Tempus Magazine | Issue 67 | April - May 2020

TIMELESS INSPIRATION

THE ASCENT OF FERRARI How Enzo Ferrari turned his driving passion into an iconic brand on and off the track

ROLLS-ROYCE EXCLUSIVE | HESTON BLUMENTHAL | BESPOKE SUPERYACHTS ISSUE

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AVENGER

The Aviation Pioneers Squad Scott Kelly Rocio Gonzalez Torres Luke Bannister

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WELCOME

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f you can dream it, you can do it,” said Enzo Ferrari, the man behind the legendary car company that so proudly bears his name. Established in 1947, as the world recovered from the devastating impact of the Second World War, Ferrari was founded in the face of adversity. A bright beacon of optimism in dark and uncertain times.

Today, the marque continues to stand head and shoulders above the competition as one of the best-known carmakers on the planet. As the world once again dips into desperate times, facing a silent war against the Covid-19 pandemic, we can take comfort in Ferrari’s triumphant tale of success against the odds, safe in the knowledge that hard work, tenacity and a penchant for the finer things in life can overcome anything.

But the dark days are numbered. Spring, warmer temperatures and longer evenings are a much-needed reminder of the happier times to come. In this issue of Tempus, dedicated to speed and motoring, we delve deep beneath the skin of the iconic Italian car brand to find out how its most sought-after classics repeatedly smash multimillion-pound estimates on auction blocks around the world. Is the cult-like dominance of Ferrari a clever marketing myth or a motoring masterpiece? Find out on page 32.

Keeping on our theme of speed machines, we head out on a spending spree in London’s supercar capital of Berkeley Square, shedding fascinating light on the secretive world of selecting the perfect supercar (68). With so much choice on the market and an infinite options list, picking a winner is not as easy as you’d think.

Elsewhere in this issue, we delve beneath the waves to discover ocean innovation with Heesen yachts (34), take to the skies with entrepreneur Gabriella Somerville to explore the potential of electric planes (26), and find out why London might just be the fintech disruption capital of the world (beat that, Silicon Valley) on page 74. What’s more, we take entrepreneurial inspiration from Heston Blumental (54) and Samantha Cameron (90), find out why Belize will soon be on the luxury map (78), and – in our exclusive photoshoot – we test drive two very different Rolls-Royce vehicles that prove why this British brand’s enduring elegance is more relevant than ever (38).

Finally, as we approach the summer months with pace, we hope this issue of Tempus serves as a welcome distraction over the coming weeks but also as a reminder to look ahead with optimism and hope – just like Enzo Ferrari in those turbulent post-war years. While tough times undoubtedly lie ahead, experience shows that a dream, coupled with a dogged belief and steely determination, is all it takes to change the course of history.

Enjoy the issue.

Rory FH Smith Motoring Editor

Tempus magazine is published by Vantage Media Group. www.vantagemediagroup.co.uk © 2020 Vantage Media Limited Articles and other contributions published in this journal may be reproduced only with special permission from the Publishers. The Publishers, Vantage Media Limited, accept no responsibility for any views or statements made in the articles and other contributions reproduced from any other source. No responsibility is accepted for the claims in advertisements appearing in this journal and the Publishers reserve the right to accept or refuse advertisements at their discretion.

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CONTRIBUTORS EDITORIAL TEAM Rory Smith Tempus’ motoring editor explores Ferrari’s racing legacy (page 32) before heading to London’s supercar capital to discover a new style of supercar shopping (68). Read his introduction to this issue (left) to find out more.

Editor Michelle Johnson michelle@tempusmagazine.co.uk Creative Director Ross Forbes ross@tempusmagazine.co.uk Wealth Editor Lysanne Currie

Lauren Hill This issue, food and travel writer Lauren meets Heston Blumenthal to find out his plans for the 25th anniversary of his ground-breaking Fat Duck restaurant – and reveals why he is ready to get back to basics (54).

Motoring Editor Rory FH Smith Sub-Editor Dominique Dinse COMMERCIAL TEAM Events & Partnerships Director Georgia Peck georgia@tempusmagazine.co.uk

Sam Bradley Travel expert Sam turns his pen to the Galapagos Islands, as he takes a cruise through Darwin’s laboratory to find out if this singular part of the world is still nature’s refuge (58).

Sales & Content Executive Freddy Clode freddy@tempusmagazine.co.uk VANTAGE MEDIA LIMITED Chairman Floyd Woodrow Managing Director Peter Malmstrom

Juliet Herd Australian-born Juliet is a London-based freelance writer and editor, specialising in fashion. She speaks exclusively to fashion entrepreneur Samantha Cameron about start-up success on page 90.

Operations Director Colin Clark colin@tempusmagazine.co.uk GET IN TOUCH Tempus Magazine Vantage Media Group 22 South Audley St London W1K 2NY +44 (0) 203 519 1005 info@tempusmagazine.co.uk tempusmagazine.co.uk @tempusmagazine @tempusmagazine

COVER IMAGE The Ferrari 250GTO/Comp64, driven by Luigi Taramazzo and Corrado Ferlaino, completes the Targa Florio in Sicily on 26 April 1964 Credit: The Klemantaski Collection (www.klemcoll.com) Article on page 32

Responsibly printed Printed by Park Communications, UK on Edixion Offset (FSC® certified paper) using vegetable inks and sustainable printing methods. www.parkcom.co.uk 7

CONTENTS

10 The luxe list This season’s top 10 must-haves 14 Driving heritage Classic car expert Simon Kidston on why vintage vehicles should be driven 16 High-octane style Emulate James Bond or Steve McQueen with our pick of fast fashion 22 21st-century toy How Czinger’s ‘rule-breaking’ debut hypercar is revolutionising manufacture 26 Electric skies Jet entrepreneur Gabriella Somerville on her eco-friendly new venture 28 The rise of Ferrari Tempus examines the history of Italy’s most iconic racing marque 34 Seas of Change Dutch superyacht makers Heesen on changing the world one custom design at a time 38 Prestige and power Find out how Rolls-Royce cars fair in the city and country alike in our exclusive photoshoot 48 Discreet defence Security specialists Valkyrie on protecting your supercars from theft 50 Driving force The prestige watch and high-spec automotive brands creating revved-up collaborations 54 Science of the senses After changing fine dining forever, we ask chef Heston Blumenthal: what next?

58 Darwin’s laboratory We get close to nature on a cruise through the Galapagos 64 Belles’ angel Classic racing doyenne Katarina Kyvalova celebrates women drivers 68 The supercar ateliers We head to HR Owen’s Mayfair boutiques for a shopping trip with a difference 74 London calling Discover how London became the world capital of fintech 78 Paradise found New investment is putting the ancient wonders of beautiful Belize on the map 84 A roaring restoration These European hotels are setting the decade’s most opulent design trends 90 Stylish ambition Samantha Cameron on her move from PM’s wife to fashion entrepreneur 94 Call to action Why luxury brands like LVMH are stepping up to help those in need 96 Staying the course Floyd Woodrow offers leadership tips for tough times

ISSUE 67

28 The rise of Ferrari

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© RM Sothebys

The LUXE LIST Our essential guide to the most exciting new launches and finest seasonal must-haves

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Triumph Bobber TFC (Triumph Factory Custom) Iconic British motorcycle brand Triumph has released its third limited-edition Triumph Factory Custom bike – the Bobber TFC. A unique, customdesigned Bonneville Bobber limited to just 750 worldwide, the Bobber TFC boasts higher power and torque – including 10 PS more peak power and 4 Nm more peak torque – than its predecessors plus three riding modes (road, rain and sport). Visually striking, it offers the purest Bobber silhouette, custom finish and detailing and all LED-lighting for enhanced visibility, lowered energy consumption, and stunning style. Now that’s what we call fast fashion. triumphmotorcycles.co.uk

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Gardens of Bel-Air Candle It may be some time before we find ourselves enjoying the Los Angeles sunshine at the iconic Hotel Bel-Air spa, but capturing the hotel’s indulgent signature scent is the next best thing.

Thanks to luxury home fragrance brand Antica Farmacista, which created the Gardens of Bel-Air candle for the hotel, we can do just that.

Allow the blend of orange blossoms, lemon, cassis, jasmine and lily of the valley to transport you to the California hills, and capture the scent of Hollywood glamour in your home. shop.dorchestercollection.com

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Breguet Classique Tourbillon Extra-Plat Automatique 5367 Breguet’s first men’s watch launch of 2020 saw its most famous classic style meet deep blue enamel for an elegant upgrade (left). The colour is achieved by traditional grand feu enamel technique – an artisanal method that few can master today – while beneath the minimalist dial lies Breguet’s 581 calibre, which distinguishes itself through its finesse and technical performance. Inside is Breguet’s thinnest tourbillon movement (no thicker than 3mm), allowing the case to measure just 7.45mm in depth. Time to get your hands on one.

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Google Arts & Culture If you’re feeling in cultural limbo during lockdown, this virtual solution may be the answer. Google’s Arts & Culture division has partnered with more than 500 global art museums and galleries to provide access to some of the world’s most important art collections. Take a virtual tour of the Louvre and Palace of Versailles in Paris, and New York’s MoMA – including exhibitions of artists such as Matisse and Picasso.

Virtually as good as being there…

breguet.com artsandculture.google.com

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Justerini & Brooks Established in 1749, Justerini & Brooks is London’s premier UK importer of fine wines, from Burgundy, Barolo and Germany, as well as some of the most celebrated properties in Bordeaux (including Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste, left), the Rhône, the Loire and Champagne. Best known for its renowned tastings in London’s St James’s and Golden Square, or Alva Street in Edinburgh, the brand is currently using its online service to deliver fine wines directly to your home.

While some châteaux and estates have closed during the current crisis, the company’s UK and France warehouses remain open to facilitate this. Justerini & Brooks has also curated a superb Easter selection to put a spring back in your step – visit the website for full details. justerinis.com

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Ferrari Roma Ferrari’s elegant new supercar Roma is a mid-front-engined 2+ coupé that combines the Prancing Horse’s classic style with fully modern performance and handling. A turbo-charged V8 engine reaches 620cv at 7500rpm, achieving 0-60mph in 3.4sec. Add to this plenty of customisable options, refined proportions and light weight, plus an indulgent design that is reminiscent of 1950s Italian style, and you have a supercar that will whisk you away to la dolce vita. Bellissimo! ferrari.com

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Caiger & Co Bespoke event caterer Caiger & Co is known for its personalised, innovative occasion menus for clients including Chanel and Condé Nast. Now the all-female team has created a contactless delivery food service to supply local fruit and vegetables, store cupboard essentials, freshly baked and more gourmet treats. For kitchen novices, home-cooked meals include comforting classics such as two-hour shin of beef, bone marrow and Guinness pie, fragrant Moroccan chicken tagine and – of course – an Easter Sunday lunch followed by handmade Easter eggs. Happy bunnies all round. caigerandcocatering.co.uk

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Escapist reads by Assouline Boutique luxury publisher Assouline says travel is a state of mind, and has curated a selection of inspiring and vibrant coffee table books to transport us to the some of the world’s most fascinating cultures and communities without leaving home. Escape to St Moritz (left), Uzbekistan, Zanzibar, St Tropez or the Athens Riviera with this stunning collection – complete with stunning photography, gastronomic inspiration, hidden gems and the statement design for which Assouline is known. Perfect for planning your future luxury escape. eu.assouline.com

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Samsung The Wall Luxury Earlier this year, Samsung introduced experiential concepts for its upcoming line of home electronics, including an even more impressive version of its luxury interactive behemoth, The Wall. This wonder of technology can be customtailored up to 92in to fully fit your interior space – its next iteration will size up to 292in (or 583in for commercial use) in 8K definition, leaving you to enjoy its groundbreaking micro LED, large-format modular display. With an expansion of QLED 8K SMART displays and more digital and AI integration to create a personalised user experience, The Wall also becomes a digital canvas suited to your interior design when not in use – quite literally, a work of electronic art. samsung.com

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Monkey Island Set across seven glorious acres near the village of Bray in Berkshire, this exclusive Georgian estate has, for more than 800 years, been the favourite of monarchs, aristocrats and artists. The hotel’s current grandeur is thanks to the third Duke of Marlborough, who bought the land 1773 as an angling retreat. A perfect latesummer retreat for the whole family (the dogs can come, too), follow in the footsteps of famous guests such as Edward VII and writer HG Wells as you relax in the hotel’s sprawling acres, award-winning design, ingenious floating spa and modern British cuisine before a tipple in the hidden whisky snug. Keen to explore? Heston Blumenthal’s famed Fat Duck restaurant is a stone’s throw from here, if you feel like adding a culinary adventure. Scheduled to reopen in May. monkeyislandestate.co.uk

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DRIVING

CARS THAT AREN’T DRIVEN ARE A BIT REDUNDANT.

heritage

THEY LACK DEPTH. THEY HAVEN’T PROVEN THEMSELVES

Limited-edition supercars won’t last the test of time, writes Simon Kidston, founder of the world’s leading rare car consultancy, Kidston SA. Instead, the future of collectibles will be found in classic craftsmanship

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ars were built to be driven. Cars that aren’t, I always think, are rather like athletes who endlessly train but never compete. They are a bit redundant. They lack depth. They have not proven themselves. The only way you’ll really get to know your car is to take a long, challenging trip. Things will go wrong – you’ll break down or overheat – and you’ll have much more fun with an old car full of quirks and foibles; not to mention the sense of achievement when you reach your destination. Yet, plenty of people don’t drive their cars very often, especially newer collectors who agonise about increased mileage or wear and tear, and I think that’s rather sad. The fact is, cars can be restored.

I regularly compere Italy’s Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este as Master of Ceremonies where, a number of years ago, Aston Martin’s then-chairman Ulrich Bez was launching his 200mph ‘One-77’ supercar. I asked him the inevitable question: how relevant is a car like this in today’s world, where you can’t drive more than 70mph in most places? He pointed out that 100 years ago many of us travelled by horse. Today, the most valuable thoroughbreds are bought and sold at figures our ancestors could never have imagined, despite holding no true rational or useful purpose. In his opinion, this is the future of great collectors’ cars.

There’s an element of truth in that, but only when a car is created with authenticity of purpose and has star quality from the outset. A supercar won’t become a collectible just because it’s a limited edition. The truth is that anything designed specifically as a collectors’ item rarely becomes one. That status must be earned through merit: it’s no coincidence that the most prized classic cars are those that have taken part in – and often won – the most prestigious races, such as the Le Mans 24 Hours. Such cars have prestige, history and a human backstory.

There’s not much in today’s era that I think is likely to have real long-term collecting value, for a variety of reasons. The industry is struggling with environmental concerns, design creativity is stifled, while changes in

legislation mean manufacturers have to build models in huge numbers to pay off development costs. Yet, luxury marques have wised up to the fact that old cars can be good business. We see limited-edition models priced at speculative levels, with the unspoken message that they will be a good investment. ‘Chosen’ buyers are locked into a period where they cannot sell the car – and when the period ends and everyone is trying to sell on at the same time, the value plummets. It’s a modern version of The Emperor’s New Clothes; it’s short-term business, but there’s no long-term intrinsic value in the cars.

Instead, I believe that in our increasingly globalised world it’s important to stand up for skilled craftsmanship. I curate the motoring exhibition at Homo Faber, Venice [10 Sept–11 Oct 2020] – a culture and design celebration that showcases artisanal and manmade crafts. The quality and human value on display here is obvious: just as a Picasso will always be a Picasso, a Bugatti will always be a Bugatti.

The future of classic cars relies on different countries supporting the right to use them and the skills to maintain them. It’s easy to argue that old cars emit more pollution, but buying something of quality and cherishing it for a long period is much less wasteful than replacing a modern car every couple of years. Classic cars are rarely used as a substitute for modern transport; instead, people who own historic vehicles are helping to save our collective heritage. Certainly, for the bulk of the 20th century, the motor car was the single most important cultural and technological development, shaping how we live, work and connect.

At Kidston SA, we spend a lot of time supervising the careful restoration of classic cars for our clients and, quite simply, these beautiful machines didn’t exist in a vacuum. They were hand-crafted, commissioned, raced and driven by skilled men and women, and every car has its own unique human story.

And that is something worth preserving. kidston.com

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COLUMN

© Simon Kidston

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HIGH-OCTANE STYLE From nailing your country weekend look to unleashing your inner Steve McQueen, here’s how to drive your fashion forward

Words: Georgia Peck

Matthew Field wears suit by Mason & Sons and Curry & Paxton sunglasses 16

STYLE

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THE GENTLEMAN DRIVER Think classic James Bond, or Sir Michael Caine’s enviable wardrobe in The Italian Job (right). The gentleman driver is always dressed impeccably in a perfectly-tailored Savile Row suit accessorised with sharp shades and, most importantly, always oozes class.

Recommended mode of transport: Behind the wheel of an Aston Martin DB5, Jensen FF or the back of a Bentley Mulsanne.

1. SUNGLASSES: Curry & Paxton Dark Tortoiseshell Yvan Sunglasses, curryandpaxton.com 2. SUIT: Mason & Sons Mid-grey sharkskin button-3 Conduit Cut suit, masonandsons.com 3. SHIRT: Turnbull & Asser the Dr No white cotton shirt as seen on James Bond, turnbullandasser.co.uk

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STYLE THE NO-WINDSHIELD ENTHUSIAST The goal here is Steve McQueen (right). Perhaps the greatest automotive style icon to have ever lived, the Bullitt and Le Mans actor was rightly known as the King of Cool. Go for a mix of heritage and sportswear to complete this look.

Recommended mode of transport: vintage Amilcar, Bugatti Type 27, Mercedes 300SL, Porsche 356 Speedster, Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa.

1. SUNGLASSES: Persol Original 714 Series (as seen on Steve McQueen), persol.com 2. JACKET: Private White VC the Suede Bomber in navy, privatewhitevc.com 3. JUMPER: Sunspel Men’s Fine Merino Wool Roll Neck Jumper In Dark Petrol, sunspel.com 4. SHOES: Sanders & Sanders Polo Snuff Suede Hi Top, sanders-uk.com 1.

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THE COUNTRY WEEKENDER A look that says you’ve escaped the city for greener pastures, a weekend romp putting your 4x4 through its paces in the fields, before whiling away Sunday afternoon at the local pub.

Recommended mode of transport: A Series Land Rover, Holland & Holland Range Rover, Bentley Bentayga, Rolls-Royce Cullinan.

1. JACKET: Purdey Men’s Cashmere Tweed Jacket, purdey.com 2. CARDIGAN: Cordings Navy Fine Merino Reversible Cardigan, cordings.co.uk 3. BOOT BOX: Englana the Rupert – Heritage Collection, englana.com 4. CAP: Lock & Co Hatters Sandwich Tweed Cap, lockhatters.co.uk

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21ST-CENTURY TOY Why the world’s luxury car industry is going wild for Czinger’s ‘rule-breaking, record-hunting’ debut hypercar Words: Michelle Johnson

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his year has seen the biggest luxury events of the season suffer an enormous blow, as annual fairs – such as the Geneva International Motor Show and neighbouring Baselworld Watch and Jewellery Show – cancel en masse in an attempt to help curtail the spread of the pandemic COVID-19 virus.

Among the many illustrious marques set to make an entrance at the famed Geneva car show was Czinger, a new US performance car manufacturer intending to debut its first hypercar, the Czinger 21C – which experts claim is ready to go head-tohead with the Aston Martin Valkyrie.

Many marques may have delayed their debut in the wake of these changes but, instead, technology-driven brand Czinger saw an opportunity to create a more intimate global launch. CEO, founder and lead inventor Kevin Czinger and his team created an exclusive media event in London to showcase two of the first hypercars created using the brand’s ground-breaking proprietary technology, followed by a second sales-focused event at the Royal

Automobile Club in Pall Mall. After all, with a product as dramatic as the Czinger 21C, the show must go on.

And these cars are pure, modern theatre.

Made in a limited run of just 80 cars and priced at $1.7m (£1.4m) a piece, the 21C is powered by a twin-turbo 2.88 litre flatcrank V8 engine – developed in house, of course – which revs to 11,000rpm and outputs 950hp, making it the world’s most power dense production engine. The front wheels are supplemented by two electric motors, bringing total output of 1,250hp.

In terms of sheer speed, the Czinger 21C boasts rapid acceleration of 0-62 mph in 1.9 seconds, 0-186 mph in 15 seconds, and 0-248 mph in just 29 seconds.

Kevin Czinger created his eponymous company along with Divergent Technologies, which was behind the Divergent Blade supercar in 2015. Czinger Vehicles, a wholly owned subsidiary of Divergent Technologies, utilises a revolutionary manufacturing system, pushing forward 3D printing technology (the Czinger 21C is the first production vehicle to utilise »

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DESIGN

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Rule-breaker: The manufacture of the 21C is a “paradigm shift” in the way vehicles are made

additive manufacturing in this way and volume), was developed under the direction of former Koenigsegg technical director Jon Gunner, Czinger’s chief technical officer, with the goal of marrying class-dominating performance with standout design.

Czinger describes the manufacture of the brand’s first hypercar as a “paradigm shift in the way vehicles are designed, developed, engineered and manufactured”, and it’s easy to see why.

The 21C was designed and manufactured entirely in-house, using innovative – and proprietary – 3D printing and automation, which allows for dramatic flexibility and reduction in build times. The car’s mindblowing propulsion system was also developed and engineered in the brand’s Los Angeles base, where each model will be hand-finished and hand-assembled, taking over 3,000 manhours to create, depending on final specification. The 21C is also stunningly attractive, featuring an aerodynamic alloy and carbon fibre chassis, and jetfighter-style layout – where driver and passenger are seated in the middle of the car – as well as a fullwidth LED light strip across the rear.

“Czinger Vehicles will remain the cutting-edge expression of this technology,” the founder said during the media event. “With our existing resources, I can build a diverse variety of vehicles that are completely off the hook.”

Excitingly, the 21C is just the first in a series of planned exclusive vehicles: Czinger says he aims to push forward the brand’s cutting-edge technologies and unique design elements to “explore the limits of creativity and performance”.

And with the Czinger 21C, all that’s left is to put the car’s extraordinary road performance to test – and to find out what this technologically astute, dramatically creative marque comes up with next. czinger.com

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ELECTRIC SKIES Gabriella Somerville, founder of ConnectJets, has been an aviation pioneer for two decades. She’s now using her expertise to advance environmentally friendly air travel Words: Lysanne Currie

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ith an uncle who was squadron leader in the Red Arrows and a father who took her to air shows from the age of two, Gabriella Somerville surely has jet fuel in her blood. Unsurprisingly, she’s seen her career soar over the last three decades, from a cabin role with British Airways to promotions and events manager at Virgin, before changing flight lanes into private jet charters and sales.

A protégé of Sir Richard Branson, Somerville learnt first-hand the Herculean effort and tenacity required to make an aviation start-up work. “You have to keep innovating until you get the right formula,” she said, noting that people thought she was “quite mad” when she founded ConnectJets in 2009, with her own capital, during one of the worst times in aviation history. “But it presented opportunities. We were there to solve problems that had come about because of the economic downturn. With marketing budgets retracting and customers selling off their aircraft, I’d go in and offer solutions. Two years later, we’d turned over £4m with zero debt.”

In 2015, she won an honorary global exemplary award for entrepreneurship from the EU Women Inventors & Innovators Network for her achievements in an industry crying out for more gender parity (worldwide, fewer than 5% of pilots are female). And now she’s launched a new business, ConnectSkies, which connects people looking for sustainable aircraft.

It was when Somerville was unexpectedly laid up for a few weeks last summer that she devised her plan for electric flights. In and out of hospital for four operations, she realised the potential of sustainable transport in aviation. “You have a lot of thinking time. Everything slows down. And that’s when ConnectSkies and the idea of the airline came.”

Somerville is talking about environmentally conscious aircraft – electric planes. “People are sort of scared about just being held in the air by

High flier: ConnectSkies founder Gabriella Somerville and her electric air travel (right) electricity,” she says. “But the great thing is that it’s actually a lot safer because you haven’t got fuel. They will be much safer than any helicopter.

And the sustainable aviation market is going to be huge: £3.5bn in the first couple of years.”

A completely separate venture to ConnectJets, her new business is focused on customers’ growing hunger for eco-friendly travel. “The environmental agenda has certainly highlighted a cause onto a red level,” she says. “People have woken up from a bad hangover, and are feeling a bit more conscious about flying.” However, as she says, “aviation has to continue, you cannot cut it out because you’ll stop advancements in tech, medicine and science”. So rather than just reacting, “the aviation industry must now create a roadmap. A new message to preach our congregation and say, ‘Look, we understand, we’ve taken it all on board, but let us tell you a little bit about what the industry has done, what it is doing, and what it is going to do.’

“If you choose the right aircraft type, the right routes, and if you market the price correctly, there’s a great opportunity there,” she says. “It’s like starting a religion in one sense: you’ve got to create believers and that’s got to be done at least three years before we take [the planes] to market.”

She’s already had interest from Vertical Aerospace, the British aerospace manufacturer based in Bristol, that designs and builds vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) electrically powered aircraft. “They know this is a slightly odd-looking aircraft, and a slightly odd concept for them to get their head around [but] I think they’re quite happy that we could really educate the market.”

Somerville wants to advise the big multinationals, “because they’re now thinking about their next schedule for business aviation, and where they’re building their next airport.

Post-Brexit, if we really want the UK to be prosperous, then this has to be the thing that we’re looking at. The fact that these aircraft can 26

go into really small areas (rooftops, carparks) is creating a much more viable business model for transportation that I’ve ever seen before. Also, Britain may actually be the biggest supplier of sustainable aircraft jet fuel, so that’s another postBrexit industry worth considering.”

To realise these dreams, the industry needs to be lobbying Parliament, she says, and applying pressure to them. “I’ve written to the government about it. Ultimately the aeronautic industry needs to come together as one voice. The problem is, we’re a little bit fragmented; there’s such a competitive spirit within our industry that we’ve not really got a united front in one sense. We all think we’re going to nick one another’s flights – but we’ve all got to work together.”

Somerville also hopes today’s problems may also present future opportunities: “On the back of the COVID-19 evacuation operation there’s a big opportunity right now for aircraft,” she says.

“Thomas Cook and Flybe have gone under, and there’s an opportunity to create a really niche airline based on the private charter commercial model such as Titan Jets.”

For ConnectSkies she wants to create an open source forum, “a place where people can understand the evolution; where do the planes get their sustainable fuel from, who does the test flights… so by the time it comes to market, everyone will have enough knowledge to absolutely accept it’s safe”.

Somerville is currently looking at companies that have a multi-disciplined team of people from different industries and sectors to make a viable product. “I’ve seen a lot of people with a pipe dream. I’m looking at credible companies with the financial backing, who have the business acumen,” she says.

“In the next year I would really like to be a voice for the aviation industry.” connectskies.com

WEALTH

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THE RISE OF FERRARI This Italian marque has dominated the automotive world both on and off the track since 1947. Tempus takes a look behind the legend Words: Rory FH Smith

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built up a legendary status in the motoring world, with the vast majority of its racing cars and road-going products commanding eyewatering figures on the auction block. Only a handful of brands come remotely close to Ferrari’s cultural dominance, with its devoted following leading many a car enthusiast to wonder whether Ferrari’s success is based on a carefully crafted marketing myth or the manufacture of true motoring masterpieces.

Part of the answer can be found 100 years ago, when a young, enthusiastic 22-year-old signed a racing driver’s contract with Alfa Romeo. His name was Enzo Ferrari, and he made his sporting debut for the marque in Sicily’s notoriously challenging Targa Florio road race. Coming first in his category and second overall, Ferrari’s debut had been a resounding success. Despite earning 12,000 lire in prize money, the young driver said: “For me, the key thing was that my inclusion on the Alfa Romeo team became official that day”. From there, more success followed and from April 1924 to May 1928, Ferrari won every race he took part in. Over the next 20 years, he worked his way up the ranks at Alfa Romeo from test driver to driver, commercial partner, and finally director of the Alfa-Corse department. »

hen the hammer fell on lot #247 at the prestigious Monterey Classic Car Auction in California on Saturday 25 August 2018, motoring history was made. Few car collectors would have believed it was possible, but a highly prized 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO, designed by coachbuilder Carrozzeria Scaglietti, had just officially become the most expensive car ever sold at auction.

Fetching a total of $48,405,000 (£41,462,270), the gleaming red monument to 1960s design excellence and motorsport prestige rolled off the auction block and into its rarified place in the record books – beating the previous record by a cool $10,290,000. The majesty surrounding the Maranello-based car empire had reached a new peak. The cult of Ferrari was in rude health.

Backtrack to 1947, in the sleepy town of Maranello. With the memory of World War II still fresh in people’s minds, Italy is recovering and repairing the damage done by five long years of death, destruction and conflict. Out of nowhere, a deep red coloured car with smooth, flowing bodywork, bearing a yellow badge adorned with a black prancing horse rolls through the factory gates on Via Abetone Inferiore. Ferrari is born.

From that moment, the Italian marque has

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Racing red: Ferrari 250 GTO ©Thomas Howarth/ Horsepower Hunters

Clockwise from above: Enzo Ferrari with his engineers; the Ferrari 250 GTO; the marque’s founder was known as ‘il Commendatore’; racing in his early years. ©Ferrari RACING DREAM Ferrari’s experience with the Alfa-Corse team clearly stood him in good stead for the rest of his career. Just a few years after he’d first established his eponymous company in 1947, the marque celebrated the first of a string of victories that would eventually result in its racing arm, Scuderia Ferrari, becoming the most successful team in Formula 1 history.

In the daredevil world of endurance racing, Ferrari won its first Mille Miglia in 1948 and its first Le Mans 24 Hours in 1949. In Formula 1, it claimed its first World Championship Grand Prix in 1951 and, by 1952, had won the World title with Alberto Ascari, a feat repeated the following year. At the same time, the company formed a relationship with coachbuilder Carrozzeria Scaglietti to form the bodywork of both its racing and production cars.

Located across the road from Ferrari’s garage, the coachbuilding company went on to shape the 1958 250 Testa Rossa, the 250 California Spyder, 250 Tour de France and the legendary 250 GTO, all of which have since become some of the most coveted Ferraris in existence. The result of this heady mix of motorsport success and road car renaissance was a threefold increase in sales between 1950 and 1960. Ferrari looked unstoppable.

But all good things must come to an end and so they did – with abrupt force – on 14 August 1988. At the grand age of 90, Enzo Ferrari died in Maranello, the same place he’d founded his company 41 years before. Just weeks after his death, the Italian Grand Prix went ahead as planned at Monza and, despite the tragic circumstances and perhaps determined to honour their founder’s legacy, the Ferrari team claimed both first and second place. It was the only race McLaren failed to win that season. » 30

SPEED

FROM APRIL 1924 TO MAY 1928, ENZO

FERRARI WON EVERY RACE HE TOOK PART IN

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SPEED

Victory: Driving the Ferrari F2004, Formula 1 champion Michael Schumacher is cheered across the finish line. © LAT Photographic THE CAR’S THE STAR That same year, fellow Italian car giant Fiat increased its 10% in the company to 90%, leaving the remaining shares in the hands of Ferrari’s son, Piero. Despite the shift in control and death of its founder, the 1980s and 90s gave way to some of the most consistently brutal road cars to bear the prancing horse badge. Starting with the 288 GTO in 1984, the iconic F40 followed in 1987 – the last car Enzo Ferrari would see launched.

The mid-90s saw the F50 supersede the F40 until the radical Enzo – named in tribute to the late company founder – reset the benchmark for hypercars in 2002.

For the vast majority of Ferrari fans, however, the 2000s were eclipsed by one man – Michael Schumacher. Between 2000 and 2008, the marque won a total of 13 Formula 1 world titles, with Schumacher taking five drivers’ titles in the same period. Like Mercedes’s dominance today, the ‘Rosso Corsa’ shade of red was inescapable on the world motor racing circuit during the first decade of the new millennium. On the back of such success, the marque capitalised commercially, expanding its empire of Ferrari stores selling merchandise and branded products.

Today, Ferrari is a very different beast to the one reared by that young racing driver from Modena.

It is remarkable that the rise of a small garage making racing cars in the wake of the Second World War to the most recognised carmaker on the planet can be so firmly attributed to one man: Enzo Ferrari. Widely known as ‘il Commendatore,’ the motoring mogul’s unwavering commitment to racing undoubtedly resulted in its unparalleled motorsport success. “[It] is a great mania to which one must sacrifice everything, without reticence, without hesitation,” he once said of the sport.

Of course, commitment and good results aren’t always enough on their own. Ferrari was also a natural-born salesman, with a penchant for style, like any self-respecting Italian.

“If you like this car, we’ll make it. If you don’t, we won’t,” he would utter to prospective customers, presumably with his trademark sunglasses shielding his eyes. To this point only, perhaps there is some truth in Ferrari being labelled a marketing myth. But take into account the unparalleled motorsport success, the beauty of its long lineage and the frenzy that follows any new product launch, and the Maranello marque is every bit the motoring masterpiece it appears to be.

As far as businesses go, Ferrari is a fairy tale come true in the automotive world. In the words of its charismatic founder: “If you can dream it, you can do it.” ferrari.com 33

34

DESIGN

Tempus discovers how maverick boatbuilder Heesen is revolutionising the industry one superyacht at a time

Words: Michelle Johnson

D

utch boatbuilder Heesen is a rare find in the world of superyachts. The Oss-based shipyard was founded by entrepreneur Frans Heesen in 1978, and soon built a reputation for creating fast aluminium Striker boats and yachts. But it was with the launch of 38m Octopussy in 1988 that it made its worldwide breakthrough. Capable of up to 50 knots, Octopussy was, at the time, the fastest yacht in the world, setting the bar for all the brand’s future endeavours.

Today, led by CEO Arthur Brouwer, Heesen’s craftsmen push the limit of speed, size and efficiency. The brand’s multi-award-winning 2017 superyacht Home introduced the world to its Fast Displacement Hull with hybrid propulsion system – diesel and electric – that allowed the yacht to cruise in ‘silent mode’ thanks to its eco-friendly electric engine; a sistership, Electra (left), will push the boundaries of this technology in 2020. Heesen’s 55m sports fishing superyacht Vida created the technology to house and fuel multiple smaller vessels, extending the time its owner might remain at sea. At 80m with a top speed of 30 knots, Cosmos will be the world’s largest, fastest full-aluminium yacht, and has required the development of a new structural patent – ‘The Backbone’ – to complete.

Though technological innovation is at the heart of the brand’s operations, Brouwer says that it’s only possible thanks to Heesen’s ethos of client collaboration. With full-custom superyachts a core part of its business strategy, there is no limit to what buyers can request of the superyacht brand – and often, he says, this is the driving inspiration behind their revolutionary technology. Here, Brouwer and Mark Cavendish, head of sales and marketing, tell Tempus how Heesen is making waves in an industry that, they say, is more used to ripples. »

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Heesen is known for creating specialist yachts for its clients. How does this approach affect the brand?

Arthur Brouwer: Our business model is split into three pillars: full-custom superyachts, platform-based superyachts (yachts built using existing hull forms and engineering platforms) and speculation building. Our approach has always been to create innovative yachts with exceptional standards of engineering and meticulous attention to detail, that capture the dreams of the owner.

A great example is the 80m Project Cosmos, which is the largest, fastest full-aluminium yacht in the world. Our brief was for speed and size, coupled with muscular sportiness and an elegant aesthetic. That combination required us to devise new methods of bringing longitudinal strength into the design without adding extra weight to the overall structure.

We are specialists in large aluminium yachts, and so ended up developing a brand new patent, ‘The Backbone’ technology, which is reminiscent of the I-girder.

How would you describe your clientele and how important is their collaboration to your success?

Mark Cavendish: Our clients are international and sophisticated, with a passion for innovation, design and quality, and collaboration is at the heart of what we do. We have to work to find our clients – we work with brokers around the world and do around five boat shows every year – and most of our buyers have already owned a yacht before.

We build our customers’ heart’s desire from scratch and then add to that all the new technology and innovations that we have. On a technical level, a client’s input is essential for us to fully understand what they want in terms of size, technology and design, but success for us goes beyond building the perfect yacht; it’s about exceeding the client’s expectations.

For example, we created Vida for a champion sport fisherman and experienced American yachtsman. He worked closely with our technical team to enthrone her as mothership to his sport fishing fleet, designed to get as much time at sea as possible and with the ability to refuel and recharge two sport fishing boats, allowing the party to remain for several days out at sea without the need to return to base.

What are the most innovative yachts you’ve created in recent years?

MC: Recently, that’s definitely been Home, her new sister ship Project Electra, and Project Cosmos. Home was the world’s first hybrid propulsion yacht with a Fast Displacement Hull Form. She won a multitude of awards for her innovative propulsion system – including the prestigious golden Neptune at the BOAT International design and innovation awards for best technological innovation, and the RINA green award. She is made of lightweight aluminium and can use diesel or electric propulsion, enabling silent cruising at a speed

of up to 9 knots. In silent mode, she produces only 46 decibels, which is the equivalent sound level of softly falling rain.

Her sister ship Project Electra harnesses the same hybrid technology. Her diesel and electric engines, and innovative hull design make her cleaner, quieter and up to 20% more fuel efficient than her peers. Project Electra is currently undergoing sea-trials in the North Sea and due to set sail in April 2020.

Project Cosmos will be the shipyard’s largest yacht built to date and the fastest in her class, marking a succession of new technological firsts for Heesen (including incorporating our ‘Backbone’ technology) and the next evolution of the Heesen breed.

What is the collaboration process like for bespoke builds?

AB: I wish I could describe the process, but every Heesen build is different. When it comes to full-custom build, many owners spend quite a bit of time in the shipyard with all our engineers and experts on site. As for the creative side, there’s a truly magic moment when our designers are sitting with the owners to work on the first stages of design and, gradually through the process, the owners start feeling confident enough to say, ‘What happens if we do this?’

MC: It’s important to note that the superyacht industry is a highly customised, individual world. Believe it or not, we’ve also had some owners who have bought and built a yacht with us without ever having visited the shipyard during construction. They rely on their representatives, designers, project managers.

One chap I know, the first time he saw his yacht was when it arrived in Turkey. That’s admittedly quite unusual.

You work with very high-end design brands as well. How do you build these relationships?

MC: We only work with the absolute top designers in the world, so the owners are guaranteed to get the best of the best. If we’re working on a full-custom yacht, like Cosmos, we can help the owner to create his vision but we would never dictate which brands he can work with. Many owners have a very clear view of what they like, and so normally we’ll invite several designers from the interior and exterior world to present to the owner.

AB: What’s great is how that can lead to an idea or design that is something completely different than we might expect. For instance, Home is a really good example where the interior design was very much driven by the owner: he wanted a very monochrome, white interior to emphasise the view of the Bahamas (where he lives, lucky chap) outside of the floorto-ceiling windows. Home featured something like 15 shades of white in all different textures.

Tell us about your speculation boats?

AB: Speculation boats are superyachts that we build at our own risk, so we can bring them into production in six to 12 months, without anywhere near the normal waiting time of a 36

bespoke build. These boats cater to the cashrich and time-constrained people who want a yacht now, which is pretty unique.

MC: There’s also the middle ground, where speculation boats can become the basis for our platform-based superyacht offering – the hull and technology are ready, but owners can fully customise the interior, or adapt their designs to something that’s already built in the market. It removes a huge element of risk and unreliability, which appeals to our clients.

What are the most important elements of boatbuilding for you?

AB: Speed is obviously very important to us, along with improving hull efficiency – that’s the heart of a superyacht. When we developed the fast displacement hull, which is 30% more efficient than any other, that was really a quantum leap in terms of yacht industry innovation. As an industry, we tend to make incremental changes, but 30% more efficiency means 30% less power or fuel consumption.

This enabled us to build Home in 2017, which started out as a speculative boat; we decided to take the risk ourselves before we had a customer lined up, because we believed so much in the concept.

What are the big trends that we should expect to see in the yachting industry?

AB: Explorer yachts, big time. We have a highend explorer yacht concept – Xventure – in the making, which we are building in collaboration with Winch Design and have presented in America. It will be very interesting to create this new breed of superyacht.

MC: I don’t think you’ll see these explorer yachts flying off the shelves tomorrow, but in five years I predict that this sector will be booming. Younger people, who are the children of today’s billionaires, they love the idea of going off the beaten track. They are interested in the sporting side of yachting, and how yachts can be more environmentally friendly – these aspects are going to be very important. This generation will push through a lot of changes.

What’s next for Heesen?

AB: Heesen started the new year with an exciting programme of 13 yachts currently under construction, and deliveries that span through to 2023 – including four new yachts in the 50-55m range. Our current order book includes both ‘fast deliveries’ as well as fullcustom one-off projects that really give Heesen the opportunity to take on new challenges.

Project Electra will launch in April, and then in June the hull and superstructure of Cosmos will finally be joined together in Oss, which will be a real milestone for Heesen. We expect the years to come to be busier than ever, with new and exclusive projects like Project Sparta and Project Falcon, challenging propulsion systems with the four waterjets of Project SkyFall, and venturing into the world of explorer yachts with Xventure. heesenyachts.com

DESIGN

THE SUPERYACHT INDUSTRY IS A

HIGHLY CUSTOMISED, INDIVIDUAL WORLD

- Mark Cavendish

Changing tides: Arthur Brouwer and Mark Cavendish (below) Clockwise from far left: Electra, Project Cosmos, Vida and Home

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PRESTIGE Words: Peter Malmstrom and Georgia Peck

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POWER

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R

olls-Royce has maintained a ceaseless elegance and spirit of patriotism since 1904. But with luxury vehicles now expected to complement our lifestyles, can the marque’s modern models live up to its rarefied reputation? In this exclusive feature,

Tempus test drives two models in the English countryside and Parisian streets to find out.

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SPEED

DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH Tempus first became acquainted with the Rolls-Royce Cullinan when the brand launched the luxury SUV in 2018, and then again when its release – and impressive power – was celebrated in the ski resort of St Moritz last year.

Judging from the experience and the glowing reports on the car, from its meticulous design features down to the name (taken from the name of the world’s largest and most beautiful diamond), the car showed excellent promise on the road. But how would it fare in the English countryside, long the preserve of the legendary Range Rover, against a group of new luxury contenders keen to show their form?

In my view, the styling of the Cullinan loses its relevance in the urban environment, which has led to some unkind remarks about the angular lines and higher roof lines of this model, all necessary features of a capable luxury SUV. The car weighs 2,660kg and is deceptively long at 5.3m. However, what the Cullinan lacks in outright beauty it more than makes up for in quality and comfort.

With a slightly higher eyeline, the driving position makes the vehicle easy to drive, while

Previous page and far left: © Andrew Green Left and above: © Louis Beausoleil

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the bulk falls away thanks to power steering and effortless acceleration. This thanks to the massive 6.75-ltr V12 twin-turbo engine.

The Black Badge edition, which starts at £254,000 (sans taxes or extra options), is particularly stylish. Finished in Dark Emerald exterior, this high-spec SUV (priced at £301,750) is aimed at a slightly younger target audience, they say. It is adorned with black detailing inside and out – including a rather sinister version of the Spirit of Ecstasy on the bonnet, and typically massive radiator grill – exuding the finest quality finish.

The performance is equally breathtaking: at 0-60 mph in 4.9sec and a top speed of 155mph, it is noticeably quicker than the Cullinan’s already impressive base model, and with over 600bhp, the impression it gives it one of limitless power. The power reserve (in this model replacing the rev counter), shows how little the engine is working to deliver these levels of performance – a nice feature that brings back pleasant memories of Rolls-Royce cars I’ve driven over the years. In fact, the only noticeable difference with this model is the exhaust note, which, unlike the trademark silence of other Rolls-Royce motors, comes alive under hard acceleration to give a hint of the underlying tuning and performance. »

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SPEED

LIKE HAVING A ROYAL JOIN THE SHOOTING PARTY,

THE CULLINAN IS HUGELY IMPRESSIVE BUT WONDERFULLY UNDERSTATED

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Top right and below: © Andrew Green Top left and far left: © Louis Beausoleil Taking the Cullinan out on the open road is a joyous experience. Without doubt a performance vehicle, the drive becomes a whole different world of enjoyment as I head off-road for a game shoot towards the end of an excellent shooting season. Driving the Cullinan off road is, quite frankly, spectacular.

The first thing that strikes me is the lack of suspension settings: the car does all the thinking for you. Upon pushing the very tempting button marked “off road”, the onboard computers assess the terrain, allowing me to glide effortlessly across stubbled fields and muddy tracks as if transported on a magic carpet. One equally spectacular safety feature, which goes hand in hand with the car’s powerful and highly effective headlights, are the forward-facing infrared cameras working with the onboard computers.

The net result is a car actively looking for potential hazards ahead of you. Few hazards are as destructive and dangerous as a deer strike at speed and, indeed, one evening the car’s Head Up display lit up with a deer warning symbol, allowing me to brake safely to see one such animal looming in the darkness seconds before the powerful headlights picked it out – showing RollsRoyce has clearly equipped the Cullinan for safe country driving both night and day – impressive.

Stopping for some light refreshment and viewing the Cullinan covered in mud and in its element, the styling comes alive. Boot space is slightly compromised by the luxurious Darby seats fitted to the boot floor, but these cool, electrically operated seats are one of many optional design extras – along with gun boxes, glassware, china cases and virtually anything else one can imagine – making the Cullinan wonderfully versatile and capable of being customised to the full outdoor sporting calendar. Our car features a panorama glass sunroof, rear theatre configuration, picnic tables and viewing suite.

Any thought of it not fitting in among the more familiar off-road luxury SUVs just melts away as the styling, size and sheer presence of the Cullinan sets it apart from the crowd. Like having a royal join the shooting party, it’s hugely impressive but wonderfully understated.

The Cullinan, in my opinion, is of one of the finest all rounders in the world. It might seem a little ungainly on the streets of Mayfair at times, especially when compared to its sleeker Rolls-Royce brethren, but in the countryside everything about it looks and feels exactly right.

With mud up the sides and gun dogs in the boot, the Cullinan is undoubtably a cut above the rest for the ultimate countryside experience. »

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SPEED A NEW DAWN A Rolls-Royce motor car evokes a sense of serenity and luxury unlike any other car manufacturer. To drive or to be driven in a RollsRoyce is an experience to savour – even on your umpteenth drive the unique emotion a car instils in you ceases to fade. The brand has spent 110 years perfecting what can only be described at pure automotive opera, the epitome of expertly crafted escapism and exquisite sophistication for the senses.

Attending Salon Rétromobile in February, I needed a car that would easily skim the 600-odd miles from London to Paris and back, provide ample boot space for our many Parisian-inspired fashion ensembles, keep us comfortable, safe and entertained for many hours behind the wheel and, crucially, also one that truly looked the part among a show of some of the world’s very finest automobiles, in some of the most chic arrondissements.

The Rolls-Royce Dawn ticked all of the boxes, so it came as a great delight when an iridescent Ice Blue beauty arrived outside Tempus’s Mayfair office, holding its own against the daily supercar and luxury four-wheeled barge beauty contest that takes place among the surrounding streets.

I had an immediate feeling of pride as I stood back and admired her fully, keys in hand.

The convertible Dawn doesn’t just flirt with the eye; under the hand-beaten bonnet lies a 6.6ltr V12 twin-turbo engine, which impressively propels this stunning but weighty creature (2,500kg) from 0-60mph in merely 4.8 seconds, though having spent time laughing at the mammoth torque, I’d wager this is a very conservative figure.

The car can be set-up for a two- or fourpassenger driving experience with the optional aero cowling that can be added as part of your specification with the bespoke team or purchased separately. The aero cowling is made of a light, stylish combo of carbon fibre, aluminium and leather, and is easy to install or remove. As someone with long locks, it provided complete comfort during our joyous top-down driving – rather than the usual hair-whipping-inface driving experience – thanks to the cleverly channelled airflow that also protected my backseat passengers from the wind.

If you prefer the peace and tranquillity of an enclosed cabin, it takes 22 seconds for the soft top to close, creating an almost galactic vacuum environment. The prospect of road or engine noise is quickly forgotten allowing your passengers to appreciate every note on Classic FM or your Old-School Hip-Hop playlist (depending on one’s mood) amplified on the finest Rolls-Royce Bespoke Audio sound system.

Either mood suits this youthful car perfectly; the Dawn has real street presence, equally suiting classical and cool. It’s effortless, elegant and timeless design feels without a class restriction in style and environment, too.

The convertible experience is especially invigorating driving through the lights and life of Paris. The various modes of the Dawn – including Driver Assistance and Active Cruise Control – provide utmost creature comforts, with heated seats ready to disguise the » 45

This page and previous : © Nino Hamet

DRIVING THROUGH THE LIGHTS AND LIFE OF PARIS, THE

CONVERTIBLE EXPERIENCE

IS INVIGORATING external chill, glare-free TV to entertain as you ride through the Channel Tunnel, and cup holders to keep your café safe while the selfadjusting suspension ensures you don’t spill a drop. It’s smooth enough to write a postcard back home – or even apply your mascara.

The automatic headlight adjustment, with grille-mounted infrared night vision camera detects potential hazards up to 300m ahead, with a Head Up sat-nav display on the windscreen showing current speed, directions, speed limits and land departure in a way that was always well-informed and ahead of time, allowing a totally stress-free journey in a foreign country on the wrong side of the road.

The Dawn provided an unbeatable journey from Mayfair’s redbrick roads to Paris’ boutiquelined Avenue Montaigne and upon arrival I was surprised to see how many Parisians admired the car –after all, it is quintessentially English.

Unlike many a Rolls-Royce, this car is truly designed for the driver’s experience. As soon as foot meets accelerator she simply opens up and sings – and after almost 800 miles I felt more like I had returned from a spa weekend than a long, and usually tiring, road trip.

They say the best things in life are free, however, with the Dawn I would have to contest. With a £297,800 rrp (as tested) pricetag it is truly a delight for anyone who loves to drive, and craves that sense of freedom, luxury and exhilaration.

Rolls-roycemotorcars.com 46

SPEED

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Discreet Defence What do classic and supercar owners need to know to stay one step ahead of highly sophisticated vehicle thieves? We speak to Valkyrie to find out Words: Lewis Etherington

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A

lthough the ownership of classic cars and supercars, megayachts and private helicopters may appear carefree from the outside, all collectors are familiar with the devotion and time that in actual fact goes into maintaining their fleet. One of the most considerable requirements today is, of course, how to keep those priceless assets safe and secure.

The risk of theft or damage – from both professional thieves and opportunists alike – is seemingly everywhere when you own something most people can only dream of. Park your supercar on the street and you risk it being keyed or shunted; take your luxury SUV out to dinner and it’s in danger of being stolen.

While such considerations are by no means confined to the affluent, they are exacerbated for high earners. According to data released by the Home Office last year, one vehicle was stolen every five minutes in 2018 – about 300 per day – a figure that all but doubled in five years. The most commonly targeted models included top-ofthe-range marques Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Land Rover and Range Rover, often stolen to order, due to their desirability, by organised criminal gangs and sold for distribution overseas.

Given the worth of a collectable vehicle, car manufacturers spend millions attempting to secure their luxury products; but criminals are equally sophisticated. As with most modern crime, there’s an element of ‘cat and mouse’ involved – as security improves and evolves, so too do the tactics and methods of the criminal. One of the most common methods of targeting vehicles in recent years is a relay attack, which targets cars with ‘keyless entry’ or ‘keyless go’ function. Attackers work in pairs to approach with a signal booster, aiming to zero in on and amplify the signal sent out periodically by a car key. Once found and boosted, a second attacker, standing by your vehicle with a receiver, is ready to hijack the boosted signal from your key to open your car and drive away. Rather soberingly, this entire process can take less than two minutes.

THE DRIVE TO FIGHT BACK There are, of course, measures that owners can take to combat such scenarios – such as installing CCTV on your property, keeping cars in a locked garage or behind gates – but these options are often expensive and not available for every situation.

A contemporary alternative, which is growing in popularity among classic and supercar owners, is to install trackers on your assets, which help the police to track down – and hopefully return – your vehicle unharmed should it be stolen.

Increasingly, manufacturers are installing trackers into high-value assets on the factory floor; however, these pre-installed devices are no secret, and often easily identifiable and quickly removed by the experienced car thief.

Various security companies have developed solutions in the attempt to combat this, including Mayfair-based security specialists Valkyrie, which recently launched its Sentinel asset tag.

The Sentinel is a covert tracker which, thanks to its battery-operated functionality, is entirely self-sufficient and discreet, sending out location details in short, regular bursts.

This means that, unlike some trackers, the Sentinel can’t be bypassed by disconnecting from the car’s battery and is extremely difficult to detect. Installed at the owner’s premises by an expert in-house technician, the Sentinel is then connected to a mobile app – the centre of operations where owners can view all their tagged assets at once. The app tells owners when and where the Sentinel last checked in, and connects them directly to Valkyrie to solve any queries or issues that may arise.

As the ability of criminals becomes more advanced, security companies must keep one step ahead to ensure classic and supercar collectors can continue to enjoy their fleet – and thanks to savvy owners embracing new tracking technology, Valkyrie is ready to meet the challenge. valkyrie.co.uk

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LAST YEAR, ONE VEHICLE WAS STOLEN EVERY

FIVE MINUTES

IN 2018 – ABOUT 300 PER DAY

DRIVING FORCE What do you get when fine watches and fast cars combine in serious style?

Tempus takes a look at today’s most exciting horological collaborations to find out

W

hether it’s an exclusive partnership with a car manufacturer, or sponsorship of a racing team or Concours d’Elegance, collaborations between car brands and prestige watchmakers are always a safe bet.

The two industries have been closely linked ever since people first began to travel by carriage – with pocket watches and carriage clocks propelling horology forward through innovation and design. Dashboard clocks, timers and wristwatches soon followed, after Heuer became the first brand to produce a dashboard chronograph in 1911.

With that tradition still alive and well today, enthusiasts and collectors can tailor their favourite accoutrements to their own speed, thanks to these perfectly tuned collaborations…

BREITLING PREMIER BENTLEY MULLINER LIMITED EDITION Enjoying more than 17 years of collaboration, Bentley Motors and Breitling boast the longest partnership between a watch and car brand.

To commemorate this feat, they have launched the Breitling Premier Bentley Mulliner Limited Edition, inspired by the new Continental GT Mulliner Convertible. Limited to 1,000 pieces, the watch has a 42mm steel case and blue alligator leather strap, with the silver dial mirroring the GT convertible’s dashboard clock.

This restrained but elegant watch also mirrors the car’s interior cabin through its red accents and second hand, and complementary sets of Arabic numerals. Meanwhile, the Mulliner Convertible is the only Continental GT to feature a Breitling-edition clock in the car. breitling.com 50

WATCHES

IWC SCHAFFHAUSEN PILOT’S WATCH PERPETUAL CALENDAR EDITION “MERCEDESAMG PETRONAS MOTORSPORT” Dedicated to the six-time world Formula 1 champion Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport, IWC Schaffhausen’s automotive Big Pilot’s watch (as seen on team principal Toto Wolff, above) blends the high-spec engineering and performance shared by watchmaking and motorsport. Limited to just 10 pieces, the perpetual calendar edition is presented in matt black zirconium oxide ceramic case with carbon fibre dials, with details – including hands, markers, Arabic numerals and dial inscriptions – in Petronas emerald green. Its sister launch, the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Edition “Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport” is limited to 50 pieces. » iwc.com

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BREMONT JAGUAR D-TYPE CHRONOGRAPH The Jaguar D-Type won the Le Mans 24 Hours race three times between 1955 and 1957, and has been heralded as one of the most “dramatic and beautiful sports cars in history” by the brand’s then-design director Ian Callum.

Bremont’s celebration of this iconic sports car is the D-Type Chronograph, limited to just 300 pieces. Featuring a classic blue dial (colours of the Ecurie Ecosse Jaguar racing team) and sapphire exhibition case back, the watch’s rotor is inspired by the Jaguar’s steering wheel, and the crown features an etching of the original Dunlop tyre tread. bremont.com

TAG HEUER FORMULA 1 ASTON MARTIN RED BULL RACING SPECIAL EDITION TAG Heuer’s second celebration of its collaboration with the championship-winning Aston Martin Red Bull Racing team – including Max Verstappen and Alex Albon (both right) – this 43mm chronograph is described as “youthful and sporty” by the Swiss watchmakers. Taking inspiration from the new Aston Martin Red Bull Racing Formula 1 car, presented in Barcelona on 19 February, the watch’s sleek design features a blue dial and aluminium fixed bezel. The chronograph seconds hand is coated in Red Bull yellow, and there is an azurage pattern on the counters and date window at 4 o’clock to enhance the model’s daring, sporty aesthetic. tagheuer.com

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WATCHES

THERE’S NO DENYING THE AUTOMOTIVE FLARE IN EVERY ROGER DUBUIS TIMEPIECE.

ROGER DUBUIS EXCALIBUR PIRELLI ICE ZERO 2 SPIDER AMERICA EDITION There’s no denying the automotive flare in every Roger Dubuis timepiece. The brand’s latest Excalibur model debuted in Aspen, inviting thrillseekers to combine high-speed racing and high-spec engineering – a perfect representation of the watchmaker’s collaboration with racing brand Pirelli. The Excalibur Pirelli Ice Zero 2 owes its name to the new studded tyre, developed for high performance in extreme winter conditions.

The timepiece features a skeletonised spider case in natural titanium, offset by icy blue accents, while the dial is a blue lower flange with transferred texts and minute tracks, and black upper flange with rhodium-plated hour markers filled with SLN. rogerdubuis.com

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SCIENCE OF THE SENSES As The Fat Duck celebrates 25 years of groundbreaking gastronomy, Heston Blumenthal looks back on its most impactful moments and what’s next for his scientific culinary approach Words: Lauren Jade Hill

WATER IS THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT INGREDIENT IN THE KITCHEN. AFTER 25 YEARS I’M SAYING, LET’S GO BACK TO THE BEGINNING - Heston Blumenthal

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nail porridge, meat fruit and savoury ice cream… bold dishes like these have defined the extraordinary impact The Fat Duck has had on the world of gastronomy over the past 25 years. Since that time, the restaurant has been awarded three Michelin-stars and accolades including Best Restaurant in the World.

The restaurant’s founder, Heston Blumenthal, is unlike most chefs. His journey is led by a relentless curiosity, tireless scientific research and the desire to dismantle everything so he can put it back together again. Never before Blumenthal’s launch had a restaurant utilised the culinary potential of elements such as liquid nitrogen, or explored the limits of multi-sensory dining to such a degree.

“When I started The Fat Duck, I went down a route that hadn’t really been looked at before,” says the chef of his gastronomic style, which did nothing less than rock the industry. “I began to question [the norm] and realise that if I started changing the wording on the menu, the noise, smell or temperature of the food, it changed our perception of what we ate.

“Our ability to imagine things that don’t exist is uniquely human. If I say there’s a candyfloss cloud attached to the top of the building with a liquorice string blowing in the wind, for instance, we can imagine it. That imagination allows us to create shared beliefs, from storytelling to money, science and even cooking. Without imagination, we could not make objects like tables and

telephones, and without making those objects, we’d have nothing to bounce the imagination off.

So those two sides, which I call human being and human doing, both need to exist.”

This is the concept at the root of Blumenthal’s 25-year journey as a pioneer of gastronomic feats including multi-sensory cooking, molecular foodpairing and flavour encapsulation.

“When I realised it’s our emotions and feelings that make everything what it is, that’s when I realised that what I was trying to do with The Fat Duck was generate emotions of curiosity, inquisitiveness, playfulness and adventure.”

From the beginning, this approach was crystallised by never-before-seen dishes, developed through scientific research and culinary experimentation. The chef ’s savoury ice cream was among his most famous creations.

“I first made crab ice cream in the late 1990s,” he says. “On reflection, this was one of my landmark dishes. It changed the way I thought about food because I realised people’s perception changed based on whether I called it a frozen crab bisque or crab ice cream.” This realisation became the basis of Blumenthal’s first research paper in 1997, co-written with Martin Yeomans for the University of Sussex.

“In an experiment, people who were told a dish was smoked salmon ice cream thought it was 10-15% saltier than the people who were told it was a frozen smoked salmon mousse, because from memory people expect ice cream » 54

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to be sweet. This is when I started to use the term multi-sensory,” he says. “I didn’t realise but at that time the neuroscience world was doing research on how one sense can influence another. I came along and said you can’t separate the senses and that they’re all there creating this multi-sensory effect. It was only at the Cheltenham Science Festival a couple of years ago that someone told me that information had changed the world of neuroscience. I had no idea.”

This drive for innovation is complemented by a fascination with food history. Inspired by cookbooks written as far back as the 14th century, Blumenthal takes cues from dishes’ historic roots. Homage paid to creative cooks of that time include a nod to culinary entrepreneur Agnes Marshall, whose 1888 cookbook gave the first mention of using liquid nitrogen to make ice cream, despite not being able to source this component herself. Drawing on this idea, Blumenthal became the first chef to develop the liquid nitrogen ice cream-making method, which is now made tableside at The Fat Duck on an ice cream trolley loosely based on Marshall’s original drawing.

Dishes born from findings like these have gradually evolved into an increasingly multisensory experience, with the completion of The Fat Duck’s £2.5m renovation in 2016 marking the arrival of the restaurant’s Journey Menu.

Taking inspiration from Blumenthal’s childhood holiday memories, this dining experience leads you on a nostalgic journey through seven chapters ranging from, ‘Are we nearly there yet?’ to the final chapter, ‘And then to dream’.

Dining at the restaurant in Bray, Berkshire, earlier this year, I discover that each chapter incorporates playful yet gastronomically accomplished dishes, combining exceptional ingredients such as Cornish crab and black truffle with scientifically developed techniques and the added depth and orchestration of sound, aroma and lighting.

My table’s waiter, Martin, introduces himself as our storyteller for the day, guiding us through the experience laid out by the menu’s illustrated map, in which a trip to the seaside is followed by a venture into the woods.

My favourite dish is a rockpool creation.

Consisting of a crab shell modelled from white chocolate with smoked caviar (one of the chef ’s classic flavour pairings), a mussel velouté and

seashell-shaped clam jelly, it perfectly evokes the Cornish coast.

For Blumenthal, The Fat Duck’s momentous 2020 milestone is not just an opportunity to take stock, but to set new objectives for the future.

He plans to focus increasingly on education and public engagement, having already established several programs based around helping students rethink how they approach food. He also recently set up a new laboratory in the south of France for a surprisingly elementary purpose – to test the application of modifying the state of water.

“Water is the single most important ingredient in the kitchen,” he explains. “After 25 years I’m saying, ‘Let’s go back to the beginning.

I’m playing around with water, changing the pH [acidity] and activating it by vibrations and sound, then doing basic recipes to see how that affects it. We’re essentially taking everything we’ve learned from the past 25 years and then starting again with this, which is really exciting.”

To celebrate the restaurant’s history, Blumenthal and his team plan to showcase key dishes from the The Fat Duck’s illustrious past on celebratory menus at the chef ’s other establishments The Hind’s Head, also in Bray, and Dinner by Heston Blumenthal in London, once the hospitality industry resumes operations later this year. The TV series Crazy Delicious, in which Blumenthal plays a key role, hits Netflix in June and he’ll be releasing a new sensory-driven recipe book towards the end of 2021.

Adding even more intrigue to the coming months, the chef is contributing an exhibit to the Victoria and Albert Museum’s upcoming Alice in Wonderland exhibition and, going forward, the star chef plans to draw on his studies into hunter-gatherer behaviour – which we may or may not see reflected in the inaugural menus of his new venture, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal at The Royal Atlantis Resort & Residences, Dubai, projected to open at the end of the year.

With so much planned, it’s evident that Blumenthal – an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry and OBE holder – continues to thrive on invention and growth.

“I said to someone a while ago that I exhaust myself,” he laughs, “and then I realised, that’s the problem – I don’t.”

Thefatduck.co.uk; dinnerbyheston.co.uk

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Gourmet Wonderland: Heston Blumenthal (Š Alisa Connan, previous page) shows how his remarkable gourmet creations and edible centrepieces continue to challenge the boundaries of fine cuisine 57

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DARWIN’S LABORATORY Tempus takes a cruise through the wonders of the Galapagos Islands Words: Sam Bradley

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tay at least two metres away from the wildlife,” we’re told. Following this general rule is much easier said than done in the Galapagos Islands, where Iguanas lazing in the sun are at constant risk of being tripped over, and the sea lions are so curious and playful it’s hard to get into the water without a friendly, whiskery face swimming over to say hello.

These islands, which have the distinction of being named one of the first UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1978, are a place where animals roam freely and fearlessly.

Along with a small group of other passengers, my wife and I are exploring this proverbial Garden of Eden – an archipelago located off the coast of Ecuador – with sustainable luxury cruise company Ecoventura. It doesn’t take long to realise that these islands, and the animals that inhabit them, are unique. The dry and arid landscapes are a far cry from the palm-fringed beaches one would expect of an island on the equator. In the skies above glide the comical red footed and blue footed boobies, as well as the even more ridiculous frigate birds (unable to get wet, these pirates of the seas have become expert at stealing fish from other birds). On land one can find the aptly-named giant tortoises and in the oceans you’ll find marine iguanas contentedly foraging in the surf for tasty algae. One of our guides summed it up eloquently by welcoming us to “a world where mockingbirds don’t mock, cormorants can’t fly, penguins have never seen ice and venomous snakes have no venom”.

It was these discoveries that helped Charles Darwin formulate his theory of natural selection, which he outlined in his book On the Origin of Species after travelling through the Galapagos in 1835. Darwin referred to these islands as a “living laboratory of evolution”, and with more than 200 endemic species on the islands the claim appears to be justified. The dramatic geological landscapes provide more than enough rock formations and seismic activity to keep geologists endlessly entertained. And all this barely touches on the history of the island: hopefully mentions of pirates, wars, colonials and a murder mystery involving a baroness and her three lovers will pique your interest.

Island hopping by luxury yacht is a fantastic way to explore this paradise. For seven nights, our home was the expedition yacht Theory, part of the Ecoventura group, which also operates three other vessels in the region, all done as sustainably as possible. The ‘beaches and bays’ itinerary saw us visiting four of the 13 main islands in the southern and eastern parts of the archipelago.

Ecoventura also offers an itinerary centred on the more remote northern and western islands.

Upon leaving the main port of San Cristobal, we were amazed at the comfort and luxury on board. The yacht is equipped with spacious lounges, restaurant, gym, and a sundeck » Friendly faces: Join Ecoventura’s Theory ( far right) to spot cormorants (previous page, ©Travel Leap) laidback iguanas, sea lions, and red footed boobies (©Matt Dutile ) 60

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THESE ISLANDS ARE A PLACE WHERE

ANIMALS CAN ROAM

FREELY AND FEARLESSLY

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All aboard: The Theory affords guests private accommodation and fresh gourmet meals between meeting local wildlife 62

complete with jacuzzi, bar and the best spots to take in the views. All meals are taken on the boat, and Chef Estuardo managed to wow us on multiple occasions with a vast array of delicious meals based on both local Ecuadorian as well as western cuisine.

Over the course of the week we were lucky enough to walk, snorkel and kayak past an array of wildlife including flamingos, turtles, sea lions, sting rays, mobula rays, sharks, penguins, tortoises, iguanas, frigate birds and booby birds. The trip was also educational, thanks to having Dr Jack Grove on board. Dr Grove is an author, photographer and marine biologist who has spent over four decades lecturing about the world’s oceans (and the Galapagos in particular), and will return to the Theory from 29 November-13 December 2020.

Grove and our two naturalist guides provided a wealth of knowledge, and their insights into the natural world surrounding us were astonishing.

They also made us aware of the many challenges facing this fragile ecosystem: management of alien species, conservation efforts, steps to curb overtourism and scientific research currently underway were all topics that were fiercely discussed and debated around the dinner table most evenings. As an added bonus Peter was born on Floreana Island, so hearing his stories of growing up locally added that extra bit of magic stardust to our trip.

On closer reflection it can be seen this is not just an accident of nature: because the Galapagos Islands are made up of an incredibly sensitive ecosystem, many measures have been implemented to maintain this fragile balance. Major eradication programs have been undertaken to remove alien species such as dogs, cats, goats and rats, brought to the islands in the 17th century, and only 3% of the islands welcome tourism – the remaining 97% are set aside for conservation. Tourism must be undertaken with a local guide, and Ecuador’s borders impose strict control on imports.

Yet even with these measures in place, overtourism is an issue. Annual visitors now number in excess of 250,000 compared to the local population of roughly 30,000, and each must pay park conservation fees to help fund future projects and maintain the parks. The Charles Darwin Foundation, based on Santa Cruz island, is dedicated to scientific research and to conserve the Galapagos Islands.

As the week drew all too rapidly to its close, it occurred to me that my time on this yacht had meant a return to a simpler and more enjoyable lifestyle. It wasn’t long before I had “lost” my watch, mobile phone and shoes, along with most of my superfluous stresses, strains and worries.

My days were now filled with sunshine, seawater, delicious food, exploring new places, exercise and the sort of good night’s sleep that can only come from an active and fulfilling day.

Life in Darwin’s laboratory suited me so well I was almost ready to apply for a job as a ship’s captain and make the move permanent. ecoventura.com

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BELLES’ ANGEL How classic car collector and rally driver Katarina Kyvalova is inspiring female racers to the podium Words: Michelle Johnson

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ith a passion for pre-war cars that had unleashed her competitive streak even before she founded the Bentley Belles racing team in 2014, Katarina Kyvalova’s racing success seems now inevitable.

The Slovakian-born, Hamburg-based business manager (left) – who had worked extensively with car brands such as BMW, Mercedes, Porsche and Audi throughout Asia – discovered a love of classic cars upon joining Germany’s oldest classic car club, the Allgemeiner SchnauferlClub eV (ASC) and purchasing her first car – an Austin-Healy 3000.

But it was a late-night bet after the Flying Scotsman Rally – which takes drivers from Chester to the Scottish Highlands – that fuelled Kyvalova’s decision to go from car owner to racing driver. She founded the all-female rally team the Bentley Belles in 2014. The crew – which includes Gillan Carr, Georgina Riley and Georgia Brewster – first met just a day before they made their debut at Benjafields Portimao 24hrs race in Portugal, where they made history as the first women’s team to run a Bentley in a 24-hour endurance race. Since then, the shared passion and skills of the self-described petrolheads saw them repeat the accolade in their first Spa Six Hour Race.

A talented driver in both circuit and endurance races, Kyvalova has also competed in the Flying Scotsman, Mille Miglia, Goodwood Revival, Le Mans Classic, and Monaco Historique.

She has achieved third podium places at both Goodwood Revival and the Spa Six Hour Race in 2015. Currently racing a currently racing a 1954 Cooper-Jaguar T33, a 1928 Bentley 4.5 ltr, a 1928 Bentley Speed Six and a 1965 Jaguar E-type, Kyvalova hopes to complete her ‘hat-trick’ by completing the Monaco Grand Prix Historique, 1000 Miglia and Le Mans Classic in one season.

Here, Kyvalova tells us what it takes to keep such a historic collection in racing form… »

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Katarina, how did you begin collecting and racing classic cars?

Everything started in Hamburg, where many friends of mine owned and drove classic cars.

At some point I started to join them for different classic car events and rallies; I even become member of the German ASC classic car club and Goodwood Road Racing Club. I bought my very first classic car, which was an ice blue AustinHealey 3000. My first drive in that car, which I still own, was definitely the ultimate kick-off moment of my classic car passion.

Do you have any favourite vehicles within your collection?

That is such a difficult question because I love all of my cars, but I think my favourite is the 1928 Bentley 4.5 ltr. Ettore Bugatti once described W.O. Bentley’s cars as the ‘world’s fastest lorries’, and it’s true that they’re not the easiest cars to drive and race, but over the years I’ve done thousands of miles in this Bentley. I’ve developed a strong relationship to pre-war cars in general.

I don’t restore cars myself, but I was part of a special restoration project that took many years of research and work before seeing the final result. It was a resurrection of one-off 1931 Bentley 8-litre; a wonderful Vanden Plas twoseater drophead coupe car that had originally been commissioned by an 18-year old Lord Brougham and Vaux. It was my biggest and most exciting project so far.

made a bet with my classic car fellow that I would make it happen: that was the start of my racing and of the Bentley Belles. The Vintage Sports-Car Club and some friends helped me to find another three female petrolheads who had some previous experience with pre-war cars. But actually, it was pretty much last minute and so Gillian, Georgia, Georgina and I only finally met the night before our first race in Portugal.

The Belles made history by becoming the first all-female team to complete a 24hour race in a pre-war Bentley...

At that time, we had no idea that we would be the first women to achieve this, so that was kind of icing on the cake after we completed the race. In 2015 we entered the Spa Six Hours race where we were the first all-female team ever; to top it off we finished with a podium place – third in class – so that trophy felt very special to us. Then, in 2016, I raced at the Le Mans Classic as the first ever woman behind a Bentley wheel at the historic circuit.

RALLIES REQUIRE HIGH CONCENTRATION,

PERFECT DRIVING AND UNCONDITIONAL TRUST IN YOUR

How would you compare endurance, rally and circuit racing?

Both rallying and racing require high level of driving skills, though they are very different. When racing, you are constantly trying to find and follow the right line, the right speed and braking, all at the same time. It is a never-ending challenge of trying do everything perfectly while also dealing with the race traffic around you However, in my personal opinion, rallying is far more demanding than circuit racing. You have to accommodate for unpredictable road surfaces, which vary with the weather, and long driving distances where there can be unpredictable spectators along the way. Rallies require an extremely high concentration, perfect driving skills and unconditional trust in your navigator.

The navigator plays a very important role in the team, as they have to find the right route and give instructions about the speed, distance and different signs along the way. It’s safe to say they are the boss in the car. When I started attending my first rallies, we did lots of driving on remote parking lots to train for the timed sessions.

Currently there’s a lot happening for women in motorsport, which is fantastic to see. The W Series is running its second season, and it’s a great platform for all female racing drivers who wants the opportunity to show their capability in this traditionally male domain. In the meantime, there are some more all-women teams, such as the Iron Dames and Gear Racing Team, who are competing in different international GT championships. I’m hopeful that we will also see a female driver in Formula 1 – I think it’s overdue.

Tell us about how you founded the Bentley Belles?

The beginning of Bentley Belles started with an entry for the Benjafield’s 24 hours race in Portimao, which I desperately wanted to complete with an all-female team. Looking back, I think it was a pretty crazy idea of mine as I had never raced before, nor even had a racing license. Actually, it really came into being in the late hours after the Flying Scotsman rally, when I

What have been your biggest milestones?

The first and most memorable was Benjafield’s 24-hours challenge with the Bentley Belles.

That race had a big impact on everything what happened afterwards, the Bentley Belles continued competing as a team and I personally got hooked with racing from that day on. The second milestone in terms of team driving was in 2019 at the Dubai 24 hours race, where I competed in a Mercedes-AMG GT4 in a team

NAVIGATOR

of four drivers. We had been leading the class for more than 20 hours but, due to technical issues, we had to retire just 60 minutes before the finish.

After all that work it was very hard for us to accept this defeat, but it showed me how important it is to have a great team with you, to go through all the highs and lows.

Did your experience working with luxury car marques make you want to get behind the wheel?

I wasn’t aware of it at the time, but I’m sure working closely with car manufacturers had a significant impact on me. I met with car designers and got to see car prototypes way before they appeared in the public, and found this highly fascinating. Racing is now a huge part of my life and keeps me pretty busy – not least from the amount of travel! Recently, I was invited to join Bentley Motors’ centenary celebrations and drive the legendary 1929 Bentley Birkin Blower Team race car No 2, at the Goodwood Festival of Speed – that was definitely a chance to get behind the wheel of a dream car. Outside the circuits, I run my own business in Germany as well as a small events agency that organises classic car rallies all over Europe.

What are your future plans, and what’s next for the Bentley Belles?

I had entries for the Monaco Grand Prix Historique, 1000 Miglia 2020 and Le Mans Classic this year, so had been very excited about completing this hattrick and cannot wait to complete it in the future. I also hope to race at the annual Goodwood Revival again, and for sure will do some endurance races in the Mercedes-AMG GT4. It isn’t always easy to find suitable race events for teams like Bentley Belles, because there aren’t many endurance races in historic racing, but we’re working towards doing more pre-war rallies together, or the 2022 Peking to Paris Challenge – watch this space. katarinakyvalova.com

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THE SUPERCAR

ateliers

Tempus visits HR Owen’s luxury London showrooms to find out how their sales strategy is designed to find your dream drive Words: Rory FH Smith Photography: David Hill

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t’s three o’clock on a rainy Thursday afternoon and I’ve just spent over £3.1million. Added to that, I’ve barely moved from my seat on the soft leather sofa situated in Jack Barclay (right) – HR Owen’s flagship Bentley dealership in Berkeley Square, Mayfair.

I’ve come here to shop for supercars (yes, plural), so I’ve come to the one-stop shop for fourwheeled luxury in London – HR Owen. With 14 brands under its belt, the business owns the UK’s only Bugatti-approved showroom, as well as Jack Barclay – the world’s oldest Bentley showroom, which was founded by John Donald “Jack” Barclay, one of the original Bentley Boys from the roaring 1920s. Alongside both of those sits the new Ferrari Atelier commissioning suite, opened by none other than Ferrari Formula 1 superstar Charles Leclerc in July last year, while Rolls-Royce sits just metres down the road, a stone’s throw from The Ritz London. On top of all that, Maserati and Lamborghini showrooms can be found in South Kensington, but HR Owen will also happily sell you an Aston Martin, Lotus, Rimac or Puritalia.

In short, there’s not much you can’t buy from the London-based car sales empire –but, sadly, all I’ll be taking home with me today is a Bugatti baseball cap. Unfortunately, none of the cars I spec will see the light of day – I’m here to window shop and work out how anyone with a cool £200,000-plus burning a hole in their tailored trousers goes about selecting their ideal supercar.

BESPOKE APPROACH With more choice working its way into the market each year, and all-electric newcomers like Rimac rising to the occasion, choosing from the selection of supercars on offer is no easy task.

Starting in the group’s flagship Jack Barclay showroom, I meet with HR Owen CEO Ken Choo in the original wood-panelled boardroom that once housed the dealership’s eponymous founder.

Softly spoken and considered, Choo is a busy man. Taking over the business four years ago, the Malaysian business boss is also executive director

of Cardiff City and KV Kortrijk football clubs.

“Everyone likes different things, otherwise everyone would be marrying the same girl,” Choo says with a smile. “Lamborghini customers are completely different to Ferrari, and Ferrari customers are completely different to Bentley customers. I deal with some of them myself. It’s not just buying another car, there’s a lot that goes into the process, which is the interesting part.”

From exclusive parties and Lamborghini drive days, to private jet trips to supercar factories in Italy, Choo’s business puts on around 200 events a year designed to woo and maintain its multicar-buying clients.

“The margins are small in this business, so to protect the one or two per cent, you need to do a lot.” While he has a top-secret list of clients, Choo does, however, talk openly about his relationship with culinary ace Gordon Ramsay and his penchant for fast Ferraris. “If you go to the Ferrari dealership here, you can see one of the lucky cats from his restaurant at our bar. When you buy a car from us, we host you in Gordon’s restaurant and he buys cars from us. It’s all about relationships,” he says.

But, just like the market, supercar buyers have changed dramatically over the past decade.

“I think they have done a lot more homework before they come into the showroom.

Customers are also getting younger. If you look at the demographics of the new billionaires and millionaires, they’re getting younger and there are more from Asia than ever before,” explains Choo. “You never know these days, it’s the people that come in without a tie or a suit that are the richest in the world. So, we’re trying to change the way we perceive the customers.”

Considering I slot into this younger demographic that Choo mentions, it seems like the right time to start the process of purchasing my first supercar. Moving through a frosted glass door, I’m ushered into the cool, blue surrounds of the Bugatti showroom. Well, if you’re going to spec a supercar, you might as well start at the top. » 68

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Clockwise from above: Choosing Bentley interiors; examining a Bugatti Veyron; F1 star Charles Leclerc opens the new Ferrari Atelier; inside the atelier LED BY LIFESTYLE “The average customer has 46 cars – usually a mix of classic and new,” says Paul Stevens, brand director at HR Owen Bugatti casually as we walk around the boutique showroom. “There’s not a huge options list,” he reassures me as I eye the £2.85m price tag attached to the used Grand Sport Vitesse sitting in pride of place. “Colourwise, you can do whatever you want. One lady is looking at a pink and white Chiron with the same colour interior.”

With the deposit for my £2.6m Chiron Pur Sport at the ready, the next step in the process is to fly to the factory in Molsheim, France for dinner in the chateau where Ettore Bugatti used to entertain his clients before heading to the factory. After that, it’s out for a drive with Bugatti’s test pilot Andy Wallace before sitting with a designer to spec the car. It’s a far cry from the experience of ordering a mass-produced Audi or Mercedes.

“We’ve had clients that have designed their own carbon fibre, customised the grille to put their own initials in it. You can spend half a million on options,” says Stevens coolly.

With my Bugatti on order, I move a few metres down the road to the new Ferrari Atelier commissioning suite where a large digital screen is flanked by fine leather cloth, instrument binnacles and lashings of carbon fibre.

Here, I sit and virtually spec my new, racinggreen Ferrari F8 Tributo with almost every option ticked before meeting at Jack Barclay with Bentley’s in-house design consultant regarding my soon-to-be Flying Spur. After he diplomatically steers me away from what could have been a costly design disaster, I settle on

a smart sequin-blue limousine with ‘porpoise’ coloured leather and every conceivable extra.

The result is a hefty £240,000 purchase, made up of £34,500 worth of options. Just to put things in perspective, that’s enough to buy an Audi A5 outright.

Walking out, I’ve (theoretically) spent more than £3m since I first entered the showroom.

In just a few hours, I’ve blown more money than most people will see in a lifetime, the proud ‘owner’ of a Bentley super saloon, a twoseater 200mph Ferrari and one of 60 limited W16 quad-turbo Chiron hypercars. It’s an odd feeling, but a day well spent for someone who regularly dreams up supercar specifications.

But the experience itself just gets better. With HR Owen’s five-acre, £30m all-encompassing experience centre on the outskirts of London planned for completion in the next two years, Choo and his team are upping the stakes in the supercar selection process.

“It’s more than just a showroom,” says the boss.

“The dealerships here are boutiques – there will be many more lifestyle and brand experiences there than just cars on a forecourt,” he adds with a smile. With more supercars arriving year on year and new start-ups challenging the established route to market, empires like HR Owen are getting creative.

While it might be a difficult decision to pick a winner, it’s a hugely privileged process that’s set to get even more exciting in the coming months and years. Already panicking about your next purchase? Just sit back, keep calm and enjoy the ride. hrowen.co.uk 70

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A NEW WAY to BUILD Your

Ferrari 288 GTO

Who will you trust to help you start or grow your collection?

The most common questions we are asked include: • Is this car exactly what the dealer or auction house claims it to be?

• Am I paying the right price for this car with this provenance?

• How can I get on the waiting list for that ‘Sold Out’ limited edition supercar?

A new way to work with a trusted adviser Iain Tyrrell is Supercars Monaco’s resident expert. He is the quintessential classic car expert and is now a ‘go-to’ reference for some of the world’s most coveted car manufacturers. One of Iain’s calling cards in recent times has been the unearthing and authentication of ‘the’ iconic Lamborghini Miura from the 1969 classic film The Italian Job, which was widely reported in the world’s media (see photo). Iain is the Technical Officer of the Lamborghini Club UK and has been called on as an expert witness in several high profile cases involving cars of very significant value, including representing Lloyds of London in the Lord Brocket case. He is called upon as a Technical Judge at highly prestigious Concours events across several continents. Iain has also undertaken major restoration work on several significant and high value classic cars, including the Ferrari 250GT “Tour de France” that won the Mille Miglia Rally and several award-winning full restorations of Lamborghini Miuras.

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Collection

Classic & Supercar

McLaren F1

Part of Coterie private members club, Supercars Monaco is a new platform that brings together buyers and sellers of the world’s finest cars. We’re not a dealer wanting to make huge margins by offering rock bottom trade ins and top dollar showroom prices. And we’re not an auction house charging enormous fees to buyers and sellers.

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Ferrari F8 Tributo

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L O N D O N CAL LIN G The capital has proven to be a great incubator for fintech.

We look at how and why – in a city synonymous with finance – this new disruptive style of banking has taken off Words: Lysanne Currie

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ear that booming noise? It’s the sound of London-based fintechs smashing records for global investment, making waves in a capital that’s hit the sweet spot in terms of finance and tech. As Anne Boden, founder and CEO of UK mobile-only bank Starling, based in Liverpool Street, points out, “If Silicon Valley is all about tech but not about finance, and New York is about finance but not tech, in London, you have them both coming together”.

While the UK has long boasted world-beating talent in cybersecurity and AI, the capital has regularly been at the forefront of innovative financial products, and since 2008, has led the way in birthing more ‘unicorns’ (tech businesses valued at $1bn-plus) than anywhere else in the world bar the US and China. It’s the fastest growing sector in London’s economy, too, having created 61% more vacancies in 2018 than 2017. More than 1,000 fintech headquarters are now based in the capital – heavyweights such as Worldpay, Finastra and TransferWise. While in 2019, London achieved more fintech venture capital deals (194) than even New York (164) or San Francisco (123).

There are a number of factors driving the boom. Firstly, Britain’s regulatory framework, with its pro-entrepreneurship government, allows entrepreneurs to build and then regulate in an iterative process once they’re up and running.

Secondly, the sheer geographical proximity of trillions of pounds running through the financial system in the ‘traditional’ City means there’s more VC cash here than anywhere else but the US. Location-wise, London is also handy for travel – whether travelling to and from Europe, Asia and the US. And, adds Andy Silvester, deputy editor of City AM, “It’s London: a city that young, bright, talented people want to live in. As a desirable

place to live, with the greatest of respect, it knocks cities like Frankfurt into a cocked hat.”

Says Monzo co-founder and CEO Tom Blomfield, “The technology scene in London didn’t really exist back in 2005. We tried to raise money and it was impossible, so we had to go to Silicon Valley… Global investors are pouring hundreds of millions of pounds into London companies now.”

Last year, Monzo hauled in US$144m.

“The London tech scene has been gathering momentum so rapidly since we started in 2015,” says Tessa Clarke, CEO of Olio, based in Finsbury Park, North London. “It feels like every day there’s a new accelerator launching, there are new investment funds starting, tons of meet-ups and events. What I love about London is the diversity of the start-ups compared to Silicon Valley, solving problems that reflect that diversity.”

Graham Smith, managing director of Mayfairbased company Volopa, agrees: “There’s a lot of creativity, a lot of entrepreneurs, and a lot of good ideas coming out of the capital. There’s scope to do things differently in today’s banking and payments ecosystems. If you were starting today it’s likely you’d lead with something other than a plastic card carrying a chip for global payment solution. While the card has its place, the average mobile phone has far more technology, data security capability and features in it than a plastic card will ever have.”

Revolut CEO Nik Storonsky similarly thinks UK fintechs have the edge over their US counterparts. “We are three or four years more advanced… in terms of product, in terms of regulation, in terms of size,” he told Sifted. “US companies should learn from Europe.”

Here we take a closer look at the mobile money apps disrupting UK traditional banking. » 74

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IF SILICON VALLEY IS ALL ABOUT TECH BUT NOT ABOUT FINANCE, AND NEW YORK IS ABOUT FINANCE BUT NOT TECH,

IN LONDON, YOU HAVE THEM BOTH COMING TOGETHER

- Anne Boden, Starling founder

MONZO | MILLENNIAL MOVEMENT

VOLOPA | GROWN UP FX

The most easily identified payment card in the UK – Monzo’s hot coral card – actually began as a bit of a fluke. “I was meeting our card manufacturer – this was really early days – and saw a card for Debenhams, it was a neon gift card,” says head of design Hugo Cornejo. “We mostly wanted it so when we went to a restaurant, people would ask about the card.”

Founded as ‘Mondo’ in 2015 by five formerStarling execs, including Tom Blomfield, Monzo was among the first challenger banks to hit to UK market. It was disruptive from the start, setting an investment speed record in 2016 by raising £1m in just 96 seconds on the Crowdcube investment platform. Now it’s grown from a prepaid card offering to a regulated bank with 3m customers, 81% of whom are 39 or younger, and plans to expand into the US market – still focused on simplicity of use and day-to-day personal expense management. “The banks really focus very hard on their existing set of financial products,” says Blomfield. “But human beings mostly focus on day-to-day payment processing.”

Where most fintech target younger users, Mayfair-based company Volopa has identified a need for a product that caters to affluent professionals and high-fliers.

Its core product, a prepaid multi-currency Mastercard, allows users to simultaneously hold 14 currencies which can be exchanged at the InterBank rate – the lowest possible foreign exchange rate – without hidden fees.

Inspired by the need for businesses and HNW individuals to work seamlessly across borders, Volopa is designed to make corporate and family expenses as easy to manage as its personal-use FX accounts have proven.

“Our top-tier business card is designed for corporate travellers from SMEs to big multinationals,” says managing director Graham Smith. “It’s all about the customer experience and the added value which makes the product more targeted, to make the experience easier and better for our customers; and at the same time, to maintain security – paramount when your job is in financial services.”

monzo.com

volopa.com

REVOLUT | RADICAL ACCOUNTING

STARLING | INSTANT BANKING

The UK’s most valuable fintech startup, thanks to a recent funding round that tripled its value, Revolut was founded in London in 2015 by Nikolay Storonsky and Vlad Yatsenko. Revolut began as a currency conversion tool, but now offers everything from everyday spending and budgeting, to foreign currency exchange and easyaccess stock trading – including cryptocurrency – to customers across 24 markets.

Based in Canary Wharf, the company’s rapid growth saw Revolut bring on new staff from the traditional banking world in 2019 – including former Goldman Sachs and Deutsche Bank director Wolfgang Bardorf; financial crime specialist Philip Doyle, who has worked with Visa; and deputy CFO Stefan Wille, formerly of N26 and Credit Suisse. Storonsky says: “If you have brilliant people around you, it doesn’t matter what kind of business you run… you will always succeed, because you can always change direction.”

Starling’s online-only banking systems cater to individuals and businesses, and aim to streamline the traditional application process of big banks’ business accounts to avoid monthly fees and waiting times.

Its spending insights and digital saving platforms lend themselves to budgeting towards specific goals. Founded in 2014 by former Allied Irish Banks chief operating officer Anne Boden, the brand won Best British Bank and Best Current Account 2020 for its personal account platform. With a new Euro-banking product and exclusive cash depositing partnership with the Post Office, this impressive bank is truly mobile.

Boden’s motivation, she said last year, is to disrupt the “unfair” practices of big banks: “Starling has created a movement of people and a movement of companies that are changing the industry, and the rest of the incumbents are reacting by making banking fairer for everyone.”

revolut.com

starlingbank.co.uk

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PARADISE FOUND We explore beautiful Belize, the destination enticing affluent travellers – and investors – out of their comfort zones Words: Michelle Johnson

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trolling alone through dense forest, with only the sounds of the local wildlife to punctuate the still air, it’s all too easy to feel you’re stepping into ancient history at the sight of grand Maya pyramids peeking through green leaves. This is Belize; an 8,867sq mi country that contains more undiscovered Maya structures than there are modern buildings and houses in the country.

Belize is not yet a luxury destination, at least in the traditional sense. A country of contrasts, it shares sometimes tense borders with neighbouring Honduras in the south and Guatemala to the west, while eastwards lies the Pacific Ocean and the myriad islands and cayes that make up its remarkably rich marine culture.

With fewer than 410,000 citizens, Belize is home to the smallest population in Central America, but its cultural and ecological significance is truly mighty. Belize’s seas are home to the world’s second largest barrier reef, while this little country’s range of diverse ecosystems and species of animal, bird and marine life make it a key part of the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor.

We fly to Belize via Atlanta – America’s largest and most efficient airport, as the tannoy system will tell you constantly – which provides a grand contrast to the tiny airstrip that greets us.

If this inauspicious start doesn’t ring any alarm bells, the discovery that the country currently has just two surfaced motorways (connecting to Mexico and Guatemala respectively) just might. The rest of the country’s infrastructure

is made up of smaller roads and dirt tracks, many are currently in poor condition and uncomfortable to traverse.

Despite this, Belize has become a beacon to the rich, famous and eco-minded, largely thanks to the growing trend for island ownership: Leonardo DiCaprio bought Blackadore Caye, near the Belize Barrier Reef, in 2004 with the intention of turning it into a self-sustaining luxury eco-resort.

I’m delighted to find there’s also a small but ambitious luxury hotel scene on the mainland too, and one that’s putting sustainability and culture at the very heart of Belizean hospitality.

Ka’ana Resort & Spa – the country’s only Forbes-recommended and Small Luxury Hotelawarded boutique – is an impressive resort nestled in the tropical jungle near San Ignacio.

Ka’ana (which aptly translates to ‘heavenly place’) offers sprawling private villas, authentic Belizean cuisine using ingredients from an onsite organic garden, and plenty of idiosyncrasies – such as a Maya fire pit, rustic garden swings and a well-used cocktail phone by the infinity pool – that all add warmth and personality to an excellent hotel.

Further south, in Placencia, there’s a wave of luxury new-builds and fully serviced residences – including Ka’ana’s sister property, Itz’ana Resort & Residences – providing affluent individuals new opportunities for high-end investment But what is it about this hidden nation that has wealthy travellers and savvy investors alike falling for its charms? »

Dramatic falls: Belize Waterfalls (right) 78

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AN ANCIENT WORLD Once the crown colony of British Honduras from 1862 until independence in 1973, Belize is the only nation in Central or South America that counts English as its official language.

The mahogany-rich rainforests had attracted logging operations since the Spanish conquests as early as the 1500s but, before Columbus, Belize was part of the vast Maya empire that spanned 3,000 years.

Nowhere is the legacy of this great civilisation more apparent than Belize – from learning to make drinking chocolate the original way (thanks to Ajaw Chocolate & Crafts) to exploring some of the most impressive archaeological sites in Mesoamerica. We head to Caracol, a 78sq m complex located in dense forest and home to more than 40 structures and monuments – including the grand Caana or ‘sky-palace’ pyramid – and its meticulous excavation is still ongoing. In terms of cultural significance and natural beauty, Caracol holds obvious parallels to Chichen Itza in Mexico and even Sri Lanka’s ancient city of Polonnaruwa. In fact, once it’s excavated fully and easier access roads are built, I predict Caracol could easily be the next Angkor Wat. Until then, however, visitors are afforded a rare level of privacy and exclusivity that no wellknown attraction can hope to match.

From the summit of Caana, views of the rainforests that hide hundreds more Maya ruins roll all the way into Guatemala; in the opposite direction, parts of the sprawling archaeological site are visible through the trees, giving some sense of Caracol’s vast scale. With the place to ourselves, we’re able to take our time to roam the site, exploring hidden nooks to discover the wildlife – including bats, tarantulas and howler monkeys – that call this home.

After our exploration is done, a stop at Rio on Pools is another uniquely private spot for an al fresco swim – and though facilities are basically non-existent, diving into the cool, naturally formed rock pools and waterfalls is a muchneeded refreshment for the bumpy road south to Placencia, where I get my first glimpse of Belize’s turquoise sea. » Natural beauty (clockwise from right): Maya temples at Caracol; the Belize Rainforests; fun on the Caves Branch River; Ka’ana Resort & Spa

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TRAVEL CARIBBEAN COOL With floor-to-ceiling windows leading from my elegantly minimalist beach house straight on to golden sands, Naia Resort & Spa is coastal cool at its finest. Although it’s set in a 200-acre reserve, there’s no need for the complimentary golf buggies to get to and from facilities; Naia’s main lobby and poolside restaurant, 1981, is a short stroll down the beach, where our hosts have laid on a festival of local food, cocktails and dance thanks to a troupe of Garifuna musicians.

Garifuna are the people of African and American Indian descent that live along the Caribbean coast of northern Central America and while the beautiful lesson in their culture and music – not to mention the rum cocktails – hints at the Caribbean influence to come, there is still some exploring to be done before we can truly say we’ve experienced Belize’s take on island living.

Sweeping upland from the Caribbean coast to the base of the Maya Mountains, the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary is the most spectacular nature reserve in the country, a thriving biosphere known particularly for its free-roaming jaguar population. As my travel companions climb the most difficult and mountainous trail available – a steep, four-hour hike to a dramatic waterfall – I take the opportunity to embark on a more meditative, but no less scenic trail. Alone in the rainforest on a peaceful trek, I’m able to get up close and personal with a range of flora and fauna, including exotic birds, butterflies, iguanas and monkeys.

We discover how easy it is to experience the full breadth and depth of this small nation thanks to Tropic Air – Belize’s local airline, consisting

Island living: Sustainability laws protect Belize’s spectacular coral reefs and vibrant marine life, while rainforests (inset) boast rare fauna and flora

BELIZE HAS BECOME A BEACON TO THE

RICH, FAMOUS AND ECO-MINDED, THANKS TO THE TREND FOR ISLAND OWNERSHIP

mainly of tiny nine-passenger Cessna 208 Caravan propeller planes – which makes stops at various domestic airports, landing strips and cayes across the Belizean coasts. For a true taste of island life, we head to Caye Caulker, a local holiday spot comprising of mangrove forests to the north, and a lively village to the south.

It’s the perfect spot for fresh lobster, relaxed sundowners and, most importantly, snorkelling in the Belize Barrier Reef.

The Belizean reef was described by Charles Darwin in 1842 as “the most remarkable reef in the West Indies”, and his observation remains true today. Home to 70 hard coral species, 36 soft coral species and 500 species of fish, the reef is vulnerable to ocean pollution, climate change and tourism, but the country’s stringent conservation efforts have seen a slow but sure growth of healthy coral that is inspiring reef countries the world over.

Now enshrined in government legislation, that passion for conservation is shared by locals, including the captain and crew of Raggamuffin Tours, who have arranged a day of snorkelling and diving. Under their expert guidance, we swim with manatees, nurse sharks, giant sea turtles, angelfish and more, learning about the diverse coral and anemones that are so vital to life beneath the waves, and efforts to bring new life to the reefs.

While the country’s infrastructure and facilities are still growing – and rehabilitation of major roadways is currently under way thanks to significant investment – what Belize offers is a faultless mesh of diverse cultures, historical interest and natural resources, as well as the growing emergence of a truly enviable ecoluxury tourism offering. This is, without doubt, the destination to watch, and a country I am grateful to have discovered at the beginning of its rise to must-visit luxury status for investor and eco-adventurer alike. travelbelize.org kaanabelize.com; naiaresortandspa.com

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A ROARING

Restoration Tempus discovers the European hotels heralding the ultra-luxe interior trend for a new decade Words: Lauren O’Neill

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hen it comes to high-octane glamour and luxury, no decade sang louder than the roaring 20s.

As one of its most famous proponents F Scott Fitzgerald said: “It was an age of miracles, it was an age of art, it was an age of excess.” This excess quite often played out in some of the world’s most iconic hotels, from London’s The Savoy to Hollywood’s Beverly Hills Hotel.

A century on, the new, more eco-conscious 20s may have curbed unnecessary excess, but it hasn’t curbed our enthusiasm for luxe, decadent hotel interiors, and investment in more sustainable style has in no way dampened the aesthetic.

The 2000s and 2010s wiped the interiors canvas clean, kicking off a trend for minimalist, Scandi chic. Yet as we make our way further into the 21st century, pared-back pieces and muted tones have been replaced with more saturated hues and statement antique furniture, as designers look to reclaim and sustain past influences.

These new 20s bring a fresh lease of life to a number of European hotels, with many undergoing transformations for the new decade.

As well as a whole new trend – grandmillennial: a blend of modern millennial style with chintz or vintage touches – one of the biggest interiors trends for 2020 is authenticity, honouring the history and heritage of a building or its surrounding areas.

As we look ahead to travel in 2021 and beyond, these imaginiative and sumptuous hotel renovations will be doing just that for the years to come… » Right: Hotel Sofitel London St James

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LONDON | SOFITEL ST JAMES’S HOTEL This Grade II listed building was built back in 1923. Formerly home to luxury travel company Cox & King’s, and later Lloyds bank, it was acquired and transformed into a luxury hotel by Sofitel in 2002. Now nearly 100 years on, interior designer Pierre-Yves Rochon has updated the original design of the hotel in line with the brand’s ethos of modern luxury, while keeping its past very much alive within the building through paintings, portraiture and memorabilia.

Combining French elegance with British culture, the renovation of the guestrooms honours the neoclassical exterior of the building, and celebrates the creativity and innovation of 60s and 70s Britain with a vibrant, youthful design. Vivid colours and bold pop art combine with eclectic accessories and prints, striking a balance between cutting-edge and nostalgic.

French influences are infused throughout with

seating by epoch-making French furniture designer Pierre Paulin, prolific throughout the 60s and 70s. “Our vision will ensure this iconic Sofitel property continues to raise the bar in the vibrant London hotel market,” says Marie-Paul Nowlis, General Manager. sofitelstjames.com And putting Buxton on the map… As part of a £46million renovation, Buxton Crescent Hotel & Thermal Spa is scheduled to reopen this year as an 81-bedroom luxury spa hotel under the banner of Ensana Health Spa Hotels, with the hopes of re-establishing Buxton in the stunning Peak District as England’s leading spa town.

The architecturally significant, Grade I listed Georgian building was designed by John Carr in the 1700s for the Fifth Duke of Devonshire. buxtoncrescent.com

BAD RAGAZ | GRAND HOTEL QUELLENHOF The 150-year-old Grand Hôtel Quellenhof & Spa Suites reopened in July 2019, following five months of extensive refurbishment. The £35million makeover was the vision of famed Swiss interior designer Claudio Carbone, who centred the concept around the rich heritage of the stately hotel and its thermal water, with references to the area’s alpine springs throughout. A 16m chandelier forms the stunning centrepiece of the lobby, made up of 2,500 clear and blue hand-blown glass spheres conjuring the essence of a flowing waterfall.

Bad Ragaz counts numerous royals and celebrities as guests and the redesign of the rooms is fittingly ornate with touches of marble and walnut, bespoke furniture and light installations.

Elements of the outdoors are also prominent throughout the interiors, particularly in new restaurant Verve by Sven, conceived by top chef Sven Wassmer, which features a decorative living wall that serves to optimise air quality. “We had the vision of bringing our hotel into a new era of luxury hospitality,” says the hotel’s CEO, Patrick Vogler. “And we have succeeded.” resortragaz.ch And a Swiss acquisition... Mandarin Oriental has announced the management and rebranding of the 116-year-old Hotel Palace Luzern, situated in the heart of the city, on the banks of Lake Lucerne. The multimillion-pound renovation will see the redesign of all 146 guest rooms and suites, restaurants, public areas, bars and outdoor areas, with the reopening as Mandarin Oriental Palace, Luzern scheduled for the end of 2020. mandarinoriental.com 86

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BERLIN | THE RITZ-CARLTON, BERLIN Originally built as a tribute to Art Deco architecture, the renovation of The Ritz-Carlton, Berlin recaptures the essence of 1920s Berlin and the glamour of its golden era. The full refurbishment has seen a transformation of the guest rooms, suites, conference and wellness centres, lobby and lounge areas, as well as the introduction of a new restaurant, Pots. “The recent completion of this meticulous €40million renovation at The Ritz-Carlton, Berlin marks a momentous occasion for this hotel, whose storied location has sat at the epicentre of history for more than a century,” says Jenni Benzaquen, Marriott’s VP luxury brands – Europe. The work of GA Design’s Budapest team, the guest rooms and suites nod to the city and hotel’s cinematic and cultural past. The story of Berlin is told through decorative details woven throughout the design, such as geometric patterns that symbolise the crossroads of the famous Potsdamer Platz. Sweeping floor-to-ceiling headboards create drama, while furnishings highlight the glamour of the 1920s. Iconic star of stage and screen Marlene Dietrich is honoured throughout the hotel in its artwork and design. ritzcarlton.com And off the beaten track… Nestled in the lesser known German city of Saarlouis and founded by King Louis XIV, La Maison Hotel Saarlouis completed a modern extension earlier this year, featuring 12 new rooms and suites. Two years in the making, this renovation has the marriage of old and new at its heart, as contemporary design and architecture fuse with opulent artwork that heralds the era of its city’s illustrious founder. » lamaison-hotel.de 87

PARIS | LE MEURICE Completed in Autumn last year, Dorchester Collection’s Le Meurice has completely transformed its suites, unveiling 29 stunning new rooms – including the pièce de résistance, its penthouse Belle Etoile suite complete with panoramic views of Paris’s most iconic landmarks from its 620sqm terrace. Inspired by the artists and creative minds that loved the hotel, from Salvador Dali to Pablo Picasso, the hotel’s interior designer Charles Jouffre invited young design duo Lally & Berger to capture the spirit and wit of the hotel.

“Our aim was to stay true to the spirit of 18thcentury French design and the rich history of Le Meurice,” says general manager Franka Holtmann. “We wanted an elegant look with just the right touch of modernity to appeal to today’s travellers. The project was guided by the idea of luxurious comfort and a sense of wellbeing, paired with intuitive technology, authentic art and a play of light with shimmering fabrics.”

The result is a modern-day Versailles; a series of fresh spaces reimagined with the finest french fabrics, bespoke furniture and, of course, artworks, so you’re surrounded by beauty. dorchestercollection.com And nearby in Monaco… Jacques Garcia has redesigned Hôtel Metropole Monte-Carlo’s magnificent Suite Carré d’Or, collaborating with House of Pierre Frey to adorn the walls with elegant fabrics. Sensitive development of the top floor means the seventh-floor suite – and its six adjoining rooms – can be offered for the exclusive use of family or friends. For the ultimate luxury, services include helicopter transfers, private check in and butler service. metropole.com

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DESIGN ATHENS | FOUR SEASONS ASTIR PALACE HOTEL The landmark riviera resort of Four Seasons Astir Palace Hotel Athens, which originally opened in 1961, relaunched in 2019 after an extensive renovation, estimated to have cost more than £100million. With design undertaken by interior big hitters such as Martin Brudnizki (of Annabel’s fame) and Meyer Davis, the new look is inspired by the historic glamour of the original hotel, famed for its elite clientele.

The former guest list is beyond impressive – in its original iteration, Astir Palace welcomed the likes of Barack Obama and John F Kennedy, Frank Sinatra, Brigitte Bardot and John Wayne.

Now a Four Seasons resort, the 300-room hotel comprises two distinct buildings, Arion and Nafsika, as well as 61 spacious private bungalows. Interiors have been completely refreshed: lighter and brighter, with cool neutral tones paired with marble and pale woods, and more emphasis on Greek art & culture – more than 2,000 works of contemporary Greek art adorn the walls throughout. fourseasons.com/athens And on the islands… Design Hotels’ Cretan Malia Park Resort underwent an extensive renovation last year at the hands of Greek architect Vana Pernari, taking inspiration from the native colours and textures of the island.

The identity of the flora-filled retreat, owned by the Sbokos family since the 1980s, is rooted in sustainability. cretanmaliapark.gr

ASTIR PALACE’S NEW LOOK IS INSPIRED BY

THE HISTORIC GLAMOUR OF THE ORIGINAL HOTEL, FAMED FOR ITS ELITE CLIENTELE

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Stylish ambition Samantha Cameron tells Tempus about the lifelong passion for business that led to the launch of her fashion label, Cefinn Words: Juliet Herd

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ou can get a fairly good idea of who the Cefinn woman is by looking at the “Cefinn Siren” profiles on the fashion brand’s website – a mix of fashion stylists, interior designers, creative directors and entrepreneurs.

All stylish, multitasking urban professional women. A lot like Samantha Cameron, in fact, who founded the London-based label in 2017 with the aim of creating the kind of effortless yet elegant wardrobe that complements a multitasking, urban lifestyle.

“I saw a gap in the market for smarter daywear that had a fashion edge, was a quality product and could see you through a busy day and out for dinner after work,” explains Cameron (right), who was formerly the creative director of luxury goods company Smythson. “I’ve always been a creative, working in an office environment, and I worked during [my pregnacies] and after my four children were born.”

In her rather unique case, there was another factor to take into account. As the wife of exprime minister David Cameron, she was aware that whatever she wore during her six years in her ‘first lady’ role would be photographed and heavily scrutinised. “I had to look professional for work and also dress for events, whether they were international, political or charitable, and with the pressure of being photographed, you think a lot more about what you’re wearing and how it performs. I wanted well-made clothes that were cut well and fitted beautifully.”

Fittingly, the astute style maven started her business from the dining room of the family’s apartment at 11 Downing Street, crafting the name Cefinn from an acronym of the surname Cameron and the initials of the couple’s children – Elwen, Florence, Ivan and Nancy. But the launch of her label had less to do with the public position she found herself in than her own sense of ambition. With creativity in her DNA and an entrepreneurial streak running through her family, Cameron, now 48, always knew she would one day build her own brand.

Her businesswoman mother Annabel Astor cofounded the successful home furnishings design

company OKA and four of her siblings run their own businesses. “As a teenager, my mum was a jewellery designer before setting up another business, so I was always inspired to create one of my own,” she says.

To that end, she took business studies at A-levels but then veered somewhat off course by studying fine art at Camberwell College of Arts, followed by painting at Bristol polytechnic.

It was after leaving Smythson in 2011 that she decided to revisit her childhood dream and began working on a viability project while in Downing Street.

PRESSURE AND POLITICS Cameron has admitted in the past that her name helped with publicity for Cefinn and made raising money a bit easier – backers include former Smythson chairman Mark Esiri, Tory party donor David Brownlow and Chinese entrepreneur Wendy Yu – but there was also extra pressure that came from being in the public eye. “It felt there was a huge pressure for it to be a success from the start rather than being able to launch a bit more organically and make mistakes unnoticed,” she says.

“Getting through the first couple of years as a start-up is definitely challenging. I have never worked harder and you need lots of support from mentors and patience from friends and family. There were many days when I’d be answering emails at 4am and juggling fundraising and legal issues at the same time as designing a website and sorting out the IT and printer ink. There were many ups and downs and it’s been a big learning curve. We still have a long way to go but it is very satisfying when it begins to all fall into place.”

The firm lost £561,795 in its first year but secured £2.5m in funding in 2018, which, in today’s volatile retail market, must be considered encouraging. Now, Cameron’s distinctive minimalist designs in signature no-fuss luxury fabrics are favoured by the likes of actresses Gillian Anderson and Donna Air and US First Lady Melania Trump. The brand is available » 90

Looking the business: Cefinn founder Samantha Cameron (right) was inspired by her time at Downing Street

DON’T BE SCARED TO FAIL, AND

CONSTANTLY CHALLENGE YOURSELF

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First lady of fashion: Samantha Cameron (inset) and designs from Cefinn’s collection (right) online and in stores including Harvey Nichols and Fenwick with plans to eventually open a permanent base ( for the moment, it focuses on pop-ups) as well as expand internationally.

“The launch recently of our two Chelsea pop-ups has been an exciting learning curve.

We’d love to open up our own store soon, however, we’re still trying to work out the best location,” she says.

DRESS TO IMPRESS For Cameron, Cefinn’s USP has three key components: price point, quality and knowing exactly who her customer is. Like her, the “Cefinn woman is busy and independent. She doesn’t have time to spend hours thinking about what she’s going to wear in the morning.

However, she wants to look effortlessly chic and elegant with minimal fuss.”

She also went on a journey to find the perfect fabric for her core collection – called techni-voile, it is known for being a low maintenance, crease-resistant fabric and has become something of a signature. “No drycleaning, no ironing, no stress,” is how she sums it up. “It was incredibly important for me to cater for busy women who want to look chic but don’t have the time for dry cleaning; the washability factor is a big USP and is often what pushes people over the line to purchase.”

It’s the feedback she receives from satisfied customers that makes her realise she’s on the right track. “We get amazing emails from our customers repeating back to us what we’re trying to achieve in terms of how the clothing makes you feel, and that’s really what keeps you going,” Cameron says. Statuesque and sporty, she’s certainly Cefinn’s best brand ambassador. She says she tends to wear dresses more than her former uniform of trouser suits as finds them more comfortable these days. “As you get older, your body shape slightly changes,” she acknowledges. While

her own style is “pared back” with a graphic approach, she says she’s introducing more print and the collections have expanded to include suiting, knitwear and shirting. Her inspiration comes from an eclectic mix of sources, including the Bauhaus movement – “that combination of mass manufacturing and design” – catwalk shows and the style of friends, colleagues and family: “I have four stylish sisters,” she points out.

She equates fashion with empowerment.

“I strongly believe that how you dress can give you confidence,” says Cameron, who has volunteered in the past for charity Smart Works, which offers free clothes and job interview advice to unemployed women. “I feel that dressing for work has gone through a real shift in the past few years; the perception of dress codes has changed, and women are able to express themselves by dressing up rather than just blending in. You’ve got to feel great in what you wear.”

On the issue of sustainability, Cameron admits the subject is “a hard one to grapple with; there are no easy answers”. She stresses that “Cefinn is all about classic staples that will stand the test of time both from a design and quality perspective”.

“Ultimately, the investment in technology at the start of the process will be what makes the difference,” she adds. “We’re starting to see this happen as well as a shift in people’s attitudes towards sustainability, but it will take a while before real change happens.”

Cameron says now is the time for young entrepreneurs to make their mark – particularly in the world of British fashion.

Her advice? “Get out of the office and ask for advice – people are always very generous. Be polite and kind, don’t be scared to fail and constantly challenge yourself.” cefinn.com 92

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CALL TO ACTION Why top luxury brands are radically altering the way they work, to provide urgent help at this momentous time

Words: Michelle Johnson

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t took just 36 hours to transform the Christian Dior factory in Orleans, France, from a high-end perfume maker to a massproducer of hydroalcoholic gel, with employees providing a wake-up call for the luxury industry amid the Covid-19 outbreak.

The factory was one of three perfumeries owned by the prestigious LVMH Group – Dior, Guerlain and Parfums Givenchy – that on 15 March this year simultaneously undertook the dramatic shift in operations in order to start work making sanitiser gel. Motivated by a countrywide shortage caused by the coronavirus pandemic, LVMH Chairman and CEO Bernard Arnault instructed his companies to take action. Immediately, the group began producing large quantities of the hydroalcoholic gel to be delivered free to the French health authorities and, predominantly, to the Assistance Publique – Hôpitaux de Paris healthcare system.

“We had the opportunity to be united,” says Claude Martinez, managing director for LVMH Perfume and Cosmetics, who worked with pharmacists and laboratories to ensure the hydroalcoholic gel would be both antiviral and antibacterial. “Cosmetics factories are very similar to pharmaceutical factories… That’s why we have diverted our production lines into this gel production.”

“Mr Arnault said that this free support will be done in the time and quantity required for hospitals,” adds LVMH general secretary Marc Antoine Jamet. “Mr Arnault had the pleasure to show LVMH’s solidarity, especially in his involvement to combat the epidemic.”

Describing a lack of action as “holding a gun to your foot”, it’s clear this proactive approach to fighting the spread of the deadly virus is a point

of great pride for the group’s employees who, by the end of the first week, had already produced more than 19 metric tons of sanitiser – each bottled in the materials the brands had on site, such as elegant Dior-branded containers.

“Everyone in the company, and especially our staff members, are proud to make something concrete to improve the situation,” an LVMH representative tells Tempus. “We all feel that if we can contribute to this huge effort in some small way then we are very happy and proud to do so.”

As the group’s Italian-based company Bulgari also partnered with its historic fragrance manufacturing partner, ICR, to create sanitiser in Italy in addition to funding vaccine research, it’s clear that LVMH’s dedication to practical measures – as well as financial donations – has also inspired other fashion industry giants to step up to the plate.

Prada, Giorgio Armani and Donatella Versace are among the companies and high-profile individuals donating to intensive care units in Italian hospitals.

Closer to home, British watch brand Bremont has offered to switch its watchmaking facilities to ventilator production. UK cosmetics businesses and distilleries have also switched up their production to making highly effective hand sanitiser amid the global shortage. Michael Williams, CEO of The British Honey Company in Buckinghamshire, says: “This enhances our existing business model at the same time as assisting with the efforts to combat the spread of Covid-19. An alcohol-based sanitiser is vodka origin at 70% ABV made from denatured alcohol… Our expert distillery team has been working alongside our in-house microbiologist 94

and an Oxford University chemist to develop and manufacture this new product.”

London-based cosmetics brand Pai Skincare, as well as gin distilleries Verdant Spirits in Dundee, Psychopomp micro-distillery in Bristol, and 58 Gin based in London’s Hackney, have also began to produce sanitiser in high quantities, while independent beermaker BrewDog has added Punk Sanitiser to its range. The brewer’s CEO James Watt says on social media that he is “determined to do everything we can to try and help as many people as possible stay safe,” and adds the sanitiser will be given away to local charities and community members in need in the company’s local Aberdeenshire. lvmh.com; bremont.com paiskincare.com; britishhoney.co.uk

IF WE CAN CONTRIBUTE TO

THIS HUGE EFFORT IN SOME SMALL WAY THEN WE ARE VERY HAPPY AND PROUD

- LVMH

Force for good: LVMH chairman Bernard Arnault (top left); LVMH factories make hand sanitiser for French hospitals

WEALTH

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STAYING THE COURSE

In times of crisis and concern, strong and empathetic leadership is more crucial than ever. Compass For Life founder and Tempus chairman Floyd Woodrow shares how to keep motivation high for you, your family and your team

A

s the UK went into lockdown in March to battle the spread of Covid-19, Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak spoke of the need for leaders to be more empathetic.

Speaking directly to businesses, he said: “The government is doing its best to stand behind you and I’m asking you to do your best to stand behind our workers… When this is over, and it will be over, we want to look back at this moment and remember the many small acts of kindness done by us and to us. We want to look back on this time and remember how we thought first of others, and acted with decency.”

I’ve been fascinated with leadership for many years, first in my military career – where I spent 24 years in the SAS – and then as an entrepreneur, negotiator, and business coach.

My experience with people I’ve met and worked with has led me to formulate what I believe is the key to great leadership, and I created the Compass For Life Foundation to teach this formula to disadvantaged children in the UK. I believe leadership is about having sensitivity and empathy for yourself and others. We need to look after our own health but, as we now know, we must also have concern for others and understand their different needs. Our values need to be strong and positive to ensure our teams are aligned, with high levels of trust and accountability – especially as our offices are now remote. For this, we need a clear vision for all to align behind. We need a compass and map, so that we are creating our own future rather than finding ourselves stuck following a satnav.

My method is designed for CEOs of FTSE 100 companies and primary schoolchildren alike.

Your compass begins with your Super North Star – your absolute goal. East is your Ethos: the values, rapport, resilience and culture that will inspire your team to journey with you. South stands for Strategy – what steps do you need to take to reach your goals – and, finally, West is your Warrior, and how you plan to be strong enough to fight for them.

In difficult times, it can seem like reaching your Super North Star is impossible but, in fact, in crisis there is opportunity. The ability to adapt, re-evaluate and communicate – whether that’s with your colleagues or your loved ones – is crucial, and though an adjustment period is to be expected in times of great change, as we have seen in 2020, there are surefire ways to continue to hone your team in tough environments.

Here, I share advice from my book, The Warrior, The Strategist and You, to help you stay the course and achieve your ultimate goal. »

Reach your goals: Floyd Woodrow (left) with NASA’s Dr Mindy Howard [© Colin Hart/Compass For Life] 98

ANY PERSON WHO WISHES TO

FULFIL THEIR PURPOSE WILL NEED A TEAM AROUND THEM

NORTH STAR | PURPOSE AND MOTIVATION To really understand our true potential, we need to determine what our strengths and weaknesses are. It’s important to concentrate on our superstrengths as they are key to success and most likely what we are passionate about. Life is a journey; it is about adventures and experiences, so we can find out what we love in life. Big dreams should be a little bit scary. It’s important to make sure particular weaknesses aren’t holding us back and limiting our development.

I’ve found the best way to deal with these is to identify and improve one weakness at a time. We have to keep pushing ourselves to succeed, to reach our potential and make sure we’re not becoming complacent. It’s all about staying positive, remembering that we are all working towards something to help us grow as individuals. It’s important to set tough goals, but also to break them down into small, manageable steps so that we can chart our progress and feel like we’re getting somewhere.

are difficult. From there comes the ability to influence, persuade and problem-solve together. This is where we can lead without having to assert our authority, which is, in my opinion, the highest form of communication.

ETHOS | VALUES UNDER PRESSURE When our values are firmly in place, they are unmovable, no matter the adversity. This ensures we do not lose sight of what is actually important in life, even if we are presented with an easier path to take, or if it seems that an alternative path is the most practical or even the only option. Ultimately, only we decide whether we’re willing to compromise our values or not, and for that we need courage.

It’s not only individual ethos that is important, but the ethos of any groups that we are part of. Understanding other people’s ethos helps me understand what makes my team members tick, and how we can work together on agreed set of values. The bedrock of any team is the behaviours we adopt and demand of one another when we are under pressure.

LEADERSHIP AND TEAMWORK Successful people who operate alone are a very rare commodity indeed. Any person who wishes to fulfil their purpose will need a team around them, a support network, whether that’s friends, family or colleagues. How we choose to interact with that team or our support network is key. When I first decided to leave the SAS and make my first foray into business, I made a mistake I now teach others not to, which was failing to tell the people closest to me what my purpose was so that they could support me.

Leadership is a key part of success. In most teams, we will need to learn both how to lead and how to follow. There are certain traits we need to be effective, which make people want to follow us, and which brings out the best in their performances. These include communication, knowledge, discipline, courage, listening, remaining calm and commitment.

STRATEGY | COMMUNICATION AND NEGOTIATION There are many variables in life and we need to be prepared for all or some of those things to change, then adapt our plans accordingly. One SAS technique that any of us can apply to our strategy is visualising each step and milestone of our journey; accounting for all obstacles and contingencies we can think of; making sure the skills we will need are well-practised; and discussing with our team to make sure everyone is heading in the same direction.

Once we have our plan, communicating it effectively is key. Good communication allows us to build foundations of trust and teamwork, and to be creative and convey messages that 99

WARRIOR | HEALTH AND FITNESS Fitness is a fundamental discipline. Not just from the obvious point of being fit and healthy to do the job, but because we think more effectively and make better decisions for longer periods of time – especially when under pressure. It’s not about physical perfection, it’s about our personal wellbeing.

What helps us maintain our discipline, more than physical strength, is mental strength.

Having a positive internal voice is essential. The objective of training is to get our mind and body into the perfect performance state, by ensuring we have the skills to perform under pressure.

Once we have both physical and mental strength, it allows us to access something that is key to the warrior: intuition.

With good leadership and a cohesive team working together as a unit – with a purpose and agreed ethos, well planned strategy and a combined warrior spirit – we can achieve higher standards and performance. It means that, even on our worst day, we will be difficult to beat.

To learn more or join Compass For Life’s upcoming webinars, follow @compassforlifefoundation and @floydwoodrow on Twitter ‘The Warrior, The Strategist and You’ is available from floydwoodrow.com

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Journey to Kinlochewe by amy shore & craig callum amyshorephotography

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LONG CITY NAME

BEAUTIFUL IS RELENTLESS

Indicative fuel consumption figures in litres/100km (mpg) for the 2020 MY Aston Martin DBX: urban 12.2 (23.1); extra urban 13.5 (20.8); combined 14.3 (19.7). CO2 emissions 269g/ km. The mpg/fuel economy figures quoted are sourced from regulated test results obtained through laboratory testing. These figures are strictly indicative and preliminary and are for early comparability purposes only and may not reflect your real driving experience, which may vary depending on factors including road conditions, weather, vehicle load and driving style. These early prototype figures are intended for indicative comparability purposes. This vehicle is not yet for sale and this information is based on a prototype. The fuel consumption you may achieve under real life driving conditions and CO2 produced will depend upon a number of factors including the accessories fitted after registration, variations in driving styles, weather conditions and vehicle load. The official figures for this vehicle will be released prior to and accompanying this vehicle being made for sale to the public. This information will be updated as testing continues.

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