Luxury Automotive : Planes, Cars and Boats

Silver Fast, the world’s largest and fastest aluminium motor yacht, debuts at Monaco Yacht Show 2015

September 24, 2015 by Editorial Team

Those shopping for superyachts at this year’s Monaco Yacht Show could not notice the $88 million superyacht with helipad presented by Australia-based Silver Yachts. With its interior featuring the most wow factor, the sleek luxury floating hotel called Silver Fast is one of the highlights of the 25th edition of Yacht Show.

Silver Fast is the fourth and most advanced, eco-fuel efficient vessel in the ground-breaking Silver Series. Designed by Espen Oeino, Silver Fast retains the super-sleek contour and the hull lines of her much-prized predecessors but with a striking new all dark silver paint.

At 77 metres (252.6ft) with a top speed of over 27 knots, Silver Fast is the world’s largest and fastest aluminium motor yacht with conventional propulsion in terms of length to speed ratio. Silver Fast is also the fastest long range cruising yacht – 4,500 nautical miles at 18 knots and 6,200 nautical miles at 14 knots with an already proven capability to effortlessly complete long passages in every sea state. She is capable of crossing the Atlantic at approximately 22 knots cruising speed, which performance is record-breaking.

At 18 – 20 knots the yacht is quiet and vibration-free making her perfect for fast and fuel-efficient long overnight passages with low noise levels around 40/45 decibels.

Guest accommodations are spread across three decks, in seven en suite cabins, ensuring privacy and sumptuous spaces. Of particular note is the owner’s living space. Spread across a full deck, it boasts a spacious lounge leading to a private deck, and a luxurious cabin with 180-degree views, his and hers en suites and a study area.

The hugely popular on-water Beach Club space hosts a beauty salon, massage room, customised sauna and gym area. Indoor living areas are abundant and include a voluminous, lounge space that flows out to the Winter Garden: Indoor-outdoor dining on the main deck with wraparound sliding glass panels and air-conditioning for al fresco dining whatever the weather is, for up to 20 guests.

Mercedes Benz joined forces with SilverYachts to produce a film in Monaco featuring the new S Class Convertible and Silver Fast. The film had its debut during the IAA Frankfurt Motor Show 2015. Remarkably, the new S Class Convertible was positioned on the helipad of the yacht, while she was speeding through the waters with 20+ knots.

Anti-corrosive niche supercar ‘Marine Edition’ BAC Mono

September 23, 2015 by Editorial Team

BAC launched Marine Edition Mono easy winching onto a luxury yacht.
Completely customizable inside and out to compliment the colour scheme of your yacht.

Luxury British carmaker BAC, the automotive company known as a unique British brand in the top tier of the global luxury market, unveiled its latest iteration of the popular Mono – The Marine Edition. Built-to-order, the luxury BAC Marine Edition Mono is based on popular single-seater Mono supercar, powered by 305bhp 2.5-litre Mountune engine.

Weighing only 580kg this ultra-lightweight supercar built to order at £500,000 is powered by a new 305hp normally aspirated engine delivered through a Hewland FTR gearbox, as found on current F3 race cars. Awarded Stig’s Car of the Year, Mono boasts a 0-60mph time of 2.8 seconds and a top speed of 170mph. Marine Edition comes complete with a carbon-fibre crane arm designed for Mono and to be used with all yacht crane systems.

Launched in collaboration with yachting company Camper & Nicholsons, the ‘Marine Edition’ will feature anti- corrosive ultra-high specification components to keep the car protected in salty climates, proprietary lifting system for safe and easy hoisting, an Environmental Control Container System for on board storage in climate- controlled environment, and bespoke interior and exterior design custom suited to yacht styling and owner preference, announced the ultra-luxury manufacturer.

“I have always wanted to combine my love of marine and automotive design. The ‘Marine Edition’ Mono represents the ultimate drive-and-arrive experience with great purity of purpose and style,” commented BAC co-founder Ian Briggs.

With a new dedicated factory in Liverpool, BAC is able to produce four cars per month.

“Today’s super-yachts are paragons of exquisite taste, exceptional design, and the ultimate experience possible. It is only fitting that owners should be able to extend that experience beyond the vessel upon arrival,” said Andrew Whitney, Director of Strategy & Corporate Development at BAC.

“The Marine Edition Mono is uniquely qualified, with unparalleled design, performance and driving sensation, while its low mass of only 580kg allows vessels to carry even a brace of Monos for a little over a ton. What better way for friends to arrive?”

Stealth Electric Bikes – a hybrid vehicle like nothing you’ll see on the roads

September 23, 2015 by Editorial Team

High-end off-road Stealth Electric Bikes, a big name in the professional action sports arena, packs a punch and delivers an unbelievable grin factor. With a top speed of 80km/h and a recharge time of just 2 hours, Stealth Electric Bikes deliver heaps of fun on any terrain. Handcrafted in Australia, Stealth Electric Bikes is home … Read more

Mission E: First all-electrically powered road-hugging Porsche

September 17, 2015 by Editorial Team

Porsche Mission E: 600 hp, 500-kilometer driving range, and 15 minutes charging time.

Porsche’s electrifying mission at Frankfurt Motor Show 2015 culminated with the unveiling of ‘Mission E’ all- electric concept sports car. Futuristic while retaining a Porsche silhouette, the full plug-in electric vehicle can deliver 600 hp, a 500 kilometer driving range, and 15 minutes charging time.

Thanks to the innovative 800-volt technology, the Mission E sports car can travel over 500 km on one battery charge, and it can be charged with enough energy for around 400 km more driving range in about fifteen minutes. The instruments are intuitively operated by eye-tracking and gesture control, some even via holograms, says Porsche.

Together the two motors produce over 600 hp, and they propel the Mission E to a speed of 100 km/h in less than 3.5 seconds and to 200 km/h in under twelve seconds. In addition to their high efficiency, power density and uniform power development, they offer another advantage: unlike today’s electric drive systems, they can develop their full power even after multiple accelerations at short intervals. The need-based all-wheel drive system with Porsche Torque Vectoring – which automatically distributes torque to the individual wheels – transfers the drive system’s power to the road, and all-wheel steering gives precise, sporty steering in the desired direction. This makes the Mission E fit for the circuit race track; its lap time on the Nürburgring Nordschleife is under the eight-minute mark.

Another feature that is typical of a Porsche sports car is a lightweight concept with optimal weight distribution and a low centre of gravity. The battery mounted in the car’s underbody, which is based on the latest lithium-ion technology, runs the whole length between the front and rear axles. This distributes its weight to the two drive axles uniformly, resulting in exceptionally good balance. In addition, it makes the sports car’s centre of gravity extremely low. Both of these factors significantly boost performance and a sports car feeling.

The body as a whole is made up of a functional mix of aluminium, steel and carbon fibre reinforced polymer. The wheels are made of carbon: the Mission E has wide tyres mounted on 21-inch wheels in front and 22-inch wheels at the rear.

The all-electric drive concept made it possible to fully reinterpret the interior. The lack of a transmission tunnel, for instance, opens up space and gives a lighter and more airy atmosphere to the entire interior. Race bucket seats served as inspiration for the four single seats. Their lightweight design is weight-saving, and it gives occupants secure lateral support during dynamic driving. Between the front seats, the centre console – elegantly curved like a bridge with open space beneath it – extends up to the dashboard.

The concept vehicle can also be configured externally from a tablet via Porsche Car Connect. Using “Over the Air and Remote Services” the driver can essentially change the functional content of the vehicle overnight. A simple update via the integrated high-speed data module is all it takes to implement the travel guide or additional functions for the chassis, engine or infotainment system.

Jaguar driving the world’s largest loop

September 16, 2015 by Editorial Team

The all-new #FPACE takes pride of place at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Jaguar’s first family sports car has defied gravity by performing a record-breaking 360 degree loop, ahead of its global motor show debut in Frankfurt. The all-new Jaguar F-PACE, described by the manufacturer as “the world’s most practical sports car“, was driven by expert … Read more

First look at the next CLS: Mercedes-Benz Concept IAA with extendable body

September 15, 2015 by Editorial Team

The automotive industry is changing fundamentally and the driver of this development is called “digitalisation”.

Mercedes-Benz came to Frankfurt with five world premieres at the IAA 2015. No fewer than four new models expand the line-up of Mercedes Dream Cars – the new C-Class Coupé and the new S-Class Cabriolet, each in two standalone versions from Mercedes-Benz and Mercedes-AMG. Also making its debut in Frankfurt is the Concept Intelligent Aerodynamic Automobile, known in short as the Concept IAA – the “Digital Transformer.”

“The Concept IAA shows that the real and the virtual world are merging more and more at Mercedes-Benz,” said Dr. Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars.

“Never before have we developed a vehicle concept as quickly as our Concept IAA,” Zetsche continued. “What previously took up to one and a half years, we managed in less than 10 months thanks to digitalisation.”

The Concept IAA offers a glimpse of future in areas not immediately apparent. The study is equipped with a large number of sensors and modules that enable autonomous driving and car-to-x communication. Further innovations like the operating concept with touch-based functionalities in the interior likewise point the way to the business saloon of the near future.

According to Mercedes-Benz, the Concept IAA embodies two cars in one – a four-door coupé with a fascinating design
and an aerodynamic world record breaker with a cd figure of 0.19. Upwards of 80 km/h, the study automatically switches from design mode to aerodynamic mode, changing its form with a number of aerodynamic features. At the rear end, eight segments deploy, extending it by up to 390 mm; front flaps in the front bumper extend outwards by 25 mm and rearwards by 200 mm, improving airflow around the front end and the front wheel arches; the active wheel rims change their cupping from 50 mm to zero; and the fin in the front bumper retracts by 60 mm to improve flow along the underbody.

Mercedes-Benz aerodynamics experts used around one million CPU hours to simulate the airflow, working through
around 300 variants. The work involved is roughly equivalent to that required to develop a production model.