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vol. 1 Cover Car: Ferrari Testarossa


TORQUE


Definition of torque 1 : A F O R C E T H AT P R O D U C E S O R T E N D S TO P R O D U C E R OTAT I O N O R TO R S I O N * A N AU TO M O B I L E E N G I N E D E L I V E R S TO R Q U E TO T H E D R I V E S H A F T * A L S O : A M E AS U R E O F T H E E F F E CT I V E N E S S O F S U C H A F O R C E T H AT C O N S I S T S O F T H E P R O D U CT O F T H E F O R C E A N D T H E P E R P E N D I C U L A R D I S TA N C E F R O M T H E L I N E O F ACT I O N O F T H E F O R C E TO T H E A X I S O F R OTAT I O N 2: A TURNING OR TWISTING FORCE



Letter from the Editor Dear reader, Thank you for your interest in TORQUE, the fastest magazine in existence. Passion is one of the driving forces of this magazine and each page has been handcrafted with a lot of love and time, just like the vehicles we write about. Each person feautured has this passion within them, which we all share. The passion for automotives and their stories and travels is something we universally share, no matter whether we are drivers, collectors, enthusiats, mechanics or designers. Keep your eyes peeled for further issues and be sure to check our internet page www. torque.com for more articles and exclusive video footage. Best regards, Monica Lefèbre





Content

26 08 40 72 54 84 114 128 96 40 Tuning King: Testarossa Koenig Competition

True passion that lead to impressive achievements

Cover Car: Ferrari Testarossa

Lamborghini Dawn of a new millenium

plan your next trip: Genova

Get your kick of adrenaline at Ferrari World

Feast your eyes upon the BMW Art Cars

Ferrari’s racing potential with Sebastian Vettel

Travel the world in 88 horsepower

Tuning King: Testarossa Koenig Competition


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TORQUE MAGAZINE VOLUME 1 COVER CAR: FERRARI TESTAROSSA

How a 12

redhead made history THE THE THE THE

N A M E T ES TA R O S SA I S I TA LI A N FO R R E D H E A D, A N D R E FE R S TO C O LO U R T H AT T H E CA M S H A F T C OV E R S W E R E PA I N T E D O N S P O R TS R AC I N G M O D E L S. N AT U R A LLY T H E M O D E R N B E A R E R O F N A M E FO LLOW E D S U I T W I T H R E D PA I N T E D CA M S H A F T C OV E R S.


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BELOW: Ferrari Testarossa rear view

THE PARIS MOTOR SHOW IN OCTOBER 1984 SAW THE RETURN OF THE GLORIOUS TESTAROSSA AS HEIR TO THE 512 BBI. PININFARINA’S DESIGN BROKE SOMEWHAT WITH TRADITION AND WAS STRIKING AND 14

INNOVATIVE. THE SIDE INTAKES WERE LARGER THAN ON THE PREVIOUS MODEL AND THIS CONSTRAINT SAW THE INTRODUCTION OF THE LONG SIDE STRAKES THAT WOULD BECOME THE TESTAROSSA’S MOST RECOGNISABLE FEATURE. The Pininfarina designed replacement for the Boxer series

The engine was the first four valves per cylinder flat

was visually radically different from its predecessor, although

twelve cylinder configuration unit fitted in a Ferrari

it still featured a mid mounted flat twelve engine as its

road car, but maintained the same cubic capacity

motive power. Gone was the sharp nosed wedge profile,

of 4943cc, and 82mm x 78mm bore and stroke, of

to be replaced by a much softer rounded front end. The

the 512 BBi model, and had factory type reference

front wings flowed into one of the models most distinctive

number F 113 A 000. It had twin belt driven overhead

styling features, the deeply straked door panels that grew

camshafts per bank, now driven directly off the

in width towards their trailing edge, before blending into

crankshaft instead of via idler gears on the earlier

very wide rear wings. At the rear, the paired circular tail

Boxer models. The dry sump engine was longitudinally

light arrangement that had been a styling feature for over a

mounted in unit with the five speed transmission, in

decade was gone. In their place was a full width horizontally

a very similar manner to that of the preceding Boxer

slatted satin black louvre hiding rectangular combination

series. It was fitted with a Marelli Microplex MED 120

light units.

B electronic ignition system and Bosch KE-Jetronic fuel injection, to produce a claimed 390bhp @ 6300rpm

One of the styling features that drew mixed reactions was

for European models, and 380bhp @ 5750rpm for US

the single exterior mirror mounted on the driver’s side screen

market models.

pillar. Some people felt that the long twin aerodynamic support arms gave an unbalanced effect to the car, and a

The model remained in production with very few

number of owners “corrected” it by adding a matching unit

visual alterations for seven years until the end of 1991,

to the passenger side pillar. From the Geneva Salon in 1997,

when it was replaced by the 512 TR, during which

the single pillar mounted mirror was replaced by similarly

time 7177 examples were built in the chassis number

styled paired units, mounted in the lower front corners of the

range 53081 to 91923. A single spider example, with

door glass.

full folding roof, was built for the personal use of Fiat supremo Gianni Agnelli.


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ABOVE: Ferrari Testarossa rear view


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GONE WAS THE SHARP NOSED WEDGE PROFILE, TO BE REPLACED BY A MUCH SOFTER ROUNDED FRONT END. THE FRONT WINGS FLOWED INTO ONE OF THE MODELS MOST DISTINCTIVE STYLING FEATURES, THE DEEPLY STRAKED DOOR PANELS THAT GREW IN WIDTH TOWARDS THEIR TRAILING EDGE, BEFORE BLENDING INTO VERY WIDE REAR WINGS.

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BELOW: Ferrari Testarossa dashboard view

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volores rem lignam isitia doloritem ea derum que es aut iumquist, eum quatusdae core quodis comnis et essitae voluptas eium quatibus sinvel excesedi vel idebitiam qui vellaboria qui con nectet experiae cumquod maximinus ellat. Alitaqui odit el ium asin num fuga. Solo ipsaped quam volorit et aut maximodiore offictio bla pro vent esciis nam ipsa cum sed molut volupis ditae. Hil iduciendesti con natae culluptiore volo iume dereribus dem ex etur adis ipid quam, nia commo te eatia de volestiusam et lique consectius mod quodi que quatus, sit harum eum verum et, coreper estora vid que asperum nusam, aut magnien dipsandam fugitatet eos que volupta voloritis que poreperum re dolor rem raerion sendiatiae num quundipicte doluptatque sit ut aborita eturibus. Sum ea corit asped esto mintibus vendae aut elit est voloreh endestis nulparuntem re vel moluptaquis erae delis velit ommos dusciendio. Et lab id ut omnitat et est undem. Lit volute sitis nonseque omnis am a ea quia pa solupti onsenim ilicia velectas excerum es modi ari conseque poria consequidit estionetus, num quam doluptas

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LEFT: Ferrari Testarossa interior view

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ABOVE: Ferrari Testarossa front view

IT MADE ITS DEBUT IN THE GLITTERING SURROUNDINGS OF THE LIDO NIGHTCLUB ON THE CHAMPS ELYSÉES IN PARIS, ON THE EVE OF THE 1984 PARIS SALON, WHERE INVITED PRESS AND GUESTS WERE GIVEN A GALA PREVIEW PRIOR TO ITS PUBLIC LAUNCH THE FOLLOWING DAY.


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si odit estiorestia conse id ulpa natendem alit, sed ex eatiur aute quundae cturest? Aqui autem ratusae dolorum qui volorib usamet parum, nias eosam alitate reprepudant parcia se iusandu sapiciis deratiu sdantotatem alitatiae nobis sum quis nonsendes aut asperum nonsequate pario volor. Si unti omnit dolectectiis et autem con eossimpere simolum et officium, te velic tem fugit voloreh endercia comnihi listioris moluptas et laciaes nitati bea porum et a exercil mollic tempos alit, utenes assum quatis moditae dolum qui dolore consequo moluptat laccatum quis aut ese si odit estiorestia conse id ulpa natendem alit, sed ex eatiur aute quundae cturest? Aqui autem ratusae dolorum qui volorib usamet parum, nias eosam alitate reprepudant parcia se iusandu sapiciis deratiu sdantotatem alitatiae nobis sum quis nonsendes aut asperum nonsequate pario volor.


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Technical Data Brand Model Engine Power Maximum speed Acceleration Torque Fuel tank volume Production time Cyl. position No. cylinders Car type Seats Length Width Height Wheelbase Max. weight

Ferrari Testarossa 4.9 i V12 48V 380 hp / 5750 rpm 285 km/h 0 - 100 km/h - 5.7 sec 474 Nm / 4500 rpm 115 l 1984 - 1992 V engine 12 Coupe 2 4485 mm 1975 mm 1130 mm 2550 mm 1900 kg

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ari


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Fer


TORQUE MAGAZINE VOLUME 1 COVER CAR: FERRARI TESTAROSSA

King of the 28

neighbourhood 1980 T H O S E W H O R E A LLY WA N T E D TO S TA N D O U T I N T H E E I G H T I ES (N O M E A N FE AT, W E’ LL A D M I T ), TO O K T H E I R FE R R A R I S T R A I G H T TO W I LLY KO E N I G’S T U N I N G S T U D I O, FO R A S T E R O I DA L I N J ECT I O N O F U N AS H A M E D M U S C LE . LOV E T H E M O R LOAT H E T H E M , T H E M A R K E T I S B EG I N N I N G TO C OV E T T H ES E R A R E M AC H I N ES O N C E M O R E …


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King of the neighbourhood Ferrari Testarossa Koenig Competition 1980

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RIGHT: Ferrari Testarossa Koenig Competition rear view

BACK IN THE ‘80S AND EARLY ‘90S, SUPERCARS LIKE THE COUNTACH, DIABLO OR THE F40 WERE CRUDE, BASIC, RAW AND VERY, VERY FAST. DRIVERS WOULD HAVE TO RELY MORE ON THEIR COURAGE AND SKILLS INSTEAD OF ELECTRONICS BUT THAT DIDN’T STOP GERMAN TUNER KOENIG SPECIALS TO INFUSE EVEN MORE TESTOSTERONE INTO THESE EXOTICS.


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How much power is enough? In 1987, Ferrari thought that—on its road cars, at least—its top-of-the-line F40 supercar with about 470 horsepower was as good as it should get. German tuner Koenig, however, disagreed—and would sell you a Ferrari Testarossa with 800. Before the likes of Gemballa, Novitec Rosso and Tech Art hit the scene there were very few dedicated supercar tuners. One of the very first was ‘Koenig Specials’, founded by a successful amateur racing driver Willy König. König campaigned a number of Ferraris at Le Mans and in various hillclimb events across Germany. The foundation of Koenig Specials lies with the longtime race-winning driver Willy König. With his racing career dovetailing nicely with some of the most powerful machines ever pressed into competition (including Group C), he was one of the few who could buy a brand-new 365 GT4 BB in 1974 from Ferrari. Predictably, like all racers, König wasn’t content with the performance of his stock road cars. In 1974

he completely re-worked his personal Ferrari 365 GT4 BB, impressing a good number of Ferraristas. He was quickly inundated with orders, leading him to establish Koenig Specials. Every generation gets the supercar it deserves and, in that regard, the Eighties spoke for itself. Even the Germans, today so concerned with keeping well within the boundaries of taste, wanted something a little more exciting. Anything went: if it had more wings than an aircraft (and more horsepower, too), it was worthy. Enter Willy Koenig, the undisputed emperor of the wild Eighties tuning scene. As early as 1961, Koenig was forging an impressive career in motorsport. In the subsequent years, he would drive Ferrari 275 GTBs, the legendary Ford GT40, BMW M1s and the Porsche 962. But his joy didn’t end on the track ­– his real dream was to develop the ultimate road-going sports car. Given its immense displacement of 4,943-cc and 12 cylinders to work with, Koenig could reportedly coax up to 800 horsepower from


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ABOVE: Ferrari Testarossa Koenig Competition interior view


UPGRADING THE PERFORMANCE OF HIGH-PERFORMANCE MACHINES SOON FOUND KOENIG WITH A LOYAL GROUP OF CUSTOMERS WHO WANTED THEIR CARS ENDOWED WITH HEAD-WARPING STYLE AND POWER. DON’T CONCERN YOURSELF WITH WONDERING IF IT’S A SACRILEGE TO MODIFY A FERRARI—IN THIS CAR’S CASE, THAT DEED HAS BEEN DONE. ASK YOURSELF: >>>>> HOW DOES 800 HORSEPOWER SOUND?

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what it called the Koenig Competition and, later, the Competition Evolution II. Through a 21-car production run, each of the specials it produced are quite different, with some owners opting for the offered upgrade to more than 1,000 horsepower—courtesy of twin turbocharging. Design, aerodynamics, equipment, engine and suspension – nothing was safe from Koenig’s discerning eyes. It all began in 1974 with the Ferrari 365 GT4 BB, followed by a raft of countless other Ferraris, as well as Mercedes-Benzes, Porsches, Lamborghinis and Jaguars. The recipe was simple: install a ridiculously powerful turbocharged engine, widen considerably and add huge spoilers and deep ventilation tunnels.

The most successful and best-known Koenig Special was the Koenig Competition, based on the iconic Ferrari Testarossa. Its testosteronefuelled, F40-esque design was real poster-car stuff and, if requested by the customer, its twinturbo V12 could produce up to 1,000HP. Its list price was appropriately outlandish: one million

Deutsche Marks. Gone were the Testarossa’s of-the-era gills (though they were later used as distinguishing features in Koenig’s MercedesBenz SEC and Porsche 928), but in came stance and muscle. Those cruising the red-light districts of Frankfurt and Hamburg in a Koenig Competition would rightfully feel like the kings of the neighbourhood. In the Nineties, however, the tuning craze slowly faded and in-house manufacturers at BMW M and Mercedes-AMG came to dominate the market. The Koenig Specials disappeared, often without trace. As the Eighties generation grows older and wealthier, it was perhaps inevitable that the brutal, tuned monsters would be rediscovered by serious collectors. A genuine and well-preserved Ruf Porsche, Alpina BMW or Koenig Ferrari isn’t easy to find and hence prices are rising, rapidly. At Artcurial’s Le Mans Classic sale on 5 July 2014, a 1987 Ferrari Testarossa Koenig Competition Evolution II will go under the gavel. One of just 12 built and with a mere 46,000km on the clock, the car is estimated to fetch between


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RIGHT: Ferrari Testarossa Koenig Competition gear shift


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80,000 and 120,000 euros (not that different from a bog-standard Testarossa). Barmy? Regardless, we can’t wait to see what it brings. How much power is enough? In 1987, Ferrari thought that—on its road cars, at least—its top-of-the-line F40 supercar with about 470 horsepower was as good as it should get. German tuner Koenig, however, disagreed—and would sell you a Ferrari Testarossa with 800. Back in the ‘80s and early ‘90s, supercars like the Countach, Diablo or the F40 were crude, basic, raw and very, very fast. Drivers would have to rely more on their courage and skills instead of electronics but that didn’t stop German tuner Koenig Specials to infuse even more testosterone into these exotics. Before the likes of Gemballa, Novitec Rosso and Tech Art hit the scene there were very few dedicated supercar tuners. One of the very first was ‘Koenig Specials’, founded by a successful amateur racing driver Willy König. König campaigned a number of Ferraris at Le Mans and in various hillclimb events across Germany.

The foundation of Koenig Specials lies with the longtime race-winning driver Willy König. With his racing career dovetailing nicely with some of the most powerful machines ever pressed into competition (including Group C), he was one of the few who could buy a brand-new 365 GT4 BB in 1974 from Ferrari. Predictably, like all racers, König wasn’t content with the performance of his stock road cars. In 1974 he completely re-worked his personal Ferrari 365 GT4 BB, impressing a good number of Ferraristas. He was quickly inundated with orders, leading him to establish Koenig Specials. Every generation gets the supercar it deserves and, in that regard, the Eighties spoke for itself. Even the Germans, today so concerned with keeping well within the boundaries of taste, wanted something a little more exciting. Anything went: if it had more wings than an aircraft (and more horsepower, too), it was worthy. Enter Willy Koenig, the undisputed emperor of the wild Eighties tuning scene. As early as 1961, Koenig

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RIGHT: Ferrari Testarossa Koenig Competition air vent

was forging an impressive career in motorsport. In the subsequent years, he would drive Ferrari 275 GTBs, the legendary Ford GT40, BMW M1s and the Porsche 962. But his joy didn’t end on the track ­– his real dream was to develop the ultimate road-going sports car. Given its immense displacement of 4,943-cc and 12 cylinders to work with, Koenig could reportedly coax up to 800 horsepower from what it called the Koenig Competition and, later, the Competition Evolution II. Through a 21-car production run, each of the specials it produced are quite different, with some owners opting for the offered upgrade to more than 1,000 horsepower—courtesy of twin turbocharging.


EVERY GENERATION GETS THE SUPERCAR IT DESERVES AND, IN THAT REGARD, THE EIGHTIES SPOKE FOR ITSELF. EVEN THE GERMANS, TODAY SO CONCERNED WITH KEEPING WELL WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES OF TASTE, WANTED SOMETHING A LITTLE MORE EXCITING. ANYTHING WENT: IF IT HAD MORE WINGS THAN AN AIRCRAFT (AND MORE HORSEPOWER, TOO), IT WAS WORTHY.

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Technical Data Brand Model Engine Power Maximum speed Acceleration Torque Fuel tank volume Production time Cyl. position No. cylinders Car type Seats Length Width Height Wheelbase Max. weight

Ferrari / Koenig Testarossa Koenig Competition 4.9 V12 Twin Turbo 1000 hp / 7100 rpm 370 km/h 0 - 100 km/h - 3.4 sec 940 Nm / 4500 rpm 83 l 1984 - 1992 V engine 12 Coupe 2 4605 mm 2210 mm 1150 mm 2550 mm 1500 kg

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40

nig


Ko 41


TORQUE MAGAZINE VOLUME 1 COVER CAR: FERRARI TESTAROSSA

A Serious 42

Car Collection R A LPH L AU R E N ’S LOV E O F FAS H I O N I S PE R H A P S S EC O N D O N LY TO H I S FAS C I N AT I O N W I T H CA R S. T H E D ES I G N E R ’S C O LLECT I O N O F AU TO M O B I LES I N C LU D ES S O M E O F T H E R A R ES T A N D M O S T C OV E T E D I N E X I S T E N C E , I N C LU D I N G A 193 8 B U GAT T I T Y PE 57S C AT L A N T I C, WO R T H A N ES T I M AT E D $ 4 0 M I LLI O N A N D A R G UA B LY O N E O F T H E WO R LD’S M O S T E X PE N S I V E CA R S.


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HE CLAMBERED INTO SOME WITH AN INVITATION FOR THIS REPORTER TO SHOEHORN HIMSELF IN ALONGSIDE, THE BETTER TO APPRECIATE THEIR CARBON FIBER INNARDS, BAKELITE STEERING WHEELS AND THE ASSORTED DETAILS THAT, THE DESIGNER SAID, HAVE CONSISTENTLY FOUND THEIR WAY INTO HIS DESIGNS.

BELOW: Bugatti Type 57SC front view

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“I didn’t have a bike growing up,” Ralph Lauren said one recent afternoon, referring to his modest middle-class boyhood on Mosholu Parkway in the Bronx.

dinner on Sept. 12. Many of those guests, it is safe to say, are people for whom the relationship to automobiles extends no further than knowing their driver’s phone number.

The two of us were standing in a multilevel 48,000-square-foot building off the Saw Mill River Parkway on the outskirts of the village of Bedford Hills, the Westchester suburb where Mr. Lauren owns a substantial estate. Reached through the parking lot of a strip mall, with the usual assortment of nail parlors and office supply stores, and looking like an anonymous office park, this building and its location have previously

Clad in a zippered black boiler suit, belted at the waist, and sneakers with electric blue laces, Mr. Lauren wandered among vehicles set on white plinths in the black carpeted space, referring to each in turn with unfiltered affection. He clambered into some with an invitation for this reporter to shoehorn himself in alongside, the better to appreciate their carbon fiber innards, Bakelite steering wheels and the assorted details

It is here that Mr. Lauren stores a multimilliondollar collection of wheeled vehicles that more than compensate for the bike he never had as a boy. And it is to this place that he will whisk an invited audience of editors, critics, bloggers, photographers and influencers in an unlikely fashion week rally for a presentation and seated

But neither the engineering nor the automotive gimmickry was half as impressive as the overall aura of wealth and might that the collection conveyed. And very likely the symbolic point Mr. Lauren intends to make Tuesday evening is that, following a tumultuous year in which he wrested back control of a company struggling to retain

been kept as secret as the Bat Cave, visited only once before by a member of the press.

that, the designer said, have consistently found their way into his designs.

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LEFT: Ralph Lauren Car Collection Exhibition in Paris


BELOW: Ralph Lauren standing in front of his Aston Martin DB5

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its relevance in a fast changing market, the man who created the Ralph Lauren juggernaut is back behind the wheel. (Creatively, at least; in July Mr. Lauren named Patrice Louvet, who formerly ran the global beauty business for Procter & Gamble but has no experience in the apparel industry, chief executive of the company.)

repair bills. He later bought it back, of course, and it sits in an upper level of the Bedford Hills warehouse, lovingly maintained — along with his 80 or more other vehicles, many in the matte black that is something of a tell’ among aficionados for true connoisseurship — by a curator and a full-time maintenance crew.

“It’s not about the money,’’ Mr. Lauren said, when asked to put a price tag on his collection of rarefied toys. “That’s why I hesitate to give numbers. Cars and clothes and everything I’ve ever done come from passion. It’s how I built my business. I had no training for this.’’

Along a path that saw Mr. Lauren transform himself from a house painter’s son to a brand name presiding over a globally recognized enterprise, and a businessman with a personal net worth estimated by Forbes at $5.8 billion, he found he could gratify his material cravings in the maximalist manner of an American pharaoh.

Like many Americans, Mr. Lauren’s relationship to cars is sentimental and began in childhood. He can recall in almost rapturous detail the torpedo fins on his father’s navy blue 1949 Pontiac, the one with the now politically dubious Indian head hood ornament. His own first car was a British-made Morgan he was forced to sell because he couldn’t afford the

In addition to his clean-lined Fifth Avenue duplex looking out on Central Park, the designer owns a Norman manor in Westchester; an oceanfront compound in Montauk, N.Y.; a retreat in Jamaica that includes a house once owned by C. Douglas Dillon, secretary of the Treasury under John F. Kennedy; and the 16,000-acre Double RL ranch in the San Juan Mountains near Telluride, Colo.

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ALONG A PATH THAT SAW MR. LAUREN TRANSFORM HIMSELF FROM A HOUSE PAINTER’S SON TO A BRAND NAME PRESIDING OVER A GLOBALLY RECOGNIZED ENTERPRISE, AND A BUSINESSMAN WITH A PERSONAL NET WORTH ESTIMATED BY FORBES AT $5.8 BILLION, HE FOUND HE COULD GRATIFY HIS MATERIAL CRAVINGS IN THE MAXIMALIST MANNER OF AN AMERICAN PHARAOH.


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“EVERYTHING I’VE DONE IN MY CAREER HAS BEEN PERSONAL, ” HE SAID, PAUSING ALONGSIDE A SLEEK RACING MACHINE THAT COULD HAVE BEEN BATMAN’S WEEKEND CAR. “FIFTY YEARS IN THIS BUSINESS IS A FEAT IN ITSELF.”


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LEFT: Ralph Lauren’s Garage featuring a fashion show and dinner

It is there that Mr. Lauren, 77, most often takes to the road, sometimes astride one of his vintage motorcycles, but more often behind the wheel of a classic automobile from a collection that includes a 1958 Ferrari Testarossa; a 1938 Alfa Romeo Mille Miglia; a 1929 Bentley Blower; and a 1930 Mercedes-Benz SSK “Count Trossi” roadster, only one of which was ever manufactured. “I drive all the time,” he said. “I love the open mountain roads.” Sometimes, Mr. Lauren said, he revs up one of the Maseratis he has acquired over four decades. Or else he takes to his three-seater gull-wing McLaren (which can go from 0 to 62 miles per hour in 2.8 seconds) or, less terrifyingly, the 1956 Mercedes 300SL convertible he says is the vehicle in his collection he likes to imagine looks most like it would be Ralph Lauren’s ride. If he seldom takes his 1938 Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic coupe for a spin, it is not because he is hesitant to put a ding in what is generally judged

the supreme example of the automaker’s art. “It’s probably the most beautiful car ever built,” he said flatly of a car the industrialist Gianni Agnelli once made a pilgrimage to Bedford Hills to inspect. “But it doesn’t drive like it looks.” Appearances, in general, were on Mr. Lauren’s mind, specifically people’s perceptions of the unusual setting he chose for his latest show. “I’m probably going to get some catty comments,” Mr. Lauren said of fashion show guests who will perhaps see ostentation and dollar signs and not passion in a billionaire’s decision to stage a fashion show inside his garage. It doesn’t matter. “I’ve been in the business a long time, and I’m used to it,” he said. It is worth mentioning here that Mr. Lauren’s longevity in a notoriously fickle and increasingly corporate industry, while it may be attributable to business acumen, is equally a product of his reliance on his instinct. It was instinct — and mutual agreement — that led him, in February,

to part ways with his company’s chief executive officer, Stefan Larsson, after a clash over how to restructure and invigorate the venerable brand to appeal to younger consumers. “Stefan is a nice guy,” Mr. Lauren said of the former Old Navy executive. “But he didn’t understand the vision.” It remains to be seen whether that vision can be translated for an Uber generation, a group largely ignorant of the myths and motifs — Western, Native American, Anglophile, preppy — that have long been the designer’s stock in trade. Still, Mr. Lauren seems like a man of complete, untroubled conviction. “Everything I’ve done in my career has been personal, ” he said, pausing alongside a sleek racing machine that could have been Batman’s weekend car. “Fifty years in this business is a feat in itself.”


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TORQUE MAGAZINE VOLUME 1 COVER CAR: FERRARI TESTAROSSA

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mysterious city in Italy ‘’ T H E M O S T M YS T E R I O U S C I T Y I N I TA LY,’’ A B R I T I S H C R I T I C SA I D TO M E , A M A N W H O K N OWS I TA LY B E T T E R T H A N M O S T I TA LI A N S. A N D, N O M AT T E R H OW O F T E N I V I S I T G E N OA , I FI N D I T H A R D N OT TO AG R E E W I T H H I M . A N D Y E T T H E G E N O ES E A R E H O S PI TA B LE A N D T H E C I T Y - ES PEC I A LLY I N B R I G H T W E AT H E R - LI ES D EC E P T I V E LY O PE N O N I TS H I LL S A LO N G T H E S E A , E X P O S E D, I N V I T I N G. B U T I T E LU D ES T H E V I S I TO R ’S G R AS P.


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THE BEST COURSE IS SIMPLY TO ACCEPT THE MYSTERY AND TAKE GENOA AS IT COMES, WITH ALL ITS ASTONISHING, SOMETIMES PUZZLING VARIETY AND ITS UNTRUMPETED BEAUTY. THERE ARE SEVERAL GENOAS, IN FACT, AND EACH OF THEM HAS ITS OWN CHARACTER, ITS SPECIAL CHARM.

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Maps, to begin with, are of little use. Of course, they tell you which street is where, but they do not - cannot - indicate the abrupt slopes, the sheer valleys, drops, ascents. Genoa is a city of steps, arches, tunnels, funiculars, elevators. You set out for one place, and you end up in another. Where is Genoa’s focus? Is it the port? The Piazza De Ferrari? Or the 19th-century Via 20 Settembre with its hotels and shops? Other Italian cities have a specific center: in Naples it is Piazza del Plebescito and the Gallery; in Milan, La Scala or the Duomo; in Venice, Piazza San Marco. But in Genoa, the Duomo, with its tall, horizontally striped facade and its stunning works of art, is on a kind of side street, the open space in front of it is cramped, a dead end. And the Opera House, the historic Teatro Carlo Felice, currently being restored, also has no context, no square of its own. The best course is simply to accept the mystery and take Genoa as it comes, with all its astonishing, sometimes puzzling variety and its untrumpeted beauty. There are several Genoas, in fact, and each of them has its own

character, its special charm. The port, once a bustling center of international tourism, where grand ocean liners disgorged hundreds of tourists and freighters took on great cargoes of Italian products, is now a strange mixture of construction and decay. The once-grand Stazioni Marittima is shabby and crumbling, but the cranes and derricks that rise on all sides suggest new building, and intense activity. The area is not a place for strolling, however, and is best seen from the Sopraelevata, the elevated freeway that curves along the line of the sea. From up there, you catch a rapid, kaleidoscopic view of docks and palaces, decaying slums and gleaming new skyscrapers. For though the port is in a state of transition (most of the piers are simply piled high with anonymous containers), Genoa is constantly renewing and expanding. And some of Italy’s most original contemporary architects - Vittorio Gregotti, Aldo Rossi and Genoa’s own Renzo Piano (of Beaubourg fame) - have made striking contributions to the city’s urban panorama.

BELOW: cliffside town on the outskirts of Genova

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RIGHT: coastal view onto one of Genova’s many bays


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IF YOU GET REALLY LOST, THERE ARE TWO SOLUTIONS. ONE IS TO HEAD DOWNHILL; SOONER OR LATER YOU WILL REACH THE PORT. THE OTHER IS TO ASK DIRECTIONS. EVEN IF THEY DON’T SPEAK ENGLISH, THE GENOESE ARE USUALLY READY TO HELP A 62

STRANGER - EVEN WITH MIME, IF NECESSARY.


But to the first-time visitor I would say first of all: plunge into the medieval quarter. It is laid against the hill, between the port and the upper, more modern part, roughly speaking. There is no point in trying to follow a fixed itinerary: many of the tangling streets are unmarked, the official yellow arrows may point you vaguely in the direction of the Regional Art Gallery in Palazzo Spinola or some great church like San Siro or Santa Maria delle Vigne, but then the arrows abandon you, and you find yourself standing, bewildered, guidebook in hand, map open, uncertain which way to turn. Forget the gallery, the churches, you can come back to them later; just keep walking, enjoy the savor of this sometimes baffling, but always intriguing neighborhood. Gradually you sense that something is missing, and then - with relief -you realize what it is: traffic.

BELOW: view of the center and a part of the port

In this quarter, the streets are too narrow for cars, so you can walk without that nagging apprehension that haunts you in every other Italian city, except Venice. Indeed, Genoa and Venice have much in common; for both existed

over centuries as proud, independent seagoing city-states. And, in these medieval alleys, some of them so cramped that if you stretch out your arms, you can almost touch the walls on either side, you catch a whiff of that great past, along with an occasional tang of brine in the air. If you get really lost, there are two solutions. One is to head downhill; sooner or later you will reach the port. The other is to ask directions. Even if they don’t speak English, the Genoese are usually ready to help a stranger - even with mime, if necessary. For decades Genoa has not been a tourist town, and visitors are received with curiosity and pleasure. One morning not long ago, I asked a policeman how to get to the Palazzo Spinola. Instinctively, he looked to his left, where a long, low dark arch led to an intersection of narrow, deserted streets. Then he made a half-turn and pointed in a different direction, straight ahead, toward a popular shopping area, where I would turn left.The policeman wanted me to avoid a street that he described as rather ‘’malfamata.’’

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LEFT: view of the port

LIKE MANY MARITIME CITIES, GENOA IS A PLACE NOT ONLY FOR IMMIGRANTS BUT ALSO FOR EMIGRANTS. MANY GENOESE HAVE LEFT THE CITY AND WON FAME ELSEWHERE. OF THESE, THE MOST FAMOUS WAS COLUMBUS. THOUGH HE WENT OFF TO SEA AT AN EARLY AGE AND DIED AND IS BURIED ABROAD, CRISTOFORO COLOMBO IS STILL THE CITY’S MOST BELOVED AND ILLUSTRIOUS SON, AND THERE IS A VIA 12 OTTOBRE, TO RECALL THE DATE CELEBRATED IN THE STATES AS COLUMBUS DAY.

I followed his advice, with a wistful look at the street of ill-fame. On another walk the next day, I happened on the arch again, ventured through it, and found myself in a quiet and apparently innocent slum. But in the port area of Genoa, as of other maritime cities, it’s best to observe the usual rules: no gold necklaces or chains, shoulder bags with strap firmly across the chest,

limited amount of cash. I quickly headed for a more populous street. Muggings are less frequent in Genoa than in, say, New York; but precautions are always wise when traveling anywhere. Much of the medieval quarter is slums, less raucous than in Naples, but still daunting for the foreigner. There is the usual quota of beggars; and you can overhear a good deal of Arabic or African languages, for Genoa is a favorite destination for immigrants, legal and illegal. Like the rest of Italy, the city is having to deal with an increasing number of new inhabitants from the third world. But it has always received foreigners, even from exotic places, and so the Genoese perhaps look at these newcomers with less suspicion and hostility than Italians in the great industrial cities or the poor farm areas.

Like many maritime cities, Genoa is a place not only for immigrants but also for emigrants. Many Genoese have left the city and won fame elsewhere. Of these, the most famous was Columbus. Though he went off to sea at an early age and died and is buried abroad, Cristoforo Colombo is still the city’s most beloved and illustrious son, and there is a Via 12 Ottobre, to recall the date celebrated in the States as Columbus Day. And in the glaringly modern Piazza Dante, dominated by Genoa’s first skyscrapers (from the 30’s), a tiny, medieval house, reconstructed in the 18th century, is revered as the house of Columbus, though the assertion is considered dubious by some scholars. Columbus sailed westward, but the Genoese also had relations with the East. Marco Polo, of course, was a Venetian but he dictated his account of his travels in Asia in a Genoese prison. Some of Marco’s successors, however, were from Genoa, and it is no accident that in a little park above Piazza Corvetto there is a magnificent Oriental Museum based on the 19thcentury collection of Edoardo Chiossone, who gave the 15,000 items to the city at the turn of the century.

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Recommendations Cafes Caffè Fratelli Nadotti We visited this place every morning for the traditional cappuccino and pastry, usually a fresh croissant—which we later found out are flown in from France at this café! We definitely stopped in here a few different afternoons, as well, for some espresso—some of the smoothest and sweetest I have ever tasted. The coffee is excellent and even though it’s a tiny café, it’s worth it to squeeze in even if it’s busy.

Storico Lounge Café Located right on the Piazza de Ferrrari (pictured on left), Storico Lounge is a good spot to grab a morning cappuccino or afternoon espresso and spend some time people-watching from the outside patio. During the afternoon, they serve tasty panini and even though the location feels a bit more posh than the cafés in the caruggi (the ancient, narrow streets of Genova), it’s still a spot worth visiting if you’re spending time on the piazza.

Caffetteria San Luca If you like chocolate, you have to visit this café. They have an impressive list of espresso beverages, many of which feature chocolate as as the secondary ingredient. By the end of our trip, we had discovered that chocolate and espresso go well together and that this delicious coupling is quite common in cafés across Italy. 68

Hotels Hotel Continental Genova The Hotel Continental is a good-value four-star hotel with modern facilities in an attractive period building. It is by the main train station, Stazione Porta Principe, and the airport bus stop. This may not be the most charming location but it is very useful for travellers wanting to cut down on their transfer times. The central sights of the town are in walking distance.

NH Marina Hotel If you want to stay on the rejuvenated waterfront, close to Genoa’s landmark modern tourist attractions (the aquarium, sea museum, Bigo) you can’t do better than the NH Marina. The hotel is large, efficient and modern and built on a wharf alongside the Porto Antico. The hotel isn’t cheap, but it is a good choice if you are visiting the waterfront attractions with children. You won’t find many hotels with a pirate ship moored alongside.

Il Giardino Di Albaro Driving a car into Genoa and parking is awkward and expensive. Il Giardino di Albaro is a practical compromise for drivers, and is also a good base for travellers looking for something a bit different. The three-star hotel is located outside the city centre, in a seaside suburb near the picturesque fishing village of Boccadasse. It’s a peaceful place to stay with free private parking and frequent buses into the centre of town.

ABOVE: view of the port


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Restaurants Jalapeño

Meridiana Enoteca

Bar Academia

This quirkily named aperitivo spot turned out to be a great find. Aperitivo is like happy hour, where you drink and enjoy appetizers, but it’s better because the food comes with your glass of wine. And this isn’t just any food… you’re looking at mini-paninis, salumi, prosciutto, cheese, olives, focaccia, bread sticks and more. An alternative style of serving aperitivo is for there to be an open buffet of goodies that you are welcome to help yourself to while you enjoy your wine. Aperitivo hour starts around 6pm and in some instances can go until dinnertime at 9pm. At Jalapeño, I recommend the deliciously drinkable Dolcetto d’Alba and Barbera d’Alba (only $4 Euro/glass!). The wines were great and perfect with a plate of appetizers.

This wine bar was probably the most posh spot in Genova for wine. They had a chalkboard list—most of the other cafés/wine bars didn’t have that—with wine by the glass and bottle. The producers and vintages were even listed! The Boasso Giancarlo glasses of 2015 Dolcetto d’Alba and 2015 Violeta Vino Rosso (Nebbiolo) were both excellent choices. The former was a juicy, full and fruity offering. The latter provided a bit more complexity and structure, with seductive strawberry and rose petals aromatics. On the palate, tannins brought structure, alongside flavors of red plum, strawberry, clove and white pepper—a lot of complexity here for a basic Nebbiolo. We also tasted a Scarzello 2009 Barolo, which was tasty in its perfumed aromas, soft palate and angular style.

Another great people-watching place on the Piazza de Ferrari is Bar Academia, which offers a nice selection of wines with a hearty aperitivo plate. The wine list was a map organized by Italian wine regions, which was a clever way of presenting the wines, and the aperitivo was a tasty array of focaccia items and briny olives. We had a glass of Cantine Bersano 2012 Barbera Cremosina and Ricasoli Brolio Chianto Classico, the latter vintage was unknown. Both wines were lovely. I was always very impressed by how drinkable and well-made even the basic, affordable bottlings were. There’s just so much good wine to go around, that there really isn’t a bad glass on local wine lists.


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Still wondering where to go on your next adventure? Scan the QR code to discover our suggested route featuring incredible views and destinations:

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TORQUE MAGAZINE VOLUME 1 COVER CAR: FERRARI TESTAROSSA

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third Millenium T H E L A M B O R G H I N I T E R Z O M I L L E N N I O I S A B R U TA L LY FA N TA S T I C S U P E R C A R C O N C E P T A N D I T WA S B U I LT I N C O L L A B O R AT I O N W I T H M I T. S U P E R C A PAC I TO R S , N OT B AT T E R I E S , P OW E R T H I S W I L D C R E AT I O N . L A M B O R G H I N I I S N ’ T K N OW N F O R B OW I N G TO C O N V E N T I O N . E V E R S I N C E F E R R U C C I O TO L D E N Z O F E R R A R I W H E R E H E C O U L D S T I C K H I S T E M P E R A M E N TA L C A R S , A N D D E C I D E D TO B U I L D H I S OW N , I T ’ S B E E N G O I N G I T S OW N WAY.


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This car, the Terzo Millennio (“third millenium”), built in collaboration with MIT, is very much a Lamborghini approach to the EV performance car. To begin with, it is obviously nothing else but a Lamborghini. Wild concept car touches aside, it’s as wedgy and mean as anything to come out of Sant’Agata (and definitely anything to come out of Cambridge, MA!). There’s some advanced tech here, too, as you might imagine with MIT’s involvement. The most notable is the supercapacitor energy storage technology. Supercapacitors aren’t ready for primetime yet, being very expensive and not quite as energy dense, although currently they’re used in a few niche automotive applications. But MIT and Lamborghini want to produce one that’ll work more like a main battery, but with greater ability to recharge and discharge quickly. That’s ideal for brutal, explosive acceleration. If Lamborghini and MIT can make a breakthrough here, it’d let the decidedly conventional Lamborghinis of today (naturally aspirated, nonelectrified) take a leap into the future on Lamborghini’s own terms.

RIGHT: rear view of the Lamborghini Terzo Millennio

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Lamborghini has created the world’s first self-healing sports car. The Terzo Millennio, which translates as third millennium in Italian, has the ability to detect and repair cracks in its body work. Using sensors the car can conduct its own health check to detect any damages and self-repair itself by filling the crack with nanotubes to prevent it spreading. The company is also exploring carbon composite batteries utilizing nanotechnology, which the company claims would reduce weight and increase the discharge capacity of the batteries. So, it seems, the Terzo Millennio might combine the two power storage technologies into the same drivetrain. Of course, like most modern Lamborghinis there’s all-wheel drive, although it’s in-wheel electric motorbased rather than the conventional mechanical type. It’d be easy enough to leave off the front motors for a Performante variant, perhaps. Or maybe in-wheel electric motors become the norm in the future. It’s too early to tell; for now, this concept is AWD.

Stefano Domenicali, manager and CEO of Lamborghini, said: “Collaborating with MIT for our research and development department is an exceptional opportunity to do what Lamborghini has always been very good at – rewriting the rules on super sports cars. “Now we are presenting an exciting and progressive concept car. “We are inspired by embracing what is impossible today to craft the realities of tomorrow; Lamborghini must always create the dreams of the next generation.” The body is carbon fiber, and this concept previews some technology that can detect degradation in the carbon fiber early and potentially repair it with something called “nano-channels” utilizing a form of the technology that allows carbon composite materials to store energy. This technology deserves more explanation than we have room for here, and we’ll get a deep dive on it as soon as we can.


TECHNOLOGY SUCH AS THIS HAS ONLY BEEN SEEN THROUGH THE ART OF VIDEO GAMES AND FILM FRANCHISES. BRINGING SUCH TECHNOLOGY TO THE REAL WORLD, AND SHOWCASING A REAL-WORLD MODEL, WOULD TRULY BE A STAGGERING CHANGE THAT WOULD DEFINITELY MAKE THE CURRENT AND THE UPCOMING ELECTRIC CARS LOOK OUTDATED AND OUT OF FASHION

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RIGHT: rear view of the Lamborghini Terzo Millennio


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It’s well known that fossil fuels are becoming a depleted element used in powering the primitively designed combustion engine, with hybrid technology being used as a possible solution which was seen in the use of Toyota Prius. Then followed by the similar technology being refined, improved and further made exotic in the McLaren P1, Porsche 918 and the Ferrari LaFerrari. Though while this technology integrates the use of both electric and fossil fuel power outputs, it is still heavily reliant on the old-fashioned methodology used in propelling a vehicle. Though #Tesla, established in 2003, launched a series of all-electric cars that dominated the electric vehicle market. With Porsche, Volvo, BMW and even Dyson competing against one another to conquer the largely untouched market. The all-electric car is powered by supercapacitors rather than conventional batteries. The car has an energy storage system which allows it to rapidly charge and hold more power than a battery. Each of the car’s wheels includes its own integrated electric engine that glow as you drive.

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Professor Mircea Dinca, from the MIT, added: “The new Lamborghini collaboration allows us to be ambitious and think outside the box in designing new materials that answer energy storage challenges for the demands of an electric sport vehicle. We look forward to teaming up with their engineers and work on this exciting project.” The supercapacitors are made using carbon enabling them to be formed into the car’s body panels as they are smaller and lighter than conventional batteries. Although, as mesmerising and spectacular the use of superconductors is, it’s also just as enticing to discover the superconductors are to be made from carbon-fibre panels - which the vehicle will be made out of to draw energy from itself. Lastly, Lamborghini wants a vehicle like the Terzo Millennio to sound like a Lamborghini. That won’t be easy, since there’s no V12 or V10 to be found. Frankly, the company doesn’t even sound like they’ve figured out how to solve that particular puzzle, stating that “[a] deep investigation is needed” to determine what it should sound like. That’s no easy task, and we suspect the engineers will be busy on that one.


The project started a year ago, Mr Domenicali added: “Exactly one year ago we have signed an agreement with the MIT-Italy Program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology which marked the start of a collaboration between two outstanding entities for the creation of a project that intends to write an important page in the future of super sports cars for the third millennium.”

Lamborghini themselves stated that the #Terzo Millennio will be the first step forward towards “Lamborghini Electric” that will incorporate an integrated electric engine in the wheels. Furthermore, the Terzo Millennio was also designed taking into consideration the technological advancements, while at the same time keeping the signature “Y” look in the front and rear lights.

Will you see a Terzo Millennio out on the road? Almost certainly not; this is a pure concept that shows the direction that Lamborghini will take in the future. At least we finally know where Sant’Agata’s head is at in terms of post-internal combustion powertrain tech.

Showcasing the Terzo Millennio is still going to carry the insane and ludicrous fear factor as its previous predecessors. As well as its jaw-dropping and aesthetically pleasing appearance, this is one Lamborghini that should not go amiss, and one that its competitors should definitely keep a close eye on… if it is to go into production.

It isn’t known when the Terzo Millennio will go on sale or even if it’ll go into production. But if it does, it will be a big game changer for the automotive industry. Technology such as this has only been seen through the art of video games and film franchises. Bringing such technology to the real world, and showcasing a real-world model, would truly be a staggering change that would definitely make the current and the upcoming electric cars look outdated and out of fashion, while also showcasing a promising future for the automobile and blow the competition right out of the water.

LAMBORGHINI HAS CREATED THE WORLD’S FIRST SELF-HEALING SPORTS CAR. THE TERZO MILLENNIO, WHICH TRANSLATES AS THIRD MILLENNIUM IN ITALIAN, HAS THE ABILITY TO DETECT AND REPAIR CRACKS IN ITS BODY WORK.

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BELOW: side view of the Lamborghini Terzo Millennio


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world of Ferrari YAS I S L A N D, I N M A N Y WAYS W H E R E I T A LL B EGA N FO R A B U D H A B I , A L S O C O N T I N U ES TO S H I N E , R EC E N T LY R EC O G N I S E D AS T H E WO R LD’S LE A D I N G TO U R I S M D E V E LO PM E N T PR O J ECT BY T H E WO R LD T R AV E L AWA R D S. I N I T I A LLY L AU N C H E D I N 20 0 6 BY A LDA R PR O PE R T I ES , YAS I S L A N D H AS T H E G OA L O F T U R N I N G T H E LO CAT I O N I N TO A LE A D I N G D ES T I N AT I O N FO R TO U R I S TS A N D B U S I N ES S T R AV E LLE R S FR O M A R O U N D T H E WO R LD.


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LEFT: view of a rollercoaster

YAS ISLAND, IN MANY WAYS WHERE IT ALL BEGAN FOR ABU DHABI, ALSO CONTINUES TO SHINE, RECENTLY RECOGNISED AS THE WORLD’S LEADING TOURISM DEVELOPMENT PROJECT BY THE WORLD TRAVEL AWARDS. INITIALLY LAUNCHED IN 2006 BY ALDAR PROPERTIES, YAS ISLAND HAS THE GOAL OF TURNING THE LOCATION INTO A LEADING DESTINATION FOR TOURISTS AND BUSINESS TRAVELLERS FROM AROUND THE WORLD.

While Dubai might have started the United Arab Emirates hospitality arms-race, Abu Dhabi is now seeing its patient approach bear fruit. Last year the destination welcomed the opening of the Louvre Abu Dhabi to rave reviews, while a series of further investments are planned for 2018. Yas Island, in many ways where it all began for Abu Dhabi, also continues to shine, recently recognised as the World’s Leading Tourism Development Project by the World Travel Awards. Initially launched in 2006 by Aldar Properties, Yas Island has the goal of turning the location into a leading destination for tourists and business travellers from around the world. More than $40 billion has been invested to develop the island, which is set to complete an additional phase of construction in 2018. Each year it holds the Etihad Abu Dhabi Formula 1 Grand Prix and welcomes hundreds of thousands of guests throughout the year to its many attractions. At its heart is Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, a temple to the Italian manufacturers passion, heritage, excellence, innovation and performance.

During December the industry leading destination – itself recognised as Middle East’s Leading Theme Park - welcomed Winterfest - a festive tradition inspired by Ferrari, and only on Yas Island. Jesse Vargas, general manager, Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, explains: “We love transforming Ferrari World Abu Dhabi throughout the year to mark important days and festive celebrations, and the winter season is the most dramatic. “Winterfest has always been a favourite for our guests from all over the world.” “Our team has put great efforts in creating a vivid contrast between a serene snowy scene, and the Park’s fiery red Ferrari theme, making for a unique celebratory setting for our guests to enjoy each other’s company during the most magical month of the year.” Each area and attraction in the park brings to life a different part of the Ferrari story, from Cinema Maranello, with its film about Enzo Ferrari, to Formula Rossa, capturing the speed, power and freedom of an F1 car.

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ABOVE: rollercoaster sticking out of the center building


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FROM BREATH-TAKING CITYSCAPES TO FAMOUS LANDMARKS AND RACING VENUES, TOUR THE PICTURESQUE PORTOFINO AND THE AMALFI COAST, MONZA RACETRACK, THE COLOSSEUM DI ROMA, VENEZIA, AND OF COURSE, MARANELLO. MADE AT MARANELLO IS ALSO A MUST TRY TO THOSE WHO HAVE AN INSATIABLE CURIOSITY ABOUT THE MANUFACTURING CAR PROCESS. THE ATTRACTION ALLOWS YOU TO GO ON AN IN-DEPTH TOUR OF THE FERRARI FACTORY AND DISCOVER HOW A FERRARI GT IS MADE.

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When I arrived, we realised it is a place to go where every member of the family will get to enjoy because of the variety of rides and activities that cater to all ages. My nine-year-old son had a great time at Fiorani GT Challenge and Tyre Twist. Here you can release your competitive streak and race friends on twisting parallel tracks in a Ferrari F430 Spider. The circuit is based on real GT racecourses, so brace yourself for furious hairpin turns and exhilarating straights as you reach speeds of up to 95km/h. His endurance and climbing agility were also tested at the Junior Training Camp. He came out of the camp with more confidence after braving the heights of the wall he climbed. From breath-taking cityscapes to famous landmarks and racing venues, tour the picturesque Portofino and the Amalfi Coast, Monza Racetrack, the Colosseum di Roma, Venezia, and of course, Maranello. For mum and dad, breath-stopping experiences like the Turbo Truck, Flying Ace, and Formula Rossa are

“must-try rides”. These rides would definitely make one scream from start to finish, an experience worth sharing to friends. The family had fun together at the Speed of Magic and Benno’s Great Race. Made at Maranello is also a must try to those who have an insatiable curiosity about the manufacturing car process. The attraction allows you to go on an in-depth tour of the Ferrari factory and discover how a Ferrari GT is made. Previously a privilege reserved only Ferrari owners, you’ll gain an exclusive insight into the entire manufacturing process – from the early design stages, to the machining of engine parts and painting, right to the final hand assembly and testing on Ferrari’s Fiorano Circuit. It will give a full insight of the Ferrari car making the process of designing, painting, and actual testing. Of course, one day is not enough to see it all – so we’ll certainly be heading back. BELOW: visitors riding a rollercoaster

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the world in a G-Class G U N T H E R H O LTO R F U S E D TO B E A M A N AG E R . T H E N H E D R O PPE D O U T A N D D EC I D E D TO T R AV E L TO A LL T H E C O U N T R I ES I N T H E WO R LD. A F T E R 26 Y E A R S H E H AS R E AC H E D H I S G OA L . T H E S TO RY O F A B I G A DV E N T U R E – A N D A G R E AT LOV E .


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Late one morning, “Otto” motors calmly through Lithuania towards Kamenny Log, the border town to Belarus. The September sun is shining, the road is straight as a die, and there is hardly a car to be seen. Who wants to go to Belarus? Gunther Holtorf does. In the best of moods, he sits at the wheel of his blue Mercedes SUV that he has called “Otto” for many years: “I’ve got a good feeling,” he says, in his slightly rough voice. His white hair is cropped short and his blue eyes sparkle under his bushy eyebrows. You wouldn’t think he was 77 in spite of his wrinkles. The Belarusians have turned down his application twice before. “This time,” he says, “it’s going to be OK.” Often Belarus, a former Soviet republic, is called the last dictatorship in Europe, a country where the press is as unfree as the elections. But Holtorf is not concerned about politics. Belarus is the country he still needs to finish his long journey. The journey is an attempt to visit all the countries in the world where you can drive a car. All in the same car,

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note, which is now 26 years old and with an output of only 88 diesel horsepower. Holtorf has driven almost 900,000 kilometres in his car. Together they have conquered deserts, got stuck in mud, defied danger and gone through 214 countries, autonomous areas and territories. Their entry in the “Guinness Book of Records” is already in the planning. Belarus is to be country number 215. Holtorf drives the car slowly up to the first of many barriers that are to hold him up over the next three and a half hours. “If you want to do a journey like this, you need patience, calm and especially a really deep, genuine friendliness,” he says, looking at the surly border guards. The big adventure began in 1988, at a time when everything was changing. Holtorf resigned as managing director of the Hapag-Lloyd Flug charter airline. The board of directors had turned down his plans to set up an inner-German network of scheduled flights. After a long career, including as Lufthansa country director in Argentina, Chile, Hong Kong, Indonesia and

Uruguay, followed by six years settled in Hanover, Holtorf had had enough for a while and wanted to get out into the wide world. And he wanted to do it properly. He bought the SUV from a dealership in Oldenburg – a demonstration vehicle for 50,000 Deutschmarks. Holtorf called it Otto because that was what he always called friends’ children. He set off for Africa with his third wife. They married shortly before they set off in Kenya in December 1988. But being together day and night and constantly close to each other soon became a problem. In April 1989 they both returned to Germany – and divorced. Holtorf was 51. The yearning for Africa, which still stayed with him, and the feeling of freedom he had had there. He wanted to go back. But not on his own. So in the autumn of 1989, when the Iron Curtain fell, he put an ad in the “Zeit” weekly newspaper looking for a partner to go travelling with him. He found Christine. She was an admin employee in


THE JOURNEY IS AN ATTEMPT TO VISIT ALL THE COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD WHERE YOU CAN DRIVE A CAR. ALL IN THE SAME CAR, NOTE, WHICH IS NOW 26 YEARS OLD AND WITH AN OUTPUT OF ONLY 88 DIESEL HORSEPOWER. HOLTORF HAS DRIVEN ALMOST 900,000 KILOMETRES IN HIS CAR. THE BIG ADVENTURE BEGAN IN 1988, AT A TIME WHEN EVERYTHING WAS CHANGING. HOLTORF RESIGNED AS MANAGING DIRECTOR OF THE HAPAG-LLOYD FLUG CHARTER AIRLINE. THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS HAD TURNED DOWN HIS PLANS TO SET UP AN INNERGERMAN NETWORK OF SCHEDULED FLIGHTS.

BELOW: Gunther Holtorf with his G-Class “Otto”

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RIGHT: Gunther in Uganda


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ABOVE: Gunther’s wife scared by a monkey


THE TWO YEARS THEY HAD PLANNED TURNED INTO FIVE, AND WHEN THEY ARRIVED BACK AT THE CAPE OF GOOD HOPE TOGETHER, THEY SIMPLY PACKED THE CAR INTO A CONTAINER AND SENT IT ON TO SOUTH AMERICA. THIS WAS FOLLOWED BY NORTH AMERICA, ASIA, AUSTRALIA AND EUROPE. THEY SLEPT IN THE CAR ALMOST EVERY NIGHT AND COOKED ON THE GAS STOVE ON A PLANK FIXED TO ONE OF THE REAR BUMPERS.

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Dresden, and she saw the advert when she was visiting Berlin – and replied.

and gave it to a Kenyan mechanic. Since then a window has always been open.

Together they kitted the car out for the journey: they threw out the rear seats and fitted a wooden plank halfway up the load compartment in the rear. At the top they fitted mattresses cut to shape, a little cramped but comfortable. Underneath there was space for the kitchen, food supplies, clothes, tools and spare parts. Anything that was rarely needed was put on the roof in boxes. In autumn 1990 they set off on their trip and went back to Africa. This time, the relationship lasted.

The two did not need much money. They lived off their savings, his pension and the proceeds of the sale of a street map of Jakarta. Holtorf published it in 1977 with his own publishing company – with his own graphics. Eventually it was a 400-page city atlas with 150,000 copies. Every so often they would fly to Indonesia for a few weeks to update it. They only returned to Germany sporadically as they no longer had a place to live there.

The two years they had planned turned into five, and when they arrived back at the Cape of Good Hope together, they simply packed the car into a container and sent it on to South America. This was followed by North America, Asia, Australia and Europe. They slept in the car almost every night and cooked on the gas stove on a plank fixed to one of the rear bumpers. They roughed it. Holtorf removed the air conditioning himself

Holtorf no longer knows when the idea of going to all the countries in the world first arose. But when even remote, isolated countries such as Bhutan, Brunei or Saudi-Arabia allowed the couple to enter together with Otto, the great aim suddenly seemed more attainable. The whim became a plan. “We often just stood in front of the map and set new goals. That’s an incredible feeling of


freedom: you look at a continent like Africa and you can go anywhere you want,” says Holtorf. His eyes are sparkling. “Plans like that were incredibly motivating. We wanted to go where other people didn’t want to go.” Particularly socialist countries made themselves difficult for the couple to visit: China, Cuba, Myanmar and of course North Korea. Often it was months or years before they were allowed in – and often with absurd restrictions: in China they had to be escorted by a car with two guards for months, and in North Korea they even had three guards. Also, thousands of traffic police were issued with photos. They were to be able to identify the car immediately from their checkpoints on the route which had been precisely planned and had to be adhered to to the minute. And all of that in spite of the fact that Kim Jong Il, the now late “eternal general secretary” of North Korea, had approved the trip. Holtorf drove his car gently over the long distance. He did an oil change every 5000

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kilometres, replaced spare parts before they wore out and rarely drove faster than 80 km/h. The engine and transmission showed him their gratitude in that they never needed replacing. “With one of today’s models that wouldn’t be possible any more,” he believes. “Too many electronic parts, too many fancy extras.” The Mercedes G-Class has been built for 35 years now with virtually no change. But the modern versions have little in common with Holtorf’s car: some have an output of over 600 hp and cost a quarter of a million euros. If you ask Holtorf if everything went OK on his journey of discovery, he says, “yes” without a second thought. Forget bad experiences and make the most of things. That’s the sort of person he is. But of course, those 26 years were not without their problems: a roll-over in Madagascar, for example, when a truck pushed them off the road last May. Or the eight malaria attacks which they normally fell prey to when they were deep in the

BELOW: Gunther in Austria


IF YOU ASK HOLTORF IF EVERYTHING WENT OK ON HIS JOURNEY OF DISCOVERY, HE SAYS, “YES” WITHOUT A SECOND THOUGHT. FORGET BAD EXPERIENCES AND MAKE THE MOST OF THINGS. THAT’S THE SORT OF PERSON HE IS.

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RIGHT: Gunther and his wife celebrating their half a million km milestone

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jungle; the infection that almost cost him a foot in East Africa, the dislocated shoulder in Sudan that he had to drive for hundreds of kilometres with to get to the next hospital. Oh, yes, and the hyena that paid him a visit one night in his hammock, with its sharp teeth only inches from his face. “Everything went fine,” says Holtorf. Only his wife did not do so well. In 2003 she contracted cancer. The couple interrupted their journey time and again to return to Germany for therapy, returning to where they had left off. They left the car standing somewhere around the world. But right to the end Christine Holtorf travelled with her husband. For two decades, at countless frontiers, they had sworn they were married. In 2010 they married officially, a few days before she died. When Gunther Holtorf sits in his car now, he talks a lot about his wife. She provided a lot of the fittings. Four years after she died, he still stops to pick flowers and stick them between the fingers of a Monchichi figure that hangs from the rear-

view mirror. “Christine used to make sure there were fresh ones every day,” he says. What’s more: “I promised her that I’d complete the journey in her name.” “The map is more important than my passport or visa,” he says. He often gives copies away. He uses it to make everyone part of his project, to help him break the record: the Belarusian customs official or the corrupt chief of police in Liberia, who laughed at first when Holtorf ceremoniously gave him his map instead of banknotes. Then he ran his finger along the lines, asked to look at the car and at the end gave Holtorf a farewell hug. And then there were the nervous soldiers of the presidential guard in Cameroon, who first accused Holtorf of spying, but then relaxed when they saw the map. How could a man like that be a spy, they must have thought. He had already been everywhere. Or almost everywhere, because in those 26 years there were three African countries whose borders Holtorf did not manage to cross: Chad,


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WHEN GUNTHER HOLTORF SITS IN HIS CAR NOW, HE TALKS A LOT ABOUT HIS WIFE. SHE PROVIDED A LOT OF THE FITTINGS. FOUR YEARS AFTER SHE DIED, HE STILL STOPS TO PICK FLOWERS AND STICK THEM BETWEEN THE FINGERS OF A MONCHICHI FIGURE THAT HANGS FROM THE REAR-VIEW MIRROR. “CHRISTINE USED TO MAKE SURE THERE WERE FRESH ONES EVERY DAY,” HE SAYS. WHAT’S MORE: “I PROMISED HER THAT I’D COMPLETE THE JOURNEY IN HER NAME.”


Somalia and South Sudan. All three were always too dangerous, or embroiled in civil war, or sealed off. Also, Holtorf omitted island states such as the Maldives, Nauru or Tuvalu. There were not enough roads there, even for him. The Belarusian customs official has studied the

map for a long time. Then she asks some friendly questions: “Why are there two spare tyres on the roof?” – “I need them,” says Holtorf. “They’re compulsory.” She grins, because she knows that is not true. Then she places a hand on his arm confidentially and asks: “Have you got any drugs?” Holtorf, almost a head shorter than she is and bent over from all that travelling, looks up at her and says theatrically: “Oh no – and no pornography either!” Then she has to laugh. Finally, her colleague hands the papers through the window and says, “You can go.” Holtorf presses the accelerator gently and drives across the border. He strokes the dashboard as he goes. “Otto baby, you’re in Belarus,” he says. “Well done.” He has grown as fond of the blue

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SUV as if it were human. He has spent more time in it than with his daughter from his first marriage, who lives in Frankfurt. And more time than with Martin, Christine’s son, whom he has adopted. Martin went to boarding school while his parents were travelling. “That was pushing it a bit,” Holtorf admits. All the same, the children have a good relationship with their globe-trotting father. After his mother died, Martin travelled with him through East Asia and the south Pacific for a long time. The next day, the car drives on sandy tracks through little Belarusian villages. Here and there, Holtorf stops to take photos of particularly pretty wooden houses. Immediately the local people run to meet him: Victor, Wanda, Sergei – they all bend over the map in fascination and offer him tea and food. Holtorf has experienced it before: in most villages, his car with its expedition trunks and patina of distant countries is like a spaceship landing there. The local people take photos, tap on the metal bodywork and gesture to wish him luck. Everyone who listens to the story Holtorf

has to tell starts to travel with him in thoughts. There are countless reports in the local media about him, the German who has travelled so far with his Otto. He is better known abroad than back at home. At the end of a day travelling in Belarus, Holtorf says something unexpectedly that shows just how he is feeling: “Otto hasn’t got much longer to live,” he says, referring to the fact that the car’s last journey will be to the museum. On 11 October he is planning to hand the key to the Head of Daimler, Dieter Zetsche. For Holtorf, it is an honour, yet he still knows it will be the end of his journey. The man from Göttingen who has seen the world will move into a house on the Chiemsee. But the car has yet to get to Germany. Holtorf looks at the map spread out in front of him. It extends from Belarus in the west to Vladivostok on the Pacific. “I think I’ll go back via Kiev,” he says. Short pause. “And I fancy going to the Crimea.”


HE HAS GROWN AS FOND OF THE BLUE SUV AS IF IT WERE HUMAN. HE HAS SPENT MORE TIME IN IT THAN WITH HIS DAUGHTER FROM HIS FIRST MARRIAGE, WHO LIVES IN FRANKFURT. AND MORE TIME THAN WITH MARTIN, CHRISTINE’S SON, WHOM HE HAS ADOPTED. MARTIN WENT TO BOARDING SCHOOL WHILE HIS PARENTS WERE TRAVELLING. “THAT WAS PUSHING IT A BIT,” HOLTORF ADMITS. ALL THE SAME, THE CHILDREN HAVE A GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH THEIR GLOBE-TROTTING FATHER. AFTER HIS MOTHER DIED, MARTIN TRAVELLED WITH HIM THROUGH EAST ASIA AND THE SOUTH PACIFIC FOR A LONG TIME.

BELOW: Otto parked in front of a church

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TORQUE MAGAZINE VOLUME 1 COVER CAR: FERRARI TESTAROSSA

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Art Cars Series T H E B M W A R T CA R PR O J ECT WAS I N T R O D U C E D BY T H E FR E N C H R AC ECA R D R I V E R A N D AU CT I O N E E R H E RV É P O U L A I N , W H O WA N T E D TO I N V I T E A N A R T I S T TO C R E AT E A CA N VAS O N A N AU TO M O B I LE .


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Jeff Koons Jeff Koons is one of America’s most popular contemporary artists. His Neo-Pop aesthetics and wry appropriations of consumer objects, express a reverence for popular culture. “I try to create work that doesn’t make viewers feel they’re being spoken down to, so they feel open participation,” the artist has explained. He is perhaps best known for his oversized sculptures of kitschy souvenirs, toys, and ornaments that are bright and shiny, as seen in his Celebration (1994–2011) series. With his choice of materials, Koons lends a heft and permanence to otherwise ephemeral items.

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“THESE RACE CARS ARE LIKE LIFE, THEY ARE POWERFUL AND THERE IS A LOT OF ENERGY,” SAID KOONS. “YOU CAN PARTICIPATE WITH IT, ADD TO IT AND LET YOURSELF TRANSCEND WITH ITS ENERGY. THERE IS A LOT OF POWER UNDER THAT HOOD AND I WANT TO LET MY IDEAS TRANSCEND WITH THE CAR – IT’S REALLY TO CONNECT WITH THAT POWER.”


As part of his creative process, the artist collected images of race cars, related graphics, vibrant colors, speed and explosions. The resulting artwork of bright colors conceived by Koons is evocative of power, motion and bursting energy. Its silver interior along with the powerful exterior design, the Art Car will impart a dynamic appearance even when it’s standing still.

As part of his creative process, the artist collected images of race cars, related graphics, vibrant colors, speed and explosions. The resulting artwork of bright colors conceived by Koons is evocative of power, motion and bursting energy. Its silver interior along with the powerful exterior design, the Art Car will impart a dynamic appearance even when it’s standing still.

Jeff Koons, one of the most celebrated artists of our time, was born in York, Pennsylvania, in 1955. Mr. Koons’ work has been exhibited internationally and is in numerous public collections, including the Museum of Modern Art (New York, NY), Whitney Museum of American Art (New York, NY), Guggenheim Museum (New York, NY), The National Gallery (Washington, DC) and many others.

Jeff Koons, one of the most celebrated artists of our time, was born in York, Pennsylvania, in 1955. Mr. Koons’ work has been exhibited internationally and is in numerous public collections, including the Museum of Modern Art (New York, NY), Whitney Museum of American Art (New York, NY), Guggenheim Museum (New York, NY), The National Gallery (Washington, DC) and many others.

After its world premiere on June 2, 2010 at the Centre Pompidou in Paris the BMW Art Car competed at the 24 Hours of Le Mans on June 12, 2010. The car designed by Jeff Koons and driven by Andy Priaulx (GB), Dirk Müller (DE) and Dirk Werner (DE), turned out to be a true fan favourite. It started with the number 79 – a tribute to Andy Warhol’s BMW Art Car from 1979 – but then struggled with technical problems and had to retire after only five hours of racing.

After its world premiere on June 2, 2010 at the Centre Pompidou in Paris the BMW Art Car competed at the 24 Hours of Le Mans on June 12, 2010. The car designed by Jeff Koons and driven by Andy Priaulx (GB), Dirk Müller (DE) and Dirk Werner (DE), turned out to be a true fan favourite. It started with the number 79 – a tribute to Andy Warhol’s BMW Art Car from 1979 – but then struggled with technical problems and had to retire after only five hours of racing.

BELOW: one of Jeff Koons’ most famous sculptures

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The BMW M3 GT2 a 4.0-liter V8 engine displacement: 3.999 cmÂł power output: 500 bhp top speed: 300 km/h


Andy Warhol

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Andy Warhol was a leading figure in the Pop Art movement. Like his contemporaries Roy Lichtenstein and Robert Rauschenberg, Warhol wryly responded to the mass media of the 1960s. His silkscreen-printed paintings of cultural and consumer icons, featuring Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor, as well as Campbell’s Soup cans and Brillo boxes, would make him one of the most famous artists of his generation. “The best thing about a picture is that it never changes, even when the people in it do,” he once explained. Born Andrew Warhola on August 6, 1928 in Pittsburgh, PA, he graduated from the Carnegie Institute of Technology in 1949, before moving to New York to pursue a career in commercial illustration. Warhol’s illustrations for editorials like Vogue and Glamour during the 1950s, led him to financial success.

“I LOVE THAT CAR. IT HAS TURNED OUT BETTER THAN THE ARTWORK.”


A person who declares soup cans a work of art or aspires to have a department store closed so that it may be preserved as a museum for posterity, will not see any conflict between technology and creativity. Consequently, this is how he worked. Instead of first designing a scale model and leaving the final completion to his assistants as his predecessors did, the pop art legend painted the BMW M1 from the beginning to the end himself. “I have tried to give a vivid depiction of speed. If a car is really fast, all contours and colours will become blurred”.

The name Andy Warhol is the quintessence of pop art. Born in Pittsburgh USA in 1928, he studied from 1945 to 1949 at the Carnegie Institute of Technology. He began his artistic career as a commercial artist and was successful in holding his own exhibition in New York as early as in 1952. In 1956 his work was acknowledged with the coveted “Art Director’s Club Award”. 1962 saw the creation of the legendary “Factory” – a negation and reversal of traditional artistic ideas as it had never been seen before. His celebrity portraits and paintings of trivial objects became famous. Warhol died in New York in 1987.

This work of art on wheels was employed in racing for the first and last time in the 24-hour race at Le Mans in 1979. The M1 designed by Warhol started on the grid with the number 76 and was driven by the German Manfred Winkelhock as well as Hervé Poulain and Marcel Mignot from France. They achieved a sixth place in the overall rating and second place in their class.

BELOW: one of Andy Warhol’s most famous sculptures

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The BMW M1 six-cylinder inline engine 4 valves per cylinder twin overhead camshafts displacement: 3500 cmÂł power output: 470 bhp top speed: 307 km/h


Roy Lichtenstein

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Roy Lichtenstein was one of the first American Pop artists to achieve widespread renown, and he became a lightning rod for criticism of the movement. His early work ranged widely in style and subject matter, and displayed considerable understanding of modernist painting: Lichtenstein would often maintain that he was as interested in the abstract qualities of his images as he was in their subject matter. However, the mature Pop style he arrived at in 1961, which was inspired by comic strips, was greeted by accusations of banality, lack of originality, and, later, even copying. His highimpact, iconic images have since become synonymous with Pop art, and his method of creating images, which blended aspects of mechanical reproduction and drawing by hand, has become central to critics’ understanding of the significance of the movement.

“I PONDERED ON IT FOR A LONG TIME AND PUT AS MUCH INTO IT AS I POSSIBLY COULD.”


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“I wanted the lines I painted to be a depiction the road showing the car where to go,” said Roy Lichtenstein commenting on his design of the BMW 320i. “The design also shows the countryside through which the car has travelled. One could call it an enumeration of everything a car experiences – only that this car reflects all of these things before actually having been on a road.” And indeed – if one looks closer, one can perceive a passing landscape. The oversized “Benday Dots” are characteristic and reminiscent of Lichtenstein’s world famous paintings of comic strips.

“I wanted the lines I painted to be a depiction the road showing the car where to go,” said Roy Lichtenstein commenting on his design of the BMW 320i. “The design also shows the countryside through which the car has travelled. One could call it an enumeration of everything a car experiences – only that this car reflects all of these things before actually having been on a road.” And indeed – if one looks closer, one can perceive a passing landscape. The oversized “Benday Dots” are characteristic and reminiscent of Lichtenstein’s world famous paintings of comic strips.

Roy Lichtenstein, who was born in New York in 1923, is considered to be one of the founders of American pop art. Until 1938 he painted portraits of jazz musicians, attended the “Art Students League”, finally studying art in Ohio. His earlier works range from cubism to expressionism. He did not become interested in trivial culture such as comics and advertising until the late fifties. His pop art paintings were created in 1961. These were followed by caricatures of the “American way of life”, experiments with well-known works of art, sculptures and films. He died in New York in 1997.

Roy Lichtenstein, who was born in New York in 1923, is considered to be one of the founders of American pop art. Until 1938 he painted portraits of jazz musicians, attended the “Art Students League”, finally studying art in Ohio. His earlier works range from cubism to expressionism. He did not become interested in trivial culture such as comics and advertising until the late fifties. His pop art paintings were created in 1961. These were followed by caricatures of the “American way of life”, experiments with well-known works of art, sculptures and films. He died in New York in 1997.

After its completion, Roy Lichtenstein’s Art Car was able to celebrate its premiere twice – as a work of art at the Centre Pompidou in Paris and as a racing car in the 24-hour race at Le Mans in June 1977. The car was driven by Hervé Poulain and Marcel Mignot from France. The car with the number 50 achieved a ninth place in the overall rating and finished first in its class.

BELOW: one of Roy Lichtenstein’s most famous sculptures

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The BMW 320i four-cylinder inline engine 4 valves per cylinder twin overhead camshafts displacement: 2000 cmÂł power output: 300 bhp top speed: 257 km/h


TORQUE MAGAZINE VOLUME 1 COVER CAR: FERRARI TESTAROSSA

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massive potential A F T E R A TO U G H FE W R AC ES , FE R R A R I ’S S E B AS T I A N V E T T E L G O ES I N TO T H I S W E E K E N D’S U S R O U N D K N OW I N G H E H AS TO PR O D U C E A S T R O N G R ES U LT TO S TAY I N T I T LE C O N T E N T I O N . FA I L TO D O S O A N D I T C O U LD A LL B E OV E R O N S U N DAY A F T E R N O O N . S O H OW I S V E T T E L A PPR OAC H I N G T H I S C R U N C H G R A N D PR I X? H E R E’S W H AT H E TO LD T H E M E D I A I N AU S T I N O N T H U R S DAY…


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Sebastian Vettel BY HIS MID-20S HE WAS ALREADY THE DOMINANT DRIVER OF HIS ERA, BECOMING THE YOUNGEST POLESITTER, WINNER AND CHAMPION IN HISTORY. A SECOND, THIRD AND FOURTH CROWN, WON WITH EITHER REMARKABLE TENACITY OR CRUSHING SUPREMACY, ONLY ADDED TO HIS GLITTERING LEGACY. A tour de force as he swept to four straight world championship crowns and countless Formula One records, Sebastian Vettel’s relentless hunger for victory, as much as his outstanding talent, secure his place as one of the sport’s greats. 134

By his mid-20s he was already the dominant driver of his era, becoming the youngest polesitter, winner and champion in history. A second, third and fourth crown, won with either remarkable tenacity or crushing supremacy, only added to his glittering legacy. The foundations for such a remarkable trajectory were laid early on. Vettel had been racing for more than a decade even while still a teenager, having started his career in 1995 at a local kart track in his native Germany, where he had been born in Heppenheim on July 3, 1987. It wasn’t long before he had notched up several regional championships, and bigger things beckoned. Tiring of the local competition, he began to race on a European level.


BELOW: portrait of Sebastian Vettel

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Q: Sebastian, after a couple of difficult races could it be that Ferrari are going into panic mode and that you are the rock that prevents the team overreacting? Is that your role – apart from racing? Sebastian Vettel: No, I don’t think so. We are very busy so there is no time for panicking! [Team principal] Maurizio (Arrivabene) is doing a super job in keeping everybody in the team in the right line and looking forward and not backwards. So that is not my job. My role is to push as hard as possible on the track. Sure I speak to the guys, but Maurizio is around the team a lot more. And as I just said, we are too busy to fall into panic mode. Q: But the team does seem to have gone off the rails a little lately. What does that do to the hopes that in your third year with Ferrari you could win the championship together?

LEFT: Ferraris on a racetrack

SV: We are still in there. Our chances are slimmer now than they were a couple of races ago, but

there is still the chance – and we are going for it. It would be completely wrong to drift off in your thoughts. You have to stay focused. We have a great car and we had the package to win the last couple of races. It did not happen, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t win the next races. We look forward to what is next – and this is the race this weekend. So far we had a very good season. Obviously you are always judged by the last couple of races – and they weren’t super! But overall we are the team that has progressed the most. Everybody had expected Red Bull to be very strong this season, but as a fact they were not – at least not at the beginning. It was a given that Mercedes would be strong – and they are – but nobody expected us to be as strong as we are. So there are plenty of positives. Sure you are always looking at what you are facing at this very moment and that might be a bit tricky, but there are still four races ahead of us – and we have a great car. There is still a massive potential that is not unleashed completely. This is up to us. There are many good ideas for the next races – and for the future. We want to make bigger steps.

YOU HAVE TO STAY FOCUSED. WE HAVE A GREAT CAR AND WE HAD THE PACKAGE TO WIN THE LAST COUPLE OF RACES. IT DID NOT HAPPEN, BUT THAT DOESN’T MEAN THAT WE CAN’T WIN THE NEXT RACES. WE LOOK FORWARD TO WHAT IS NEXT – AND THIS IS THE RACE THIS WEEKEND. SO FAR WE HAD A VERY GOOD SEASON.

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Q: When it comes to your chances of turning the championship around, according to the saying, ‘it ain’t over ‘til it’s over’. Is that your motto right now? SV: Ha, I am not looking that far ahead – I never have. And I am not looking behind. I am really focusing on what is coming right here, right now. And coming here I don’t really know what to expect. The track is a bit of a mixed package with everything in it. The conditions can make a huge difference, but the progress that we have made in the last couple of weeks mean that the speed is there, so I am pretty optimistic. Q: Could the reliability issues of late perhaps come from Ferrari pushing development a bit too far? SV: No, I don’t think so. There are reasons for what happened and one of them is that we have to do things better as a team – things that have to be managed better from our side. F1 is a sport that lives from pushing the limits – and

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maybe sometimes you push them too far and sometimes you make small mistakes that have consequences later on: issues are always a mix of these components. And we all know that things can break. It hurts a lot when it happens, but it doesn’t happen for no reason. So we need to make sure that we find answers and solutions – not just look for a fast fix, but for solutions for the future. Q: Let’s again look at the championship fight. Without mistakes from Lewis’ side your chances look rather slim. Is there anything you can do to push him into making mistakes? Can you get into his head? SV: No interest. Q: But if it’s to work for you, something has to go badly for him… SV: I don’t know. We need to focus completely on ourselves to deliver four perfect races. That is the goal. What others do I have no influence on. And


THE TRACK IS A BIT OF A MIXED PACKAGE WITH EVERYTHING IN IT. THE CONDITIONS CAN MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE, BUT THE PROGRESS THAT WE HAVE MADE IN THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS MEAN THAT THE SPEED IS THERE, SO I AM PRETTY OPTIMISTIC. BELOW: close up view of a driver in an F1 car

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RIGHT: interior view of a Ferrari F1 car’s cockpit and steering wheel


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ABOVE: Ferraris lined up along a racetrack

IT IS KNOWN THAT I AM A NUMBERS PERSON, BUT IN THAT SPECIAL CASE I PUT THE NUMBERS ASIDE AND WILL DO EVERYTHING POSSIBLE – IF THAT IS

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ENOUGH IN THE END WILL HAVE TO BE SEEN. THAT THE LAST COUPLE OF RACES HAVE NOT BEEN HELPFUL IS NO SECRET, BUT THE CHANCES ARE STILL ALIVE – AND THAT IS WHAT I AM FOCUSING ON!


I am no protagonist doing politics and playing tricks. In fact I believe these things are always too much hyped for what the reality is. I concentrate on what is happening on the track and the rest I don’t see that you can hugely influence – and if yes, then it is not the way I do things. This should not be a part of the sport. Q: There are four very different tracks coming up. Where do you see being ‘Ferrariland’ – and where do you see Mercedes having an advantage? SV: Difficult to say. The last couple of races have shown that you come to a track with certain expectations and they don’t come true. Right now I would say that at all four tracks we should be competitive – and will be competitive – but I also see that we will see a pretty even playing field with Mercedes. And I would also assume that Red Bull has raised their bar, so we easily could see a fight with three teams involved. But when looking at the sheer track layouts, I

definitely do not see a clear favourite for the last races. It will be tight – even if on some Saturdays it will look slightly different, on Sunday everything should be back to the normal tightness Q: So how do you see your chances? You have the experience of past championships to help you turn things around. Does that help? SV: It is known that I am a numbers person, but in that special case I put the numbers aside and will do everything possible – if that is enough in the end will have to be seen. That the last couple of races have not been helpful is no secret, but the chances are still alive – and that is what I am focusing on!

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Monica Lefèbre Monica Lefèbre, Daphne Sarisetin Monica Lefèbre, Josephine Schulte Monica Lefèbre, Elliott Dean Tobias Langley, Flavia Wright, Josh Thompson, Anna Varga, Adam Barnes, Andrea Palacios, Luisa Goeler, Daniel David Emre Aydogan, Marta Kucsora, Nathan Schulte, Meltem Sahin, Dan Lannes, Don Aretino Monica Lefèbre, Thais Prudencio, Don Aretino Centralstation Danziger Straße 173 10407 Berlin 030 42026130 www.centralstation-berlin.de/

Thank you to everyone who contributed and made this magazine a reality. Monica Lefèbre


the fastest printed magazine in existence

the fastest printed magazine in existence

TORQUE TORQUE

Preview Issue No. 2 Lamborghini TAS EX EROVITIS EOST, QUIS ACES ALIT DITAM QUI CONSEQUE DITEM. NEQUE PELLUPIET OMNIS VENDIT, OMNIS QUAE. PUDITAS SUNTUSC IPSUSAM, UT OMNIS ESERNATUS. Giat inum utest, sitiur, te omnis errum ut qui tes et ratius iunt. Atecepe rcitatiam veribus eatur sincili tatquatur aborroris qui incto odistia volupta turestiatiis et fuga. Nequiam corepro etur? Quia dis voloreh endissequo optur, quasped magnam idem ne consedit in perum ea sit, accupiet occum eius.

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CONEM. NAM CONSE ET LABO. Obit essinist porrum harchit, aut officia nducil il magnati oritatium faci ut lati ut quaspic tenitas cus, alitem aut ipis dolorrovita nullest, ut veris pra velibus re pari totaquid ut a doluptatur sit quaest etur aut alis quiae lam non pro conet adigendicid modi dolenihicid que volorro inullib erchilis perrore ptates etum facipicte voluptas in ex et pore, ullo beatur antendicias aut ad qui omnieni steces autas aces ad mostius et quidis as porest, odit, tem cuptaturi quaepelest erciis velest quatis et essumquid quodit velibus aut abo. SED QUAE ES VELEST RA IPSUNTIUM AD UTATEMOLUPTA PA ALIBUS ETUR? vol. 1 Cover Car: Ferrari Testarossa

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Preview Issue No. 3 Bugatti SA SI BEA QUAM QUAMUS ET EAT OFFIC TE SEQUI DOLORRO COMMODI QUAM, SINCIT EOS DOLORER ORECTIA PRESEQUAM DELIBERRUM INT IUNTI UTENI QUO ENDIT DI CUS DOLOREI CILIQUI NONECEP ELICABO. UPTAM EVENDUNTECTI DOLORIONET INCIMAIOS EX ETURIA DENI REPTATUSAE AM LATUM FUGA. SERSPEL MOS NUS, OMNIS ACCULPA SEQUO CONSERRO IN CULLACCUMQUI DEM VOLORIBUS SANIS DOLUPTA QUIBUS. ULLORION CUSAM FACERFE RITATIO. DAECEPRO TEM INI OPTA VOLOREIUM FACEPE VERCHIT OCCUS. At omnimodit quis sit amus dustemq uiatia volor aspel idenduci utem que audia prererum nem harum culparc hillenit iur reicima gnienda nditibusam is susanda mustiam cum voluptu sciandi conem nos nobitas aliquiam eos quam rehenis rem aut re

nullibusdae QUAM ALIQUO MODIPIETUR SUNT QUIAS VOLUPTA SPERCIIS DOLORIAE NIS DOLORIA VOLENITESTI IN REHENET MAIO.

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vol. 1 Cover Car: Ferrari Testarossa

Tem. Et harchici arior andandest inum non re vollis ma vel est, erupta es quamentem invenis dolorem consequo id quuntot assitiones mo volorit ex excestem verum, quaerferia soluptae. NEM REPELIGENT ESTIN RE DOLUPIS NOS DIS AUT LABO.


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