• News
  • PR

Art and automobiles with Mercedes-Benz and Virgil Abloh

How do you tell apart an art connoisseur from a casual dilettante? An art connoisseur will buy a painting of a Mercedes for the same price that the dilettante will buy an actual Mercedes. With a twinge of guilt, we declare that we’d prefer driving an actual Mercedes (thank you very much) to a mere painting of it. Still, that doesn’t mean one can’t aspire to higher spiritual standards. After all, car creation demands both science and art. Gorden Wagener and Virgil Abloh, bringing together science and art On September 8, 2020, Mercedes, in collaboration with famous artist, architect, and fashion designer Virgil Abloh, will premier project Geländewagen: a life-sized painting of the Mercedes class G model. This massive endeavour will move to auction, with the proceeds going towards supporting the global art community, which has suffered at the hands of COVID-19. The highest bidder will also get a backstage pass to see Virgil Abloh in the skin. AMG G63...hitting the 'G' spot On a related note, artwork at auctions sell for notoriously high prices. But hey, if you’ve got the moolah, get the painting, and then get the same model, in the same colour, and that’s a garage worth…

4 years ago
  • News

Solid-state battery: Toyota’s revolutionary quick-charging solution

It’s official. Generation “Green” is a go-go. From veganism to Greta Thunberg, we are heading towards a cleaner, greener world. Naturally, carmakers are getting on board. We’ve got the EVs, we’ve got ElectriCity, and, in Toyota’s case, hybrid and hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles (H&HFCV?). The automobile giants have explored the EV’s technological limitations, and are currently working on a prime solution: the solid-state battery. The EV conundrum Picture this. You’re cruising around the country in your Tesla EV, when suddenly you realise that you’re running low on charge. You open an app, it pulls up thousands of charging stations near you (not a problem in 2020). You rock up to one, swipe your credit card and pull out the charger from its dock. And… ...it doesn’t fit. To add salt to the wound, you’ve left your charging pin adapter at home. Now what? Panic. Stress. Mayhem. But hold on, your app shows that there’s another charging point tucked behind an apartment a few hundred meters down the road. Maybe they will have a Tesla charging adapter? So you finally get hold of an adapter, you’re all set to go, but then… ...only residents can use said charging point. Yep, different companies…

4 years ago
  • News

VW Electrify America’s EV Emoji conundrum

Breaking news over the weekend. The 2021 Ford Bronco ensemble is just 18 months away for those of you who have already reserved one. Ford are saying that the first deliveries are still on for Spring 2021, however if you haven’t reserved yet, chances are you may have to wait until 2022. In more pressing news matters, however, VW’s Electrify America has gotten 935 signatures in its push for the world’s first EV emoji. Emoji redesigned What does it actually mean when EA and 935 other people are pushing so relentlessly for the Unicode Consortium to grant the world an EV Emoji? Drivers indicating they’ve gone electric? A pro-EV statement for staunch environmentalists? Greta Thunberg’s subliminal WhatsApp messaging to DJT? We don’t know, but apparently we should care. After VW were asked to pay out a $2 billion settlement following the Dieselgate emissions scandal, the funds were pumped into Electrify America. They've been given until 2026 to expend the entire amount towards its EV agenda. Although, we’re not really sure how much of that would go into creating an Emoji. I mean, surely a freelancer from Fiverr was hired to design this: Not too shabby... Statement of intent It seems…

4 years ago
  • Tips & Tricks

A tale about a Ferrari toy, promises, and evil companies

Sometime before Christmas, a Ferrari toy ad aired on TV. We see a boy pleading with his father – let’s call him Robert - to buy the toy. Robert promises that he will buy it. Unfortunately, the Ferrari toy's out of stock in all the stores when Christmas finally came around. Fast forward to January. Robert had sworn not to enter the wretched toy store after purchasing all too many gifts for his son. Yet there he was, in the same blasted place, shelling out for said Ferrari toy. Here’s the story’s main question: do you really think Robert has been unfortunate in his efforts to get the damned toy? The answer might surprise you. Fun fact: this is a real story that happened to Robert Cialdini, the leading psychologist in the area of influence. His lesser achievements include having the Society for Personality and Social Psychology name their grand prize after him. Lucky toy companies? Haha…hahaha… Toy business follows seasonal patterns. Once Christmas rolls around, toy companies collect their yearly harvest. When Christmas passes, the sales plunge. If you were the CEO of a toy company, how would you fix this situation? With a bit of industry insight, you…

4 years ago
  • Cars
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  • PR

Chevrolet SUV 2020 line-up: pick your personality

Which family brings together the quirkiest and most eclectic characters in animated cartoon history? Boom. Le Simpsons. First you have a crack pot with drinking problems - Homer. Then you have overprotective mother Marge. Followed by prankster Bart who relies on his resourceful sister Lisa. And the circle ends with a slightly mischievous Maggie. One big happy family The Chevrolet family is a bit like the Simpsons. Members of their family are unique and memorable too. You may recognize yourself in one of them. Tahoe Do you like em grilles? The Tahoe is the Homer Simpson of the Chevy family. No, it does not have a criminal record (yet). What it does have is sass in spades. And a deep history in the Middle East. Chevy Tahoe’s earned its recognition as movie star, member of the armed forces, and trusted bodyguard of the family. Large and in charge, the Tahoe was voted “Most reliable large SUV” after receiving the lowest rate of reported problems among its large SUV peers. Okay, maybe not so Homer after all, although you’d be hard pressed to suggest that he doesn’t have his moments. Equinox Safe in Mamma Chevy's hands The Chevy Equinox will remind…

4 years ago
  • News

BMW X7 M50i Dark Shadow Edition looks insane

Holy BMW on crack! Like seriously, is this a Death Star or something? Tell you what, it carries an ‘M’ badge, it comes in black (Bruce Wayne would love it), and is a limited edition of just 600 coming through the production line. It's an M50i do-over like no other. Welcome to the dark side of the moon With a Frozen Arctic Grey matte metallic finish, gloss-black trim, complete with Jett Black 22-inch matte wheels and black chrome exhaust tips, you're definitely paying for the looks alone. But when it looks like that why the hell not? The real question is: could you just get a matte foiling job done, and customise the seats with two-tone Night Blue wraps? Bearing in mind you're paying less than $20,000 more for the dark edition... A true premium sport SUV Last year, BMW announced its two M50i-based SUVs: the X5 M50i and the X7 M50i, taking their premium SUV game to a new level. Both trims feature an updated version of BMW’s twin-turbo 4.4L V8 engine beneath the hood. Looks better in black As with any V8, it’s easy to maintain, reliable, light and with shed loads of power. 523 horses worth to…

4 years ago
  • Best of the V12

Best of the V12 series episode 5 – The weird one (Tramontana R)

Okay, seriously, what the hell is this thing? Is it a Formula 1 car? Is it a fighter jet? A bit of both, with a sprig of the every-day luxury? To say that the Tramontana R is unique would be the understatement of the century. It’s weird, and not in a bad way. Put it this way. If you like to be stared at while out and about, then put your Aventador back in the garage. This open-wheeler with lateral intake vents and two tandem passenger seats will make you feel like the SWAT Kats heading out for a dog fight on a rainy day. You in your Tramontana A puzzling act There’s an air of mystery about the origins and whereabouts of this intriguing hot rod. Legend has it that Kal-El assembled this craft on the moon, using extraterrestrial metals, and sent it down to Earth for the Chosen Petrolhead to steer humanity away from mayhem. Okay, that’s pushing it, but it’s a tale worthy of such a trip. Looking for a split meteor rock for the Tramontana Back to Earth, people. A biturbo V12 from Mercedes-AMG married to a semi-automatic transmission gives the Tramontana its power, and delivers…

4 years ago
  • Cars
  • News

Inside Gordon Murray’s T.50: This generation’s McLaren F1

We’ve hailed the McLaren F1’s supremacy as the OG speed king, and celebrated its success on our GOAT list. Nobody’s really come close to usurping Murray's beloved creation, not even the barely legal Cerbera Speed 12 with all its mods and pods. Well, sit back ladies and gentlemen, because fresh outta Murray’s supercar lab is this generation’s F1: the T.50. Man on a mission More than two decades ago, Gordon Murray set out on a mission. He wanted to build a road legal supercar that would weigh less than 1000 kgs. But alas, a heavy-doody 6.1L BMW V12 engine and iron brakes (no carbon-ceramic discs in those days) severely restricted him. He unveiled the legendary 1200-kg F1, and called it a day. Look at her go... Now, 31 years after he last picked up a pencil to sketch the F1, Murray and his team have dug deep. They've pulled all the stops to realise their vision of a sub-1000-kg supercar. From optimising the size of custom-made individual bolts and fasteners, to cradling a Cosworth-built naturally aspirated V12 that's around 70 kgs lighter than the F1's BMW V12, Murray and co have squeezed every last drop from the lemon. The V12…

4 years ago
  • Cars
  • News

2020 Alpina B3: faster, more refined than M340i not for US soil

Alpina is to BMW what Lucius Fox is to Bruce Wayne. A little magic tinkerer who sprinkles a little pixie dust and turns your ordinary BMW into something special. It's no wonder why models coming out of Alpina’s yard are highly praised. More so, sometimes, than their folkloric 'M' counterparts. When you see that ‘M’ badge on a BMW, you know that it’s been infused with race car DNA. They’re raw, obnoxious, visceral, certainly not for the faint-hearted and you know that the person behind the wheel is an automotive force to be reckoned with. As one of our E30 enthusiasts, Sujith, says: "with this car, err'day is leg day." Though not an 'M' per se, the principle applies: they're not the easiest cars to drive. Sujith resting on leg day with his E30 What is Alpina? There’s another BMW breed, set up to challenge the brute tenacity of the ‘M’ cars with a softer, more refined package that doesn't let up on performance. I am, of course, talking about Alpina, also known as BMW’s experimental play ground. Tucked away in the Bavarian countryside, this mystical centre of expert innovation is a mod-fest that the average bystander often overlooks, but…

4 years ago
  • Fun corner

What I learned from Ford V Ferrari and Ken Miles

I’m not an engineer or an expert in auto mechanics. And I don’t claim to be. But I have developed an interest in cars, an interest which a film I recently watched has amplified. I’m of course talking about “Le Mans ‘66” or “Ford V Ferrari”, starring Christian Bale as legendary racer Ken Miles and Matt Daemon as iconic car designer Carroll Shelby. A must watch... This James Mangold masterpiece hit all the right notes and taught me a thing or two about passion, engineering, and friendship. (May contain a few spoilers). Here's to the crazy ones I must admit, prior to watching “Ford V Ferrari”, I didn’t know who Ken Miles was. But I’m so glad I got to know him. Bale’s portrayal brought him to life in an exquisite way. I was rooting for him from the get go. I wanted to see him succeed and win at Le Mans. Was it dramatised? Of course, but it still stayed true to his driving exploits, and for me, that's more than enough to keep me interested. During a launch event for a new Ford Mustang in the film, Shelby made a rousing speech. He said “it’s a truly lucky…

4 years ago