SPRING 2011
PIRELLI.CO.UK
LET’S DANCE
PIRELLI. OFFICIAL TYRE SUPPLIER F1.
Welcome to E Supercar! After years of producing the magazine in print we have moved forward into the electronic age with this new version, which you can now read wherever you are – its just a click away. This edition is full of the usual fun reviews of some very special cars, as well as the rather lovely Riva Aquariva and some very snazzy watches. 2011 sees the launch of some extraordinary new Supercars, some of which will move the game forward quite a bit. We will be reviewing them in future editions, often with owners of the cars writing about them. For now you can see the awesome new Lamborghini Aventador, McLaren and others in the inbrief section at the beginning of this edition. As the weather improves we will begin to see special cars out and about on our roads again and it can’t happen too soon, and with all the new pot holes in our roads there are plenty of exciting chicanes out there to test you. The Supercar Club has some amazing cars entered onto its two European events this year and we will report on those and the stunning cars that are taking part, from the very latest Ferraris to special cars from the past, including rare Zagato bodied specials and true icons. This is our first online edition so please don’t hesitate to send us your feedback to repro@thesupercarclub.com as we would like to know what you think. Hope you enjoy it…
Tim Julier
Telephone: +44 (0) 1367 860805 Facsimile: +44 (0) 1367 860605 editor@thesupercarmagazine.com www.thesupercarmagazine.com This magazine is published in house by The Supercar Group. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part is strictly prohibited without the prior written permission of the publisher. Opinions expressed are those of the author and not of The Supercar Group or its’ employees, and are not endorsed by The Supercar Group. All reasonable efforts have been made to ensure accuracy of information at the time of going to press. The Supercar Run is a Registered Trademark, and all copyright work is owned by The Supercar Group, which in turn is a trading name of Vigilant Motor Tours Ltd.
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Introduction
The Supercar Group, Broadwell House, Broadwell, Lechlade, Gloucestershire, England GL7 3QS
Supercar 3
inbrief...
Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4 The new Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4 – brutally powerful, lightweight and stunning.
Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4
The car is based on an innovative monocoque made from carbon-fiber that combines exceptional lightweight engineering with the highest levels of stiffness and safety. The entire occupant cell, is one single component ensuring extreme rigidity and outstanding driving precision, as well as an extremely high level of passive safety for the driver and passenger. The entire monocoque weighs only 147.5 kilograms.
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For the Aventador, the engineers in Lamborghini’s R&D Department have developed a completely new high-performance power unit that is not only extremely powerful and high-revving, but very compact. At 235 kilograms it is also extremely lightweight for an engine with a capacity of 6.5 litres producing 700 horse power.
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inbrief... Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4
Thanks to an overall dry weight of only 1575 kilograms, this means the Aventador produces an eye watering 444 hp per tonne resulting in an astonishing 0-60 time of less then 2.9 seconds and a top speed of 217 miles per hour. To match the engine they have also developed a new transmission, which Lamborghini say is unique among road-going vehicles, with a shift time of only 50 milliseconds. The plan was to build not only the fastest robotized gearbox, but also to create the world’s most emotional gear shift, which they claim to have done. Compared with a dual-clutch transmission, not only is the ISR (independent shifting rods) gearbox much lighter, it also has smaller dimensions than a conventional manual unit – both key elements in the field of lightweight engineering for super sports cars. As important as all of this are the brakes which are suitably impressive. As you would expect they are made from lightweight and extremely hard-wearing carbon ceramic composite material, with ventilated 400 millimeter discs on the front with six cylinder calipers, and 380 millimeter discs with four cylinder calipers on the rear. Lamborghini appear to have moved the game on significantly with the Aventador‌ and its magnificent. Deliveries start in late summer 2011. I s s u e 20
Supercar 5
inbrief...
Jaguar XKR-S Jaguar has created an extreme version of its already very powerful XKR, in the form of the XKR-S. The cars 5.0 litre V8 supercharged engine has been extensively recalibrated making it the most powerful Jaguar road engine ever produced. Power output has been increased to 542 horsepower with a maximum torque of 680Nm, giving the XKR-S a top speed of 186mph and impressive acceleration from 0 to 60mph with a time of just 4.2 seconds. Jaguar reports that a combination of lightweight aluminium body construction and revised suspension settings delivers pin-sharp handling. The re-engineered front suspension features a fully-machined aluminium upright that significantly increases camber and castor stiffness for precise steering with greater driverconnection and responsiveness. The rear suspension geometry has also been revised for increased camber stiffness, and spring and damper rates have been revised at both ends of the car. The Active Differential has been reprogrammed to reduce steering sensitivity at very high speed, increasing stability and driver control. The Dynamic Stability Control has also been reworked to match the car’s increased capabilities. Revised settings alter slip thresholds, differential torque distribution and engine and brake intervention levels, allowing the experienced driver to explore the outer edges of performance and handling.
Jaguar XKR-S
All sounds like a lot of fun.
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C
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Spyker Cars, Tel: +31 36 535 8787. For a dealer near you, please visit www.spykercars.com
D
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inbrief...
Ferrari FF The new Ferrari FF offers something completely new from Ferrari. It’s not only the first Ferrari with four-wheel drive but, more significantly, a Ferrari that combines Supercar performance with a versatile package that as odd as this seems for a Ferrari, is a hatchback! The FF brims with innovation. Its GDI V12 engine is coupled to a seven-speed F1 dual-clutch gearbox and produces a massive 660 horsepower at 8,000 rpm, with a maximum torque of 683 Nm at 6,000 rpm with 500 Nm available from just 1,000 rpm. This means the FF is fast, really fast, with a 0-60 time of less than 3.7 seconds and a top speed of 208 miles per hour.
Ferrari FF
Thanks to Ferrari’s own patented 4RM four-wheel drive system, the FF delivers this exceptional performance in all weather and on all types of road surface. The PTU (Power Transfer Unit) ensures that as much power as required is transferred to whichever wheels need it for maximum traction on low grip surfaces. The FF intelligently distributes torque to each of the four wheels individually, thanks to the various dynamic vehicle controls (E-Diff, F1-Trac and PTU) that have been integrated into a single CPU.
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inbrief... Ferrari FF
Styled by Pininfarina, the FF’s lines reflect its balance between sportiness and versatility. It can comfortably accommodate four in its body-hugging seats and spacious cabin. Its 450 litre boot can also be extended to 800 litres as the rear seats fold down independently. This means that the FF offers more luggage space not only than any other car in its category, but also many four-door saloons. Everything aboard the FF is tailored specifically to the owner with a choice of six exclusive colours, the finest Frau aniline leathers and the possibility to personalize the car at the factory. You can order the FF now from Dick Lovett Ferrari www.dicklovett.co.uk I s s u e 20
Supercar 9
inbrief...
Aston Martin Virage Beautiful, dynamic and prestigious is how Aston Martin describe their latest car, the Virage. There is no doubt that its beautiful. This new car sits between their existing DB9 and DBS models, clearly sharing the same DNA. Aston say the Virage’s dynamics have been tuned to deliver an engaging yet more refined driving experience, where the driver can extract the maximum performance from the car with greater ease. A newly developed Adaptive Damping System (ADS) intelligently ‘reads’ the road to provide optimum road holding, adapting to different conditions. The system now selects up to five different stiffness settings within normal mode, and a further five stiffer settings within sport mode.
Aston Martin Virage
Aiding driver control, a ‘Sport’ button on the facia allows the driver to select a sharper throttle response and faster gear changes while also holding the gears without automatically shifting up at the rev limiter. ➤
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G E N T L E M E N S ’
A C C E S S O R I E S
Pneumatico from the cufflink collection
cufflinks | key fobs | tie pins | wallets | money clips
www.gtolondon.com
inbrief... Aston Martin Virage
The Virage will be delivered with Carbon Ceramic Matrix (CCM) brakes as standard which means that not only is the overall vehicle weight reduced, but the weight saving at each wheel means a better balance between ride comfort and handling.
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The car takes technology from the DBS and allies it with the comfort found in the DB9 and Rapide, with some of its own individual design featureing a new front grill inspired by the 0ne-77, front bumper and front wings distinguishing the Virage from its stable mates, along with side sills and a rear diffuser which houses a bodycoloured blade accentuating the width of the car. Power comes from Aston’s hand-built 6.0 litre V12 engine producing 490 bhp and 570 nM of torque which is driven through a carbon fibre prop shaft, to a six-speed Touchtronic automatic transmission mounted on the transaxle contributing to perfect 50:50 weight balance. The Virage and Virage Volante are on sale now. Issue 20
Dick Lovett Specialist Cars
An already well-established name in the world of exceptional motorcars, the Dick Lovett Group has dealt with the sale of some of the world’s most significant collectors cars. Setting up Dick Lovett Specialist Cars was therefore a natural next step for the Group to take, as Edward Lovett revisits our roots as a specialist car dealer. With the experience gained throughout years of trading Dick Lovett Specialist Cars are proud to offer a unique experience that includes all the modern services you expect from an exclusive car dealer and an in depth understanding of how our customers and friends choose their cars. We’re not here just to sell you a vehicle. We’re here to offer a professional, expert and discreet service for aspiring and veteran collectors all over the world. Our desire to source, and sell the most beautiful cars has been a passion that has both lasted and surpassed generations. Dick Lovett Specialist Cars are here to assist you buying or finding a new home for any rare, exclusive or exotic car. If there’s a vehicle of particular interest to you, you have a vehicle for sale or would like to know about the vehicles that are en route to us, please get in touch. We would be delighted to assist and provide advice on any aspect of specialist car ownership. Our exciting new Specialist Cars website is soon to be launched, which we will take great pleasure in communicating to you all. In the meantime, for more information please contact Edward Lovett or a member of the team on 01793 615000, or by email Edward.Lovett@dicklovett.co.uk We look forward to hearing from you.
www.dicklovett.co.uk
Offering
the Wo r l d’s
Finest
Motor
Cars
Along the enchanted shores of Lake Como, a select
examples are specially selected to showcase the
few of the world’s most elite motor cars will be
grace, beauty and mystique of the historic automobile.
offered at this inaugural auction. In the spirit of the
The magnificent selection on offer at this event will
associated Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, the
be, truly, second to none.
1954 Aston Martin DB2/4 Competition Spider Coachwork by Bertone Chassis no. LML/507
1964 Alfa-Romeo TZ Chassis no. 750006
1965 Ford GT Prototype Roadster Chassis no. GT/111
SPAZIO VILLA ERBA
C E R N O B B I O , I TA LY Patrocinato da
BMW Group
MAY 21, 2011
+44 (0) 20 7851 7070 www.rmauctions.com
inbrief...
McLaren MP4-12C McLaren Automotive is in the final stages of developing a range of innovative high-performance sports cars that they claim will be highly efficient, high-quality, lightweight, practical, dynamic, safe, comfortable and visually arresting. McLaren Automotive will produce up to 1,000 12Cs for sale worldwide in its first production year, and with the new McLaren Production Centre fully operational, it is anticipated that McLaren will build up to 4,000 cars across its model range annually by the middle of the decade, a figure that would account for between three and four percent of the annual global market for premium sports cars.
McLaren MP4-12C
The new M838T engine powering the McLaren MP4-12C is a 3.8litre twin turbo V8 engine, weighing 199kg (439lbs), it features a dry sump lubrication system and a flat plane crankshaft, which has allowed McLaren’s engineers to place the engine extremely low in the chassis, lowering the cars centre of gravity and in turn improving the car’s handling responses. ➤
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Supercar 15
inbrief...
At the rear, high level exhaust pipes exit the car from a mixing box rather than a conventional silencer unit, saving weight, and an optional sports exhaust system made from Inconel, an extremely heat-resistant nickelchromium-based alloy, further reduces weight and enhances the exhaust note. Mated to the engine is a dual clutch, seven-speed ‘SSG’ transmission. Using the Active Dynamics Panel situated in the centre console of the 12C’s cockpit, the characteristics of the SSG transmission can be switched through three different settings: Normal, Sport and Track modes. Each provides a progressive immediacy of gear shift, operated through finger-tip controls mounted on a rocker behind the 12C’s steering wheel: upshift by either pulling with the right hand or pushing with the left, and vice versa to downshift. This ‘one-hand shifting’ principal, and the satisfying mechanical ‘click’ on gearchange, is reminiscent of the shift mechanics introduced and still used in the Formula 1 cars. McLaren are entering the Supercar scene with some purpose and have ambitious plans that include two other models, one of which will be a big league Supercar, perhaps along the lines of the legendary F1.
McLaren MP4-12C
Deliveries start in late summer 2011.
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MARKET COMMENT By Edward Lovett With the winter months now behind us and spring on the door step its time to start thinking about what’s needed in the garage this summer… After a rather major wobble in late 2008 the market has remained surprisingly stable, and residuals have held up very well with certain cars seeing slight increases in value, mainly due to the lack of availability of good cars in the market place. These availability issues in the market are due to the high number of cars being exported from the UK in the past 2 years. Exchange rates and import duty in Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia and India have been the main cause of this lack of stock. This has affected the UK market, making the procurement of quality stock challenging to say the least, but it has kept confidence high and helped residual values stay strong. So what’s looking like value today? Well in my opinion, and I know people might expect me to say this, I think that a Ferrari 599 GTB at £130,000 has to be one of the best value cars available. Aston Martin DBS’s at £100,000 and F430 Spiders at £90,000 also seem like safe cars to buy. Of course mileage, ownership and colour combinations still play major part in the value of used cars, so an F430 with 1 owner and 2500 miles in rosso red with crema hide is probably worth £10,000 more than the equivalent car with 3 or 4 owners and 12,500 miles. Change the colour to silver with a beige leather interior and you could be looking at another £5,000 difference. I would also suggest as a word of advice that you don’t take inspiration from the colour palet used by Middle Eastern buyers when choosing your car!! Chose wisely when buying or bid low if the age, mileage or colour isn’t in line with the market (this however is only relevant when buying modern cars).
What’s coming in 2011? Well you have another manufacturer competing for your business as McLaren throw their hat in the ring with their new MP4-12C, which is set to raise the bar with its carbon cell and hitech electronics, and although some people find its looks a little challenging it will be a huge success. Other notable cars due this year are the Aston Martin Vantage S and Virage, the Ferrari FF, Maserati MC Stradale, Noble M600, Lamborghini Aventador and the Pagani Huayra, oh and I almost forgot, the Aston Martin Cygnet? Err… As official dealers for Ferrari, Maserati, Porsche, BMW and MINI with a specialist car business that sells all other marques including Lamborghini, Aston Martin, Bentley and Roll Royce, Dick Lovett are well placed to help you source any car in the market. We pride ourselves in offering a very personal service that can be more diverse than our competitors, offering any car at either end of the price spectrum, and I hope that you wont hesitate to contact us if we can be of assistance to you in the future. We look forward to hearing from you and seeing you on the Supercar Run in June and the Tour Alpina in September.
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Supercar 17
MERCEDES G WAGON Rugged luxury By James Larsson
After years of ‘special’ order only, Mercedes has finally introduced the G Wagen (Gelandenwagen) into the UK as standard order model in right hand drive. This is big news for anyone who has deep pockets and wants one of the best four wheel drive off road vehicles in the world. ➤
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Yes, the G wagen has been around for a long time, but it’s always been a seriously impressive vehicle, which it continues to be. It’s evolved throughout its life, meaning that it’s still current and relevant, and now in high demand in the UK. The Lord knows we have waited long enough for it, and while we’ve been waiting the G wagen became an Icon. People who drive G wagen’s are fiercly loyal to the car. For years they have tolerated left hand drive because they had to have a G wagen and nothing else would do. The G has glacially slow depreciation, is hugely desirable second hand, doesn’t go wrong and is built like a tank, which may be why these people are so loyal to it. The following has grown with the right hand drive car, as has the waiting list. ➤
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The car is being built in Europe with three engine options and in short and long wheelbase, however in the UK it is only being offered in long wheelbase format with either the bonkers AMG55 engine or the C350 blueTEC diesel, which we drove. This provides more than enough power for what most people would want, pushing the car fast enough to overtake quite easily and doing so quietly enough as you would expect from a latest generation diesel engine. Mercedes have been careful to bring it up to date and not just mechanically. The car comes very well specced with everything you would expect to find in a top of the line luxury 4x4, but somehow because this is also sold in certain formats as a military vehicle, its seems to come as a nice surprise when you climb aboard to find comfort ventilated seats, reversing camera, parking sensors, full screen sat nav, telephone etc etc. This is after all a luxury car, albeit a seriously rugged one. ➤
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Supporting the new skyline
Keltbray is the UK’s leading pre-construction specialist, delivering deconstruction and civil engineering services to enable the construction of London’s newest additions to the skyline. From The Shard to Heron Tower, to the 2012 Olympic Park, Birmingham New Street Station, Crossrail and Oxford University, Keltbray work on developments across the commercial, public, rail, infrastructure and industrial sectors, underpinned by a country-wide plant and environmental material management capability. Trust in Keltbray Keltbray St Andrew’s House Portsmouth Road Esher Surrey KT10 9TA
2009 / 10
T 020 7643 1000 | F 020 7643 1001 | E demolition@keltbray.com
www.keltbray.com
You are further reminded of quite how solid this car is though when you shut the door, which has a decidedly granite like feel to it. The car feels indestructible, possibly more so than anything else I have ever sat in. In fact the door requires you to almost slam it to shut it. We tested it off road to see what those diffs do, as the three switches in the middle of the dashboard do ask to be pushed, as on the road they are redundant
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and pointless. We set the car up with an obstacle that most people will never get close to needing to cross and asked the car to deal with it at an angle that took traction away from two of its wheels while causing it to reach maximum suspension travel. Needless to say it stopped and span its wheels and wouldn’t go on – or at least it wouldn’t until we engaged the diffs, after which power went to all the wheels again and it went straight up and over the bank – just what its supposed to do but
very impressive all the same. Limited production guarantees exclusivity and its not likely or even possible that you will see many of them running around. Mercedes have not started to build it in right hand drive to try and dent the mainstream market for Range Rovers, and its production is not going to make any difference to their global business, particularly as they are making it in such small numbers.
I suspect they are doing it to offer a unique and fun vehicle to their customers who want something special and different, that stands out from the crowd, and which could if the urge took you, get you to just about anywhere on earth.
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RIVA AQUARIVA ‘GUCCI’ By Robert Baxter
A lustrous, gleaming foredeck of immaculately varnished strip mahogany is the unmistakable hallmark of the golden age of wooden motor boats which began at the start of the 20th century and ran for almost 70 years. ➤
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Although it originated in America, one of its greatest exponents was actually Italian. Founded 150 years ago, in a small boatyard on the banks of Lake Iseo, the Riva family business was renowned for its exceptional boatbuilding skills. Between the wars they specialised in outboard racing boats, and won numerous trophies. Then, in the early 1950s, Carlo Riva took over running the business and made the momentous decision to outdo the Americans at their own game, and began building the now legendary range of glorious mahogany speedboats for which Riva became famous the world over. ➤
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The days of building boats entirely from exotic hardwoods are sadly long gone. Today’s Rivas are mainly glassfibre. But since its takeover by the Ferretti Group some ten years ago, Riva has rediscovered the glory of its heyday with considerable aplomb. In the Rivarama and Aquariva Super, the two smallest models in the fleet, they have managed to rediscover the spirit of the earlier classics by recreating that unmistakable gleaming foredeck that was such a hallmark of the Rivas of old. It takes a full 20 coats of varnish to achieve that flawless, mirror-like finish, the first ten of which are still applied by hand the way they always were. There are now some 14 models in the Riva line-up, from the 33ft Aquariva Super dayboat, through a full range of sport cruisers and flybridge motor yachts, to the flagship of the fleet, the 115ft Athena superyacht. The model that most evokes the legendary wooden classics of the 1950s is the Aquariva Super. ➤
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If you have a big enough yacht, the thing to do is to have one on deck, or in the stern garage, ready to whisk you ashore in style when you drop anchor off your favourite Riviera hotspot. Nothing quite beats arriving at the quay in a Riva. At least, that used to be the case, except that now it’s not quite that simple because there’s a new kid on the block. If you pull up at the quay in a standard Aquariva Super, there is now the very real possibility that you will be upstaged by someone arriving in an Aquariva Gucci. Yes, Riva has teamed up with one of the world’s most clebrated designer labels, in celebration of Gucci’s 90th birthday, to create what is arguably the most glamorous motor boat of all time. In January, the Aquariva Gucci came to the UK, taking pride of place at the London Boat Show. It sold within a few days. Everyone who saw this jewel in Riva’s crown was transfixed by its sheer elegance. The exquisite lines of the Aquariva had somehow been made even more stunning by the magic hand of Gucci Creative Director, Frida Giannini. The hull is finished in Gucci’s own unmistakable shade of cool vanilla. Their signature green-red-green band marks the waterline, and the Gucci logo in polished stainless steel adorns the hull. Inside, the fabric for the cockpit seating features Gucci’s emblematic Guccissima print, while the gleaming varnished deck and side coamings provide a stunning visual complement, together with just the right balance of dark accents in the trim and fittings to give perfect definition and form. For a finishing touch, in time-honoured classic car style, the Gucci motif adorns the steering wheel boss. ➤
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LAMBORGHINI GALLARDO LP 560-4 BICOLORE Available now. Please contact Pete Sanderson of Lamborghini Reading.
Lamborghini Reading Authorised Dealer Bennet Road Reading Berkshire RG2 0QX Tel: 0118 965 8678 www.lamborghini-reading.com
INSPIRED DESIGN. INSPIRING PERFORMANCE. THE NEW ASTON MARTIN VIRAGE Neatly fusing the full-blooded performance and striking looks of a thoroughbred V12-engined sports car with the effortless character and lavish style of a luxury GT, the Aston Martin Virage is the perfect choice for the discerning driver who not only demands comfort, but also desires genuine dynamism.
PLEASE CONTACT US FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO ARRANGE A TEST DRIVE.
Lancaster Reading Aston Martin Bennet Road Reading, Berkshire RG2 0QX, UK 0118 965 8500 www.jardinemotors.co.uk/aston-martin
Driving any powerful, open-top boat offers the same kind of thrill as a sportscar with the hood down. Driving the Aquariva Gucci offers an added frisson by virtue of the kind of sumptuous, exquisite surroundings reminiscent of a soft-top Bentley. It’s an experience that is guaranteed to bring a broad grin to the face of anyone who has the good fortune to take the wheel. Push the throttles forward, and there’s an instant surge from the twin 380hp engines as the Aquariva Gucci surges ahead in a cauldron of fuming white water. As she gracefully rises onto the plane, there’s a change of note from the engines as the two-speed automatic gearboxes slip into high ratio before accelerating on to her maximum speed of 41 knots. Automatic transmission is a rare feature on a boat, but it does deliver optimum top speed as well as rapid acceleration without compromising either. And finally, to complete the package, Gucci has created a range of exclusive, chic accessories to carry on board, including a variety of different sized handbags, a scarf, a watch, deck shoes, and even a pair of designer flip-flops.
Details of the Aquariva Gucci and the other models from Riva and the Ferretti Group are available from Ventura UK: tel: +44 (0)20 7495 2330, www.venturaeurope.com, mail@venturaeurope.com.
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MERCEDES SLS Refreshingly Different By Tom Harding
There are other cars as fast as the SLS and some of them also have sexy doors, but having driven an SLS for a few days there isn’t really anything I else I can think of that I would put it against in the “which one shall I buy process”. I can see someone looking at a 458 and also considering a Gallardo or a McLaren, but the SLS is quite different, and to some extent sits in its own space. It combines quite breathtaking performance across the board, and can more than match any of the current crop of £200k-ish Supercars, doing so clothed in a unique and very exciting body. ➤
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I accept it may not be practical if you want to get in and out of it wearing a skirt, but then that’s not something I am planning to do at the moment, and gullwing doors are so very cool. The doors did bother me a little until I tried them but they actually provide easy access, its just takes a bit of practice. As for problems opening the doors in car parks, there aren’t any. The doors swing up easily in a standard car parking space and clear the car next to you easily. They only need 36 centimetres of space to open. I know, as I parked in a town centre car park to try it out. It was also easy to get out of with limited space as I wasn’t trying to hold my door to avoid it cracking into the car next to me, and had all the space between the cars to climb into, rather than a thin gap between door and car body. The seats are very comfortable and there is more than enough head and leg room even for the very tall man. I am not sure about very short people though as my wife who is five foot four could only just see over the top of the door and said she felt like a child sitting in it. The test car had sports seats with no height adjustment and I am certain that standard seats go up and down at the touch of a button. Note to short people: don’t get the sports seats. Not too many fussy switches on a very clean and cool interior, with well placed and clearly marked buttons and dials for the gearbox settings, traction control and main car functions. The important stuff sits right where you want it. ➤
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The usual measure people look at is the nought to sixty dash, and yes its blindingly fast at 3.7 seconds, and of course mid range acceleration is ferocious. What struck me was not so much the rapid acceleration which is a given when you have over 570 horse power available, but the way in which the car manages its power. It’s well damped and very stable, giving huge confidence at high speeds. It doesn’t scuttle or shift in corners at high speed if you hit a bump, pothole or ridge, but like all Supercars when severely provoked and overly driven it will step out on you. I did this a few times to see whether the car would take me into the hedgrow or not. Happily the answer is that it wants to stay on the road, so steps back into line beautifully as soon as you back off a bit. But make no mistake, if you didn’t listen to it, then farming you would go, just like in any other Supercar. Gearchanges are almost imperceptible and totally smooth, regardless of how hard you are charging forward. This is seriously impressive and down to the dual clutch gearbox which sits neatly between the rear wheels. Set it to manual and operate the gears yourself, and however badly you drive, the result is just the same. Same goes for down changes, however in manual, the down change is accompanied by an aggressive growl which is very satisfying. Best of all though is the crackling, poppling and farting on over run if you have it set to manual and back off the throttle. It’s worth noting though that this is also a very easy and docile car to drive if you simply put it in comfort mode and plod along. You could easily use it as an everyday car, and that adds further to its appeal. It feeds the power in at low revs very gently indeed and has an easy throttle travel so you wont give yourself any unexpected or nasty surprises in the wet or on a slippery surface. The SLS is an extraordinary looking thing and refreshingly different. Mercedes have created a modern interpretation of the classic 300 SL Gullwing, with bang up to date styling in a very user friendly package. ➤
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TWO GREAT ENGINES. ONE MIGHTY REPUTATION.
NEW 2011 RANGE ROVER SPORT With its sure-footed all-wheel drive chassis and choice of potent 3.0 TDV6 or 5.0 supercharged engines, the Range Rover Sport is a true sporting all-rounder whether you are powering down the motorway or taking a back road.
• 3.0 TDV6 with Diesel Particulate Filter now EU5 compliant • 5.0 S/C Autobiography, 0-60mph in 5.9 seconds • Autobiography Sport in 5.0 S/C or 3.0 TDV6 versions • TDV6 HSE Luxury Pack option Call us today to book a test drive.
T H White Land Rover Coped Hall, Wootton Bassett, Swindon, Wiltshire SN4 8EP
0844 558 3006 www.thwhite.landrover.co.uk
RANGE ROVER SPORT
Drive responsibly on and off-road.
OFFICIAL FUEL CONSUMPTION FIGURES FOR THE RANGE ROVER SPORT RANGE IN MPG (L/100KM): URBAN 13.0 (21.8) – 25.2 (11.2) EXTRA URBAN 26.3 (10.7) – 34.9 (8.1) COMBINED 19.0 (14.9) – 30.7 (9.2) CO2 EMISSIONS: 348 – 243 G/KM.
I want one!
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RUN IN THE USA By Greg Hollamby
Last September, I set off to explore the USA on a trip organised by the Supercar Club – which turned into a five week adventure through some of the most beautiful scenery in the western states. ➤
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I took my Bentley Azure as I wanted to be as comfortable as possible, and the Azure is about as comfortable as a convertible car gets. My previous visits to the USA consisted of one night in Miami as I used it as a flight hub to get to Belize and a fly in and out visit to Las Vegas, but I am not sure Vegas really counts as America, so I arrived a relative Virgin to the charms of the real USA.
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This trip was about some real exposure to America and its people, who to some extent prior to this trip I thought for the most part should have ‘not for export’ stamped onto an obvious and easily visible part of their body – an attitude forced upon me by the noisy, loud and fairly ostentatious Americans I have seen lurking in and around Europe in the summer. ➤
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The Bentley was shipped over for the trip along with a few other cars including a second Azure, a Pagani Zonda F, an AC 428 and a 50’s Corvette – a varied and interesting mix. We collected them from a warehouse in Compton, a town in south Los Angeles, which for anyone who is not familiar with it has a rather violent reputation. It’s notorious for gang violence, primarily caused by the Bloods, the Crips, the Latin Kings and Sureños gangs that are allied with the Mexican drug cartels. So it was quite annoying when the Zonda broke down half a mile from the warehouse, leaving the owner stranded along with the Bentley’s as we were driving behind him, and had to stop and help. The only person anywhere on the streets was dressed in classic biker gang kit, and covered in tattoos - arms, hands, neck, head, the lot. He was as it happened very helpful and lent us some tools to get the car going, but was quick to tell us that two people were shot in the next street the week before and we had broken down just outside the biggest black biker
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gang’s clubhouse, so in his opinion we probably shouldn’t stop here. A good start then... Our journey took us east from LA through the Mojave desert and the Joshua Tree national park where temperatures reached 48 degrees in the afternoon, to Lake Havasu, which while its interesting as an oasis river valley running through a desert and home to London Bridge, is actually worth avoiding. It would be best described much like the pool at the hotel we stayed in when we visited: dirty, full of cigarette ends and broken tiles with a film of greasy oil shimmering on the surface. We headed north from Havasu to the Grand Canyon and the Hoover dam which were more than impressive and of course we stopped over in Vegas. The Little White Chapel drive thru was nothing if not tasteful… we had a quick wedding and got married in the Bentley - roof down with Elvis serenading us live – hilarious bloke dressed in all the kit with his guitar. He was also good enough to sign the marriage certificate as our witness. ➤
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Leaving Vegas we stopped at Death Valley junction where we enjoyed some rough and ready cuisine while the woman who served us swatted flies around our table as we ate, which was nice. Like everywhere else over there, portion control does not exist. It’s quite disgusting really, as was some of the food we were served. Never, ever, order a wet burrito.
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The scenery in Death Valley is simply breathtaking. The roads are completely deserted, and often arrow straight, which allowed us to stretch our legs a little and let the Bentley’s huge V8 make use of its twin turbos. There is something truly exciting about having your foot flat on the floor in a big Bentley. Having said that its not quite as thrilling as being passed by a Pagani Zonda F in the empty desert, screaming its heart out on full throttle!
After stopping for the night at Furnace Creek, where it regularly reaches 50 degrees, which really is as hot as it sounds, we drove on to Yosemite national park with its lush forests, mountains and 16 degree temperatures. It is just an eight hour drive between these two opposites with a temperature variation of 34 degrees on the day we made the journey. It’s an amazing drive that takes you through desolate stretches of desert road, dried out salt lakes, mountain passes that wind through moonscapes and lush farmland all in one day.
The Azure took all of this in its stride, regardless of speed or temperature, keeping us comfortable and cool, with the engine temperature needle never moving from its usual spot on the dial. Even with the roof down in the desert my knees were cold from the A/C, even if my ears were burning. ➤
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After Yosemite our route took us south west down to the Pacific Coast highway where we joined it at Pismo Beach, and then followed it north past the oddity that is Hearst Castle, and meandered on past beaches full of seals along one of the most beautiful coastlines in the world, with such diversity of scenery. The rock formations and stunning cliffs at the Big Sur are breathtaking, and lead you north to the bay of Monterey with its extraordinary sealife centre and historic cannery row, which is now the most popular holiday destination on California’s central coast, but which was once a thriving industrial street where in 1918 the canneries produced a staggering 1,400,000 cases of tinned fish. ➤
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From here we crossed the Golden Gate Bridge, passed through the Napa wine region and then the Redwood forests and the avenue of the giants, as well as of course the famous drive thru tree – only in America. Once past the Redwoods the highway hugs the coast and its pretty deserted beaches or cliffs with the occasional town here and there all the way to Seattle. Seeing all this at 50 miles per hour from a Bentley Azure was I think one of my life’s great experiences. Its easy to fall in love with America when you see it like this, and to a great extent with the people, which was a surprise. They were really very friendly. In some cases they were a little eccentric, and occasionally rather odd, but a good bunch, even the scary man in Compton. Unlike many of the Americans made for export, they were polite, quietly spoken on the most part and very accommodating of an Englishman on holiday, even if they were a little concerned about how I drove over from England and managed to drive with the steering wheel on the wrong side.
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WEALTH OF WATCHES By Alex Rose
Three months into 2011 and we have already seen a fantastic array of new launches from some of the major watch houses. New watch ranges are rolled out in two phases annually, the first which arrives in January is the Salon International Haute Horologie, (or SIHH if your accent doesn’t accommodate this rolling off the tongue). The second is Basleworld at the end of March. ➤
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The only flying legend without wings.
Pilot’s Watch Chronograph. Ref. 3717: Not every airborne legend comes with wings and an engine. This one, for example, has a soft-iron inner case for protection against magnetic fields and a glass secured against displacement by drops in pressure. Its irresistible aesthetic appeal is founded on more than mere flights of fancy, and even at ground level, its owner will always be flying high. Mechanical chronograph movement | Self-winding | Date and day display | Soft-iron inner case for protection against magnetic fields | Antireflective sapphire glass, secured against drops in pressure | Water-resistant 6 bar | Stainless steel | IWC. Engineered for men.
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SIHH is the most exclusive of watch previews and ‘the’ platform to launch new products. Predominantly used by Richemont group brands, such as Cartier, Jaeger le Coultre, IWC, Baume and Mercier, Panerai and Van Cleef & Arpels, it hosts a couple of independent names as well - Audemars Piguet, Parmigiani and Richard Mille amongst the most recognised. Over the course of one week, billions of dollars are spent by distributors, retailers, and manufacturers. The Palexpo in Geneva becomes an outlandish promenade of luxury watch houses and if you are a bit of a watch nut then it’s probably verging on watch pornography; almost every watch and every complication imaginable from £3000 to £3million is on show here. If you have no presence here as a retailer, then you’re a bit of a non-entity. In addition some brands further jump on the opportunity to display their latest and greatest by inviting you to nearby hotels while the SIHH is being held. Major companies such as LVMH, (owners of Hublot, Zenith, Tag Heuer, Dior and now majority shareholders in Bulgari) take over hotels such as the Kempinski and wow you with yet more fantastic watches. Over the past couple of years when the recession was making people nervous manufacturers played it very safe. Nothing too revolutionary was launched as watch houses didn’t invest in research and development to get new things to market. 2011 however has thus far been fantastic! Cartier, the biggest player financially, launched a number of new products. The most impressive of these being the ‘Astro’ regulator, a tourbillion where the escapement is attached to the rotor ensuring that the centre of gravity remains constant so gravity has no impact on timekeeping. Cartier didn’t just launch crazy pieces though, they also introduced some sensible options, such as the Calibre de Cartier which now comes on a bracelet (you’ll get change from £5000) and looks great. The limited edition Ballon Bleu is particularly worth looking out for in slim white gold (circa £20,000). If you’re a fan of the classics, and wamnt to remain true to Cartier’s heritage, the Louis Cartier Ronde, is a lovely slim round watch which now features sub seconds. ➤
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Parmigiani have the new and highly innovative Bugatti Super Sport where supreme horological technology is married with supercar design. Echoes of the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 are evident in the unusually aerofoil-like design - the third in a sequence of collaborations between Parmigiani and Bugatti since 2001. Designed for Bugatti’s 100-year anniversary, the Super Sport maintains the sleek design of the previous 370 model. In a groundbreaking development, Parmigiani has flipped all the mechanical components of the new calibre Bugatti into a vertical axis, whilst retaining the lateral time display. The open-worked oval dial is made from carbon fibre in honour of the Bugatti, while the dynamometric crown, above the profile, allows settings to be made with a slight pressure. With 337 individual components, the Super Sport has a power reserve of ten days and six sapphire crystals reveal the complexities of the design. In a further nod to the car itself, the iconic Bugatti orange is used on the watch hands, indexes and power reserve, while train wheels have been cut to resemble car wheels on the bridge. Hublot announced last year that they had formed a new partnership with Formula 1 which would see them creating an exciting range of watches. The new F1 King Power features several firsts for Hublot, in a design that capitalises on the brand’s know-how, manufacturing processes, and high-tech materials. The newest is available in satin-finished ‘King Gold’ and black ceramic, resembling a brake disc, with six black PVD H-shaped relief titanium screws. The sapphire crystal has a gold powder transfer minute track and features 234 components, 27 jewels and Hublot’s calibre HUB4100 mechanical movement, with automatic winding. Alternatively you could buy the King Power F1 Monza, in micro-blasted black ceramic with moulded black rubber and a Formula 1 Monza inscription in red.
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IWC’s Portofino “Hand-wound Eight Days” is their flagship watch of the Portofino family and features the 59210 calibre movement. It is the first hand-wound movement from Schaffhausen that will run for a full eight days before automatically stopping. The movement is large, accurate and reliable. Wind this watch once a week and it will maintain extraordinarily precise timekeeping. The indexless balance, with its frequency of 28,000 beats per hour, helps ensure an impressive level of accuracy (the reserve power display provides peace of mind). It’s available in a gold case with a slate-coloured dial and solid gold indices, or in a stainless-steel case with a silver plated or black dial and gold-plated indices. The new Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Ultra Thin is intended to be a bridge between past and present, in acknowledgment of the first Reverso created eighty years ago in 1931. One is available in steel, while the other in limited edition pink gold, featuring a black or white dial with dagger shaped hands and baton-type hour-markers - a direct homage to the design detail of the original Reverso. Powered by their Calibre 8229 movement, this timepiece is classic in appearance and iconic by reputation. At just 2.94mm this Reverso is slimmer than ever before, and a subtly curved shape disguises the case’s generous proportions. I guess the question is, which one to buy first…?
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INFINITI FX DIESEL Expect the unexpected By Rachael Bowser
It’s not often that I am given a car to test, although it would appear that all that is about to change as I have a new remit as a ‘girl’ contributor for Supercar Magazine – something I am looking forward to! ➤
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My first challenge is the Infiniti FX diesel. I am quite familiar with the FX having driven the 5.0 litre petrol version for a week last year while marshalling the Supercar Club’s “Giro d’Italia” tour in Italy. That said, it’s very different being given a car to test rather than simply as a car to get you from A to B. The FX showed me more about its character in the time I had the car in the UK than when I was driving it in Italy, and I put this down to the fact that I was ‘testing’ it rather that just making a journey. ➤
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The first impression with any car has to be the looks, and this car looks sporty. I think it’s refreshingly different and arguably quite aggressive. These looks suit the cars driving style as the suspension is very firm and there is no question that Infiniti have this set up to be a very sporty drive. Tackle a corner and there is little or no lean from the body, which for a car of this size and from this market sector is not what you expect. The interior is also quite bold in design and finish, with a luxury feel to it aided by the quilted cross stitched seats and some wood elements. Also included are comfort heated and ventilated seats which I think are a great idea, particularly if you are in the car for a long journey. ➤
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Its packed with gadgets, in fact so many that I was a bit baffled by all the buttons to start with but after some studying I got to grips with it all. The sat nav is as good as any on the market, as is the sound system. It has more or less every electronic gadget you can find on a car like this, but there was a stand out thing that I was really impressed by, and that’s the reversing camera. Now you can laugh because I am a girl, and we apparently can’t park, but this is a very clever system with an overhead and side view which is the best I have seen. Did I kerb a wheel? I think not.
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The drive is very quiet with good cabin insulation, and while the petrol version is near to silent, the diesel does make some noise (what diesel doesn’t) but it’s very muted, unless you accelerate hard when it roars in a not unpleasant way. As I have said the drive is quite sporty, led to a great degree by the firm suspension, and while the car has been developed as a sports crossover, it drives more like a sports saloon, making a long journey that little bit more interesting.
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Infiniti Reading Rose Kiln Lane, Reading, Berkshire RG2 0JZ Tel: 0118 907 1333 www.infiniti-reading.co.uk www.infiniti-reading.co.uk Opening hours 8.30am-7pm Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm Saturday and 10am-4pm Sunday
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