Beating the Tamburo!
The opportunity to take more than one friend or member of the family in a Lamborghini has not been possible since the demise of the fabled LM in 1993. Until now that is, with the launch of the new Lamborghini Urus. Whilst the LM was more of a truck (the ‘Rambo-Lambo’ conspicuous by lack of even a mention at the launch at Barangaroo in Sydney), the new Urus is a luxury super suv. At its Oceania premiere I was able to sample the new Lamborghini experience, which combines the DNA and qualities of the current Lamborghini offering. Take the very best bits of the Huracán and the Aventador super sports cars, such as four-wheel steering and carbon ceramic brakes, throw in air suspension and lots of other high-tech stuff including torque vectoring, and Lamborghini has created an SUV capable of 0-100 km/h in 3.6 seconds with a top speed of 305 km/h. Despite its increased centre of gravity and the fact that it is much higher and heavier than the other models from Sant’Agata Bolognese, the Urus is capable of stopping from 100 km/h to a stand-still in just 33.7 metres
This is a sports car on steroids that is capable of running on sand, snow, gravel, race-track or tarmac, with breathtaking performance and amazing all round capability. This is in no small part due to its exciting new V8 4.0 litre twin-turbo engine, the first occasion that Lamborghini has utilised turbo power. All controlled from the Tamburo, or Drum at the centre of the ultra-modern interior which comfortably seats four. And the name, well, as has been the tradition at Lamborghini, the name Urus is derived from the world of bulls. The Urus, also known as Aurochs, is a wild ancestor of domestic cattle. The Spanish fighting bull, as bred for the past half-millennia, is still close to the Urus in its appearance.
Bernina- Gran Turismo. A classic car event like no other.
I am honoured to have been chosen as one of the first three Ambassadors for the Bernina-Gran Turismo https://www.bernina-granturismo.com/index.php/en/ Along with Porsche-girl Michelle Hambly Grobler from Cape Town and designer Gustav Magnussun from New York City I am helping to promote one of the most exciting classic car events going. The first International St Moritz Automobile Week took place 90 years ago in 1929. The highlight of the week was the Bernina Mountain Race. Hans Stuck in the Austro-Daimler ADR 3.0 won that race in 1929,...
read moreForza Italia
What a fantastic trip to Italy! First up was a visit to the incredible Mauto, the Museo Nazionale dell’Automobile (http://www.museoauto.it/website/en) which very kindly lent me this stunning Lamborghini Miura S from its Marcello Gandini exhibition to play with in Turin. The Miura of course was one of Gandini’s greatest designs and I was also lucky enough to meet the legend himself and be accorded an exclusive private interview. I also retraced the footsteps of The Italian Job for its 50th anniversary by staying at the old...
read moreOnwards and Upwards – Do Not Miss It!
This stunning re-interpretation of a Jaguar XK120 made its world premier at the Sydney Harbour Concours d’Elegance and caused quite a stir. If you missed it in Australia however, do not despair as it will be shown at The Quail, a A Motorsports Gathering on Friday August 16th during Monterey Car Week, and then again in England at Salon Privé Concours d’Elegance on Thursday 5th – Sunday 8th of September at Blenheim Palace. This is what Ian Callum, Director of Design, Jaguar, has to say about the work of its creator, Justin...
read moreCool Vid
The dates are set for the second Sydney Harbour Concours d’Elegance powered by Ferrari, which will be held on March 5 – 7 MMXX. And just in case you missed the first one here is a little taste of what you can expect in 2020. Video link -https://drive.google.com/file/d/1leoA_sJsYDifiezuDQiE5wx4U95zt7QD/view?usp=sharing
read moreComing Up
Please find below a list of up coming stories from me over the next few months which I hope you find of interest. There should be something for everyone, classic cars, design, history, boats, lifestyle, travel, architecture, art, and current affairs. Should you have an interest in or any requirements for any of the stories please let me know. I look forward to hearing from you. Sydney – The Essential Duchamp. The travelling exhibition from the Philadelphia Museum of Art concludes at the AGNSW following on from the Tokyo National Museum,...
read moreTalking Bear
It was a privilege to attend a lecture on the history of Maserati given by my good friend Dottore Adolfo Orsi when he visited Sydney recently. Adolfo, literally learnt at his grandfather’s knee, honing his passion for cars as the grandson of Adolfo and son of Omar Orsi, who held the reins of Maserati between 1937 and 1968. What this learned man does not know about Italian sports and racing cars is not worth knowing. The historian, leading expert in authenticity and restoration, and judge at leading concours events including Pebble...
read moreDavid Brabham announced as Patron
Following the highly successful inaugural Sydney Harbour Concours d’Elegance March 7 -9, David Brabham has been announced as Patron of the event moving forward. David is the youngest son of three-time Formula One World Champion, Sir Jack Brabham, and one of the most successful and experienced specialists in sports racing having won the Le Mans 24-hour race in 2009. Most recently, David created the Brabham BT62 which appeared at this year’s Sydney Harbour Concours d’Elegance. The BT62 is truly a work of art, with only 70 planned for production...
read more“Best event I’ve been to in Australia”
Those are not my words, but those of a guest at the inaugural Sydney Harbour Concours d’Elegance, powered by Ferrari, last weekend. Maybe he is the sort of chap who does not get out much and has not been to the Melbourne Grand Prix, but his words were echoed by many, including owners whose cars have graced the Concours fields of Villa d’Este, Quail Lodge, Pebble Beach, New Delhi, Windsor Castle, Hampton Court and who were on show. As one owner put it, “Thanks and congratulations you to you and your team for putting on a...
read moreSydney Harbour Concours d’Elegance
To find out more about this exciting new event coming up next month go to:- http://www.sydneyhabourconcours.com or contact fiona@sydneyharbourconcours.com or james@marinamarini.com.au
read moreThe Old Man & The Sea
The 2019 Australian Wooden Boat Festival was held in February in Hobart, Tasmania. A fabulous event, it was blessed with clement weather (well it is pretty close to Antarctica…), with plenty of activity around Constitution Dock and the waterfront in general. Wooden boats, large and small, came from all over Australia to be there and enjoy the Tasmanian hospitality along with the plethora of entertainment, good food and wine. My star of the show was Mistral II, the classic 64 foot two masted schooner built in 1922 in North Sydney by W....
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