Mercedes-Benz Thailand Magazine 2/2014 (Eng)

Issue 02·2014

Mercedes-Benz

mercedes-benz.com

ISSN

1617–6677

01·2014 02·2014

TOP FOR M C-Class: the sportiest station wagon ever

Valencia V-Class Sotheby’s treasure hunter

PEAK PERFOR MER At the training camp with DTM driver Paul Di Resta

WOR LD CLASS Hugging the curves with the S 500 Coupe

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Spanish visions

PHOTOS COVER: ANATOL KOT TE, STEFFEN JAHN, ACTION PRESS; THIS PAGE: ENNO K APITZA

TURBULENT PAST, GLITTERING FUTURE: In Valencia star architect Santiago Calatrava designs futuristic glass-and-steel palaces like the L’Àgora multifunctional arena.

Not far away, the idyllic fishermen’s quarter exerts a more earthbound charm – and people are taking to the streets to fight for its preservation. Extremes such as these are raising pulses in Spain’s third-largest city. But that’s nothing new, as we can attest after our excursion with the B-Class* (page 66). Valencians have their own antidote to being overwhelmed by too much future: socialize, enjoy life and take matters into your own hands.

*Further technical specifications and fuel consumption figures can be found on page 75.

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PHOTOS ANATOL KOTTE, ENNO KAPITZA, STEFFEN JAHN, ALI KEPENEK, STEFAN ARMBRUSTER, JOAO BRACOURT

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02.2014

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76

Treasure hunter

Luxury liner

He says, she says

Sotheby’s expert Cheyenne Westphal on art and business

The S-Class Coupe reveals a new concept of perfection

Sebastian and Nicol drive to Trieste in the E 400 Cabriolet

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Check-in

The best for me

Pivotal year

Icons

Mobility and innovation: into the desert with a fuel-cell car, 360-degree cameras and the Road to Heaven

The new Mercedes me online platform offers a wide range of services under the same roof

In 1961 the 220 SE redefined luxury and driving fun. What else happened around the globe that year?

Let there be light: six illuminating facts about headlights and how light impacts on our lives beyond the car

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Take a seat

Fit for the cockpit

Emotion

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Automotive technology past and present. This time: taking a back seat

In peak form: how Paul Di Resta prepares for the DTM season

Design, art and fashion: new furniture and some hot tips from a starred chef

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Estate of the art

Excellence writ large

P.S.

Sportier, roomier and more stylish than ever – the latest-generation C-Class Station Wagon

The all-new V-Class combines space and comfort to unprecedented levels of excellence

Julia Karnick on the link between overstatement, quality and luxury

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Click-off

Fearless

Mercedes: the latest from the social networks and the rest of the Internet

Surfing star Garrett McNamara conquers the world’s biggest waves

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INTRO FYI Technical specifications PU BL ICATION DETA ILS MOMENTS

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Playtime Beaches, wine, joie de vivre - the Spanish metropolis of Valencia possesses irresistible charm 5

F U E L

C E L L

Oasis on wheels H O L LY W O O D S T A R S Diane Krüger and Joshua Jackson spent two days at 50°C (122°F) in Death Valley – without taking any water with them. Their only ally was the F-CELL B-Class, which uses a fuel cell to generate electricity from the chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen, producing emissions of pure water. The film Defying Death Valley shows their journey through the desert, how they waited apprehensively for the first taste of water from the reservoir on the rear of the vehicle – and how they realized that their car could also produce drinkable water. The two stars were, in fact, proponents of fuel-cell technology before their journey. “Filling up in three minutes, driving some 400 km [250 miles] and generating zero emissions – it doesn’t come much better than that,” said Jackson. M B 4 . M E /DR I V E 4WATER

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C H E C K - I N

Xiaolin Zheng The 35-year-old professor at Stanford University develops flexible solar cells that can be attached to a range of different surfaces.

ILLUSTR ATION BRIAN TAYLOR PHOTOS DAIMLER AG (3), SIMON CL AY FOR BONHAMS (1)

What makes your flexible solar cells different from conventional ones?

Normally, thin-layer PV cells are mounted on silicon or glass wafers, which are heavy, inflexible materials but can withstand heat. That is why we still use them, but we add a metal layer between the solar cell and the backing material. If you put this structure in warm water, the solar cell can be peeled off the wafer and glued to any surface you like.

What are the possible uses for your solar cells?

Solar stickers enable virtually any surface to be used to generate energy. As they are light, flexible and transparent, you can stick them on walls, cell phones, helmets, convex windows, portable electronics, bicycles or curved automobile roofs.

Their output remains the same, but the costs are potentially lower.

How did you first hit on the idea?

In my home country, China, you see many solar panels on roofs that are used for heating water. Years ago my father said to me, “Wouldn’t it be great if solar cells could be made lighter and more flexible?

Then you could put them up anywhere, not just on roofs!” From that point onwards, I somehow couldn’t get the idea out of my head.

Sharp thinking

L I K E A M A S S I V E N E E D L E , this lookout tower and radio mast is set to rise above the forest near the Turkish city of Çanakkale by 2015. To reduce its impact on the natural surroundings, architectural consultants IND and Powerhouse Company are building the access to the tower on stilts. Visitors will be able to walk through the forest to a lookout point, gaze across the city from there and then walk on to the visitor center, which will hover above the trees. The tower itself is set to reach a height of 100 meters (328 ft). I N T E R N A T I O N A L D E S I G N . N L

A U T O M O T I V E

D I C T I O N A R Y

NVH rating: a term that refers to Noise, Vibration and Harshness, and sums up all the perceived sounds and vibrations that can affect the comfort of a vehicle’s interior.

A U C T I O N

Up for grabs O N J U LY 12 , auctioneers Bonhams will be selling some 40 privately owned Mercedes, Benz and Mercedes-Benz automobiles.

Amongst the models coming under the hammer at the Mercedes-Benz Museum is a 540K Cabriolet A from 1936 (pictured).

Estimated value: between 1.8 and 2.4 million euros.

BON H A MS . COM

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BEIJING TIANMEN ZHANGJIAJIE TIANMEN

SHANGHAI

ZHANGJIAJIE

Zhangjiajie Tianmen

FROM UP

N A M E Road to Heaven D I S TA N C E 11 kilometers (approx. 7 miles) H I G H E S T P O I N T 1,300 meters (4,265 feet) T H E C L I F F S of Wulingyuan in the

eastern Chinese province of Hunan tower precipitously into the sky. Nearby is Tianmen Mountain (1,518 meters / 4,980 feet), which has a lot to offer: one of the world’s most spectacular cable cars, a glass viewing platform at 1,430 meters (4,692 feet) – and Tongtian Dadao, the Road to Heaven. From the foot of the mountain the road runs 11 kilometers (almost 7 miles) up to a height of 1,300 meters (4,265 feet), with 99 hairpin bends in all. After the first third of the journey you change to a shuttle bus which takes you to the next attraction: Tianti, a staircase with 999 steps leading to the Heavenly Gate – a 30-meter-wide (98 ft) hole in the rock that small aircraft have been known to fly through.

CH I NATR AV EL . COM

A P P D A T E

Downloads for travelers M E R C E D E S - B E N Z M A G A Z I N E Test reports on

the latest models, travel features and interviews with interesting personalities – everything you associate with Mercedes-Benz magazine is now available as an app for Apple and Android smartphone.

AMG Soundroom: listen to the engine sounds of AMG models.

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Muzei Live Wallpaper: shows a different work of art every day as wallpaper.

Minube: write travel lists for friends and read their tips for trips.

29°

3'

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Supersonic

S P I K E Aerospace S-512 is a new design of jet

which, from 2018 on, will whisk you from London to New York in three hours. A special feature is that, instead of windows, cameras will present panoramic views on display screens embedded in the walls. You will be able to change the images at the flick of a switch. SPI K EA EROSPACE . COM

C H E C K - I N

Y O U

A R E

L I S T E N I N G

T O . . .

Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage HARUKI MURAKAMI

tells the story of Tsukuru Tazaki, who as a young man is rejected by his circle of friends. Sixteen years later, Tsukuru sets out to finally understand what was going on all those years ago.

Another masterpiece by the Japanese author, out in August. RANDOMHOUSE . COM

1,000,000,000 PHOTOS GET T Y IMAGES (1), DAIMLER AG (2), OLWEN EVANS (1), SPIKE AEROSPACE/SPIKE S -512 SUPERSONIC JET (1)

D O L L A R S have so far been donated to projects on the Kickstarter website. This

crowdfunding platform offers any project – from paper decorations to cat calendars, from robots to entire movies – an opportunity to access funding. Each project sets a deadline and offers incentives that can range from the end product itself to a weekend visit to the developers, depending on the sum donated. The website was launched five years ago with a mere seven projects, but has now helped 5.7 million people in 224 countries to realize no fewer than 135,309 projects. Kickstarter now has many imitators, and crowdfunding has become a billion-dollar business.

O N C E

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“INSIGHT is not a light bulb that goes off inside our heads. It is a flickering candle that can easily be snuffed out.”

MALCOLM GLADWELL, AUTHOR

L I F E T I M E . . .

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… Hover above the savannah

HOW IS IT DONE? Forget jeep safaris, now you can explore Africa’s landscapes from a hot air balloon. With a bit of luck you will see lions, zebras and gnus in the wild.

WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS? You should be an early riser – the balloon usually takes off at sunrise. Open to children above the age of 6 or over 130 cm (4 ft 3 in.).

WHERE CAN YOU DO IT? Various companies such as wilderness-safaris.com offer balloon flights as part of their green safari trips in Zambia and Namibia.

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360 FLY. COM

C O N C E P T WHETHER it’s a fuel-cell car or a supersonic aircraft, you can find more information about all these technological and design trends on the Web by scanning the smartphone QR code.

MB - QR . COM /0 I 6

Marine luxury

Good reference S T U T T G A R T The Coupe SUV

concept car represents a further step towards the fusion of sportiness and robustness already hinted at by the GLA compact SUV. The study simultaneously incorporates features of a coupe and an off-road vehicle.

Thanks to what Mercedes-Benz design chief Gorden Wagener calls its “extreme proportions”, the concept car offers a glimpse of what an entirely new class of vehicle might look like. M ERCEDES - BENZ . COM

ZONE 1 Apartments and hotels are being built here. Wind turbines and solar cells generate green electricity.

ZONE 5 Below water level are technical rooms with research centers and recycling plants.

G R A N D C A N C Ú N is a vision of a green offshore tourist resort near the popular Mexican seaside town of Cancún. It consists of a marine platform with luxury hotels and apartments, as well as cinemas, conference centers and shopping malls. Sustainability is the name of the game, the idea being that the platform is carbon-neutral and even produces enough energy and drinking water to supply some of the mainland as well. The main aim is to use state-of-the-art water purification techniques to clean seawater. The resort is planned for completion by 2020 – the 50th anniversary of the creation of Cancún. GR ANDCANCUNINTL .WIX . COM /INTERNATIONAL 10

C A R

ZONES 2-4 Here there’s room for restaurants, offices, shopping malls and conference centers.

PHOTOS DAIMLER AG (2), ARCH.RICHARD MORETA CASTILLO R A+D (2)

FLY ON THE WALL With its all-round vision, the 360Fly camera misses nothing. Weighing in at a mere 120 grams (4.23 oz), it can be mounted virtually anywhere.

AD

Take a seat

THE EVOLUTION of the car is a long one. Certain details disappear, others make way for new discoveries. A closer look helps us understand how tradition spawns the future: this time, we compare the rear of the Mercedes 300 c with that of the S-Class.

S-CLASS

2014

300 C

Close your eyes and visualize for a moment the elegant interior of a luxury sedan. What kind of upholstery would the rear seats feature? Leather, naturally. Around 60 years ago, though, this material had a very different status compared with today. Back then, velvety velour was the thing.

In the 300 c, a.k.a. the “Adenauer Mercedes”, you would find leather – which could be neither heated nor cooled – on the chauffeur’s seat, at most. The footwells of the 300 c were lined with heavy carpeting while head restraints were an optional extra, as was the crank-operated glass partition screen dividing the front and rear of the cabin.

Ashtrays, on the other hand, were fitted in abundance. The hand straps attached to the B-pillar were covered in brocade, while other fashionable materials included chrome, solid metals and polished wood trim. With the exception of the latter, none of the status symbols of that time have 12

survived down to our day. When it comes to ride comfort and working on the move, however, passenger expectations have remained unchanged. Today, metallized switches and pearlescent surfaces dominate, while the seats, it goes without saying, are upholstered in leather – climatecontrolled and also capable of delivering a massage, not to mention lending the body dynamic support during cornering. The executive seat in the rear bears comparison with a state-of-the-art Business Class airline seat, providing a 43-degree-plus backrest inclination and room to put your feet up. In the new S-Class, all four seats now offer independent access to the radio and to Internet functions.

The Comand Online infotainment system has no historic precedent, needless to say, although the 300 c production model already boasted a luxurious radio with a world-first > feature – preset station buttons.

PHOTOS DAIMLER AG

1955

AD

Estate of the art SPORTY, STYLISH and eminently practical: Mercedes-Benz presents the latest generation of a car that specializes in opening up new possibilities.

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W O R D S M I C H A E L M O O R S T E DT

P H O T O S A N AT O L KO T T E

SUIT, SHIRT: DIGEL, TIE: BRUNELLO CUCINELLI, SHOES: SANTONI, BAG: HERMÈS

D R I V E

DASHING The new station wagon is longer and wider than its predecessor – but it has also shed weight.

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HER_ DRESS: MANUEL LUCIANO, EARRINGS: PR ADA , SH OES, BAG: ESCADA HIM_SUIT: BOSS, SHIRT: BRUNELLO CUCINELLI, BOW TIE: DOLCE&GABBANA , SHOES: BRIONI

INDIVIDUAL Exclusive, sporty or avant-garde – customers can choose from three equipment lines.

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D R I V E

Wow factor on wheels 17

V E R S AT I L E A car should be both practical and handsome. The new station wagon scores on both counts.

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> Fuel consumption figures are sensational.

And the Eco-Display encourages prudent driving.

changing plans, residences and workplaces that form part of modern life, yet which always feels like a custom-made device. Speaking of which, the rear seats can be folded down with a single hand movement to suit individual needs. The size of the load compartment has increased further beyond that of its predecessor; with the rear seats folded down, the new station wagon offers capacity of 1,510 liters (53 cu. ft).

There is also more space to play with in other areas of the car. The head-up display projects driving information – such as the car’s current speed, navigation instructions and the speed limit – onto the windshield in such a way that it appears to be floating over the road a few yards in front of the car. The effect is futuristic.

The inclusion of the head-up display also clears extra space on the instrument cluster display, where we can choose to view the Eco display, for example. This visualizes the journey split in terms of acceleration, braking and coasting, and shows the extra range the driver has gained by keeping an eye on what is happening further up ahead. The driver is soon locked in a constant battle to outdo himself, to repeatedly increase the rate of fuel saving. He’s starting from a very

HER_DRESS: ETRO, JEWELRY: POMELLATO, SHOES: JIMMY CHOO, GLASSES: CHLOÉ, BAG: MAX MARA HIM_OUTFIT: PRIVATE, MOUNTAIN BIKE: HAIBIKE HEET SL 27.5

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ou can’t have everything, our parents kept telling us. Every decision in favor of one thing inevitably means a decision against another; if you want a great career, you’ll usually have to miss out on a fulfilled family life, seeing the world means losing the feeling of home, etc., etc. And that was also the way of the automotive world. Here, the compromise read something like this: the more practical the car, the less comfort it will offer and the less driving pleasure you can expect. As for design flair, be sure not to get your hopes up.

But now, with the new C-Class Station Wagon, we have a car which finds a way around this knotty problem. A car for people who, despite the importance they attach to dynamic performance and driving pleasure, have held onto their pragmatic instincts; people who recognize the practical value in a car with a little extra space on board. One which can swallow the big weekend family shop, a kid’s stroller and even a suitcase containing something more elegant for the evening. It’s also a car that appeals to people who appreciate the fairer things in life – and would rather their automobile kept its utilitarian tendencies under its hat. In other words, it cuts its cloth according to the rapidly

D R I V E

SPRINGTIME Airmatic air suspension now enhances the sporting appeal of the station wagon.

The head-up display projects driving information onto the windshield.

A side effect is extra clarity and space in the instrument cluster. strong base, with new lightweight construction techniques and a further reduction in the outgoing model’s drag (to Cd 0.28) already ensuring sensational economy.

All assistance systems are on board Reduction, expressed as clean, uncluttered design, is also a theme adopted by the interior.

Gray leather and dark wood paneling dominate the scene, while brushed aluminum gives the instruments a sophisticated and modern look. The large, “floating” display above the air vents reinforces this impression. Mercedes development engineers have made further improvements to the controls and buttons, adapting them to respond more effectively to the ergonomic requirements of driver and front passenger alike. A case in point is the button to the left of the steering wheel which activates the Distronic Plus proximity control wizardry. In fact, almost all of the electronic assistance systems fitted in the S-Class are on hand here as well. Even when you’re familiar with their work, the various components of Intelligent Drive never fail to impress. Thanks to Distronic Plus with Stop&Go Pilot, for example, the car brakes and accelerates autonomously while following the vehicle in front. Whether it’s traffic signs, partly concealed junctions or a blind spot, the station wagon uses radar and camera images > to keep a constant eye on what’s going on

HIM_ JACKET: BELSTAFF, PANTS: HACKETT, POLO SHIRT: BURLINGTON, SHOES: BELSTAFF HER_DRESS: BOSS, TRENCH COAT: BURBERRY, GLASSES: LACOSTE

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UP TO SPEED As well as details on the route, the navigation system’s Drive Show function also delivers information on the car’s surroundings.

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SUEDE JACKET: COS, BLOUSE: HUGO: PANTS: SIR OLIVER, JEWELRY: BULGARI, GLASSES: CHLOÉ, SHOES: KENNEL&SCHMENGER, BAG: BOSS, IPAD CASE: HERMÈS

Stylish as never before

D R I V E

FRESH FORMS The roof rails are incorporated seamlessly, the antenna is integrated into the rear spoiler.

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ASSISTANT_PAULA HOLTZL STYLING_LALE AKTAY HAIR & MAKE-UP_ALEXANDERHOFMANN USING CHANEL / KULT ARTISTS MODELS_STEPHANIE / ICONIC MGMT + JOVAN / MEGA MODELS

TOUCH ME The infotainment functions can be optionally controlled using the touchpad located in the handrest.

The swiping movements and character “writing” on the touchpad soon become second nature.

D R I V E

i C 220 BlueTec Station Wagon Engine / Output 2.2-liter four-cylinder diesel 125 kW at 3,000–4,200 rpm; max. torque 400 Nm (295 lb-ft) at 1,400–2,800 rpm

Transmission 7G-Tronic Plus 7-speed automatic

HANDS FREE The Keyless Go function allows the trunk lid to be closed with a movement of the foot under the rear bumper.

>

Real-time data gives information on the road ahead while the air conditioning system detects tunnels. The car and its surroundings are becoming increasingly interconnected.

HIM_JACKET: BELSTAFF, PANTS: HACKETT, POLO SHIRT: BURLINGTON, SHOES: BELSTAFF HER_DRESS: BOSS, TRENCH COAT: BURBERRY, GLASSES: LACOSTE

Freedom of choice Agility Select allows drivers to switch from Sport+ via Comfort to Eco mode. As well as choosing preconfigured driving programs, drivers can also adjust individual parameters to their preferences.

Breathe in!

The Air-Balance package with active fragrancing, air filtering and ionization creates a pleasant and healthy climate inside the car.

Further technical data and fuel consumption figures can be found on page 74.

around it. This electronic assistance can also be experienced in the car’s dynamics. The Agility Select program contains five different calibrations, from Comfort to Sport+. An understated button in the center console allows to flick to and fro quickly between the different chassis settings, which fundamentally change the car’s character. In Sport mode, for instance, the steering, suspension and accelerator all adopt a more aggressive approach.

By contrast, smoothness is the watchword when it comes to operating the luxuriant range of infotainment functions, and you quickly get used to the swiping movements on the touchpad required to navigate around Comand Online.

Smartphones communicate with the multimedia system via Bluetooth and the navigation system is now more interactive. Take the animated compass, for example, and Drive Show, which provides information on the car’s surroundings and delivers real-time data on the road ahead.

In addition, apps such as a local Google search with Street View or weather information provide an overview of stop-off locations during a journey or the destination itself. Another helpful function is if the air conditioning system detects, via GPS, when the car is approaching a tunnel, it closes the air recirculation flap to prevent fume-filled air from entering the passenger compartment. The new station wagon therefore represents another major step towards the creation of a car fully connected with its < environment.

S PA C E T R AV E L The rear seats can be folded down in one hand movement, while load capacity has swelled to 1,510 liters (53 cu. ft).

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Click-off

I N F O R M AT I O N P L U S From the time-honored Con cours d’Elegance to the new V-C lass – more than 4.5 million peo ple are now linked to Mercedes-Benz via its official Google Plus page that keeps them up to date on all the latest MB news from around the globe.

GOO GLE . COM / M ERC + EDE SBE NZ

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FU N , fashion, Formul a 1 – the most intrigu ing summer links from th e Mercedes-Benz unive rse.

D I G I T A L

ILLUSTR ATION CRISTIANO RINALDI PHOTOS DAIMLER AG

COOL CLIPS Online magazine mb! (Mercedes-Benz. com/mb) now has a stylish channel on the Vimeo video portal showing lavish clips on various aspects of cuttingedge fashion, fun sports and creative professionals â&#x20AC;&#x201C; like sought-af ter stylist Ada Kokosar (pictured).

VIMEO . COM /CHANNELS / MBMAGAZ INE

COUNTRY ST YLE For those who prefer to take their Mercedes onto terrain less traveled, this site offers driver training courses, tours, photos, videos and an entire magazine on every facet of off-road driving.

M B - OFFROA D . COM

FA N FA R E Soccer tactics boards, power stats and historical facts: this website keeps fans reliably informed about the German team and their competitors in the World Cup. M ERCEDES - BENZ FUSSBA LL . DE

A QR APP will give you access to all the digital offerings on your smartphone as well.

HIGH-SPEED NEWS The quickest source of information on the Mercedes F1 team, this official Twitter channel keeps over 40,000 fans up to speed on the latest developments.

TW IT TER . COM /M ERCEDESA MGF 1

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T R E A SUR E HUN T ER

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C H A R A C T E R S I K B 2 71

by Yves Klein temporarily hangs in Westphal’s office along with another work by Klein.

DISCRETION AND THE INSTINCT of a hunter are called for in Cheyenne Westphal’s job: she looks after the multimillion-dollar contemporary art business at Sotheby’s auction house. Here she talks about the fascination of record sales figures and what they mean for collectors, artists and museums.

INTERVIEW ALE X ANDR A GONZ ALEZ PHOTOS ALI KEPENEK

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ince last February, Cheyenne Westphal and Alexander Rotter have been jointly responsible for Contemporary Art at Sotheby’s, the world’s largest auction house for fine arts alongside Christie’s. Westphal grew up in Baden-Baden, Germany, went to school in Scotland and studied at Berkeley, California.

Ms Westphal, you have been working at Sotheby’s for over 20 years. You were recently given global responsibility for contemporary art. What kind of changes has that meant for you?

I guess the main difference is I now spend much more time in New York. But in Europe I also focus more on the pictures that will be sold in New York. European collectors have magnificent works that play a part in shaping the New York market. When Tobias Meyer… … the star auctioneer whose charismatic appearances and numerous recordbreaking sales made him for many years the face of Sotheby’s… … left the company last November, I took over the role. My first major assignment in that position was a London auction, which went unbelievably well. Generally, though, New York auctions for contemporary art fetch higher prices, lying somewhere between $300 and $500 million.

And you are there to ensure it doesn’t drop below that level?

The market is our measure. A great deal is possible at the moment. Prices are high, customers are interested in selling, and the buyers are out there.

I imagine you’re always looking ahead to the next auction. How does an artwork find its way to Sotheby’s?

There are certain artists that always fetch high prices: all the Americans from the pop art movement, Europeans such as Lucio Fontana and Piero Manzoni, and increasingly, of course, German artists like Gerhard Richter, Anselm Kiefer, Martin Kippenberger… Then there’s the younger league, people like Jeff Koons and Christopher Wool. And we’re also working on a fresh program involving young talent.

We might get our hands on one of Lucien Smith’s Rain Paintings, which the New Yorkbased artist creates by aiming paint-filled fire extinguishers at a white canvas.

What is the best way to get hold of pieces that are in demand?

It’s really all about nurturing good relations.

That’s exactly what I’ve been doing for years.

Generally speaking, collectors acquire an

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FLÜGELSCHL AG is the title of a 2014 work by Berlin artist Michael Kunze.

It hangs in Sotheby’s S|2 gallery.

artwork with a lot of blood, sweat and tears. It’s my job to make sure parting with it again, once they decide to sell it on, is as simple a process as possible. That means I look after the consignment from the outset and try to match it up with a buyer who is an equally valued client.

With Christie’s as a rival, you presumably have to invest everything into securing the acquisition. What’s it like when you pull out all the stops?

I’m extremely focused from the very beginning – both on the artwork and on the seller. We usually operate as a team and deliver an excellent offer tailored to the specific requirements of the vendor. Then it’s all about finding the right level. What price should the work fetch? What kind of marketing is required? Where should we exhibit? Do we show the work at our Hong Kong branch because it’s appropriate for the Chinese market? Or do we take it to Doha because there may be possibilities in the Middle East? How should we put the catalog together, and what

C H A R A C T E R S

about our Internet presence? Then there’s always the delicate issue of whether the seller prefers anonymity. I can’t afford to ease off for a second. I know that our competitors will be hard on our heels and making their own pitch.

We have to tailor every aspect individually.

Tobias Meyer once wept in an interview when describing the nerve-jangling, emotionally charged process he went through to acquire Warhol’s Silver Car Crash.

I can understand that completely. It’s not every day you get to see a monumental masterpiece like that.

What takes priority in your job: discretion, the killer instinct or knowing how to handle a collector?

You need all of those things. A hunting instinct can be very important, because the market is driven by fierce competition. You have to be quick off the mark, as well as a little brazen sometimes. You might approach a collector who is not even thinking of selling and ask: So, how about it then? Discretion is very important, particularly with collectors who value privacy above all else. Sometimes it can take years to even develop a point of access.

gradual build-up misfires, however, the tension can easily just go out of the auction.

AS A RULE, collectors acquire an artwork with a lot of blood, sweat and tears. It’s my job to make sure selling it on again is as easy as possible.

Do you feel a certain responsibility for the auctioneer at moments like that?

We provide backup. He’s very much in the frame about what should happen – who is talking to which client on the phone and taking bids, or which collector might join the bidding in the room.

The sums realized during a single evening in an auction room can be astronomic. As the person who stage-manages this grand theater of bidding, do you ever get nervous?

I get a little tense, I have to confess. On the one hand, it’s exciting to see how much money is paid for art at auction and how the prices become accepted as the status quo by the market.

On the other hand, high prices force up collec> tors’ expectations. The next picture in the

You are working in the biggest and fastestgrowing market segment. Given the size of the business involved, isn’t there a risk that the artwork itself loses something of its original appeal?

It’s always important to find something you identify with strongly. Take this wonderful “Anthropometry” painting by Yves Klein for the New York auction. (She points to the canvas with an ultramarine blue print depicting a woman’s body.) This is a work I’ve loved for years.

Another work for which I have huge admiration is Wand by Gerhard Richter. The artist had the painting in his own collection in 2010. And last February we auctioned this sensational work for $28.7 million in London.

An auction is a fast-moving, tightly timed sequence of events. The few minutes in which the lot is auctioned decide the success or otherwise of your months of acquisitioning and preparatory work.

Yes, but even more important is how we orchestrate the evening’s sale. At the last London auction, we started off with more recent art. Then came a small-scale Richter, which was already the focus of buyers’ attention in the run-up to the event. It was a great warm-up for Wand. Then there was Twombly’s Untitled (Rome), which fetched a record price for the artist. And finally, Richter’s Wand. If this 29

of knowing the final price. Usually they don’t have enough time to get the funding together in advance of the auction. But we also support museums around the world through sponsorship and charity auctions.

In 2013, global art market sales rose to $47.7 billion – a result due in part to the increasing revenues from private sales at Christie’s and Sotheby’s, art deals made “behind closed doors”.

Sure, private sales have become part of the company’s regular business. We arrange a lot of private sales through our S|2 gallery, with offices in New York and London. These happen because we know where artworks are in the world – and who is looking for what. So dealing continues all year round.

How do you feel about this?

Psychologically, it’s crucial to provide a valuation that reflects the importance of the picture but also generates competition.

Auction houses are increasingly attracting the super-rich from all over the world.

Can contemporary art even continue to challenge and explore social issues when it is the object of desire of billionaires?

I think you can look at this in a number of ways.

Of course, the latest billionaires are on the lookout for internationally recognized masterpieces to surround themselves with at home and promote their lifestyle: my penthouse apartment, my yacht, my Koons. We sell these pictures and objects – and not necessarily bulky installations or video works. At the same time, however, more art – including noncommercial art – is being made, shown and talked about than ever before. The artists at the Whitney Berlinale in New York, for example, were not only very young, they were also highly critical of the art market in particular.

An elite clientele with unlimited means is part of the reason why art is becoming more and more expensive and ending up in the hands of private collectors, out of sight of the general public. Museums can no longer keep pace. How do you see your role as a setter of artistic trends?

It has always been a challenge to buy for museums at auction, because there’s no way 30

S|2 is the name of Sotheby’s Gallery of Contemporary Art in London. Left: Asleep by the Light of Glow-worms

by Ged Quinn, inspired by Caspar David Friedrich’s Eismeer.

Would it be fair to say that S|2 is an attempt to move away gradually from traditional dealing, to stop seeing art as a commodity?

At the first London exhibition, we presented drawings and sculptures by Joseph Beuys, an artist one wouldn’t immediately describe as commercial. I curated that exhibition myself.

Let’s be honest, our business interests are clear. > Sotheby’s is about selling and buying art.

PHOTOS SOTHEBY‘S (2)

mold of Silver Car Crash probably won’t have a valuation of $60 million, but $70 or $80 million.

The price barrier is going up all the time.

Your involvement in private sales takes you out of the auction house and into the world of the gallerist. Does that not cause a certain amount of resentment?

Of course, our gallery and these kinds of activities tend to divide opinion. But I should stress that we don’t represent artists, we don’t build them up or try to promote them in the way the gallerists do.

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FROM NOW ON, Mercedes-Benz is bundling its broad spectrum of services under one roof: provides access to a range of offers from five major service areas â&#x20AC;&#x201C; online and on location in several big cities.

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I N N O V A T I O N

CONNECT me links the driver with the car and the breakdown and emergency system.

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rom the outset, Mercedes-Benz has focused not only on the car itself but also on enhancing all aspects of mobility. That is why services of every description form an intrinsic part of the broad palette of products offered by the premium car manufacturer, ranging from traditional customer service and financing options to mobility apps and remote control of vehicle functions.

Now the new “Mercedes me” brand has for the first time gathered all these services under one roof, both virtually and in the real world. Via the www.mercedes.me digital platform, the various options can be accessed anytime, anywhere.

What’s more, they are all tailored to individual requirements: thanks to the personal Mercedes ID with which users sign in to “Mercedes me”, the website displays individual services specifi< cally customized to the relevant user.

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Beyond the Internet, the world of “Mercedes me” can also be explored by visiting new experience stores in major cities like Hamburg, Berlin, Munich, Paris and Tokyo. Offline and online, then, an extensive array of services is on offer, covering five different areas – mobility, connectivity, servicing, financing and inspiration. These are the five pillars of “Mercedes me”:

INFO ON THE GO Mercedes me isn’t just an online platform: it can also be accessed via an app.

Mercedes connect me Mercedes drivers are always in touch with their car courtesy of “Mercedes connect me”. Using the “Remote online” service, owners can check such things as the amount of fuel in the tank, the car’s parking position and whether the doors are locked. Even the auxiliary heating can be switched on remotely. These connectivity services also include the Mercedes-Benz emergency call system, remote diagnosis, as well as accident, maintenance and breakdown management.

Numerous apps are set to be added to the range, allowing the latest information updates and entertainment offers to be sent to the car.

Mercedes assist me When is the next car service due? What was fixed during the last maintenance job? Can I

> Discuss the latest R&D with experts and feed in your own ideas: Mercedes me BLINDER makes it TEXT Agnat. Ignis excero etur adigent dolendio possible. velicidem sae conestoreic to min nihit voloria dellendit

EASY AS PIE Remote diagnosis, workshop appointment or cab service: Mercedes me is the key to modern mobility.

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talk to my service partner personally right now?

“Mercedes assist me” answers these and other questions at any time. As well as accessing a digital service booklet, drivers also have the option of contacting a service partner directly. Alternatively, the next service appointment can be conveniently booked online.

Mercedes finance me Whether you are looking at leasing or purchase financing, “Mercedes finance me” provides access to the range of Daimler Financial Services to deliver tailored financial services on every aspect of the car. It will also help you find an appropriate insurance policy to suit your vehicle and budget.

Mercedes inspire me Here the watchword is inspiration: not only are users kept up to speed with the world of R&D at Mercedes, they can also play an active role in the innovation processes. The community within this information portal invites you to discuss topics with experts from various fields, enabling those interested to become involved in the development of new technologies and services – and even feed < in their own ideas at an early stage.

DISCOVER the world of Mercedes me by scanning the QR code with your smartphone.

M B - Q R . C O M /0IR

WORDS CHRISTOPH HENN PHOTOS P.32/33 MARC TR AUTMANN, COLOURBOX, GET T Y IMAGES (3), INA SCHOOF/BR ANSCH P.34 DAIMLER AG (2)

Mercedes move me The company as a whole stands for mobility, and that includes people who, whether temporarily or indefinitely, do not have access to a car of their own.

One of the services offered by “Mercedes move me” is the car2go car sharing option, in which blue-and-white smart cars – already part of the urban landscape in many cities – can be rented on the spur of the moment. Or there’s mytaxi, the smartphone-based cab service. Numerous other mobility services, ranging from chauffeuring and the parking app to a long-distance coach service, ensure that users remain optimally mobile in every situation even without resort to their own Mercedes.

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COMEBACK Scotland’s Paul Di Resta is back in the DTM after a foray into Formula 1.

He’ll be driving for the Mercedes-Benz DTM team again.

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WORDS CHRISTOPH HENN

S P O R T S

T TO WIN DTM RACES you need not only a perfectly prepared car but also perfectly prepared drivers.

We called on Paul Di Resta and his Mercedes-Benz team-mates at their pre-season training camp.

hree minutes 40 seconds, and there’s just a hint of a shimmer as vibrations pass through the muscles between his shoulders and head. But it’s almost imperceptible, and his head drops no more than a few millimeters towards his therapist’s waiting hands. But Paul Di Resta doesn’t need a safety net, and he ratchets up the tension in his neck another notch. His expression remains impassive; a face contorted with pain wouldn’t suit him somehow, nor would it fit in with the drill. To the naked eye, he’s lying comfortably on his back. Crucially, though, the couch reaches to the shoulders only – it’s Di Resta’s job to support the weight of his head. The first 30 seconds or so of this neck training exercise pass relatively smoothly, even for those of us less used to physical exertion. But then the effort builds, until it becomes unpleasant. After two minutes the pain kicks in, growing increasingly intolerable with every second. A man of average fitness will last around two-and-a-half minutes.

Fit for the cockpit

RIDING TEST Paul Di Resta and his team-mates are exceptional athletes. The training on the bicycle ergometer is not half as exacting as the enormous loads on the drivers during a DTM race. Inside the cockpit, the drivers’ average heart rate soars to 180 beats per minute.

The 28-year-old Scot, however, is fresh from three years in Formula 1, where centrifugal forces of up to 5 g – i.e. five times the Earth’s gravitational force – put the neck muscles to the sternest of tests.

He’s not the type to give anything away. “I’d never say what the greatest challenges were for me in a race,” he explains. “That would be flagging a weakness to the other drivers.” This exercise provides little to encourage his rivals, that minor wobble hardly worthy of mention. And Di Resta is not interested in halfway measures, not when a target duration has been set. He passes the four-minute yardstick with something to spare.

The Scottish driver packs another seven strength tests and an exercise ECG into the team’s morning at the sports medicine institute in Innsbruck, Austria. This performance testing is one of his first engagements since rejoining the DTM ranks.

For Di Resta, renewing acquaintance with the German touring car series marks a return to the scene of his greatest success – also with Mercedes. From 2007 to the end of 2010 he notched up 21 podiums (including six victories) in 42 races, winning the drivers’ title in that final year. The Scot then moved to the Force India team in F1 where, although ultimate success was to prove elusive, he collected 121 World Champi> onship points over three seasons.

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STRENGTH COMES FROM CALMNESS The training camp focuses not only on energy and endurance, but also on physical control and coordination.

STRESS TEST The drivers spend around an hour inside the car in temperatures of 60째C (140째F) and under four layers of fireproof clothing. They lose up to four kilos (9 lb) per race in sweat alone.

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S P O R T S

Now, though, it is time to prepare for the next challenge. This year, as every year, Mercedes has corralled its full squadron of DTM drivers for a pre-season training camp. Joining Di Resta in Austria for six days of fitness work are Gary Paffett, Robert Wickens, Christian Vietoris, Pascal Wehrlein, Vitaly Petrov, Daniel Juncadella and Roberto Merhi. Cars are conspicuous by their absence. The week begins with performance examinations which Di Resta completes with the same poise and assurance as a lights-to-flag victory on the track. Indeed, he isn’t far off the maximum scores when it comes to push-ups, sit-ups and chin-ups, leaving every team-mate in his wake.

“He’s in great shape,” says the man at the center of Di Resta’s fitness regime. Gerry Convy looked after his fellow Scot last year in F1, having previously worked with the likes of Pablo Montoya and David Coulthard. “A Formula 1 driver needs the stamina of a triathlete, the upper body and neck of a boxer and the cat-like reactions of a fighter pilot,” says Convy. These are all attributes Di Resta has in his locker and he’s in no mood to let them gather dust in the DTM. He trains for three hours a day – running, swimming, machines – and nowhere is he more at home than on his racing bike on 100-kilometer (62-mile) tours around his adopted Monaco. “If anything, I’m training even more now than when I was in F1,” he says.

“It’s psychologically important never to let your standards slip,” agrees Convy.

WHAT THE drivers need is inner strength, willpower and impressive concentration.

TO NI MATHI S

PHOTOS FR ANK BAUER, IGOR PANITZ

A marathon tomorrow? Why not Despite all that, the training camp is not about exploring physical pain thresholds. Yes, the drivers all need to be as fit as possible to withstand the enormous pressures of a DTM race. After all, they spend around an hour at a time inside the car in temperatures of up to 60° Celsius (140°F) under four layers of fireproof clothing, and lose three to four kilos (6-9 lb) in sweat per race. A driver releases around 250 nanograms of the stress hormones adrenaline and noradrenaline every minute of a race, says sports scientist Ingo Froböse. That’s double what he would produce at maximum attack on a bicycle ergometer.

This constant hormone release drives his average heart rate in qualifying and the race to around 180 beats per minute – so a high level of endurance is essential. “If you asked me to run a marathon tomorrow, I’d like to think I could do it,” says Di Resta matter-of-factly.

So that’s the physical side of being a racing driver. But their mental fitness is equally critical. The drivers have to make countless considered and instinctive decisions under the exacting conditions of a race in order to nail corner entry, braking points etc. “A driver needs inner strength, willpower and impressive concentration,” says Toni Mathis, who has worked with Mercedes’ DTM

teams for more than 20 years as a physiotherapist, nutritionist and training consultant, and put together this preparation week in his native country.

To nourish these inner values, the Austrian employs techniques such as bagua. Rather than pushing your physical limits to achieve a goal (such as with push-ups), this special form of tai chi extends beyond muscle power alone. Instead, Mathis conducts the drivers in excruciatingly slow circular movements. Despite some initial sniggering among his charges, Mathis knows from experience that bagua will help them improve their body control and find their inner strength.

There is also some unintentional amusement when Mathis hands the drivers a set of small balls.

Drills include stepping back with one leg – on Mathis’ call – as they catch the ball, another throwing two balls in the air and crossing their hands to catch them again. This type of training, known as “Life Kinetik”, is already followed by professional soccer players at German club Borussia Dortmund and skiing star Felix Neureuther. As well as the physical movements, the drills are also a workout for the brain, an exercise in overcoming coordination and visual hurdles. That makes them ideal for racing drivers, who have to look straight ahead and out of the corners of their eyes at the same time during a race. Not that there isn’t room for improvement with the ball in the air: “No way!” protests Di Resta, laughing, as he grasps at thin air, his right eye covered by a patch as part of the test. A few days on, the Scot is completing the exercise with flying colors. Ask anyone who has worked with Di Resta and they’ll tell you he doesn’t shirk a challenge. He’s a racing driver through and through, one with a steely will to win.

You won’t find him constantly checking his weight or fixated on lactate stats and heart rates. But at the end of the training camp he’s credited with an outstanding level of fitness. And there’s something even more important than that, he adds: < “I know I can drive.”

B O DY C H E C K Bioelectrical impedance analysis measures levels of body fat and fluids.

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Excellence writ large

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WORDS CHRISTOF V IE W EG

PHOTOS DAIMLER AG

D R I V E

AS A FAMILY car, for weekend excursions or business trips, the new MPV from Mercedes-Benz offers oceans of space and top-class comfort.

TO UNDERSTAND how the new V-Class became the car it is today, it is helpful to know something about the man responsible for its development.

For many years Volker Mornhinweg was director of Mercedes-AMG, before taking over as head of Mercedes-Benz Vans. So Mornhinweg clearly knows a thing or two about vehicles designed for power, comfort and aesthetic appeal. And his aim has been to continue raising the bar.

Under his direction, Mercedes-Benz Vans set about completely redefining the MPV in line with customer demands. The outcome of this development is a vehicle that skillfully combines space, comfort and safety in equal measure. Inspired and supported by the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s top-of-the-range models, the new V-Class boasts technical innovations that are currently not available in any other model in this segment. No wonder the car instantly conveys that distinctive Mercedes feeling â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the new V-Class soon makes driver and passengers alike feel perfectly at home.

Cozy interior

IMPRESSIVE The V-Class is proof that even MPVs can have an elegant exterior.

Despite the many innovations, everything on board the new XXL model feels familiar. The instrument panel with its characteristic circular vents, the large color display and the stylish switch panel for heating and climate control have the same attractive, high-quality design you would expect of a luxury-class model. And the interior is no less elegant. Nappa leather, chrome trim and ornamental fittings in glossy wood and piano-lacquer look can be individually selected from the materials catalog to create an exquisite appearance.

When darkness falls, LEDs bring a degree of warmth and home comfort to the Avantgarde 41

model, with ambient lighting that surrounds the instrument panel in three different colors: white, amber or ice blue.

But the true highlight of the V-Class cockpit is without doubt the all-new touchpad. Featuring easy-to-use fingertip control, this touchpad brings state-of-the-art tablet technology into the realm of the automobile. The touchpad and color screen form a single functional unit. A gentle caress is all it takes, and the touchpad’s sensors intuitively interpret the driver’s or front passenger’s swipes and pinches. These finger gestures conveniently control the full range of infotainment functions as well as programming travel destinations and inputting telephone numbers.

IN TOUCH The central touchpad recognizes symbols drawn with a finger on its surface.

Unprecedented tranquility Just as various colors and materials can be selected for the interior trim, the rear compartment of the V-Class can also be tailored to suit individual wishes and requirements. The standard-fit package includes four individual seats with armrests, head restraints and integrated seatbelts. Optionally available, however, is a rear compartment equipped with two bench seats accommodating three passengers each, thus providing room for a total of eight passengers. With a few simple hand movements, individual seats can be reconfigured to enable vehicle occupants to sit facing each other so they can chat or play games.

The promise of comfort conveyed by the interior is also fulfilled once the V-Class takes to the road. With considerable experience in developing luxury class vehicles, the MercedesBenz engineers have achieved impressive – one might also say “audible” – results in terms of ride and acoustic comfort: no other model in this vehicle segment pampers its passengers with such low noise levels as the new V-Class.

It also scores with front to rear voice amplification, which makes conversation – particularly at higher speeds – more pleasant. Equally pleasing are the many assistance systems that the new MPV has borrowed from its relatives in the luxury class. No fewer than 11 of these electronic co-drivers are on hand to support the driver. Depending on the equipment line, they monitor the blind spot, lane behavior and distance to vehicles ahead, warn of an impending tail-end collision, recognize traffic signs, switch the high beam on and off and take over parking duties with the aid of a 360-degree camera and Active Parking Assist.

Proof that the development engineers have thought of electronic systems to cover virtually any eventuality in everyday traffic comes in the form of the innovative Crosswind Assist. A standard-fit feature on the new V-Class, this system serves to ensure the vehicle steers a steady < course even in stormy weather.

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TURNING FOUR INTO MORE The rear compartment can be completely reconfigured in no time at all, enabling passengers to either look forward or sit facing one another to talk.

D R I V E

i

THE NICEST WHEELS FOR THE BEST CARS

V 250 BlueTec Engine / Output 2.2-liter four-cylinder diesel, 140 kW (short-term +10 kW) at 3,800 rpm; max. torque 440 Nm (short-term +40 Nm) at 1,400-2,400 rpm

1/10 TE 18" – 20"

Transmission 7G-Tronic Plus 7-speed automatic

Getting aerated Climatized seats with three control settings ensure the driver’s seat stays pleasantly cool on the long drive south.

Concert hall The Comand Onine multimedia system and the likewise optional Burmester surround sound system deliver an outstanding audio experience.

Further technical data and fuel consumption figures can be found on p. 74.

INDEPENDENT The rear windshield opens separately from the Easy-Pack tailgate.

1/16 RS DE 18" – 20" SUPER SIZE ME The new V-Class initially launches with a 5.14-meter (16.8 ft) wheelbase.

Other variants to follow.

1/5 Revo II DE 20" + 22"

1/6 Revo 17" for smart

Carlsson Autotechnik GmbH Tel. 0 68 61/93 32-777 · info@carlsson.de · www.carlsson.de Carlsson recommends:

D A S E X K LU S I V E V E R E D E LU N G S - P R O G R AM M F Ü R M E R C E D E S -B E N Z A U T O M O B I L E A U F G U T W I E S E N H O F

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magine driving a car at top speed – for dear life.

Hot on your heels is an unrelenting avalanche, literally a mountain on the move. As you attempt to outrun this behemoth, it is also vitally important to stay as close to it as possible, so that the monster doesn’t simply engulf and swallow you. When Garrett McNamara talks about his life’s passion, it sounds more like a nightmare. McNamara is a surfer – one of the best in the world. The gigantic waves that he allows to chase him tower to heights of up to 40 meters (130 ft) and break with the unfathomable power contained in hundreds of tons of water. Such behemoths present surfers with a completely different type of challenge than run-of-the-mill waves, because they are very steep – and very, very fast. Those wishing to conquer them need not only extraordinary stamina and courage, but above all the right kind of board.

With these facts in mind, McNamara teamed up with Mercedes-Benz to hunt for a board made of the ideal materials that would ensure the best possible weight distribution. The result is the MBoard – custom-crafted to suit the weight and body type of the champion wave-rider. The advantages of this individualized approach are quantifiable: so far, McNamara’s top speed on the MBoard has been clocked at 62.4 km/h (38.7 mph). <

SPEEDSTER The MBoard is the fastest surfboard Garrett McNamara has ever ridden.

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C H A R A C T E R S

ON THE RUN When the wave starts breaking, McNamara has to be careful not to let it engulf him.

Fearless

JUST OFF THE COAST of Portugal lurk the largest ocean waves in the world, towering ten stories high on some days. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s exactly when Garrett McNamara ventures into the water.

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PREPARE yourself for the moment and enjoy it – then there’s no fear.

1967 Garrett McNamara is born in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, more than 100 miles away from the ocean.

197 8 His family moves to Hawaii.

Shortly thereafter McNamara wins his first competitions.

19 92 “Tow-in surfing” is invented, in which surfers are towed into gigantic waves using personal watercraft.

20 0 3 McNamara barely escapes death after wiping out in a massive wave.

2007 He attracts media attention after surfing a wave off the coast of Alaska that was generated by a glacier calving into the ocean.

2013 McNamara breaks the world record he set himself by surfing a wave over 30 meters (100 ft) high.

M B - Q R . COM /0IQ

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O N S TA N D B Y McNamara patiently waits for the moments when conditions are ideal.

The underwater high A master doesn’t fail. Getting swamped by a wave is a greater thrill than simply gliding down its face, according to McNamara. “An underwater ride like that can be a really exhilarating experience – all your senses are totally alive. It’s not so much about struggling to survive, it’s about learning to relax in order to survive. You just go with it and enjoy it.” Fear, he says, arises only when we worry about what might happen: “Prepare yourself for the moment, stay in the moment and enjoy it – then there’s no fear.” Boundaries cease to exist in the moment when he’s riding a wave. The man who claims to maintain a “love affair with the waves” is starting to sound almost humble: “I have surfed so many giant waves – and I’m prepared. Whatever may happen, I’m < always working on trying to enjoy it.”

WORDS NATHALIE CHROBACZEK- PROSPERO PHOTOS JOAO BR ACOURT

M I L E S T ON E S

The project, directed by Mercedes design chief Gorden Wagener, united the technical know-how of designers and engineers with the experience the legendary surfer has gained over decades of riding gigantic waves. In essence, McNamara got the opportunity to develop the type of surfboard he has always dreamed of riding.

The MBoard was basically created in the same way as a car: first in the form of a 3D file, then as a model in a wind tunnel, and finally finished by hand. The waves that McNamara sets out to conquer demand a very special design. For the Mercedes team, the challenge was to unite contradictory demands in a single product. To guarantee the necessary stability, the board had to be flexible and stiff at the same time, not too heavy and not too light. The upshot was a one-off board for a one-off athlete. In January 2013, McNamara surfed a wave off Portugal’s coast over 30 meters (100 ft) high, one of the biggest ever recorded.

He describes himself as a goal-oriented perfectionist – but one whom the sport has also taught to take things as they come. Because above all, big wave surfing demands one thing – patience.

Cardio and strength training are givens. The perfect “ride” begins well before the wave begins to crest: McNamara pays close attention to the winds and currents to see in which direction each is pulling, waiting patiently for just the right moment.

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Luxury liner

SPECTACULAR DESIGN, impressive power, intelligent technology: a test drive in this top-of-the-range coupe introduces you to new levels of perfection.

STREETS AHEAD The S-Class continues the tradition of the grand coupe.

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d r i v e

w o r d s J a ko b S c h r e n k

photos Steffen jahn

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smooth running Magic Body Control (available from July) monitors the road surface and adjusts the suspension to the slightest unevenness.

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D R I V E

Clear lines reflect clear ideas.

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Y

our head begins to fill with important questions even before you drive off in the S-Class Coupe. It starts as soon as you open the door, sink into the driver’s seat and close it behind you – a familiar routine you have carried out thousands of times before, but one that in the S-Class Coupe becomes a celebration of engineering brilliance: with just a few millimeters to go, the door is gently pulled shut by the onboard electronics. Click – a pleasing sound, and a pleasant feeling. In fact, it makes you want to open and shut the door all over again.

Hence the questions that spring to mind: Why is it so rare to feel that everything is functioning in perfect harmony, that everything is just as it should be? And another question: Could it be that perfection in life does exist after all?

Winning fans before you set off The S-Class Coupe draws the eye from afar, long before you reach for the door handle. Perhaps it has something to do with the silhouette, which is both spectacular and straightforward. The design looks deceptively simple for a process that must have been both time-consuming and expensive.

The elongated hood runs seamlessly into the elegant curve of the roofline – undisturbed by any B-pillar – and then gently subsides into the rear, creating a harmonious profile that intuitively strikes you as being just right.

The interior displays a similar clarity of lines. You don’t feel you’re in some futuristic spaceship – you feel, quite simply, that you’re at home. Much of this is due to the seats, which provide firm support yet are still as comfortable as armchairs. They will even offer a massage if required. The dashboard is dominated by two large screens. The left-hand one displays the rev counter and speedometer; the one on the right shows, amongst other things, satnav information or pictures from the 360-degree camera, which generates a bird’s-eye view of the vehicle’s surroundings to facilitate parking.

Nowadays we tend to be rather spoiled and demanding; we are never quite satisfied and always find something to complain about. The new computer freezes at work, or a newly purchased jacket starts to develop a crease at the back. These are, of course, trivial problems, but they stoke up our desire for everything to be OK, just once. Perhaps it makes sense that this wish has been fulfilled by an automobile – a product born of the marriage of high-tech and craftsmanship, a vehicle that is both fast and stylish, that triggers emotions and bristles with technical innovations. A vehicle that is, quite simply, a thing of beauty.

So it is hardly surprising that the S-Class Coupe starts attracting attention even before you embark on your test drive. Passers-by crowd round, peering into the interior, asking questions about performance and price. Real perfection is something people find it hard to tear themselves 54

Taking the cu WORLD FIRST Magic Body Control enables the coupe to tilt up to 2.65 degrees, reducing lateral acceleration and maximizing ride enjoyment.

D R I V E

rves like a slalom champion.

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R AISED EYEBROWS With full LED headlights as standard, the S-Class Coupe exudes a self-assured air.

away from. And even as the driver, you catch yourself stroking this vehicle absent-mindedly: the elegant curve of the dashboard and its fluid transition into the door cladding; the soft materials lining the glovebox and armrest compartment; the gleaming inlay on the steering wheel. Of course you could always busy yourself switching on the “fragrancing” function or putting a bottle of mineral water in the generous 8.5-liter (0.3 cu. ft) refrigerated compartment in the rear to chill. But we’re not in a high-tech home, we’re in an automobile. So it’s hands on the wheel, finger on the starter button, foot on the accelerator – and off.

You cruise gently through the city streets towards the autobahn and then put your foot down. At 120 km/h (75 mph) the vehicle runs so smoothly that with closed eyes you wouldn’t know how fast you are traveling. At 140 km/h (87 mph) the landscape begins to blur; at 180 km/h (112 mph) the engine starts to emit a throaty roar. The twin-turbocharged V-8 generates 335 kW and has a limited top speed of 250 km/h (155 mph).

Clinging to the road like a limpet On the autobahn everyone is equal – at least according to the road traffic regulations. But somehow on this test drive you can’t help feeling special. It’s not that you can ignore the speed limit, it’s simply that everything is just right – from the carefully calculated resistance of the indicator lever to the way this allwheel-drive car clings to the road like a limpet.

The rear-wheel-drive version, available from July, also offers Magic Body Control: a camera that scans the road ahead to identify any 56

i S 500 4Matic Coupe Engine / Output 4.7 liter 8-cylinder, 335 kW at 5,250 to 5,500 rpm; max. torque 700 Nm at 1,800 to 3,500 rpm

Transmission 7G-Tronic Plus 7-speed automatic

Starry nights As if by magic, the opaque panoramic glass roof becomes transparent at the touch of a button. The Magic Sky Control function conjures up an open-air experience.

Rich sounds Two flaps in the rear silencer of the twin-pipe exhaust system are opened and closed pneumatically, depending on engine speed and preselected drive program. When open, they produce a rich, throaty roar.

Further technical data and fuel consumption figures can be found on page 74.

FORMAL PERFECTION Elongated hood, low roofline, powerful rear end: the silhouette of the S-Class Coupe is intuitively just right.

D R I V E

E Y E - CATC HING The two generously proportioned displays dominate the cockpit and set the tone for the interior.

unevenness in the surface and in a split second adjusts the air suspension to compensate for it.

And it will be accompanied by a world first – the new curve tilting function that enables the vehicle to lean into curves at an angle of up to 2.65 degrees, reducing the lateral acceleration acting on the occupants and making for a more comfortable ride while increasing the fun of negotiating winding roads. But rest assured, this function isn’t just a toy for engineers – it really does improve the ride experience.

With or without this innovation, the S-Class Coupe by nature responds calmly and instantaneously to the driver’s wishes, shutting the door when you were about to do so yourself and reacting with alacrity to the slightest movement of the steering wheel.

The fact that it also leans intuitively into curves just like you do brings driver and automobile < that bit closer together.

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ICONS Politics and pop, architecture and automobiles: JFK, the Beatles, Oscar Niemeyer’s Brasilia – and the 220 SE.

A pivotal year

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C 107 Though based on the SL, the SLC is a fully-fledged four-seater with many pioneering safety features.

1981–1991

Luxury classics – the large coupes from Mercedes-Benz:

1971–1981

1961 – A YEAR OF DREAMS COME TRUE. A young man is elected U.S. President, another is launched into space. Mercedes-Benz, meanwhile, launches a coupe that pushes its own boundaries.

C 12 6 Airbag optional, electric belt feeder and plenty of room – the most elegant mode of S-Class travel of its time.

L E G E N D S

WORDS ALEX ANDER RUNTE PHOTOS DAIMLER AG (7), FR ANK K APPA/GALERIES/CORBIS, BULLS PRESS/MIRRORPIX, GET T Y IMAGES, ALL MAURITIUS IMAGES, MAT TEL

T

he year 1961 saw a number of utopian dreams become reality. The world put on a growth spurt as the number of people hoping to enjoy life (insofar as they could afford it) reached unprecedented levels. There was a prevailing sense of confidence in the future. In the USA, John F. Kennedy was inaugurated as President at the age of just 43. The Western economy was booming, prosperity was spreading across all social strata, and there were no economic crises in sight. On April 12, 1961, Yuri Gagarin became the first man to lift off from Earth and embark on a journey through space.

S TA R T U R N S 1961 saw Barbie hitched up with Ken, while Yuri Gagarin was the first man in space.

A legend is born

C 14 0 SEC Coupe, then S-Class Coupe, later known as the CL Coupe. S 600 Coupe with ESP as standard from 1995.

1999–2006

1992–1998

THE ROADS WERE empty, the future outlook was optimistic – driving the 220 SE stood for sheer joie de vivre.

C 21 5 Now also available in AMG guise.

A further innovation is Active Body Control suspension.

Not only was the pioneering principle of the safety body implemented, but front-wheel disc brakes were also included as standard from the start.

The main standout attributes of the coupe, however, were its frameless side windows and the absence of a B-pillar.

In pursuit of new forms Paul Bracq was not alone in his search for new forms. In the same year, Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer completed his utopian capital, Brasilia – a city conceived on the drawing board and featuring sweeping concrete curves and futuristic sculptural edifices. While Niemeyer was laboring away in the South American jungle, designer Dieter Rams in Germany was busy creating the legendary RT20 portable radio for Braun. With its round loudspeaker, a handful of buttons and a frequency display, it was a pared-down, radical design that paved the way for Apple’s design chief Jonathan Ive, who drew inspiration from Rams in his design of the iPod and iPhone. Rams lent his products an aesthetic touch while at the same time ensuring they were user-friendly.

The W 111 echoed these design principles. It allowed the driver to savor the convenience and luxury of a sedan while enjoying the sporty driving experience of a coupe. Those who opted for the W 111 were declaring their commitment to the sheer enjoyment of life. Back in 1961, the roads were relatively empty – and the future held the promise < that life would just get better and better.

2006–2013

Mercedes-Benz had its own pivotal moment at the start of the decade. To mark the company’s 75th anniversary, it unveiled an automobile in its newly opened museum in Untertürkheim: the 220 SE. It was the first coupe in the W 111 model series, a sporting evolution of the sedan but without the characteristic tailfins.

The man responsible for the design of this precursor of all S-Class coupes to come (see page 50 for the latest coupe incarnation) was Paul Bracq, whose designs have made him a living legend among automotive stylists. The coupe was one of the Frenchman’s very first models. With his designs, Bracq – who would go on to create the “Pagoda” and the “Slash Eight” – paved the way for numerous models that brought together elegance and sportiness in timeless designs.

The 220 SE Coupe was to become a coveted classic not only on account of its looks, but also thanks to the major advances implemented in the W 111 series. The coupe, for example, was not only designed as a fully-fledged four-seater with the associated levels of comfort; in its bodywork and drive concept, it shared the design features of the sedan while at the same time sparkling with innovations.

C 21 6 Yet again a large coupe spells innovation: the Pre-Safe brake initiates partial braking if danger is imminent.

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Life’s a beach

S Y D N E Y “When I look at beaches and swimming pools from the air, I see the world as a work of art,” says American photographer Gray

Malin, explaining his penchant for bird’s-eye views. For his series “À la plage, à la piscine” he visited six continents, snapping the beaches and swimming pools from an open helicopter – as in this picture of Bondi Beach in Australia. Unlike English photographer Martin Parr, who prefers close-up, almost sociological portrayals of beach life, Malin opts for a broader perspective. Even so, every sun-worshipper has a role to play: “Each place has its own particular pattern of beach towels, surfboards and parasols. And as soon as you home in on the details, you find yourself looking at a study of human interaction.” M A I S O N G R A Y . C O M 60

E M O T I O N

Diego Masciaga is the manager of the threestar Waterside Inn restaurant near London. Here the Italian explains what it takes – apart from excellent food – to retain this rating for 30 years.

T R A V E L What is good service?

It’s a bit like a good suit: what’s important are the details. How the chair is put in place, for example – lifted by hand, not shoved into position by foot.

PHOTOS GR AY MALIN (1), PL AINPICTURE (1), VIKTOR & ROLF (1) ILLUSTRATION BRIAN TAYLOR

How do you do small talk?

You talk about the weather, or things that are in the news.

Our guests are stars, politicians and people from the world of business. But I would never ask a soccer player about his latest game. People don’t go to a restaurant to talk about their work.

And what if someone behaves badly?

If one person at a table of ten becomes abusive, there’s no point confronting them in front of the group – that just makes things worse. I would wait till he goes to the bathroom and then speak to him politely. 99.9 percent of the time that works.

How have guests changed over the years?

In the past our guests tended to be over 60, but today we have 25-year-olds coming here.

People’s tastes have also become more adventurous.

And they take photographs of everything. Ten years ago photography was forbidden; today they take pictures and post them on Facebook.

For the adventurous S T U T T G A R T Discovering Europe and having out-of-the-ordinary

experiences – that is the concept underlying the new Mercedes–Benz Travel premium brand. The holidays appeal to a broad range of different interests – for example, they can involve a trip to a MercedesBenz Fashion Week or to the Jazz Festival in Montreux. Options currently available range from sport and technology to fashion and culture. The trips are initially only on offer to Chinese customers, but will later be extended to other countries as well. D A I M L E R . C O M

Digitable B E I J I N G This “Digital

Tornado” table, which comes in a limited edition of 12, was recently exhibited at Beijing Design Week by artist Zhang Zhoujie.

Instead of designing the shape in advance, Zhang relied on computer simulations. The result is a table made of gleaming steel that displays the beauty of digital logic in three-dimensional form.

W W W. Z H A N G Z H O U J I E . C O M

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Star gazers

F R A N K F U R T On June 27, the Schirn Gallery opens its exhibition “Paparazzi – photographers, stars and artists”. 600 images range from a carefully staged shot of Jacqueline Onassis via publicity-shy Marlon Brando to self-publicists like Paris Hilton. S C H I R N . D E

D E S I G N

Have a ball

“MY BRAND is intended to represent my values: A woman can have a man’s life and still remain a woman – celebrate this freedom!”

DIANE VON FÜRSTENBERG, DESIGNER

Fully extended, the Feel Seating Deluxe covers almost 4 square meters (40 sq. ft).

T E L AV I V The Feel Seating Deluxe system can be adapted to suit the mood of the user. It consists of 120 foam balls that can be spread out to form a lounging area or easily converted into a sofa or bean-bag chair.

A N I M ICAUSA .C OM

Woofer

H O N G K O N G He may not bite, but he sure

can make a noise: this AeroBull loudspeaker for iPods and MP3 players has Bluetooth, NFC and Aux interfaces and is available in five different colors. J A R R E . C O M /A E R O B U L L

R E STAU R A N T

Pipe dream

MELBOURNE The Prahran Hotel is not actually a hotel but a gastro-pub. Concrete pipes

provide individual intimacy, with seating comfort ensured by leather benches and wood paneling. The porterhouse steaks come highly recommended. P R A H R A N H O T E L . C O M

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E M O T I O N

All aboard!

PHOTOS RON GALELL A , LTD (2), PR

THE LONE DESIGN HOTEL on the coast of Istria resembles a ship. Guests enjoy the sensation of being on the high seas.

R O V I N J – Curved lines, gleaming white façades and stunning sea views: seen from afar, the Lone Hotel looks like a cruise ship. Some of the rooms at this designer hotel offer maritime flair with their own private jacuzzi on the balcony. There is also a vast outdoor bathing area as well as an indoor pool – and the beach itself is only about 150 yards away. The

foyer boasts a sculpture specially designed by Croatian artist Ivana Franke and made of criss-crossing metal bars which – despite their length of nine meters (nearly 30 ft) – seem to almost hover in the air. Everything in the hotel, from the architecture right down to the design of the menu, was created by local artists and craftsmen. The 236 generously proportioned rooms and 12 suites, together with a wellness & spa center, three restaurants and two meeting rooms, are spread over six floors. The Lone may not be an intimate boutique hotel, but it still doesn’t seem excessively impersonal. What helps, perhaps, is its location in the charming town of

If the beach is too far away, you can opt to stay on your own jacuzzi terrace.

Rovinj, with its narrow lanes, Venetian-style architecture and the imposing tower of St. Euphemia’s Basilica. Even here, with a view of nearby islands, you almost have the feeling of being on the bridge of a ship. L O N E H O T E L . C O M

MB - QR . COM /0IG

DESIGN OR PHOTOGRAPHY All topics covered can also be found via QR app on your smartphone.

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P.S.

TWO STARS IN A HOODIE

My favorite restaurant looks exactly the same today as it did when I first went there in 1991. I was just 21 back then, and my new boyfriend had invited me to a three-course meal with wine. Despite the butterflies in my stomach, I could have eaten eight courses that night – the food was so exquisite. Sadly, for two impoverished students the budget didn’t stretch to that. By our standards the food was hugely expensive, so I always used to think of this local eatery as a luxury restaurant.

Today I know it epitomizes the antithesis of luxury. The usual mandatory trimmings of a first-class restaurant are nowhere to be seen: no chic interior décor, no fine tableware or flowers, and you can’t even reserve a table. If you want to eat you have to get there early, which explains why the first diners arrive an hour before the kitchen opens. Instead, the restaurant provides wooden tables 64

with plain white tablecloths, and the most important element of all – food to die for. You don’t come here to show others you can afford topnotch fare; the diners here couldn’t care less about who sees them.

I love quality and I’m prepared to pay a high price for it. It’s just like my father-in-law used to say: “You always forget the price, but quality lasts forever.”

If something costs a lot because it is sophisticated, beautifully crafted, lovingly produced and made of quality materials, then it is not an expensive product but a valuable one.

“Luxury” labels, on the other hand, often reek of ostentation and overstatement. It’s almost as if you feel compelled to buy because of rather than in spite of the high price tag.

And I would never vacation in a luxury hotel even if I could afford it. To my mind, a stay at a luxury hotel requires a luxury body – or at the very least a luxury wardrobe. I can’t do much about the first and have only limited interest in the second. I prefer to sun my middle-class body beside a middle-sized pool at a beautiful if altogether non-luxurious guesthouse.

But perhaps I am entirely wrong, and the luxury aspect of being in a luxury hotel is that appearances are utterly insignificant as long as you pay the check before you leave.

I owe my first visit to a two-star restaurant to the generosity of a

IN THIS COLUMN, Julia Karnick writes about her experiences, preferences and rituals as a customer.

This issue: why understatement is the best selling point.

business associate of my husband.

The two of us dressed up in our finest outfits; our business friend arrived wearing jeans and a leather waistcoat. “Damn,” I thought to myself as I saw our friend take a seat next to my suited husband: “Rookie mistake.”

Ever since that occasion, I have made a point of wearing a hoodie and sneakers whenever I dine at a Michelinstarred restaurant. Just to ensure the head waiter sees me for what I would like to be: a multimillionairess with an eye for understatement.

Understatement, that most casual of styles, means having the self-assurance to dispense with status symbols and feeling perfectly comfortable with an unassuming appearance, even amid sophisticated surroundings.

It isn’t just a material thing, either.

Anyone who sees the need to inflate his own ego by treating those less well off with condescension is no cool dude, but a sad loner – regardless of the titles on his business card or the size of his bank balance.

And, by the way, six years after my impoverished student boyfriend invited me to my future favorite restaurant, we got married.

As I see it, it is as well to hang on to any man who appreciates how to spend limited resources on real quality. Perhaps that was a lesson he learned from his father: you always forget the price, < but the memory lasts forever.

ILLUSTRATION JÖRN KASPUHL

JULIA KARNICK tries to avoid luxury in the form of ostentation and overstatement. She’d rather spend money on things that show a degree of sophistication, are beautifully crafted and therefore of intrinsic worth.

AD

SHEER STYLE Valencia’s unique charm is the sum of many factors, such as wine from wooden casks like in Casa Montaña, and the huge municipal project Ciudad de los Artes y de las Ciencias.

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WORDS HENRIET TE KUHRT

PHOTOS ENNO K APITZ A

E M O T I O N

Playtime

VALENCIA HAS ALL THE MAKINGS of a modern vacation paradise: beaches, spectacular architecture, magnificent wines and the scent of orange blossoms. For a long time the city suffered from a cultural inferiority complex with respect to Madrid and Barcelona.

It has since taken a major step forward.

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ing embroidery. It was only later that I realized I actually needed to live through this phase of my life – that heartache and pain are necessary to give birth to beauty.”

Ingenious, narcissistic design

T I M E T R AV E L Alejandro (left) and Emiliano Garcia run a cozy bodega in the former fishing neighborhood of Cabanyal. With protestors right outside their doorstep objecting to the planned construction of a new boulevard, father and son are concentrating on preserving tradition inside their bodega.

I

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n the Café La Mas Bonita, it’s a beautiful, warm morning complete with an ocean view – just another of the 300 sunny days Valencia enjoys each year. Paula Sanz Caballero orders a cup of tea and opens up her laptop. A slender, 44-year-old with an engaging laugh, she works as an illustrator for magazines in Spain, the USA, Japan and Germany. First she will sketch a scene, simplified and elegant, then superimpose fabric onto her figurines using embroidery or glue. Caballero’s work has enjoyed global success, but for her there’s no alternative to life in Valencia. “We Valencians like to socialize, my family and friends are here – lots of times we’ll have a beer in the early evening sun and end up partying until late at night.” Caballero’s life wasn’t always this carefree. “Before I went to art school, I worked as a flight attendant. I was in an unhappy relationship: I was willing to follow this man anywhere. I got so bored on the overnight flights, I started do-

The same might be said of Valencia. Despite all the gifts that nature, history and its hard-working residents have bestowed upon the city, Valencia still suffers from an inferiority complex – the sense that it is neither as big nor as cosmopolitan as Barcelona or Madrid. Even the city’s soccer team FC Valencia tends to defer to its two main rivals. So deep-seated are these feelings that the city’s residents refuse to designate their dialect “catalán” – the official term here is “valenciano”, even in the strongholds of government.

To combat such sentiments, government officials decided to upgrade the city’s image. The result is the “Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias” – the City of the Arts and Sciences, a spectacular cultural park complete with opera house, cinema, museums, a gigantic aquarium and a planetarium. The brilliant, narcissistic design hails from Santiago Calatrava, architect, engineer, artist and the city’s most famous son. Like lethargic aliens, the buildings rise within a former riverbed; as contemporary landmarks they rank among Spain’s top 12 cultural treasures, along with the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona. Finally!

The city’s residents have other things on their mind, though: like Emiliano Garcia, who just handed over the reins of Casa Montaña – a bodega considered an institution in the Cabanyal neighborhood – to his son Alejandro. As well as sensational Spanish wines and delicious absinthes, the bodega also offers a taste of the past: its

WE VALENCIANS like to socialize. Lots of times we party until late at night.”

E M O T I O N

were snapped up by artists at rock-bottom prices; nowadays the city’s bohemian set is busy transforming them into coworking spaces.

PAUL A SANZ CABALLERO

A city’s growing pains

A Mercedes-Benz B 200 CDI* outside a star-studded house in Cabanyal. (*Further technical data and fuel consumption figures can be found on page 75.)

interior, complete with tiled rooms and old wooden casks, has hardly changed in 175 years. An odor of vinegar lingers in the air, fishermen wander in to refill their wine from the casks. And while Alejandro hobnobs with guests from behind the bar, Emiliano is already on his way to a meeting whose goal is the preservation of the former fishing village. Plans are afoot to construct a grand Avenida Valencia that marches straight to the sea, right through the heart of Cabanyal. The quaint two-story houses adorned with colorful tiles are scheduled for demolition. But if there’s one thing residents have learned over the years, it’s that taking the city’s destiny into their own hands is a worthwhile endeavor.

Russafa has already shown the way forward: the old neighborhood located right in the center of town is enjoying a new lease on life, even while overshadowed by massive construction projects.

Initially, the neighborhood’s venerable buildings

Sidewalk cafes dominate the streetscape, with vintage clothing shops, vegan eateries and tiny art galleries squeezed in between. Here, high above the rooftops, is where Vinz Feel Free has his atelier, a street artist regarded as the Valencian equivalent of Banksy. A highly alert man in his mid-thirties, Feel Free’s real name is a secret because his works, though highly sought after, don’t exactly walk the straight and narrow: after photographing his naked models, he paints their bodies full-scale on yellowed sheets of paper which he pastes onto walls throughout the city, adding birds’ heads painted directly on the wall’s surface. These mythical creations are his way of addressing Spain’s Catholic heritage, his city’s growth, and the Spanish crisis in general. His works are transitory by nature, and their nudity offends some Spaniards. Collectors, on the other hand, will not hesitate to rip a genuine Feel Free off the wall. And although Vinz’ works are exhibited in galleries in London and New York, where street art commands much more respect than in Spain, he remains true to his hometown. “I can’t live in the cold,” he says.

“In London it rains four months at a stretch, how could I possibly do street art there? Here in Valencia the weather is so good that you can be outside almost all the time. And I love my family.” And so he has chosen to export the new Spanish style to the world’s great metropolises – from a city that still can’t quite believe that it > numbers among their ranks.

HAPPY ENDING An unhappy love affair was the inspiration behind illustrator Paula Sanz Caballero’s art. Nowadays her work is in demand all over the world.

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KEEP CALM Up-and-coming Valencia chef Quique Barella won’t have much longer to wait for his first Michelin star.

Playtime in the kitchen "KEEP CALM AND PL AY AROUND IN

KEEP IT SIMPLE Torrija is the name of this dessert created by Quique Barella: white bread soaked in almond milk, then caramelized.

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the kitchen" is the fitting motto adorning the wall of Quiqune Barella’s restaurant, although it stands in contrast to the restaurant’s no-nonsense design and straight-lined furnishings. Barella truly plays with his ingredients, combining tried and true foodstuffs with more radical ones to catapult Valencian cuisine into the 21st century. He rejects the old credo that everything should be available at all times in favor of a more original approach to managing the Valencian culinary heritage. Barella can afford to break a few rules, as he’s been following them since childhood – his grandmother had a market stall where she sold fish, and his parents ran a small restaurant in Artana,

a village near Valencia. “I’ve been hanging around the kitchen since I was 14,” he explains. His menu consists of tapassized portions, in which the chufa – the earth almond beloved of Valencians – plays a recurring role. It appears as foam atop oysters, as a reduction served with hake, and finally as a sugary accompaniment to a French toast-like confection with cinnamon. The meal concludes with a regional dessert: pea sorbet with cauliflower foam, which sounds like a meat eater’s nightmare but is in fact delicious, fresh, sweet and exotic all at once.

Michelin stars may not be hanging on Barella’s wall just yet, but for this artist and playful chef, such accolades won’t be long in coming. QDEBARELLA . COM

E M O T I O N

HOT SPOT At Casa Carmela, guests can look right into the kitchen: by tradition, paella is prepared over an open, wood-burning fire.

i Agua de Valencia An unkind myth has it that Valencians are so fond of drinking they’ll gladly quaff the water out of flowerpots if necessary. Thankfully for the flowers, there’s a drink that is far more popular: L I V E LY L I B AT I O N Chilling in a sidewalk cafe is even more pleasurable with a sweet Agua de Valencia cocktail in your hand.

20 cl (7 oz.) orange juice 5 cl (2 oz.) gin 2 oz. 5 cl (2 oz.) vodka 70 cl (24 oz.) cava and a pinch or two of sugar But indulging in a sweettasting drink can be like a one-night stand: a lapse in judgment could lead to disastrous results. Agua de Valencia may taste innocent, but the volatile mix can knock you flat on your back pretty quickly, particularly as it’s served in ordinary juice glasses. Salud!

A secret remedy for inferiority complexes VA L E N C I A' S N E U R O S I S lies in the belief that the rest of the country doesn’t think very much of it. And that despite all of Spain having Valencia to thank for the national dish – paella. Since the city limits of the past didn’t yet stretch to the ocean, traditional Paella Valenciana was prepared using rabbit, chicken, snails and white beans – everything the local terrain could provide. That list of ingredients used to include field rats, but thankfully no longer. The city’s very best paella can be found at Casa Carmela. The chefs there have been preparing the famed entrée for nearly 100 years, and that comes through in the flavor. Authentic paella is prepared over a wood-burning fire, and through the oversized kitchen windows, guests get a bird’s-eye view of the chefs bravely defying the inferno’s wilting heat. So delicious are the results that, despite its admittedly hefty prices, the restaurant is patronized almost entirely by locals. CASA - CARMELA . COM 71

Fruits, fashion labels and façades 1

UNEXPECTED REFUGE Valencia's charm is rooted in its down-toearth attitude. The city’s architecture is meant to serve the people – like the Mercat Central in Spanish art nouveau style.

In addition to regional foods there is also a small bar in which Michelin-starred chef Ricard Camarena serves up wine and tapas. MERCADOCENTRALVALENCIA . ES

2

G R E AT E X P E C TAT I O N S The Calle del Marques de dos Aguas is Valencia’s Rodeo Drive; every luxury label under the sun can be found here, including the Spanish firm Loewe, which manufactures handbags famed for their quality workmanship. The latter description also holds true for the furnishing of the company’s outlet store. LOEWE . COM

3

IMPRESSIVE EXTERIORS The terms “ceramics museum” and “exciting” aren’t usually mentioned in the same breath. But the elaborate marble and plaster façade which adorns this venerable palace is worth a visit in its own right. Inside, the sheer grandeur of the old Spanish nobility takes your breath away. MNCERAMICA . MCU . ES

T H E P A L A C I O de Marques de Caro was earmarked for transformation into a three-star downtown hotel. Then renovation work on the municipal palace uncovered some valuable artifacts: 2,000-year-old Roman columns and mosaics, parts of the Islamic city wall, and Moorish tableware and blue tiles.

Architect Francisco Jurado and interior designer Francesc Rifé had to rethink their original design and integrated the historical material into the new structure: now the remains of Roman columns loom over the bar, while the front reception area features lots of glass and a beautiful mosaic. Naturally there’s also a five-star breakfast, a friendly, polyglot porter and extremely comfy pillows. But it’s the feeling of spending the night somewhere between the past and the present which makes a visit to Caro so worthwhile. CAROHOTEL . COM

Spanning past and present

“I HAVE TRIED to approach the boundary between architecture and sculpture as closely as I can, in order to understand architecture as an art form.”

S ANTIAG O CAL ATR AVA , AR C HITEC T

TE E N Y-TIN Y Gulliver Park is a good place to get small again.

INF O R MATI O N F O R TR AVE LE R S The most important recommendations, tips and links from this article are also available online – just scan the QR code with your smartphone (eg. with the Scanlife app) to discover Valencia. M B - Q R . C O M / 0 I P 72

E M O T I O N

Good to know A CL ASSIC SWEET Among the most significant of Valencia’s gastronomical specialties is the chufa, the earth almond. A special type of milk is manufactured from it, often enjoyed together with a fartón – a sweet doughy pastry – which gets dunked into the milk. The word fartón translates as “voracious” because the pastry does such an excellent job of absorbing the milk. Not to mention that it’s impossible to get enough of it. A good place to sample one (or three) is the Horchateria El Siglo, Plaz de Santa Catalina, 11.

LIVING WISDOM Pensat i fet – “think it, then do it” goes a Valencian proverb. Just go for it, don’t think about tomorrow, and above all else, don’t make any plans. The city’s complexity always has a way of interfering with them anyhow.

STONY SINNERS Take a good hard look and keep your camera at the ready: from their perches on bridges and old buildings the “gargolas” leap into your imagination, fear-inspiring, half-wolf, half-demon sandstone creatures.

They symbolize that this is a place where

Neverending stories L U I S L O N J E D O was an art teacher before painting itself took over his existence. Taking as

his motif everyday life in the city, he photographs seemingly unimportant scenes and recreates them on canvas, discovering equal amounts of beauty and tragedy in them – like in the painting pictured above, depicting women heedlessly strolling past street musicians. In his view, the Mediterranean lifestyle plays itself out mainly in the open air, on the biggest stage, and Valencia is a city rife with infinite stories. Pictures by Lonjedo can be found in the Teatro Olympia (Calle de San Vicente Martir, 44) and in Galería 9 (Conde Salvatierra, 9). LUISLONJEDO . ES

! Let's go !

ILLUSTR ATION ANNA SCHÄFER

sin does not belong.

THE WILD SIDE OF THE CIT Y Last but certainly not least: the Fallas. This uniquely Valencian spectacle shuts down the city for four whole days in the spring. Fallas clubs work all year long to build gigantic paper maché figures, in some cases as big as houses. On the last day of festivities in the city, the paper maché figures are ignited, accompanied by magnificent fireworks and pop concerts for the younger set, all of it witnessed by nearly 100,000 festivalgoers. If it sounds crazy, it is.

All in celebration of the city’s culture, its patron saint and life itself. FALLAS . COM

Walking or jogging through the former Riu Turia is well worth it, especially in the morning. In years past, the river was the source of devastating floods; in modern times it has been diverted and its former bed transformed into a huge municipal park. Strolling through it gives one a good feel for Valencia: the route passes by the Ciudad de las Artes y de las Ciencias and the Gulliver playground. Renting a bike will take you on a more extensive tour.

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T HE VALUE S STAT E D were calculated according to the measuring methods specified in the currently applicable version of Directive 80/1268/EWG. The data do not relate to a specific vehicle and are not part of the specification, but are merely for the purpose of comparing different vehicle types. The figures are provided in accordance with the German regulation “PKW-EnVKV” and apply to the German market only.

C 220 BlueTec Station Wagon

V 250 BlueTec

S 500 4Matic Coupe

(from page 14)

(from page 40)

(from page 50)

Engine / Output

Engine / Output

Engine / Output

2.2-liter four-cylinder diesel 125 kW at 3,000-4,200 rpm; max. torque 400 Nm at 1,400-2,800 rpm

2.2-liter four-cylinder diesel 140 kW (short-term +10 kW) at 3,800 rpm; max. torque 440 Nm (short-term +40 Nm) at 1,400-2,400 rpm

4.7-liter eight-cylinder, 335 kW at 5,250-5,500 rpm; max. torque 700 Nm at 1,800-3,500 rpm

Transmission

7G-Tronic Plus 7-speed automatic

Transmission IN THE VAN Mercedes-Benz has revised its V-Class from the ground up – with impressive results.

This roomy vehicle offers the familiar ambience of a sedan coupled with all the latest assistance systems and the traditional versatility of an MPV.

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7G-Tronic Plus 7-speed automatic

Acceleration 0–100 km/h (62 mph) in 7.6 s

Top speed 229 km/h (142 mph)

Fuel consumption urban: 5.6–5.3 l diesel/100 km (42–44.4 mpg) inter-urban: 4.1–3.8 l diesel/100 km (57.4–62 mpg) combined: 4.7–4.4 l diesel/100 km (50–53.5 mpg)

7G-Tronic Plus 7-speed automatic

Acceleration 0–100 km/h (62 mph) in 9.1 s

Top speed 206 km/h (128 mph)

Fuel consumption

Transmission Acceleration 0–100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.6 s

Top speed 250 km/h (155 mph) Fuel consumption

urban: 6.6 l diesel/100 km (35.6 mpg) inter-urban: 5.6 l diesel/100 km (42 mpg) combined: 6.0 l diesel/100 km (39.2 mpg)

urban: 13.1–12.5 l super/100 km (18-18.8 mpg) inter-urban: 7.5–7.1 l super/100 km (31.4-33.1 mpg) combined: 9.9–9.4 super/100 km (23.8-25 mpg)

CO2 emissions (combined) 121–114 g/km (195–183 g/mi)

CO2 emissions (combined) 157 g/km (253 g/mi)

CO2 emissions (combined) 232–219 g/km (373–352 g/mi)

Energy class A+

Energy class A

Energy class D

PHOTOS ANATOL KOTTE, STEFFEN JAHN, STEFAN ARMBRUSTER, DAIMLER AG

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D R I V E

B 200 CDI

E 400 Cabriolet

(page 69)

(from page 76)

Engine / Output

Engine / Output

1.8-liter four-cylinder diesel 100 kW at 3,600-4,400 rpm; max. torque 300 Nm at 1,600-3,000 rpm

3.0-liter six-cylinder, 245 kW at 5,250-6,000 rpm; max. torque 480 Nm at 1,600-4,000 rpm

Transmission

Transmission

7G-DCT 7-speed dual-clutch automatic

7-G Tronic Plus 7-speed automatic

Acceleration

Acceleration

0–100 km/h (62 mph) in 9.3 s

0–100 km/h (62 mph) in 5.3 s

Top speed

Top speed 250 km/h (155 mph)

210 km/h (130 mph)

Fuel consumption

Fuel consumption

urban: 5.2–4.9 l diesel/100 km (45.2-48 mpg) inter-urban: 4.2–3.9 l diesel/100 km (56-60.3 mpg) combined: 4.5–4.2 l diesel/100 km (52.3-56 mpg)

urban: 11.0–10.6 l super/100 km (21.4-22.2 mpg) inter-urban: 6.1–5.8 l super/100 km (38.6-40.6 mpg) combined: 7.9–7.6 l super/100 km (29.8-31 mpg)

CO2 emissions (combined)

CO2 emissions (combined)

120–112 g/km (193–180 g/mi)

185–178 g/km (298–286 g/mi)

Energy class A

Energy class C

PU BL ICAT ION DE TA I L S Published by Daimler AG · Mercedesstraße 137 · D-70327 Stuttgart Mailing address Daimler AG · HPC E402 · D-70546 Stuttgart Responsible on behalf of the publishers Thomas Fröhlich · Mirjam Bendak Publications Manager Dr. Denise Heinermann-Bieler Publisher’s Council Ola Källenius (Chairman) · Thomas Fröhlich · Christoph Horn · Jörg Howe Gesina Schwengers · Natanael Sijanta · Dr. Jens Thiemer · Andreas von Wallfeld Concept and Editing Condé Nast Verlag GmbH · Karlstraße 23 · D-80333 München Managing Director Moritz von Laffert Editor at Large Philip Reichardt (V.i.S.d.P.) Art Director Markus Rindermann Managing Editor Tobias Nebl Chief Copy Editor Michael Moorstedt Editorial Contributors Jenny Buchholz, Alexandra Gonzalez, Christoph Henn, Julia Karnick, Sunny Kröger, Henriette Kuhrt, Michael Moorstedt, Alexander Runte, Jakob Schrenk, Christof Vieweg Deputy Art Director Dirk Meycke Picture Editor Birgit Biechele Final Editing Edda Benedikt Final Graphics Katja Listl Condé Nast Manufaktur · www.condenast-manufaktur.de Creative Head Doris Huber Operational Head Wolfgang Sander Advertising Daimler AG Tanja Oder Distribution Daimler AG Uwe Haspel Mercedes-Benz magazine reader service Zenit Pressevertrieb GmbH · Postfach 810580 · D-70552 Stuttgart Tel. 0800 0010001 · leserservice @ zenit-presse.de Annual subscription EUR 22 · CHF 34 · Free of charge for MercedesCard holders.

Production Daimler AG Jennifer Helke Pre Media Solutions Meyle + Müller GmbH+Co. KG Maximilianstraße 104 · D-75172 Pforzheim Printing Stark Druck GmbH + Co. KG · Im Altgefäll 9 · D-75181 Pforzheim Rights Reprints and use, as a whole or in part, only with the express written permission of Daimler AG. No responsibility can be taken for unsolicited texts and photographs. Signed articles do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the publisher or the editors. No guarantee is given for information on vehicle equipment and accessories. For binding information and prices please refer to the official Daimler AG sales documentation. All other content in this magazine has been compiled to the best of our knowledge, but no guarantee is given.

R E SPL E N D E N T The S-Class Coupe sparkles with power on a test drive.

Mercedes-Benz magazine appears quarterly, with editions published under cooperation or license in 40 languages.

Number 333, 60th year of publication Printed on chlorine-free paper · Printed in Germany 6720033302 ISSN 1617-6677

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HE SAYS SHE SAYS FOR HIM, what counts is being able to drive with the roof down without the wind messing up his hair. For her, it’s the sound of the engine.

Or is it the other way round? Women and men often have different priorities – particularly when it comes to cars. Here we ask a couple about their experience with the large cabriolet.

HARBOR MASTER Athleticism meets Adriatic charm. Nicol and Sebastian test-drive the E-Class in Trieste.

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WORDS JENNY BUCHHOL Z

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Nicol, 41

Sebastian, 37

Profession

Profession

Flight attendant

Director of a furniture company

Kilometers per week

Kilometers per week

100, rarely more than 150 (60–90 miles)

Between 500 and 1,000 (300–600 miles)

Status

Status

More at home in planes than cars

Long-distance driver?

Depends on the engine…

P H O T O S S T E FA N A R M B R U S T E R

D R I V E

EYES RIGHT Enjoying the sights on a relaxed ride with the top down.

N

icol Huss and Sebastian Schmidt live in southern Germany. While Nicol currently spends most of her time looking after the couple’s two children, Sebastian is often away on business, clocking up several hundred miles a day. On our behalf, the pair drove the Mercedes-Benz E 400 Cabriolet from Salzburg to Trieste to spend a long weekend at the Italian port. They originally planned to explore the ancient waterfront city on foot, but Sebastian quickly changed his mind when he saw the car. “When you’ve got something like that to drive,” he observed, “what’s the point of walking? With that engine and those looks, > this car cries out to be driven.”

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W AT E R L I N E The couple spent a long weekend testing the E-Class.

GETTING IN is like slipping into a different role.

NICOL

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N ICOL TO BE HONEST, I really had no idea what to expect. An E 400 Cabriolet? Sounded nice, I thought. But when I saw it for the first time, what I discovered was a really cool car with a certain animal-like attitude. Out on the highway I was as eager as Sebastian to get behind the wheel – it reminded me of when I used to ride a motorcycle. As the roads got narrower, I was a bit apprehensive about the size of the unfamiliar vehicle at first – at the toll booth I stopped three feet away from the machine and had to climb out of the car to get the ticket. But as we approached Trieste and left the highway behind us, we put the soft top down and headed into the sunset along the coast.

The journey was as kitsch as it sounds. We hooked up the cell phone to the multimedia system and chose an appropriate soundtrack, as if we really were in the movies. When the phone rang, the music faded out automatically – even with the roof down it was no problem. And the best part of all was the open-top driving experience, particularly as the Airscarf and Aircap shielded us really well from the cool evening air. The cabriolet made a very strong impression on me. We had driven from Munich to Salzburg in our MPV, but getting into the E-Class was like slipping into a new role. For a few days we stopped being parents and became a couple again – it made for a pleasant change.

D R I V E

SEBASTIAN THE E 400 is the type of car that causes a stir before you even

IT HAS a throaty engine note and a gearshift so smooth that cruising becomes driving heaven.

SEBASTIAN

i E 400 Cabriolet

set eyes on it. You know something unusual is approaching because you hear it coming a long way off. Women turn their heads to appreciate the car’s elegance; with men, the engine note says everything about the car heading your way. Even though I knew what car to expect, I was breathless with anticipation. When I encountered the cabriolet, what got me excited was its winning color combo – silver with an espresso-brown soft top – and the perfect marriage of engine type and automatic transmission, so smooth it made every gearshift a joy. The bold, confident powerplant has a sound to die for. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not in the least obtrusive, just loud enough to let you know what’s under the hood. Moving off slowly and cruising the streets is real fun – precisely because you know the car has so much more to give. As for the interior, it’s like a luxury tailored suit: elegant, beautifully crafted and a perfect fit. Thanks to the car’s memory function, the seat and backrest adjust automatically – very useful if the second driver is a head shorter. The Traffic Sign Assist was a great help along the route, as the speed limit is constantly changing in Austria. We drove in Eco mode, but naturally I also had to try out the Sport setting. You notice the difference immediately: steering is crisper and the engine note is higher on shifting. It felt fantastic. But to be honest, you almost need a race track for so much power. When you put your foot down on < an ordinary road, you soon hit the speed limit.

Engine / Output 3-liter six-cylinder, 245 kW at 5,250–6,000 rpm; max. torque 480 Nm (332 lb-ft) at 1,600–4,000 rpm

Transmission 7G-Tronic Plus 7-speed automatic

Comfort Plus A wind deflector in the windshield frame reduces wind turbulence in the vehicle interior when driving with the top down. Available as an option, the Aircap system deploys automatically at speeds over 40 km/h (25 mph).

Winter warmer The cabriolet season can be extended at the touch of a button – with comfort generated by the Airscarf neck-level heating system.

Warm air from the head restraints directs air towards the neck and shoulders, ensuring a comfortable ride with the top down even in cold weather.

Further technical data and fuel consumption figures can be found on page 75.

GENTLE BREEZE The Aircap system directs headwind up and over the occupants.

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MUST-GO DIARY DATES in vacation time needn’t be an annoyance. We recommend 15 events revolving around cars, sports, culture and other enjoyable pursuits that are well worth the sacrifice of a summer vacation day.

ARCH ITECT UR E BIENNALE

Under the direction of star architect Rem Koolhaas and the theme of “Fundamentals”, 65 countries take part in Venice’s major architectural show. Until November 23.

JUNE

Outlook sunny

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ART BA SEL

More than 300 galleries from around the world set out their stalls at the number one modern and contemporary art fair. Until June 22.

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GL A STONBURY FESTI VAL

Stars like Kate Moss and Wayne Rooney are regulars at this annual event in England. Joining them will be another 175,000 people, making Glastonbury the biggest open-air music festival on the planet.

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FEST I VAL OF SPEED

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GR APH ICS FROM WAR HOL TO R ICHTER

Andy Warhol immortalized not just soup cans and Marilyn Monroe – his subjects included Mercedes-Benz models as well. Going on display at the Folkwang Museum in Essen are some of his other works, along with examples from other artists.

Until September 28.

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PHOTOS GET T Y IMAGES, DAIMLER AG

Speed aficionados will get their money’s worth over four days in the small English town of Goodwood.

Mercedes-Benz will be attending too, represented by cars and top athletes.

M O M E N T S

J U LY

25 years after Mercedes-Benz’ double victory in the Le Mans 24 Hours, the automobile marque has a firm place in the classic version of this legendary endurance race. Almost 500 historic vehicles will bring the good old days of motorsports back to life in northwest France.

5

MERCEDES CUP ST U T TGART

11

The World Equestrian Festival is the undisputed classic among horse riding events. This year, Mercedes celebrates its 60th anniversary as sponsor of the festival, which is broadcast to more than 140 countries. Until July 20.

13

FA SH ION W EEK BER LIN

4

18

Germany’s capital bristles with beauty and glamour as models and fashion designers reveal what will be très chic a year down the line.

OPEN CH AMPIONSH IP

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SAL ZBURG FESTI VAL

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270 performances at 16 different venues in 45 days: it isn’t just the traditional play Everyman that makes Mozart’s city the most appealing summer destination for opera, theater and concert fans. Until August 31.

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F1: GER M AN GR AND PR I X

PGA GOLF CH AMPIONSH IP

Professionals also refer to this major as “Glory’s last shot” – because it offers the last chance of the season for golfing pros to win a major title.

This year, for the first time in 14 years, that opportunity presents itself again in Louisville, Kentucky.

The world’s oldest golf tournament is also the first major in the professional golf season – and the only one to be held outside the USA. The British Open is staged annually in one of nine different venues. This time round Liverpool is the host. Until July 20.

This year, Tommy Haas and fellow tennis pros will be battling it out on sand for the last time at the ATP Tournament in Weissenhof. From 2015 the tennis aces will be playing on grass, Wimbledon-style. Until July 13.

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CH IO A ACHEN

AU G U S T

LE M ANS CL A SSIC

J U LY

4

NOT TING H ILL CAR NI VAL

Every year more than a million people descend on Notting Hill for a two-day celebration of Europe’s biggest street party. Started in 1964

by London’s Caribbean community, today the Carnival is a riotously colorful parade of different cultures.

BA SK ET BALL WOR LD CH AMPIONSH IP

The USA dream team aims to defend its title in Spain. Hoping to snatch it from them are teams that include France, the European champions, and Spain, Olympic runners-up.

Until September 14.

Formula 1 alternates each year between Germany’s two circuits.

After the Nürburgring hosted the event in 2013, this year it’s the turn of the Hockenheimring – one of the world’s most advanced race tracks.

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ICONS

SUNNY SLEEPING PILL Exposure to a lot of daylight – during an hour’s walk, for instance – keeps you more awake during the day and helps you sleep better at night. The influence of daylight on our circadian rhythms can be useful after long-haul flights: on arrival, wear sunglasses and avoid the sun for a couple of hours – it helps lessen the effects of jet lag.

BLUE POWER Light with a color temperature in excess of 6,500 Kelvin and an elevated blue spectral component acts as a stimulant, shortening reaction times and boosting performance. Studies show that factories with this type of light enjoy a rise in productivity of between 5 and 15%.

SPE E DY YE T SLOW It takes just eight minutes and 20 seconds for the Sun’s rays to reach Earth – traveling at the speed of light. But before this light energy even leaves the Sun in the first place, it spends thousands of years in transit from the Sun’s core to its surface.

HIGH-QUALITY HEADLIGHTS automatically adjust to the weather and road situation thanks to the Intelligent Light System.

But how does light affect our lives beyond the car? Here are six illuminating facts.

MOLD PROTECTION Every fungus has a type of light that inhibits growth. Fusarium fungi, which can ruin harvests, dislike infrared light. Green mold’s nemesis is blue-hued light, prompting researchers to use colored glass panes to keep grain silos mold-free.

V I TA M I N S B E F O R E TA N N I N G Our bodies generate up to 90% of the vitamin D we need through our skin’s exposure to sunlight. As high SPF sunscreens bring this process to a near-complete halt, when you go to the beach, tank up on sunlight for a few minutes before applying the sunblock.

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N AT U R E ’ S M O S T E F F I C I E N T energy consumer is the tiny firefly, which converts energy to light at an astounding 90% efficiency rate. A light bulb, by comparison, emits 96% heat and just 4% light.

LEDs are somewhat more efficient, but still a far cry from the firefly’s formidable record.

ILLUSTRATION LEANDRO CASTELÃO/DUTCHUNCLE PHOTOS FOTOLIA (2), DDP IMAGES, BERTHOLD STEINHILBER/LAIF, ANDRÉ REINKE/JAHRESZEITENVERLAG, SZ PHOTO/HEINRICH JÜRGEN

LIGHT