cars & life blogHR Owen is one of the official Ferrari dealers in the U.K. They recently opened a store in the prestigious and affluent Mayfair, London. This retail space, used to be home to the luxury brand Rolls-Royce. I was fortunate enough to recently visit the new dealership, in order to take some photos. This time I chose to do this, not with a DSLR camera, but instead with an iPhone Pro 11, utilising the wide-angle lens.
Here are the photos from my visit; Ferrari 812 Superfast and Portofino.
The iconic technology company Sony revealed its latest concept electric car recently at the CES show. It is called the Vision-S concept, you may have been thinking that this was simply a PR exercise for the newest version of the Sony Playstation; Unlikely. Sony is trying to penetrate the electric car industry, a bravery that was mirrored by Tesla and Dyson, two companies that, in fact, have nothing to do with the automotive industry but jumped into the electric car world. Also, I have to acknowledge the secret electric car projects being undertaken by both Google and Apple, which likely evoked Sony to dip its toes.
Regrettably, however, Sony does not have the same glamour as in the 1990s and even then, the brand was favoured for its small appliances and tech such as televisions, HiFi systems, video recorders, camcorders, walkmans, Discmans and many more. The tech world has changed dramatically however, and we now no longer require all of these separate gadgets. During this transition, Sony was unable to refresh its product line and its image and so it performed well with its Playstation, and has remained the exclusive manufacturer of camera sensors for iPhones and several other smartphones. Sony could not, however, win the battle with Samsung and Apple to take physical space in our daily lives.
The Vision-S concept is a bold move from Sony in creating a product that will be part of our daily lives. Sadly, manufacturing a car is not easy, it necessitates a large infrastructure to keep the cars running. In addition, the electric car market has still not been targeted by the manufacturing giants who can produce electric cars on a mass scale, globally. Also, they can more easily offer their existing infrastructure for the after-sales.
It is undeniably a courageous transition for Sony to enter the automotive industry, particularly when reflecting upon the fact that only two decades ago, the sound system company Bose created a suspension system but failed to successfully transform it into mass production. It will consequently be interesting to see what will happen with the Sony Vision-S.
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Photo Credit // SONY
A couple of months ago, I blogged about the BMW X7; however, I hadn’t had a chance to see the car in real life. My assumption was that it would look like a stretched version of the X5 – a kind of weird looking vehicle for families.
A few weeks ago, I saw a BMW X7 M50d in Shoreditch, London. For those of you who have no clue about Shoreditch in London, it is the hipster area in the east of the city, and I am really surprised to see an X7 over there.
Based on my first impression, the BMW X7 does not look that bad. BMW designers have managed to extend the X5 but not ruin the proportions, so it doesn’t have a weird look. Of course, you can sense something is wrong with the vehicle, but it is not that bad.
In addition, BMW has managed to vanish the boring seven-seater impression. Most of these extended SUVs are for families because they need psychical space, yet at the same time, they are driving something really boring. With the X7, the boring family SUV just became the cool SUV.
To be honest, if you need a seven-seater SUV, the BMW X7 is probably the best-looking one. Also, you can flaunt your high spec with a rear differential for better traction on your ski trips.
Today is the tenth year of my blog. It has been a long journey, but I have successfully published more than 2000 articles, have attended countless press events, launched my own YouTube channel and much more. Additionally, over the last ten years, things have changed considerably.
Smartphones are an integral part of our lives now, we can’t function without them, blogs are not read as much, and magazines are becoming an endangered species. Facebook is slowly losing its appeal and novelty, whereas TikTok has become the new kid on the block. Certainly, therefore, people spend an increasing amount of money on tech rather than buying a car. Ferrari is a separate company now, Saab has gone, JLR is striving to survive and Paypal’s founder even made a car. Furthermore, Ford has evolved into a mobility company rather than a car company.
When I started this blog, I never thought these events would have unfolded within the following ten years. We witnessed an industrial revolution and the car industry turned into a mobility solution. Nowadays, a Porsche Cayman’s competitor is an electric scooter! People are not as excited and captivated by cars as they were in previous generations, this impact is seen in car magazines. They themselves used to have ‘higher-end’ ads, with more pages, nowadays these are slowly diminishing.
I will develop my blog into a mobility blog, but I will continue to write about cars. I used to write daily, even in the Instagram era. Despite people wanting to see the content very quickly and easily on Instagram, this has never stopped my passion for writing.
I will see what the future brings. I hope to celebrate the 20th year of my blog.
Following much anticipation, Mercedes-Benz has revealed its Maybach SUV, a vehicle that has been in the pipeline for nearly a decade. Just a few days ago, the Maybach GLS 600 SUV which is based on its existing GLS model.
Interestingly, the launch of the Maybach GLS 600 was timed to perfection. The GLS 600 may not be the most attractive of the luxury SUV market fleet, but from a behavioural economics perspective, we judge everything based on a reference point and the luxury SUV market hosts a more limited range of vehicles. Starting with the Bentley Bentayga, the Rolls Royce Cullinan and the Aston Martin DBX (that looks akin to a Ford Focus SUV despite Aston Martin not being affiliated with Ford). Owing to the competitors’ sense of design the GLS 600 does favourably well in terms of aesthetics and style.
The GLS 600 offers state-of-the-art technology that somewhat supersedes the existing S-Class (the S-Class will have a re-vamped model next year). The Mercedes-Benz technological capabilities are superior to the BMW brand and the VW Group, therefore you can enjoy the tech and added comforts bestowed by luxury brands such as Bentley or Rolls-Royce.
Regrettably, as seen on some of the press images, there are some less aesthetically appealing parts to the interior including some plastic trims. Admittedly, the slightly ridiculous front perspective of the car is not a selling point, but when compared with its rivals in this market, the other alternatives are not much improved. Interestingly, the GLS 600 is the only luxury SUV that offers a central differential lock and a low range gearbox, though this has not been officially confirmed as yet.
Unfortunately for Mercedes, the GLS 600 does not offer the 6-lt V12 engine that you can find inside the Mercedes-Benz S600. The GLS 600 featured a 4-lt V8 bi-turbo engine that is available on AMG models, however, failing to offer the V12 engine means that the GLS will lag behind the Bentley and Rolls-Royce.
Ultimately, the Maybach GLS 600 is a captivating vehicle for this market. Personally, I would not choose to purchase one, however, it will undoubtedly capture the market of Bentley Bentayga as well as penetrating the boundaries of the Rolls-Royce Cullinan market.
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A couple of months ago, Mercedes-Benz finalised the SL65 AMG model – the legendary torque monster 6-lt V12 (Internal code M275). I still remember the day when I read about SL65 AMG being unveiled to the public – it was around 2005. The engine output looked insane, going as quick as 100 km/h just like the Ferrari F430 (3.9-sec to 100 km/h)! SL65 AMG was producing 612 HP and 1000 Nm of torque, but it was reduced to avoid destorying the transmission.
This engine was based on the existing V12 engine that was introduced in 1998 (Internal code M137). I can’t say the engines were the same, but they were very similar.
A V12 petrol engine with a bi-turbo was mind-blowing in those years. The Bugatti Veyron was still in the production phase, but it was failing all the time. Ferrari and Aston Martin were producing moderate engine outputs, but Mercedes-Benz came out from nowhere and upped the game.
In the following years, Mercedes-Benz introduced CL65 AMG, S65 AMG, G65 AMG (Yes, they made this for a very short period of time), Maybach 57S and 62S. All of these models were ready to burn some rubber.
As the years passed, the world changed, and the V12 bi-turbo engine became more efficient, kind of. Sadly, the emission restrictions and the lack of demand for this engine forced it out of production.
As people preferred the 63 models (they were much better at delivering power to the wheels), demand was drying out. Mercedes-Benz didn’t make a serious revision to the engine and instead kept using the outdated single overhead camshaft (SOHC) technology. We can’t ignore the weight imbalance when you place a massive V12 engine at the front of a car; it has a negative impact on braking and acceleration.
Unfortunately, 65 models struggled to deliver such enormous power to the road. Aside from the G65 AMG, the rest of the range had a layout of rear-wheel drive, which wasn’t the best set-up to deliver 1000 nm of torque to the road.
The torque problem was so serious that the last S65 AMG models were letting automatic transmission slip on the first two gears to keep the transmission in one piece. Otherwise, it would be shredded into pieces.
This year, Mercedes-Benz decided to stop making 65 models and introduced the S65 AMG Final Edition. It was limited to 130 vehicles, and the legendary V12 was producing 630 HP and 1000 Nm of torque. I am pretty sure this car will be a future ‘classic’ when looking back!
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I have always had a soft spot for the BMW 7-Series, especially the BMW M760Li xDrive. It wasn’t like the Audi A8 or the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, “hey look at me, everyone should look at me”. Although the 7-Series was always one step behind the S-Class in terms of technology, this was usually minor.
However, the M760Li is a different game! It is powered by a 6.6-lt V12 turbo petrol engine that is also available in every Rolls-Royce. It has a clever all-wheel drive system, looks sporty, and drives sporty. You will find lots of driving assistance systems that are very similar to the S-Class. However, the 7-Series is still based on 12-volt technology, so it doesn’t have a responsive electrically controlled suspension like the new X5 and X7.
Despite these downsides, the 7-Series is probably the only car in its class that can be driven by its owner! The S65 AMG was a V12 but wasn’t an all-wheel drive, and it featured an ageing engine. Literally, the S65 AMG was a dinosaur waiting to be retired, and it is done now.
On the other hand, the M760Li is a dynamic sport large sedan with a modern V12 engine. Also, it doesn’t shout like the S-Class. It is really hard to define the M760Li’s subtle attractiveness, but it is an amazing car. I think the V12 engine subconsciously captures my attention. Even though it will be heavy on the front axle, it is still an excellent car.
If you are planning to buy a large car, buy a M760Li. If you are planning to buy a large SUV, buy a M760iL. If you are planning to buy a four-door coupe, buy a M760Li.
You would never do off-roading with an SUV, but the M760Li has all-wheel drive. Four-door coupes always look awkward. So the only way is M760Li!
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Photo Credits // BMW
Five reasons for why you should be visiting Autosport International 2019
Reason 1: CARS! If you are interested in seeing Porsche 911s, Formula 1 cars or LeMans racers, you should definitely be attending Autosport International this year! There will be a lot of exciting cars on show.
Reason 2: We have been promised an element of time travel to 2090. Autosport International will be unveiling visionary revisions for the future of motor racing. Robots will be racing! Sorry – maybe not?
Reason 3: An opportunity to see the hidden gems of the automotive industry. This show brings together so many aspects of the industry that you can stumble upon gems relating to every single tiny bit of a car. For the last two years, Autosport International has demonstrated a live CNC machine carving a car part during the show!
Reason 4: Instagram moments. You can be an Instagram sensation with your stories from Autosport International. Racing legends from around the world attend the show every year, meaning there are opportunities to get up close and personal with your idols. I have been visiting this show since 2012 and seen many legendary racers!
Reason 5: Just scroll through the photos and you will want to go!
The Porsche Taycan has recently been revealed to the public. If you haven’t heard about the Taycan, it is the pure electric sports car from Porsche. It looks like a coupe, but it is a four-door saloon like a Panamera. To be honest, I don’t like the front-end design that much. The rear-end of the car looks much better and cleaner. I must also admit that I haven’t seen this car in real life. Sometimes, photos can’t reveal the details of the vehicle, and they don’t look that good.
The key point is the technology behind the Taycan, which shakes the foundation of the Tesla vehicles. Until now, there were a couple of pure electric vehicles to compete with Tesla, but they were SUVs and small cars. I didn’t really see a pure competitor of the Tesla range until now.
Taycan is a real Porsche that runs on pure electric power. Let’s begin with the model range. There are two models, Taycan Turbo and Taycan Turbo S. Don’t be deceived by the Turbo branding, there are no turbos involved with this car. Porsche is using an existing branding structure to try and make this car as familiar as possible to existing customers so that the customers will not be alienated by the Taycan.
The Turbo has 680 PS, and the Turbo S has 761 PS. They are both all-wheel drive, and there are two electric motors sitting on each axle. They are powered by 800 volts instead of the traditional 400 volts. This means the Taycan is insanely fast! And, it can be charged to 80% in 22.5 minutes. I really love this very precise timing! The battery pack’s capacity is 93.4 kWh with Performance Battery Plus.
We need to get used to this terminology; electric cars have a totally unique terminology for their powertrain.
And there is a two-speed gearbox! Yes, the Taycan is the only electric car with a gearbox. It is very unusual as the electric motors produce insane amounts of torque, and it is a serious challenge for transmission to handle this power. Taycan’s electric motors produce 1050 Nm of torque. This is a lot of power! It can easily tear off any traditional transmission. The range is up to 412 km!
When you wish to design a transmission that can handle this amount of power, it becomes heavy, and electric motors are delivering this power all the time, unlike internal combustion engines.
The Porsche Taycan has a transmission for the rapid acceleration. The first gear is selected when the driver engages the Sport Plus mode and the Taycan accelerates extremely quickly and shifts to second gear. Transmission is attached to the rear engine. Furthermore, this transmission increases the range by 5%, as well as improving efficiency.
I can’t ignore that you will have a massive screen on the dashboard, 16.8 inches! It will be hard to clean it! Also, Porsche joined the crowd and added a voice recognition system called “Hey Porsche”. It probably won’t recognise when you want to use it and will work when you don’t intend to use it.
You will also have the usual Porsche toys, including 4D Chassis Control, PDCC Sport, Torque Vectoring Plus, and all-wheel steering.
I really like the Taycan, unlike the aging Tesla. The Taycan is created by a company that has a racing heritage. I am sure that the Taycan will be a great success for Porsche, like the Cayenne. Also, the Taycan is not something that is a complete contradiction with the Porsche DNA, like Cayenne and Macan. The Taycan is the future of mobility for sports cars.
Photo Credit // Porsche
Rolls-Royce recently released a new colour scheme at Pebble Beach. You might be thinking that Rolls-Royce already offers an infinite number of colours, so how can they offer a new scheme? The issue with the indefinite number of colours is our brain. Our brains have limited cognitive power; so, when you overload them, they cannot make a decision and stick to the status quo. I have covered this in my other blog.
Let us return to the new colour scheme: it is pastel colours. At the moment, they are available for Ghost Black, Dawn Black, Wraith Black and Cullinan models. Does it sound a bit too ‘softy’ for Rolls-Royce? Actually, this new colour scheme totally changed my perception of Rolls-Royce cars. Quite honestly, they constitute state-of-the-art technology on wheels, coupled with an interesting and eclectic clientele. The bespoke combinations I saw with the Rolls-Royce cars gave me a really big shock!
Also, the Ghost series (Wraith and Dawn) are based on the previous generation BMW 7-Series, so I struggle to like them anymore. They are quite old in terms of technology. However, it seems like the pastel colour scheme has changed everything. The Rolls-Royce car range looks much softer and down to earth. The pastel colour scheme has transformed the vehicles, making them more appealing to a new customer range. Basically, Rolls-Royce head office has applied the ‘framing effect’ principle from Behavioural Economics.
In the event that you are planning to buy a brand-new Rolls-Royce; I would highly recommend the new pastel colour scheme.
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Photo Credit // Rolls-Royce
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