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.
Book 2
The New Edition of the Classic Car Auction Yearbook by Adolfo Orsi and Raffaele Gazzi reports on the 2016-2017 Season with unprecedented statistics showing long-term gains and how to interpret today’s buyer’s market. Since 1994, the Classic Car Auction Yearbook has been the ‘bible’ of the collector car market offering readers an unparalleled, in-depth analysis of top international auction sales data, following how important cars, marques and models have performed among a variety of scopes. Published in Italy, the entire book is written in...
read moreBook Review
2017 was of course the year of Ferrari, as one of the most recognised luxury brands on the planet celebrated its 70th glorious year. There were of course lots of illustrious publications on offer to celebrate the marque’s milestone birthday. One slightly esoteric, but nonetheless welcome addition to the Ferrari canon is Barry Farr’s ‘Ferraris in Australia in the 1950s and 1960s’, a large format landscape (380mm x 300mm) work of 176 pages which catalogues Ferraris as per its title. Sydneysider Farr became a tifoso at the age of just eight when...
read more2018
Happy New Year dear readers. I trust you have had a good Christmas and all the very best for 2018. I was on the water on Boxing Day for the start of the 73rd 628 nautical mile Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race and an eventful and fast one it was too. Pictured here is the super maxi Black Jack – first out of Sydney and third into Hobart. Coming up for the first part of 2018 I am planning on covering the following events. If any editor has any particular requirements or requests please let me know:- January – Sydney Concours...
read moreBlowering Dam
On the 40th anniversary of Ken Warby breaking the World Water Speed Record, his son David was out testing Spirit of Australia II, designed by Ken, for his own record attempt in 2018. Blowering Dam in country NSW, Australia was and will be the venue as David builds up from his current best of (only!) 172 mph in his quest to go past the still existing mark of 317.60 mph!
read moreCrashlab!
The other day I was lucky enough to pay an interesting and informative visit to Crashlab to watch an ANCAP crash test on a new vehicle. It was also quite intimidating, but luckily on this occasion they did not choose me to be the dummy. If you want to know why a five star rating is important, look no further than this video...
read moreNew and Blue!
The Hong Kong Gold Coast Motor Festival showcased some 90 cars, from the prized classic and collectors’ cars in the Concours d’Elegance to the highly desirable and latest super and hyper cars, including the electric newcomer Nio EP9 from the Mainland, and the new Bugatti Chiron which made its public Hong Kong debut. The Chiron, perhaps the most powerful, fastest and most luxurious of super sports cars, with a price tag of 2.5 million euros, presented a stark contrast to one of its Molshiem cousins also to be seen here, the by-comparison...
read moreSignature Luxury Travel
I am really excited about working with Signature Luxury Travel Magazine and hope to be doing lots more with them going forward in the future. Check out the latest issue with my article on page 80 – http://bit.ly/2yOu4G2 or follow Signature on: Facebook: @signatureluxurytravel # signatureluxury Instagram: @signatureluxurytravel # signatureluxury Twitter: @signatureluxury #signatureluxurytravel
read moreFOR SALE
Every now and then I offer something special by Private Treaty . This 1925 Bugatti Type 35A Grand Prix was delivered to the Paris dealership in February 1926. Known history from delivery to ownership by the Prost family until 2013 when it was acquired by the present owner and fully restored. It is believed 139 examples of the Type 35A were produced from May 1925 to October 1927. Of these, 54 are thought to have survived, of which some 35, including this one, retain their original engine. It is thought that only five,...
read moreMOTORCLASSICA 8
The eight edition of Motorclassica, the Australian International Concours d’Elegance & Classic Motor Show was a great success with record attendance. The spring sunshine in Melbourne brought the crowds to the UNESCO heritage listed Royal Exhibition Building to celebrate 110 years of Lancia, 70 years of Ferrari, 50 years of AMG and, the end of an era, 100 years of coach building by local Australian marque Holden. My favourite car of the event was the 1947 Lancia Aprilia Sypder Grand Sport Ghia, one of just three ever built. The...
read moreFerraris everywhere
Just two weeks after being a member of the jury for the Concorso d’Eleganza in Italy to celebrate the 70th anniversary of Ferrari, this time the Prancing Horses were closer to home in Australia. The local Ferrari club gathered together 105 of Enzo’s finest Down Under for a fab display at Manly Beach to commemorate 1947 – 2017.
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