are disabled and reassuring tenacity and feedback on treacherously wet sections.

Obviously the real litmus test will be in the complete, final production version, in real world conditions and on real public roads.

But on the basis of this experience my mind is already made up: the DB11 could not be a better car for its maker. The hype, for once, is justified. Aston Martin, at long last you can show off all you like.

 THE DB10'S FINAL MISSION 

ASTON MARTIN FAMOUSLY SKIPPED A NUMBER BETWEEN THE DB9 AND THE DB11, with the D10 existing only in the James Bond film Spectre. The model was developed specifically for the film and built in-house by Aston Martin Works, with only 10 cars ever seeing the light of day. Eight were modified during filming (including the one that – spoiler alert – Bond crashes into the Tiber River), but two were left untouched. In February, one of those was sold in a charity auction in London.

The DB10 features an all-carbon fibre exterior, a 4.7-litre V8 petrol engine and six-speed manual gearbox, and has an estimated top speed of about 305km/h. In the movie, the MI6 quartermaster calls it “a £3-million prototype”. Q was almost right: at the Christie’s auction, the DB10 was sold for £2,434,500. Proceeds were donated to Médecins Sans Frontières.

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T EC H S P EC S

ASTON MARTIN DB11 Engine: 5.2-litre V12 Power / Torque: 600 bhp @ 6500rpm / 700Nm @ 1500rpm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Weight: 1770kg Performance: Top speed 322km/h.

Price: $211 995

The DB11 does not come with rear-facing water cannon or a jetpack

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TOP DOWN This car is about carrying four adults in luxury.

Bentley? RollsRoyce? You can handle some competition.

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ON THE WINDING ROADS OF THE FRENCH RIVIERA, DAMIEN REID ENCOUNTERS THE MERCEDES-BENZ S 6 3 A M G 4 - M AT I C CABRIOLET IN ITS N A T U R A L H A B I T A T.

GRACE AND NOISE

By Damien Reid

INCE I WAS A KID, I’VE HAD THE SOUNDTRACK in my head of a low-burbling, 3.5-litre V8 engine of a royal blue, W111-series 280SE 3.5 Mercedes-Benz, that my neighbour used to drive up our street every morning. Still cold and running rich, it puffed the finest blue vapour from its twin pipes. I can still smell its over-rich, full-leaded petrol as I write this now.

Even to this day, that same driver still goes about his daily routine, and whenever I’m home, I’m transported back to my childhood, and to the sound of that bass and ball-bearing exhaust idling up my street. That was the car that sold me on the W111 series, and later in my teens, I saw its convertible equivalent – even then a classic – parked in downtown Sydney,

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a 280SE 3.5 convertible in bottle green with tan leather. It looked like the of car Doris Day or Princess Grace of Monaco would cruise the Riviera in, and it’s not even worth thinking how much it would sell for at auction today. But it’s always been a special car – back then, and even more so now.

I should have guessed that the first S-Class convertible to be launched by Mercedes-Benz since 1971 was going to be a lavish affair, and boy was I not disappointed. Given that Mercedes has not built a drop-top version of its flagship since then, I’m guessing that this 2016 equivalent, the S 63 AMG convertible I had for one stunningly fine day on the Cote d’Azur, is going to be the Princess Grace car of future generations.

There was a time until about the 1970s when you could have a luxury car that was also a convertible. Some were even four-door convertibles, and indeed the initial concept to this S-Class cabriolet was a four-door convertible called the Ocean Drive that was shown at the 2007 Detroit Auto Show. So while the production version has reverted to the more sensible two-door option, this car is still about carrying four, full-size adults in luxury, in fair weather with the roof down. Bentley? Rolls-Royce? Look out. You have some competition.

The setting and the build-up to the reveal were perfect. From our arrival at Nice Airport, we were shuttled to the helipad where a 10-seater Airbus helicopter – fully trimmed by AMG as part of their new push into bespoke interiors for the private aviation and helicopter industry – was waiting, fuelled and primed ready for take-off.

With seat trims, timber and brushed alloy accents taken straight from AMG’s car range, the helicopter set the tone for the rest of the day, landing at a chateau for lunch with a brace of the new convertibles ready to hit the road.

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riced at $177,325, our particular car included a few extras, such as naked carbon fibre wing mirrors and splitters and a matt pearl paint job. Being the AMG 63, it also had the dinner plate-sized ceramic disc brakes hiding behind the 19-inch alloys.

To accommodate what is claimed to be the largest fabric roof applied to a current production car, the new open-top adopts a unique windscreen with greater rake and a more substantial frame for added rollover protection. It also receives a uniquely designed rear end, with extra stiffening within the rear bulkhead, rollover structures designed to deploy from behind the rear seats, a tonneau cover that opens to reveal a large storage compartment for the roof and longer bootlid.

To get the most enjoyment, it’s best to settle in with the key on accessories only to fiddle with things like seat and mirror positions, then push the button in the centre console which lowers the roof in just over 20 seconds. Then hit the starter, push the button to open the exhaust valves for maximum aural pleasure and drink in the sound of that luscious twin-turbo, 5.5-litre V8 without the sound deadening distractions of a roof. It’s a magical way to kick off the journey.

Idling out of the chateau’s gravel driveway and down the narrow country lanes, the car’s width is apparent – as are the low profile

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DRINK IN THE SOUND OF T H AT L U S C I O U S T W I N -T U R B O, 5.5-LITRE V8 WITHOUT THE SOUND DEADENING DISTRACTIONS O F A R O O F. I T â&#x20AC;&#x2122; S A M AG I C A L WAY TO KICK OFF THE JOURNEY

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LOSING ITS TOP The S63 Cabrio can raise or lower its roof in 20 seconds at speeds up to 60km/h.

lost and calculating its route on the move quickly. But it also meant that I had no choice but to put the foot down, and when you’re on a lonely mountain pass that very well could have been used as a stage of the Monte Carlo Rally with the roof down on a stunning Spring day, all is good in your own, topless world.

Despite its 2110kg mass, the S 63 AMG soaked up bumps at speed with remarkable grace and perfect poise. Not kidneybelt tight, but not loose enough to bottom out either. Its torque curve is such that overtaking situations presented themselves far more frequently with a quick flick back one or two of the AMG box’s seven speeds, and then it might as well have bent time with the speed it rocketed past the slower-moving traffic.

On paper, Mercedes claims it gets from zero to 100km/h in 3.9 seconds, which is half a second faster than the twinturbo, 12-cylinder Bentley Continental GT Speed. It tops out at a governed 250km/h. It’s no sports car, but it covers masses of ground in next to no time.

What seemed like just a few minutes of fun was actually about two hours and several hundred kilometres covered without so much as a bead of sweat raised from either the athletic pace of the drive or the sun on my head, thanks to the cooled seats and chilled air pumped through the air curtain built into the headrest.

Turning into the lavish hotel, the cars are parked. Right in front, sitting in pride of place straight from the Mercedes Museum, is a stunning W111-series convertible in the exact same bottle green with tan leather.

Doris Day, Princess Grace, take a bow. .

tyres meeting the rough edges of the road, for these rims look as though they could scuff easily through provincial village streets. Once cleared of the town, the winding roads that meander between the French Riviera and the Swiss Alps are tailor-made for this car, with its near instant throttle response and mountains of power that you’ll never need to fully use.

As with the latest S 63 Coupé, the S 63 Cabriolet develops 577bhp, giving it 129bhp more than the twin-turbocharged 4.7-litre V8 in the S 500 Cabriolet, but 44bhp less than the recently upgraded twin-turbocharged 6.0-litre V12 found in the S 65. Power is delivered to all four wheels via AMG’s seven-speed automatic Speedshift gearbox and a 4Matic fourwheel drive system engineered to provide a nominal 33/67 front-to-rear torque split. There are three driving modes to choose from: Controlled Efficiency, Sport and Manual.

Thanks to a new version of the Mercedes Airmatic air suspension that’s been recalibrated for the sportier driving dynamics of the S 63 AMG, its ride height can also be raised and lowered by 30mm. This makes the notorious speed humps in our part of the world less of a headache, without sacrificing optimum grip on the open road.

Due to my own fault enjoying the hospitality of the chateau, catching up with a few friends, I’d found myself last to leave and running a bit late. As I was also flying solo, I had to rely 100 per cent on the car’s navigation system to pilot me for a few hours through an unfamiliar country.

This was good for two reasons. Firstly, it gave me the chance to throw myself at the mercy of the Mercedes infotainment system, and it worked a treat not getting me

HIGH FLIER... Mercedes-Benz is taking its signature AMG luxury design language to the skies, providing bespoke interiors for the private aviation industry. The design takes its cues from the brand's luxury-class saloon, which gives passengers car-style luxury touches like elegent wood finishes and ambient lighting.

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| Firs t Lo o k |

Green monster HOT ON THE HEELS OF THE REFINED S63 CABRIO, MERCEDES-AMG UNLEASHED ITS SIBLING ON AN UNSUSPECTING PUBLIC. MEET THE LEAN, GREEN RACING MACHINE THAT IS THE AMG GT R.

IN JUNE, RACING FANS AT THE Goodwood Festival of Speed got the first public glimpse of the S63 Cabrio’s new sibling: a snorting sports car called the Mercedes-AMG GT R. It was developed in the “Green Hell” of the Nürburgring’s north circuit and, as Mercedes said in their launch statement: “Never before has MercedesAMG packed so much motorsport technology into a production vehicle than into the new AMG GT R.” The general public at Goodwood saw that first-hand, as AMG chairman Tobias Moers took the car on the famous hill climb challenge. Mind you, the AMG GT R would’ve caught a few people’s eyes: its bright green paintwork (inspired by that “Green Hell”) makes it pretty hard to miss.

As Mercedes’s performance brand, AMG naturally has its roots in motorsport. On the AMG GT R, that pedigree comes through in the new AMG Panamericana grille: transplanted from the world of motorsport, it has its roots in the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL racing car that won the legendary Panamericana road race in Mexico in 1952.

As for the specs, here you’re looking at a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 engine producing 585hp, with a 0-100km/h time of 3.6 seconds and an official top speed of 318km/h. “It combines the driving dynamics of our AMG GT3 racing car with the everyday practicality of the AMG GT,” Moers says. “Those with petrol in their veins will be thrilled by the radical longitudinal and lateral acceleration, the precise turn-in, and the sensational grip. We have modified all performance-relevant components and linked them together intelligently for maximum driving dynamics.”

The car’s lightweight aluminium and carbon construction also helps (producing a power-to-weight ratio of 2.66kg per hp), as does the low-slung “shark nose” front section and the lowered back-pressure point (which enhances the aerodynamic performance). Adding to the performance dynamics, the car features active rear-wheel steering, a nine-way adjustable traction control system, and the adjustable coilover suspension with additional electronic control. But you could have read all of that

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in the car’s brochure. The real question is, what’s it actually like?

Fast. And loud. And with that bright green paint job, the AMG GT R’s Goodwood preview was like unleashing the Incredible Hulk on the quiet countryside of England’s green and pleasant land.

The specially developed exhaust system delivers proper V8 racing noise, with two infinitely variable exhaust flaps as standard, which open and close depending on which drive mode you select. In Comfort and Sport settings, you get a low-frequency V8 sound; in Sport Plus and Race, you get a “Hulk Smash!” roar.

It’s strength… but not brute strength.

The car’s speed-sensitive sports steering has a variable steering ratio, and the power assistance responds to the road speed as well as to the lateral acceleration and the selected drive mode. This gives perfect feel for the vehicle, through direct feedback from the road.

The Mercedes-AMG GT R will go on sale in late November, with a European market launch set for March 2017.

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Will the new Handling Speciale package silence the Ferrari California T’s critics? Kevin Hackett takes a drive.

BY KEVIN HACKETT

HERE’S NO GETTING AROUND IT: THE MOST SUCCESSFUL EVER ROADGOING FERRARI USED TO LOOK LIKE A CRIME SCENE. Quite how such a guppy face and confused everything else could appeal to so many will always be a mystery, as will how the design of the 2008 California was ever signed off under Pininfarina. That’s history, though, and the recharged, redesign and reengineered model that arrived two years ago righted all the wrongs.

Sales are showing no signs of slowing down. The California T, as it is now known, remains approachable and easy to drive, while offering a glorious interior, two-plus-two accommodation and a folding metal roof. And as for that facelift? Well, let’s just say there’s no longer a need to crash a California to make it look better. It’s now the complete package, and the only thing one could really criticise it for is the reduction in sonic theatrics thanks to the introduction of turbocharging to its (now smaller capacity) V8 engine.

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amounts of criticism from the media and Ferrari traditionalists, who deemed it to be too soft to merit wearing the badge. It worked for the majority, obviously, and it’s telling that only three examples were ever ordered with a manual transmission. But still, Ferrari can’t handle being told something it’s done is rubbish, so it engineered a solution to keep the naysayers quiet: the Handling Speciale package, which was available as an option during the 2012 model year.

The California HS was supplied with new, quicker responding magnetic dampers, stiffer springs and faster steering responses. According to contemporary media reports, the car was jittery and unrefined and, as anyone might have predicted, only 10% of new customers opted for it. But now the T has been given the HS treatment and Ferrari is promising that this time it’s much better.

One of the benefits of Ferrari not being receptive to criticism is that it makes damn sure that next time nobody can complain. So with the California T being such an excellent starting point (I cannot imagine why anyone would want anything other than the standard set-up), the HS should be a belter of a driver’s machine. But still Ferrari says it expects a 10% uptake, which will be why it’s available as an optional extra rather than occupying its own space as a distinct model.

When you consider that a Ferrari branded, leather luggage set can cost more than most

E TH F EO OF ON FITS G E IN BEN T BE TO I NO TIVE AT R H EP RA FER REC M IS T MN A S ICI KES D EXT T I CR T MA AT N AN H I E T ODY C IN R SU O B PLA N M E CO TIM 49

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S AR C E ER TH CH TH S O â&#x20AC;&#x2122; T FEW N MA NIA T R CA LIFOR COVE CA Y TO NCES , ILIT DISTA PEED B A NG S GT LO SUCH HS A ?

AT THE INED T IS IPE RU U B REC

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people’s annual salary, the HS option isn’t badly priced at all. It costs just USD8120. And for that you get stiffer springs (16% more so up front, 19% at the rear) and retuned dampers, along with a unique sports exhaust system that Ferrari says

mouth is, Ferrari has invited a miniscule selection of international media to try it out along some of Italy’s most tortuous roads, in the mountains surrounding Portofino. Badly surfaced in parts and almost always twisty, the chosen routes will highlight the fact that this is either a brilliant interpretation of the California T, or a complete waste of time.

As soon as you’ve put the key into its slot and depressed the starter button, you can tell it’s louder.

It’s still a bit lackluster, though, especially when compared to the snarling, crackling fireworks you used to get from the original (that was one aspect they definitely got right with it), but it’s definitely harder edged – as it should be for a supposedly more focused driving car.

Before I reach the test route, busy town and village streets need to be negotiated and, on these frustratingly slow sections, the HS – even in its most comfortable settings – is a pain in the rear. It crashes over the pockmarked tarmac,

T EC H S P EC S

FERRARI CALIFORNIA T HS Engine: 3.9-litre, twin-turbo, V8-cylinder Power / torque: 552hp @ 7500rpm / 755Nm @ 4750rpm Transmission: 7-speed DSG sequential Brakes: Carbon ceramic, 391mm discs front, 366mm rear Suspension: Double wishbone, multi-link, front and rear Weight: 1735kg Performance: Top Speed 315km/h, 0-100km/h in 3.6 seconds Price: $253,000

there are oncoming trucks and vans. A 488 GTB would be even faster here and would feel more keyed in to the road, but the HS isn’t pretending to be that car. It doesn’t need to.

What it needs to do is offer something more entertaining than its rivals. Ferrari won’t name names

"AS SOON AS YOU'VE PUT THE KEY INTO ITS SLOT AND DESPRESSSED THE STARTER BUTTON, YOU CAN TELL IT'S LOUDER."

liberates more noise, as well as a quicker changing transmission – not that the standard car’s was in need of speeding up. The visuals remain the same except for a special finish to the exhaust tips, a matt silver grille, some subtle diffuser action at the rear and a badge on the centre console. The engine, the interior, the wheels – everything is the same as before.

All of which means it is still a hugely fast and impressive piece of Italian engineering – few other cars can match the California T’s ability to cover long distances at such speed – but is the HS a GT recipe ruined? Can it possibly hope to be all things to all drivers?

Always willing to put its money where its

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potholes and raised ironworks, and I find myself wondering aloud why anyone would choose this over the standard car’s brilliantly judged setup.

But then, when the road eventually opens, widens and the surfaces become less pocked, the HS comes into its own, delivering a completely different hit. The corners become tighter as my confidence in the HS’s handling prowess increases and I am able to press on, with the car offering incredible levels of traction. The steering is noticeably tighter and the car responds to my inputs with almost telepathic readiness to obey.

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but it’s obvious that Mercedes’ SL63 AMG and Porsche’s 911 Turbo Cabriolet are in its sights, neither of which go about their business quite like this thing.

After an entire day of hard charging, it’s obvious that this is a car far from ruined, at least if you can cope with the bump-thump on urban roads. And whether or not it appeals to a potential owner greatly depends on how they wish to use it.

If you’re more interested in posing, stick with the standard car. But if you can see yourself pointing its nose towards some of the terrific country roads this region is blessed with, you should at least try the HS option before writing that cheque.

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comes to Qatar How do great brands become superbrands?

Will your brand make the cut?

Find out at the exclusive Superbrands tribute event where Qatar’s first-ever Superbrands coffee table book will be launched – the only book of its kind dedicated exclusively to Qatar’s leading brands.

awarded

Ch ho oice arr’’ss C e Q Qata 2016

For more information e-mail julia@superbrandsqatar.com or call +974 5592 7740 / +974 6688 0228.

TEMPUS FUGIT...

THE BREITLING AVENGER HURRICANE rewrites the rules of watchmaking

F e at u r e s

tempus fugit



classics

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cars of the future

<THE ONES TO WATCH> p56

We showcase the best new wristwatches for men – from Audemars Piguet to Zenith – and highlight the trends, innovations and movements that make you tick.

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The world's best-running classic racing cars roll back the years – and prove their ageless excellence – at the 2016 Grand Prix Monaco Historique.

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The BMW Group explores the future of automobiles, through their vision concepts fro Mini, BMW and Rolls-Royce. Be warned: you'll want to fast-forward to the year 3016.

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TIME of your life A SHOWCASE OF THE BEST AND MOST EXCITING NEW WATCHES, FROM BASELWORLD AND BEYOND.

BY MARK VAN DIJK

IT’S A STRANGE TIME to be a watchmaker.

Between smartwatches, fitness trackers, wearable tech and the simple fact that most people just use their phones to tell the time these days (plus the small matter of the global economic crunch), you’d be forgiven for thinking that the watch industry’s time is up.

You’d be forgiven, but you’d be mistaken.

Rather than trying to compete with the smartwatch, the world’s finest luxury watchmakers are pulling in the other direction, creating wristwatches and chronographs that are more attractive, more desirable, and simply better than their modern-day digital alternatives. Some are inspired by timepieces from the past; others look to the future; all of them would look great on your wrist.

You’ll see examples of these in high-end boutiques and shopping malls across the Gulf, or in the exhibition halls of the Baselworld Watch and Jewellery Show, the watchmaking world’s premier trade show, held in Switzerland every spring. We’ve selected some of the most eyecatching watches from Basel and from leading local retailers, and gathered them over the course of the following pages. Take a look, and enjoy the latest products from an industry that still has plenty of time on its hands.

p MB&F STARFLEET MACHINE BLACK BADGER Fans of odd-looking table clocks may be familiar with Starfleet Machine, which was created by micro-engineering laboratory (and massive sci-fi nerds) MB&F for Baselworld 2014. This year, MB&F partnered with Black Badger to create a limited edition (3x18 pieces) glow-in-the-dark clock unlike any you’ve seen before… unless you saw the Romulan starship in the 2009 Star Trek reboot. The MB&F Starfleet Machine Black Badger boasts a 40day power reserve and twin 20-second retrograde animated cannons, with a central rotating domed element displaying hours and minutes, and a rotating dome displaying the remaining power reserve. Yes, it’s a strange piece. But it showcases MB&F’s unique vision, and gives Black Badger (and industrial designer James Thompson) a wonderful opportunity to shine. mbandf.com

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t ZENITH HERITAGE PILOT TON-UP Being, as we are, fans of classic motorcycles, the new Heritage Pilot Ton-up immediately caught our eye at Baselworld. This new watch takes its inspiration – and its nickname – from England’s Café Racer bikers, who sped along British motorways in the 1920s, hurtling from café to café at short-distance speeds of up to 160km/h. The watch builds on Zenith’s Pilot DNA, with its broad 45 mm-diameter aged steel case housing the automatic El Primero 4069 chronograph calibre. As with our beloved classic bikes, the retro styling drew us in; but that motor is what really grabbed us. zenith-watches.com

t HUBLOT BIG BANG MECA-10 Two big things to look out for in the 2016 Big Bang: one is the fully open dial, which exposes the inner workings of the HUB1201 movement; the other is the 10 days of power reserve. The aesthetics speak for themselves (and it’s worth pointing out that there’s a non-limited natural titanium case version, and a limited edition all-black ceramic case version). The power reserve, though, needs some pointing out. This has two indicators: a disc with stencil-cut numerals, and the toothed rack above the mainspring barrel. hublot.com

tCHRISTOPHE CLARET MECCA

t BREMONT BOEING 100 GMT

Though it didn’t feature at Baselworld, we liked this spiritually-themed timepiece by Christophe Claret.

A micro-engraving of the Kaaba bursts out of the dial, thanks to a trick of mirascope mirror/hologram technology, flanked by the engraved motif and the diamond and spinel, located at 5 o’clock and 7 o’clock respectively. The latter represents the seven rounds of the Tawaf, while the former symbolises the black stone located at the south-east angle of the Kaaba. christopheclaret.com

This Baselworld highlight is a limited edition (300 pieces) celebration of Boeing’s 100th anniversary. A self-winding chronograph, it’s made from Boeing’s aviation-grade Ti 6-4 titanium, with carbon fibre composite from the Boeing Dreamliner (ZA004) integrated into the crown. The distinctive brown look is a throwback to the ‘Boeing Brown’ colour used in the cockpits of Boeing’s early aircrafts. bremont.com

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THE NEW BREITLIGHT POLYMER IS SIX TIMES LIGHTER THAN STEEL

t BREITLING AVENGER HURRICANE Of course, Breitling had to be at Baselworld – and their 50mm Avenger Hurricane didn’t disappoint. It’s big and bold and chunky, as so many new luxury watches tend to be, but the huge case is made from an in-house composite material called Breitlight, which is claimed to be 3.3 times lighter than titanium. As you’d expect from Breitling, the black dial screams about the military and aviation industries, with the 24hour display punched out in a bold stencilled font. The movement is Breitling’s in-house automatic Calibre B12, which provides about 70 hours of power reserve and powers both the chronograph function and the date indicator. The Avenger Hurricane is hard, it’s rugged and it has an unmistakable tough-guy attitude… of course. breitling.com

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t AUDEMARS PIGUET MILLENARY HAND WOUND A glittering example of ultra-luxury Swiss watchmaking, AP’s Millenary Hand Wound ladies’ watch features 157 parts and 19 jewels – including an 18-carat white gold bezel (set with 116 brilliant-cut diamonds), together with a white, mother-of-pearl offcentred disc and a small seconds counter. The calibre 5201 is designed specifically with the watch’s oval shape and feminine style in mind. It’s hard to think of a more elegant gift for a lady. audemarspiguet.com

t BMW SPORT CHRONOGRAPH With BMW marking its centenary this year, the BMW Lifestyle Collections are joining the party. Among the birthday presents is this 43mm chrono with a polished bezel and a bright, Bavarian blue dial. The quartz movement is provided by Ronda, as it is on all BMW watches.

Look past the automotive logo, and you’ll find a watch that ticks along very tastefully indeed. Pop in at Alfardan Automobiles in Doha to see the range, or shop online. shop. bmwgroup.com

t LONGINES RAILROAD This heritage piece is based on a model from the 1960s, which explains the bold retro styling.

The dial marks time in a 24-hour format, giving a nod of the head to the old “railroad grade” watches Longines used to provide for various international rail services. It’s the perfect heritage model, in that it combines classic looks with a reliable movement – reliable enough, at least, to keep the trains running on time. novelties. longines.com

p JACOB & CO ASTRONOMIA CLARITY You’ll need to pay attention, because there’s a lot going on here. The Astronomia Clarity, presented at Baselworld in two versions (rose gold, and white gold set with baguette diamonds) puts all the emphasis on clarity, with a double anti-reflective treatment, and a dome-shaped crystal top, back and barrel bridge offering a 360° view of the watch’s Gravitational Astronomia movement. And what a movement that is. The watch has four satellites in constant motion: the first is a gravitational tourbillon cage, which rotates on three axes (60 seconds, 5 minutes, and 20 minutes); the second is an hours and minutes dial rotating in 20 minutes on the central axis; the third is a rotating, 288-faceted spherical diamond; and the fourth is a rotating, hand-painted magnesium globe.

It’s utterly mesmerising. jacobandco.com

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BECAUSE IT'S MADE FROM CARBON FIBRE, EVERY WATCH IS UNIQUE

u BVLGARI OCTO FINISSIMO MINUTE REPEATER In among Baselworld’s chunky, aggressive chronographs, this sliver of style really stood out.

It’s the thinnest hand wound minute repeater on the market, 20% slimmer than its closest competitor at only 6.85mm. Of course, when you’re talking about the world’s thinnest wristwatch you’re naturally going to focus on the looks. But if you try one on, close your eyes for a moment and listen. The numerals are cut into the dial (a heightsaving trick), allowing crystal-clear sound to chime out from the gongs. bulgari.com

q OMEGA SPEEDMASTER CK2998 A heritage watch based on the classic 1959 original, this year’s Speedmaster CK2998 is available in a limited edition of – naturally – only 2998 units. It uses the iconic Omega Calibre 1861 movement, made famous by the first Moonwatch. The watch has a few nice reintroductions, including the lollipop style of the chronograph seconds hand and the original Speedmaster Seahorse medallion, which is embossed on the screw-in caseback. omegawatches.com

t OFFICINE PANERAI LUMINOR SUBMERSIBLE 1950 CARBOTECH That name is quite a mouthful, which is why most people will know this watch by its reference: PAM00616. To explain the watch, we’ll break down the name, starting at the back. Carbotech is a new carbon fibre composite material that’s being used in haute horlogerie for the first time ever. That composite is much more difficult to work with than steel or gold, yet the irregular tonal wave patterns of the material (a result of its construction) give each unit a completely unique look.

The “Luminor Submersible 1950” bit is a reference to the 47mm case shape, which is the same as previous models, despite the radically different material. Also, thanks to that Carbotech case and titanium insert and caseback, the watch feels lighter than you’d expect – which is ideal for diving. Inside, the watch features Panerai’s in-house P.9000 movement, which has two spring barrels and a power reserve of three days. The PAM 616 is available in a limited edition of only 500 pieces. panerai.com

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ROLEX COSMOGRAPH DAYTONA u With a heritage that dials all the back to 1963, the “new” Daytona isn’t really all that new… so the fact that it was one of the star attractions of Baselworld 2016 should tell you something. Rolex fans have been waiting for this watch for years. The upgraded, high-tech monobloc Cerachrom bezel (available exclusively on the steel models) gives it the toughness it needs for motor racing, while the tachymetric scale allows you to measure average speeds of up to an eye-watering 400km/h. The Oysterlock safety clasp on the bracelet means it’ll never open accidentally, and (this being a Rolex) the bezel colour is to never change or fade, making the Daytona always look like you’re putting it on for the first time. rolex.com

t MOVADO EDGE Movado’s original Museum Dial watch was literally a work of art. Created in 1947 by Nathan George Horwitt, its iconic design – no numbers on the dial, a simple gold dot at 12 o’clock – became part of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in 1960. So how do you top that? Ask Yves Béhar.

Béhar and his team at fuseproject came up with the Movado Edge collection, which expands on Horwitt’s original idea. “The dished shapes catch the light beautifully and have the effect of drawing the eye inside of the watch,” he says.

“As the user’s wrist moves, the design changes constantly, symbolically speaking of time as the indicator of change in our lives.” movado.com

t TAG HEUER MONZA CALIBRE 17

t ZENITH EL PRIMERO CLASSIC CARS

The Carrera-based 1976 Monza Calibre 15 was an instant classic, with its racing pedigree and deliciously 70s look. The Monza’s lineage has been complicated (to say the least) since then, with a few attempted comebacks… but this one, revealed at Baselworld to mark that ’76 model’s 40th anniversary, is the real deal. Looks-wise, it combines the 2000 model’s case and the 1976 model’s iconic black/red colour scheme, with sharper lines and a more symmetrical dial (chronograph counters at 3 o’clock and 9 o’clock). The full-grain black calfskin “super racing” strap only adds to its motorsports sensibility. tagheuer.com

Built to celebrate Zenith’s involvement in more than 50 classic car events this year, the El Primero 36 000 VpH Classic Cars chronograph serves as an update on the 2013 original. The 42mm case remains, but the dial is completely different: it’s an anthracite tri-colour dial with brushed engine Côtes de Genève (Geneva stripes) and traditional light gray, dark gray and blue subsidiary dials. zenith-watches.com

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DESPITE ITS COMPLICATED DISPLAY, THE 590G ONLY HAS A 39.5MM CASE

t PATEK PHILIPPE 5930G If you’re not a watch-tech geek, you’ll want to skip past this first paragraph. Patek’s 5930 is based – very loosely on a 76-year-old archive model, the 1940 reference 1415 HU. Under the bonnet, it combines the calibres of the 5990 and the 5130, shifting axes and changing component clearances to create the calibre CH 28-520 HU, which is new, but not new.

Still with us? Good, because this 39.5mm work of art is both a world-timer and a chronograph, with a dial that displays a truly massive amount of data, including a 30-second chronograph and the ability to tell the time in 24 different time zones. To activate that worldtimer, you press the button at 10 o’clock and advance the time zone to 12 o’clock.

During this process, the hour hand is disengaged from the movement, so that no other part of the watch is affected. All of that, and the watch is barely 12mm thick. patek.com

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t TUDOR BLACK BAY BRONZE One of a handful of heritage Black Bay models introduced at Baselworld, the Bronze is a 43 mm divers’ watch that draws heavily on the brand’s history while showcasing Tudor’s in-house mechanical movement: the selfwinding MT5601, complete with a bidirectional rotor system. That high-performance calibre offers a 70-hour power reserve, with the movement regulated by a variable inertia oscillator with silicon balance spring, held in place by a traversing bridge. Even if you’re not a watchmaker, you’ll know that that means it’s as tough as nails. tudorwatch.com

qMASTERGRAFF GYROGRAFF WORLD Jeweller Graff’s Baselworld exhibition included this beauty: a meticulously crafted, hand-engraved series of five , 48mm timepieces, each of which display a different view of the Earth’s continents. It’s a technical masterpiece, with a three-dimensional moon phase indicator visible through the front and back of the dial, and a double-axis tourbillon located at 5 o’clock. The dial is the real signature, though: you’ll want to get your hands on the Middle East version. graffdiamonds.com

TUDOR BLACK BAY 36 We couldn’t decide which of these Black Bays we liked the most for our selection, so we picked them both. The 36mm version is marketed as a unisex watch, so it’ll either work as a gift for a lady, or as a neat, formal watch for a gentleman. As with the other models in the Black Bay range (the striking Black Bay Dark was our third pick), the dial on the 36 is clearly inspired by Tudor’s 1950s-era divers’ watches, with angular, “snowflake” hands plucked from Tudor’s late-1960s catalogue. tudorwatch.com V O LA NT E | Is sue 9 |

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THE OYSTER CASE IS GUARANTEED WATERPROOF TO 100M

p ROLEX OYSTER PERPETUAL AIR-KING Insert your own “Return of the King” headlines here. The Air-King – now in a bigger, 40mm 904L steel case – is back, with a dial combining an oversized 3, 6 and 9 with a minute scale and a Chromalight triangle marker at 12, in a mix of styles. The Air-King lettering is a shoutout to the 1950s original… but the watch's roots go even deeper, to the 1930s and the golden age of aviation. Evidence of this is the special shield that protects the movement against magnetic fields, as similar technology did to pilots’ watches in days gone by. This King is ready to rule the ocean as well, with a fluted caseback hermetically sealed with a special tool that allows only Rolex watchmakers to access the movement. rolex.com

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q ULYSSE NARDIN DIVER CHRONOGRAPH HAMMERHEAD SHARK Ulysse Nardin have been producing marine chronometers since 1846, and the latest addition to their Diver collection draws on that rich history. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s big (44mm), bold, rugged and reliable, and its 48-hour power reserve, screw-locked crown, solid lugs and unidirectional turning bezel make it tough enough for divers, and elegant enough for yachtsmen. Adding to that reliability is the new movement: a self-winding manufacture chronograph calibre UN-150, with silicium escapement and a balance spring. This limited edition is available in stainless steel (300 pieces) and 18-karat rose gold 5N (99). ulysse-nardin.com

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By James Nicholls

MARKING A WEEKEND WHEN MOTOR RACING’S MOST FAMOUS CARS RETURNED TO THE SPORT’S MOST HALLOWED CIRCUIT,

THE BENDS AT LA CONDAMINE. The Rascasse hairpin. The corner at Sainte Dévote. The tunnel. The harbour.

Few motor racing circuits are as instantly recognisable as the Circuit de Monaco, and few motor racing events have the history – or the prestige – of the Monaco Grand Prix.

The first was run in 1929, with William Grover-Williams in his Bugatti T35B leading a chasing pack around the same street circuit that is still in use today. In the years since, dozens of legendary cars and drivers have written their names into motor racing history at the sport’s spiritual home.

JAMES NICHOLLS WINDS BACK THE CLOCK AT THE 10TH EDITION OF THE GRAND PRIX MONACO HISTORIQUE

Monte Carlo native Louis Chiron, after whom part of the circuit is now named, won the race in a Bugatti T51 in1931, and finished fourth in 1933 in his Alfa Romeo 8C Monza. Stirling Moss, who was in attendance in the Principality 60 years later, was the winner in 1956 in his Maserati 250F, while the great Argentine Juan-Manuel Fangio – also driving a 250F – won the following year ahead of Tony Brooks in his Vanwall VW7. Then 1958 saw Maurice Trintignant win in a Cooper T45; Australian Jack Brabham won in 1961 in a Cooper T55, but such is the nature of both sport and life that he failed to finish the  V O LA NT E | Is sue 9 |

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following year when driving a Lotus 24. Brabham abandoned again in 1964 while driving his own car, the Brabham BT7. That was the year Jim Clark finished fourth in a Lotus 25.

Alberto Ascari crashing his Lancia into the harbour waters in 1955. Paul Hawkins doing the same 10 years later in his Lotus. Graham Hill’s three wins in a row in 1963, ’64 and ’65. Alain Prost’s hat-trick 20 years later. Ayrton Senna’s five consecutive wins from 1989 to ’93. Great names, great cars, great competition at this, the most mythical event on the Grand Prix calendar.

Of course, Formula 1’s Grand Prix de Monaco still takes place here every year. This year, of course, Lewis Hamilton fought off Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo to win a race that – even in this modern era – still means more than any other in the sport. But while the official Monaco GP has certainly lost none of its glitz and glamour, it may, over the years, have lost some of its charm.

Thankfully, the Grand Prix Monaco Historique allows us to turn back the clock, to those early days when the heroes of the sport were captured in sepia tones: a time when both the photographs and the vehicles were pre-digital. Run over three days in May on the exact same route as the Formula 1 Grand Prix, it provides a marvelous journey into the history of the racing car in Monaco.

This extraordinary event – first held in 1997 – has taken place every other year since 2000, with 2016 recording its tenth edition. This year’s

crowd of over 30 000 spectators saw races in seven different classes, the first being for pre-war Grand Prix cars. The group featured a variety of Bugattis, Aston Martins, an MG K3 Magnette, Maserati 6CM, a unique Riley Dobbs, MercedesBenz SSK and an Alfa Romeo 1750SS Zagato –

Back in time As it has done since 2002, watchmaker Chopard served as the official timekeeper at this year’s Grand Prix de Monaco Historique – a race that Chopard Co-President describes as “probably the best event you can find on the circuit anywhere in the world”.

Chopard creates commemorative timepieces for each event, which are given as prizes to the various category winners. This year’s model was issued in limited editions of 500 in stainless steel and titanium, and 100 in 18K rose gold.

Left page: This year's GP Historique attracted over 30 000 spectators, with races in seven different classes.

This page: This is no concourse of elegance or parade lap. The vast majority of the cars come to Monte Carlo to do precisely what they were built to do: race!

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and while they did not race, this group completed a series of parade laps to venerate those early pioneers of Monegasque motor racing.

Series B, for pre-1961 front-engined F1 Grand Prix and Formula 2 cars, was a roaring evocation of Monaco’s 1950s-era single-seaters, like as the Cooper Bristol and the Maserati 250F, which took the honours in 1956 and 1957 with Moss and Fangio behind the wheel.

Series C featured front-engined sports racing cars which competed at Monaco between 1952 and 1955. This was a large field, made up amongst others of Allards, Frazer Nash, Ferrari, Aston Martin, Maserati and a handful of wonderful C-Type Jaguars.

The 1959 Grand Prix was won by a Formula Junior Stanguellini and, fittingly, Series D’s Formula Junior cars – featuring the famous front engine and drum brakes – were all built between 1958 and 1960. The 49 entries in this very competitive group featured a wide variety of marques, including Stanguellini as well as three lovely Osca Tipo J. Another very competitive class was that of the 1500cc F1 Grand Prix cars from 1961 to 1965.

This was the formula that Graham Hill, driving for BRM, won his hat-trick of Monaco GP titles, in an amazing feat of skill and consistency. The beautiful little open-wheelers in Series E really did look the part here, and took me back to my very early memories of motor racing.

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Series F (F1 Grand Prix cars from 1966 to 1972) and G (Formula 1 cars from 1973 to 1976), meanwhile, provided incredibly serious and motivated racing. The Grand Prix Historique is, after all, a racing event – and some of these classic cars hit speeds of 240km/h.

While there had been plenty of British victories in the earlier Series, it was home town hero Alessandro Caffi, in a 1976 Ensign N176, who took the podium in the final race of the weekend. Caffi looked happier winning this trophy than he perhaps did in any of the 56 World Championship F1 Grands Prix he competed in between 1986 and 1991.

It was serious but friendly rivalry all the way through the different series, with other famous drivers also taking part. Drivers on the day included multiple Le Mans winners Jacky Ickx and Emmanuele Pirro and Formula 1’s Mark Webber, while Adrian Newey – engineer of Red Bull and Williams Renault fame – pushed the beautiful Gold Leaf Lotus 49 (driven in period

by Jim Clark and Graham Hill) very hard.

To my mind, though, the Monaco Historic Grand

History in the making SERIES C (SPORTS RACING CARS 1952-1955) featured what’s fast becoming a familiar sight on the historic car racing scene: a resounding victory for JD Classics’ 1952 C-Type Jaguar. Driven by the company’s inhouse racing driver, Chris Ward, the C-Type started on pole and opened up a 10-second leap within the first ten minutes, before a retirement at Rascasse called the Safety Car into action. Once the incident was cleared, Ward and the C-Type broke away again, finishing almost eight seconds ahead of Frederic Wakeman’s second-placed 1955 Cooper-Jaguar T38.

Remarkably, it was this particular C-Type’s 24th win in 27 historic races, and its third in a row at the Monaco Grand Prix Historique. “Our ex-Fangio C-Type is fast becoming legendary,” JD Classics Managing Director Derek Hood said after the event, “but our race team work on a huge range of historic competition cars throughout the year – all of which are competing at the very highest level.”

"THE BEAUTIFUL LITTLE OPENWHEELERS IN SERIES E REALLY DID LOOK THE PART"

Prix is not about winners and losers. It is about the atmosphere and ambience, the passion and vibrancy, the sound and the legends; rather than the palmarès or the honour of standing on the podium. It may sound like a Primary School cliché, but every one who took part was a winner on the day.

If you wanted a little quiet time away from the track, there was plenty else to do in Monte Carlo, with three major classic car auctions taking place over the weekend and a fabulous Historic Racing

Clockwise: It was serious but friendly rivalry all the way through the different series, with a range of famous cars – and famous drivers – entering the field.

Boat exhibition in the Riva Tunnel right by the paddock. The latter featured some amazing craft, such Rafale V which used to ply the waters of this famous harbour back in the 1930s.

The abiding memory though is of the cars (many of them with amazing provenance) and their drivers screaming through the Chicane, past Tabac and Chiron and Rascasse, transporting us back to those halcyon days of races gone by.

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Mans In Motion THIS YEAR’S LE MANS CLASSIC – HELD AT THE FABLED 24 HOURS OF LE MANS CIRCUIT – TURNED BACK THE CLOCK TO ATTRACT RECORD CROWDS.

THE INDIANAPOLIS 500 (SEE PAGE 15) AND MONACO GRAND PRIX (TURN BACK TO PAGE 74) are just two of the jewels in the prestigious Triple Crown of Motorsport. The third, of course, is the 24 Hours of Le Mans. And to celebrate the world’s oldest endurance sports car race, the Le Mans Classic runs every other year on the same 13.65km circuit.

There’s a significant difference, however: while the 24 Hours of Le Mans showcases the cutting edge of automotive endurance, innovation and aerodynamics, the Le Mans Classic takes a look back, retracing the history of the race from 1923 to 1993. This year’s event saw 550 cars take to the track, with about a thousand drivers – including 10 former 24 Hours champs (with four-time winner Henri Pescarolo and this year’s winner Romain Dumas among them) – taking turns at the wheel in around-the-clock racing.

Among the many nostalgic nods to the past, 8 500 cars, representing 60 constructors and 180 classic car clubs, gathered on the grid to celebrate both the 100th birthday of BMW and the 50th anniversary of the Ford GT40’s first victory at the Le Mans 24 Hours.

A record crowd of 123 000 spectators attended the three-day event, which was held over the sunny weekend of 8-10 July.

The classic motorcars didn’t let them down.

The opening act was a return of Group C Racing, with more than 40 cars representing the 1980s’ golden age of endurance racing gracing the track.

From a racing point of view, the weekend

Main image: A record crowd turned out for the three-day event... and they were not disappointed. Left: Some 8 500 cars gathered on the grid to mark the BMW centenary and the 50th anniversary of the Ford GT40's first Le Mans 24 Hours victory.

AROUND THE CLOCK belonged to JD Classics, who picked up four race wins and a podium finish. The UK-based classic racing car restorers entered six cars, with three of them participating in the 76-car field of Grid (or “Plateau”) 2. As it turned out, Plateau 2’s second race, run at night, provided the weekend’s most exciting race. After failing to finish the first race, Chris Ward’s 1952 C-Type Jaguar was forced to start from the back of the grid. By the end of the first lap, he’d risen 66 places to 10th, and by Lap 4 he was in 3rd place. Ultimately, the C-Type passed the leading D-Type to claim victory by a nailbiting 3.2 seconds.

Across the seven categories – Plateau 1 (1923-1939), Plateau 2 (1946-1956), Plateau 3 (1957-1961), Plateau 4 (1962-1965), Plateau 5 (1966-1971), Plateau 6 (1972-1981) and Group C (1982-1993) – there was plenty of thrilling racing… But, as is always the case at historic racing events, the actual racing came a distant second to the beautifully restored classic cars on the circuit.

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As the official timekeeper, Richard Mille celebrates the biennial Le Mans Classic by developing a new, limited edition watch for each event.

This year’s model is the RM 11-02 Le Mans Classic. It takes its visual cues from racing cars, with pushers inspired by pedals and a crown inspired by a vintage clutch mechanism, and has an automatic calibre in grade 5 titanium. And, as you’d expect from a Le Mans piece, it has a 24-hour flyback chronograph and countdown feature.

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YO U H AV E N ’ T S E E N T H E F U T U R E O F D R I V I N G S E AT O F A B M W, M I N I O R R O L L S - R OYC E V I S I O N VISIONS REVEAL – THE MOST INTRIGUING 72

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BY MARK VAN DIJK

U N T I L YO U ’ V E S E E N I T F R O M T H E D R I V E R ’S NEXT 100 CONCEPT VEHICLE. AND – AS THOSE T H I N G A B O U T T H E F U T U R E I S H OW FA M I L I A R I T LO O KS. V O LA NT E | Is sue 9 |

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NE OF THE SMARTEST things George Lucas ever did was to set the Star Wars movies “a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…” Other science fiction films aren’t as forward-looking, and they suffer as a result – even if they’re undisputed genre classics. The year 2001 came and went, and humanity was nowhere near the space-travel vision imagined in 2001: A Space Odyssey. When 2015 arrived, a generation of Back To The Future: Part II fans started asking – quite reasonably – why on Earth nobody had yet invented the hoverboard. Even Blade Runner loses its lustre as 2019 approaches, with no sign of replicants on the horizon.

Concept cars are much the same. As daring as they are in their vision, the passing years are seldom kind to them, and they start to look very silly indeed when their (often completely unrealistic) future fails to happen. Sadly, the concept cars that more grounded in a thought-through reality usually aren’t as much fun – or as roundly ridiculed – as the spectacular failures.

So when an automotive giant like BMW presents a vision of the future, you’re compelled to pay attention, especially when that vision is both sensible and bold, and both realistic and utterly mind-blowing.

To mark its centenary, the BMW Group – which includes BMW, Mini and Rolls-Royce (as well as BMW Motorrad) – has unveiled a collective concept vision called “The Next 100 Years”. It draws heavily on the company’s first 100 years, and views the future through three distinct lenses, each representing one of its three car brands.

The BMW Vision Next 100 concept explores what “Sheer Driving Pleasure” (the famous Bimmer advertising tagline) could look like in a world of self-driving cars; the Mini Vision Next 100 looks at individualised, “always-on” urban mobility; and the Rolls-Royce Vision Next 100…

Well, let’s just say you’ll love what the future looks like from inside a sci-fi version of the Rolls.

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people would engage with,” added Adrian van Hooydonk, Head of BMW Group Design. “Technology is going to make significant advances, opening up fantastic new possibilities that will allow us to offer the driver even more assistance for an even more intense driving experience. My personal view is that technology should be as intuitive as possible to operate and experience so that future interactions between human, machine and surroundings become seamless.”

To meet this goal, the BMW Vision Next 100 concept car has two modes of operation: Boost mode, where the driver drives; and Ease mode, where the car drives itself. In either mode, the driver’s behaviour is monitored and analysed by vehicle’s on-board computer – named, in true sci-fi fashion, “The Companion”. As The Companion gathers more and more data about the driver, it eventually becomes able to automatically complete the driver’s tasks for them.

The Companion, then, becomes the link between the driver and the self-driving car… and the vehicle manufacturer gets to maintain its link with its customer.

BMW: A century from now, will the wheels on BMW's luxury saloons be fully integrated into the sleek body of the vehicle itself?

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or BMW, you could really read any luxury sedan – and here, the trend that will shape the future is autonomous driving. But BMW (like any luxury sedan manufacturer) naturally wants to maintain the connection between itself, its cars and their drivers. That’s no easy task when the car is driving itself.

The way around this, as BMW sees it, is for drivers to be able to let their cars do the work – but only when the driver wants. “In developing the BMW Vision Next 100, the main objective was to create not an anonymous vehicle but one that is highly personalised and fully geared to meet the driver’s every need – because the very emotional connection between a BMW and its driver is something we want to retain,” the company said in a recent statement.

“Our objective […] was to develop a future scenario that

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Mini: In the Mini Vision Next 100 concept, even the colour of the car is changes to suit whichever driver is using it an any given time.

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ini’s vision of the future, meanwhile, sees compact city cars in much the same way that modern companies see “hot desk” workspaces: they’re shareable, yet customisable, and whoever’s using one will be able to feel instantly at home.

The guiding motto here is “Every Mini is my Mini”.

And, as the company statement explains: “In the future, fans of the brand will be able to call on a Mini tailored to their personal requirements wherever they are, day or night.” It’s a car-sharing model on a grand scale, where selfdriving Minis are available all day, every day… like Uber, just without the driver. In between pick-ups, the car will drive itself to a charging station (it is, of course, an electric vehicle) to make sure it’s fully fuelled.

When the Mini picks you up, the car will automatically adapt itself – its on-board information, graphics, everything – to suit your individual preferences. And that’s when things get weird. The Mini Vision Next 100 concept car is wrapped in a silver skin (the Mini design crew call it a “blank canvas”), which even allows the car to change its exterior colour to whatever you want it to be.

“Mini looks to offer smart and bespoke mobility in cities that engages all the senses,” says Van Hooydonk. “And in the future, you might not actually have to own a vehicle to enjoy the benefits.”

Once you’re on board, you’ll be able to switch seamlessly from driving the car to letting the car drive itself, simply by shifting the steering wheel into the central area between yourself and the front passenger seat.

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nd so, to Rolls-Royce… or, at least, to a future vision of what the highest of high-end luxury vehicles will look like. “The Rolls-Royce Vision Next 100 has been designed as the ultimate expression of the future of super-luxury mobility,” says Van Hooydonk.

“It is an enlightening vision of the fascinating possibilities

In between pick-ups, the car will drive itself to a charging station (it is, of course, an electric vehicle) to make sure itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fully fuelled.

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of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars in the future.”  Like the BMW and Mini Visions, the Rolls-Royce Vision Next 100 is electric. Like the Mini, it’s completely customisable – but, as you’d expect, it’s not intended to be shared. Like the BMW, it has on-board AI that comes to know you and to know what you want.

Let’s start with the car. In this concept, Rolls-Royce will hand-craft the chassis and the zero-emissions powertrain.

The rest is up to you: as the owner, you’ll be able to commission a bespoke vehicle, shaped to suit your personal tastes. The interior is – as you’d expect – a thing of beauty.

The car will drive itself, rendering the driver’s seat, steering wheel and instruments completely superfluous. They’re replaced by a spacious, open cabin, which allows you to stretch your legs and enjoy the ride.

Instead of BMW’s The Companion, the Rolls-Royce owner (you’re not really a “driver” any more, are you?) gets a virtual assistant named Eleanor. The more time you spend with Eleanor, the better she’ll get to know you, until ultimately she’ll have a catalogue of your favourite routes, restaurants and road journeys.

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The more time you spend with Eleanor, the better she’ll get to know you, until ultimately she’ll have a catalogue of your favourite routes, restaurants and road journeys.

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Incidentally, that name, Eleanor, is a wink to the past.

Eleanor Thornton was the model who inspired sculptor Charles Robert Sykes’ iconic Rolls-Royce bonnet ornament.

But, as Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Design Director Giles Taylor says: “With the Rolls-Royce Vision Next 100 we were very mindful not to dwell on the past. We wanted to be as innovative as possible and at the same time transcend the design history of the marque.”

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hat’s three kinds of cars, three distinct brands, and three very different visions of the future of driving.

But, as bonkers as these visions may sound from where we’re sitting today, they’re grounded in reality.

Flip back a few pages, and have another read through our First Gear section. Electronic cars already exist. Selfdriving cars are already making their way onto our roads.

Bespoke, one-of-a-kind luxury automobiles are nothing new. And that’s what’s so unreal about the BMW Group’s Vision Next 100 concepts: they present a glimpse into a sci-fi driving future that’s at once completely new, yet eerily relatable.

THE SIX PILLARS OF BMW’S VISION The BMW Group’s approach to the next century will be guided by what it calls “six central hypotheses for individual mobility”.

These are: #1. MOBILITY IS BECOMING VERSATILE.

New forms of mobility – not only cars – are opening up countless possibilities for people to get where they want to go.

#2. CONNECTIVITY IS BECOMING SECOND NATURE.

This hypothesis is based on the theory of the Internet of Things, and on the notion that digital intelligence is meant to serve people.

#3. MOBILITY IS BECOMING TAILOR-MADE.

An extension of #1, this hypothesis holds that mobility will become flexible and customised, allowing people to choose their preferred route and their preferred means of transport.

#4. TECHNOLOGY IS BECOMING HUMAN. The thinking here is that technology must be able to learn from and adapt to people, so that it’s more human, and more relatable.

#5. ENERGY IS BECOMING EMISSION-FREE.

This reflects the megatrend towards environmentallycompatible vehicles, built using renewable energies and recycled without generating emissions.

#6. RESPONSIBILITY IS BECOMING DIVERSE. In essence, this means that global companies will have to take responsibility for the environment, and for the people who are (directly or indirectly) in its sphere of activity.

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P a rt i n g S h o t | B a c k Pa ge |

Photograph: Theodor Barth

RETIRED RACING DRIVER ECKHARD SCHIMPF STEPS OUT OF THE 1974 PORSCHE 911 CARRERA RSR – A CAR HE RACED IN MORE THAN 80 TIMES, AND THE LATEST ADDITION TO HIS COLLECTION FROM THE FABLED JÄGERMEISTER RACING TEAM.

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