S P R I N G
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S P R I N G 2 0 1 6 V O L U M E # 1 3 THE MAGAZINE FROM H.R. OWEN PLC
T H E
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LONDON NEW YO I LAN MMUN I CH MMAN CHE OW LONDON LONDON NEW NEW YORRK YO KM RMK I LAN M I LAN UN M IUN CHI CH AN M CHE AN ST CHE STEERST RG EGLASG RLASG G LASG OW OW
WELCOME Motor shows aren’t what they used to be. It’s been decades since we had a British event big enough to fill Earls Court or umpteen halls of the NEC. In the USA, the Detroit Show is a shadow of its former self, while in Japan the Tokyo Show is now held every other year. In mainland Europe, Paris and Frankfurt alternate their shows (this year it’s the turn of Paris, with Frankfurt taking the spotlight in 2017). The exception that proves the rule, however, is Geneva. Held every March, the Swiss show regularly attracts scores of important new model launches. And it has done so since the 1960s – the Jaguar E-type was launched in Geneva not London, for example. Why? Mainly because, with no local manufacturer to dominate the headlines, it’s neutral territory so everyone has a chance of grabbing significant column inches. And that looked like causing DRIVE a few problems this year as all “our” brands – Aston Martin, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Bugatti, Maserati, Rolls-Royce and Bentley – have so much Geneva news that there was a danger we’d run out of space in the magazine. So, with help from our friends at Vertu, we have produced a separate supplement devoted to the news from the show… here you’ll find everything from the Aston DB11 to the Lamborghini Centenario via the Ferrari GTC4 Lusso and beyond. And that leaves plenty of space in the magazine itself to talk more deeply about significant newcomers such as the Bentley Bentayga and Lamborghini Huracán Spyder and we grab a final chat with Lamborghini’s departing CEO, the flamboyant Stephan Winkelmann. We look at the latest turbocharger technology, hitch a ride on Maserati’s yacht and take a close look at the new Bentley Signature Touch phone from Vertu. We also talk to Ferrari racer Witt Gamski ahead of the 2016 season and head for some much needed rest and relaxation at leading wellness retreats… making sure we find some fine driving roads to get there of course! As ever, we welcome your comments and suggestions about the magazine and its features – just drop me a line at the email address below.
MATTHEW CARTER Editor-at-Large | DRIVE drive@hrowen.co.uk
C O N TA C T S & ACKNOWLEDGMENTS DRIVE Magazine is published on behalf of H.R. Owen PLC by RWMG Bespoke. For all publishing and advertising enquiries please contact: RWMG BESPOKE 6th Floor, One Canada Square Canary Wharf London, E14 5AX T: +44 (0)20 7987 4320 E: info@rwmg.co.uk www.rwmg.co.uk DRIVE EDITORIAL TEAM Tom King: Marketing Director Matthew Carter: Editor-at-Large Alex Doak: Deputy Editor H.R. OWEN PLC Melton Court Old Brompton Road London SW7 3TD T: +44 (0)20 7245 1122 F: +44 (0)20 7245 1123 E: enquiries@hrowen.co.uk www.hrowen.co.uk RWMG BESPOKE Giles Ellwood: Publisher Alan Cooke: Managing Director Mark Welby: Creative Director Adam Garwood: Project Manager PUBLISHING ENQUIRIES Call Alan Cooke on +44 (0)20 7987 4320 or email a.cooke@rwmgbespoke.co.uk ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES Call Rachel Eden on +44 (0)7793 380 012 or email r.eden@hrowenmagazine.co.uk CONTRIBUTORS Editorial: Richard Aucock, Sue Baker, George Chapman, Chris Hall, Ray Hutton, Laura McCreddie, Steve Sutcliffe, Jeremy Taylor Photography: Sarel Jansen (p45-48), Drew Gibson (p82-85), Richard Parsons (p88-92)
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©COPYRIGHT 2016 H.R.OWEN PLC 2016 Whilst every care has been taken to ensure that the data in this publication is accurate, neither the publisher nor H.R. Owen PLC nor any of its subsidiary or affiliated companies can accept, and hereby disclaim to the maximum extent permitted by law, any liability for any loss or damage that may be caused by any errors or omissions this publication may contain. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted in any form – electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise – without prior written permission of the publisher. Information correct at time of going to press. Views expressed are not necessarily those of the publisher or H.R. Owen PLC. Every effort has been made to trace the copyright holders of material used in this publication. If any copyright holder has been overlooked, we should be pleased to make any necessary arrangements.
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SPRING 2016 // VOLUME #13
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contents
C OV E R S TO RY
50
ALONG CAME A SPYDER: LAMBORGHINI HURACÁN The new convertible version of Lamborghini’s V10 pocket rocket is an awe-inspiring dose of street theatre, reckons Steve Sutcliffe as he hits the mean streets of Miami Beach
77.
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70.
F E AT U R E S
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UTILITY BELTER: BENTLEY BENTAYGA Redefining the modern notion of “luxury SUV”, Bentley’s blistering new Bentayga sits in a class of its own, reckons Matthew Carter
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LAMBO/CEO: STEPHAN WINKELMANN Suave and stylish, Stephan Winkelmann is every inch Mr Lamborghini. Here, in an exclusive interview, he reflects on how far along he has brought the Fighting Bull
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RUBBER SOUL: THE ULTIMATE DRIVING SHOE Allow DRIVE to reveal the painstaking craftsmanship that goes into every pair of the Riviera petrolhead’s favourite leather option: the Tod’s Gommino moccasin SUPERCAR TECH: TURBO, TAKE 2 George Chapman sights the naturally aspirated engine’s (almost) widespread decline among the supercar elite. Suck, squeeze, bang and indeed, whoosh!
REGULARS
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SUPER YACHT: TRIDENT OF THE HIGH SEAS Maserati’s latest flying machine packs enough technology to rival the fastest supercar, as Jeremy Taylor discovers Down Under, with legendary Italian skipper, Giovanni Soldini WATCHES: BRIT-TOCK, BRIT-TOCK Britannia once ruled the waves thanks to its watch industry, and some of that long-lost horological glory is once again returning to these shores, says Alex Doak
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TRACK ATTACK: TEAM MJC Richard Aucock experiences the roar of Witt Gamski’s Michelotto-tuned 458 GTE at his team’s crucial Donington shakedown
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AT YOUR SERVICE: BODYTECHNICS The latest addition to H.R. Owen’s blossoming stable is the UK’s finest accident repair facility
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FRONT SEAT: NEWS, REVIEWS, CULTURE Our treasure trove of a front section embraces the best of car culture, revealing the latest Mulliner upgrades and how to drive fast at Millbrook
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AUTOMOBILIA: BUILDING A LIBRARY The must-have tomes for every petrolhead’s coffee table and bookshelves alike, from out-of-print collectibles to shiny new works
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ROAD TRIP: WELLNESS RETREATS Assuming Dry January went out the window around the second Friday of 2016, it’s time for a genuinely enjoyable bit of R&R before the heady summer holidays kick in
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MEET THE EXPERTS: WORLD’S BEST H.R. Owen Ferrari has been named by Maranello itself as the best Ferrari dealership – not just in the UK, but globally
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THE BACK SEAT: SUE BAKER
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M M M ESUR ESUR ESUR EEET EET ET DDD ÉMESUR ÉMESUR ÉMESUR EE*E* * M M M ESUR ESUR ESUR EEET EET ET DDD ÉMESUR ÉMESUR ÉMESUR EE*E* *
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ATELIER ATELIER ATELIER PARMIGIANI PARMIGIANI PARMIGIANI 9797 MOUNT 97 MOUNT MOUNT STREET, STREET, STREET, MAYFAIR, MAYFAIR, MAYFAIR, LONDON LONDON LONDON W1K W1K W1K 2TD, 2TD, 2TD, TEL. TEL. TEL. 020 020 7495 020 7495 7495 5172 5172 5172
ATELIER ATELIER ATELIER PARMIGIANI PARMIGIANI PARMIGIANI LEICESTER LEICESTER LEICESTER LUMBERS LUMBERS LUMBERS | |LONDON |LONDON LONDON SELFRIDGES, SELFRIDGES, SELFRIDGES, THE THE THE WONDER WONDER WONDER ROOM ROOM ROOM 9797 MOUNT 97 MOUNT MOUNT STREET, STREET, STREET, MAYFAIR, MAYFAIR, MAYFAIR, LONDON LONDON LONDON W1K W1K W1K 2TD, 2TD, 2TD, TEL. TEL. TEL. 020 020 7495 020 7495 7495 5172 5172 5172 ARIJE ARIJE ARIJE | |HARRODS, |HARRODS, HARRODS, MONTREUX MONTREUX MONTREUX JAZZ JAZZ JAZZ CAFE CAFE CAFE
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Parmigiani_HQ Parmigiani_HQ Parmigiani_HQ • •Visual: •Visual: Visual: Tonda Tonda Tonda 1950 1950 1950 Tourbillon Tourbillon Tourbillon • •Magazine: •Magazine: Magazine: Mayfair Mayfair Mayfair 25_09_2015 25_09_2015 25_09_2015 (GB) (GB) (GB) • •Language: •Language: Language: English English English ••• Doc Doc Doc size: size: size: 210 210 210 x x297 x297 297 mm mm mm • •Calitho •Calitho Calitho #:#:08-15-111001 #:08-15-111001 08-15-111001 • •AOS •AOS AOS #:#:PF_02092 #:PF_02092 PF_02092 • •VP•VP20/08/2015 VP20/08/2015 20/08/2015
SPRING 2016 // VOLUME # 13
FRONT SEAT NEW MODELS // NEWS + EVENTS // MODERN CLASSIC // KNOWLEDGE = POWER // // MOTORING APPAREL
BENTLEY MULSANNE
F L A G S H I P, T R A N S F O R M E D Mulsanne has changed – a lot. We could talk about the new bonnet, bumpers and lights or the enhanced technology within the cabin. We could talk about the new state-of-the-art chassis technologies or mention that Bentley’s pinnacle model range is now three strong – Mulsanne, Mulsanne Speed and Mulsanne Extended Wheelbase, the latter with an extra 250mm of rear legroom. But it’s impossible not focus on that bold new grille. The large stainless-steel vertical-vane grille is 80mm wider than before and celebrates great models of the past, such as the 1930 8-litre or the R-Type Continental. “Imposing” doesn’t really do it justice. For the full story, turn to our special Geneva Motor Show supplement with this issue of DRIVE
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F R O N T
S E A T
CUSTOMISATION
F LY I N G S P U R OF THE MOMENT Mulliner, Bentley’s in-house coachbuilding division, has revealed its latest range of bespoke creations for the Flying Spur, enabling customers to personalise the four-door luxury sedan to an even higher level. For the first time, the Flying Spur can now be specified with a refrigerated bottle cooler between the rear seats (complete with bespoke champagne flutes, of course), painted veneers, Mulliner-quilted leather, sterling-silver atomisers and
hide-trimmed stowage boxes. All are but a few of the limitless possibilities a customer can explore with Mulliner – over and above the one-million-plus combinations already available when specifying a “normal” Bentley. The attention to detail speaks volumes. The flutes are designed so that the base of the glasses mirror the design of Bentley wheels; each bottle cooler is hand built and trimmed in the Mulliner workshop in a process that takes highly skilled artisans 15 hours; each fragrance atomiser is housed in a discreet compartment within the interior trim of the rear door… And if you’re likely to spend so much time travelling between meetings that a change of outfit is required? Well fear not: the rear stowage compartment – trimmed with an unexpected burst of colour, like a Savile Row suit lining – boasts a watch holder and an area for cufflinks and coins. Can you think of a reason why not?
MOTORSPORT
ONCE MORE FOR GT4 MASER ATI’S GR ANTURISMO MC IS BACK ON THE TR ACK
As the chequered flag came down on the final round of Maserati’s single-make Trofeo World Series at Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina circuit in December, there was welcome news for the Trident’s racing fans: the GranTurismo MC will be back on track this year in GT4, competing in the European GT4 Championships and the US Pirelli World Challenge for the first time since 2009. Over 20 cars across 10 different private teams have confirmed their participation and have already begun to make the necessary modifications to their MCs, bringing them into line with new GT4 regulations. While the car’s overall technical make-up will remain unchanged, the fitting of an air scoop will reduce the car’s power output to 430bhp from its current 488bhp while a newly designed rear spoiler and diffuser will bring the car’s performance into line with the other GT4 cars. “[Both series] are an excellent opportunity for Maserati and all those teams and clients who want to race with a marque steeped in character and history. The budget is accessible and the series highly competitive and professional,” said Roberto Bozzi, Sales & Marketing Motorsport Manager for Maserati.
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F R O N T
S E A T
DIARIES OUT!
L A D O LC E V I TA
22–27 APRIL: H.R. Owen’s Bentley division is now taking bookings for a week-long taste of the even sweeter life in April; an exploration of the lavish Italian countryside. From the 22nd through the 27th, a few fortunate guests will cruise in considerable style from the sun-kissed shores of Lake Como to the fabulous cobblestone thoroughfares of Florence. In between, attendees will enjoy personal shopping experiences in Milan, the exhilarating spectacle of the Blancpain Endurance Series at Monza – one of the fastest circuits in the GT racing calendar – and mile after mile of majestic Tuscan countryside, as traced yearly by the Mille Miglia road race. To be one of the fortunate few, get in touch with H.R. Owen’s Bentley Marketing Manager, Felicity Bench on felicity.bench@hrowen.co.uk
FACTORY NEWS
THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME ROLLS-ROYCE HAS SEEN THE FUTURE, AND IT ’S BUILT ON ALUMINIUM SPACE-FR AME Goodwood’s finest has announced the development of an all-new aluminium space-frame architecture, which will underpin every Rolls-Royce model rolling onto forecourts from early 2018. What’s more, the poster boy for its announcement is a cheeky sideswipe at the inevitable car-blogger spyshots: a camowrapped test mule, complete with misleading bodykit. The actual engineering mules are already hard at work on public roads around the world, ensuring that Rolls-Royce’s trademark “magic-carpet ride” continues to deliver on a variety of surfaces, and in extreme weather conditions, despite the revolutionary switch to lightweight aluminium. “Since 2003 and the commissioning of [the factory at] Goodwood, Rolls-Royce has reset the benchmark for luxury motoring,” CEO Torsten Müller-Ötvös commented, “and now it is time to take the next step in the luxury journey… [It] represents considerable investment in the future of our great brand.”
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KNOWLEDGE = POWER
1.0 MILES Length of the straight and level flat-out stretch, with downhill approach at one end and return roundabout at the other 0°31’45.4”W
Well loved by red-letter-day thrill seekers as much as the hundreds of automotive manufacturers and military units who hone their new metal on its countless tracks and surfaces, Millbrook is a leading transport technology hub. It was originally modelled on the Milford Proving Ground operated by General Motors in Michigan, and built in the late Sixties by GM subsidiary Vauxhall. The closely guarded complex is a spaghetti plate of tarmac that includes the famous “Alpine” Route, a high-speed bowl for racking up mileage, a mile straight, crashtest laboratories, Belgian pavé, a wading pond… If your car can do it, Millbrook can test it.
52°02’26.9”N
Millbrook test facility
MILE STRAIGHT
TRUCK SLOPES
ALPINE ROUTE
HILL ROUTE LOOP 1
The Golden Mile LONDON’S TOP FIVE
QUIRKY ROADSIDE LANDMARKS Whatever our well-ploughed furrows around the capital, we all have our favourite waypoints – buildings, monuments or street furniture about which we orient ourselves, reassuring us of our proximity to home far more viscerally than a plain old green sign. However, London is home to far more than just buildings, monuments or street furniture, and it’s the more unusual and unlikely landmarks that we’ve picked for this instalment of “Top Five”. We’re sure you have your own, so do let us know at drive@hrowen.co.uk, and we’ll run our favourites in a future issue. Meanwhile, start your engines for a bizarre tour of roadside ephemera…
1. The M4 Lucozade Sign Great West Road, Brentford, TW8 We start with something of a red herring, as this much-loved sign urging M4 drivers to top up their energy levels was mysteriously and controversially swapped for a digital advertising screen over the Christmas period. A shining example of Fifties “kinetic sculpture” in advertising, the original illuminated letters are in fact still preserved in Gunnersbury Museum.
The Lucozade sign was mounted on the wall of what was the Lucozade factory, demolished in 2004. It was one of several factories sited along “The Golden Mile” – a stretch of the Great West Road (the A4) heading out of London, opened in 1925 in order to bypass notoriously congested Brentford. Many of the factories scored high on architectural merit, being shining examples of the industrial Art Deco movement, and you can still spot a few examples: Coty Cosmetics, the Gillette factory, the gates of the old Firestone factory, JD Deceaux and the Pyrene building.
2. The Chinese Garage Wickham Road, Beckenham, BR3 A grade-II-listed petrol station now occupied by a Peugeot dealership, “Langley Park Garage” was built in 1928 in the fashionable Japanese
pagoda style by the Bucknell shippingmagnate family, who brought back plants from the Far East for the garden. Folklore suggests the Bucknells underwrote the Titanic, hence the eventual sale of their estate.
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F R O N T
INSIDE TRACK
1.5M
2.0 MILES
Maximum depth of the wading trough, offering amphibious vehicle-landing simulation
The circumference of Millbrook’s banked, fivelane, high-speed circular bowl, allowing neutral steer operation at 100mph and used regularly up to 150mph
HIGH-SPEED BOWL THREE TOP TIPS FOR DRIVING MILLBROOK’S HILL CIRCUITS, FROM NONE OTHER THAN DRIVING WIZARDS’ NIKI FAULKNER – FORMER GT3 DRIVER, TOP GEAR STUNT CO-ORDINATOR AND H.R. OWEN’S VERY OWN LAMBORGHINI CUSTOMER-DRIVING-DAY PRO’
OFF-ROAD TRACKS
HILL ROUTE LOOP 2
100 ACRES
The extended gradients featured on the Alpine Route, which can be repeated or by-passed as required
3. The Catford Cat South Circular Road, Catford, SE6 In 1974 the shopping centre and Milford Towers of Lewisham’s much-maligned Catford was built by the brutalist architect Owen Luder. The design was to make it “the Barbican of the south”, but as with so many regional hubs of the era, has fallen into disrepair. Here’s hoping the massive, glorious, fibreglass cat survives, no matter what Lewisham’ Council’s “ambitious aspirations” for the complex might be.
(DOUBLE-O) SEVEN ROLLS FOR 007 One of the most memorable moments in Casino Royale (2006) was James Bond’s pursuit of Le Chiffre in his Aston Martin DBS – a chase that is curtailed abruptly when he encounters Vesper Lynd lying in the road, swerves and crashes spectacularly. The twisting roads of Montenegro were in fact those of Millbrook’s Alpine Route, where the entire stunt was staged. Due to the low centre of gravity of the DB9-indisguise (the DBS hadn’t gone into production yet), an 18-inch ramp had to be installed on the tarmac and Adam Kirley, the stunt driver had to trigger an air cannon behind his seat at precisely the right moment to propel the car into a roll. At 75mph the car rolled seven times while being filmed (more than the crew were expecting) and was confirmed by the Guinness Book of Records as a new world record. Three cars were trashed in the process.
LOOP 1 “You will see signs for a 55mph speed limit when you join the first loop. It seems low but it becomes obvious later on – trust me! Avoid the rumble strips in the left lane at the start, unless you fancy shaking your fillings out… There is a tricky righthander at the bottom of the hill when you join loop 2 that is off camber so try not to be tempted to carry too much speed into it.”
HILL ROUTE LOOP 3
7, 11, 14, 17, 21 & 26%
S E A T
Area of hilly countryside occupied by Millbrook’s off-road tracks, providing a comprehensive range of terrain and man-made obstacles such as axle articulation humps, mortar holes and a 45º “One in One” concrete slope
LOOP 2 “One of my favourite turns is the well-cambered right-hander (you’ll see it) that if taken correctly compresses the suspension as well as your spine and really demonstrates the capability of a modern sports car.” LOOP 3 “Look out for a big climb before a very tight left-hander. It’s blind, off-camber and it tightens up with inviting Armco on the exit. (You have been warned.) After that, you drop back down to a righthander, take that with a little caution as that then allows you to set up for the jump… and I dare you not to ‘yeehaw!’ as you fly over the crest!” drivingwizards.com
4. Basildon’s “Hollywood” Sign Southend Arterial Road, Basildon, SS14 The alleged gateway to Essex’s much-mocked five-foot-high white letters were erected in 2010 where the A127 dual carriageway, which links London to Southend-on-Sea, meets the A176 – part of a project funded by the Thames Gateway programme. Glitzy “Hollywoodland” it most certainly ain’t; apologetically, and rather limply British it most certainly is.
5. The Southwark Needle London Bridge, SE1 Sixteen metres long, at a slight tilt, this oftoverlooked gateguard of London Bridge marks the spot where, for 400 years, the heads of traitors were impaled on wooden spikes. The first traitor to have the pleasure was William “Braveheart” Wallace in 1305, followed by Cromwell and Fawkes – heads all parboiled, sautéed in pitch, and cared for by the keeper of the heads; one of the weirdest jobs of ye olde London.
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F R O N T
S E A T
INSIDE THE OWNERS’ CLUB
GADGET LUXE
L E AT H E R HEADREST
CHARGE OF THE RED BRIGADE KICKING OFF A NEW REGULAR SPOT FOR FRONT SEAT, PROFILING THE UK’S FINEST SINGLE-MARQUE ASSOCIATIONS, WE LIFT THE BONNET ON THE FERRARI OWNERS’ CLUB Whether you use your Ferrari as an everyday road car, race or climb it, take to track days or keep it as concours queen, membership of the Ferrari Owners’ Club is a must. With more than 3,000 members around the world the club is one of the most active OCs around. Founded in 1967 – just 20 years after Ferrari produced its first car – the Ferrari Owners’ Club will be celebrating its 50th birthday in 2017. Open to anyone who owns (or, indeed, has owned) a Ferrari, the club caters for new and classic Ferrari’s and
SOME PARTICULARLY CHOICE FERRARI OWNERS’ CLUB EVENTS FOR 2016 APRIL 10: Pirelli Ferrari Hillclimb Championships, Round 1 – Three Sisters APRIL 24: AGM, luncheon and guest speaker APRIL 25: Track day – Silverstone MAY 7: Pirelli Ferrari formula classic, races 1 and 2 – Oulton Park JUNE 12: Club picnic JUNE 19: Northern Ferrari Day JULY 9/10: National Club Concours JULY 19: Track day – Oulton Park JULY 22-24: Pirelli Ferrari formula classic, races 8 and 9 – Spa Francorchamps, Belgium AUGUST 22: Track day – Goodwood SEPTEMBER 22: Track day – Silverstone OCTOBER 6-8: Ferrari Factory Tour
offers a wide spectrum of events from the social (the hugely popular Gala Dinner and Dance has just taken place) to the seriously competitive. Both the Pirelli Ferrari Hillclimb Championship and the Pirelli Ferrari formula classic race series invariably go down to the wire. The 13-round Hillclimb (and Sprint) Championship is open to standard roadgoing cars with a handicap system designed to equalise things so that the different “tipos” can compete on a level playing field. The formula classic series, meanwhile, offers 15 races at seven different venues (including forays to France and Belgium) and is open to several classes of road-legal cars, everything except turbo machines like the F40 and 288GTO in fact. “We are a very busy club,” says club secretary Gary Dearn. “Our major clubs event, such as the Gala dinner and the concours, are hugely popular, while places at our track days are quickly snapped up.” The latter, held at circuits such as Silverstone, Goodwood, Oulton Park and Donington, allow members the chance to really extend their cars without fear of speed cameras or the long arm of the law. Annual membership (the first year is complimentary if you have just bought a new Ferrari and haven’t been in the club before) costs £110. It includes six copies of the glossy Ferrari magazine plus access to Area Group activities, track days, the annual concours and other events. ferrariownersclub.co.uk
DID YOU KNOW?
You don’t have to own a Ferrari to be a member of the FOC. The Club’s Prancing Horse Register was established in 1976 with the approval of Enzo Ferrari himself, and is open to all enthusiasts of the marque, young and old. For £50 a year membership provides the opportunity to attend (but not compete in) FOC events as well as the chance to become involved in the organisation and running of club track days. And, of course, you can always upgrade to full membership once you’ve bought your first Ferrari.
As mobiles go, things rarely get more luxurious, sumptuous, nor packed with cutting-edge tech as the new Signature Touch for Bentley smartphone from Vertu. The latest collaboration between the car marque from Crewe and the telecomms pioneer from Church Crookham in Hampshire, it could be Vertu’s most extraordinary smartphone to date. For a start, as you thumb your way through its top-end Android Lollipop 5.1 64-bit operating system via its sapphire screen, your hand is caressed by contraststitched Bentley leather on the back of the phone – its design echoing those iconic Bentley headrests. Naturally, as you would at any one of H.R. Owen’s five Bentley dealerships, you are able to customise with a choice of leather and stitching colour options. And like all Vertu handsets, there’s that magic, 24-hour Concierge button, for when someone else need to take care of business. £10,300, vertu.com
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F R O N T
S E A T
BRAND PROFILE
MATCHLESS IS BACK BRITAIN’S OLDEST MOTORCYCLE BR AND IS MAKING A WELCOME RETURN, THANKS TO THE ITALIAN BR AINS BEHIND BELSTAFF’S EPIC RENAISSANCE
It may not be immediately familiar to younger readers, or any reader more inclined towards four wheels rather than two, but believe us when we say Matchless is a British automotive legend. Founded in 1899 by Henry Collier and sons Charlie and Harry in leafy south London, they went on to become the largest motorcycle manufacturer in England, with a strong racing pedigree to boot; in 1907 Charlie rode a Matchless to victory in the Isle of Man’s first ever Tourist Trophy. Harry went on to lift the trophy again in 1909 and once more in 1910. Over the succeeding decades, Matchless built a range of dependable, value-for-money machines, and with the rise of motorcycling, bolstered by great commercial success, Matchless acquired other major brands such as AJS, Sunbeam, Indian and Norton, to form the 1938 brand AMC (Associated Motorcycles Company), which became the leader in the global motorcycle market. In 2006, the Matchless trademark was quietly purchased at Bonhams for just £45,500 by an anonymous “European” bidder, which later transpired to be the Malenotti family. Franco Malenotti is famed throughout the fashion world as the man who transformed that other Brit biker brand Belstaff from an ailing maker of motorcycle kit to an ultra-cool, luxury label beloved of the Hollywood set – selling in 2011 to the Swiss-based Labelux group for a sum thought to have been in excess of 100 million euros. And now, if the Kate Moss-fronted
campaign and product placements in Star Wars and SPECTRE are anything to go by, Malenotti is hoping to repeat the feat with the revival of Matchless as an equally trendy fashion brand, based around edgy, retro-tinged leatherware. And if that sounds like shameless brand engineering, you’d be wrong – the Collier brothers actually have form with biker wear, pioneering the notion of protective but stylish motorcycling clothing from the Thirties onwards. Even in the post-war period, the company developed offroad clothing brought in and tested by the great Malcolm Smith, a true icon in endurance and motocross. Indeed, Matchless was the first to create a notion of “lifestyle” around motorcycling, decades before the likes of Triumph or Harley-Davidson. However, those hankering for a return to bike manufacture need not fret – the Malenotti’s are actually following through with bona fide, high-octane metal. At the EICMA Cycle and Motorcycle exhibition in Milan in 2014, Matchless presented the “Model X Reloaded” – a design inspired by the legendary “Model X”, launched in 1929 with a pioneering V-twin with overhead valves, considered the most innovative engine of the time. Whether the biker crowd think the new Reloaded is innovative enough awaits to be seen, but they certainly can’t go wrong with the leather apparel. After all, if it’s good enough for Han Solo and James Bond, then it’ll certainly be good enough for your average Sundayafternoon Ace Café regular.
MATCHLESS MODEL X RELOADED ENGINE TYPE Matchless Design on S & S mechanics. Twin cylinder V 56,25° BORE X STROKE mm 104 x mm 111 CAPACITY 1916 cc COMPRESSION RATIO 9.75:1 INTAKE Fuel Injection TRANSMISSION Separate 6-speed gearbox. Primary drive: chain. Final drive: chain RETAIL PRICE circa €50,000 (TBC)
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THREE OF THE BEST
F R O N T
S E A T
D R I V I N G H ATS SPRING IS HERE, WHICH MEANS ONLY ONE THING TO BRITISH PETROLHEADS: THE ROOF CAN FINALLY COME DOWN! BUT WITH A CHILL STILL IN THE AIR, AND FRISKY SQUALLS ON THE HORIZON, A SOMEWHAT SMALLER, SOFTER ROOF FOR YOUR HEAD IS STRONGLY ADVISABLE, AT LEAST UNTIL SUMMER IS PROPERLY ROUND THE CORNER
VISVIM Ribbed Wool Beanie (£120) Founded in 2001 by Hiroki Nakamura, visvim has a strong focus on craftsmanship and carefully sourced materials. Influenced by global travel, especially classic Americana visvim’s appreciation for vintage Americana is evident in its military-inspired garb. This olive hat, is crafted from plush ribbed wool and detailed with a nametag that furthers its authentic military feel. Wear it on cold winter commutes or weekend blasts.
LOCK & CO HATTERS Cotton Engineer Cap (£100) A producer of men’s hats for more than 330 years, Lock & Co Hatters was the first to design the iconic bowler in 1850. The engineer cap started life as an essential part of the uniform for conductors in the locomotive industry. This Lock & Co Hatters version is a sophisticated interpretation of the style. It’s been handmade in the UK from soft cotton dyed a classic shade of petrol.
POE JACKET REQUIRED Matchless scored something of a coup with the recent Star Wars reboot. Not only did it secure prominent product placement in Episode VII: The Force Awakens, but the jacket in question formed a critical role in the storyline, when Jacob Isaac’s hotshot pilot Poe Dameron cements his new friendship with John Boyega’s rebellious “FN-2187” stormtrooper by gifting him the tan raglan-style coat – available from Selfridges for £1,199.
LORO PIANA Roadster Shell Flat Cap (£190) Inspired by 1930s driving hats, those Italian masters of cashmere at Loro Piana created this flat cap for its new “Roadster” collection. Crafted in Italy from Wind microfibre shell, it’s lightweight, crease-resistant and ultra-soft. Wear it with unstructured tailoring. The classic car is optional. All available from MrPorter.com
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F R O N T
S E A T
FLYING BUTRESSESS Giorgetto Giugiaro at Italdesign was commissioned by Maserati to transform his Bora design into the Merak. Unlike its bigger sister the Merak doesn’t have a true, fully glassed fastback, but rather a cabin ending abruptly with a vertical rear window and a flat, horizontal engine bonnet. Giugiaro simply smoothed-out the vehicle’s silhouette by adding open flying buttresses – what became the defining feature of this Seventies oddity.
MODERN CLASSIC
MASER ATI MERAK CAN YOU NAME ANOTHER CAR WITH FLYING BUTTRESSES? WITH TIME, THIS SEVENTIES ODDBALL HAS BECOME MORE DESIRABLE THAN EVER
I
f someone said, “Name me your top five vintage Mazzas,” there is a good chance the Merak would not often come up. More evocative names, such as Ghibli, Mistral, and Quattroporte have a tendency to beat it to the punch. Even in its lifetime, which ran from 1972–82, the majority of which was Maserati’s Citroënowned period, it was overshadowed somewhat by the range-topping Bora, which was a good deal faster thanks to its V8 (the Merak ran with a V6 powerplant, adapted from the Citroën SM’s - see box). The engine wasn’t the only shared part between the two, either – the Merak’s dash, brakes, clutch,
pop-up headlights and some of the suspension had French fingerprints all over them. And what wasn’t Citroën was largely Bora – the two cars shared bodywork as far back as the rear pillars. But hold on. We are being a touch unfair on the Merak. It is a lot more than a patchwork quilt of Seventies design and engineering. For starters, look at it: it’s a handsome beast indeed, and those rear buttresses are just downright cool. Secondly, its use of a V6 meant that it could accommodate two rear seats, and gave it a lower centre of gravity and lighter weight – so it could out-handle big brother Bora.
And the best was yet to come. When Citroën sold Maserati to De Tomaso Modena in 1975, the Merak got an overhaul, phasing out its Citroën bits, losing 50kg and gaining 30hp to become the Merak SS. Its popularity rose accordingly – 970 of the 1817 Meraks ever made were SS’s. Two hundred others were the reduced-power Merak 2000, produced specifically to comply with Italian taxes on larger engine sizes. Easily spotted by their use of black bumpers in place of chrome and the absence of front spoilers, the “baby Merak” was also limited to just two colours from new: metallic light blue or gold. The Marek outlived the Bora by
six years, production coming to a halt in 1982. Nowadays its secondhand and auction values still lag behind those of the Bora, but have been picking up in recent years, as collectors seem to be warming up to the charms of the Merak. We’ll leave you with one last piece of trivia: unlike most Maserati’s of the age, the Merak was not named after a wind, but for a star – Beta Ursae Majoris, part of the Great Bear constellation, traditionally known as Merak; Arabic for “the loins of the bear”. Now if that isn’t the most Seventies name for anything ever, we don’t know what is. Words by Chris Hall
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F R O N T
MASER
PRODU CE
ATI
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ICATIO NS
EXOTICA
SPECIF
D - 197 2–1982 ENGIN E - 3L V6 MA X P OWER - 217bh p TOP SP EED - 15 4mph NUMB ER PRO DUCED - 1,817 RARES T varian - The “Tipo 8 t of the 0”, a SS pro betwe en 198 duced 0-8 Citroë n parts 2. It had no , and ele Girling ctric h brakes eadligh oppos ed ts as Just 66 to hydraulic s. were p roduce d.
FACTOR
S E A T
7/10
WATCH WATCH
WHEELER DEALER THE DRIVE DE CARTIER COULD BE ONE OF THE BEST-NAMED (SORRY, WE COULDN’T RESIST) AND BEST-VALUE MECHANICAL TIMEPIECES ON THE SCENE
THE V6 ENGINE The Merak’s V6 engine descended from the 2.7-litre Tipo C.114, originally designed by Giulio Alfieri in 1967 for use in the Citroën SM, bored out to displace 3 litres (2,965cc). It was a chain-driven double overhead camshaft, 12-valve unit featuring an unusual 90° angle between the cylinder banks. This V6 did not end its days on the Merak; it was later modified and made into the first ever production twin-turbocharged engine in the Biturbo, ending its career in the 1990s Ghibli after reaching the highest specific output of any production engine of any time: 243kW, or 325hp.
C
ome the Geneva Motor Show, anyone with a passing interest in cars naturally gravitates towards the flashiest, the fastest and priciest automotive novelties from the likes of Bugatti and Lamborghini, while the show’s other 95% of hatchbacks, saloons and super-minis might warrant a fleeting glance. By contrast, at the SIHH “haute horlogerie” watch fair in January, in precisely the same cavernous exhibition hall, you would have actually struggled to find a single example of reasonably priced, quotidian wristwear. Twas always thus in the champagne-beige, champagne-fuelled clutches of the Richemont Group’s invite-only expo. But while they’re hardly the horological equivalents of a Hyundai family runaround, this year’s SIHH was notable for a sprinkling of genuinely affordable watches (though it says everything you need to know about SIHH when we clarify that by “affordable” we mean around the £5,000 mark or under…). And most surprisingly,
the chief protagonist of this return to (relative) austerity was the grande dame of Richemont itself: Cartier. Drive de Cartier is a completely new collection for the Parisian jeweller, and a shining example of its Swiss watchmaking division’s knack for a particularly original, luscious and beautifully balanced case shape (apparently, the taut lines of Drive’s rounded-out square are inspired by the world of vintage motoring). But what’s notable is the steel number featured here: a future men’s classic, kitted out with an in-house, or “manufacture” self-winding mechanical movement, crisply decorated, admirable through a see-through sapphire caseback, ticking beneath an intricately engraved dial… and all for far less than five grand (€5,500, £TBC), where equivalent manufacture watches regularly command thousands more. cartier.com
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P R E - D R I V E N
PRE-DRIVEN The approved-used side of H.R. Owen’s business is growing fast, with as broad a cross-section of luxury cars as you could imagine – all in “as-new” condition and offered with a comprehensive manufacturer-approved unlimited mileage warranty. What’s more, it isn’t just a one-way street: H.R. Owen are always looking for high specification cars to buy, and as a reader of DRIVE magazine it’s likely your car may be just what we are looking for. So get in touch if you’re selling, and we may well be buying from you instead. www.hrowen.co.uk/approved-used
ASTON MARTIN V12 VANTAGE S ROADSTER Volcano Red with Black interior
ASTON MARTIN VANQUISH V12 Ocellus Teal with Obsidian Black interior
ASTON MARTIN V8 VANTAGE Appletree Green with Cream Truffle interior
BENTLEY CONTINENTAL GT W12 MULLINER Silver Tempest with Portland interior
2,001 miles
2,850 miles
19,336 miles
72,400 miles
£131,950
£172,950
£59,950
£37,950
BENTLEY CONTINENTAL GT SPEED Jetstream with Imperial Blue interior
BENTLEY MULSANNE MULLINER Hallmark with Linen/Beluga interior
FERRARI CALIFORNIA Rosso Corsa with Cuoio interior
2,427 miles
5,740 miles
FERRARI 458 SPIDER Verde Zeltweg with Cioccolato interior
13,077 miles
9,337 miles
£139,950
£149,950
£179,950
£94,950
LAMBORGHINI AVENTADOR Verde Ithaca (Green) with Black interior
LAMBORGHINI HURACAN LP 610-4 Arancio Borealis (interior TBC)
MCLAREN MP4-12C Carbon Black with Carbon Black interior
MASERATI GHIBLI DIESEL Grigio Metallo with Nero interior
700 miles
2,595 miles
5,300 miles
18,700 miles
£269,950
£179,950
£116,950
£45,950
MASERATI GRANTURISMO SPORT MC Blu Sofisticato with Bianco Pregiato interior
PORSCHE 911 CARRERA 4S PDK Racing Yellow with Black Leather interior
ROLLS-ROYCE GHOST Mazarine Blue with Creme Light/ Navy interior
ROLLS-ROYCE WRAITH Darkest Tungsten with Moccasin interior
19,950 miles
27,113 miles
7,593 miles
2,966 miles
£64,950
£73,950
£139,950
£208,950
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29/01/2015 14:38
THE CHAPAR LOV E C L OTHES HATE SHOPPI N G
S IG N U P | STYL I ST CONSULTATI ON | H A N D - P IC K ED C L OTHES | TRUNK D EL I VERED
W WW.THEC HAPAR.COM
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BOOKED FOR SPEEDING FORGET ABOUT THOSE YELLOWING ANNUALS FROM WOOLWORTHS PROMISING “THE COOLEST CARS OF 1986” – HERE’S MATTHEW CARTER’S PICK OF THE MOST DISCERNING AUTOMOTIVE TOMES, BOTH OUT OF PRINT (I.E.,WORTH HUNTING DOWN) AND ON THE SHELVES NOW There are those who say the printed word is dying, that magazines and books will soon be a thing of the past. And it’s true that modern technology allows publishers to produce on-line, fully interactive tomes that go way beyond what a book can do. For example, a digital publication has just been launched that’s devoted to the fearsome Porsche 917 Le Mans racer. You can read all about it on your iPad or Kindle but instead of just looking at pictures of the car, you can click on an image and see (and hear) the car in action as period film is activated. Marvellous. But it’s not the same thing as having a book in your hands. There’s nothing to beat the weight, the tactility of turning the pages or even that slightly musty
smell of an old out-of-print volume. And there’s nothing to beat the sight (and investment potential) of bookshelf after bookshelf filled with personally chosen volumes. Where to start is very much down to personal choice. Are you interested in one particular marque or perhaps the people who have made an impact on the motor industry? Perhaps you love motor racing or the history of the automobile. Here are a few suggestions to help you on your way to starting your own motoring library, from out-of-print obscurities well-worth scouring eBay and boot sales for, to current coffeetable adornments that still offer plenty of substance as well as style.
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A U T O M O B I L I A
AUTOMOBILE YEAR Annual, Various editors Most years out-of-print
THE MAGNIFICENT MONOPOSTOS: ALFA ROMEO GRAND PRIX CARS, 1923 TO 1951 By Simon Moore Parkside Publications, ISBN 9780982077429, £300
Published annually as glossy coffee table review of the motoring year just past, Automobile Year started in 1953 as the Annual Automobile Review covering new cars, concept and the major race and rally championships. A complete collection would give you a most comprehensive history of the past 60 years of the car… the only trouble is tracking down each year’s output. A trawl of eBay and specialist booksellers will usually throw up something, but the early volumes – especially the first – are rare and expensive. Budget £500+ for a copy of the first edition in good condition.
The final book in Simon Moore’s epic Alfa Romeo trilogy, this one tackles Alfa’s single-seaters (the first two looked at the Alfa 8C2900 and 8C2300 respectively). Meticulously researched and with a wealth of wonderful photographs, the story finishes when Alfa retired from Grand Prix racing in 1951 but obviously covers the era when Scuderia Ferrari ran the works Alfa team. Running to an epic 836 pages, the book is split into two volumes. While it is a highly specialist subject, just 1,000 copies have been published so it has real investment potential, too.
THE BEAULIEU ENCYCLOPEDIA OF THE AUTOMOBILE
TOUCH WOOD!
Edited by Nick Georgano Out of print
By Duncan Hamilton Out of print
A vast two-volume reference library in its own right (it weighs in at more than 9kg), the Beaulieu Encyclopaedia was published by the Stationery Office in 2000 and while it might be a little dry in places, it will have the answer to the most obscure motoring question you could think of. There are entries on more than 5,000 automobile makes from the obvious to the obscure. Think the all-electric Tesla is breaking new ground? Then check out the Pope-Waverley entry… they were making electric vehicles in the early 1900s.
The book that got me into motoring and motor racing! Originally published in 1960 (and updated and reprinted in 1990) it tells the story of Duncan Hamilton, a larger than life character who, inadvertently almost, won Le Mans in1953 in a C-Type Jaguar. Sharing the car with Tony Rolt, they were initially disqualified after they practised their car with the wrong number. They went off to a bar to drown their sorrows but were later reinstated. The team tried to sober Hamilton up by giving him coffee at pit stops but he refused saying it made his arms twitch. Instead he drank brandy. A real ripping yarn.
FERRARI 250 GT SHORT-WHEELBASE
MILLE MIGLIA: IMMAGINI DI UNA CORSA / A RACE IN PICTURES
By Doug Nye Porter Press, ISBN 9781907085239, £60 (de Luxe edition £250)
By Leonardo Acerbi Giorgio Nada Editore, ISBN 9780992820954, £60
Written by one of motoring history’s acknowledged experts, this tome in a new Great Cars series from Porter Press is subtitled The Autobiography of 2119 GT. Although it does talk about the 250GT SWB in general, most of the book is dedicated to one particular car… the one famously driven by Stirling Moss to victory in the 1960 Goodwood Tourist Trophy. Incredibly detailed it is wonderfully illustrated. Other books in the series look at specific models of the Porsche 917, Maserati 250F and Jaguar D-type.
The “1,000 miles” was an epic, dangerous and uniquely challenging event run across Italy from 1927 to 1957 with each of the 24 events watched by an estimated 5 million spectators lining the route from Brescia to Rome and back. Alfa Romeo won 11 times and Ferrari 8 times. Perhaps the best-known win, though (at least as far as the Brits are concerned) was Stirling Moss’s victory in 1955 in a Mercedes 300 SLR. This wonderful book is crammed with period photos and captures the atmosphere perfectly. The 2015 Book of the Year according to Classic and Sports Car magazine.
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CLEANSE
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Y
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AT THE UK’S FIRST DETOX & WELLBEING CENTRE Start the New Year refreshed and renewed, with a day or stay, at the original health spa in our new Detox and Wellbeing Centre. Just 35 minutes from London, detoxing at Champneys is the perfect way to assist your body’s natural self-cleaning system and enhance the vitality and balance of the mind, body and soul. Detox gives the body a break from the norm and supports the breakdown of toxins. It also helps prevent chronic disease, enhances the immune system, aids weight loss, increases energy, improves skin quality and restores balance to the body. Our Detox Centre at Champneys Tring in Hertfordshire offers
all that and more, in a smart, revolutionary hub. Our signature treatments focus on the natural healing and cleansing properties of seawater and the richness of marine algae, to evoke a feeling of ultimate serenity and wellbeing. Enjoy a two-hour, multi-staged detox programme tailored to your individual wellbeing by one of our world-class trained therapists, which can include marine wraps, foot bathing, infrared sauna and salt steam inhalation. You’ll have Be prepared to be swept away on this immersive spa journey.
EXPERIENCE DETOX FROM £139 PER PERSON VISIT CHAMPNEYS.COM TERMS AND CONDITIONS APPLY. SUBJECT TO AVAILABILITY.
W E L L N E S S
R E T R E A T S
Assuming Dry January went out the window around the second Friday of 2016, and all New Year resolutions have now fallen by the wayside, it’s time for a genuinely enjoyable bit of R&R before the heady summer holidays kick in. Pack your bags, throw open the garage doors and follow our lead to two very different health kicks, via the Chilterns or the Yorkshire Dales.
R O A D
T R I P
Wellness Retreats
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1 C H A M P N E Y S T H E
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M A R L O W ,
R O C K L I F F E Y O R K S H I R E
C R O S S ,
T R I N G A4155 A40 > A4010 > B4009 > A41
&
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N O R T H
H A M B L E D E N ,
B U T L E R ’ S
H A L L
Y O R K S H I R E &
C O A S T
M O O R S
A169 > A170 > B6270 > A684
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A4155 A40 > A4010 > B4009 > A41
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0.6367° W
id you know one of the most scenic – not to mention serene – driving landscapes in southern England is less than an hour from west London? The Chilterns are a gorgeous, undulating slice of the Cotswolds right on our doorstep, yet so few make the most of it. It also happens to form a rather beautiful passageway to west Hertfordshire and the quaint market town of Tring – home to a little-known outpost of the Natural History Museum, stuffed full of, well, stuffed animals, and more famously the flagship resort of the Champneys wellness empire. But before succumbing to a weekend of detoxification and relaxation, we’d recommend one last bit of indulgence on the way to Tring, just as you come off the M40 at junction 4: lunch at Tom Kerridge’s two-Michelin-starred pub, The Hand and
Flowers in Marlow. The only starred pub in the UK, Kerridge and his wife Beth’s original idea was to open a somewhere they’d both like to go to on their days off; an informal space but with no compromise on quality of food. They’ve achieved this and then some, with familiar, hearty fare executed with a rare deftness. Looping out of Marlow towards Hambleden then Turville (The Vicar of Dibley was filmed here and Cobstone Windmill featured in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang) go back under the M40 and you’re deep in the heart of the Chilterns, enjoying some fantastic driving roads. Leave West Wycombe and its medieval-timbered gable ends, Queen Anne windows and Regency stucco, then, before reaching Princes Risborough, turn right and climb up to Loosley Row (signposted). Views over the Weston Chilterns on your left are superb.
WHICH CAR? Bentley Mulsanne Speed
It’s only right that you roll up to an estate such as Champneys Tring in a car that’s equally stately. And yet, you also want to enjoy the scenic, twisty roads of the Chilterns in a car that feels eager on the nose. So look no further than Bentley’s
latest upgrade to its flagship limousine, the Mulsanne Speed. The venerable 6.75-litre twin-turbo V8 has been blessed with a power hike from 505hp to 530hp while torque has risen to an extraordinary 1,110Nm, yielding a 0–60mph time of just 4.8 seconds and a top speed of 190mph.
And yet, for all that performance, you could be sitting in your favourite chair back at the club – luxuriant leather, spaciousness and calm abound. By all means, insist on being driven and enjoy the view, catch up on the pink pages in the back, arrive with nary a crease on your shirt…
But you’ll be missing out on one hell of a driving experience. hrowen.co.uk/Bentley
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W E L L N E S S
R E T R E A T S
TRING
A41 BUTLERS CROSS
BOLTOR END
Using the recuperative qualities of seawater, algae and marine minerals, several signature treatments have been carefully selected for their stimulating, cleansing effects on both the body and ultimately your mind.
CHAMPNEYS TRING
LOOSELY HILL
DETOX O’CLOCK Launched last year, the Detox and Wellbeing Centre at Champneys Tring is the first of its kind in the UK, offering a range of waterbased personalised treatments in a smart, purpose-built environment. Offering two-hour programmes bookended by an invigorating algae shot and relaxing detox tea, this revolutionary hub has been designed to renew and reinvigorate your body’s entire skin in absolute serenity.
B4009
More valleys, ridges, views and churches follow, until you crunch to a halt on the Champneys gravel drive. Built originally by the Rothschilds, this elegant English stately home was opened as a health farm in 1925 by the celebrated naturopath Stanley Lief, who pioneered the concept of holistic wellbeing. Today, Champneys Tring remains true to those roots – and remains an outstanding health resort. Its 170 acres of surrounding Hertfordshire parkland do wonders for your mind alone. Marking its 90th anniversary last year, Champneys benefitted from a multi-millionpound refurbishment. A new Detox and Wellbeing Centre was created (see box) while the resort’s thalassotherapy relaxation area, sauna and steam room were all completely revamped. What’s more, a new light diet menu has been introduced – big on nutrition, no compromise on taste – and none other than BBC Gardener’s World’s Joe Swift has helped to enhance Tring’s grounds with an English meadow, encouraging wild flowers and boosting Britain’s bee population. See? Even the wildlife comes out of Champneys feeling better. Imagine how you’ll feel.
A4010
WHEELER END
FINGEST BEST STRETCH
COBSTONE WINDMILL
M40
champneys.com thehandandflowers.co.uk MARLOW
A4155
THE HAND & FLOWERS
MEDMENHAM
HAMBLEDEN
BEST STRETCH This is a rolling cruise right into the heart of the Chilterns (an designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty), which takes you back underneath the M40 towards West Wycombe. In a car as substantial as the Mulsanne Speed, caution is advised as there are blind summits and narrow bends – but the undulating mix of straights and sweeping curves will perfectly show off your steed’s capabilities.
WEST WYCOMBE
A40
N
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R O A D
T R I P
2
/ /
R O C K L I F F E
R O A D
H A L L
&
T H E
Y O R K S H I R E
M O O R S
T R I P
2
N O R T H Y O R K S H I R E &
C O A S T
M O O R S
A169 > A170 > B6270 > A684
54.810.085째 N
1.31 25.592 째 W
ROCKLIFFE HALL
N
A1 (M) WENSLEYDALE
A167
A684
YORKSHIRE DALES A6018
A170
FEVERSHAM ARMS HOTEL
RIPON
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W E L L N E S S
BEST STRETCH Early on the route, you’ll hit the A169, which cuts through the hauntingly beautiful, blasted Moors along the White Way Heads; a heather-lined, quiet and recently laid ribbon of tarmac that offers
EROW LODGE
STAITHES
A174
BEST STRETCH
A169
YORKSHIRE MOORS
T
an abundance of opportunities to stretch your chosen steed’s legs (responsibly, of course), thanks to some arrow-straight stretches and broad curves.
BLACK SWAN
ouring a little further afield, the North Yorkshire Moors and Coast too afford some of the UK’s most scenic and idyllic expanses of countryside. The drives are dramatic, scenery spectacular and the spa retreats every bit as luxurious as their Southern counterparts. Begin your wellness excursion in Staithes, the idyllic fishing port nestled in Yorkshire’s Jurassic Coast and once home to British explorer Captain James Cook. Open onto the A174 for a straight sprint down to Whitby’s Sandside Café for morning sustenance in the form of home baked cakes and pies, or if the views of the rugged coast prove too alluring why not stop in at the Raithwaite estate and spa. Ideal for a spot of lunch or couple’s treatment (should you have deemed a companion necessary), the hotel even offers a dog spa if you’re that way inclined. Back on the road, the A169, you’ll begin to cut through the beautiful Moors along the White Way Heads; a stone-walled, heather-lined, quiet and recently laid stretch with an abundance of opportunities to warm up the engine. Emerging invigorated in the small market town of Helmsley you’ll find the Feversham Arms Hotel and its unrivalled local luxury awaiting you. A dinner of moor-sourced woodpigeon is essential before capping your evening with a dip at dusk in the heated pool and Jacuzzi.
WHICH CAR? Rolls-Royce Dawn The most recent launch from Goodwood is the perfect choice in which to scour the Yorkshire countryside – as serene and stately as the surroundings. With its buttery handstitched leather and bookmatched veneers, the Dawn ensures that the real event is in driving the car itself, not just the striking scenery, revealed in an instant by the fastretracting fabric hood. Despite the famed “magic carpet ride”,
R E T R E A T S
the Dawn still demands attention with its powerful road presence and statuesque proportions. Yet with a 6.6-litre V12 engine paired to an 8-speed gearbox within the lightweight aluminium space frame, you get extremely comfortable acceleration and neat and responsive drive as you curve through the smooth bends and open roads that slice deep into the Moors. hrowen.co.uk/ Rolls-Royce
Start your day right, with an invigorating scrub in the Verbena spa, before continuing out of Helmsley through the town’s labyrinthine medieval layout and onto the A170, past the titular castle on your right. The road will begin to elevate as you wind through the Moors alongside the River Rye towards the historic Mount Grace Priory for a peek at the well-preserved, medieval Carthusian houses. Wind yourself north up the A167 to the decadent Rockliffe Hall, which offers an award-winning array of treatments (we recommend the “Naughty and Nice”) and three restaurants. If your boot is capacious enough, bring your irons and take advantage of their championship 18-hole golf course. The final stages of your outing blend a few of Yorkshire’s great beauties, its forestry, reservoirs, farmland… and cheese. Blasting down the B6270 for a challenging B-road experience towards Wenselydale, why not stop in at the eponymous creamery, picking up a wheel of Wallace’s favourite? If you’d prefer a more full-bodied souvenir we’d suggest dropping in at the BAD Co. in Ripon just down the road, a superb craft brewery and the first of any in Yorkshire to distil its own whiskey. sandsidecafe.co.uk fevershamarmshotel.com rockliffehall.com wearebad.co
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B E N T L E Y
U T I L I T Y
B E N TAYG A
B E LT E R
[ FIRST DRIVE ] Redefining the modern notion of “luxury SUV”, Bentley’s blistering new Bentayga sits in a class of its own, reckons Matthew Carter, where genuine sports-car performance meets genuine off-roader
I
t’s an unfortunate abbreviation, “SUV”, when uttered in the same sentence as “Bentley”. It stands for Sports Utility Vehicle, after all, and while Bentley does sports and luxury exceptionally well, utility is unfamiliar territory. Or is it? As part of the Bentayga press launch in California this February, Bentley showed a specially kitted out model crammed with personalised options. It included a beautifully crafted bespoke threepiece picnic hamper set across the trunk, developed in conjunction with Linley (as in Viscount).
Each hamper is trimmed in diamond-quilted leather with a cushioned top so it can be used as a seat. One hamper contains fine china crockery, cutlery and crystal glasses; the second is a cooler for the champagne and wine; the third holds the food. “That seems like a pretty good description of utility to me,” laughs the man from Bentley. In truth, “SUV” barely scratches at the surface of Bentayga’s capabilities. It is a truly remarkable machine, one that looks every inch a Bentley, yet can do things no other car from Crewe can contemplate. Supremely comfortable on-road and surprisingly quick on a racetrack,
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F I R S T
D R I V E
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B E N T L E Y
B E N TAYG A
IT IS A TRULY REMARKABLE MACHINE, ONE THAT L O O K S E V E R Y I N C H A B E N T L E Y, Y E T C A N D O T H I N G S NO OTHER CAR FROM CREWE CAN CONTEMPLATE
Bentayga is equally at home off the beaten track. During the course of our two-day drive we also took Bentayga over some tricky rock-strewn terrain, up unbelievably steep climbs and down heart-stopping descents. We drove it across log bridges and over shifting sands in dunes constantly reshaped by the elements. We tried as many of the car’s eight electronically controlled drive modes as we could and we did it all in the lap of luxury. There are other luxury SUVs on the market, of course – and existing Bentley owners are quite likely to have one sharing garage space with their Continental GT, Spur or Mulsanne. But nothing else quite reaches the heights set by the newcomer. To recap briefly, the first inkling we had that Bentley was considering an SUV came with the EXP 9 F concept that appeared in 2012. If the idea of a Bentley SUV was a shock, so too was its styling… Luckily, the Bentayga arrived three years later and while it shared the same dimensions and aspirations as the concept, the look was far more subtle, far
more Bentley. The diamond-hatched grille, the strong rear haunches and the exquisite attention to detail are all redolent of Bentley’s design language but the bold overall shape sets Bentayga apart. Under the skin – largely aluminium with high strength steel for key structural areas – lies a (Volkswagen) group platform that in time will be seen underpinning new SUVs from the likes of Audi and Porsche. For Bentayga, it features an all-new Dynamic Ride air suspension set-up controlled by an advanced 48V electric system that counteracts lateral roll when cornering far quicker than a conventional system can manage. The chassis is controlled via a rotary knob in the centre console, which has four on-road and four off-road modes. The default setting is “Bentley”, blending the refinement of the Comfort and body control of the Sport settings, or you can use Custom to choose your own preferred setting. Off-road settings optimise the chassis for Snow & Grass, Dirt & Gravel, Mud & Trail or Sand Dunes.
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F I R S T
D R I V E
A C C E L E R AT I O N I S R A P I D, T H O U G H YO U’L L N E E D TO KEEP AN EYE ON THE SPEEDO – OR MORE USEFULLY T H E H E A D-U P D I S P L AY – I F YO U WA N T TO AVO I D T R O U B L E, A S T H E I N T E R I O R I S W H I S P E R-Q U I E T, E V E N WHEN THE W12 POWERHOUSE IS BEING EXTENDED
Power comes from a completely revised twin turbo 6.0-litre W12 that develops 600hp and a scarcely believable 900Nm of torque. It incorporates all the latest tricks, including Variable Displacement that shuts down half the engine under light loads, while the pair of twin-scroll turbochargers mean quicker response time, as reflected in the 4.0 sec 0–60mph time. And top speed is 187mph. Think on that for a moment. This is a big car. It’s 5.14m long and has a wheelbase almost 3m long and it weighs a solid 2.4 tonnes. Yet it performs like a sports car. The engine, 30kg lighter than before, is more fuel-efficient and complies with Phase 2 Euro 6 emission legislation. It drives all four wheels via the now familiar eight-speed ZF automatic transmission and, finally, has paddle shifters that move with the wheel rather than remain frustratingly static. Inside it is just as you might expect from a Bentley, offering the finest
hand crafted luxury money can buy. Quilted leather, handpicked veneers, precision stitching – it’s all here and with levels of colour and material choice that will leave most bewildered (or at least needing help from Bentley experts). There’s even a choice of seat configuration: either a two-seat rear compartment with centre console or a three-seat bench. Opt for the latter and you’ll find it folds flat to increase luggage space – that’s the Utility bit raising its head again. On the road it drives just as you might expect a Bentley to drive. Undeniably fast, the ride is supremely comfortable and thanks to the new suspension system, the Bentayga corners with little body roll… there’s just enough to let you know what’s happening out there but none of the side-to-side lurching you might expect from a car of this size. Acceleration is rapid though you’ll need to keep an eye on the speedo – or more usefully the head-up display – if you want to avoid trouble, as the interior is whisper quiet even when the W12 is being extended. And, as we discovered, that’s only half its repertoire. It will perform exceptionally well thrashing across sand dunes or crawling up and down slippery tracks. It will make a fine tow car, too, should you need to pull a horsebox or boat. Bentley’s claim that Bentayga is, “the fastest, most powerful, most luxurious and most exclusive SUV in the world,” is hard to deny. All it needs is a new label. “SUV” barely does it justice… The Bentayga starts from £160,200. Visit hrowen.co.uk/Bentley for more information
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B E N T L E Y
B E N TAYG A
Above: The versatility of the Bentayga is plain to see, with a capacious 430-litre boot fit for luggage, sports gear, dogs… or a quilted Linley hamper. After all, why should you settle for plastic cutlery on a picnic?
W H AT ’S N E X T F O R B E N T L E Y ? DRIVE HAS A WORD IN CEO WOLFGANG DÜRHEIMER’S EAR Bentayga might be new to us, but to Bentley insiders it is
the Continental GT. The reception given to EXP 10 Speed 6
already history; they are deep into Bentley’s future and a
[the stunning two-seat coupé concept that appeared at the
£840 million investment programme in new product, new
2015 Geneva Motor Show – Ed] has given us the confidence
facilities and new jobs. And while no one is going to spill
to develop that idea,” says Dürheimer.
all the beans on future plans just yet, chairman and CEO Wolfgang Dürheimer is happy to drop plenty of hints, during a quiet chat with DRIVE.
In fact, it’s pretty much certain that a production version
“We don’t have to win championships, but we do have to
of the car will go ahead. What’s not known is how it will be
win important races.”
powered. Could it be a pure electric car, potentially based
Does that mean a return to Le Mans?
Bentayga is, of course, the first SUV from Bentley and, in
on the Porsche Mission E platform unveiled last year?
time, will also become the company’s first diesel offering
“It is a possibility,” admits Dürheimer. “But then you look
and its first hybrid. That much is known. In its first year,
at the distances people drive across places like California
If that were to happen, it’s unlikely to be soon however.
Bentley expects to produce as many as 5,000 units,
and you understand why they are asking for a combustion
Dürheimer wants to win races outright, so a class
but that will surely rise as the other variants are introduced.
engine. No decision has been made, yet.”
contender wouldn’t do. But to field a Bentley LMP1
Even so, it won’t be enough to boost annual sales to the annual 20,000 units Dürheimer wants to see Bentley build by 2025.
The second new model likely to happen will be a variation on the Bentayga theme, a four-door coupé version of the
“Never say never,” is the teasing reply.
prototype would simply tread on the toes of stablemates Audi and Porsche.
SUV that’s squarely in line with style trends led by the likes
More of a possibility is a new model at the very top of the
“We are currently investigating two new projects. We are
of Range Rover, BMW and Mercedes. But there’s still more
range. “There’s certainly room for a Bentley supercar,”
looking at a new entry point for the brand, a car to sit under
up Dürheimer’s sleeve. Pressed on motorsport he says:
says Dürheimer. But he won’t be drawn further.
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L A M B O / C E O
LAMBO/CEO Lithe, suave and stylish, Stephan Winkelmann is every inch Mr Lamborghini – only he’s now moving on, to sister brand Audi. Here, in an exclusive interview for DRIVE, he reflects on how far along he has brought the Fighting Bull, and reveals his hopes for the brand, as it celebrates its eponymous founder’s 100th birthday
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I N T E R V I E W :
S T E P H A N
W I N K E L M A N N
WORDS: RAY HUTTON // PORTRAITS: SAREL JANSEN
B
eyond Ferruccio Lamborghini himself, it’s difficult to the man to reflect on how far he has taken his alma mater in just 11 years. imagine a more suitable president and chief executive for Fittingly, last year was a record year. For the first time, Lamborghini Lamborghini than Stephan Winkelmann. He has headed this delivered 3,245 cars, 28 per cent more than in 2014, which was itself a record. maker of the most exotic of supercars for 11 years, and won Reviewing the past year, he picks out the most important developments hearts as something of a star in the world’s motor industry for the marque. – making it all the sadder for his recently announced move within the “We launched the Aventador Superveloce – which represents the VW Group to Audi division. At car presentations he powered the new brand at its very best – and both coupé and roadster were sold out, models onto the stage, climbed out with agility of a far more quickly than we had expected. There were two teenager, flashed winning smiles, and delivered his new variants of the Huracán – the Spyder, a lifestyle “URUS WILL BE THE message with a passion that could only be Italian. model that combines innovation with a traditional SUPERSPORTS CAR OF Except that he isn’t Italian at all. fabric roof, and the two-wheel drive LP 580-2, which THE SUV SEGMENT BUT Winkelmann was born in Germany. His father’s work pleases both experienced drivers and those new to the ENTIRELY SUITABLE FOR as a United Nations diplomat, took the family to Rome and brand. And we had the go-ahead for the [SUV] Urus, he was brought up and educated in Italy – though he earned which will be available in 2018; a game-changer for DAILY USE… AND IT his university degree in Munich and did military service the company.” NEEDS TO BE THE as a paratrooper in the German army. In other words, the But how to keep Lamborghini’s place as the most WORLD’S FASTEST perfect background for the boss of a quintessential Italian spectacular, the most visually and aurally thrilling of AND MOST POWERFUL car company. supercars in the face of increasing competition? PRODUCTION SUV” So Winkelmann, now 51, is International Man. He is Winkelmann’s answer comes from what we already fluent in four European languages and travels incessantly, know and love: “It is design, performance, and exclusivity but it is clear that his heart and soul are in Italy, in Sant’Agata Bolognese combined with the brand’s history and recognition. Best of all it is in Emilia Romagna. He has the carefully arranged, casual-formal style of Lamborghini’s ability to excite.” a modern Italian business leader – longish wavy hair with side-burns, a Some time ago, when asked a similar question, he simply replied, “We sharp, precisely tailored dark suit with cuff buttons undone, crisp white have to stay ahead – we will always be the bad boys.” So, while customers shirt with a sober tie slightly askew and, as his personal motif, a rainbow might secretly concur, nowadays Winkelmann is more measured. of beaded wristbands jostling with his Apple Watch. Unfailingly courteous “We have a wide spectrum of clients, who are – rightly – very and charming, Winkelmann speaks with authority and real enthusiasm demanding and we need to exceed their expectations.” about Lamborghini, the cars, its people, its customers, and its past, The Huracán is an example of this new maturity. The successor to the present and future. With his transfer papers in hand, it seems fitting for Gallardo – the best-selling Lamborghini in history – it was designed from
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L A M B O / C E O
Above: Lamborghini’s outgoing CEO Stephan Winkelmann explains the significance of the now-approved Urus SUV - “the supersports car of the SUV segment but entirely suitable for daily use.” Interestingly, it will be powered by a twin-turbo V8, though Winkelmann is keen to reassure Lambo fans that normal aspiration will remain elsewhere.
the outset as a series of different models, each with a distinctive flavour: the LP 610-4 coupé, a comfortable, high-performance touring car; the fun Spyder, for open-air lifestyle driving; and the Super Trofeo race car. Four-wheel drive has long been a Lamborghini speciality and so some people found it surprising that the company had chosen to launch the Huracán LP 580-2 with rear-wheel drive only. Winkelmann explains the rationale with undeniable logic. “Four-wheel drive is our USP but 60 per cent of the super-sports cars sold are two-wheel drive. We see an opportunity for a car that will reward the experienced driver, who can select the preferred handling characteristics, and also for the newcomer to Lamborghini, as this becomes the entry model for the brand.” There will be more newcomers when the Urus is in the showroom in a couple of years’ time. Four-wheel drive is only part of the story here, for this will be Lamborghini’s take on a modern state-of-the-art SUV. Winkelmann refers back to the LM002 of the 1970s to show that a high-riding 4X4 is nothing new for Lamborghini but in truth that was originally designed as a military vehicle and does not bear any comparison with today’s sophisticated SUVs – the fastest-growing sector of the luxury car business. The concept models presented at international motor shows, starting in Beijing in 2012, give a good idea of how the Urus will look. But Winkelmann provides some tantalising details of a vehicle that promises to double Lamborghini’s production by 2020: “It will be the supersports car of the SUV segment but entirely suitable for daily use, comfortable and highly driveable both on- and off-road. And it needs to be the world’s fastest and most powerful production SUV.” The last statement is significant. Bentley, another company in the Volkswagen Group, recently raised the stakes by announcing that Bentayga,
PROFILE: STEPHAN WINKELMANN
Age: 51 Born: Berlin, Germany Raised: Rome, Italy Education: Political science Career: German financial institution MLP (1991); Fiat Auto (1994–2004) as CEO of Fiat Auto Austria, Switzerland and lastly Fiat Auto Germany; Lamborghini (2005) as CEO and president; Audi (2016), position TBC Awards: Grand Officer in the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (2009), a tribute to his commitment to relaunching Lamborghini; Order of Merit of The Italian Republic, Knight Grand Cross (2014), for the valued results achieved by Winkelmann as leader of one of the most important companies of “Made in Italy”
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I N T E R V I E W :
S T E P H A N
W I N K E L M A N N
Above left: With trademark showmanship, Winkelmann steps out of the Asterion plug-in hybrid concept at the Paris Motor Show in 2014; Lamborghini’s hybrid technologies demonstrator.
Of course, carbon-fibre came into the automotive world through with 600bhp from its W12 engine, will reach 187mph and accelerate motor racing, starting in the 1970s. Unlike most of its supercar rivals, from 0–60 mph in just 4 seconds. So the Urus has a formidable target. Lamborghini does not have a strong racing heritage but in recent years For a start, it will be the first turbocharged Lamborghini, with a it has found a place on the world’s race tracks with its own one-make twin-turbo V8 engine. That will be the only power unit available series, the Super Trofeo. In 2015, the Huracán has taken the place of at launch but if there is to be another version later it could well be a the Gallardo in these events, which are now held on three Continents – high-performance plug-in hybrid; technology already exhibited by the Europe, America and Asia. Asterion prototype at the 2014 Paris Motor Show. Meanwhile, 2016 sees two important Lamborghini anniversaries. Winkelmann describes the Urus as a “game changer” and it is It marks 50 years since the first appearance of the easy to see why. The factory space at Sant’Agata will be Miura, regarded as the first mid-engined roadgoing almost doubled – with 500 more people employed – to supercar, and the centenary of the birth of Ferruccio increase production to between 5,000 and 6,000 a year. “ THE BEST LUXURY SUPERLamborghini, the tractor maker who had the dream of All car manufacturers have to meet stricter and stricter SPORTS CAR MANUFACTURER building the world’s finest sports cars. Today’s company regulations to reduce carbon emissions; the Urus will be I N T H E WO R L D N E E D S TO H AV E will celebrate with a very special car to be exhibited at essential for Lamborghini to reach its prescribed average A F A M I LY- S T Y L E A P P R O A C H … the Geneva Motor Show in March. CO₂ level in the coming years. But while other supercar W E WA N T C U S TO M E R S TO B E Details remained secret at the time of press, but makers are downsizing their thirsty large-displacement it is known that Lamborghini will make the so-called engines, Winkelmann intends to keep the Aventador’s PART OF THE LAMBORGHINI “Centenario” in a limited series of 20 coupés and naturally aspirated 6.5-litre V12 at the top of the COMMUNITY” 20 roadsters, priced at €2.2 million (plus taxes) – Lamborghini range. and that all are pre-sold on the basis of a few styling One reason he can do this is Lamborghini’s sketches, such is the loyalty of the Raging Bull’s clients, and their technology lead in lightweight materials, notably carbon fibre. It already confidence in Winkelmann’s vision. Lamborghini’s loss is certainly produces up to five complete Aventador carbon-fibre monocoque chassis Audi’s gain. per day in a special department at Sant’Agata and is developing new “Lamborghini is developing in its own way, not looking at our lower-cost methods, including a “forged carbon” composite made from competitors. The best luxury super-sports car manufacturer in the chopped carbon filaments. “Urus will stand out from other SUVs in its world needs to be a controllable size and have a family-style approach. use of carbon-fibre for many structural parts,” Winkelmann promises. We want customers to be part of the Lamborghini community.” In other words, by the standards of these hefty vehicles, it will be light as Bad boys and all. well as powerful – hence his confidence of superior performance.
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F I R S T
D R I V E
A LO N G CAME A SPYDER [ FIRST DRIVE ] The new con vertible version of Lamborghini’s V10 pocket rocket is an awe-inspiring dose of street theat re, reckons Steve Sutcliffe as he hits the mean streets of Miami
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L A M B O R G H I N I
H U R A C Á N
S P Y D E R
LAMBORGHINI HURACÁN LP 610-4 SPYDER Engine
V10 5.2 LITRE
Transmission 7-SPEED DUAL-CLUTCH FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE Power/torque
602BHP/560NM
0–62mph
3.4SEC
Top speed
201MPH
On sale
NOW
Price
£199,000
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F I R S T
D R I V E
L
amborghini’s successor to the Gallardo – the most successful car in the Fighting Bull’s history – was always going to split opinion among the hardcore enthusiasts. But since its debut in 2013, the Huracán has simply, and undeniably become better and better beneath the skin, and its appeal has become wider and as a result. How so? Well at the beginning of last year, Sant’Agata’s engineers revisited the car’s four-wheel-drive chassis to make it even more engaging to drive generally. And at the end of last year they unleashed the infinitely more playful rear-wheel-drive version, called the LP 580-2, complete with softer front springs, bags of turn in bite and armfuls of oversteer available to anyone brave enough to switch off that button marked “traction control”. And now they’ve gone one further by producing this, the Spyder convertible, which, says Lamborghini, combines the power and dynamic performance of the coupé with the added emotion of open-air motoring. Reading between the lines, this means the Spyder drives every bit as well as the coupé, whether its natty new all-electric
hood is up or down. Which is some trick to pull off if Lamborghini’s engineers are to be believed. And as it transpires, they most certainly should be. In the metal, the Huracán Spyder looks absolutely drop-dead gorgeous. It is instantly identifiable as a member of the Huracán family yet different from almost every angle at the same time. Personally I think it looks even better than the coupé, and the way the three-part soft hood glides gracefully into the rear bodywork in just 17 seconds is enough to stop anyone in their tracks, even somewhere as theatrical as Miami Beach, where the car was launched to the press. It’s a lot more than just a pretty version of an already-pretty car however, is the Spyder. Lamborghini has gone to great lengths to ensure the car’s underpinnings remain razor-sharp despite the presence of a great big hole where the roof once was. Stiffening has been added front and rear, there are hidden rollover bars that deploy only if the car starts to roll, and there’s also a small rear screen that raises automatically on the move to eradicate swirl in the cabin with the hood down.
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L A M B O R G H I N I
H U R A C Ă N
S P Y D E R
2.
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F I R S T
D R I V E
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L A M B O R G H I N I
H U R A C Á N
S P Y D E R
F O R P U R E , U N A D U LT E R AT E D S H O W M A N S H I P, T H E H U R A C Á N S P Y D E R I S I N A LEAGUE OF ONE. IT LOOKS SENSATIONAL, GOES LIKE STINK AND MAKES A BETTER NOISE THAN ANY OF ITS COMPETITION
The Spyder weighs an extra 122kg compared with the coupe, which makes it a touch heavier than its key rivals from Porsche, Ferrari and McLaren. But on the move it still feels extremely well sorted, with little or no compromise noted in terms of chassis stiffness or general sharpness, certainly not on the limited environs of the Miami test routes. And with the exact same 602bhp, 5.2-litre V10 from the coupé howling away behind the headrests, allied to the same much improved seven-speed dual clutch gearbox, the Spyder still feels heroically fast. Lamborghini claims it’ll do 0–62mph in 3.4s and hit 201mph flat out, hood up or down, and although you do need to rev the V10 beyond 4,000rpm to get at the meat of its potential, when you do, the resulting thump in the kidneys remains insatiable. You do it once in the Spyder – scream it out to 8,000rpm in a low gear – and all you then want to do is the same thing, again and again. The thrust is both instant and massive over the last 3,500rpm, and the way the dual-clutch gearbox works so sweetly in cahoots with
the big V10 – especially in Sport mode – makes for a unique driving experience. And best of all, you get to hear the V10 in all its glory that much better in the Spyder. And believe me, it does sound utterly fantastic, never more so than with the hood up and the little electric rear screen down. Run it up to 8,000rpm in second gear in this specific configuration and it’s enough to make a grown man go all weak at the knees. Price? A snip at £199,000, which is actually not that horrendous beside this car’s more obvious rivals from Ferrari and McLaren, if not Porsche, none of which sound anything like as fantastic at full chat. No, for pure, unadulterated showmanship the Huracán Spyder is in a league of one. It looks sensational, goes like stink and makes a better noise than any of its competition. For an open top supercar it’s hard to think how Lamborghini could make it any better. hrowen.co.uk/Lamborghini
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T H E B E A U T Y I S I N E V E RY D E TA I L
This is The Ritz 150 Piccadilly, London W1J 9BR +44 (0) 20 7493 8181 | enquire@theritzlondon.com | www.theritzlondon.com
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T H E
T O D ’ S
G O M M I N O
RUBBER SOUL The 133 rubber pebbles dotting the bottom of the Tod’s “Gommino” loafer make it the quintessential, iconic driving shoe. Allow Alex Doak to reveal the painstaking hand-craftsmanship that goes into every pair of the Riviera petrolhead’s favourite leather option
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A R T
&
C R A F T
I
T H I S M O C C A S I N WA S I N S P I R E D BY T H E D R I V I N G SHOES OF THE 1950S – A MORE “BASIC” ER A OF MOTORING WHEN ANY DISTANCE WOULD SOON PROVE WEARY ON THE FEET
nvest in a pair of Tod’s Gommino moccasins and you have a driving shoe if not for life, then with an eventual “cost per wear” far lower than anything else in your wardrobe, bar your grandfather’s Savile Row hunting jacket. Even then, you’ll be loath to part with them, such is the bond you’ll form. Not only are they doggedly durable, thanks to robust hand-craftsmanship and nary a whiff of glue or resin, but the design is perfect. The subtle continuation of the titular Gommino rubber “pebbles”, curving from the flat sole back around the heel means comfy purchase on your car mat, as you rock the accelerator over hours and miles. Like the best clothes, you’re barely aware of them on yourself, and they mould themselves around you over time. Founded at the turn of the century as a boutique shoe factory in Casette D’Ete on Italy’s east-coastal Le Marche region, the Tod’s brand as we know it was developed in the 1940s by Dorino Della Valle, father of Diego, the current President and CEO. Staying true to its roots, the Tod’s Group, which now boasts fellow shoemaker Hogan, Fay and fashion label Roger Viver, inaugurated its modern ateliers in its birthtown in March 1998 just down the road from its original address – now the biggest production centre for luxury footwear in Italy. Not to say this is pump-it-out industrial shoemaking; quite the contrary. There are over 100 steps in the creation of a Tod’s shoe, from the hand cutting of the pieces that will form the basic structure, to sewing together all of the individual parts. Depending on the design of the shoe, there can be up to 35 pieces of leather required, and the entire process is carried out entirely by hand, each step involving an artisan specially trained in their respective craft. The Tod’s Gommino was created with the intention of combining that effortless Italian style with a shoe that can be worn on every occasion. This casual-chic moccasin took inspiration from the driving shoes of the 1950s – a more “basic” era of motoring when any distance covered would soon prove weary on the feet. Its trademark is a sole covered with 133 rubber pebbles colour-matched to the leather used for the shoe. Over the years the Gommino has been updated and a multitude of versions has been created, distinguished by the different materials, colours and details they employ. But the basic, elegant, chisel-toed loafer style remains, as does the exacting manufacturing process. Here’s how…
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T H E
T O D ’ S
G O M M I N O
THE GOMMINO’S 133 TITULAR “PEBBLES” COME AS A ONE-PIECE INNER RUBBER SOLE, SO THE OUTER SOLE’S HAND-PUNCHED HOLES MUST MARRY PERFECTLY
Above: The features of a new Tod’s Gommino design are translated from the original sketches to a 3D paper model, wrapped around a wooden carving. Right: Tod’s leather is assiduously tested for thickness and evenness of colour before being cut to size. Once stitched togeher, the moccasin starts to take its crisp shape through hammering, ironing and crimping.
3D PATTERN CREATION Paper panels are applied around a hand-carved wooden model, pasted and trimmed precisely, then the shoe’s stitching and decorative details are drawn on. FLAT PATTERN CREATION The various paper sections are gently removed from the wood, flattened out and used as templates for thick, plastic pattern sheets, each corresponding to one of the shoe’s leather sections. LEATHER PICKING AND QUALITY CHECK The Tod’s warehouses store some of the finest leathers from the best tanneries in the world (among the most important of these are tanneries in Germany and France). Each hide is checked by beady-eyed experts for imperfections. HAND CUTTING The picked leather is cut precisely by tracing a scalpel around the plastic pattern sheets. The holes for the Gommino’s 133 trademark rubber “pebbles” are punched from each leather sole using a hammer and metal punch. This needs to be precise, as the pebbles come pre-formed on a one-piece inner rubber sole, and must marry perfectly. GOMMINO INSERTION The inner rubber sole is married with the outer leather, its textured “pebbles” painstakingly pushed through their respective holes to form the classic dimpled sole. SEWING Every single edge, corner and excess material is either hand-sewn or stitched by the artisans using coloured leather string. Knots are then made at pressure points to eliminate any chances of tears. IRONING The crisp edges and facets of each loafer are endowed by hand-shaping the shoe around a hot, loafer-shaped block of metal. FINISHING The nap of the nubuck is smoothed, then a crisp new pair of Tod’s Gommino’s are packaged in tissue, ready to be unboxed by another lucky driver. tods.com
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M E E T
T H E
E X P E R T S
PRANCING THE NIGHT AWAY
H.R. Owen Ferrari has been named by the factory as the best Ferrari dealership not just in the UK, or even Europe, but across the globe. The prize? Nothing less than a genuine F1 car, plus a considerable, well-deserved dose of pride. Oh, and a swinging party for the 70-strong team who made it happen
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he champagne is flowing, projectors are dancing company logos over the walls and ceilings and, as the spotlights pick out the star car, the DJ is ready to crank up the volume. Guests are arriving every minute and the atmosphere is warm, friendly and, above all, happy. We are in the H.R. Owen Ferrari showroom on the Old Brompton Road, South Kensington and so far it sounds like a fairly typical dealer launch party. But it isn’t. In fact, there isn’t a customer in sight. Rather, the guests all work for H.R. Owen Ferrari. They are the 70-strong team of salesmen, administrators, technicians, drivers, reception team and managers that make Ferrari London tick. They are here to celebrate a remarkable achievement, one in which they all played their part. At the tail end of last year H.R. Owen Ferrari – already the biggest Ferrari dealer in the world – was named the best Ferrari dealer in the world, too. That’s not just the UK, not just Europe but the biggest and the best globally. And the prize is the current centre of showroom attention, a 2015 Ferrari SF15-T… or to put that another way, an example of the 2015 Ferrari F1 car, like the ones raced by Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Räikkönen. It’s not a loan but a genuine, yours-to-keep gift. Currently taking pride of place in the Old Brompton Road premises, the F1 car – it’s actually a show car with no engine but is made from genuine 2015 F1 parts – will be working for its living and will be displayed at various events over the coming months as well as spending time in H.R. Owen Ferrari’s Atelier ‘shop window’ in the Berkeley Hotel, Knightsbridge.
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H . R .
O W E N
F E R R A R I
“THE FIRST TIME I GOT AN INKLING WE M I G H T B E U P F O R S O M E T H I N G WA S O N T H E EVENING OF THE ANNUAL FERR ARI WORLD DEALER CONFERENCE. WE WERE PLACED ON THE TOP TABLE AND ONE OF THE HOSTS SAID I T WA S G O O D T H AT I L O O K E D S M A R T. B U T I GENUINELY NEVER THOUGHT WE WOULD W A L K A W A Y W I T H T H E T O P P R I Z E …”
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M E E T
T H E
E X P E R T S
“ I T R E A L LY I S A N AWA R D F O R E V E RYO N E WHO WORKS FOR H.R. OWEN FERRARI HERE IN SOUTH KENSINGTON, OUR ATELIER BOUTIQUE IN KNIGHTSBRIDGE AND AT PREMIER PARK”
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H . R .
O W E N
F E R R A R I
Opposite page: The arrival of H.R. Owen Ferrari’s prize Formula 1 car at the Old Brompton Road dealership turned more than a few heads. Readers are welcome to pop by and admire it in the flesh (or rather, carbon) any time.
Winning the best dealership accolade came as a complete surprise to the H.R. Owen team. The announcement was made in Florence at the annual Ferrari world dealer conference, which was timed to coincide with the 2015 Ferrari Challenge World Finals held at the nearby Mugello circuit. “The first time I got an inkling we might be up for something was on the evening of the awards. We were placed on the top table and one of the hosts said it was good that I looked smart. But I certainly didn’t think we would walk away with the top prize,” says James Champion, brand director. As it turns out H.R. Owen didn’t so much walk away with the prize but sprint away with it. Every year Ferrari monitors the performance of each of its 200-plus global dealers and rates them across all aspects of the business. As each Ferrari dealer prides itself on delivering the best possible service to its customers, the bar is set pretty high to start with. “We were assessed on all manner of things,” says marketing manager Owen Rothwell, a Ferrari faithful for more than 18 years. “They looked at our training programme, our service performance, the parts we bought, customer satisfaction, what demonstrators we had available… you name it. And we were, of course, mystery shopped, probably more than once.” When the scores were added up, H. R. Owen Ferrari hadn’t just come out on top, but had blitzed the categories scoring 100 per cent in each one. No other dealer has ever done that before. “It was genuinely the proudest moment of my career,” says Rothwell. Sales manager Shawn Thom also has fond memories of the awards ceremony. “As the citation was being read out, praising the winning dealership for its exemplary sales performance, its customer satisfaction levels and so on, I thought ‘That sounds like a great place to work’. And then, of course, it turned out to be us.
“As our name was called I turned in shock to Owen, just in time to see him spray out the mouthful of wine he had just taken from his glass. The win really was a genuine, but absolutely wonderful, surprise.” Champion agrees. “We are on top of the mountain right now… it can’t get better than this. But it really is an award for everyone who works for H.R. Owen Ferrari here in South Kensington, our Atelier boutique in Knightsbridge and at Premier Park, our service facility near Wembley. “In fact, not all of the team who work at Premier Park have ever seen the showroom, so this party is as much about showing them the other half of the operation as it is about saying thanks.” And with that Champion moves to a microphone for the only formal moment of the evening: a heartfelt vote of thanks to everyone present for the part they played in the achievement. Formality doesn’t last long, however, and he finishes his speech with a few light-hearted awards of his own. Such as the one that raises the biggest cheer of the evening. It goes to Atillio Romano, Technical Manager at H.R. Owen Ferrari Service, who picks up the Scarlet Pimpernel Award. “We seek him here, we seek him there… but we never know where he is,” says Champion; a tongue-in-cheek reference to the incredible workload delivered by the non-stop technical ace. And what about the customers, without whom there would be no dealership let alone an award winning one? “Obviously we couldn’t have done this without them. They are all hugely enthusiastic about Ferrari and fiercely loyal to H.R. Owen, a fabulous group of people,” says Champion. Nor did they miss out on the celebratory champagne… their party took place 24 hours earlier. hrowen.co.uk/Ferrari
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INSUR ANCE FOR YOUR HIGH VALUE LUXURY ASSET S With our new insurance ser vices you can protect more than just your car. For more information, call 020 3372 8382 or visit hroweninsurance.co.uk
H.R. Owen Insurance Ser vices is an appointed representative of Stackhouse Poland Ltd, of New House , Bedford Rd, Guildford, Surrey, GU1 4SJ who are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FC A) to sell general insurance products. Our firm reference number is 309340. Tel: 020 3372 8382 E-mail: enquir y@hroweninsurance .co.uk Web Site: www.hroweninsurance .co.uk
S U P E R C A R
T U R B O,
TA K E
T E C H
2
George Chapman sights the naturally aspirated engine’s (almost) widespread decline among the supercar elite, alongside the turbocharger’s almighty comeback. Suck, squeeze, bang and indeed, whoosh!
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S U P E R C A R
T E C H
T
he recent and steady demise of the naturally aspirated engine will largely sadden most petrolheads. Engine technology that brought us such icons as the Ferrari Enzo and Aston Martin One-77, is slowly being phased out by almost all manufacturers in favour of smaller capacity turbocharged powerplants, a movement widely known as “downsizing” within the industry. Even BMW, the mass production car maker behind the M3 and supplier of the McLaren F1’s glorious 6.0-litre V12, no longer produces a nonturbo powered car. Which is genuinely rather shocking. So what brought on this second turbo takeover and are we actually witnessing the end of the naturally aspirated engine, as we know it? The simple answer for now at least, is yes, sadly. Most of the responsibility lies with stringent EU emission targets and the pressure to produce engines with better fuel economy. To single out the real culprit however, you’ll need to refer to the 1992 Kyoto Protocol’s 20-year reduced emissions target and the resulting Euro VI and Euro I-IV regulations. Most will surely argue that any measure to preserve our planet for the next generation is undoubtedly more important than the task of commanding a wailing, free-breathing combustion engine, but if you’re reading this… let’s save that discussion for another article in another magazine. Turbo technology has progressed a very long way since its arrival in a production car in 1962, lightly bolstering the power output of a Chevrolet Corsair. In the early 1980s, shortly after the last fuel crisis, the turbo’s first period of popularity was built on the logic of turbocharging a small engine to produce big-engine power while retaining smallengine fuel economy. Like the supercharger, it provides a relatively simple way to increase engine power by pumping air into the cylinders, which, when burned with added fuel, creates greater combustion pressure and more power. The supercharger runs off the crankshaft, and therefore draws some power as it operates. Turbos however, are powered by the normally wasted
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T U R B O C H A R G E R
THE INIMITABLE 488 GTB AND 488 S P I D E R , F E R R A R I ’ S F I R S T M I D -T U R B O ENGINED MODELS SINCE THE LEGENDARY F40, ARE LIVING, FIRE-BREATHING EXAMPLES OF FORCED-INDUCTION SUPERCARS AT THEIR MOST EVOCATIVE AND DOWNRIGHT EFFECTIVE
Opening page and left: The 3,902cc power unit in Ferrari’s 488 GTB and 488 Spider, blessed with zero turbo lag. This exceptional response time is down to the turbos (the “snail shells” either side of the engine) being mounted on ballbearing shafts with compressor wheels in TiAl, a low-density titanium-aluminium alloy. Thanks to this lower inertia, and separate scrolls for each cylinder, maximum spool-up speed is ensured. Below: The teaser shot of Aston Martin’s new twin-turbo powerplant, courtesy Mercedes-AMG, and destined first for the DB11.
energy that flows out of the exhaust. For this reason, turbochargers are deemed a more efficient option. What’s more, the downsizing shift means engines use less fuel, produce less friction and as a result, produce less harmful emissions. Whichever side of the fence you happen to sit, and irrespective of your views on Formula 1’s use of highly sophisticated hybrid 1.6-litre V6 turbo power units, lower emission vehicles are the future. It’s not all doom and strange, burp-sounding gloom though. Modern turbo engines can cope with higher combustion pressures and feature far more advanced electronic ignition systems than their early, often unreliable counterparts. Turbo power popularity has also made new friction-reducing technology far more affordable. The combination of increased pressure by EU regulations and advances in technology has had a dramatic effect on Europe’s leading performance car makers. The inimitable 488 GTB and 488 Spider, Ferrari’s first mid-turbo-engined models since the legendary F40, are living, fire-breathing examples of forced-induction supercars at their most evocative and downright effective.
Joining its turbocharged front-engined stablemate, the California T, the pair make up Ferrari’s second and third current turbo model offering. Power (all 660bhp of it), comes from a 3.9-litre flat-plane V8, using two, twin-scroll turbochargers that feature ultra-lightweight compressor wheels, ensuring considerably faster spool-up speeds. Bursting with 760Nm of torque and with almost all traces of the dreaded “lag” eliminated, the twin-turbo setup delivers an ultra-responsive, approachable driving experience, likely challenging what you perceive a turbocharged car capable of. Barking all the way to 8,000rpm, just like a Ferrari should, if this is the future of turbocharging we should frankly embrace it. Aston Martin has opted to take a similar route downsizing its hotly anticipated DB9 follow-up, the DB11, which will feature an all-new 5.2-litre twin-turbo V12. Rumoured to produce close to 600bhp when it appears later in the year, the DB11 is on target to contain Aston Martin’s most powerful series production V12 engine. Future Aston Martins are also due to receive twin-turbo V8 units, built to specification by Mercedes’ AMG works.
So the turbo is experiencing an almighty comeback, and with Porsche’s entry-level 911 now also featuring a turbo engine – a car widely revered for its longstanding atmospheric pedigree – the naturally aspirated engine’s days are clearly numbered. What’s arguably more interesting is (dare we say it?) faced with a second chance, the return of the turbo might just be a very good thing. Though it seems nobody told the engineers and directors at Lamborghini. With the exception of the yet-to-be-released Urus SUV, due to receive a new twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8, both the V10 Huracán (recently released in striking Spyder form) and V12 Aventador remain determinedly un-turbocharged. Lamborghini’s CEO and President, Stephan Winklemann made his company’s intentions very clear, midway through 2015: “Naturally aspirated engines are still the best engines which are on the market for super sports cars, in terms of acceleration, in terms of sound, and unless there is [something] better, we are going to keep them.” Until that inevitable day comes, may I suggest you enjoy the mighty Lamborghini roar while it lasts…
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S P O N S O R E D
C O N T E N T
LAKESIDE
STARS
Leaving the Geneva Motor Show, it’s an enjoyable cruise along the placid shores of Lake Geneva to four of Switzerland’s finest five-star resorts – all welcome retreats from the stuffy confines of Palexpo
[1]
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L A K E
[2]
[3]
[4]
[5]
G E N E V A
R E T R E A T S
[1] The spectacular, winding roads of Lake Geneva’s Lavaux wine region, whose historic, vertiginous vineyards have the honour of UNESCO protection. [2] The positively regal Lausanne Palace & Spa, situated just 40 minutes’ drive from the Geneva Motor Show in Palexpo. [3] Le Mirador Resort & Spa, deep in the heart of Lavaux, affording spectacular Lake views. [4] The Grand Hotel du Lac Vevey, blessed with a Michelin-starred restaurant and near the new Charlie Chaplin Museum. [5] The Fairmont Le Montreux Palace’s grand façade, overlooking Lake Geneva.
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his issue of DRIVE coincides precisely with the Geneva Motor Show, and if you make the annual pilgrimage to the automotive calendar’s biggest fixture, you’ll know how hard it can be to secure a room in the city at short notice. But why stay in the city at all, when a short blast northeastwards along the E62 highway takes you to a clutch of towns perched on Lake Geneva, boasting some of the world’s (let alone Switzerland’s) finest hotels? After all, it can take nearly as much time to get across town from Palexpo during rush hour… There’s certainly nothing rushed about these idyllic boltholes, all of them members of Swiss Deluxe Hotels’ 41-strong collection of exclusive five-star retreats. What’s more, if you’re driving your plug-in hybrid or electric wheels to the Motor Show, all four of the hotels featured here offer charging points in their car parks. Just three quarters of an hour into your drive out of Geneva, you’ll reach the “Olympic Capital” of Lausanne – a buzzy, metropolitan city steeped in history and the perfect springboard for exploring the rest of Switzerland. Situated right in the action, the Lausanne Palace & Spa offers breathtaking views of the lake and the Alps. Every one of the 140 rooms and Suites has its own charm, decorated individually with a crisp, contemporary elegance. Head downstairs for dinner and you have a tricky decision to make; will it be the Michelin-starred La Table
d’Edgard, le Grand-Chêne’s classic French brasserie fare, Mediterranean cuisine at le Côté Jardin, or The Palace Sushi Zen? You’re even more spoilt for choice hotel-wise, as a sweeping 30-minute drive further east along Lake Geneva (make sure you take route 9 to hug the shore) takes you to our next lakeside retreat; Le Mirador Resort & Spa, deep in the heart of the UNESCO-protected Lavaux wine region – a fairytale of rolling vineyards dotted with quaint architecture. Le Mirador could boast one of the world’s most spectacular winery aspects, with the lake sparkling down below. It is blessed with a Givenchy Spa – one of only four in the world – renovated in 2009, and accommodating 12 treatments rooms plus a Day Spa Suite. A Wellness Center also offers a swimming pool, a fitness centre and personalised programmes, all while enjoying a breathtaking panorama. Or what about the Grand Hotel du Lac Vevey, 15 minutes of twisting, switchbacked roads down to the shore again? Built in 1868 and entirely renovated in 2006 by world famous interior designer Pierre-Yves Rochon, the hotel’s two restaurants includes Les Saisons, whose 25 seats afford a very few lucky diners the chance to sample the Michelin-starred cuisine of executive chef Thomas Neeser – just 37 years’ old, but mentored by the world’s most renowned, including Herbert Langendor, Peter Liebold and Christian Willier. Out and about in Vevey itself, visitors will soon be able to explore the family home
of a Hollywood legend. From April, a museum dedicated to the life and times of Charlie Chaplin will be unveiled at his mansion, where he lived out his final years. Pick up route 9 once again and you’ll soon find yourself at the home of another cultural phenomenon: Montreux, where the famed Jazz Festival celebrates its 50th anniversary this July. As for accommodation, why look any further than our fourth luxury bolthole, the Fairmont Le Montreux Palace, perched on the waterfront? Known locally as “The Pearl of the Swiss Riviera”, guests enjoy yet more magnificent views of Lake Geneva and the Alps. The real ace up this hotel’s sleeve is the Montreux Jazz Café, an especially laid-back slice of luxury, directly inspired by the atmosphere of the Festival. It’s a hotspot for night owls and bon vivants, with generous cuisine combined with a selection of the region’s finest wines; perfect for sharing a relaxed moment enveloped by those pulsing festival vibes. Motor show? What motor show..? SwissDeluxeHotels.com MySwitzerland.com
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M A S E R AT I
VO R 7 0
MASERATI VOR70 Length
21.5M (70’)
Beam
5.7M (18’7)
Draft
5,3M (17’4)
Mainsail
172M² (574FT²)
Headsail
140M² (1938FT²)
Spinnaker
500M² (5382FT²)
Mast Height
31.5M (103’6”)
Weight
12,500KG (12.3 TONS)
Max Keel Angle 40 DEGREES
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S U P E R
YA C H TS
WORDS : JEREMY TAYLOR // IMAGES : ANDREA FRANCOLINI
T R I D E N T O F T H E H I G H S E A S A modern superyacht packs enough technology to rival the fastest supercar. Maserati’s latest flying machine proves the point, as Jeremy Taylor discovers Down Under, with legendary Italian skipper, Giovanni Soldini
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t’s the one Maserati you won’t find in a showroom – a £4 million homage to speed that bristles with technological know-how. Yacht Maserati is a 70ft racing machine that carries the company’s trident logo on its sails and competes against the fastest boats in the world. Lightweight, streamlined and tuned for outright performance, it recently broke the speed record for the old Trade Clipper Route between San Francisco and Shanghai (7,000 miles in just over 21 days), and its startling performance, achieving speeds of up to 45 knots, looks certain to revive Maserati’s maritime past – a history that stretches back more than 80 years. On a recent stopover in Sydney, legendary Italian skipper Giovanni Soldini invited DRIVE onboard to see why the latest racing super yachts are just as cool as automotive exotica – all the way from the bow to the stern. Soldini is every inch the swarthy sailor, with a few weeks’ beard growth, caramel tan and salt-encrusted deck shoes. A master at singlehanded sailing, the 49-year-old famously won a solo round-the-world race, despite turning back to save a fellow competitor who had capsized 1,900 miles from land.
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M A S E R AT I
VO R 7 0
“I THINK THERE ARE MANY SIMILARITIES BETWEEN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE BEST CARS AND A RACING B O AT. T H E K E Y T O G O I N G F A S T E R I S T O R E D U C E W E I G H T, S O W E T RY TO U S E C A R B O N F I B R E F O R EVERYTHING – FROM THE HULL TO THE MAST”
“I think there are many similarities between the construction of the best cars and a racing boat. The key to going faster is to reduce weight, so we try to use carbon fibre for everything – from the hull to the mast,” he says in his deep, languorous Italian drawl. Weight is such a key issue that Soldini has refused to fit Maserati with a large engine. Some competitors do use engine power during a race – not to propel the boat but to drive the winches that haul up and trim the sails. Instead, Soldini relies on the muscle power of his team to help move 12.3 tons of superyacht. “I think there has to be a level playing field in sailing – basic rules that maintain the purity of the sport. Our manual winches are still beautiful pieces of machinery and can hoist a sail up a 103ft mast in seconds. Some of them cost £40,000 each.” While the slick profile of the Volvo Open 70-spec hull allows it to cut through the water with the minimum of drag, it’s technology beneath the waterline that gives Maserati a key advantage. The boat has a “canting keel”, a huge chunk of ballast suspended under the hull that can be swung up to 40 degrees to windward when the boat is under sail. It counteracts the force of the 574 square-feet mainsail and allows Soldini to steer closer to the wind. Maserati is also equipped with two retractable dagger boards about 10ft long – one on each side of the keel. Depending on the
angle of sail, a single dagger board is lowered into the water to provide lift and stabilise the heel of the boat – not dissimilar to the spoiler on the back of a car. Maserati may be best known for its track-racing exploits but it has a maritime past that has almost sunk without trace. Eighty years ago, Count Theo Rossi was the playboy of his era. The Italian powerboat racer smashed countless records during the 1932 season – mainly thanks to a lightweight engine built of aluminium. The engine had originally been designed for motor racing but the success of Rossi’s Montelera XII boat proved the dawn of a new era for the engineering family who built the powerplant. They were the Maserati brothers of Bologna. Count Rossi’s achievements with the four-cylinder engine were just the start of a long history of speedboat success. It led to Maserati dominating the powerboat scene until the late 1960s, claiming a string of world records and championships. Since then, Maserati has kept a fairly low profile at sea – until now. There’s nothing low profile about flamboyant Soldini. He’s been racing boats for over 30 years. “Of course, everybody thinks you are living the dream but it’s not easy on your family and personal life. I have spent my life at sea, so I’m used to it. I did a normal job in an office once but I didn’t last very long. This is normal to me now!”
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S U P E R
YA C H TS
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T H E P L AYB O Y O F H I S D AY, C O U N T T H E O
C L A S S O F T H E I R OW N
R O S S I ’ S WAT E R B O R N A C H I E V E M E N TS W I T H THE FOUR-CYLINDER ENGINE IN 1932 LED
FOUR MORE FAST BOATS
TO MASER ATI DOMINATING THE SPEEDBOAT SCENE UNTIL THE LATE 1960S
Soldini then goes down below to his “office”, located towards the rear of the monohull’s dark cabin. It features every type of computer and navigational aid, monitoring the performance of his boat during a passage. “Ultimately, it comes down to the ‘driver’ to steer Maserati on the right course. As I’m the helmsman, I use every piece of equipment on the boat to best effect. If something isn’t used, it’s taken off the boat to save weight – just like motor racing.” It’s not all mod cons though – as Soldini explains in the living quarters, where all comparison to the Gran Turismo’s of this world end. “Unlike the four-wheeled Maserati’s, there are few creature comforts inside yacht Maserati! The crew sleeps on stretcher-type hammocks slung from the cabin wall. And there’s no toilet…” That’s one creature comfort too far for most of us but it’s the sort of extreme dedication to detail that makes Maserati a winner.
HYDROPTÈRE An experimental trimaran that broke the world speed record in 2009 – clocking 61mph. Designed by legendary French yachtsman, Alain Thebault, the multihull hydrofoil achieved the record in just 30 knots of wind.
To stay abreast of yacht Maserati VOR70’s ocean dominance, visit maserati.soldini.it VESTAS SAILROCKET 2 The fastest boat on the planet was helmed by British-based sailor, Paul Larsen. The
H I S TO RY BETWEEN COUNT THEO ROSSI AND GIOVANNI SOLDINI, MASERATI HAVE HAD A PROSPEROUS SAILING CAREER.
1932
asymmetric boat recorded 75mph in near perfect conditions off the coast of Namibia in 2012. It wasn’t all plain sailing though – Larsen had been attempting his record quest for over ten years.
The Count Theo Rossi of Montelera gained success with the boat Montelera XII powered by the new 1½-litre 4-cylinder Maserati engine.
1933
Count Rossi equipped the same boat with the 3-litre 8-cylinder Maserati 8CM engine and broke another record at “Riviera del Garda”.
1934
At Sabaudia, Rossi’s boat Ravanello exceeded all expectations by raising the record speed to 122.2kph.
1954
Liborio Guidotti with the Timossi boat Maria Luisa IV, powered by the Maserati 150/S 4-cylinder engine reached a speed of 160kph.
SPINDRIFT 2 The largest racing trimaran in the world measures an incredible 130 feet. Launched in 2008 as Banque Populaire V, it broke the Atlantic record from America to Europe in just three days, 15 hours and 25 minutes. The re-named boat is currently being prepared for a fastest circumnavigation record.
2012
Soldini began his adventure as skipper of the Maserati VOR70. After setting the time reference for the Caide-San Salvador route, Soldini attemtped to record for the North Atlantic crossing but he was forced to withdraw due to weather conditions.
2013
Maserati crossed the finish line of the 14th edition of the Cape2Rio, setting a new world record. Soldini and the Maserati’s team set the new world record of the
MACIF
Golden Route: from New York to San francisco in 47 days, 42 minutes
A 110ft trimaran currently making waves in the
and 29 seconds.
sport of offshore sailing. In November it won the Transat Jacques Vabre Ultimate race from
2015
The Maserati covered the Tea Clipper Trade Route in world record time,
France to Brazil in under 13 days. The boat
plied between San Francisco and Shanghai in the mid-1800s.
recorded 600 miles a day!
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B R I T I S H
W A T C H M A K I N G
B R I T-T O C K , B R I T-T O C K Britannia once ruled the waves thanks to its watch industry, and thanks to the likes of Bremont and Roger Smith, some of that long-lost horological glory is once again returning to these shores, says Alex Doak
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A R T
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Previous and opposite pages: Roger Smith, hard at work on the Isle of Man. No one else in the world totally hand-makes watches his way. Above: Roger Smith’s newly unveiled Series 4 “triple calendar” ( from £252,000), the dial alone an extraordinary showcase of craftsmanship; a jigsaw of various engravings and finishes.
Top: Nick and Giles English, the brothers who co-founded Bremont in 2006, stood in their Henley-on-Thames atelier. Above: Bremont’s shock-proof MBII pilot’s watch (£3,595).
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t was one of the most phenomenal meetings of Roger Smith’s life. wasn’t working at Ratner’s service centre in Manchester, Smith was Stood on a doorstep in remote Isle of Man shaking with nerves, recruited as Daniels’ only-ever apprentice. Seventeen years on, he is the pale and awkward 26-year-old Bolton lad rang George Daniels’ still on the Isle of Man, making a mere 10 examples of his own £90,000 doorbell and waited, clutching a small wooden box. “Series 2” wristwatch per year – every single component save for the Beckoning Smith gruffly into his messy kitchen, Daniels glass and hairspring painstakingly hand-crafted from the bare metal removed from the box a pocket watch to which Smith had dedicated the using traditional lathes, rose engines, and thousands of man-hours of last five and half years of his life, and started turning it over in his hands. polish and decoration. His Series 3 and 4 have just been unveiled and You could cut the atmosphere with a knife. they’re more ravishing than ever. “Who made your tourbillon carriage?” asked Daniels, finally. “We work totally differently from anyone else,” he says. “We’re not “I did,” replied Smith. churning them out like the Swiss; we’re trying to “So who made your escapement?” preserve traditional handcrafted techniques; we’re THE WR APS ARE FINALLY OFF “I did.” making wristwatches that are up to the standard of B R E M O N T ’ S C O M P O N E N T“So who’s your casemaker?’ old 18th and 19th century English pocket watches. “I made the case myself,’ Smith replied. “Ultimately, I suppose, I want to put some of the M A N U F A C T U R I N G F A C I L I T Y, I N Suddenly, Daniels snapped the case shut, and ‘making’ back into ‘watchmaking’.” S I LV E R S TO N E – D E L I B E R AT E LY his face transformed; it lit up. With a huge grin It’s not as far-fetched as it sounds. Long before LOCATED NEAR THE BRITISH he looked at Smith and said, “Congratulations, you’re ‘Swiss Made’ became the solely recognised badge of GRAND PRIX CIRCUIT TO a watchmaker!” horological quality, London rather than Geneva was Smith may not have appreciated it, but at your first stop for a decent watch. Hans Wilsdorf even CAPITALISE ON THE LOCAL F1 that moment the future of traditional British established his little-known company there in 1905 – INDUSTRY’S SKILLS IN CNC watchmaking was secured. Since the Eighties, Daniels, renaming it “Rolex” in 1908. MACHINING who died in 2011, had singlehandedly developed the Beyond some significant early advances in “Daniels Method” of hand-crafting every component clockmaking, marine chronometers were what the required for a mechanical watch, a feat that required the mastery of Brits excelled at. Following John Harrison’s leaps and strides in answering over 30 crafts, naturally limiting his output to just 35 actual watches, yet the pleas of the Board of Longitude, proving that an accurate time earning him rightful status as “world’s greatest living watchmaker”. It was reference is more effective than astronomy by which to navigate at sea, a his most famous, the Space Traveller’s pocket watch, that had inspired a stream of London-based characters with names like Tompion, Graham, teenage Smith to knuckle down and teach himself the Method, using a Mudge, Earnshaw, Arnold and Dent all turned out increasingly precise second-hand lathe and Daniels’ Watchmaking book as his sole reference. and robust timekeepers over the 18th and 19th centuries, which ensured After an initial rejection from Daniels, and another six years toiling Britannia ruled the waves – at least for a while, anyway. The sun never set away on a second pocket watch in the evenings and weekends when he on our once-great Empire, and you could guarantee that pre-prandial g’n’t’s
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B R I T I S H
W A T C H M A K I N G
“WE’RE NOT CHURNING THEM OUT LIKE THE SWISS; AT ROGER SMITH WE’RE TRYING TO PRESERVE TR ADITIONAL H A N D C R A F T E D T E C H N I Q U E S … U LT I M AT E LY, I WA N T T O P U T S O M E O F T H E ‘M A K I N G’ B A C K I N TO ‘WATC H M A K I N G’”
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A R T
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Above: Sussex-based Schofield’s Blacklamp Carbon (£9,900) made from forged carbon-fibre strands. Each of the 101 pieces are named after an English lighthouse, from “Wolf Rock” in the southwest to “St Bees” in Cumbria.
Above: Named after Sekforde Street in the heart of London’s old watchmaking district, Sekford makes exceptionally smart watches with an exceptional eye for detail, right down to its proprietary typefaces. (Type 1A pictured, £695.)
appropriating) the way has been paved for several other young and thrusting were always poured around the globe at the behest of a British chronometer. brands who aren’t ashamed of using Swiss movements and outsourcing While Smith ploughs his particular furrow on the Isle of Man, we are things like case and dial making. As long as the quality’s there and the price currently witnessing a surge of activity back on the mainland, with more is reasonable, people are eager to invest in British enterprise and, most and more homegrown brands capitalising on the booming interest in importantly, a British vision. With that Britishness comes an eccentricity “proper” watches and the British reputation for such things. of course, and the landscape now benefits from a booming “hipster” scene Bremont is the most successful of Britain’s new guard. Since its of accessible designer brands such as Uniform Wares, Shore Projects, exuberant founders, the appropriately named brothers Giles and Nick Larsson & Jennings, Farer and Sekford – not ashamed to be powered by English burst onto the scene in 2006, their rocksolid, no-nonsense pilot’s reliable Swiss quartz movements, but drafted by trendy urbanites who very watches have won widespread acclaim. Ever-ambitious, 100 per cent of their much don’t live in the Jura mountains. output is now assembled in a beautiful oak-framed A particularly “boutique” outfit – two men in a workshop in Henley-on-Thames – a regular slice of “I WA N T E D T H E T H E M E O F Sussex studio in fact – is Schofield. Their devastatingly the Swiss Jura deep in the heart of bucolic England. cool watches (think dystopian sci-fi lighthouse) are “Movement wise,” says Giles, “we have stepped up M Y WATC H E S TO B E T I E D U P I N laboriously crafted and, indeed, have been a labour to a new level. We’re up to about 60 people in Henley THE COASTAL ENGLISH THING. of love. Founder Giles Ellis’s background as a graphic now – that will probably double in the next two years BUT ENGLISHNESS IS designer, means he’s obsessed with detail – not only with the second new workshop we’re building. We’ve A NIGHTMARE TO DEFINE... concerning the watch itself and its components’ got amazing multi-axis milling machines that no IT IS HERITAGE OF COURSE, 30-something third-party suppliers, but every one has ever had in the UK before, let alone used for touchpoint of the business; the retro-styled packaging, watchmaking.” BUT ALSO A PARTICULARLY straps, websites, photography, even the accompanying Indeed, after a year of secrecy, the wraps are EXACTING APPROACH” toolkit whose screwdrivers Ellis makes himself. finally off Bremont’s newest facility, located in “I wanted the theme of my watches to be tied up Silverstone, where an increasing proportion of case in the coastal English thing, as that’s where I grew up. But Englishness and movement components are being precision engineered – deliberately is a nightmare to define… It is heritage of course, but also a particularly near the British Grand Prix circuit to capitalise on the local F1 industry’s exacting approach, I think.” skills in CNC machining. Ultimately, this investment will enable Bremont All of these new outfits are still sporadic spikes more than a coherent to make significant quantities of beautifully finished watch parts on these move back to a full-blown “industry”, as it once was. But if there’s one shores. Perhaps eventually bringing back the sort of industrialised yet fine binding factor, it’s certainly what Ellis touches on: a set of very British watchmaking that Britain’s beloved Smiths brand enjoyed throughout the ideals. Switzerland needn’t look over its shoulder yet, but it might help – mid-20th-century. the ingenuity and originality playing out is truly inspiring. Even if we’ll Thanks to Bremont’s success, and arguably its disassociation from any never rule the waves again… of the dusty old British names (which, ironically, the Swiss can be fond of
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ALT1-C CLASSIC
TH E BR EMONT ALT 1- C WILL L AST YOU A LIFETIME. POSSIBLY LONGER . The Bremont ALT1-C is a mechanical aviation chronometer that’s 99.998% accurate. It’s painstakingly built by hand at our workshops in Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, England. But if the inside of the ALT1-C is delicate, the outside is anything but. The case is made from steel that’s seven times harder than you’ll find in ordinary watches. (We bombard it with electrons to toughen it up.) The crystal is sapphire and scratch-resistant. (We know, we’ve tried.) And the whole thing is water resistant to 100 metres. We hope you enjoy the ALT1-C. After all, you’ll be together a long time.
M O T O R S P O R T
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4 5 8
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TR ACK AT TACK Witt Gamski isn’t just a loyal customer of H.R. Owen, he’s an accomplished racer, with a near-mint Michelotto-tuned 458 GTE ready to storm the 12-hours circuit. DRIVE joined Team MJC at a freezing-wet Donington for their car’s crucial shakedown, where it’s fast apparent they have a real contender on their hands…
WORDS : RICHARD AUCOCK
//
IMAGES : DREW GIBSON
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Team MJC – named after Witt Gamski’s refurbishment contractor business based in south London – readies its newly acquired Ferrari 458 GTE in the pits at Donington in February, while Gamski talks your correspondent through the cockpit’s raw complexity.
T
his isn’t the glamorous side of motorracing. Shivering in the pit garage of a rain-lashed Donington racetrack, occasionally peering out to answer a call of, “Is it stopping?” with, “I think it’s actually snowing.” But for Ferrari racer Witt Gamski, it’s one of the most important days of the year. Three weeks ago, he picked up his new Ferrari 458 GTE racer. Today, he’s driving it for the very first time. Witt is no stranger to Ferrari. As a long-term friend of H.R. Owen, he’s owned its road cars since 1983 and started racing the marque a decade later. For several years he competed in Britcar, first with a 360 Modena and then with an F430, prepared by revered Italian race engineers Michelotto Automobili. With some success too: in 2011, he and teammate Keith Robinson won all but one race in the season (they still came second in the one that got away). That’s McLaren F1 1988-era consistency. After a few years away from the cockpit, the racing itch returned. “I wanted to do some more 12-hour and 24-hour races, so I got onto my old mate Cristiano Michelotto. He said the F430 would be OK, but what I really wanted was a new car. He had just the thing…” A Ferrari 458 Italia GTE, that’s what. Ferrari’s custom-built enduranceracing 458, built to GT2 spec with an engine that, shorn of the mandatory restrictors, produces around 700bhp. “They don’t tell us exactly how much,” says Witt. “But it’s plenty.” It’s a model with form. The 458 GTE has won the 24 Hours of Le Mans (twice) as well as the 12 Hours of Sebring, and it competes in top-line series around the world. In 2016, it will be driven by Witt and the other Team MJC racers starting at Italy’s Mugello 12 Hours in March.
THE TEAM FIRES IT FOR THE FIRST TIME. THE STARTER WHIRRS TO BUILD UP OIL PRESSURE, A N D T H E N … W O W. I T ’ S P U R E , A G G R E S S I V E , L O U D – TOO LOUD FOR MOST UK CIRCUITS, WHICH IS W H Y W I T T WO N’T B E D R I V I N G S I LV E R S TO N E
Witt saw it for the first time in Italy too, after hot-footing it to Padova in northern Italy in the team’s Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van. “It was beautiful, like brand new.” The previous owner bought it but didn’t do anything other than cosset it. He paid €850,000, “but I didn’t pay anything like that,” winks Witt. A bargain Ferrari, with which, after pizza with Mr Michelotto, Witt loaded into the Sprinter and returned home in one shot. It was never likely Witt would buy a racing car from anywhere else. “Michelotto are craftsmen. Enzo Ferrari himself trusted them to build his race cars and prototypes and they all have the Michelotto ‘feel’ – I know this well from the F430 and, even just sitting in it, I’m happy, confident and comfortable in the 458.” Well, perhaps not entirely comfortable. The seat was too high. “I texted Cristiano to tell him I might be a bit tight.” Witt showed me his response on his phone: “Lose some weight!”
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M I C H E L O T T O
4 5 8
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FERRARI 458 GTE MICHELOTTO-BUILT Chassis 2012, WITH 2014 LEMANS AERO SPECIFICATION Engine 4,500CC V8, DIRECT INJECTION, UNRESTRICTED, 680+BHP, 9,000RPM MAX Gearbox
6-SPEED FERRARI/HEWLAND, PADDLESHIFT WITH DRY CLUTCH
Brakes BREMBO STEEL DISCS WITH BOSCH RACING ABS SYSTEM Dry weight
1,170KG
Construction ALUMINIUM CHASSIS, CARBON BODY WITH ALUMINIUM ROOF PANEL, LEXON WINDOWS INC WINDSCREEN Colour
ROSSO MARLBOROUGH/WHITE
Despite the diabolical weather at Donington race track in Derbyshire, Team MJC enjoyed a near-faultless shakedown. There’s no reason not to assume they stand a strong chance of dominating in GT2 this year.
They’ll fix that before Mugello, but not today. Getting out there is more important. The team readies the car and then fires it for the first time. The starter whirrs to build up oil pressure, and then… wow. It’s pure, aggressive, loud – too loud for most UK circuits, which is why Witt won’t be driving the 12-hour race at Silverstone in April. And if we thought the noise ticking over was good… Witt dons his helmet, has a recap of the myriad controls from his race engineer, before the air jacks are lowered and he’s sent out in his new 458 GTE into the rain for the first time. Almost immediately, delivering the most wondrous Ferrari howl, it drowns out everything else running at Donington that day. It’s magnificent. After a few laps, Witt returns. Helmet off, his beaming grin lights up the gloomy garage. “It’s fast!” he says breathlessly. “It’s amazing, a proper racing car. It feels sublime – less forgiving than the F430 but a thrilling challenge.” He even spun it once. “It’s the quickest way to learn, no?” The rest of the team – Phil Dryburgh, Rory Butcher, Keith Robinson – go out and return equally rapturous. Witt’s a happy man. In this crucial shakedown, nothing’s gone wrong, the car’s worked perfectly, and crucially, it’s proven itself to be ferociously fast and capable. So how does he expect to do at Mugello? “P1,” he responds, like a shot. The confidence of this test sure has buoyed them. Things get harder after that, but Witt and the others are up for it. The glamour will thus come. So will the champagne. For now, it’s tea and biscuits in the back of a Donington pit garage to celebrate a job well done, and what’s hopefully to come.
“IT’S AMAZING, A PROPER RACING CAR. IT FEELS SUBLIME – LESS FORGIVING THAN THE MICHELOTTO F 4 3 0 B U T A T H R I L L I N G C H A L L E N G E .” H E E V E N S P U N I T O N C E. “I T ’S T H E Q U I C K E S T WAY TO L E A R N, N O?”
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C O N T E N T
BODYWORK OVERHAUL You think nothing of taking your car for a yearly MOT but what about your body? Ursula Starks-Browning from The Organic Pharmacy explains to Laura McCreddie why you need to start thinking about your health in the same way you think about your car
H
ow many times in these last few months have you got into your gleaming car, adjusted the rear-view mirror, only to realise that the face reflected back isn’t looking half as pristine as your motor? We’re all guilty of a laissez-faire attitude to our own health, choosing to hope that a snatched 20-minute gym session once a week and a fruit smoothie will somehow counter the red wine and days spent at desks. On the other hand, you wouldn’t expect your car to run smoothly without regular servicing and its yearly MOT so why do you expect your body to? It is precisely this question that The Organic Pharmacy’s Health Assessment is there to address.
Its team of top homeopaths will find out exactly what’s going on under the bonnet and give you everything you need to get yourself into to tip top condition. Here’s Ursula Starks-Browning, homeopath and manager of The Organic Pharmacy’s Hampstead branch to explain more. Laura McCreddie: Why should people think about having an Organic Pharmacy Health Assessment? Ursula Starks-Browning: So often, when it comes to health, we tend to just accommodate our symptoms; we get use to getting regular headaches, we expect bloating after we eat, we get used to catching every cold that comes around. Everyone has stress, so we tend to ignore the physical effects it has on us. Ultimately these symptoms hold us back, keeping us from reaching our goals or fulfilling
our potential. By getting an MOT using our health assessment, we can work with clients to help them reach their full potential. LM: You say your Health Assessment is done by homeopaths – what knowledge do you think they bring to the process? US-B: Our homeopaths are well versed in biology, diet, stress management, herbs and supplements in addition to homeopathy. It does have its detractors, but our homeopaths offer a full health service and the consultation portion of the assessment offers a brilliant opportunity to take advantage of this knowledge. LM: Tell us more about the Galvanic Body scan – how does it work, what does it entail and what things are you looking out for?
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T H E
O R G A N I C
P H A R M A C Y
D I Y M OT OUR SCAN USES ELECTRICAL IMPULSES, WHICH LOOK AT THE BODY’S RESPONSE TO STRESS, VITAMIN AND MINER AL LEVELS, HORMONAL IMBALANCES, OXYGENATION, HYDR ATION, TOXICITY AND ANTIOXIDANTS
THE THREE ORGANIC PHARMACY PRODUCTS YOU NEED AT HOME TO KEEP THINGS TICKING OVER NICELY
Shaving Cream
US-B: Our scan uses electrical impulses, which are sent throughout the body and read via a harness. The scan is looking at the body’s response to stress, vitamin and mineral levels, hormonal imbalances, oxygenation, hydration, toxicity and antioxidants. LM: How do you measure the influence of factors such as lifestyle, emotion and family life on a person’s health? US-B: I’m not sure that “measure” is the best word. Stress is so often the underlying cause of physical symptoms and it can come as a result of, or be exacerbated by, our lifestyle, how we handle our emotions and how we interact with those around us. In the consultation, we can ascertain the level to which lifestyle, diet and emotions are affecting symptoms. LM: Once you’ve tested someone how do you go about devising a plan for them? US-B: We take a holistic approach, meaning that the bespoke plan is based not only on the results of the test and the consultation, but also on the clients’ desire and or commitment to make changes. It makes no sense to devise a dietary plan for someone who really just wants to take a supplement. Because it is holistic, we take into consideration necessary diet changes, look at what supplementation is needed, which herbs can be used to shift a condition
and what remedy would best suit the entire person. LM: People tend to complain that they can’t make these sorts of major changes because they don’t have time – how do you ensure they stick with the plan? US-B: Because the plan is bespoke, we make sure that it is also doable. It is very important that we don’t impose a plan; rather we devise something that the client feels confident he will be able to do. As for sticking with the plan, our clients report feeling better much quicker than they had anticipated. Feeling better can be a great motivator. LM: Do you recommend people come back to have their progress monitored? Do you tweak the regime in order to take into account any changes? US-B: Absolutely. If we devised a plan to shift a condition, chances are the clients routine will need to change, once he is feeling better. Occasionally things need to be tweaked and follow-up appointment is the best way to do this. Also, many of our clients come in annually for their MOT. LM: How quickly do you expect to see results? US-B: This depends entirely on the client’s condition, what the issue is, how long they’ve had it, what changes they are committed to make. Depending on what is called for, clients could see improvements within a week to 10 days. We’re that confident that it is that effective.
A rich shaving cream. Conditions, nourishes and protects. Offers excellent lubrication to ensure a smooth shave and minimise ingrown hairs. £29.95
Carrot Butter Cleanser Cleansing is the most important part of maintaining and achieving tip-top skin. Without cleansed skin moisturisers and special treatments will not penetrate properly and dead skin is not removed. Carrot Butter Cleanser is a balm cleanser that melts on contact with the skin. £39.95
Superantioxidant Capsules A potent all-in-one anti-ageing antioxidant mixture, protecting the cells and system from the inside. Protects and rejuvenates cells from the inside from free radical damage and promotes good circulation. £45.00
All available to purchase via theorganicpharmacy.com
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WORDS : ALEX DOAK // IMAGES : RICHARD PARSONS
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The latest addition to H.R. Owens’s blossoming stable is the UK’s finest accident repair facility, Bodytechnics – a state-of-the-art facility whose surgical precision with aluminium, carbon fibre, composites, paint and polish is a far cry from your typical back-street bodyshop
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rriving at Bodytechnics’ gleaming purpose-built premises on a mercifully sunny day in the Slough Trading Estate, you needn’t look further than the sleek reception area to realise that this is most definitely not your typical repair bay. And the difference extends far beyond a lack of Page 3 pin-ups or tinny radio – one peek at the near-spotless shop floor, dotted with exotica in various states of undress is enough to convince you this is something special. Anyone fortunate easily enough to be an H.R. Owen customer, yet unfortunate enough to have “pranged” their pride and joy will probably be familiar with Bodytechnics – especially if you’re a Ferrari owner, as the Modenese factory has bestowed approval for parts, tooling and training thereof since 2004; just two other facilities in the UK have this honour. No wonder, then, that H.R. Owen chose to purchase Bodytechnics in December, consolidating the group’s newfound holistic offering across the whole prestige automotive narrative, with new sales bolstered by classic cars, insurance, finance, chauffeuring, hire and now the best accident repair shop in the country.
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BODYTECHNICS HAS THE OFFICIAL FERR ARI JIG BR ACKETS FOR A COMPREHENSIVE RANGE OF CURRENT AND HISTORIC MODELS – EVEN THE F40 – ENSURING IT CAN REPAIR THE MAJORITY OF FERRARI’S STILL ON THE UK’S ROADS
Things have certainly come a long way in 20 years. From its humble beginnings as a volume body shop in 1995, Bodytechnics started its evolution to prestige facility in 1997 by gaining Porsche Approval for the Reading and Guildford territories. “Then, when I joined in 2002, we made the commercial decision to focus exclusively on the prestige sector,” says financial director Bill Pollard, ushering DRIVE through the (always busy, fully computerised) estimating office and past logistics, where parts are being unwrapped from boxes bearing some of the world’s most famous logos and carefully matched to their jobs. “Back then, we were still in two sheds nearby. But in 2007 we bought this unit new, then spent £750,000 fitting it out on spec – walls, floors, ceilings, plumbing, electrics, the lot. “We thought we had too much space at first. But we’re already starting to outgrow ourselves… which is a nice problem to have I suppose!” Looking around, it’s easy to see why Bodytechnics has a backlog, and why the company has warranty approval from (deep
breath) Aston Martin, Bentley, BMW and MINI, Ferrari, Jaguar, Land Rover, McLaren, Tesla, Volkswagen (including Audi R8), with approvals to follow shortly for Lamborghini, Maserati and Rolls Royce. Thanks to constant reinvestment in the company, it is bang up to speed with current technology, both in terms of facilities and the constantly evolving technology in the cars themselves. For example, immediately beneath Logistics’ diligently organised storage cage, bristling with foam-protected panels and bumpers, is a brand-new wheel alignment ramp. “That alone cost us £30,000 last month. It’s totally computerised, and works by sensing the orientation of each wheel by laser, and comparing them to the specific model’s geometry, automatically loaded on the system. “Even that table over there cost £5,000,” Bill points towards a strange white slab sitting on four red wheels – what turns out to be the battery for a Tesla. “We can’t hope for factory approval without the correct equipment, or without following the brand-prescribed technique for repairing each model. It’s crucial.”
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“JUST TO MASTER BENTLEY’S SIGNATURE PIANO BLACK FINISH TAKES T H R E E D AY S O F T R A I N I N G U P AT T H E C R E W E F A C T O R Y. W E ’ R E S C H O O L E D IN EVERY REQUIREMENT OF EACH MANUFACTURER. AFTER ALL, WE’RE THOROUGHLY AUDITED BY THEM EVERY THREE YEARS”
For Ferrari alone, Bodytechnics has the official Ferrari jig brackets for a comprehensive range of current and historic models – even the F40 – ensuring that it is able to make repairs to the majority of Ferrari road cars still in use on UK roads. When DRIVE visits, a white 458 Italia is on the jig and under the surgeon’s knife – stripped to its bare bodywork, and likely to cost the insurer north of £100,000. “It’s always worth it with Ferrari, though,” Bill says when I hazard the inevitable “write-off ” query. “They’re all going up in value, after all.” Outside the panel shop, which is sealed off to avoid crosscontamination of steel and aluminium, the main workshop has eight Ravaglioli lifts for vehicle repair, and it is flanked by a separate IT section with dedicated Ferrari diagnostic equipment. “We plug into every car’s electronics at the start of every job – in the case of Ferrari, the car literally speaks to the factory in Modena!” Behind IT are three specially installed, oversized spray booths, providing computer controlled painting and baking environments. The paint itself comes from a floor-to-ceiling library of colours next door, from which a sophisticated spectrometer
can replicate any manufacturer’s finish. “There are 29 different Ferrari reds,” Bill says, “and we can match them all precisely.” In fact, the paint shop is a “shining” example of the extent to which Bodytechnics invests in staff. As you’d expect, all of its technicians undergo regular training at the car factories themselves, but would you expect the already highly skilled sprayers to do the same? “Just to master Bentley’s signature Piano Black finish,” Bill attests, “takes three days of training up at the Crewe factory. “From senior management to estimators and customerfacing staff; all are schooled in the latest requirements of each manufacturer. After all, we’re thoroughly audited by each of them every three years, too.” Should you have the misfortune of a scrape and your insurance company directs you anywhere other than Bodytechnics, then it might be worth getting one of their technicians to examine your head, if not your beloved wheels. For more information, visit bodytechnics.co.uk
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4 Jubilee Place, Canary Wharf, London E14 5NY Telephone 0044 (0)207 538 2332 www.davidmrobinson.co.uk
H . R . O W E N G R O U P
N E W S
CHEQUERED FLAG H.R. OWEN // ASTON MARTIN
F R O M G AY D O N W I T H LOV E
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2015: 130 Aston Martin customers attended showroom events at both Aston Martin Cheltenham and Reading in the build-up to the latest 007 movie SPECTRE, with one of the DB10 stunt cars taking centre stage. (It went on to sell at Christie’s in February for £2.4 million, smashing its reserve price of £1 million.) Guests also enjoyed a presentation from stunt driver Mark Higgins, whose inside stories from the SPECTRE set kept guests enthralled, inspiring many to try their hand at the driving simulator challenge.
From Rolls-Royce Motor Cars London to Ferrari London, friends of the H.R. Owen Group have been treated to all manner of launch parties and VIP showcases over the winter
H.R. OWEN // MASERATI
T WO W H E E L S G O O D
H.R. OWEN // ROLLS-ROYCE
ROLLS OUT THE DOUBLE BARREL
3 DECEMBER: A glass or two of champagne, a few delicious nibbles and the chance to hear the latest insights from shooting specialists, Holland & Holland were the delectable items on the agenda at the so-called Thornton Club – an invite-only VIP affair devised by Rolls-Royce Motor Cars London to give customers the unique and valuable opportunity to catch up on the business and each other throughout the year. If you’d like to join us on Berkeley Square next time, do get in touch.
28 JANUARY: H.R. Owen launched their very own racing team at the Maserati showroom in South Kensington – but it’s not the sort of racing team you’d immediately expect. Rather than petrol, it’s pedal-powered, in light of Maserati’s new involvement with the world of cycling. (We interviewed the Trident’s latest signing, exTour de France legend David Millar in issue 11.) Team H.R. Owen Maserati RT will be tackling a number of events throughout 2016, from road races to closed-road, multi-lap criteriums, all on professional-spec carbon Cipollini bikes.
H.R. OWEN // FERRARI
T H E LO N D O N C L A S S I C C A R S H OW
30 OCTOBER: H.R. Owen’s new Classic Car division was rolled out in style with a beautiful collection of cars on display at Alexandra Palace’s inaugural Classic and Sports Car Show. Gleaming examples of a Ferrari F40, 288 GTO (pictured above), F355 Spider and a 328 GTS slackened the jaws of every passer-by, their bright red bodywork positively popping from a simple yet effective white stand. Do visit hrowen.co.uk/classic-cars to learn more.
H.R. OWEN // FERRARI
PA R T Y AT F E R R A R I
4 FEBRUARY: Some 200 clients gathered at the Old Brompton Road showroom to celebrate Ferrari London scooping Global Ferrari Dealer of the Year from the factory in November. The prize from Ferrari, a 2015 F1 car no less, was proudly on display and guests partied the night away with a DJ, copious amounts of Veuve Clicquot and some delicious nibbles.
You can read more about the Group’s extraordinary achievement from page 64.
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THE BACK SEAT
SUE BAKER The respected motor journalist and 1980s Top Gear presenter reflects on the demise of the BBC’s –
Roll on May. That is when a much-loved veteran returns to our television screens. Top Gear will make its highly anticipated comeback after an interruption that was famously triggered by trouble in Yorkshire over a hot meal, or lack of it. For weeks afterwards our national newspapers made a meal of the story, the infamous “fracas”, the involuntary departure of one J. Clarkson, and the solidarity of his two chums in exiting the BBC in sympathy. You won’t need reminding of the details, unless you spent the tail end of last year holed up in a cave somewhere. I thought it was really rather appropriate that the massive global momentum of Top Gear crashed in a hungry lash-out in Yorkshire. In recent times the programme had started to look like Last of the Summer Wine on wheels. I say that with sadness, and enduring huge affection for a show that was at the centre of my working life for a decade back in the 1980s.
Illustration: Mark Welby
and indeed motoring’s – biggest show, and how its imminent “reboot” might fare
“IN RECENT TIMES THE GENIUS OF ITS E N T E RTA I N M E N T VA LU E WA S R U N N I N G O U T O F I D E A S. T H E L A D D I S H F U N WA S B E C O M I N G W R I N K LY, A L O N G W I T H T H E J E A N S T H E Y H A B I T U A L L Y W O R E . . .”
Clarkson and co evolved it from the motoring magazine of my era into a motorised entertainment spectacular for the modern age. Their achievement was colossal. But in recent times its brilliance was dimming, the genius of its entertainment value was running out of ideas. The laddish fun was becoming wrinkly, along with the jeans they habitually wore. So it seemed timely that modern Top Gear crashed - not for the first time in its 39-year history, but spectacularly and terminally, at least for the talented trio. The boys wouldn’t be unemployed for long though, and as we all know, Amazon Prime is the new home for their motorised mirth. Clarkson, Hammond and May will be back on air with their new TV vehicle in September. Meanwhile Top Gear is undergoing rapid resurrection with ginger motormouth Chris Evans in the driving seat, and with enough co-drivers to fill a minibus. Much has already been
said about the apparent political correctness of the line-up. I’m mildly irked that out of six presenters, only one is female, when the gender balance of the motoring population is roughly equal. Way back on old Top Gear I was one female alongside three male co-presenters. Thirty years later, the ratio has bizarrely gone into reverse. Happily the one they’ve chosen can outdrive most of the men on the team – even if their leader reportedly found her driving hard to stomach. There is much to like, though. Two of the presenters are knowledgeable motoring journalists, known for their skill at engaging fellow enthusiasts. One is a Hollywood actor whose talent for speed aced the list of stars in a reasonably priced car. Then there is the sixth presenter, whose presence on new Top Gear at least means that an irksome annoyance has been removed from Formula One coverage. Not forgetting, of course, the Stig, whose view of all the changes would be fascinating, of only he had a voice. So Top Gear hitting the buffers over an absent steak means that we will soon have not one UK-sourced global motoring programme on television, but two. Led by two very tall, very talented, massively car-centric egos. No idea who’ll win, but it’s going to be a heck of a ride.
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CO M E A N D F I ND S ANC T U ARY KJ WEST ONE (020) 7486 8262
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S P R I N G 2 0 1 6 v O L u M E # 1 3 THE MAGAZINE FROM H.R. OWEN PLC
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