British Motorshow Ticket Giveaway
After thirty years, The British International Motor Show in partnership with Lloyds TSB Insurance, returns to London this summer to unleash its glamorous new format on the capital. But what if you haven't got your tickets yet, don't panic.
Cannonball 8000 with a Cause
Following the huge success of Cannonball 8000 over the past four years, and the massive 2.3 million TV audiences who tuned in to watch the ITV show of last years Rally, Cannonball 8000 now returns for its 5th Year Anniversary Event. With tickets long Sold Out for the 2007 entry, Cannonball 8000 is geared up to see 260 drivers in 130 of the worlds most amazing cars, rev their engines for the start line at London’s Earls Court on Friday 14th September 2007.
Alpine further improve in-car iPod
It's pretty rare to not find the option for an ipod connector on the spec list of a new car. However, most of these are nothing more than a headphone lead that links to the car's radio. The mp3s play through the stereo, but charging the unit still involves extra leads and changing track means using the ipod. Not ideal.
Dock 'n' Roll with Alpine
Most luxury cars have navigation and entertainment systems that are bettered by a £100 system bought off the high street. Even some mobile phones have better devices. Companies such as Alpine have capitalised on this and produced solutions for the luxury car owner looking for a suitably luxury entertainment and navigation system.
Lamborghini meets Versace... again
Lamborghini and Versace are not a new pairing in the supercar world, having collaborated together since 2006. Closely following the release of the new Gallardo LP560-4, Lamborghini have released the LP640 Roadster Versace, a limited edition model.
Luxury Treatment at the British Motor Show
The British International Motor Show starts in London in late July, and VIP tickets are now on sale for the exclusive opening day on the 23rd July 2008. This ensures priority entrance to the show which will see a number of automotive debuts. The show is being held at ExCel London from the 23rd July to 3rd August.
Private collection of Bernie Ecclestone offered at RM Auctions' inaugural London sale
RM Auctions, in association with Sotheby’s, has announced the inaugural “Automobiles of London” event with a sale of important motor cars from the collection of Formula One impresario Bernie Ecclestone to be held at Battersea Park, October 31, 2007, London, England
Bugatti launch Grand Sport
Bugatti have expanded the car range with the Veyron Grand Sport. Their second model features a unique removable roof. This is in response to customer demand and will open a new dimension to ownership.
The Segrave Club is launched
The supercar club has been redefined. On 9th October, the Segrave Club was officially unveiled with a taster of their fleet in the windows of Harrods, where a Segrave Ferrari 599, Mercedes McLaren SLR and Lamborghini Gallardo can currently be seen. The new club has been created to answer the fundamental problem with existing shared access car clubs - that 80% of their members only want to drive the top 20% of the cars. This translates into a realistic ratio of truly interesting metal to members of 18:1 for even the best known of the other clubs. The Segrave Club starts where the others end.
Lamborghini Reventón takes to the air
The Lamborghini Reventón takes Lamborghini's usual extragence to a new level, with its fighter jet inspired carbon fibre body and 1 million euro price tag. But that isn't enough for the Italian car builder, and it chose Turin as the location for a fantastic publicity stunt.
Alain Prost Joins Forces With Serengeti Eyewear
With a heritage of providing drivers around the world with technically brilliant eyewear, it was natural for Serengeti to link up with an ambassador of the highest calibre. Alain Prost, four times F1 champion has joined forces with the brand to develop the Serengeti Lamone Alain Prost Limited Edition.
In-Dash-Audio With iPod Integration
As more and more consumers shift their preferences from CDs to digital tracks, the demand for automotive products to meet those needs is on the rise. Alpine Electronics, the industry-leading manufacturer of mobile media solutions, today introduced a radical solution to meet this demand: the iDA-X001.
Lusso Film: Armoured Cars and Evasive Driving
Chris West, a regular contributor to Lusso Magazine heads to an undisclosed location in the middle of the country to meet up with ex-special forces officer Dave Thomas for lessons in evasive driving. Dave, MD of Spy Games and a private security company talks us through the manoeuvres, his opinion on the new Cadillac SRX4 and the Hummer H3. Fred Smith, an evasive driving expert runs us through the technique for the perfect J-Turn, a move that allows the car to move from a fast reverse to normal, forward motion in one continuous swing.
Porsche 962 – a road legal Le Mans racer for sale
If a Carrera GT is just a bit too dull for you, and a Pagani Zonda is too common, then may I recommend that you investigate the Porsche 962 which is currently for sale at the Elms Collection. These type of cars do not come up for sale very often, so Lusso investigated.
Luxury Car Rally to take place in Jordan
Jordan is a fantastic country in the Middle East and there can be no better way to explore the landscape than in a classic car. The Jordanian Royal Family are well known to adore their classic cars and this October sees the return of a classic rally.
State-of-the-art quick-build designs premiere at Barcelona
A new era in Formula One is now upon us with the 2007/08 season seeing a large number of dramatic changes to regulations, driver line-ups, car setups and even in the paddock. Being seen as the pinnacle of motorsport, the series is a showcase for the latest technology on the track.
It's new Lamborghini time!
Lamborghini have released a new Gallardo called the LP560-4. Following on from the beautiful and excellent to drive Gallardo, comes the LP, which has the to be expected power increase but also a few tweaks which will make this an even better car.
Ferrari 430 Scuderia
The standard Ferrari 430 is one of Lusso’s favourite sportscars of the moment. Its predecessor, the 360, had never been so high up on our lists, at least not until the special edition 360 Challenge Stradale was released late on in the model’s lifetime. This time around, Ferrari have chosen to release the equivalent model significantly earlier - we guess that the CS was a real money spinner for them.
Murray Joins Caparo
Vehicle light-weighting guru Gordon Murray has been appointed director of advanced concepts at Caparo Vehicle Products. By applying his strategic planning, vehicle conceptual design, production design skills and motivational abilities, the £725m Caparo Group – a vehicle component supplier based largely in the UK, US and India – aims to realise its manufacturing ambitions of commoditising lightweight composites for the car industry as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Jaguar XKR Imminent
Jaguar recently unveiled its new supercharged sports car – the Jaguar XKR. Building from the all-new XK introduced in late 2005, the XKR takes the Jaguar experience to new levels of performance.
Like the normally aspirated XK model, the new XKR makes intelligent use of practical, modern technology such as its industry-leading aluminium monocoque body structure.
Andrea Pininfarina dies in Turin
Pininfarina have been famous in the luxury car market for decades. The design company has been hired by marques such as Ferrari and Maserati to produce some of the most gorgeous cars ever made. The recent news that Andrea Pininfarina has passed away has rocked the car industry.
Latest news from Morgan Cars
Morgan were on proud display at the British Motorshow and they were one of my personal highlights. With many British marques either being bought out or moved abroad, its refreshing to see Morgan continuing to push the boundaries from their Worcestershire home. 2008 has bought two major developments, with the AeroMax and LIFEcar.
British Motorshow 2008 Review
The annual British motorshow has historically been a key part of the automotive calendar. I made the yearly trip down to ExCeL in East London for the event with mixed feelings. In the last few years a lot of major brands have decided to skip the show, in favour of Geneva and Paris. This means that for the fans of Ferrari, Lamborghini and other marques, the journey is spent hoping that enough examples are on display at other stands.
Stage Stars Rally Around Goodwood Festival of Speed
A wealth of rally stage stars past and present – including Petter Solberg, Colin McRae, Stig Blomqvist and Paddy Hopkirk – will be in action on the demanding Forest Rally Stage on the hillside above Goodwood House at this year’s Festival of Speed, being staged from 22-24 June.
New Mercedes SL Released
Two top of the range models are the first to be released – both of them from the tuning arm of Mercedes – AMG. Both the SL63 and SL65 will offer performance reaching into true supercar territory. The SL63 features a 525bhp 6.3l V8, and comes with the latest iteration of the famous 7 speed gearbox, now updated with Multi-Clutch Technology.
The Maddest Caterham
Not content with building some of the fastest accelerating cars in the world, Caterham has recently announced that they plan to fit a supercharged 500 bhp 2.4l V8 engine into a 520kg car. Performance has not been tested yet, but as the power to weight ratio is double that of a Bugatti Veyron at over 1000bhp per tonne, there is no doubt it will be one of the quickest cars ever made.
Sporting Porsche 911 GT3 RS unleashed
In October, Porsche will launch the new 911 GT3 RS in the UK. The GT3 RS is distinguished by its performance capability and an unadulterated driving experience similar to that of a racing car. But while particularly suited for use on the track, the car also meets all requirements for road-legal sports cars.
Rolls Royce at the British Motor Show
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars will be exhibiting at this year's British International Motor Show, which opens to the public at ExCeL in London's Docklands on 20th July. 101EX will be making its official UK debut at the show. It is the second experimental car from Rolls-Royce since 2003.
Available Feature Content
Something for the Weekend
gI’ve always had a bit of a soft spot for the Jag XJ; it was the first car that gave me a proper James Bond moment. Traction control off, pull out of junction, glance in rear view mirror. I don’t think that there were any cars behind me, but I could never have known anyway – it looked like a forest fire had swept Cambridgeshire, and all the smoke seemed to have concentrated at my 6 o’clock in a pukka smokescreen.
Drive the Best
The Ferrari 599 is probably the best GT car currently in production - fact. It has the stunning 600 bhp engine from the fabulously expensive Enzo, mounted in a chassis so communicative that you know what it’s about to do before it’s done it. It has shift lights and electronic differential controls on the steering wheel that make you feel like Michael Schumacher.
The Rarer The Better
It’s hard to drum up much enthusiasm for investing these days. The housing market is in the doldrums, corporate profits continue to slump, retirement funds are losing ground and even most hedge funds are delivering, at best, meagre returns.
From Greenville to Greenville
The junction signs here are split up into three sections; lodgings, gas and fuel... there’s a Waffle House every 3 exits and there are probably more “hotels” along this stretch of freeway than there are in all of central London. We can only be the ‘deep south’ - America’s southern states.
V International
Fractional ownership is a simple concept to understand but not so easy to appreciate. That is, of course, unless you have already been through the process of buying a brand new super-car, using it 4 or 5 times a month and then selling it 10 months later, only to take a colossal kick in the wallet, thanks to insurance, depreciation and maintenance.
Windermere's Lakeside Retreat
Sweeping into the driveway late on a Friday night, we were pleasantly surprised to be greeted by doormen dressed in black tie. Not something all too familiar in the north of England. Our bags and car were taken around to the rear of the hotel to our lodge, whilst we were led through the main entrance of the hotel.
In Search of Perfection
As the sun rises a cacophony of bells ring throughout the whole of Florence, it was time to check out of our hotel set deep within the centre of the city. This first stage of our journey would be undoubtedly the most challenging, as my F430 and the other two cars accompanying us (a Ferrari 599 and a 430 Spider) had to navigate through busy, central Florence to the nearest petrol station.
Ecurie 25. Gallardo
Ok, I’ll admit it before any of you readers figure it out for yourselves. I am a snob. Not the sort of snob who prefers dukes to dustmen, but the sort of snob who feels that if you can’t afford to buy a particular car, then you’d better not drive that sort of a car. Which is a roundabout way of saying that I disapproved of those clubs which provide their members with supercars for the weekend.
Buying a Bugatti Veyron
It is no wonder HR Owen is such a successful dealership; not content with selling me two Lamborghinis and a Carrera GT in the last year and a half, more recently they decided I was a prime target for an even bigger fish. It was not long after I had taken delivery of the CGT when another phone call came through from them.
Life Support - Armoured Range Rovers
Whilst the Armoured Range Rover offers the pinnacle in protection on the road for those who require this kind of safety, I left the Brittany armouring facility understanding why it is chosen for so many other reasons.
Gastro Lombardia
The words ‘fly-drive’ are seldom associated with luxury and comfort. Instead they conjure up images of thrill seeking students braving the desert in a beaten-up Ford Taurus or a family of five cramped into a minivan smelling of nappies and baby wipes.
Bjorn Slippy
“You’ll be picked up from the airport by a sleigh pulled by huskies”. Some things really stand out when you read a travel itinerary and this was certainly one of them.
Glorious Goodwood
Another year, another trip to the Goodwood Festival of Speed. I’ve been going for years now and, as each Festival passes, I slowly hone my skills and plans in order to reach the point (which I believe is now upon me) where I can have the perfect Festival experience. I think it’s only fair that I share it.
Lewis Hamilton Tag Heuer Event
TAG Heuer Ambassador Lewis Hamilton took to the stage where he answered questions from guest panelists including Pink Floyd drummer, Nick Mason, GQ Editor, Dylan Jones and TAG CEO and President, Jean-Christophe Babin.
The Supercar I Never Wanted
I sold my 360 two years ago. I couldnt believe I did it – at the time it was the best car I had ever driven. Fast cornering, amazing engine sound, super revvy engine, fantastic Italian styling, great seats and a cool attitude.
Phantom of the Opera
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars kindly invited Lusso to its HQ at Goodwood in Sussex to tour the factory and take out a Rolls-Royce Phantom for the afternoon. Hey, who were we to refuse?
Wild Rover
Recently knocking the spectacular 'Birmingham International Railway Station' off the top slot ("Die retoorn to Naples, pleurse"... I think not), the entirely splendid 'Fun Run' is currently my all time favourite oxymoron. The very idea of running for pleasure rather than the simple expedient of winning a race strikes me as every bit as absurd as making a shoe called a 'trainer' in which nobody ever actually trains.
The Bogus Fungi Man
If you go down to the woods today, you’d better go with a guide. Especially if today’s the day you decide to start picking, cooking and eating your own mushrooms. Because although only a dozen or so of the 4000 odd varieties of mushroom and toadstool littering Britain’s autumnal forest floors are properly poisonous, that malevolent fistful of fungi have, to a man, spitefully elected to perfectly mimic only the very tastiest specimens on offer.
Available Blog Content
Farboud into Farbio?
It must be one of the strangest moves in recent automotive history; why would you name your company after what could easily be an Italian hair stylist off ITV's Footballer's Wives?
Fantasy Garage
A conversation I have seen brought up dozens of times, in pubs, online motoring forums or in just idle chat is what cars would you have in your perfect garage. Peoples responses range from the inevitable Bugatti Veyron, (well why not – given a free range why settle for a garage full of Nissan Micras and Toyota Yaris’) to such ecliptic choices as a 1930 Blower Bentley or even a Ford Capri...
Owning a piece of automotive history. The Carrera GT.
Ok so it has finally arrived. God knows how I paid for it. Ebay has really been a saviour for getting rid all my automotive memorabilia and special engines to pay for the car. It really better be worth it – and it is.
Bootylicious Boxes
Yes it’s a big boot – but it should be, it’s an estate car. The top half of the image shows a small shelf, a removable part of the boot that in addition to spinning the cover for all your booted-goodies has a box or compartment, complete with the same push-open, push-close, instant-break mechanism that you used to find concealing the buttons on the front of televisions.
Handle Holdup
As robust and reliable as Volvos are, it seems they're also prone to problems. The front, passenger side door handle stopped working a few days ago. It can still be opened from the inside but when pulled from outside the car, 90% of the time it just jams (see pic).
Just Delivered
You could be forgiven for questioning what a Volvo is doing here along side Mercedes, Porsche and Ferrari but it’s a simple fact of life that no matter how rich or posh you might consider yourself, it is always nice to have one car which you can use no matter what, a ‘workhorse’.
Greedy Eighties
The 1980s were a hedonistic time which saw self indulgence and greed reach levels not seen since Henry VIII held court and proclaimed, pre-lunch, that one hog-roast was sufficient for him whilst a barbequed hamster would suffice for his 250 guests, that included the infamous Go-Lightly family from Wales and the Robusts (pron – Rowboosts) from France.
Vehicle Sorcerer
Experts come in many forms. When looking to purchase a home, whether it's to be a main family residence or a weekend bolt hole in the country, we employ the services of a surveyor. No matter how perfect the place may look in your own eyes, it takes the opinion of someone else to actually point out that although it may look quaint and rustic, the chimney stack leans at an angle to rival the Tower of Pisa...
Famous, Flawless and a Drunk
It was VW owners that started waving at each other on the road; Campers, Beatles and Karmann Ghias, a party of one big happy family and the owners loved the fact that other people were driving the same car as them. Although the principle still exists with some cars these days, it certainly doesn’t exist when it comes to executive cars; you just wouldn’t see two XK owners wave to each other (classic Jags maybe but not new).
First Date Cars
Now ladies you’re going to have to bear with me on this, being of the gene pool that is male I cannot speak with authority on what goes through your minds when preparing for a night out with one of us (male).
Friends Reunited
With the communication age that we live in, and the huge network of companies such as Friends Reunited, avoiding contact with someone from your past can be difficult.
All Other Available Content
ArmorTech
The company’s name is self-explanatory, it consists of two words Armor - short for “the armour” – and Tech – short for “the technology” - which means "the technology of armouring". The brand logo is Armadillo with armoured plates instead of skin and wheels instead of paws, which represents main activity of the company.
A SHADE OF LUXURY SAILS INTO SPAIN!
In response to growing demand for Sun Square Systems® across Europe, SunSquare is thrilled to have launched its superior quality automatic awning systems to the Costa del Sol.
Custom-made in Austria, the SunSquare System® offers the highest levels of protection from the harmful rays of the sun and is 100% weatherproof from rain and high winds. Indeed, if winds reach over 40 km/h, the sail automatically retracts.
Arash Cars
Arash Sportscars was born out of the passion for cars, the enchantment of beauty and the thrill of driving the seemingly endless accerleration of a thoroughbred engine.
Thrilling line-up of important Ferraris for Maranello auction event
RM Auctions, in association with Sotheby’s, will offer an exciting line-up of important Ferrari sports and racing cars when they return to Maranello, Italy on May 18th for the much-anticipated ‘Ferrari: Leggenda e Passione’ auction event. Headlining the list of significant consignments for the single-day event is a pair of rare and ultra-desirable California Spyders, a 1951 Ferrari 212 Inter Coupe Pinin Farina with celebrity provenance, and a 1951 Ferrari 340 America Coupé with a superlative racing history.
VW Phaeton W12
It feels like a Bentley and it goes like a Bentley, but it doesn’t cost like a Bentley and it most certainly doesn’t look like a Bentley, so what is it?
Audi RS4
This is not a car for the faint hearted – but it is one for someone who doesn’t want to get noticed. Aside from some huge, and incredibly sexy, wheels, and the bulging arches that house them, this car almost fades into the background. Even with the semi-fluorescent shade of “Sprint Blue” that our car came in, it still looks like one of the countless slightly pimped up Audi A4s that pound the motorway miles every day up and down the country.
Nismo 350z S-Tune
I have been watching the light flicker off the nib of my pen for a few minutes now, my hand is shaking as I’m making some cue cards ready to call the people in the Nissan press office. My notes read something similar to, “I’m sorry...”, “It’s just really unlucky”, and there’s also a diagram, how will I explain that without sounding like I’m insane, or making it up.
Alfa Romeo GT
The Alfa could be described as the poor man’s Ferrari however I’m here to fight its case as the smart man’s Ferrari. From a purely visual point of view the Alfa Romeo GT is a stunning piece of kit. Fresh from the Bertone parlor the smooth and sleek lines create a machine fine enough to take along to any party, yet inexpensive enough to ease your mind when the valet walks off with it.
Audi A8
For some reason I have always imagined Audi to sit at the bottom of my German luxo-car manufacturer list. They certainly seem to be the rarest so I wonder whether my lack of exposure to the brand left me subconsciously thinking they weren’t as good. Who knows?
Roofless Wafting
Convertible cars are always designed to look beautiful with the top down, whilst their roofs consume 90 per cent of the vehicles’ boot space. Our glorious and ever-shifting climate ensures that most of the time that we venture outdoors the roof must up, turning a sleek and carefully crafted luxury motor into a frightfully frumpy little monstrosity and leaving the driver and passengers feeling like the pilot of a supercharged tent.
Close Shave
I’ve been a Mercedes nut for ever. At the age of six the greatest sound I ever heard was the supercharger screaming in my Dad’s straight eight Hitler-style Mercedes cabriolet as we howled through the tunnels between Amalfi and Sorrento on the Italian coast road.
The Elms Collection
The Elms Collection is dedicated to sourcing the most desirable motor vehicles for clients around the world.
Louis Vuitton buys Yacht Manufacturer
The Louis Vuitton Group, LVMH, has purchased Dutch yacht manufacturer Royal van Lent. The yacht company make ultra high end yachts, with an average selling price of 30 million euros. The sellers are Dutch investment firm Egeria and the acquisition price is worth approximiately 11 times net profit.
Asics Inner Muscle Revolutionises Sport Clothing
High end sports clothing has recently gone down the route of tight elastic tops and shorts that initially appear about 4 sizes too small for the athlete. The theory is that the tops provide more overall support to muscles, which improves performance. Asics, a leading trainer company, has taken this technology one step further. Lusso took a look.
Topper chosen for Champion of Champions event
Topper Sailboats offer a range of 12 different boats for all abilities of sailor. They are highly regarded as having excellent construction quality and design. They have been chosen to be the craft of choice for the Endeavour Trophy at least up until 2010 and probably further into the future. Lusso have taken a closer look at this company to see how they do it.
Did Russian billionaire buy 496 million euro property?
Recently, it was reported that Villa Leopolda was sold to a Russian billionaire for just under 500 million euros. It soon revealed that Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov was behind the sale. As is the habit with Russian oligarchs, Prokhorov made his billions in precious metals. In 2007 he launched a $17 billion private investment fund, so he was definitely wealthy enough to purchase the property.
Issue 15, Available December 2008.
Travel Special
The ultimate in peace and quite. Lusso Magazine investigates the best island resorts in the world - it's a tough job, but somebody's got to do it.
Ultimate Toys
Super yacht tenders, powerboats, motorbikes and super cars, we serve up the usual dose of high octane machinery.
And the regulars...
Brian Ebbesen, Arash Farboud, Nick English and others all share their views
The Value for Luxury Market
“Doug,Very interested in your article on EOS and this is something I am trying to re-create ...” By Nigel Worrall 27 September 2008
