An enduring bond September 20, 2015 Aston Martin’s Simon Sproule talks balancing growth and exclusivity THE UK has long distinguished itself as a leader in luxury goods. Increasing wealth in the Gulf states and the Far East has opened up opportunities in new markets for high-end brands with a heritage. But when exclusivity is so important to a brand’s appeal, pursuing [...]
Motoring review: Superformance GT40 September 14, 2015 Supercar or historic racer? Or another one of those pastiches, built in a workshop by enthusiastic but ultimately misguided engineers who don’t know a business case from a briefcase? The Superformance GT40 is none of these, though it’s easy to see how it could have been. This is a road-going version of the famous GT40, [...]
Heineken’s UK boss David Forde on the everlasting link between rugby and beer as World Cup fever grips the nation September 13, 2015 Rugby and beer have long been bedfellows. Since time immemorial, gnarled and cauliflower-eared players have taken enormous pleasure in knocking seven bells out of each other on the pitch, before retiring to the bar to share a friendly pint. Even now, in the age of sporting professionalism, it is a rugby tradition kept alive with [...]
Why the Internet of Things is just one part of a much bigger prize September 9, 2015 By now you’re most likely familiar with the Internet of Things, the phrase often used to describe the growing network of once-inanimate objects that are becoming smart, Wi-Fi-connected devices. Some are extremely innovative – a British inventor has just created smart wallpaper, which uses magnetic charges to flip ‘physical pixels’ in fabric, creating potentially [...]
Lancaster set to trial first-choice centre pairing September 2, 2015 England head coach Stuart Lancaster is set to run the rule over his expected first-choice centre pairing for the Rugby World Cup after naming Brad Barritt in his side to face Ireland in the QBE International at Twickenham on Saturday. Barritt has shrugged off the calf injury which has ruled him out of England’s previous [...]
Stuart Lancaster: No risk in taking wildcard Sam Burgess to Rugby World Cup 2015 August 28, 2015 England head coach Stuart Lancaster insists the selection of Sam Burgess does not represent a gamble after naming the rugby league convert in his 31-man World Cup squad yesterday. Burgess switched codes less than a year ago and only made his international debut in England’s opening warm-up match against France at Twickenham earlier this [...]
Rugby World Cup squad 2015: England gamble on Sam Burgess as Stuart Lancaster axes Danny Cipriani August 27, 2015 Rugby league convert Sam Burgess is the surprise inclusion in England head coach Stuart Lancaster’s squad for the Rugby World Cup, it was confirmed today. Burgess, 26, switched codes less than a year ago and only made his senior England debut earlier this month, earning mixed reviews in a 19-14 win against France at Twickenham. [...]
Cipriani set for Rugby World Cup heartache August 26, 2015 SALE fly-half Danny Cipriani is expected to be the highest-profile casualty when England head coach Stuart Lancaster confirms his final squad for next month’s Rugby World Cup today. The versatile 27-year-old is set to miss out on the home tournament, with Lancaster tipped to pick George Ford and Owen Farrell as fly-halves and Mike Brown [...]
Self-driving cars: This is why they won’t reach our roads for a long time August 25, 2015 There’s much excitement about the future of the self-driving car. We've heard endless discussions about Google's version ever since it was first launched in 2010, and now Apple has jumped on the bandwagon, too. Read more: Driverless car technology to get £20m UK government funding and testing guidelines introduced In fact, earlier this year [...]
Why the government should take outsourcing a radical step further August 17, 2015 Government raids on the methodology of business are commonplace. Some are more successful than others. But as the challenge of George Osborne’s edict to contemplate departmental cuts of as much as 40 per cent sinks in, the search will intensify. As I sat recently in the splendidly refurbished BT Tower – a guest of [...]