Tag: London

Unicorn Ford Mustang of eBay for the London Pride

Post author By Uygar Kilic
Post date July 7, 2017

The Ford Mustang is officially a unicorn and eBay proved it for London Pride 2017! To mark the occasion, the online marketplace transformed a 1968 Ford Mustang into a “unicorn”. The mystical motor will make its debut at the London Pride Parade on Saturday before being sold with all proceeds going to LGBT charity – the Albert Kennedy Trust. The charity supports young 16-25 year olds from the LGBT community who are homeless or living in a hostile environment.

The Ford Mustang is one of the most iconic cars from the 1960s. Whether you like the Mustang or not, you can deny its role in people’s lives and history. For many years, the Mustang was the reason to have a summer holiday in the US, just to experience the Mustang. I am not saying experiencing a car, it is an experience of the Mustang!

You might be thinking what is really special with the Mustang, there were many cars built in 1960s but why people were obsessed with the Mustang?

The soul, Mustang was always a unique rule breaker car. Especially when we think about the 1960s, everything in society was in constant change. People’s lifestyles, how they live, how they eat, how they perceive the world. The Mustang wasn’t a subtle car, it was loud and fast. It was part of the 1960s! It had a personality and that’s why people loved it. They have something common with the ’68 Mustang. It is more than a car. It is your friend. It is someone who can tell you the story of the 1960s!

It never had a perfect drivetrain or the most efficient engine. However, it was a living organism on four wheels.

For a long time, we didn’t have Mustangs in the UK because the steering wheel was positioned on the opposite side. However, this didn’t deter UK Mustang fans! In London especially, many people drove left-hand drive Mustangs for years. That’s why the Mustang is a perfect car to be associated with London Pride. It is a car that hinders lots of memories.

eBay’s mystical vehicle restoration took 30 days and was created from parts and accessories sourced on eBay (this means, you can find any car part on the eBay, keep in mind!).
The transformation was carried out by a skilled team of five; including mechanic and the London Organiser of Gay Classic Car Group Darren Sullivan Vince.
What has changed underneath the Mustang? They didn’t just add a unicorn horn on the bonnet! The project has involved upgrading the rear shocks and springs, installing a new radiator, hoses and water pump, fitting a new bonnet complete with a unicorn horn, customised ‘unicorn’ lettering on the boot, and wings which are made from plastazote with a steel skeleton.

What will happen next? eBay customers (probably you are one of them) will have the chance to donate at the check-out during London Pride. In addition, the sales of the unicorn vehicle will be donated to the Albert Kennedy Trust as well.

eBay has added a link called “Follow The Rainbow” on their home page. Cut and paste the following link to your browser where you can find out more about the car, the plans, the people, or make a donation to this great charity.

Learn more: Pride | eBay

/Sponsored Post/

eBay Unicorn Ford Mustang

Tags Ford, Ford Mustang, London, London Pride, Unicorn Ford Mustang

Cars

The New Audi R8 Spyder in London

Post author By Uygar Kilic
Post date December 18, 2016

I saw the new Audi R8 Spyder in London recently. To be honest, I have never been an R8 fan. I never really liked the design. But that doesn’t mean that the first generation R8 was not a good design. I never managed to like the E36 BMW 5-Series but it still looks new.

The main issue with the R8 is that it is a bit Audi and a bit Lamborghini Gallardo. I know Audi has a very rich heritage of performance cars but I never managed to associate the R8 with the brand. I think that this is due to my approach to its design.

Despite my negative attitude to the Audi R8, it performs really well in terms of financial figures. It is really fast and ‘way more affordable than the Porsche 911. Even so, the first generation Audi is still favoured by many people.

Audi wanted to keep the momentum going with the second generation, and they have done a great job. The second generation Audi R8 is an amazing car. Audi combined performance, design and technology perfectly with the second generation. Another important fact about the second generation R8 is the engine. There are only atmospheric engine available on a super or a hyper car. Nowadays, all performance cars are turbo or supercharged. This makes the second generation Audi R8 a very special car.

Will I buy an Audi R8 over a Porsche 911? That would never happen. Porsche fans will always go for a Porsche. This is like asking an Apple fan to try a Samsung phone.

Audi R8 Spyder

Tags Audi, London, New Audi R8, New Audi R8 Spyder

Cars

Audi RS6 Facts and Photos | Mayfair, London

Post author By Uygar Kilic
Post date July 15, 2015

Audi RS6 in Mayfair London. Some of you might consider the RS6 as an ugly yet fast estate car. However, the story of the RS6 is a bit different. When it was launched years ago, it was an estate car. Audi maintained this tradition and kept the RS6 in its estate form. By the way the colour is awful as well.

Over the years, we experienced a number of sedan RS6 models, but I never appreciated them. Even though the estate cars have an ugly and utilitarian design, the Audi RS6 makes up for this ugliness with massive engine power and performance figures that can make a Ferrari owner very jealous (RS6 is not an ugly car, just the estate concept looks ugly).

Some facts!

What are the performance figures of the Audi RS6? They are mental! The RS6 is powered by a 4-lt V8 TFSI engine with 560 HP and 700 nm of torque. Unfortunately, the engine is coupled with an old-school 8-speed automatic. There is no dual clutch automatic. The acceleration is 3.9 seconds to 100 km/h and, as usual, the top speed is 250 km/h! Also there is air suspension to keep comfortable in case you need it, and it gives you more grip on the corners with a sport differential.

Why the RS6?

Basically, the RS6 offers you a performance that can take your breathe while, at the same time, not attracting any unnecessary attention from others. The RS6 is an estate car and 99% of the population will never ever think that this boxy car is more powerful than an average Porsche 911! Literally, the RS6 is a stealth car.

Tags Audi, Audi London, Audi RS6, London

Cars

Photos of Audi Kids Cars at Audi City London

Post author By Uygar Kilic
Post date July 3, 2015

Lonely, Audi kids’ car at Audi City Mayfair, London. They look so lonely! This was a temporary scenery until the cars were placed in the showroom, Audi kids’ cars filled the spaces.

Tags Audi, Audi London, London

Cars

Photos of Ferrari F40 | HR Owen London

Post author By Uygar Kilic
Post date June 5, 2015

Ferrari F40, my childhood dream. I was very lucky, I saw it again in London last week. It was sold to a customer at HR Owen Knightsbridge, London store. And it is the only Ferrari F40 with the factory fitted leather seats! Here are the photos to enjoy…

Tags F40, Ferrari, HR Owen, London

Cars

Rolls-Royce Phantom HR Owen London

Post author By Uygar Kilic
Post date March 29, 2015

Rolls-Royce Phantom from London (HR Owen), as usual taken with 50mm f 1.8 lens. I know this Phantom is from more than ten years ago and you might be wondering why I am writing about it. Despite its age, the Phantom is still the pinnacle of the ultra luxury car. There are no any other cars to substitute for this car.

Neither the Bentley Mulsanne nor Mercedes-Maybach S600 can offer the uniqueness of the Phantom. These competitors may have targeted the Ghost, but not the Phantom.

Interestingly, this time I found a Phantom with a short-wheel base. Until this point, I’d always spotted the long-wheel base model but I found this model was really short! You can spot the lack of space at the rear seats. However, a short-wheel base is not a bad thing; if you wish to drive a Phantom yourself, a short-wheel base will be more suitable for you.

Tags Canon, HR Owen, London, Phantom, Rolls Royce

Cars

The New Audi Q7 (Second Generation)

Post author By Uygar Kilic
Post date March 15, 2015

I’ve finally managed to see the new (Second generation) Audi Q7 in Mayfair, London. Actually, it was the pre-production model and didn’t feature all the new gadgets. Despite being in pre-production, the new second generation looks way way better in real life than the Internet photos. The main reason for this? The press photos from Audi have been taken when the Q7’s air suspension is lowered to the bottom, thus making the Q7 look like a raised estate car. In real life, the Q7 looks like a real SUV.

What’s New!

Interestingly, it is 30mm shorter than the first generation but it does look really long. Despite its size, this model features a class-leading pre-crash and warning system. It is also capable of semi-autonomous driving up to 65 km/h. That’s a great feature, I love it! You don’t need to drive whilst the car is moving. The Q7 also features a night vision assistant. And if that isn’t enough, it can understand whether you’re sticking to your lane or not, blindspots as well!

In terms of gadget features, the second generation model features an NVIDIA Tegra 4 processor and you can even order it with two Android tablets at the rear. However, you do have to deal with the Android updates! Did I mention there is a 1,920-watt Bang Olufsen sounds system? I am not into sound systems.

The coolest features are the all-wheel steering and 1000-rpm driving mode. Rear wheels can steer up to 5-degrees depending on the situation. And the new vaporisation system enables the engine to run as low as 1000-rpm without any vibration. This reduces the fuel consumption.

The interior ergonomics are very good and it was really easy to control Audi’s MMI information system. The massive touch pad makes it so easy to access the menus and set the navigation or the radio.

Despite the unexpected external look of the second generation, the features and the quality of the interior space compensate for that non-charming exterior. For me though, it is more of a massive gadget than an SUV!

Price starts from £50,000. Technical details are;

Audi Q7 3.0 TDI (272 HP) 5-seater:
Combined fuel consumption in l/100 km: 6.1 – 5.7** (38.6 – 41.3 US mpg);
Combined CO2 emissions in g/km: 159 – 149** (255.9 – 239.8 g/mi)
Audi Q7 3.0 TFSI (333 HP) 5-seater:
Combined fuel consumption in l/100 km: 8.1 – 7.7** (29.0 – 30.5 US mpg);
Combined CO2 emissions in g/km: 189 – 179** (304.2 – 288.1 g/mi)

Camera: Canon 70d with 50mm f 1.8 lens.

Tags Audi, Audi London, Audi Q7, Canon, London, SUV

Lifestyle

Miller Harris | Love in Mayfair

Post author By Uygar Kilic
Post date February 20, 2015

On Valentine’s Day, I was in Mayfair. Opposite Berkeley Square Gardens, I saw the massive LOVE display in the window of the Miller Harris store. And I shared it on Instagram like thousands of people. Until that time, I wasn’t aware of Miller Harris’ brand and after their LOVE display, I visited their store.

Miller Harris is a boutique perfumer. They don’t only sell perfume but also candles, bath and body products. Unlike other mass market brands, Miller Harris has only three stores and offers a range of very exquisite and unique scents.

Addresses are here! http://www.millerharris.com/miller/stores/

Tags London, Love, Miller Harris

Cars

Range Rover Holland & Holland Edition | Canon 50 mm f 1.8

Post author By Uygar Kilic
Post date January 31, 2015

Range Rover Holland & Holland long-wheel base edition, I spotted this brand new Range Rover at Stratstone’s Mayfair, London dealer. And decided to approach from a Canon 50mm f 1.8 lens. This lens provide a unique photography option even at low-ligh conditions. And with f 1.8 aperture value, you will get lots of blur background but you need to be careful with this.

Range Rover Holland & Holland edition is the most luxurious Range Rover ever made, it is made by Land Rover Special Vehicle Operations. Despite being long-wheel base, Holland & Holland edition does not look that long. Inside the Range Rover, there are lots of leathers and all optional features are standard to improve luxury experience. The boot has a special storage! The best part of the Holland & Holland is the reclining seats at the rear. These seats can recline up to 17-degree, that’s a lot. Believe me and you can easily fall asleep. Actually, I really love reclining seats at the rear and it is really hard to get one! You can have it with Mercedes-Maybach, optional with Rolls Royce Phantom and standard with Range Rover Holland & Holland edition.

This comparison leads to price tag! Range Rover Holland & Holland edition is £180,000! And very expensive for an SUV, however if you are planning to buy Mercedes-Maybach or Rolls Royce, this price tag can be reasonable. However, you need to think again. If you wish to have all these luxury items without the Holland & Holland edition on a Range Rover long-wheel base, you will save around £40,000. And if you are planning to save money on a luxury car, you would probably will never buy a Range Rover.

Range Rover Holland & Holland long-wheel base edition’s technical details are; it is either powered by a 4.4-lt 334 HP SDV8 diesel engine or 5-lt 503 HP supercharged petrol engine with 8-speed automatic gearbox. And keep in mind, Range Rover’s are not light!

Tags Holland & Holland, London, Mayfair, New Range Rover, Range Rover, Stratstone

Cars

Ferrari FF at Knightsbridge London | HR Owen

Post author By Uygar Kilic
Post date January 25, 2015

Ferrari FF from Knightsbridge, London. Actually that’s the expected habitat of the all-wheel drive Ferrari. However, I didn’t spot the Ferrari FF on the street, instead, it was at HR Owen Knightsbridge dealer. Personally, I really like the Ferrari FF, even though it is a bit ugly but the technology lying under the bonnet for the all-wheel drive system turns the ugliness into a charm!

Also, Ferrari FF is quite functional car! A proper boot, all-wheel drive, four seats and it is not a poser’s Ferrari!

Ferrari FF is powered by a 6,2-lt V12 engine with 660 HP and 683 nm. The top speed of FF is 335 km/h and only needs 3.7 seconds to reach 100 km/h! And the engine is coupled with a 7-speed dual clutch automatic gearbox with pedals behind the steering-wheel!

Ferrari FF offers a very distinctive and a unique driving experience, which you cannot find very easily on a sports car!

Tags Ferrari, Ferrari FF, HR Owen, Knightsbridge, London