The Teewave AR.1 uses Toray carbon fiber for its chassis, crash structures, body, and interior.

This concept sports car was built, from initial sketches to working prototype, in just nine months.

(Credit: Gordon Murray Design)

 

Creating a new car can take years of development, but Gordon Murray Design put together a running prototype electric sports car in just nine months. The Teewave AR.1 was commissioned by Toray Industries to show off its carbon fiber production.

Toray says that its process can make carbon fiber components in just 10 minutes. The Teewave AR.1 uses Toray carbon fiber for its chassis, crash structures, body, and interior. Other Toray materials make up interior surfaces and components of the car.

 

Gordon Murray Design opted for a modest electric powertrain in the Teewave AR.1, meaning sluggish acceleration.

(Credit: Gordon Murray Design)

 

Those light carbon fiber elements make the overall weight of the Teewave AR.1 just 1,874 pounds. The lithium ion battery pack for the car makes up 530 pounds of that weight.

Gordon Murray Design did not specify the supplier of the electric power train, but its specifications are fairly standard for new electric cars hitting the market. Range is listed as 116 miles using the New European Driving Cycle test procedure, and charging time is 6 hours.

The Teewave AR.1 does not push the boundaries of electric car performance. Its electric motor, driving the rear wheels, only produces 63 horsepower and 132 pound-feet of torque. That means acceleration of 11.4 seconds to 62 mph.

You won't be able to buy a Teewave AR.1 anytime soon. The car will be used by Toray to demonstrate its carbon fiber capabilities. But Toray says its carbon fiber components will scale from a car as small as the Teewave AR.1 to any other size of vehicle.

What this concept also demonstrates is how quickly a new car can, from sketches to a working prototype, can be built. Components such as the electric drive train and suspension are modular, while the carbon fiber can be formed from molds rather than the more time-consuming stamping process for steel, which involves more tooling.

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MINI COUPE

It was quite a good idea for Mini to make a coupe version as the fifth body derivative in the model line-up because the earlier variations basically covered the widest customer expectations possible.

If you loved the Mini for what it has always been, you'd easily go for the classic Hatch. Want more fun and there's the Convertible. Need to be a little pseudo and the Clubman awaits you. Crave for family practicality and the Countryman's yours.

But if you needn't any of those values but want a genuinely good looking and driving Mini for yourself, the Coupe is the perfect choice.

The removal of the compartment for rear passengers has allowed Mini to put in place a three-box profile to give the Coupe a nice coupe profile. Adding more fun is a helmet-style roof distinctively coloured from the body.

But that's just about it when it comes to the cosmetic test because the rest of the Coupe is plainly a Mini.

There's no differentiation when it comes to the lights or front grille. Simply, it's the roof that holds the key to your liking of the Coupe.

The fascia is just like in any other Mini: fun but flawed to use.

Despite the booted appearance, the Coupe's boot lid opens in a hatch manner (together with the rear windscreen) which, in essence, makes the Coupe more of a liftback.

No rear perches means that the Coupe has that kind of boot space rarely seen in any Mini. Mini has also taken the opportunity to design the interior boot cover with stylish twin cowls. In functionality terms, the Coupe is all what two people at most would ever need.

And turning to aesthetics again, the interior reaches the same dead end as the exterior in which distinction is only confined to the rear bit. The front seats, steering wheel and fascia are like in other Minis, with the latest aspect being fun in appearance but flawed in ergonomic terms.

But you really can't blame Mini for the vast similarities the Coupe bears to its other siblings.

It's a diversification of a specific model, in the first place, and not entirely all-new on its own. Hence, the need to share as many parts as possible.

The pop-up spoiler has both visual and dynamic benefits.

So if you're expecting the Coupe to feel distinctively special on the move, prepare to frown because it doesn't. However, that can never be considered a bad thing since Minis have always been known to be cars that are great to drive.

The running gear of the Coupe is predictable enough: the engines and transmissions are the ones you have seen around since the Mini's facelift in second-gen form with no changes in power and torque outputs.

The one highlighted here for the Coupe test drive in Germany this month is the range-topping 211hp 1.6-litre petrol-turbo and six-speed manual gearbox for the so-called John Cooper Works guise.

The chassis setup is basically just like in other Minis including a sporty tuning. Absence of rear seats has also allowed engineers to place a cross-member in their place to further increase body rigidity for even better handling.

With this in mind, the Coupe drives very much like the Hatch. Performance is brisk in a straight line and impressive when picking up from low engine revs and when exiting corners.

There's no doubting the Coupe's handling, too. This is as sporty as a car of this small size gets, and the way it grips at high speeds when slamming down the autobahn to its top speed is quite amazing. Special thanks go to a new rear spoiler that pops up at over 80kph (and disappearing again when dipping below 60kph).

Ah, that spoiler, the item much talked-about in the Coupe which many critics have described as more a cosmetic gimmick rather than one for dynamic reasons. But as things turned out during the international driving trials, there seems to also be much weight leaning towards the latter factor.

The Coupe also goes around into corners with the same conviction as the Hatch: superbly agile, finely balanced and virtually free of understeer. It's equally as capable as a rear-drive sports car like the Mazda MX-5, unless your idea of looking out from the car is through the side windows.

There’s some stow space behind the front seats... and more of it in the boot.

Speaking of the driving view, the Coupe does feel different from the Hatch in the sense that the front windscreen is more slanted and not as upright as in the Hatch or Clubman. And the Coupe's rear view is limited, although the view of the spoiler (and the stripes painted on it) looks cool.

A more serious downside (in terms of marketing and not engineering) is the unavailability of an automatic gearbox. Mini still insists that JCW cars must be manual. This means that Thais won't be getting this powerful JCW, unless they order it.

Instead, the Cooper S and Cooper variants will come at the year-end with six-speed slushers, the prior spec having steering-mounted paddle-shifters. There wasn't the chance to sample the Cooper S, but it's fair to say _ based on previous driving experiences of other Minis _ that the Coupe with this power treatment will still be a fast car to drive.

You need not have suspicions about the Coupe's ride: the underlying firmness of the chassis makes for a stiff ride, even on the slightest of potholes on German roads. We'd easily say that the ride on Bangkok streets would be terrifyingly hard.

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Alexa Chung range a hit

 

Alexa Chung's latest range for Madewell caused the retailer's website to crash. The British beauty announced her partnership with the label last year, creating a line that was popular amongst fashionistas. Alexa launched her second collection with the US brand yesterday and celebrated with a star-studded bash in Los Angeles. The 27-year-old star tweeted her excitement before the party. "It's my Madewell collection launch party tonight in LA. Very Exciting," she wrote, before later letting her fans know how popular the launch had been. "Congrats! You crashed the @madewell1937 website with the purchase onslaught. Glad you like it! Xxxx (sic)," she added. Guests at the fashion launch included Kate Bosworth, Elle Fanning, Amanda Seyfried and Dianna Agron. Alex donned a gorgeous Madewell mini dress for the party, while Elle also opted to wear the designer. The young actress chose a lacey shift, while Amanda wore a polka dot Madewell blouse. Diana also chose to sport the label, and opted for a tan-coloured shirt dress. Alexa's range includes vintage-inspired tea dresses, skirts and lace tops. The star's advertisements, which were shot in Austin, Texas, were recently revealed last month. "We were all so in sync," Madewell's Head of Design, Kin Ying Lee said of the process. "Since it's the second collection, it was like old friends getting together and creating something - and having a great time in the process.

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THE Queen gave Prince William the go-ahead to rip up the official guest list for his wedding to Kate Middleton

Prince William (pic: Handout)

THE Queen gave Prince William the go-ahead to rip up the official guest list for his wedding to Kate Middleton, he has revealed.

He told how he never knew a soul on the official paper of hundreds of people and was not happy with the line-up.

“They said: ‘These are the people we should invite’. I looked at it in absolute horror and said: ‘I think we should start again’.”

The 29-year-old said: “I came into the first wedding meeting, post-engagement. And I was given this official list of 777 names, dignitaries, governors, all sorts of people, and not one person I knew.

William told how he then approached the Queen for help. He added: “I rang her up the next day and said: ‘Do we need to be doing this?’

“And she said: ‘No. Start with your friends first and then go from there’. And she told me to bin the list.

“She told me there are certain times when you have to strike the right balance.”

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former X Factor judge and Girls Aloud singer said she would consider becoming a fashion designer and launch her own range.

Is Cheryl Cole the new Victoria Beckham? (Picture: PA)

The former X Factor judge and Girls Aloud singer said she would consider becoming a fashion designer  and launch her own range. 

Asked by The Guardian if she'd like her own fashion collection, she replied: 'Do you know what? I wouldn't rule it out, actually. I have loved designing these shoes. I haven't enjoyed a project so much in a long time. So, yes, it might be the start of something.' 

Chezza stepped out earlier this week during London Fashion Week to launch her shoe collection with website Stylistpick.com at The Home House. 

The star will also be choosing her favourite items from the online accessory store's collections and telling fans why she likes them in a new blog. 

Stylistpick’s chief creative officer Juliet Warkentin said: ‘We are thrilled to be working with Cheryl. Cheryl is the style icon and is amazingly warm, a quality that has made her the nation's favourite. 

'We believe that the launch will have a huge fashion impact; establishing fashion's greatest influencer as a major force in fashion design and further democratising fashion.’

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Brit Designers Shine At London Fashion Week

"The truth is that all the ideas come out of here," he said.

"Before they used to be picked up by every other designer from around the world, diluted and communicated to other parts of the world and other people were making the money.

 

Models display creations by British born designer Osman

 

"Maybe now it is becoming a lot more important.

"I think Burberry, in a way, bringing their shows back to England has been very important because they have managed to bring the attention back here - that England isn't only a hub of ideas but it is also a business and there is an industry working and people are making it happen."

 

Rosario Dawson and Pippa Middleton on the front row at Temperley catwalk

 

The runways have seen a global standard of models showcasing collections, with designers including Burberry Prorsum, Christopher Kane, Erdem, Jonathan Saunders, Mario Schwab and Mary Katrantzou.

US-based media analytics company Global Language Monitor recently ranked London as the Global Fashion Capital, overtaking New York.

It said the Alexander McQueen wedding dress that Kate Middleton wore at her royal wedding moved London from third to top position.

 

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Cheryl Cole 'Falls For Hunky Soldier' In Afghanistan | Cheryl Cole

 

It seems Cheryl Cole has finally put her failed marriage to footballer Ashley Cole behind her, after apparently falling for a "gorgeous" solider in Afghanistan. The Girls Aloud beauty, who visited Camp Bastion in Helmand Province to boost troops morale, claims to have swapped numbers with the hunky young corporal after taking a shine to him during her trip last week. Chezza confessed to The Mirror: "Not only are the soldiers incredibly brave, a few were also incredibly cute. I actually came back with a phone number from one lad." "He started chatting to me after I'd been shot at during a training exercise. Obviously it wasn't real ammunition, but it was still terrifying." She continued: "Anyway, I think I am going to call him this week and we'll see what happens. I'm sure he's not expecting me to ring but that's why it'll be funny - and that's why I'm going to do it." Cheryl went on to admit that she is realistic about any chances of romance with the lucky solider, stating: "Long-distance relationships are a nightmare – a big time difference is a killer because it’s just so hard to stay in touch.” As well as proving a hit with the men, the former X Factor judge also seems to have charmed ladies, claiming: "There really were so many handsome guys – even some of the girl soldiers were totally gorgeous. Loads of the girls are now following me on Twitter and tweeting me. It’s great.” The 28-year old added: “I’d love to stay in touch with some of the incredible people I was lucky enough to meet.”

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Celebrity Cruises Taps Top Chef to Join Culinary Team

 

Known for its culinary leadership and commitment to offering guests a modern, luxurious experience during their precious vacation time, Celebrity Cruises has expanded its already robust culinary talent by naming 2010 James Beard Foundation "Rising Star Chef" nominee and 2007 "Rising Star Chef of American Cuisine" John Suley as its director of Culinary Operations. Tapped by Celebrity's charismatic Vice President of Culinary Operations Jacques Van Staden – himself a James Beard-nominated Master Chef – Suley is widely regarded as one of the country's top "up and coming" chefs. Prior to joining Celebrity, he worked in the star-studded, international dining scene as executive chef at the South Florida incarnation of three-time James Beard honoree Alfred Portale's famed "Gotham Bar & Grill" (New York), "Gotham Steak" at the chic Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami. Suley's wealth of experience also includes work at the Ritz Carlton-South Beach, the Waldorf Astoria and St. Regis hotels, and with many of the world's most accomplished chefs, including Daniel Boulud, and Celebrity's Van Staden himself, at some of the finest restaurants in the dining mecca of Las Vegas. Suley is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America. At Celebrity, Suley joins Van Staden in leading the line's continuing quest to achieve the highest levels of consistency, quality and innovation in the culinary experience. "John Suley is known for his edgy and innovative cooking style, and is a genuinely unique chef," said Van Staden, "Having known him for 12 years, and observing the amazing contributions he made during the recent debut of our newest Solstice Class ship, Celebrity Silhouette, I am confident he will be an inspirational and creative leader within Celebrity's innovative culinary team, and will make tremendous contributions as we continue to prove to vacationers around the world that we can treat them to a dining experience that is easily comparable to the best on land." About Celebrity Cruises: Celebrity Cruises' iconic "X" is the mark of modern luxury, with its cool, contemporary design and warm spaces; dining experiences where the design of the venues is as important as the cuisine; and the amazing service that only Celebrity can provide, all created to provide an unmatchable experience for vacationers' precious time. Celebrity sails to Alaska, Australia/New Zealand, Bermuda, California, Canada/New England, the Caribbean, Europe, Hawaii, the Pacific Coast, Panama Canal, South America, and year-round in the Galapagos Islands. Celebrity also offers immersive cruisetour experiences in Alaska, Australia/New Zealand, Canada, Europe and South America.

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Georgia jets out ... just as Calum arrives here

 

GEORGIA Salpa was flying out to Marbella today to get over Calum Best -- just as the infamous bad boy was landing in Ireland for the week. The half-Greek model is taking some time out from the spotlight and relaxing with her Celebrity Salon co-star Aisleyne Horgan-Wallace. A source said Georgia (26) really needed this break to clear her head. "Georgia needs to take time to sort her head out and finally decide what she wants," the source said. "Georgia will be staying in Spain for about a week. At the same time Calum is in Dublin for a few days doing some promotions so thankfully there will be no awkward meetings." Even though it looks like the top model is looking to start afresh, a close pal says going to Marbella may bring back some old memories of her relationship with Calum. "The last time she holidayed in Marbella she bumped into Calum, it was right after they filmed Celebrity Salon, so the visit might stir up some old memories. Either way she needs some time to relax in the sun." Rift This isn't the first time AR model Georgia has jetted out of the country after a break-up. Last year the model headed to Spain with pals Daniella Moyles, Leah O'Reilly and Emily Mackeogh when she split with DJ Barry O'Brien. This was the same trip that apparently caused a rift between Georgia and her former best pal Nadia Forde.

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Pippa Middleton sat front row at the Temperley London show at London Fashion Week

Pippa Middleton had a prime seat at the Temperley runway show at London Fashion Week at the British Museum. (Tim Whitby - GETTY IMAGES) on Monday, taking in the elegant 2012 resort collection by Alice Temperley next to British journalist Peaches Geldof and actress Rosario Dawson.

The line contained garments that could easily be seen on either Middleton sister, with tailored jackets and clean cocktail dresses. Drop-waist dresses and a ’20s flapper vibe was also incorporated in the collection, a trend that was also seen during Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in New York last week.

This is not the first time Pippa and Temperley have appeared in the same headline. The royal bridesmaid wore an emerald green gown by the designer for Kate and Will’s post-wedding festivities in April.

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Marbella Club Hotel, Golf Resort & Spa: Marbella, Spain hotel:

 

Located on the Southern Spanish Costa del Sol, in the heart of the 'Golden Mile' only 5 minutes to Old Town Marbella and Puerto Banús, with 320 days of sunshine and a mild year round average temperature of 21ºC). Open year round, the renowned Marbella Club Hotel, was once the private residence of Prince Alfonso von Hohenlohe. The 121 luxury bedrooms and suites, spread over the beach front resort, harmonize with 14 Andalusian-Style villas throughout 42,000 square meters (452,083 sq. ft.) of lush subtropical gardens. Each guest room is decorated with the finest fabrics and Mediterranean interior design, reflecting the surrounding elements and has furnished balcony / terrace and spacious luxurious bathrooms with separate shower and bath. The 14 charming villas are in the unmistakable style of the Hotel, faithful replicas of traditional Andalucían architecture, blending harmoniously with their surroundings, and are ideal for families and guests seeking to enjoy more space and privacy. The 2, 3 or 5 bedroom villas have their own private garden and heated pool, providing guests with both comfort and privacy during their stay. Both of the 2 outdoor heated swimming pools, one with seawater invite you to relax in the surrounding gardens or to enjoy the views of the Mediterranean through the palm trees of the famous beach club.

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Housing Market Woes Even Hit Celebs

 

Even celebrities are having a hard time selling their mega-mansions. More on DIS Fan Cam: The Next Sports Cash Machine?Jay Rasulo, Senior Executive Vice President And Chief Financial Officer, The Walt Disney Company, To Speak At The Goldman Sachs 20th Annual Communacopia ConferenceBond Funds See Huge Spike in Inflows Market Activity The Walt Disney Co| DIS Mommy-to-be Hillary Duff has put her first mansion that she purchased while starring in Disney's Lizzie McGuire up for sale with an asking price of $6.25 million. But according to The Real Estalker, Duff also attempted to sell the estate last year, listing for $7 million last time around. Real estate records reveal Duff bought the 9,277 square-foot house in Toluca Lake, Calif., in March 2004 for $3.5 million. Mark Wahlberg, a.k.a. Marky Mark, also recently re-listed his Beverly Hills estate with a $2 million price cut. Wahlberg originally listed the property in 2008 for $15.9 million. The 1.41-acre home is now listed for $13.9 million. The executive producer of Entourage purchased the mansion in 2001 for just $5 million, later remodeling it. Earlier in the summer, Christina Aguilera reduced the price on her home in the Hollywood Hills to $5.5 million from $8 million, while Jodi Foster's Beverly Hills mansion was brought down to $8.9 million from $10 million. The housing market continues to wobble with few consumers taking advantage of record-low mortgage rates. Sales of newly built homes are expected to be at their worst levels for decades this year, while sales of previously occupied homes are on pace for their poorest showing in nearly 15 years

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'Gazanging’ rises as home sellers get last-minute cold feet

 

54,000 buyers were “gazanged” in the first six months of this year – with buyers now more likely to be gazanged, where they are left hanging, than gazumped, where a rival buyer’s higher offer is accepted, or to gazunder, where they lower their offer having already had it accepted. A survey suggests one in four sellers changed their mind because they could not find a suitable property to move to, while others got cold feet because of concerns about the state of the housing market. The number of people pulling out has risen by 20 per cent since last year. One in six said they pulled out because they were fed up with legal complications. It means thousands of buyers who have spent money on surveys and solicitors’ fees are left out of pocket. Phil Spencer, a broadcaster and property expert, said: “Gazanging is something that’s on the up. The seller accepts an offer, but then decides to pull out and stay put, leaving a very unhappy buyer and a broken property chain. In such a volatile market, it’s not that surprising that many more sellers are changing their minds at the last minute, especially when there are so few suitable homes available. “There are lots of reasons why gazanging has started to happen. One of the biggest frustrations is the drawn out conveyancing process and in particular the bad service often experienced. Ask the vast majority of buyers what it was like and they will tell you conveyancing took longer than expected, cost more than they planned and that they felt confused. “There are far fewer houses on the market and this means that people are finding it more difficult to find their dream home, so much so that some sellers eventually decide to stay put.” More than a quarter of sellers who opted to stay put said they could not find a suitable property to buy. The overall number of transactions declined by a quarter in the past 12 months. Figures from the Land Registry and Council of Mortgage Lenders show sales fell from 62,705 in June 2010 to 46,700 in June this year. Spencer added: “Limited access to credit means that many more people struggle to secure a mortgage, leaving them high and dry when it comes to buying their next home. And uncertainty about what is happening with house prices can also make sellers reassess their plans.”

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Facebook May Help Online Luxury-Goods Sales Grow 20% Annually

 

Online sales of luxury goods may climb 20 percent a year by 2015 as producers build networks of potential customers on social media websites such as Facebook.com, according to a study published today. Revenue from fashion, jewelry and other luxury products is likely to reach 11 billion euros ($15 billion) in four years, the report from Italian luxury trade group Altagamma shows. “The explosion of social media and the increasing investments in the online channel by luxury companies has reinforced and enlarged the community of those who explore, comment upon and eventually purchase luxury goods,” Milan-based Altagamma said in a statement. Luxury companies are more than doubling their “friends” on Facebook annually in recognition of the link between online and offline purchases, according to the report. At least half of consumers in Europe, the U.S. and China form an opinion or seek information online before buying in a store, while most online luxury sales are preceded by a boutique visit, Altagamma said. Burberry Group Plc (BRBY), the U.K.’s largest luxury goods maker, gets “the most reach and most response” from digital initiatives compared with other media, Burberry Chief Financial Officer Stacey Cartwright told analysts on July 13. To promote the Burberry Body fragrance, which hit shelves this month, the London-based company offered exclusive samples to its nearly 7 million Facebook fans. It received more than 225,000 requests in little more than a week. The Internet plays a key role in increasing the hype around luxury brands and their products, Altagamma said. Fashion Blogs The web’s influence on perceptions of luxury goods is strongest in China, where fashion blogs are the source of opinion for 58 percent of consumers, compared with 27 percent of their counterparts in Europe and the U.S., the report said. The Asian country also has a higher penetration of online purchasing. Seventy-eight percent of Chinese buy luxury goods online, compared with 56 percent of Europeans and 46 percent of Americans, “mainly because they wish to avoid interactions with sales personnel or their insistence,” Altagamma said. The study included surveys of 187 companies with total revenue of 60 billion euros ($82.1 billion), interviews with 1,500 consumers and analysis of 450 websites in seven countries.

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Ferrari Proves Recession Proof as Ultra-Luxury Sells Out: Cars

 

Maserati SpA’s new sport-utility vehicle was one of the most sought-after models at the Frankfurt car show this week and Ferrari SpA predicted record sales as executives said ultra-luxury remains recession-proof. “If you go to the Ferrari stand, there aren’t any customers worried about the recession,” Fiat Chief Executive Officer Sergio Marchionne said at the International Motor Show. “The last Ferrari customers I saw at the show weren’t crying.” Fiat’s two upscale brands may help the Turin, Italy-based carmaker weather a decline at its main business as Europe’s credit crisis worsens. Even without the Kubang SUV, Maserati aims to boost deliveries by almost eightfold to 45,000 cars in 2014 as it increases dealers by 150 percent worldwide. Lamborghini SpA’s new Aventador model is sold out for 18 months and Rolls-Royce Cars announced a 10 million-pound ($15.8 million) expansion at its Goodwood, England plant. Ferrari expects to deliver 7,000 cars in 2011 on demand for its first family car, the $356,000 four-seat FF that came to market this year. Fiat’s most profitable unit plans to cap sales at 7,000 going forward to maintain exclusivity. Ferrari targets “significant” results this year after earnings before interest and taxes rose 23 percent in 2010 to 302 million euros ($414 million) on revenue of 1.92 billion euros, Chairman Luca Cordero di Montezemolo said. “I’m not worried because we have quality, exclusivity, a strong brand and innovative technology,” Montezemolo said in an interview when asked about the effect of the economic slowdown. Mixed Fortunes The ultra-luxury optimism stands in contrast to concern voiced from volume carmakers that a worsening debt crisis in Europe is prompting consumers to rein in spending. PSA Peugeot Citroen CEO Philippe Varin said this week that Europe is facing a possible recession, while Ford Motor Co. said sales in the region next year will be little changed. Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, the world’s biggest maker of luxury cars, is the best performer in the Stoxx 600 Automobiles & Parts Index this year. BMW stock has slipped 6.4 percent, compared with a 24 percent loss for the index. Fiat, which also owns Chrysler Group LLC in the U.S., is the worst performer on the index, with a 42 percent decline. Sales of the main high-end European luxury brands -- Maserati, Lamborghini, Ferrari, Bentley, Rolls-Royce and Aston Martin -- will rise 19 percent this year to 28,090 vehicles, and gain another 13 percent in 2012, according to a forecast from industry analyst IHS Automotive. “The rich have gotten richer and the number of millionaires in emerging countries is really growing so the demographic trend is very positive” for the ultra-luxury carmakers, said Erich Hauser, a London-based Credit Suisse automotive analyst. “Things would have to get very nasty before they face a problem.” Rolls-Royce Record Rolls-Royce, owned by BMW, expects in 2011 to break last year’s sales record of 2,711 cars, Chief Executive Torsten Mueller-Oetvoes said, adding that China may overtake the U.S. as its top market. The German executive said he’s ”optimistic” about the prospects for the super-luxury segment and that his company so far has not been affected by the slowdown. The ultra-premium segment is likely to weather this downturn better than the previous crisis, Mueller-Oetvoes said. Along with the factory expansion, Rolls-Royce may boost its dealerships to 100 from the current 85 and add a coupe version of its best-selling Ghost model, he said. The carmaker debuted an extended-wheelbase version of the Ghost in Frankfurt. Lamborghini, owned by Volkswagen AG, unveiled the 189,000- euro Gallardo LP 570-4 Super Trofeo Stradale at the show, the most powerful addition to the Gallardo series. The 570- horsepower vehicle comes with matte black finish on the large rear spoiler, engine hood and front air intakes and surges to 100 kilometers (62 miles) in 3.4 seconds. Limited Edition Deliveries of the model, which has a top speed of 320 kilometers per hour, will be confined to 150 and start in December, Chief Executive Officer Stephan Winkelmann said in an interview. The Volkswagen division also announced production of the 1.6 million-euro Sesto Elemento. No more than 20 will be built with deliveries due in early 2013. Lamborghini sales may advance from last year’s 1,302 on the back of the Aventador LP 700-4, which will hit showrooms in October and is sold out for 18 months, Winkelmann said. “The super-luxury market has been in steady recovery from its low in 2009,” Winkelmann said in an interview, adding that order books at Lamborghini are showing no declines. “We’re aware that there are risks.” Bentley Motors Ltd., whose customers include Queen Elizabeth II and the Sultan of Brunei, rolled out an updated version of the Continental GTC convertible with deliveries of the 575-horsepower model starting before the end of the year. Powered by revamps of the Mulsanne and Continental models announced over the past year, full-year deliveries may top the 7,000 mark which would mark a 40-percent gain on 2010, CEO Wolfgang Duerheimer said in an interview. An SUV that the Crewe, England-based VW unit is considering may help more than double sales to 15,000 by about 2018, he said. “We’re very optimistic, our business is developing extremely soundly and the order situation is looking good,” Duerheimer said. “We mustn’t talk up a crisis. Growing debt problems in Europe and the U.S. are giving enough reason for concern, but the underlying economic picture remains positive.”

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California-based Spectrum Wine Auctions is working with London luxury drinks merchant Vanquish to launch a UK auction business.

 

The partners, who are soliciting consignments of ‘the most rare and unique’ wines for their first sale, in February 2012, said they are hoping to shake up the staid London wine auction scene.

‘Anyone who's been to a sale in New York or Hong Kong recently knows how different they are,’ said Richard Brierley, head of Vanquish's fine wine division – and ex-Christie's North America wine chief.

‘Auctions should be lively, social occastions. London is well-established but lacks the buzz, the excitement of the full room. We want to bring that back.’

Jason Boland, president of Spectrum Wine Auctions, was attracted by London's pedigree and importance to the secondary market, and its potential.

Brierley also said auctions would be held in non-traditional venues and at a more accessible time.

‘A private collector with a day job in the City may not find it ideal to wander down to a sale room in St James's at 11am on a Thursday.’

Since launching in 2009, Spectrum Wine Auctions has grossed $30m (£19m) from internet sales and live ones in California and Hong Kong.

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Each season, the fashion industry hand picks their own musical muse

Cole Haan

Each season, the fashion industry hand picks their own musical muse — usually a star on the rise who ends up performing at every single industry soiree from New York to Paris and whose hit single is played at a number of the big ticket runway shows. This past February it was all about Adele and before that, Florence Welch. This time it's rapper/singer Theophilus London, and although he's still one of hip-hop's under-the-radar talents, he's quickly becoming fashion's musical darling of the moment.

This week, London's not only been spotted front row at the Tommy Hilfiger Men's show, performing hits from his new album "Timez Are Weird" at Tommy's FNO party and hanging at Imitation of Christ and Carlos Campos, he's also promoting his new shoe collaboration with Cole Haan. Last night at their Soho store, London was on hand to mingle and perform, telling us that his new blue suede bucks were, "very cool." He continued, "it was fun to do, but I wish I made them for women. That's all I really care about is pleasing women, not so much men. Don't you want a pair?"

London also weighed in on yesterday's somewhat shocking news that Kanye West will be showing his new collection during Paris Fashion Week, starting September 27th. When we asked what he thought about Kanye's move into the world of fashion design, he responded enthusiastically, "I think it's sick man, I totally back him. He actually emailed me this morning and invited me to the show, so I'm definitely going to hop on a plane in a couple weeks and be there for him. He's Kanye, he can do anything."

We also suggested that it'd be amazing if he'd team up with Kanye and/or Jay-Z on his next album. "We'll see, I mean that'd be a dream come true. It's cool they even support me, but right now I'm just chillin."

Though he was quick to claim his "chillin" status several times throughout our conversation, it doesn't appear that this guy's slowing down any time soon. With a fashion collaboration already under his belt, the attention of iconic designers and an open invitation to what's bound to be the most talked about show at Paris Fashion Week, London's got a swagger we'll be following all season long.

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Vogue group opens London fashion school

 

Having long passed judgement on the catwalk via the pages of Vogue, a leading magazine publisher is setting up its own fashion school in London. The Condé Nast College of Fashion and Design will open in September 2012, taking up to 300 students in its first year. With courses branded around its stable of monthlies and weeklies, its principal will be Susie Forbes, editor of Easy Living and former deputy editor of British Vogue. Last year, Condé Nast's British arm made £34.6m. It is thought the conglomerate's move into teaching may face hostility from the arts education community, with the capital already hosting the London College of Fashion and Central Saint Martins. Nicholas Coleridge, managing director of Condé Nast, said: "The reputation and authority of our brands puts us in a strong position to teach and inspire the fashion and decorating talent of the future."

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Swingeing London by Richard Hamilton, showing Rolling Stone Mick Jagger in the back of a police car: a great modern history painting.

Swingeing London by Richard Hamilton, showing Rolling Stone Mick Jagger in the back of a police car: a great modern history painting. Photograph: Serpentine

Richard Hamilton, the most influential British artist of the 20th century, has died aged 89.

In his long, productive life he created the most important and enduring works of any British modern painter.

This may sound a surprising claim. We have our national icons and our pop celebrities. But neither Francis Bacon nor Lucian Freud nor Damien Hirst has shaped modern art as Hamilton did when he put a lolly with the word POP on it in the hand of a muscleman in his 1956 collage, Just What is it that Makes Today's Homes So Different, So Appealing?

Richard Hamilton pictured last year. Photograph: Richard Saker

Hamilton has a serious claim to be the inventor of pop art: this collage is a visionary, yet ironic, manifesto for a new art that would be at home in the modern world. For him, in a postwar Britain of austerity measures, pop was a utopian ideal. Big, fast cars were the metal angels of a smooth, beautiful future.

I have been driven by Hamilton in his huge, sleek car. The experience was like stepping into one of his paintings. He drove me to his house, a modern dream home decorated with the works of Marcel Duchamp – or rather, Hamilton's own replicas personally approved by the maverick dadaist chess player.

Hamilton's second great influence on the art of today was his championing of Duchamp at a time when the Frenchman's subversive philosophical art was largely forgotten. One of Hamilton's masterpieces is his replica of Duchamp's Large Glass, in Tate Modern.

was an intellectual. He did not go for the guts, but the brain. His art is thoughtful, uneasy, even as it celebrates the power of technology. It also became increasingly political. He confronted issues from the Irish Troubles to both Iraq wars in works that dropped the cool mask for outright engagement, making him even more of a meaty and serious proposition.

Swingeing London, pictured above, in which Mick Jagger in lurid green jacket is enclosed in the back of a police car, shielding his face against the media glare, is a great modern history painting. So is Hamilton's portrait of IRA hunger striker Bobby Sands. These works analyse the way images are made, yet their intellect is saturated with outrage and compassion.

Hamilton saw our future coming. He even designed a computer as a readymade artwork in the early days of digital. He saw and accepted the way technology changes the human condition. Yet he cared about, and fought for, the human ghost in the machine. That is what makes him a great artist.

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Tamara Ecclestone lifts the lid on her extravagant lifestyle

 

For a woman who has just spent £1 million on a bath tub, Tamara Ecclestone is remarkably likeable. The daughter of Britain’s fourth richest person, billionaire Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone, slinks across the lobby of Beverly Hills’ grandest hotel, the Peninsula. But she is seemingly oblivious to the open-mouthed stares that follow her perfectly tanned-and-toned body clad in a tiny black romper suit. As she curls up on a luxury sofa in the lobby, it is clear that even in a town used to excess, Tamara and her equally flamboyant sister Petra, who recently dominated the headlines with her extravagant £5 million wedding complete with a private performance by the Black Eyed Peas, have set tongues wagging. For years, Tamara, 27, and Petra, 22, remained pretty much under the media radar. By all accounts, they were kept on a tight rein by their 6ft 2in mother Slavica, who worked hard to escape her tough, penniless upbringing in the Croatian port of Rijeka and was determined to keep her girls grounded.  But after becoming fixtures on the London social scene, the two Ecclestone girls have become embroiled in an extraordinary – and outrageously expensive – display of trans¬atlantic sibling rivalry that even the most creative Hollywood scriptwriter would be hard-pressed to dream up. First, younger sister Petra splashed out £91 million – in cash – to buy the 57,000 sq ft Los Angeles hilltop mansion of the late Dynasty creator Aaron Spelling three months ago. Then, two weeks ago, Tamara was maid-of-honour at Petra’s breathtakingly ostentatious wedding at the medieval Castello Orsini-Odescalchi outside Rome. The scale of the nuptials was mind-blowing.  Petra’s Vera Wang dress cost a reputed £80,000, the evening entertainment alone – including the Black Eyed Peas, Alicia Keys, Andrea Bocelli, DJ David Guetta and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra – cost more than £3 million.  Eric Clapton played for the couple’s first dance and Formula 1 driver Jean Alesi drove the bride’s vintage Rolls-Royce.  Even the fireworks display saw £100,000 go up in smoke. Perhaps tellingly, among the guests were another pair of unimaginably wealthy and high-profile siblings, Paris and Nicky Hilton. As elder sister, Tamara was a suitably gracious bridesmaid. But it is clear she feels the need to catch up in the publicity stakes.  She arrived in LA last week with an entourage including Katie Price’s hair and make-up man and blithely announced that she would be perusing homes ‘starting at the £100 million mark’. She also embarked on a series of meetings at major Hollywood studios in a bid to promote her upcoming show Tamara Ecclestone: Billion Dollar Girl (which starts in the UK on Channel 5 on November 4). And she is telling all who will listen that she recently ‘dispatched’ five minions on an expedition ‘up the Amazon’ to gather crystal that will be used to create a state-of- the-art bathtub in her £47 million London home. Splashing out: Tamara is spending £1m on rock crystal from the Amazon to make a bath similar to this It was a story, I venture, that is surely a tabloid fabrication?  She looks askance. ‘No, it’s completely true. They’ve gone to find this crystal which will be turned into my bathtub. It’s costing £1 million because I’ve got to reinforce the floor and I’ve had to pay for everyone’s travel and the hauling back and polishing of the crystal.  ‘But I spend a lot of time in the bath so it’s worth it.’ Little wonder that one Hollywood producer told me: ‘The whole town is talking about these girls. ‘There is nothing that Hollywood loves more than money, vulgarity and ambition. And these two have it in spades.’ It is a charge Tamara, who still looks impeccable despite starting her day at 5am to appear on America’s top-rated Entertainment Tonight show, rolls her eyes at.  ‘Listen, people will always try and make something of the rivalry between me and my sister,’ she tells me. ‘We are siblings and we fight and compete like any sisters would.  ‘But we are very close. Of course there is competition between us but it is healthy competition. There is room in this town for both of us.’ I ask her about reports that she stomped out of a Japanese restaurant earlier in the week after a row with her sister over who ‘got’ to LA first? Sibling rivalry: Tamara says that the relationship with Petra is like that of any sisters - and while the do disagree and there is competition, they are both still close Tamara shrugs: ‘We’d had a drink. Yes, there were a few words. I went outside to have a cigarette, which is something I only do when I’m drinking. I was in a bit of a bad mood. The Press saw that and blew it up into something it’s not.’ Are they at war? She says: ‘You’ll have to ask Petra about that. She’s in New York at Fashion Week. There’s certainly no problem between us as far as I am concerned.’ As she speaks it is obvious that, despite her daddy’s billions, Tamara has a steely determination to succeed on her own merits.  She credits her 80-year-old father, the son of a humble fisherman who started out working in a gasworks before building a £2.4 billion fortune as the Formula 1 supremo, for keeping her ‘grounded’. 'My father started with nothing and is a self-made man. No matter what I do with my life I can never match his accomplishments.' Tamara explains: ‘My father started with nothing and is a self-made man. No matter what I do with my life I can never match his accomplishments. He is someone that even now, at 80, loves what he does and is still making deals and making money, and he enjoys it. He raised me to appreciate money and not to take it for granted.  ‘I was raised to want to work for a living. The idea of just sitting around or going shopping every day appals me. I want to accomplish something in my own right. ‘Dad taught me to always go for the deal. When you are rich, people try to take advantage of you. I got a deal on the flights over here. My mother flew easyJet recently.  Relationship: Tamara has been with stockbroker Omar Kyhami for 18 months - and says they have discussed marriage and children ‘We are a family that likes a bargain. I love the fact that I can spend ten quid and get my nails done in LA at a little corner shop rather than at an expensive salon.’ She says her mother Slavica, who acrimoniously divorced her 5ft 4in father in 2009 after 24 years of marriage, pounded home the message: ‘Mum cooked for me and my sister every night. My father would come home and we would have dinner together, as a family, at 6.30 every night. ‘Both my parents came from humble beginnings. Yes, we had money but it was never something we took for granted.  ‘Dad would drop us at school and Mum would collect us. They came from nothing and were determined not to spoil us.  I had to work for my pocket money, walking the dog and picking up his poop. We were never surrounded by servants. When we wanted things we were never just given them. Money wasn’t easy.’ In person Tamara is charming. She speaks in a modulated but not super-posh voice. But it’s hard to credit the down-to-earth credentials of a woman who would blow £1 million on a crystal bath.  She insists, repeatedly, that she and Petra were raised to appreciate the value of money. ‘We were never spoiled. We were never given too much,’ she says. So what, then, has precipitated this sudden rush to compete in a multi-million-pound house property contest? Perhaps their parents’ divorce, with all the bitter recriminations, has affected the girls’ judgment? ‘The divorce was the hardest thing ever,’ she concedes. ‘Dad has a new girlfriend [Fabiana Flosi, a Brazilian 49 years his junior] but Mum is enjoying being single. I don’t think she will date anyone for a while.  ‘She’s enjoying being free. I’d never thought of the money [rivalry] starting after that. But maybe it did.’ Tamara says she finds Los Angeles, with its endless sunshine and endless positivity ‘liberating’. ‘I’ve been here before but only to Disneyland,’ she says with a grin. ‘I’ve totally fallen in love with the place. People here don’t judge you or have any jealousy about money.  'In England, there is a certain negativity. Here everyone is positive. There isn’t so much jealousy here. I’d rather have a fake smile than a nasty stare.' ‘In England, there is a certain negativity. Here everyone is positive. There isn’t so much jealousy here. I’d rather have a fake smile than a nasty stare.’ Her boyfriend of 18 months, stockbroker Omar Kyhami, arrives at the table. He is in charge of the house-hunting which will begin in earnest in the morning. ‘We’re not going through a broker,’ he says. ‘When people hear the Ecclestone name they automatically add a zero to the price. We are looking at a place in Beverly Hills in the morning which has 27 acres and isn’t even on the market.  ‘We are looking at houses which aren’t officially for sale. When you get to a certain level, you don’t want to deal with brokers. The people we are talking to don’t want any publicity. The house we are looking at will make Petra’s house look like a guest house.’ Tamara squeals: ‘No! You shouldn’t say that!’ Role model: Tamara, pictured in 1998 on a skiing holiday, says her parents kept her 'grounded' and were determined not to spoil her, despite their wealth Omar adds: ‘We’re going to do it in a way that isn’t a disaster. The house we are looking at hasn’t been on the market for years without selling.’ (The Spelling house was on the market for three years before Petra bought it.) ‘That other house [Spelling’s] was a disaster. We’re doing it properly.’ Tamara is clearly smitten with her slightly indiscreet boyfriend: ‘We’ve been together for 18 months and we’ve rowed and it’s all on camera. We have talked about marriage and children but that’s something my sister, even though she is much younger, has always had clearer views on.  ‘This was her year for getting married. I wouldn’t do anything to try and muscle in on that. I want to have a career and make something of myself. I have earned my own money and I like the feeling it gives me. When you buy something with your own money it means more.’ 'I desperately want to have a career. I feel I have something to prove. I want to accomplish something on my own and build my own business.' Does it worry her that she will be able to afford a £100 million-plus home in Hollywood only thanks to Daddy’s billions? ‘No, not at all.’ How does it work? Does her father simply sign a cheque? ‘No, no, it’s far more complicated than that. You get into trust funds and such. When I bought my place in Kensington (for £45 million) it’s in an area that is super-rich.  ‘I talked to Mum and Dad and they agreed to finance it because even if I never live there it’s a good investment. Neither Petra nor I would be allowed to buy anything that was a dud.’  I ask what is the worst thing that has ever happened to her.  ‘My parents’ divorce, without question,’ she says. ‘I didn’t see it coming. I thought they would work things out. I think my mum decided. She wanted to be free. It was a real shock. I cried a lot. ‘When you have money, people think life must be perfect. But I still have the same issues as anyone else. I wake up and feel fat and ugly. I feel insecure. I row with my boyfriend. We have family problems.’  Producer Melanie Leach, the managing director of TwoFour, the company behind Tamara’s TV show, had cameras following Tamara for six months. ‘She is someone who is so different from what you expect,’ said Leach, who also made Harry’s Arctic Heroes, the recently broadcast programme about Prince ¬Harry’s Arctic expedition.‘People have a certain expectation of what Tamara is like and, of course, she lives in a different world. The first show has her taking her five dogs to the Harrods day spa. It costs hundreds of pounds and the dogs are getting their nails painted pink. Luxury: Tamara has access to a wide range of spectacular cars, including this convertible Rolls Royce, a Mercedes 500 and a Ferrari - plus also flies using a private jet ‘But there is another side of Tamara that is deadly serious and very ambitious. We have been taking meetings with some of the biggest people in Hollywood and I have never seen such a reaction. Tamara has something that people just relate to.’ Tamara insists she wants to be seen as ‘normal’ yet she has five cars at her disposal in LA,  including a black convertible Rolls-Royce, a Mercedes 500 and a Ferrari. She also casually mentions she is flying to Las Vegas this weekend in a private jet. Tamara says: ‘I have a strong built-in b-s detector. I know who my real friends are and I like to think I’ve not become cynical. Of course, some people want to be my friend because of the money. But the people I have around me are a tight-knit group. ‘I desperately want to have a career. I feel I have something to prove. I want to accomplish something on my own and build my own business.’ That’s why in LA she has maximised what she calls her ‘publicity potential’. Lunch at the Ivy – where paparazzi stalk the pavements – was followed by dinners at Madeo, Katsuya, STK and Boa . . . all high-profile hang-outs.  As the Rolls arrives to take her from her £2,000-a-night hotel suite, I ask her: ‘Do you have any idea how much your lifestyle really costs?’ She smiles and says: ‘Yes, I think I do. Well, not really, not exactly. But I am not stupid. I have a good idea of my income and outgoings and, yes, I definitely know what things cost.  ‘I will make it. Just watch me. Money isn’t everything.’

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brand new car from the world’s latest car manufacturer.

• Image Credit: Supplied picture
• Look familiar? Yes, it’s just like any other pumped-up Cayenne on the streets of the UAE.

Don’t adjust your screens, that unmistakeable Porsche Cayenne silhouette is in fact what London’s Eterniti Motors calls a brand new car from the world’s latest car manufacturer.

The joke, of course, is that underneath the make up the “world’s first super-SUV,” as Eterniti’s press material puts it, is basically just a Porsche Cayenne. So the newest car manufacturer merely makes bodykits and blings up interiors.
The British ‘carmaker’ is showing off the Hemera SUV at this week’s Frankfurt motor show, but make sure you pay attention or you might miss it in the sea of Lumma Design, Hamann, Speedart, Gemballa and other Cayennes, including, of course, Porsche’s own.

To be fair, Eterniti motors promises new levels of luxury and performance, starting with a limousine-like rear cabin, including twin electric reclining seats, iPads and a drinks chiller. The company also hikes power up to 620bhp. Presumably with a TechArt remap. 

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