TOP FIVE DRIVES December 7, 2010 THE NÜRBURGRING Sooner or later any sports car owner that knows his stuff is going to want to take his car for a spin around the Nürburgring, the German race track generally considered to be the toughest and most dangerous race circuit in the world. The Nürburgring remains the benchmark by which car manufacturers measure [...]
Introducing the One-77 December 7, 2010 LEANING over one of the first examples of Aston Martin’s new One-77 supercar to look at the engine, my belt buckle comes within millimetres of scratching its left, front wing. The room falls silent, a couple of the engineers look agitated, the PR guy looks ashen. I have come as close as I ever want [...]
The new four-seat frontier December 7, 2010 SHOULD a high performance sports car be practical and should practicality even be a consideration in terms of its design? What if the car is an Aston Martin? Good grief: has the world gone mad? Well it seems not, because these days when 50 is the new 40, a four-seat supercar can well be all [...]
Q&A December 7, 2010 Designer of the Aston Martin Rapide and the One-77 supercar, Marek Reichman oversees design for the Aston Martin brand, including Works Tailored cars, a unique, bespoke car tailoring service that includes cars such as the Stratstone DB9, a series of just 10 cars. Q: What makes a beautiful car? A: It starts with great proportion. [...]
True Class December 7, 2010 PROBABLY like most men, my first encounter with Aston Martin was through James Bond. That image of Sean Connery looking ineffably sharp in his Sixties suit, leaning casually on 007’s DB5 – hands in suit pockets, half-smiling expression of supreme assurance – remains the quintessential embodiment of the “women want him, men want to be [...]
SCENTS FOR CHRISTMAS December 6, 2010 Guerlain: Arsene Lupin fragrances Exclusively available at Harrods’ brand new centre of male indulgence, the Gentleman’s Lounge, and inspired by the French gentleman thief. £135 (100ml) www.harrods.com Carthusia: Uomo A subtle, luxurious fragrance with light refreshing top notes of sea air and fresh fruit, with warm, refined tones of leather and musk. £55 (100ml) from Avery [...]
OUT OF OFFICE December 6, 2010 SAVILE ROW SUIT UP FOR GRABS Fans of fine tailoring can get their hands on an exclusive bespoke suit made by Savile Row legends Norton & Sons in an online auction being held by industry body the Campaign for Wool. The suit will be made from wool woven by cloth merchants Taylor & Lodge from [...]
Top City gyms for losing that seasonal flab December 6, 2010 NUFFIELD HEALTH & WELLBEING CENTRE 4 Cousin Lane, EC4R 3XJ www.nuffieldhealth.com 0845 2413836 Membership: £82-£96 per month Partly situated in dramatic arches next to the river near Cannon Street station, this is the biggest gym in the Square Mile, with four studios, three gym areas, two swimming pools and two spa pools, one of which [...]
FIT IN THE CITY December 6, 2010 FITNESS & DIET EXPERT At the time of year when people are most aware of the havoc too much festive excess can wreak on the body, it’s important to separate fact from fiction. 1. Eating late at night makes you gain weight: Eating more than you’re burning off is what makes you gain weight – [...]
Top family ski hotspots December 5, 2010 WHISTLER, Canada NESTLED in the Coast Mountain range, about two hours north of Vancouver in far Western Canada, Whistler-Blackcomb is North America’s largest ski resort. It is also one of its best, having hosted much of the Vancouver Winter Olympics last year. Whistler is not just for Olympians, however – it is a wonderful resort [...]