Irish Ford Vignale Magazine #3

! Exclusive

FORD VIGNALVEA ENE AT THE G HOW MOTOR S 2016

INTERVIEW

MICHAEL FASSBENDER

ARGUABLY THE BEST ACTOR OF HIS GENERATION PAGE 20.

EDITORIAL TIME FOR QUALITY

ime is a precious commodity, so I’d like to welcome you to this issue of the Ford Vignale magazine by thanking you for taking

the time to look inside it. We appreciate you’re a busy individual. Indeed, efficient use of your time is a core feature of the Ford Vignale experience and the personalised service you receive from your own dedicated Vignale Relationship Manager. We’ve applied that same approach to this issue, so you’ll find plenty of smart, time-saving ideas here. According to Albert Einstein’s theory, time passes more slowly on the International Space Station (ISS) than it does on Earth. So in theory you can pack more into a day there – an appealing idea. However Ford is using the ISS not to save time but to improve quality, another Ford Vignale principle. ISS cosmonauts are honing advanced Ford communications technology to enable tomorrow’s Ford cars to drive autonomously (see page 6). We need the quality of this technology to be flawless. The pursuit of quality is a theme that runs through this magazine. So our cover star is Michael Fassbender, an actor driven by an obsession to make every detail of every scene perfect. The specialists at the Ford Vignale Quality Centre in Valencia will identify with that. They add the personalised touch to guarantee the quality that you, as a Ford Vignale customer, deserve and expect (page 40). It’s going to be an exciting year for Ford Vignale as we welcome two new SUVs to the family, the Ford Edge Vignale and Ford Kuga Vignale and open further FordStores across Europe. At the Geneva International Motor Show we will proudly present you the Ford S-Max Vignale. They’re all previewed in this issue, too, on pages 6 and 7. I hope you enjoy reading it.

Jim Farley CEO Ford Europe

This summer you can see it â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and feel and drive it â&#x20AC;&#x201C; at your FordStore: the Ford S-MAX Vignale, the second Ford Vignale launch after the Ford Mondeo Vignale. As with the Ford Mondeo Vignale the Ford S-Max Vignale comes with the latest technology, luxurious interior design, finest craftmanship and of course, personalised Ford Vignale service. It also offers lots of space for passengers and luggage. So see, feel, drive.

Vehicle shown may not represent full UK or Ireland specification.

FROM COLOGNE TO MILAN We drive the Ford Mondeo Vignale from Cologne, city of Ford Europe, through beautiful Switzerland to Milan, design capital of the world and host of Design Week, the ultimate event for design lovers and where new Ford designs are showcased.

06 08 26 4

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TRAVEL SMARTER: THE GENEVA MOTOR SHOW The most important motor show of the year.

WORLD OF FORD Today’s trends, tomorrow’s talking points.

GLOBAL TREND: BIG DATA Data is everywhere. We’re getting better and faster at collecting and analysing it. So how is big data changing our lives for the better? We reveal all.

42 52

DRIVE FOR PERFECTION At the Ford Vignale Quality Centre in Valencia, every Ford Vignale is tested to the max before it leaves the plant. Only once a Ford Vignale scores 100% is it ready for you

HOME SMART HOME Want to be smart at home and save lots of time? We show you the newest apps and tools to make life at home nice and easy and as time-efficient as possible.

CONTENTS

46 30 36

48 HOURS IN LISBON Terrific food, terrific shopping, terrific culture. Welcome to Portugal’s capital!

BEST FLAGSHIP STORES

MEET MR SOUND MAN

Hermès in Paris, Damien Hirst in London, Valentino

Ralf Heinrichs is responsible for the

in Milan and FC Barcelona in, of course, Barcelona…

sounds you hear in many Ford models and

Our selection of the best flagship stores in Europe.

the special Ford Vignale sounds. From the

This is not shopping –

engine to the closing and locking of a door.

this is an experience!

How does he work? And which sounds

Plus: the brand-

inspire him?

new FordStores.

Publisher: Ford Europe www.ford-vignale.com Produced by: Pelican Custom Delflandlaan 4 1062 EB AMSTERDAM The Netherlands +31 20 7581000 www.pelicancustom.com Pelican Custom: Frank Kloppert, Jeannette Stavorinus, Raymond van Buuren, Juliette Hoijtink, Elizabeth Zesjkova, Sofie Vermooten Editors in Chief: Catherine Blee (Ford Europe), Hans Verstraaten Art Director: Jaap Sinke Associate Art Directors: Mervyn Hall, Danny van den IJssel (coordination) Editors: Tom Collingridge, IFA Amsterdam, Jens Holierhoek, Alexander Schlangen

20 MICHAEL FASSBENDER

Copy Editors: Diane Baumann, Peter McSean

The man from Steve Jobs, X-Men and 12 Years a

Images: Rob van Hazendonk, Michael Jefferson,

Slave talks about his brilliant acting and how he,

Adam Quest, Matt Canning, Christian Rolfes, Georges van Wensveen, Getty Images

a true workaholic relaxes.

Advertising Director: Paul Laurey (Pelican Media) Production Management: Daniëlle van Tol Copyright Ford Vignale Magazine is published by Ford Europe. If you have any suggestions, questions or comments, please contact Pelican Custom by email: fordvignale@pelicancustom.nl. Thank you for your feedback. No part of this publication may be reproduced and/ or published by print, photocopy, audio recording, publishing on the Internet or in any other way whatsoever without the prior written consent of Ford Europe and Pelican Custom.

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NEW FORD VIGNALE MODELS IN THE SPOTLIGHT AT GENEVA MOTOR SHOW

The most important motor show of the year is held in Geneva at the beginning of March. So it’s fitting that this year’s event hosts the world debut of three new Ford Vignale models – the spacious Ford S-MAX Vignale and two practical SUVs, the New Ford Edge Vignale and the Ford Kuga Vignale concept. In addition making its official debut is the 5dr variant of the recently launched Ford Mondeo Vignale and the newly customised Ford Vignale Nero.

NEW FORD EDGE VIGNALE

he Ford stand at the Geneva Motor Show has it all – high-tech supercars like the Ford GT, performance hatchbacks such as the new Ford Focus RS and luxury models, such as the Ford Mondeo Vignale, as well as special displays like the Vignale Collection (see next page). Since 1905 the Geneva motor show has provided a prestigious stage. Now this stage is being graced by three impressive newcomers to the Ford Vignale line-up. The soon to be produced new Ford S-MAX Vignale, the New Ford Edge Vignale and Ford Kuga Vignale concept offer luxurious interiors that, like the Ford Mondeo Vignale, reflect the latest trends 6

Ford Vignale

and high-end technology. They also feature the distinctive design details that mark out a Ford Vignale model as special. Here we reveal the highlights. Signs of distinction

Distinctive exterior details for all models in the Ford Vignale line-up include a customised Ford Vignale grille with chrome accents, metallic paint, Vignale badging and distinct alloy wheels. Inside story

All Ford Vignale models feature front sports seats in perforated premium luxury leather,

an instrument panel upholstered in leather, Active Noise Control (available on Mondeo, S-MAX and Edge) ambient lighting and the new innovative SYNC with Touchscreen infotainment system. Bright idea

The Ford Mondeo Vignale offers adaptive LED headlights, which use advanced technology to make the driving experience easier, more relaxing and safer. Take a seat

The New Ford Edge Vignale is the most luxurious version of the third SUV in Ford’s

GENEVA MOTOR SHOW

FORD VIGNALE BOUTIQUE EXCLUSIVE LIFESTYLE OFFERS

During the Geneva Motor Show, Ford is

In Geneva, Ford Vignale is launching its new special benefit programme for Ford

showcase the Vignale Collection range.

Vignale owners. As a member, you’ll be entitled to receive exclusive lifestyle offers

Visitors will also be able to purchase

every month on top of all the privileges you already enjoy as an owner of a Ford

items from the boutique. Inspired by the

Vignale car. How about special access to events, plus products and services spanning

Ford Vignale cars, the Vignale Collection

culture, music, travel, sport, fashion and more? We’ll keep you updated.

consists of specially designed accessories

opening a Ford Vignale boutique to

that extend the luxury and premium craftsmanship of Ford Vignale into every aspect of daily life. The award winning Vignale Weekender Bag stands out as the epitome of quality, craftsmanship and innovative design which is demonstrated in all Vignale Collection products. On display are both men’s and women’s products designed to embrace the Ford Vignale smart travel experiences. www.vignalecollection.com

FORD S-MAX VIGNALE

portfolio. So its premium leather-covered front seats offer 10-way adjustment to ensure optimum comfort. Luxury hallmarks

As part of its premium appearance, the New Ford Edge Vignale has 20-inch, polished aluminium wheels of a design unique to Ford Vignale and an eye-catching honeycomb grille in Vignale Magnetic Grey with a chrome surround. Two 2.0-litre diesel engines ensure this SUV feels special on the move – a 180PS unit with a manual gearbox and a 210PS engine allied to an automatic gearbox.

Vehicle shown may not represent full UK or Ireland specification.

At your command

Each Ford Vignale model comes with Ford SYNC Touchscreen, the integrated on-board communications and entertainment system that, among other things, allows you to make hands-free telephone calls and control music using spoken commands.

Ford Vignale

The key is in not spending time, but investing it. Stephen Covey

Lessons from nature The gecko is a creature that amazes scientists. The little lizard weighs about 700g, but its toe pads are capable of supporting 133kg. The reptile can stick to almost any surface without leaving a residue. Studying the gecko can help find new kinds of adhesives for car manufacturing. Once the ‘technology’ the gecko is using has been deciphered, it can replace foams and plastics and reduce the environmental footprint of car production. Since 2006, Ford has been looking at nature – especially at biomimicry – for sustainable solutions to modern-day challenges.

Under the influence Through the free Ford Driving Skills for Life programme, Ford has already trained more than 500,000 young people around the world to be safer drivers. The newest addition to the hands-on tuition is a Drug Driving Suit. The suit has been designed with the help of scientists to show drivers the dangers of driving under the influence of drugs such as cannabis, cocaine and ecstasy. All the physical side effects of using such drugs while driving – for example, trembling hands, imaginary sounds and distorted vision – can be simulated while wearing the special suit. The Driving Skills for Life programme is currently being conducted in 10 European countries. www.drivingskillsforlife.com

: a smarter way to move You may have heard about the Ford Smart Mobility Plan, Ford’s innovative way of rethinking the future of mobility. Part of this plan is the introduction of the all-new app FordPass. With this app you are able to book parking spots easily, schedule vehicle maintenance or have a one-on-one live chat with your FordGuide; plus the app tells you how to get from A to B the easiest way. Even sharing or borrowing a car is possible. FordPass also includes the opening of FordHubs, where consumers will be able to explore the company’s latest innovations and experience exclusive events. FordPass will be launched this year in North America; Europe will follow later in 2016.

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WORLD OF FORD

Technology from outer space The intelligent connected cars of the future will need flawless communications to operate safely and properly. Ford recently finished a large-scale research project aimed at enhancing vehicle communication technology. As a result of this three-year joint project with the St Petersburg State Polytechnic University, a highly reliable data communications system has been developed. The fundamentals behind this advanced prototype system are now being used for special telematics experiments in space. Cosmonauts at the International Space Station are able to control a robot based on Earth. Although future Ford models won’t be from outer space, the technology they’ll use has at least been tested there.

Pack like a pro Packing up your suitcase for a holiday or business trip can be stressful – especially when you’re short of time. The Packing Pro app is a comprehensive list-making tool that ensures you to pack everything you need. Stylebook is a wardrobe organiser that can also help you pack too. First of all, you have to take pictures of all your clothes. Sure, that’s a bit time-consuming but it pays dividends once you’ve done it. When your complete wardrobe is transferred to the app, it’s very easy to create a packing list without opening your wardrobe. As well as the original Stylebook app, a men’s version – Stylebook men is available. When you’re not travelling, Stylebook can be used as a handy virtual stylist.

Ford Vignale

real watches for real people

Oris Aquis Depth Gauge Automatic mechanical movement Patented depth gauge function Unidirectional, revolving top ring with ceramic inlay Water resistant to 500 metres

www.oris.ch

WORLD OF FORD

The sound of silence

Erika Tsubaki

Frequent flyers are probably already using noisecancelling headphones. The same technology to detect and counteract undesirable noises is now available in the Ford Mondeo Vignale. Three microphones in the cabin constantly search for unwanted engine and transmission noises and filter them out by producing opposing sound waves. Sound is nothing more than air that vibrates and when an opposing sound wave hits an unpleasant vibration, it can be neutralised. On top of that, the Ford Mondeo Vignale has acoustic glass, a tiny layer as thin as a hair that improves the sound-proofing qualities of the car. The sound-reducing technology on board the Ford Mondeo Vignale is the result of the newly established global Vehicle Harmony team at Ford. Erika Tsubaki, design supervisor, Ford of Europe: “Vehicle interiors are a precious yet complex space, with hundreds of carefully positioned individual functional elements, just like instruments in an orchestra. To bring harmony to the customer experience these instruments must be in tune with one another. That’s where the Vehicle Harmony team comes in.”

Fashionable headwear When riding your bike, snowboarding or climbing you’ll need a helmet. Let’s be honest, most head protectors don’t make you look prettier. However Inkwell Helmets like to spice things up by offering a collection of about 100 neatly designed styles. What about a helmet covered with strawberries, parrots or art deco style? Who says a helmet can’t be a fashion statement? www.inkwellhelmets.com

Magician with words The Livescribe 3 smartpen lets you draw and write on plain paper and then directly transforms your creations via Bluetooth into a digital copy. The smartpen (with built-in microphone to add comments) reads handwriting using character recognition, making you feel a real magician with words. www.livescribe.com

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FORD VIGNALE EXPRESS:

COLOGNE-MILAN From Cologne to Milan, from ‘Ford City’ to the Design Capital of the World. It’s a journey to savour – especially in the refined Ford Mondeo Vignale 2.0 TDCi AWD.

Ford Vignale

THE VIGNALE EXPERIENCE Cologne

ess than five hours after leaving Gate 3 at the headquarters of Ford Europe in Cologne, we arrive in Zürich. The city consists of banks, tailored suits and glamorous shopping streets in the Altstadt. But there’s another surprising side to this city. Zürich-West has been transformed into a bustling, modern and appealingly grungy hotspot – which explains why Lonely Planet ranks Zürich as a top 10 European city. The former industrial and harbour district is being revitalised along the same lines as the docks in London and the old ports of Rotterdam and Lisbon. Imposing overpasses and train tracks twist their way around renovated warehouses and factories. The streets and trams are filled

The Ford Mondeo Vignale continues self-confidently – no, gallantly – into the mountains, hugging the many curves. The trip from Cologne to Milan can be done in 10 hours. But why rush?

Zürich Lucerne Gotthard Tunnel

Lugano

Milan

Ford Vignale

Right: walking the dog along the shores of Lake Lugano. Far right: the 25 Hours Hotel. Below: Museum für Gestaltung.

with people wearing the latest trends. You feel the buzz on the streets and in squares, with names like Schiff baustrasse (Ship-building Street) and Turbinenplatz (Turbine Square). An exciting mix of old and new can be found on the premises of the old Löwenbrau brewery (Limmatstrasse 270). Above the brick building dating from 1897, two gleaming apartment buildings have been erected. You can still make out the forms of the old silos and the original chimney. Located in the building are art galleries and art museums, such as the Kunsthalle and Migros Museum. Surprising encounters

Next to the 25 Hours Hotel – which has a ping-pong table in the lobby and designer bikes for rent at the reception – you’ll find the Museum for Design (Museum für Gestaltung, Pfingstweidstrasse 96), which opened in 2014 in a former milk factory. Today, tens of thousands of design objects from the 20th century are on display here. We discover posters and furniture, but also a Rubik’s Cube and a cheese slicer. 14

Ford Vignale

When night falls, purple, green and blue LED lamps begin to light up all over the neighbourhood. A line starts to form in front of the Schiff bau (Schiff baustrasse 6), a former shipyard turned theatre. You can listen to jazz in the club Moods, eat in the trendy restaurant LaSalle, or order a drink in the Nietturm bar high above Zürich-West. We decide to go to Les Halles (Pfingstweidstrasse 6), a bustling and crowded restaurant/delicatessen located in a former car park. Take a seat at one of the long tables, give your order and pick it up at the bar. The menu has around five dishes and all the ingredients are fresh and organic. Even the fish was caught the same day in Lake Zürich. The chef understands the art of Mediterranean food – craftsmanship, good taste and the desire to attain perfection. It’s the Ford Vignale feeling in a Swiss kitchen. It’s loud here, but for great food and surprising encounters, this is the place to be. Playground for young and old

From Zürich-West, we drive two hours to Lucerne. It’s a fairytale-like place. Swans bob

on Lake Lucerne, which is surrounded by mountains. In the city, we discover fascinating contrasts. The KKL, by architect Jean Nouvel, seemingly defies gravity with its refined, airy lines. This modern, eye-catching building is home to a concert hall renowned for its acoustics, as well as an art museum. It’s also the site of the annual Lucerne Festival, where famous musicians, composers and orchestras come to perform. Nearby, the Chapel Bridge connects both banks. The wooden bridge, built in the Middle Ages and almost 205 metres long, is well maintained. Between these two must-see tourist sites, you’ll find Luz, a bistro located along the water that attracts a diverse mix of guests. Here you can enjoy tarte flambée with bacon and cheese or a ginger tea, among others. Slice of paradise

The Ford Mondeo Vignale continues selfconfidently – no, gallantly – into the mountains, hugging the many curves. It’s a great feeling. And we have time. The trip from Cologne to Milan can be done in 10 hours. But why rush?

Ford Vignale

Lucerne is a fairytale-like place

Ford Vignale

Above: waiter in Grand Café Al Porto. Left: medieval city of Lucerne Below: Milan city centre.

We arrive in Lugano. Its downtown area didn’t earn the nickname ‘paradise’ for nothing. With its 67,000 inhabitants, Lugano offers a heavenly mix of Rösti and pasta, Swiss efficiency with its banks and watch stores, and a joie de vivre with the streets sprinkled with summer suits by Ermenegildo Zegna and fluttering dresses by Gucci. The good life is palpable and you don’t need a big wallet to enjoy a part of it. Lugano is the Swiss town with the most hours of sun per year and 90 public fountains with crystal-clear drinking water. What else could a person want? Well, perhaps the things that are displayed in the Grand Café Al Porto (Via Pessina 3). Beautifully formed pastries make the passers-by stop and admire. Inside, the uniformed waiters move deftly from one table to the next, serving espressos and cappuccinos. This is one of Lugano’s oldest cafés and its interior hasn’t changed much since 1803. There’s plenty of walnut, chandeliers and stained glass windows. Clark Gable and Sophia Loren ate here regularly. George Clooney (who lives in nearby Como) always drinks his Caffé Shakerato at the same small table next to the fireplace. Brazilian top model Gisele Bündchen comes all the way from Milan for a ‘desiderio al cioccolato’.

into a mix of restaurant, bistro, gourmet deli, butchers and greengrocers. It smells and feels like Italy. Outside are boxes with fresh fruit and vegetables and shelves teeming with sandwiches. Inside, we find more delicious things, such as a crunchy puff pastry filled with salmon and polenta with mushrooms. A walk along Lake Lugano is a must. From the sycamore-lined boulevard you have a fantastic view of the surrounding mountains, including Monte Brè, Monte San Salvatore and of course, Collina d’Oro, the mountain that offers the best view. Here, tucked between the houses of the rich and famous, is Villa Principe Leopold, a five-star hotel that used to belong to a Prussian prince. Every room has a balcony. Guests can enjoy breakfast while taking in a spectacular sunrise. Next stop: Milan, an hour away. The Salone Internazionale del Mobile, part of the Milan Design Week, is about to begin for the 51st time. Naturally, Ford will be at the world’s largest design fair. And so will we.

Golden sunrise

Around the corner is D Gabbani (Via Pessina 12). It started out as a hotel but has crossed over

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Alessia Boni

Salone Internazionale del Mobile di Milano 18

Ford at the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most prestigious design event

Milan Design Week

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Ilaria Tabasso

Marica Loparco Lucia Ferrarati

Gloria Di Donatantonio

VIGNALE DESIGN

Anyone who is anyone in the world of design has this event in their diary: Milan Design Week. For six days, Milan plays host to the newest and most exciting designs from all round the globe – industrial design, furniture, products, virtually every kind of design you can think of. If it’s stylish, intriguing, innovative or important, chances are you’ll find it – and its (often famous and influential) designer – in Milan. The focus for many is the Salone Internazionale del Mobile di Milano (or Salone del Mobile for short), a six-day exhibition of the world’s latest and best designs. You’ll also find design events staged throughout the city centre, where museums and palazzos are transformed into temporary design venues. These city-wide events are known collectively as the Fuorisalone and together with the Salone del Mobile make up Milan Design Week. If you haven’t already noted it in your diary, don’t worry: this year it runs from 12th to 17th April, so there’s still time to make plans to enjoy the buzz of this event in person. As a design-savvy brand, Ford will be there of course. In 2014, Ford showed the Vignale Collection, including the Vignale Weekender Bag, which won the prestigious iF Award. This year Ford will show its even more extensive Vignale Collection line (and who knows, might win again). www.fuorisalone.it/info2016

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Michael Fassbender Movie actor, Hollywood star, sex symbol (in this order) A slave driver, a hunger striker, the founder of Apple, Macbeth, an anti-hero in X-Men: he’s played them all in unforgettable ways. But it took Michael Fassbender a very long time and a lot of hard work to become arguably one of the greatest movie actors of his generation.

e doesn’t look like Steve Jobs and he doesn’t speak like Steve Jobs; but in the movie Steve Jobs, he is Steve Jobs. He hates violence and every form of racism but in the movie 12 Years a Slave he is Epps, the most cruel, sadistic, racist, psychotic plantation owner you’ll ever meet (and one you will never ever forget). He grew up in Ireland, knows a lot about Irish history and about the IRA but it’s quite another thing to play,as he did in the movie Hunger, Bobby Sands, an IRA member who started a hunger strike in prison – a prison in the form of hell – and didn’t stop, 66 days later, until he was dead. For these roles, for these intense, passionate roles, Michael Fassbender is considered by many of his colleagues and many directors as one of

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the best actors of his generation. Director Steve McQueen, who directed him in Hunger and in 12 Years a Slave and is his close friend, says: ‘Michael is always looking to experiment and try something new or say something else. Most actors just lean on what they know they can do well. Michael is willing to make himself look like an idiot to get where he wants to go. He’s not vain. He’s not precious.” The man behind the actor

And then there is another Michael Fassbender, the one who stars in gossip stories, the one who is voted by women’s glossies as the Sexiest Man Alive and by men’s glossies as The Best Dressed Man Alive and the one who is asked over and

THE VIGNALE INTERVIEW

Ford Vignale

over again: Michael, are you in a relationship at the moment, who is the lucky girl and are there marriage plans yet? Mostly the answer is a very polite no and no. He lives in a rather small apartment in London. He is there for about 20 days a year, when time is especially precious to him. The rest of the year, he works and works and works. If he is not satisfied with a scene, he will stay up all night, searching for solutions (different dialogues, different moves – something to save the scene!). He strives for the highest quality in every performance, every scene, every detail. Acting is both very hard work and a true 22

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obsession. It’s not a life where you and a partner live together happily ever after. Michael smiles: “I wouldn’t want another life. Oh, no. This is what I always wanted. This is life.” He was born 38 years ago in the German city of Heidelberg to a German father and Irish mother. Soon the family moved to Killarney in the south-west of Ireland. That’s where he grew up (with a peculiar German-Irish accent that has never left him). Like most teenagers, he didn’t know exactly what he wanted but more or less out of the blue at 18 he suddenly knew what

he wanted very much: to produce, to direct and to star in a play. His choice was, believe it or not, a stage adaption of Quentin Tarantino’s very violent Reservoir Dogs – and then, well, almost everything went wrong. Wrongly casted actors, props that got lost, shouting and crying at rehearsals... He had sleepless nights, panicked and prayed for solutions. Yet at the same time, he loved it, the whole confusing situation, the chaos... This was life. This was creativity. This was action, passion. This was the acting life. Oh, yes, this was what he wanted (even though it frightened his parents, who were at that time

In those 20 free days a year, there’s something else he does – with the same passion as acting. Skydiving Left page: with co-star Kate Winslet at the premiere of Steve Jobs. Left: during the filming of X-Men: Days of Future Passed.

sure their beloved son would end up at the bar of their restaurant, complaining to clients about what his life could have been...).

Below: looking casual – in New York City.

Obsession and failure

Already, even at the start, those who worked with him on his stage adaption of Reservoir Dogs have three words to describe him: obsessed with quality. Acting was and is an obsession for him. With that obsession he moved to Los Angeles. He went from audition to audition – for years, mostly on the bus, unless he couldn’t pay the bus fare. He got nowhere. He failed and failed again. Which, looking back, did him, well, a lot of good: “Failures make you better, stronger – as an actor, as a human being.” Asked what motto he lives by, he answers: “Not to live your life where at the end of it you would go: ‘Oh, God, I didn’t do that because I was worried about what other people might think of me’. I’m now pushing my mother to take the plunge and fulfill her childhood dream of acting. It’s never too late to do anything.” Work hard, party hard

Hunger changed that struggle. With this movie about the IRA hunger striker Bobby Sands – for which he had to lose 16kg – he became that promising actor, that future star. He became for a while a star in London’s nightlife too – the glamorous sex symbol in stylish suits who was spending a little too much time in bars and clubs, drinking sometimes way too much (which he explains, was bad but also obvious. Ford Vignale

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‘I’m now pushing my mother to take the plunge and fulfill her childhood dream of acting. It’s never too late to do anything’

If you work so hard for so long you sometimes need to ‘relax’ compulsively). And then he failed again. Ridley Scott asked him to star in The Counselor. Ridley Scott! The world-famous director of Alien and Blade Runner. One of his heroes. Michael’s answer: Yes, I will! It was Reservoir Dogs all over again, in three words: a complete disaster. The movie received very bad reviews and was a flop at the box office. Everyone involved was to blame – the producers, the screenwriters, Ridley Scott himself being the prime suspect of this failure. But Michael had another opinion: there was only one who was to blame – Michael Fassbender. Director Steve McQueen explains, he is the opposite of a spoiled star: “Michael is a very responsible guy. And a very, very disciplined guy.” Michael says: “Yes, I am very serious about preparing my roles and I am very serious about filming. I am like my father. I have his German discipline in my work. But,” he adds with a smile, “not in any other aspect of my life.” The only way is down

In those 20 free days a year, there’s something else he does – with the same passion as acting. Skydiving. “Man, you’ve got to do it!” he says. “Last time was in Hawaii, new year’s eve. An incredible feeling!” It’s almost the same feeling as when he prepares for a role. He’s scared, but jumps. And then that feeling comes and grows and grows in the head of arguably the greatest actor of his generation: anything can happen, anything at all.

OUR TOP 3 MICHAEL FASSBENDER MOVIES Hunger (2008) In 1981, it took IRA member Bobby Sands exactly 66 days to starve himself to death in the notorious Maze prison in Northern Ireland. It was a political act and it was world news. In the movie, Michael

HUNGER

Fassbender plays the starving Sands – and is as realistic as you can get.

12 Years a Slave (2013) Another true story: about Solomon Northup, a 19th century black slave in the Deep South of the US. Michael Fassbender plays Edwin Epp, Northup’s owner – and a monster who regards, and treats, his black slaves as animals. It won Fassbender an Oscar. See him play Epps and you know what evil looks like.

12 YEARS A SLAVE

Steve Jobs (2015) And another one: playing the charismatic but very complex founder of Apple. The reviews of the movie were mixed. The reviews of Fassbender playing Jobs were not: brilliant, Oscar winning material.

STEVE JOBS

Ford Vignale

GLOBAL TREND

HOW BIG DATA IS CHANGING YOUR LIFE, FOR THE BETTER When you’re shopping, watching Netflix and even driving your car, you’re sharing bits of information about you. By collecting and analysing that data a lot can be gleaned about your interests, behaviour and preferences. Using big data like this can give you interesting tailor-made services that enrich and even can save your life.

n retail, the use of big data is common. Walmart, the largest retailer in the world, employs it in a way that benefits its 260 million weekly customers. Walmart can track through real-time merchandising systems’ millions of transactions every day across more than 5,000 stores. This allows the company to follow the levels of inventory and customer demand on a minute-by-minute basis. When for example, on a hot day ice creams are selling faster than normal, swift action can be taken – so you’ll never miss out. Supermarket retailers use data gleaned from your loyalty card to give you money-off vouchers specifically for items you usually buy. They benefit from data collection – and so do you. Based on transaction records, online retailer Amazon has a good insight into which products will

be popular in which regions. Products can be shipped in advance to those areas. So when Amazon receives your order, you receive delivery of it days sooner. Netflix is watching you

Netflix – the online streaming service of films, series and documentaries is learning from our viewing behaviour. Thanks to smart algorithms it can discern a viewing pattern. Based on which series and films we have watched, it will give us recommendations. Did you like House of Cards? Probably The West Wing will interest you as well. So big data is helping you to discover new shows you’ll like. The use of big data analytics is so evolved that Netflix knows which cover in the media library will work best. The popular House of Cards series was

Ford Vignale

‘Big data can help reduce food waste by finding the almost perfect balance between need and demand’ FORD AND BIG DATA Ford recently revealed its Smart Mobility plan – an ambitious project to “change the way the world moves again”, as Ford President and CEO Mark Fields rephrased a famous Henry Ford quote. Twenty-five projects around the world are being run to anticipate what customers need from tomorrow’s transportation. “The experiments we’re undertaking today will lead to an all-new model of transportation and

bought using viewer analytics, Netflix looked at how other films of director David Fincher performed, as well as movies and series of leading actor Kevin Spacey. Hollywood already knows: big data makes a better blockbuster. A watch as a lifesaver

When it comes to how big data will evolve, Apple is an interesting player. The biggest company in the world has impressive and unprecedented access to our smartphones and data. More than 50 billion apps have already been downloaded from its app store. It gets even more interesting when we think about the smartwatches Apple sells. The Apple Watch can already measure the way you move, using its built-in heart rate sensor and accelerometer. It’s wearable technology that works as a 24/7 monitor of our physical well-being. On a personal level it gives you an insight into your fitness and health but there’s a wider benefit too. Big-scale data about how we sit, stand, move and exercise is of huge value for medical and behavioural studies. Several companies and universities are already using big data for the early diagnosis, prevention and treatment of heart disease, breast cancer and diabetes. In this way, big data can be a lifesaver. Urban planning

If you’re stuck in the same traffic jam every day trying to get out of your city, you start to wonder if you and all other people in the queue are the only ones aware of the bottleneck that causes your delay. Using big data, each city can now track the movements of people travelling in and out – valuable information that could serve 28

Ford Vignale

urban planning well. The most intelligent use of big data in this area is likely to come with smarter, connected cars. When all cars are equipped with high-speed internet access, tons of data like current speed and direction can be gathered to help analyse the causes of the traffic jam and reroute people round the trouble spots.

mobility within the next 10 years and beyond,” said Fields. Big data plays a key role in the Smart Mobility plan. One of the experiments is called Big Data Drive. More than 200 Ford employees working at the headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan, volunteered to take part in this

A better world

experiment. Data from in-vehicle

Big data can also help us to approach world problems from a different angle. Climate and weather changes will be studied in greater depth. In Rio de Janeiro computer models already predict when deadly landslides are likely to happen. Today, the response scenarios for tomorrow’s disasters are written based on big data findings. The cholera outbreak after the 2010 earthquake in Haiti was analysed by researchers using the location data from 138,000 mobile phones. From that data the researchers estimated that around 600,000 Haitians had left the capital Port-au-Prince in the first 19 days. Big data is being used to reduce food waste, in western countries, about 40% of food is thrown away unused. Big data will be able to find the almost perfect balance between need and demand. When households are connected to shops and shops to manufacturers and farmers, food waste is unlikely to occur. When grocery drones – perfectly equipped to find our homes courtesy of big data – finally deliver the goods, you will know: big data has changed my life.

sensors was collected and analysed to learn about their vehicle use. “This information is helping us understand how people move and see patterns that most customers don’t,” said Fields. “Today’s cars produce a massive amount of data – upwards of 25GB of information per hour.” Other experiments – such as car sharing, vehicle intelligence, driving patterns, parking apps and insurance – are heavily dependent on big data analysis as well. In West Africa, the Data Driven Healthcare project is now underway. Ford pickup trucks and SUVs equipped with OpenXC technology collect data that could increase productivity. The mobility of the healthcare workers using the fleet will improve and more patients can be visited. Ford is also using collected data to create maps of the region, where most mapping companies do not go.

#INLOVEWITHSWITZERLAND since they have three new followers. The Thompson family

Le MolĂŠson, Fribourg Region

Discover the diversity of Switzerland on the Grand Tour: 00800 100 200 30 or MySwitzerland.com/grandtour

MR SOUND Ralf Heinrichs and his team create the sounds of Ford, from the engine to the glove compartment. How does that happen? And what inspired him to create the Ford Vignale sound?

he sound of your engine. The sounds when you slam and lock your car door. Even the sound of opening and closing the glove compartment. In a Ford, these sounds are often not natural but created, and many of these sounds are created by Ralf Heinrichs and his team at the Ford design centre in Cologne, Germany. Is there a typical Ford Vignale sound? Oh, yes. It was also created by Ralf and his team – in an almost obsessive way. This isn’t surprising, sounds and the technique of creating them has been an obsession for Ralf since he was young. When he was 11, he started to build his own loudspeakers. Later as a university student in Bochum he came across the field of technical acoustics. He specialised in it, almost convinced that he would never get a job in this field.

The engine. The door slam. Other elements. A few years later, in 2000, Ford started looking for a so-called brand DNA, the sound became part of that and I led the acoustic side of it. The big question: how should a Ford sound? How should a Ford sound when you drive slowly, or fast, when you drive a normal Ford or a sports car, when you drive diesel or petrol…’ The team didn’t work alone. They invited customers – lots of customers – to a specially built studio and showcased the created sounds. Which sound do you prefer? Perhaps more important: which sound for you is a Ford sound? Or better still: a Ford Focus sound, a Ford Mondeo sound, a Ford Mustang sound?

A sound move

There were other sources of inspiration too. As a child Ralf had seen the movie Mad Max. Well, actually ‘heard’ is a better word. The movie stars not only Mel Gibson but also a Ford – the Ford Falcon Interceptor with a V8 engine. ‘I was really blown away by the sound of this car! A powerful sound, but also a real complex sound structure.’ The sounds stayed in his mind, his head, his ears – and inspired him when developing the sounds for the Ford ST.

He was wrong. In the mid-1990s Ford moved sound technology higher up the agenda. A friend of Ralf’s worked at Ford in Cologne and said to him: ‘Wouldn’t that be something for you?’ Before the mid-1990s in the automotive industry sound was nothing more than trying to avoid negative noises, to make engines quieter. That changed. Ralf recalls ‘We started to create sounds.

Hearing is believing

‘Our aim with this sound was to kind of reflect the luxuries of Ford Vignale’ 30

Ford Vignale

VIGNALE DESIGN

MAN

Ford Vignale

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;In the future, I think our customers will be able to choose their favourite engine sound for their carâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

Ford Vignale

VIGNALE DESIGN Left: Ford uses a so-called artificial head with two microphones placed inside. This enables the interior soundscape to be designed very precisely.

Above: two long silver exhaust extraction hoses ensure that no exhaust gas is in the large room when the vehicle is operated on a roll. This allows very accurate measurement of what happens acoustically inside and outside the vehicle.

How do you create sounds? You need a lot of experience, you need very good ears and for a big part, it is a matter of intuition. When you close and lock a car door, this is the sound you want to hear: a safe sound. Ralf and his team create that safe sound and test it over and over again with Ford’s customers. ‘It is complex. You have the door itself, made of metal. Then you have the lock. In the door, you have loudspeakers and cables and when you close the door, there is a lot of vibrating. So you have to pay attention to all these elements. We make sure that the sound is not too loud when it locks. You have to work together with the sound system people. We have ideas where to put the loudspeakers for our sound and they might have other ideas for their sound ideas. Then come the body engineers with the cables… So there is a lot of negotiation, searching for the perfect sound and making every team happy.’ A long, complex story, in short ‘What we do – it is a science.’ A science that can also improve your driving. Take for instance the Ford EcoBoost engine. You can drive it very fuel-efficiently but it was so quiet that people tended to drive it at very high engine speeds, which is not as fuel efficient. So Ford injected some extra sounds into the EcoBoost with the aim of helping people to drive it in a more fuel-efficient way.

Ford Vignale sound. It took a lot of time, a lot of testing and a lot of expertise. Ralf reveals the recipe: ‘Our aim with this sound was to kind of reflect the luxuries of Ford Vignale. We had to bring the sound of the engine down to make it really smooth and to use the Active Noise Cancellation technology to make it really quiet inside. On top of that we applied the Electronic Sound Enhancement technology to design the specific Vignale sound character. If you drive your Ford Vignale fast there is also a sporting sound, a sporty growl: burrrrhhhh. We also added a touch of a six-cylinder sound.’ What are Ford’s sound plans and ambitions? First, there is this idea of total harmony. You have experts working on the sounds, experts working on the smell, experts working on the visual sides, designers, engineers… Ford wants to bring them all together, coordinate all their expertise, making it one and the result is, Ralf hopes, ‘that all senses come together into a whole new car experience!’ there’s another ambition: ‘In the future I think our customers will be able to choose their favourite engine sound for their car. You can choose, for instance, a luxury sound, a sporty sound, a smooth sound… Your car. Your sound. Hey, sounds great, doesn’t it?’

The Ford Vignale sound

One of the most recent projects for Ralf and his team has been the creation of a special Ford Vignale

Beautiful noises Ralf Heinrichs, responsible for the sounds of Ford vehicles loves sounds – and not only car sounds. Here are his all-time favourites, from the acoustics at Carnegie Hall to the roar of Niagara Falls.

Niagara Falls ‘Unbelievable! You are in the boat. You get closer and closer. It’s getting louder and louder. You feel the humidity. Then… a massive sound – such a powerful sound!’

Ford Vignale

Steinway grand piano ‘I like pianos a lot. Steinways are my favourite – because they sound so bright. Fresh! Yes, I can hear the difference between a, say, Steinway and Bösendorfer or Yamaha.

Herbie Hancock, jazz pianist

My strength is actually that when I hear

‘Perhaps the greatest jazz pianist ever. The best

a noise internally, in my brain, it kind of

concert I ever heard was him playing an evening-long

separates the whole sound into many

performance of George Gershwin in Copenhagen in

different pieces. I listen very analytically.

2000. The technique. The feeling. The experience.

I always break down things – tunes, sounds

Unforgettable…’

– which is not always nice but I can still enjoy music spontaneously when it’s well executed. Regarding sounds, with music I have very high expectations and that makes Diana Krall playing the

life difficult sometimes.’

Steinway grand piano.

Female jazz musicians ‘I listen to a lot of jazz music and my favourites are female jazz musicians who play the piano. Diana Krall: a small, short woman with a very rich sound. Also one of my favourites: Patricia Barber on the jazz piano. I myself don’t play an instrument. In our department you have the technical guys, the electronic guys – and I’m one of them. Then you have the other group: the musicians, the somewhat more creative side. Altogether there are 200 people working in this department.’

Carnegie Hall, New York ‘It is the best concert hall in the world. Beautiful sounds, beautiful acoustics. People who build something like that know exactly what they are doing. How it all reflects, how long it should take before the second wave of music should come to you, how to make the sound more full, richer. I heard Tchaikovsky’s 1812 overture, you know, with the cannon shots at the end – boom, boom, boom – and it was really amazing! Carnegie Hall: it’s the materials they used, lots of wood; it’s the size of the concert hall; it’s the set-up. I love being there.’

Electronic Sounds ‘The famous pod race in Star Wars 1 is well done. Very well done. Very nice, very exciting sounds. They had separate sounds for the good ones and for the bad ones. I like electronic sounds. They have a big influence on my work. I also like the electronic music of Kraftwerk.’

‘I like electronic sounds. They have a big influence on my work’ Ford Vignale

THE ULTIMATE SHOPPING EXPERIENCE

You don’t have to buy anything. These shops are like museums, like palaces. Wander around, look, feel, touch – it’s an experience. Selected for you: 10 very impressive flagship stores.

Ford Vignale

SHOPPING EXPERIENCE

Viktor & Rolf Flagship Boutique 370 Rue Saint-Honoré, Paris The Dutch fashion designers Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren like it when fashion is subtle, straightforward and chic. Their flagship boutique in the first arrondissement in Paris lacks a bit of colour – all 50 shades of grey are available on the walls, floors and stairs – but it complements the personalities of Viktor and Rolf. Viktor: “We said we would like a store that’s invisible or a store that’s hardly there because often we find store designs very intrusive and just too much.”

Louis Vuitton Maison

VIKTOR & ROLF BOUTIQUE

LOUIS VUITTON MAISON

You don’t need to be flamboyant to impress. Details can make a difference too.

17-20 New Bond Street, London At the junction of New Bond Street and Clifford Street, Louis Vuitton opened its flagship store in 2010. The three-storey building is designed by New-York-based architect Peter Marino, who is an expert at creating flagship stores for luxurious brands like Armani, Bulgari, Chanel, Dior and more. The Louis Vuitton Maison is an overwhelming experience. Wallpapers of silk or glossy bamboo adorn on the walls and golden accents can be found everywhere. One of the highlights is the two-storey wall of the signature Louis Vuitton travel trunks. In its flagship store, Louis Vuitton (LV) brilliantly intertwines heritage with today’s fashion. The rarest items from the LV collection can be bought here: bags, sunglasses and jewellery. For her and for him. The Mon Monogram service adds a personal touch to your pick of the women’s collection. Only the rich and famous are invited to the Private Client Suite for discreet shopping. Don’t forget to ask about the special men’s room, when you want to do some shopping with your friends. The Louis Vuitton Maison has a library of limited-edition art and art books, but with works by acclaimed artists such as Damien Hirst and Gilbert & George, you could mistake it for a small art museum.

Ford Vignale

Damien Hirst Newport Street Gallery Newport Street, London

Valentino Flagship Store, Via Montenapoleone 20, Milan Italian fashion designer Valentino Garavini – better known by just his first name Valentino – is famous for his outspoken creations. Bright colours and baroque influences are often found in his collections. Surprisingly, the Valentino flagship store in Milan has a very calm atmosphere. Architect David Chipperfield, who also created the Valentino stores in Paris, Rome and New York, chose an Italian palazzo style but with a modern twist. Entering the store – 175 square metres in size – feels like being personally invited into the Valentino’s home. Instead of a shop-like area, there are various rooms, each offering a different style. Glass, wood and leather are used as the main materials.

Ford Vignale

DAMIEN HIRST NEWPORT STREET GALLERY

VALENTINO

Artist Damien Hirst is famous for his controversial pieces of art. A shark in formaldehyde or a diamond-encrusted skull: when it shocks people, Hirst seems to be happy. For his art collection of more than 3,000 pieces, Hirst wanted his own gallery. After 10 years of work and an investment of £25 million (€34 million), the Newport Street Gallery opened recently. Unexpectedly, the outside and inside of the 3,000 square-metre gallery – a space previously used by a theatre scenery painting company are sober but stylish. Only Hirst’s work can be seen and bought in the shop. The rest of the space is reserved for his collection or to showcase fellow artists. The highlight of the Newport Street Gallery is undeniably Pharmacy 2, a homage to the original Pharmacy venue in 1998. Pharmacy 2 is a restaurant where you can experience Hirst’s clinical obsessions, with pills and surgical tools everywhere.

Tod’s Jingumae 5-1-15, Shibuya-ku,

Although the name sounds pretty English, Tod’s is positively an Italian firm. Founded in the late 1970s, the company has become a household name all around the world for its exquisite craftsmanship. The biggest range of its bags, shoes and clothes is found in Tokyo, where the largest shop in the Tod’s global network is situated. What’s so special about the Tokyo branch is the magnificent building, by world-famous architect Toyo Ito. Ito has reflected the richness of zelkova trees ( Japanese elms) on Omotesando avenue in the architecture of the L-shaped flagship store. The facade of concrete mixed with glass follows the shape of branches. The organic interior comprises six floors of open, airy spaces. As you move higher in the building, the branches become thinner, resulting in more windows and light flooding in. Tod’s Tokyo integrates its extraordinary architectural wow factor into this memorable shopping experience.

TOD’S

ROYAL COPENHAGEN

Omotesando, Tokyo

Royal Copenhagen’s Flagship Store, Amagertorv 6, Copenhagen Danish design goes back a long way. The Royal Porcelain Factory was founded in 1775, but having a long history doesn’t make ‘renewal’ a bad word. So Royal Copenhagen has its own flagship store, which presents the entire Royal Copenhagen range of classic and modern hand-painted porcelain products. The flagship store is housed in one of the oldest buildings in Copenhagen, a three-storey Renaissance house that dates from 1616. The blending of history and present day are also evident in The Royal Smushi Café, where traditional Danish food is served with a modern twist in the middle of Danish design. Have you ever eaten your lunch served on Royal Copenhagen porcelain, using George Jensen cutlery, while sitting in the Ant chair designed by Arne Jacobsen? Here’s your chance.

Ford Vignale

Timothy Oulton,

TIMOTHY OULTON

London based furniture and design retailer Timothy Oulton has different stores around the world, including four in Europe. In Amsterdam, the fully immersive Timothy Oulton experience is housed in a former church (Schinkelkerk) just outside the city centre. The open interior and tall windows make it the perfect setting for the handcrafted collection that mixes old with new. The collection includes many of the signature pieces of the brand, such as trendy English manor-style vintage leather sofas, kitchen items and high-end paraphernalia. The eye-catcher is the authentic yellow submarine purchased from the Royal Navy. At Timothy Oulton, it is easy to feel at home because you’re welcome to lounge on the sofas or have a break at the London Café. If you’re lucky, you’ll get invited to one of the special events that Timothy Oulton organises, like last year’s Global dinner party. Want yet more design inspiration? In a monumental building in the heart of Amsterdam’s picturesque canal district, at Runstraat 22, Timothy Oulton has opened a gallery showcasing its bag collection.

FCBOTIGA MEGASTORE

Amstelveenseweg 136, Amsterdam

FCBotiga Megastore, Camp Nou, Aristides Maillol, Barcelona Next to the Camp Nou stadium of football club FC Barcelona you’ll find the FCBotiga Megastore. Its 1,500 square metres are spread over two floors and offer fans outfits, scarves, caps, signed footballs, sweatshirts and hats of their favourite team. Messi, Iniesta and Suarez star off the pitch, on mugs, soft toys and even household items. To ensure a really immersive experience the shelves are laminated in the blaugrana-club colours and you hear recorded sounds of the Camp Nou as you enter the store. The FCB Megastore is the only store that can offer you the ‘Make it Barça’ service, which lets you transform your Nike products, customising them by adding laces, buttons and FC Barcelona crests so you can always take the club colours with you. On top of that, at the digital lockers you will be able to choose the name and number for your jerseys. Then at the printing service, they’ll process them at once so you can take them home without queuing up. The FCBotiga Megastore welcomes two million visitors each year, the equivalent of 200 sold-out matches in the stadium.

Ford Vignale

Hermès, 17 Rue de Sèvres, Paris

HHERMÈS

Hermès is as Parisian as the Louvre. The 178 -year-old fashion house famous for its signature Kelly bag, a 1930s design popularised by Grace Kelly in the mid-1950s – moved some years ago to the left bank of the Seine to open up a shop in the former Lutetia swimming pool, home of one of Paris’s oldest swimming clubs. The fabulous art deco building was restored with an eye for history. A mosaic of stones in different bright colours gives the sensation of a pool and wooden sculptures follow the shapes of waves. Together with the natural light flooding in from the skylight above, it gives the building an open and organic atmosphere. Several collections are presented in giant wooden huts, which create a meandering pathway that automatically guides you through the store, leading you from discovery to discovery. You’ll encounter a tearoom, a bookshop and even a florist. The old lady of fashion clearly operates in a very modern and accessible flagship store full of experiences.

FORDSTORE: EXPERIENCING FORD TO THE MAX Over the years, the way people buy their cars has been changed significantly by the internet. Car owners want the dealership to be something special, to add value to the information that they can find online. Currently, Ford is fulfilling those needs by opening up FordStores all over Europe. A FordStore gives you a real brand experience. All Ford models can be found, including the Ford Vignale models, the new Ford Mustang and other exclusive models. Every FordStore is a spacious venue separated into different zones. The Discovery zone is all about the Ford brand and its core values: quality, green, safe and smart. Configure your own Ford model in full size at the 3D video wall. The Ford Vignale Lounge at the FordStore is fully equipped to give you a unique ownership experience. Your personal Vignale Relationship Manager welcomes you and together you can configure your preferred Ford Vignale model. Through the unique ‘touch table’ – an interactive table with a touchscreen – the Vignale Relationship Manager helps you tailor exclusive materials, colours and technologies to your needs. The Vignale Relationship Manager can also tell you about the time-saving services of Vignale, such as the Ford Vignale One Call 24/7 access to customer support, home delivery of your new Ford Vignale and the collection and delivery for service appointments and courtesy car. Your Vignale Relationship Manager will be there for you, at all times, to assist and to advise when necessary. You’ll receive personal attention before, during and after your visit to the FordStore.

Ford Vignale

THE DRIVE FOR PERFECTION Before it reaches the showroom, every Ford Vignale car receives the extra personal attention of a specialist team to ensure its quality is flawless. This is after it has been built in one of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most advanced factories.

Ford Vignale

VIGNALE QUALITY

n a serene environment, engineers are working with the utmost concentration. One sits in the driver’s seat looking at the dashboard. Another is standing in a ‘street’ of floodlights polishing the paint of the bonnet by hand. A third meticulously inspects the joint between a headlight unit and the body of the car using a black box with piercing laser beams. Welcome to the Ford Vignale Quality Centre in Valencia, Spain, where specialists inspect every Ford Vignale for 90 minutes. Here, not only are the exclusive acoustic glass and noise-proof door panels of Ford’s showpiece measured to make it even quieter inside the car, but the Ford Vignale also goes through another, final test before it reaches the customer.

The engineers employ their hands, eyes, ears and the latest laser and camera technologies to ensure that even the tiniest intolerances are spotted. The symmetry and size of the joints between the door posts, bonnet, luggage compartment, rear door, lamp units and the body of the car must all fulfil the extra-high quality requirements that have been set for a Ford Mondeo Vignale. Do the doors close smoothly? Is all the stitching properly sewn into the leather? Do the inside panels fit well? Does the seat massage work flawlessly? Are all the control buttons nice and straight? This relentless attention to detail aims to enhance the experience of a Ford Vignale driver.

A Ford Mondeo Vignale comes to life in Ford’s Valencia plant. When the car is completely finished, it is transported to the Vignale Quality Centre, under the same roof Ford Vignale

Ostrich feathers

As soon as a Ford Vignale is finished, it’s off to the Ford Vignale Quality Centre, located right next to the factory. In the Ford Vignale Quality Centre, six expert engineers check every Ford Mondeo Vignale on 100 points. This comes on top of the ‘One Ford’ standards, the high requirements that Ford already sets for all its models. Around €1.6 billion has been invested in the production process over the past five years. The result is one of the most sophisticated car factories in the world. High-tech equipment, laser-operated robots, state-of-the-art logistics 44

Ford Vignale

and innovative technologies ensure that every Ford Vignale is meticulously manufactured. Even more quirky tools have a place here, too – like ostrich feathers. Just before it goes through the paint train, the Ford Vignale bodywork is dusted with feathers that have been plucked by hand from female ostriches. Each feather is almost 76cm long and weighs barely 3g. Dirk Hölzer, head engineer of the paint line: “Removing the tiniest spots of dust before the paint is applied leads to a much better end result. The paint layer becomes even smoother. The feathers are strong and thanks to their structure, hold small pieces perfectly.”

Environmentally conscious

Nothing is left to chance in the factory. In cooperation with the University of Valencia, Ford has developed a special system that can check painted bodywork. That’s why every Ford Vignale passes through a light ‘street’ consisting of bright light beams and 12 digital cameras. They can detect irregularities in the paint in an instant – even tiny grains that can’t be seen with the naked eye – and then localise them on a computer screen. Around 99% of all irregularities can be corrected through polishing. This saves energy, paint and time. “As much as possible, we work in an

The relentless attention to detail aims to enhance the experience of a Ford Vignale driver

environmentally friendly way,” says factory director Dionisio Campos. “Thanks to a new fast-drying process, a Ford Vignale doesn’t have to go into the drying oven a second time. In the past, it would have gone in three times, after each new layer of paint.” Technology and feeling

Before a new model like the Ford Mondeo Vignale goes into production, the individual body parts are thoroughly scanned. During the pre-production test lab, a full body is assembled, whereby every screw hole and fixture point – in total, around 500 – are measured. A robot then

measures all the distances and joints. Intolerances of less than 0.3mm are allowed. Only then is it certain that every screw hole and fixture point is in the right place and that everything will fit together well in the factory. This procedure is repeated with every new shipment of components. Random spot checks happen at the end of the manufacturing process. One in five completed Ford Vignales undergoes a so-called resonance test. By hanging up a special microphone in the interior and broadcasting sound waves with different frequencies through the radio, it’s possible to reproduce vibrations that will show up, for

example, a loose screw or panel. The equipment also detects sounds that can’t be heard by the human ear. Such brand-new technologies work in tandem with craftsmanship and experience. When the sound test ends, a seasoned test driver takes the Ford Vignale out for a spin – just to be on the safe side. After a few laps of a circuit with different types of road surface, it’s a thumbs-up. “Perfecto!”

Ford Vignale

There’s no better time to enjoy the delights of ‘The White City’ than spring, when the crisp sun reflects to best effect off the countless windows, casting light into every corner of this elegant Iberian jewel. But if you thought a weekend in Lisbon meant a journey back in time to savour oldworld charm, you’d be only partly right. Today the city is a thriving modern capital, brimming with hip restaurants, cool nightlife and dramatic modern architecture. You’ve got exactly two days to discover it all.

48 HOURS IN LISBON Friday

Belmonte Palacio

18:00 Touchdown

There’s nothing slow or stately about the connection from Lisbon Portela Airport. Every 5-10 minutes the metro whisks you to the city centre and the ride takes just a quarter of an hour. For adventurous visitors there are even bike lanes going downtown from just outside the airport. 19:00 Check-in

If it’s genuine Portuguese grandeur and history you want, look no further than Belmonte Palacio. Built in 1449, it’s immediately obvious why this exquisite medieval palace featured in films of cinema greats like director Wim Wenders and actor Marcello Mastroianni. It’s also a favourite haunt of French fashion designer Christian Louboutin. 46

Ford Vignale

To walk in the footsteps of the man whose shoes are worn by footballers and celebrities the world over, a top suite costs €2500 a night. www.palaciobelmonte.com Also in the ancient Alfama district, but at a less exclusive price, is the Santiago de Alfama at Rua de Santiago 10-14 – a new hotel in a lovingly restored 15th century building that combines authentic charm with modern convenience and luxury. www. santiagodealfama.com For less outlay again, there’s the hip studio and one-bedroom Lisbonaire Apartments, which prove that affordable doesn’t have to mean cheap. On the doorstep, you’ll find plenty of nightlife as well as the

CITY SEARCH

famous Glória funicular up to the Bairro Alto. www.lisbonaire.com

In Clube de Journalistas in the nearby Lapa district, you can eat outside in the pleasant garden. The cuisine is varied in this restaurant, which is, as the name suggests, a magnet for local journalists. The owner is also a writer. www.restauranteclubedejornalistas.com

20:00 Wind down

If you’re not immediately ready to hit the town, don’t worry. Genuine ‘lisboetas’ eat late, especially at the weekend. So a reservation for 9pm will find you in a lively restaurant full of locals. For those still shrugging off the stresses of a working week, we’ve got two relaxed recommendations. The elegant Tasca da Esquina in Campo de Ourique, base of famous Portuguese chef Vitor Sobral, specialises in lots of small dishes and has an excellent wine menu. www.tascadaesquina.com.

23:00 Wind down ?

Finding a good bar isn’t difficult and Bicaense (Rua da Bica de Duarte Belo 38 -42) in the lively Bica district typifies modern Lisbon nightlife. They may be arty and hipster cool, but the laidback local crowd is typically unpretentious. Do beware: Bicaense is on a typically steep street. So if it becomes multiple nightcaps, go carefully when you leave! Tram 28 passing Arco da Rua Augusta

Ford Vignale

Saturday 10:00 Shopper’s breakfast

You might want a strong bica (espresso) or two with your breakfast because then we’re off to the attractive streets and squares round Baixa, Principe Real and Chiado that form the beating heart of Lisbon’s fashionable shopping life. Unlike many modern cities, shopping in Lisbon is a refreshingly varied experience. From wonderful old-fashioned-in-the-right-way emporia like A Vida Portuguesa at Rua Anchieta 11, with its beautifully packaged soaps sold in a lovingly converted warehouse. www.avidaportuguesa.com to über-hip couture stores like Alexandra Moura at Rua Dom Pedro V, 77. www.alexandramoura.com.

Baxia

11:00 Refuel

One of the many Quiosques de Refresco (refreshment kiosks) dotted round town makes a good spot to refuel. Popular in the 19th century, these elegant landmarks had fallen into neglect until local entrepreneur Catarina Portas took them under her wing. Try the traditional leite perfumado (perfumed milk) or horchata (almond milk). Hmmm. There’s one handily nearby in the Jardim do Principe Real.

A Vida Portuguesa

13:30 Seafood, want food

15:00 All change

Lisbon is Europe’s seafood capital, so finding a seafood restaurant isn’t hard. For one of the best with a modern twist try Sea Me on Chiado’s Rua do Loreto 21. It serves Portuguese-Japanese fusion in a bright, clean setting. www.peixariamoderna.com.

After recharging the physical batteries, it’s time to reboot mentally with a visit to MUDE (literally meaning ‘change’). There’s always a fascinating exhibition in this Museum of Fashion & Design located in a superbly renovated colonial bank building at Rua Augusta 24. www.mude.pt. 18:30 Edible glasses

Drop the shopping off in the hotel and get ready for a night on the town – starting with a trip on the Glória funicular up to the Bairro Alto, with Lisbon’s greatest concentration of bars. Grab one with a view and order a Ginginha do Carmo, a local liqueur that you can also order in a chocolate glass you eat afterwards.

Quiosques de Refresco

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Sea Me

25th of April Bridge

21:00 When you just can’t choose...

For a very refined whistle-stop tour of Portuguese cuisine, you can’t beat the tasting menu of the wonderful 100 Maneiras at R. Teixeira 35. Great views, too. www.restaurante100maneiras.com 23:00 Late-night groove

MUDE - Museum of Fashion & Design

If you’re up for it, clubbing starts late here. So at Lux the first clubbers don’t wander in until around 1am. This place, partly owned by actor John Malkovich may be a Lisbon institution but many still consider it the best club in town. www.luxfragil.com. For a bit more exclusivity, plus stunning 360° views try Silk. www.silk-club.com.

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Panoramic view of Lisbon

Sunday

Doca de Alacantra

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10:30 The inside track

13:00 Slow Sunday

There’s no more time-efficient way to scratch the surface of Lisbon’s rich history than a walking tour. The excellent Lisbon Walker offers two on Sunday mornings: Old Town, a stroll through 2,500 years of Lisbon’s history, and Revelation Tour, covering the main sites. Walks leave from the imposing square Praça do Comércio. www.lisbonwalker.com

To make two days feel like two weeks, have your last lunch on one of Lisbon’s many beautiful beaches. Public transport is good but slow, so with time at a premium, grab a cab over the river to Costa da Caparica (about €25, but do a deal with the driver). The nicest beach restaurants are in Sao João. After lunch, saunter along the beach, stopping to take a few panoramic snaps of the city, so in a few months you’ll have proof that, yes, it really was that beautiful.

TILE YOU’RE HERE... Lisbon has a unique tradition in painted tiles. While artists in other countries used canvas, their Portuguese counterparts often preferred to work on ceramic. It’s believed the tradition was brought from Persia by Moorish civilisation. Whatever its origins, today you could easily spend your entire weekend just visiting the sites of magnificent tile displays. The Museu do Azulejo (National Museum of Tiles) confirms this is by no means an antiquated art form, with some amazing modern work on display. www.museudoa zulejo.pt Apart from having the world’s largest collection of baroque tiles (100,000, give or take), the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora is also one of Lisbon’s better-kept secrets. Inexplicably, it attracts fewer tourists than most other major sites and from its rooftop terrace provides arguably the most astounding views of the city that there are. www.patriarcado-lisboa.pt (Portuguese site) Fancy starting your own humble collection? The country’s oldest tile factory, Fábrica Sant’Anna, has guided tours Monday-Friday (Calçada da Boa-Hora 96) and its delightful showroom at Rua Alecrim 95 is also open on Saturday. www.santanna.com.pt Monastery of São Vicente de Fora Ford Vignale

HOME SMART HOME These apps and tools will make your home and home life more efficient, more relaxing and more fun. Isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t that what we all want after a busy day at work?

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SMART LIVING

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Washing up Whirlpool has equipped all of its home appliances with 6th Sense Live technology. This means that our washing machines are getting brains. Thanks to 6th Sense, a Whirlpool washing machine is connected to an online database of energy prices, to wash when the power is cheapest. Using the Whirlpool mobile app, it is possible to see when the wash will be finished, if more detergent is needed and other settings. www.whirlpool.com

Spa at home The Apollo Amora Scent Hub of Ashley & Burwood transforms your home into a spa. Turn on the Scent Hub after adding water and some drops of essential oil, and a fine mist – a true aromatherapy is the result. The Scent Hub has speakers with a Bluetooth connection and built-in LED lights to create exactly the relaxing vibe you’re after. www.ashleigh-burwood.co.uk

The clean machine Robots are perfect for doing the household tasks that bore you. The Samsung POWERbot VR9000 loves vacuuming. This robot cleaner is packed with smart technology to clean up your mess automatically. Equipped with an on-board digital camera and 10 individual smart sensors, the robot tiptoes carefully through the room, cleaning all kinds of floor surfaces. Seven cleaning modes are available. However, it can clean independently (based on your schedule). You can also tell the POWERbot where to clean by pointing the remote’s light beam at a particular area. And it’s small enough to clean under your bed. www.samsung.com

A warm welcome It is called the internet of things – devices that collect and transmit data via the internet – and Bang & Olufsen has translated this new capability into The Bang & Olufsen Home Integration philosophy. It is an integral way to make your home more intelligent and enhances security, monitoring, lighting, energy usage, convenience and entertainment. Using a single app, you can control all specially equipped technology in your home. When you unlock your door, the lights turn on, music starts and the curtains glide open. The thermostat automatically adjusts to your preferred temperature, when the coffee machine turns on to brew a fresh cup of coffee. Washing machines, video cameras, the atmosphere of your lights: you name it and it can be added to the grid you control. Coming home never felt so welcoming. www.bang-olufsen.com

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Cleaning closet The LG Styler is a closet that cleans your clothes. Yes, it really exists. The hot steam spray technology refreshes your wardrobe without detergents. Unpleasant odours are removed from suits, coats and sweaters. LG is already working on its second generation of the LG Styler. www.lg.com

Washing machines, video cameras, the atmosphere of your lights: you name it and it can be added to the grid you control

Shop like a king Buying clothes is for many men not their favourite thing in the world. For them, a personal shopper service – like The Outfittery (German), The Cloakroom (Dutch) and Suitcase (Belgian) – is a welcome new phenomenon. Those companies literally shop for you, based on your preferences. After you sign up for an account, a personal shopper gives you a call to see what kind and style of clothes you like. He or she then goes out shopping, puts the clothes in a box and your personal wardrobe is delivered to your home. You keep the clothes you like and send back the ones you don’t. Shopping done! The latest development in personal shopping is the 3D scanner. Outfittery is placing photo booth-like body scanners at train stations and airports. Men can measure up their body sizes and the personal shopper has an easy job finding clothes that fit. www.outfittery.com

Flower Power

Smart decanter Decanting your wines may take hours but to fully enjoy the rich flavours and aromas of the wine, it’s a procedure that can’t be hurried. Or is it? Because iSommelier is a revolutionary decanter that changes the game. The smart decanter eliminates all the drawbacks of conventional decanting, because it is fast without reducing the quality of the wine. Within minutes, a perfect glass of red or white can be served. The iSommelier filters the ambient air to remove any impurities (moisture, dust and odours) and isolates oxygen from nitrogen and carbon dioxide. It aerates wine with a constant flow of purified and highly concentrated oxygen thanks to its advanced oxygen extraction system, which uses no chemicals. Sounds logical, doesn’t it? The iSommelier is simple to use. Just download the app, sync with your iSommelier, decant your wine and enjoy!

Parrot, the brand behind drones and in-car communication has stepped into gardening. The Parrot Flower Power is a twigshaped sensor that assesses your plant’s needs and sends alerts to your smartphone. It measures sunlight, temperature, soil moisture and the electrical conductivity of the soil. Using the app, you tell the sensor what you’re growing and it responds with advice www.parrot.com

www.ifavine.com

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A personal climate It looks like a small speaker box but is a fully operating air-con unit. The Evapolar is a ground-breaking new way of climate control. The portable cooler needs no installation and works instantly, making it truly possible to create micro-climates in a big room. It cools, humidifies and cleans the air using just a fraction of the energy a normal air-conditioning unit would need. Evapolar is eco-friendly because it doesn’t use any toxic coolants. It just works on water. www.evapolar.com

Smart gardening

It looks like a small speaker box but is a fully operating air-con unit. The Evapolar is a groundbreaking new way of climate control

Indoor gardening can be as easy as the Smart Herb Garden. Just fill up the water, add the three refillable cartridges to the smartpot and you’re ready to go for a month. The Smart Herb Garden uses nanotech and sensors to dispense the right amount of water, oxygen, and nutrients to your plants. www.clickandgrow.com

Bracelet with brains Keyless entry One of those things you always lose is the key to your bike lock. BitLock is a lifesaver here, because it’s a keyless bike lock. To lock and unlock it, you just use the app on your smartphone. Why hasn’t anybody thought of that before? The app is connected to the lock via Bluetooth, and after typing in a four-digit code, you are ready to go. A huge advantage of this set-up is that you can start up your own bike share system with friends or family. When they use the same app, all they need is the security code to unlock the chain. The BitLock app remembers your bike location using your phone’s GPS, too, so you’ll never forget where you’ve parked your two-wheeler. www.bitlock.co

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Wearables – technology that you can wear – are getting increasingly popular. The Jawbone Up2 is designed to track your activity and sleep. The intelligent wristband counts your steps, the calories you burn and other bursts of activity. The sleep mode figures out when you have had the lighter part of your sleep in the morning and wakes you up. Since the Jawbone Up2 has no buttons, tapping on it enables you to select the different modes. www.jawbone.com

Diversity of style

Zenith by www.blackedition.com

DESIGNED TO GIVE YOU THE LUXURY OF TIME

THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY PRESENTS

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