Innehållsförteckning för No. 30 från Gentlemen Drive

It’s always interesting to bump into old friends after some time, particularly when you both have lots of stories to tell. I met Etienne some 12 or 13 years ago when we worked together at the Hyundai and Kia European design studio in Frankfurt. We even travelled to South Korea together on some project. His sketching style was unique; fresh and original, it was a marked contrast to the hyper-realistic style becoming popular with most young designers, relying heavily on Tablets and Photoshop. I was also a rapid-stroke, intuitive designer, although at the time my focus was more on starting my own business than on designing the next Korean top seller. Shortly afterwards Etienne left for Bugatti, where he settled in very well and resumed his career as an artist.…

Some cars are just superlative. Not many, but they do exist. And the BMW M760Li is definitely one of them, combining the best of the 7 Series with the best of the BMW M range. As if that weren’t enough, with that rarest of BMW engines: the 6-litre V12. The soundtrack is angelic and it performs like a beast. Contrast and exaggeration. Exuberance and irrationality. A car that deserves all the best adjectives you can come up with. A car that gets noticed and gets a reaction. So… what is this monster from Munich really like? We were lucky to have a loan of mostly likely the only one registered in Spain for a few days. When we came face-to-face, we met a gargantuan colossus, clad in intriguing deep bronze…

CAPTIVATING, DRAMATIC AND DEMANDING, THE ROLEX 24 AT DAYTONA SITS ALONGSIDE THE 24 HOURS OF LE MANS AS ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS AND REVERED ENDURANCE RACES IN THE WORLD. ENTICING THE WORLD’S GREATEST DRIVERS AND CONTINUOUSLY PUSHING THE MODERN AUTOMOBILE BEYOND THE ESTABLISHED LIMITS OF RELIABILITY, THE COMPETITION IS THE ULTIMATE TEST OF MAN AND MACHINE. A PARTNER OF TRACK RACING IN DAYTONA BEACH FROM ITS VERY BEGINNINGS IN THE LATE 1950s, ROLEX HAS BEEN TITLE SPONSOR OF THIS CELEBRATED ‘TWICEAROUND-THE-CLOCK’ MOTOR SPORT CHALLENGE SINCE 1992. The 24 Hours of Daytona is much more than an endurance race. They say that car racing was invented the minute the second car was built, and since then racing has spread around the five continents. Some, like the 24 Hours of Le…

Justo por debajo del todopoderoso M5, la marca bávara ha situado el modelo M550i, una berlina rápida que poco tiene que envidiar a su hermano mayor. Evidentemente el M5 es estratosférico pero la mayoría de tiempo uno no puede exprimir todo el potencial, así que el M550i cobra mucho sentido para los que quieren un compromiso entre potencia y confort. Audi ya hace tiempo que hace este tipo de coches bautizados con la sigla S, mientras que deja a los RS con una configuración deportiva más extrema. De esta forma BMW mata dos pájaros de un tiro. Rivalizar con uno de sus eternos competidores y llegar a un nuevo target, exigente pero a la vez sensato. Lo que más nos sorprendió al conducirlo fue su extraordinario motor biturbo de V8…

FERRARI 488 PISTA The vitaminized version of the 488 is called Pista and has the most powerful V8 engine in the history of Ferrari; 720 HP, maximum torque of 770 Nm. Amazing features that catapult you from 0-100 km / h in 2.85 s. La versión vitaminada del 488 se llama Pista y monta motor V8 más potente de la historia de Ferrari; 720 CV de potencia y un par máximo de 770 Nm. Unas prestaciones asombrosas que lo catapultan de 0-100 km/h en 2,85 s. ASTON MARTIN VALKYRIE One of the sensations of the Geneva Motor Show was to see the Aston Martin Valkyrie live. The hyper-sport developed between the English brand and the Red Bull Racing F1 team makes its main rivals obsolete. Una de las sensaciones del…

Some time ago we ran a comparison between the S63 AMG and the 1976 Mercedes 450 SEL 6.9, to see how the same concepts fared in two different eras, when manufacturing techniques, technology and even mentalities were so different. Nowadays, as the big internal combustion engine is falling out of politically-correct favour, some brands are continuing to produce the traditional concept of big car, at the same time researching and developing hybrid and electronic technology. Mercedes and BMW are not going to give up on a segment that has earned them their bulletproof premium brand image. While the Munich brand chose a V12 for its M760Li (see feature), the Stuttgart firm chose to swap its V8 for a more compact, more optimised 4-litre, improving on its predecessor in both power…

Don’t you think they should fine the slow drivers that invade our roads, especially at times when we are in a hurry? The worst part is finding a convoy headed by a large tonnage truck followed by a retinue of several cars that don’t even think about overtaking it even if they are driving over a broken line for kilometers. “Be patient”, some would say. But when you’re behind the wheel of the new RS5, with 450HP under that hood and in impeccable red (which they say encourages a sportier driving style), you don’t feel like calming down. Your nervousness goes from 0 to 100 faster than the acceleration of an Audi. What a nightmare! They should sell this model with a license to overtake. This way we would be…

Parmigiani Bugatti T390 Parmigiani Fleurier Bugatti Type 390 Inspired by the fluid curves of the Bugatti Chiron, the case is created from gold, (white gold or rose gold, depending on the version). It was created by Les Artisans Boîtiers – one of the Parmigiani Fleurier manufacture’s divisions; it stands out thanks to its ability to pivot 12° around its drive shaft to ensure it sits ergonomically on any wrist. The remarkable technical sophistication of the timepiece can be admired via the large openings topped with concave sapphire crystals, immersing the viewer in the heart of this complex creation. www.parmigiani.com Price: tba Bulgari Octo Retro Maserati Bulgari Octo Retro Maserati Gran Sport Since 2012, the two Italian brands Bulgari and Maserati have sealed a partnership for the creation of dedicated watches,…

escuderia montjuich Escuderia Montjuich is considered to be one of the best private teams in motorsport. This t-shirt is a tribute to all the drivers who wear this badge in different racing competitions. La Escudería Montjuich es considerarda una de los equipos privados con más reconocimiento en competición. Esta camiseta es un tributo a todos aquellos pilotos que han defendido este escudo en competiciones automovilísticas. www.escuderia-montjuich.com Price: 20 € automobilist James Hunt This 1976 McLaren M23 poster marks the 40th anniversary of James Hunt’s World Championship victory. This very special artwork is part of a limited edition of only 1000 prints. Official licensed product of McLaren Racing Limited and James Hunt Racing. Poster edición limitada a 1000 ejemplares sobre el Campeonato del Mundo de F1 de 1976 ganado por el…

BMW entró en el segmento de las berlinas deportivas con acierto cuando presentó el Serie 6 Gran Coupé. Un automóvil que tras su alargado capó y su afilado perfil esconde un auténtico deportivo con el confort y la habitabilidad para 4 personas. Su versión 6 cilindros diesel es sin lugar a dudas una de sus versiones más equilibradas y que combinan a la perfección el espíritu Gran Turismo del vehículo. Con 313 CV bajo su piel y un abultado par de 630Nm, sus prestaciones dinámicas permiten mover con soltura y gracia los 1800 kg de peso que combinados con el sistema Efficent Dynamics de la marca bávara hacen que los consumos sean más que asequibles; mooviéndose entorno a los 5,4 y 6,5 litros a los 100 km. Un automóvil que…