Category: DRIVE - Page 383

EVO 43 adds flexibility for avid boaters

September 23, 2016September 8, 2016 by Editorial Team

EVO Yachts. From The Cannes Yachting Festival to Miami and Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show. At this year’s Cannes Yachting Festival, Italian shipyard EVO Yachts announced a new expansion strategy and the partnership with the Miami, Florida-based G Marine, “The European Yacht Boutique.” The EVO 43 will arrive in Miami at G Marine after its … Read more

Lexus UX Concept crossover to debut at Paris Motor Show – Mondial de l’Automobile 2016

September 9, 2016September 8, 2016 by Editorial Team

Lexus in Paris: Lexus announced its latest concept vehicle to be presented at #MondialAuto. Lexus UX Concept crossover, Lexus’ latest concept vehicle, will make its world debut at the 2016 Paris Motor Show (1-16 Ocobre 2016). Created at Lexus’ European Design Centre, the Lexus UX Concept “takes Lexus’ bold design language to the next level.” The new model … Read more

Best of Show at 2016 Chantilly Arts & Elégance Richard Mille

September 23, 2016September 6, 2016 by Editorial Team

The Chantilly Arts & Elégance Richard Mille has definitely found its place among the worldwide exceptional rendezvous devoted to the motor car, especially as it has revived con brio the great tradition of the Concours d’Elégance of the 1920s of which France was the cradle. The first two Chantilly Arts & Elégance Richard Mille placed … Read more

Chantilly Arts & Elegance: McLaren 570GT by MSO revealed in Pacific Blue

September 5, 2016 by Editorial Team

McLaren returned to 2016 Chantilly Arts & Elegance Richard Mille with a bespoke model. 570GT by McLaren Special Operations was revealed in Pacific Blue.

An ambition of Chantilly Concours d’Elegance is to bring back the elegance of the 1920’s when manufacturers and fashion houses joined forces to showcase the future of the motor car and couture. This year, McLaren Automotive has been paired with the avant-garde fashion house, Jean-Paul Gaultier to take part in the Concept-Cars parade where the McLaren 570GT by MSO Concept was shown.

Featuring a wide selection of MSO Defined options shown together as a single concept, the McLarenSpecial Operations-engineered car is the first European example of the recently-launched McLaren 570GT to feature a bespoke specification.

With this model, the attention is in the detail; as standard, the McLaren 570GT’s carbon fibre interior components are finished with a beautiful satin lacquer but the MSO model goes further with a rich, gloss lacquer for an even more individual and more luxurious look. This beautifully complex, gloss-lacquered MSO Defined option also extends the entire length of the car’s sills.

Externally, to complement the interior, MSO Defined delivers a sumptuous gloss black finish to exterior details such as the side skirt, the front and rear ends and the door inserts. This is MSO’s Piano Black finish and exudes an understated elegance and refinement.

MSO Defined has engineered an exhaust manufactured from titanium which is 30% lighter than the standard offering. This item is finished with heat shields in a golden titanium nitride tint, which will naturally change colour to a blue and purple as the system heats and cools through its cycle which can be seen through the cooling grids.

The first two editions of Chantilly Arts & Elégance Richard Mille, which enjoyed ever-increasing success, placed the event among the benchmark international Concours d’Elégance, and the third show consolidated the same trend. It was organised on Sunday 4th September and confirmed its status as the elegant rendezvous of the early autumn attracting some 13 500 visitors to the Chantilly domain, a stable figure compared to 2015. The number would certainly have been higher if the weather – cloudy skies and light rain in the morning – had been as clement as in previous years.

McLaren was also a star attraction at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, where its latest handbuilt cars complemented the elegant classics of the past.

Rolex Swan Cup 2016 – 50th Anniversary

September 5, 2016 by Editorial Team

Everything is set for the 19th edition of the biennial Rolex Swan Cup on the picturesque waters of Sardinia’s Costa Smeralda. A stellar line-up for a special year.

An impressive and eclectic fleet of 121 Nautor’s Swan yachts are preparing to grace what promises to be a memorable 19th edition of the Rolex Swan Cup from 11-18 September. Memorable because 2016 marks the 50th anniversary of the launch of the very first Swan yacht; an opportune moment to celebrate both the heritage and the continued evolution of one of the leading – and most distinctive – marques in the sailing world.

FLIGHT OF THE SWANS

Not only does 121 entrants comfortably surpass the 93 attendees at the previous edition in 2014, the range of competing yachts pays testament to both the longevity of Swan yachts and the company’s desire to continually push the design envelope. A Classic division of historic designs counts nearly 40 entries, and the Maxi division is enhanced with the presence of three cutting-edge, freshly launched Swan 115s.

The fleet will be divided into six classes and contest five days of racing in one of the world’s most compelling and challenging sailing environments. Emerging as class winner after navigating a week of varied conditions, testing racecourses and top class competition is a notable achievement and one justly rewarded with a Rolex timepiece at the final prize giving.

Swan 115 – A first glance

The largest yachts competing at the Rolex Swan Cup represent the marque’s latest design thinking. The Swan 115, the new flagship of the SwanLine, was conceived in 2014.

The model will be represented by three iterations – Solleone, Shamanna and Highland Fling 15. The navy-hulled Solleone, commissioned by Nautor’s Swan chairman Leonardo Ferragamo, was the first build of a model that celebrates the style, quality and boat building mastery which has come to define the brand.

Designed by Swan’s house-designer, the legendary German Frers Snr, the Swan 115 features a performance driven hull shape, with a plumb bow and powerful stern. Twin rudders ensure responsiveness and the deck configurations are defined by elegance and simplicity. The handcrafted interiors are noted for the light, satin finish of the teak and modern detailing.

Shamanna and Highland Fling 15, the latter owned by perennial Porto Cervo campaigner Lord Irvine Laidlaw, were launched this spring, and the prospect of all three of these superyachts duelling on the picturesque waters of Sardinia‘s Costa Smeralda promises to be very special.

The Maxi Class, open to yachts measuring above 80 feet/24.38 metres, will be a powerful display and includes among its numbers the Swan 90s B5 (CAY) and Nefertiti (GBR), the Swan 80s Plis Play (ESP) and Selene (CAY).

The Swan Grand Prix class, open to yachts measuring under 56ft/17.06m, is highly anticipated with 19 yachts scheduled to compete including three brand new ClubSwan 50s, the first of a nascent one design class.

Intense competition is expected in the 24-strong Mini Maxi division (comprising yachts measuring 56-80ft/17.06-24.38m). Featuring entrants from an impressive 16 different countries, the Class includes Yukihiro Ishida’s Yasha from Japan, an event winner in 2014 following a 12-year hiatus, together with Gerard Logel’s Swan 601 Arobas (FRA), Amanda Hartley and Jaime Olazabal’s Swan 56 Clem Primero (ESP) and the ever consistent Swan 60 Bronenosec (BVI).

ONE DESIGN, ONE WINNER

Competing in its own World Championship, the Swan 45 is always one of the most closely-fought and, given the one-design nature of the competition, one of the most finely-balanced contests. The German crew on Hendrik Brandis and Christian Nagel’s Earlybird have already claimed a staggering four titles and as defending champions will begin as favourites. Second in 2014, fellow German Christian Plump will hope to go one better and upset his compatriots by guiding Elena Nova to glory.

The ClubSwan42 will also compete in its own one design competition where the defending champion is the Romanian boat Natalia.

GLC43 Coupe is the latest vehicle to say AMG on the back

September 23, 2016September 2, 2016 by Editorial Team

Mercedes-AMG presents the coupe version of its compact luxury crossover. The new Mercedes-AMG GLC 43 4MATIC, the new addition to the mid-size SUV model series, is all about dynamism and responsiveness. The 270 kW (367 hp) 3.0‑l itre V6 biturbo engine, the automatic transmission 9G‑TRONIC with shortened shift times and the AMG Performance 4MATIC all-wheel drive configured … Read more