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The Audi AI: TRAIL quattro concept

Ingolstadt/Frankfurt, September 10, 2019 – Audi is completing its quartet of visionary vehicles and will be at IAA 2019 to showcase an electric off-roader for the future of road transport: the Audi AI:TRAIL quattro, a comprehensive concept for sustainable mobility off the beaten track. All four visionary use case vehicles—the Audi Aicon, AI:ME, AI:RACE and AI:TRAIL will be on show together at Audi’s stand in Hall 3 throughout the whole of IAA 2019.

At IAA 2019, Audi is showing the concept study for an electrically driven off-roader of the future. With this premiere, the brand with the four rings is completing a quartet of visionary automobiles, which started in 2017, also at the IAA, with the debut of the Audi AICON. All four studies can be seen at IAA 2019 at the Audi stand in Hall 3.

CONCEPT – The Off-Roader of the Future – the Audi AI: TRAIL quattro

Ingolstadt/Frankfurt, September 10, 2019 – Audi is completing its quartet of visionary vehicles and will be at IAA 2019 to showcase an electric off-roader for the future of road transport: the Audi AI:TRAIL quattro, a comprehensive concept for sustainable mobility off the beaten track. All four visionary use case vehicles—the Audi Aicon, AI:ME, AI:RACE and AI:TRAIL will be on show together at Audi’s stand in Hall 3 throughout the whole of IAA 2019.

  • Emissions-free driving in the great outdoors
  • Four electric motors and a quattro drive
  • Aicon and friends: Audi bringing all four visionary vehicles to the IAA

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Color: Solar sky

The four-seater Audi AI:TRAIL quattro combines the capacity for automated driving with superb off-road capabilities. The glass surrounding the cabin extends all the way to ground level, providing unrivaled all-round visibility. The ample battery capacity ensures sufficient range even away from dense networks of charging stations.

Audi AI:TRAIL quattro

The “Trail” part of the name evokes the idea of exploring nature. That is why there are no big screens on board for streaming TV series or videoconferencing; instead, broad glass surfaces provide a clear view of the surroundings. This is how Marc Lichte, Audi’s Head of Design, describes the use case: “With the AI:TRAIL, we are showing an off-road concept with an emissions-free electric drive for an innovative driving experience away from paved roads. Consistent with this, we designed a monolithic basic vehicle body with maximum glazing to create an intense connection to the surroundings. A concept for sustainable mobility on demand.”
Audi’s visionary vehicles

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Color: Solar sky

The Audi AI:TRAIL quattro is the fourth entrant in the series of concept cars with electric drive systems, which began with the presentation of the Audi Aicon at the 2017 iteration of the IAA.

Static photo
Color: Solar sky

Following this luxury-class vehicle very much intended for highly automated long-distance driving, an emissions-free monoposto designed for the race track, the Audi PB18 e-tron, made its debut in Pebble Beach in 2018. It has been given a new name in time for IAA 2019, gaining the shared “AI” prefix to indicate that it, too, is part of the family. It is now known as the

Audi AI:TRAIL quattro

AI:RACE, which leaves no illusions as to the purpose of the electric sports car.

The third in the series, the Audi AI:ME—introduced at the 2019 Auto Shanghai show—is an autonomous city car aimed at megacities all over the world. It allows its passengers to stop worrying about the stop-and-go traffic that is inevitable in urban areas, offering them perfect connectivity and a comprehensive range of infotainment services, helping them to spend their time in the vehicle as usefully and as relaxed as possible.

Design sketch

Finally, with the AI:TRAIL, Audi is now opening up the potential applications for its visionary vehicles to include off-road terrain. The car is equipped with four electric motors, systems for assisted and automated driving and—typically for Audi—quattro permanent all-wheel drive.

Design sketch

The Aicon, AI:ME, AI:RACE and AI:TRAIL are united by more than just the concept of sustainable drive systems and a body line that will run far into the future. They also embody an entirely new mobility concept for the brand with the four rings. Unlike the cars of the present, such vehicles will no longer have to compromise between a wide range of uses and scenarios. Instead, it will be possible to design tomorrow’s cars for much more specific use cases. In the future, customers will be able to order any of these specialist Audi models from an Audi on demand vehicle pool to suit their personal preferences and requirements and to lease them for a limited period.

In the process, they will not have to miss out on the high level of customization that is taken for granted in the premium segment nowadays. That is because it will be possible for all the user’s available data and preferences to be taken into account in the process of configuring and equipping the vehicle for lease.

Detail

Customers who book a vehicle will then not only get their desired vehicle but also can have it configured to suit their personal preferences as far as possible. The color, interiors, and technical options can be pre-configured online with the app or via the driver details stored in the myAudi system. Even drivers’ preferred interior temperature, the perfect ergonomic seat adjustment, and their personal music library will already be activated when they get into the car.

Detail

This offer is accessible and easy to use via a simple app that connects the vehicle order, personal preferences of the user, and numerous options that can be used while on the road.

Interior

Reduction as a principle of style – the interior

The interior of the Audi AI:TRAIL is tidy and spacious, and it has just a few visible control elements. There are two comfortable-looking, almost delicate seat shells in the front row, both equipped with four-point seat belts. Light colors dominate the upper interior area down to the level of the seat cushion and the low dashboard. The openness to the outside world appears all the more present; the occupant’s eye is drawn to the large glass areas in the front and side sections and guided through the almost fully glazed roof.

Detail

Pedals, a yoke for a steering wheel, a few buttons, and a smartphone attached to the steering column as a display and control center for vehicle functions and navigation—those are all the elements there are for the interaction between the driver and the vehicle.

Interior

The whole color concept with its blue and gray surfaces and earthy tones emphasizes the connection between the interior and the surrounding nature. The sense of touch adds to this perception, with rough, granular surfaces indicating functional qualities. Smooth wool felt in the luggage compartment provides a cozy contrast. Like in previous concept cars, the Audi designers also use recycled materials in the AI:TRAIL. The carpet is made of reprocessed wool with recycled leather, both of which are sustainable and durable, and feature excellent acoustic and climatic properties.

Interior

There is storage space between the seats and also under the windshield. Tensioning straps secure any stowed objects, which can also be loaded from the outside through the upward-folding windshield. Seat belt retractors ensure that the tensioning straps always have optimum tension.

The second row features a novelty in the form of two seats designed like hammocks. When taut and tensioned in a transportable tubular frame, panels of fabric form a comfortable seating surface and backrest, and the backrest that is drawn around to the side even provides lateral support. These seats are good for relaxation in more ways than one, as they can even be taken out of the AI:TRAIL and used as mobile outdoor chairs.

https://www.audi.es/es/web/es.html

 

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THE MILLION STITCH ROLLS-ROYCE PHANTOM
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THE MILLION STITCH ROLLS-ROYCE PHANTOM

An enchanting new Rolls-Royce Phantom has been commissioned by a Stockholm-based entrepreneur with an extraordinary passion for flowers. The patron, with a wife and two of four children named after flowers, challenged the Rolls-Royce Bespoke Collective comprising designers, craftspeople and engineers, to envision a car that immerses its occupants in a beguiling floral scene. The result is a sanctuary of true luxury, a vision of flowers, created with a million embroidered stitches.

THE MILLION STITCH ROLLS-ROYCE PHANTOM

THE MILLION STITCH ROLLS-ROYCE PHANTOM carpeta

Torsten Müller Ötvös, Chief Executive, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, commented, “The Rose Phantom is a stunning iteration of a contemporary Rolls-Royce. Our extraordinary craftspeople at the Home of Rolls-Royce have achieved, with this car, something which can only be described as sublime.

Rolls-Royce Phantom

THE MILLION STITCH ROLLS-ROYCE PHANTOM

THE MILLION STITCH ROLLS-ROYCE PHANTOM

The work of our Bespoke Collective is the best in the world. When I look at creations like this car, it is with a sense of pride that I know that these skills could not be replicated anywhere else in the world.

THE MILLION STITCH ROLLS-ROYCE PHANTOM

THE MILLION STITCH ROLLS-ROYCE PHANTOM interior

This is undoubtedly one of the greatest Rolls-Royce Phantoms of its generation.”
The Rose Garden at the Home of Rolls-Royce in Goodwood, West Sussex, served as the primary point of inspiration for Ieuan Hatherall, a Bespoke Designer for Rolls-Royce. This Rose Garden is the only place in the world that the Phantom Rose is grown. Bred exclusively for Rolls-Royce by British Rose Breeder Philip Harkness of Harkness Roses, the Phantom Rose grows in the courtyard of the marque’s Global Centre of Luxury Manufacturing Excellence at Goodwood in West Sussex, England.

THE MILLION STITCH ROLLS-ROYCE PHANTOM interior

THE MILLION STITCH ROLLS-ROYCE PHANTOM interior

THE MILLION STITCH ROLLS-ROYCE PHANTOM interior

Ieuan Hatherall commented, “There is a transcendent beauty when a rose garden is in full bloom. The patron wanted to create that same feeling of awe; an abundance of flowers to lift the spirit and celebrate nature’s decadent beauty, in the Rose Phantom’s serene interior.”

THE MILLION STITCH ROLLS-ROYCE PHANTOM interior

THE MILLION STITCH ROLLS-ROYCE PHANTOM interior

The Peacock Blue exterior of the Rose Phantom is punctuated with a Charles Blue twinned-coachline that intertwines organically like the stem of a rose, combining to introduce the rose motif, an indication of both the colours and the treatment within. The wheels echo the design and are embellished with a twinned pinstripe, also in Charles Blue.

THE MILLION STITCH ROLLS-ROYCE PHANTOM interior

THE MILLION STITCH ROLLS-ROYCE PHANTOM interior

On opening the coach doors, one first encounters the embroidery on the inside of the rear doors, but it is not until entering the rear cabin that one fully encounters the extraordinary extent of the satin stitch creation. The Phantom Rose is illustrated in varying stages of maturity, from bud to full bloom, in an asymmetrical design that appears to grow across the roof lining, from the rear of the car. The marque’s fabled starlight headliner illuminates the scene as the roses are interspersed with individually placed fibre-optic lights.

THE MILLION STITCH ROLLS-ROYCE PHANTOM interior

THE MILLION STITCH ROLLS-ROYCE PHANTOM interior

In the rear compartment, Serenity Seating with a soft calf rest cushion adopts the inverted colour-way of the exterior as sumptuous Charles Blue leather is accented with Peacock Blue piping. From here, one can admire Phantom’s Gallery, created as a centrepiece of the interior. Stems of embroidered roses climb through the glass fronted fascia, providing a spectacle for the motor car’s occupants.
At the request of the patron, colour is introduced in the form of Peacock and Adonis Blue butterflies, imbuing movement to the elegant motif. The patron’s family also played a creative role; his wife designed the umbrellas whilst his daughter, Magnolia, defined the exterior hue of this Phantom. The patron commented, “I wanted to have flowers and roses everywhere. It became an amazing piece of art.”

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Six motorsport highlights from another incredible year at Goodwood

Six motorsport highlights from another incredible year at Goodwood

Can you believe that the 2019 Goodwood motorsport season is over? Well there’s no need to be down, as tickets for the 2020 Goodwood Festival of Speed presented by mastercard, 78th Members’ Meeting and Revival are now on sale!

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Goodwood fos-2019-volkswagen-idr-jayson-fong-goodwood-

That’s right, tickets to our 2020 motorsport events are now on sale, and to celebrate that, and to look back on 2019, we’ve collected six of our favourite moments from this year’s 77th Members’ meeting, Festival of Speed presented by Mastercard and Revival.

Remember, tickets to the 78th Members’ Meeting are on sale exclusively to GRRC members and members of the GRRC Fellowship. For more information on tickets visit ticketing.goodwood.com.

Mini overtakes at the 77th Members’ Meeting

What better way to celebrate 60 years of Britain’s most iconic motor than to bring about that number of the mighty racers together for an epic three-part battle at Goodwood? Well, that’s exactly what we did at the 77th Members’ Meeting back in April 2019. Set as a shootout of two heats on Saturday and an epic final on Sunday, the event would eventually pitch Mini legend Nick Swift against Goodwood outright lap record holder Nick Padmore in virtually identical cars. This clip is just a taste of the madness that ensued, and you can watch the whole race by clicking here.

Senna GTR world debut

It’s not just racing cars at Goodwood, of course. We have a very long history of debuting some of the world’s most precious metal, and that doesn’t just stop at the Festival of Speed. Oh no, over the last few years both the Revival and Members’ Meetings have gotten in on the act, with McLaren’s new Senna becoming a bit of a fixture at our season opener. In 2018 at the 76th event the standard (if one can ever be standard) Senna made its dynamic debut, before the ultimate hardcore track version, the GTR, followed at the 77th. Safe to say it made quite an impression!

39.9 seconds – a new record at the Festival of Speed

Romain Dumas has been coming here for a few years, but it seems that over the last 24 months or so he’s decided to make Goodwood his own. First he won the 2018 Timed Shootout in Volkswagen’s mighty ID.R Pikes Peak dominator, then he raced hard with Andrew Jordan at Revival later that year. As if that wasn’t enough in 2019 he turned up with a new version of the ID.R, ready to have a crack at the Hill record, a standard that had sat for only the small matter of 20 years… Undeterred he didn’t just break it, he smashed it, and then took the outright Festival Hill record down below 40 seconds for the first time ever. It was stunning and, as you’ll soon see, it turned out Dumas wasn’t done with Goodwood just yet. If you want more, you can see the full timed shootout by clicking here.

De Tomaso P72 unveiled to the world

We’ve seen plenty of incredible debuts over the years at Goodwood, we’ve even spoken about one already in this very piece. But at the Festival of Speed this year we saw one that dropped a lot of jaws. Decades after disappearing from the face of the earth De Tomaso, once of Mangusta and Pantera fame, was back. It was back with a bang too, in the form of the stunning De Tomaso P72, a car with an amazing exterior and a mind-boggling interior.

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Porsche and Lucasfilm present starship design
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Porsche and Lucasfilm present starship design

Stuttgart/Los Angeles. Designers from Porsche AG and Lucasfilm Ltd. have joined forces to develop a fantasy starship that brings together the design DNA of the two brands. Over a period of two months, the project team worked together at their respective design studios in Weissach and San Francisco to create initial ideas and drafts before finally coming up with a concrete concept. The fantasy starship, named TriWing S-91x Pegasus Starfighter, will be presented as a detailed model measuring 1.5 metres (5 feet) in length at the December film premiere of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker in Los Angeles.

Porsche and Lucasfilm present starship design

“The design of the spaceship is harmoniously integrated into the Star Wars film world while at the same time demonstrating clear analogies with the characteristic Porsche
styling and proportions,” says Michael Mauer, Vice President Style Porsche at Porsche AG. “The basic shape of the cabin, which tapers towards the rear, and a highly distinctive topography from the cockpit flyline to the turbines establish visual parallels with the iconic design of the 911 and the Taycan. The very compact layout conveys dynamism and agility, lending emphasis to the Porsche design features mentioned.”

Porsche and Lucasfilm present starship design

Porsche and Lucasfilm present starship design

“This collaboration is an amazing opportunity to merge the design aesthetics of Porsche and Star Wars. I found it to be creatively challenging and extremely inspiring,” says Doug Chiang, Vice President and Executive Creative Director for Lucasfilm. “It is thrilling to infuse Star Wars with Porsche styling to create an iconic new spaceship that could exist both on Earth or in the cinematic universe.”

Porsche and Lucasfilm present starship design

Porsche and Lucasfilm present starship design

While legal requirements impose certain restrictions on creativity in the classic design process for a series-production vehicle, this project opens up a whole new dimension
of freedom. At the same time, the Style Porsche team faced fresh challenges, since creating a purely virtual design is demanding, too. On the screen, the starship is only seen in two dimensions, while classic series-production vehicles appear physically in three dimensions. In addition, starships usually only appear dynamically in the film and are only visible for a brief moment – so the design has to create an impression and be recognisable within a matter of seconds.

Porsche and Lucasfilm present starship design

Porsche and Lucasfilm present starship design

A glance at the details reveals a number of features familiar from the Porsche design style. The front is reminiscent of the so-called “air curtains” (air inlets) that go together with the headlights to create a single formal entity in the Taycan. In addition to the fourpoint daytime running light typical of Porsche, the so-called “blasters” – long gun barrels at the front – are located at the tip. The rear grid with the louvres and integrated third brake light was inspired by the current 911 generation, and the rear section of the starship bears the brand’s hallmark light bar.

Porsche and Lucasfilm present starship design

Porsche and Lucasfilm present starship design

Porsche design criteria have been applied to the interior, too: the instruments in the cockpit are clearly aligned with the driver’s axis, while the low seating position is reminiscent of the sporty ergonomics in the Porsche 918 Spyder. All in all, the design follows a basic principle that is characteristic of the brand: all the elements on the exterior have a clear function, and purely visual features have largely been dispensed with.

Porsche and Lucasfilm present starship design

Porsche and Lucasfilm present starship design

“Our collaborative project with Star Wars goes perfectly with the launch of the Taycan. The design teams have brought the differing worlds of Porsche and Star Wars together to make a very special gift for the fans of the two brands,” says Kjell Gruner, Head of Marketing at Porsche. Porsche will also be showcasing the all-new Taycan at the premiere event in Los Angeles. A special behind the scenes look at how the finished starship came to be is now available online at www.TheDesignerAlliance.com which was produced in partnership with WIRED Brand Lab.

www.thedesigneralliance.com
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BIONIC PERFORMING ARTIST VIKTORIA MODESTA EMBODIES ROLLS-ROYCE BLACK BADGE

In March 2016 Rolls-Royce Motor Cars presented Black Badge; a permanent Bespoke family of motor cars that respond to the taste patterns of the marque’s most daring and disruptive clients. Since its introduction, Black Badge has become the most commanding presence on the super-luxury landscape and has done much to attract a new generation of Rolls-Royce customers to the marque. The time is now right to delve further into its extraordinary allure.

  • Extraordinary creative team interpret Rolls-Royce’s boldest expression of luxury
  • Black Badge attitude shaped by futurist and bionic artist, Viktoria Modesta
  • ‘Jacob’s Ladder’ prosthetic created in collaboration with Rolls-Royce for short film

In March 2016 Rolls-Royce Motor Cars presented Black Badge; a permanent Bespoke family of motor cars that respond to the taste patterns of the marque’s most daring and disruptive clients. Since its introduction, Black Badge has become the most commanding presence on the super-luxury landscape and has done much to attract a new generation of Rolls-Royce customers to the marque. The time is now right to delve further into its extraordinary allure.

BIONIC PERFORMING ARTIST VIKTORIA MODESTA EMBODIES ROLLS-ROYCE BLACK BADGE

“Black Badge began as an alter-ego of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars but has grown to define an attitude that exists among a new breed of entrepreneurs. These remarkable people are confident, assertive and wilfully disruptive. They respond to the notion of reimagined rules. This film is a tribute to their philosophy and the ongoing success of this truly transformative expression of luxury.”
Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive Officer, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.

In this spirit, the marque called upon a collective of globally recognised creatives to express the soul of Black Badge. At the centre of the work is bionic performance artist and art director Viktoria Modesta, celebrated for her innovative and futuristic approach and famed for her fearless performances at the Paralympic Games Closing Ceremony, Art Basel, and Fashion Weeks worldwide.

Modesta says, “There are many parallels between the Black Badge philosophy and my work, chiefly maximising your potential and becoming a hyper version of yourself. I really wanted to capture the Black Badge attitude and fierce spirit, by embodying that through body art, it felt totally wild. Pushing the boundaries to the extreme we explored the allure of a darker, bolder expression, a place where your senses are heightened, where you are the bravest and most free.”


Key to expressing Modesta’s character through the prism of Black Badge was an international team of tech and fashion designers. Anouk Wipprecht, the ‘FashionTech’ pioneer collaborated with Rolls-Royce to build items that apply Wipprecht’s hallmark aesthetic of fashion design, engineering, science and user experience to the pieces.

Among the extraordinary items created for this performance art piece was a prosthetic limb wrought from Black Badge fibre glass that the designer created in collaboration with Joe DiPrima at ArcAttack, the Alternative Limb Project and the Rolls-Royce Bespoke Collective of craftspeople, designers and engineers. A Tesla coil is incorporated into the heel and activates under pressure to create a ‘Jacob’s Ladder’ effect, illuminating the glass area of the limb with a continuous train of large sparks on demand. It is the first wearable ‘Jacob’s Ladder’ of its kind. The coloured area of the prosthetic is finished in the marque’s hallmark Black paint and detailed with a 3D printed and electroplated Rolls-Royce grille motif.

Wipprecht, alongside Modesta and the Bespoke Collective also tailored a Black Badge carbon fibre bodice to the bionic artist. The artist’s silhouette was digitised using a high-resolution body scan while the bodice itself was created using a SLS powder-based 3D printing technique to form the extra-lightweight wearable before it was veneered with carbon fibre.

Wipprecht says, “Like the Black Badge motor cars we are expressing, Viktoria is badass. She’s not scared of anything. Creating my aesthetic overlay in collaboration with the Rolls-Royce Bespoke Collective merged technology and fashion in a way that truly captured the spirit of Black Badge.”

The visionary tasked with creating a cohesive narrative was director, Jora Frantzis. Her work articulating the visual backdrop of subversive contemporary recording artists, including Cardi B and IV Jay, prepared her to interpret the dark world of Black Badge with Modesta at its centre.

“Viktoria as an embodiment of power symbolised through the electricity of the prosthetic. She can shift time and space, shape worlds and push them in any direction she deems fit. Modesta’s subversive style worked so well with Rolls-Royce Black Badge. I’m pleased to say that we’ve created something really unique.”

The short film can be viewed online at rolls-roycemotorcars.com

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Lamborghini Lambo V12 Vision Gran Turismo en Montecarlo

Sant’Agata Bolognese/Monte-Carlo, Monaco, 24 November 2019 – Automobili Lamborghini presents its new concept car, the Lamborghini Lambo V12 Vision Gran Turismo, ahead of the World
Finals of the 2019 FIA Certified Gran Turismo Championships taking place in Monte Carlo, Monaco.

Lamborghini Lambo V12 Vision Gran Turismo en Montecarlo

The Lambo V12 Vision GT is a highly visionary concept, emphasizing ‘fun to drive’ within the digital environment of the iconic racing game Gran Turismo Sport for Sony PlayStation 4, where it will be virtually available from spring 2020.

Stefano Domenicali, Chairman and CEO of Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A. comments: “Lamborghini is a very young brand, and this is why we are here today to present our newest virtual vision in the form of a real model, with a highly futuristic and cool design to be enjoyed by the young generation of racing game and super sports car enthusiasts.”

The Lambo V12 Vision GT features a very exciting design produced by Lamborghini Centro Stile in Sant’Agata Bolognese. It is a single seater, which in its virtual form uses the powertrain from the
Lamborghini Sián FKP 37.

The design builds on historic Lamborghini design DNA, expanding the potential of the design language in a very futuristic way. Focused on the single center line, the iconic silhouette of all
Lamborghini models, it emphasizes a single seater layout conceived for a racing game where a passenger is not needed.

The concept car’s powerful overall design is dedicated to sophisticated aerodynamics. A large wing housing a significant Y-taillight dominates the rear. All elements are designed as high performance surfaces, integrating design and aerodynamics. The main body is disconnected from the fenders, and the hexagon-inspired theme in the side windows is inspired by the Lamborghini Marzal from 1968. The Lambo V12 Vision GT uses the typical Lamborghini Y-signature for both front lights andrear lights.

A visionary concept requires an interior design ahead of its time. The driver enters the cabin like a jetfighter pilot, from the front of the car. The main driving controls are located within the
futuristic steering wheel and all driver information is projected virtually in front of the driver.

“The Lambo V12 Vision Gran Turismo is created to provide the ultimate virtual car for young fans and gamers, who are ultra-enthusiastic about Lamborghini and its futuristic aspirations,” said Mitja Borkert, Head of Lamborghini Centro Stile. ”It is an opportunity for the design talent within Lamborghini to stretch its wings and visualize a car that, like every Lamborghini, is a head-turner and the best driving experience, but also mirrors Lamborghini’s push on future technologies, particularly in the arena of lightweight materials and hybridization.”

Photos and videos: media.lamborghini.comLamborghini Lambo
Information on Automobili Lamborghini: www.lamborghini.com

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Yachts

Pure Symbols Of Sophistication: Here Are The Most Unique Superyachts

Superyachts are the essence, personification, and epitome of a luxury lifestyle. The yachting life is one filled with luxury, relaxation, sophistication, and class. Only the world’s richest people with unparalleled wealth, capital and prosperity can afford this unique extravagance: the yachting luxury lifestyle comprises the height of superiority and luxury. If you want to discover which are the most unique superyachts in the world, here is an outstanding selection of the sailing world.

#1 AZZAM

Azzam1yacht

azzam2

Azzam is the world’s biggest private modern yacht and one of the most unique superyachts. The exterior design was created by Nauta Design, while the luxury interior design was built by Christophe Leoni. As a perfect symbol of a luxury lifestyle, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the President of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Abu Dhabi is the owner of this superyacht. Featuring more than fifty contemporary suites with modern interior design, the Azzam also has a missile defense system.

 

#2 HISTORY SUPREME

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Known as being of the most expensive superyachts, the History Supreme is a creative masterpiece by Stuart Hughes. With a deck, a contemporary dining area, and a sparkling anchor – all crafted from precious metals – this luxury yacht was made of solid gold and it was reportedly sold to an anonymous Malaysian businessman in 2011. One amazing curiosity: inside the marvelous yacht, there is a statue made out of a T-Rex’s bone and many exclusive pieces such as meteorite parts.

 

#3 SERENE

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Constructed in 2011 by Fincantieri, featuring exterior design by Espen Oeino and an interior by Luca Dini and Reymond Langton, the Serene is one the largest superyachts on the planet. Launched for the first time into Italian waters, this modern yacht was acquired for 500 million euros in 2015 by Mohammed bin Salman, the deputy crown prince of Saudi Arabia. This superyacht contains one luxury master suite, one VIP stateroom, ten double cabins, and one twin cabin: the perfect yacht to live a unique experience.

 

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#4 DILBAR

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Launched in 2016 and built by Lürssen, Dilbar is a luxury mega yacht that features two helipads, a large indoor swimming pool on the main deck and also a 3,800 square meters of living space area. Recognized as one of the world’s largest superyachts measured by volume, Dilbar is designed by Espen Oeino and presents a modern interior design by Winch Design. With an aluminum super construction, all the unique design details of this superyacht are outstanding and terrific.

 

#5 OCTOPUS

190910080125 octopus yacht

octopus yacht interior

Owned by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, The Octopus superyacht contains a helicopter pad and garage aft and can also accept a second helicopter on the bows. With accommodation for more than twenty exclusive guests in thirteen cabins, Octopus is a capable modern yacht to live a marvelous experience and to explore the world. Delivering a high-class service, this is one of the unique superyachts that features a private bar, jacuzzi, a movie theater, and a contemporary dining room.

 

#6 PELORUS

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Launched in 2003 and built by Lürssen, the Pelorus is a sailing masterwork by Tim Heywood, who planned the exterior design, and Terence Disdale, who created all the contemporary interior design. Perfect for someone who lives a luxury lifestyle, this is one of the superyachts that comprises two helicopter pads, a spa pool, a stunning swimming pool with an artificial current and a master suite that offers fantastic panoramic views.

 

#7 DUBAI

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Measuring more than 160 meters, Dubai is the second-largest private superyacht in the world. Internationally recognized for sophisticated lines and a modern aluminum structure, this luxury yacht was launched in 2006 and was designed by Andrew Winch and for Platinum Yachts in the United Arab Emirates. Inside this mega yacht, it is possible to get amazed by all the luxury interior design featuring bold colors and detailed craftsmanship masterpieces as handmade mosaics. One of the most marvelous superyachts in the world!

 

#8 TOPAZ A+ YACHT

TOPAZ 1

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Owned by billionaire Mansour bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and member of the Abu Dhabi Royal Family, this modern mega yacht is one of the largest luxury boats in the world. Unique, elegant and exclusive: three perfect words that can describe this superyacht fully equipped by a gym, a swimming pool, a conference room, a movie theatre and also two helipads.

 

#9 ECLIPSE

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The Eclipse is one of the most contemporary superyachts that belongs to Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich. Including two helicopter pads, more than twenty guest cabins, a remarkable disco hall, two incredible swimming pools, Eclipse is one of the most expensive superyachts and a flawless synonym for luxury: capable for amazing adventures all around the world, this luxury yacht features an ultra-advanced stabilizations structure.

#10 CHRISTINA O

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Christina O is one of the most emblematic and iconic superyachts of all times: this historic yacht houses some of the most famous personalities in the world: Marylin Monroe, John F Kennedy, Frank Sinatra, and Winston Churchill. Delivering a striking interior design filled with luxury furniture pieces and providing incredible comfort, Christina O is the greatest glamorous and superb superyacht, the true Queen of the Superyacht World.


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Anatomy of a winner: How the Audi R8 LMS scored victory in the 24 Hours of Nürburgring

 Production-based race car with nearly 30,000 kilometers of mileage
• With 487 horsepower to victory in the Eifel
• Customers benefit from reliability and good drivability

Audi R8 LMS #4 (Audi Sport Team Phoenix), Pierre Kaffer/Frank Stippler/Dries Vanthoor/Frédéric Vervisch

Neuburg a. d. Donau, July 18, 2019 – The race car with which Audi Sport customer racing won the 24 Hours of Nürburgring for the fifth time has an unusual history. It stands for the performance capability of a concept that customers benefit from all over the world. The race car in which Pierre Kaffer, Frank Stippler, Dries Vanthoor and Frédéric Vervisch won at the Nürburgring on June 23 was neither a new nor a one-year-old car, but a two-year-old one: almost exactly two years before its victory at the Nürburgring, the Audi R8 LMS with chassis number AS4SAFGT201700089 started to its maiden race, round three of the Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup. The 6-hour race was held at Le Castellet on June 24, 2017. At that time, Audi Sport Team ISR fielded the Audi for drivers Jamie Green, Frank Stippler and Kelvin van der Linde. To date, the car has done three tests and contested twelve races with four different teams, including the 24 Hours of Spa twice, the 24 Hours of Nürburgring twice and the California 8 Hours at Laguna Seca twice. By the time the last checkered flag fell, this Audi R8 LMS had covered a total distance of 29,836 kilometers at qualifying and racing speed within the space of two years.

Frank Stippler, Dries Vanthoor, Frédéric Vervisch, Pierre Kaffer

“This statistic is not only a nice success for Audi Sport customer racing, but also sends a message to our customers,” says Chris Reinke, Head of Audi Sport customer racing. “In our strategic commitments, we definitely rely on ‘used cars’ as well and demonstrate the success that can be achieved with them. However, the greatest benefit to our worldwide customers is the durability of our engineering design.” The production-based GT3 race car shares 50 percent of its components with the production model. The ASF multi-material chassis of aluminum and CFRP is produced at the same manufacturing facility as the production model, at Böllinger Höfe of Audi’s Neckarsulm site. The quality of the lightweight design is excellent as well: the race car tips the scales at merely 1,235 kilograms, but has to weigh 1,310 kilograms in the Nürburgring 24 Hours due to the regulations. The V10 engine is even almost completely production-based. With service intervals of 10,000 kilometers and rebuild intervals of 20,000 kilometers, the customer racing car makes particularly economical operation possible for the teams. The power-plant in the winning car had already run for 5,000 kilometers before the event at the Nürburgring began. The rating of the race car, which serves to put all competitors on a similar lap time level, results in a variation: on the roller dynamometer, the V10 engine produces merely 487 horsepower at the Nürburgring on account of the mandatory air restrictor, while the production model delivers 27 percent more output, that is 620 horsepower. Thus, in the engine output ranking in the SP9 class, the Audi R8 LMS was in the last but one spot at the Nürburgring. In other words: the GT3 race car that was the second-weakest in the field due to the regulations won the race thanks to its above-average concept.

Audi R8 LMS #4 (Audi Sport Team Phoenix), Pierre Kaffer/Frank Stippler/Dries Vanthoor/Frédéric Vervisch

The Nordschleife of the Nürburgring is a 25.378-kilometer roller coaster track that is respected by drivers from all over the world and keeps proving its “Green Hell” character. In spite of these
tough conditions, Audi – unlike other manufacturers – made only minor modifications to adapt the race car to the Nordschleife. The prescribed ground clearance of 70 millimeters means that
the GT3 sports car lies about one centimeter higher above the tarmac than on other race tracks.

As a result, as well as due to the 100 millimeter slimmer rear wing prescribed by the regulations, aerodynamic downforce is reduced. Even so, the sports car remains easy to drive. The entire team with race engineers and drivers delivered an impeccable performance at the event.

 

Frédéric Vervisch, Pierre Kaffer, Dries Vanthoor, Frank Stippler, Chris Reinke

Other Audi customer race cars were successful in the iconic 24-hour race as well: Third place went to Audi Sport Team Car Collection of Marcel Fässler/Christopher Haase/René Rast/Markus Winkelhock. The cockpit of the second Audi from Phoenix Racing was filled by two amateur drivers – Kim-Luis Schramm and Vincent Kolb – who together with two other drivers clinched a remarkable seventh place overall thanks to the car’s good drivability. Four gentleman drivers from Team Car Collection Motorsport, who only occasionally contest races, on clinching 15th position in the field of 155 entrants, demonstrated the qualities of the Audi R8 LMS as well.

Like all other customers, they benefited from the most recent evolution: Since 2019, a new aero package has enhanced handling stability once more. In addition, improvements have been made to increase the race car’s durability and consistency even further. So, what will happen to the race car of the winners now? Audi Sport customer racing proves its close ties to customers and sponsors in this respect, too: Audi Sport will sell the original winning car to an interested partner, just like the brand did when victory was clinched two years ago. With its second 24-hour race victory within the space of just six months following its successful debut in Dubai in January and 13th overall victory in a 24-hour event, the Audi R8 LMS ranks among the best models worldwide. More than a dozen manufacturers offer GT3 cars for customer racing. Another competition is coming up soon. Just five weeks after the Nürburgring, the next major 24-hour race – at Spa – is on the calendar. Audi has won the iconic event in the Ardennes four times since 2011.

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ICONA AND JD UNVEIL A CO-BRANDING PROJECT AT AUTO SHANGHAI 2019

Shanghai, 16 April 2019 – ICONA Design Group unveiled today the world premiere of an innovative transportation vehicle co-branded with JD (NASDAQ: JD), one of China’s largest e-commerce companies.

This project marks a milestone in the growth of the young Italian design company which has attended all Auto Shanghai shows since its foundation in 2010.
ICONA makes its appearance at Auto Shanghai with three creations,

ICONA AUTO SHANGHAI 2019

ICONA AUTO SHANGHAI 2019

• The world premiere of ICONA & JinDong Co-Branding Project, a completely new autonomous logistics vehicle dedicated to the transportation of goods.
• The Space-pod, a small autonomous robot designed by ICONA for the Chinese leading e-commerce platform for service company Meituan (HKG:3690) which will make its Chinese premiere. The Space-pod was first shown at CES in Las Vegas in January 2019.
• The ICONA Nucleus, shown for the first time in the most advanced and fastest-growing city in the world, will surprise and inspire experts and enthusiasts as has already happened in Geneva, Beijing, Los Angeles, Paris and Monaco.

WORLD PREMIERE
ICONA AND JD UNVEIL A CO-BRANDING PROJECT AT AUTO SHANGHAI 2019

Teresio Gigi Gaudio, Chairman & CEO of ICONA Design, says: « ICONA partners with innovative, fast-growing companies which reshape our daily experience of consumer goods delivery and mobility. The ICONA Nucleus, the Space-pod for Meituan and the third vehicle for JD are three faces of the same revolutionary approach to urban movement and transportation of people and goods. »

ICONA AUTO SHANGHAI 2019

ICONA AUTO SHANGHAI 2019

JinDong (JD) Autonomous Logistic vehicle is a running prototype. Samuel Chuffart, VP & Global Design Director of ICONA, says: “This vehicle, designed by ICONA and realized with Chery and other partners for JD, is intended to operate within JD’s premises and cover the distance from JD warehouses to JD delivery stations and JD terminal delivery robots. The design is approachable, not intimidating. Its light communication signature faces outwards rather than forwards: the intention is to provide an immediate and intuitive connection for the user and for people adjacent to the vehicle. The streamlined surfaces and a solid double-face silhouette underline the full versatility of this vehicle, so simple in its look and so rich in its performance.”

In the future a vehicle like this could be used on campuses, in industrial parks and other controlled private and public areas, and potentially also (after tomorrow) on public roads, starting with those roads with dedicated lanes.
Since Geneva 2018, ICONA’s flagship project has been the highly acclaimed Icona Nucleus. “It is a concept vehicle” comments Chuffart, “that embodies ICONA’s vision for the mobility of after tomorrow, anticipating the redefinition of automobile architecture with full autonomous driving technology on an electric hydrogen powered platform.”
ICONA Nucleus has been awarded twice by the German Council for Design (Passenger Cars and Universal Design) and has inspired many other futuristic concept vehicles already presented to the market.

ICONA AUTO SHANGHAI 2019

ICONA AUTO SHANGHAI 2019

With these two other autonomous driving vehicles, ICONA strengthens its ties to future mobility, looking beyond traditional people transportation and opening its design research to new dimensions. « Our three studios in Turin, Shanghai and Los Angeles » says Gaudio, « are pushing to the limits the boundaries of innovation, with tangible benefits for all our clients. »
JinDong (JD) Autonomous Logistic Vehicle – Technical specifications
Length 3171 mm; width 1647 mm, height 1927 mm

ICONA

Founded in 2010, Icona has its roots in the city of Turin, Italy, where many globally recognized automotive-related facilities are concentrated, including design studios, manufacturers, universities and research centers. The Icona group has a partnership with sector leaders Tecnocad Progetti and Cecomp which ensures a solid base for development projects carried out for its clients, with know-how that covers the entire process, from management to styling, and from engineering to prototyping and production. Tecnocad and Cecomp are also two shareholders of Icona along with Teresio Gigi Gaudio, Chairman and CEO. The Icona Group has more than 130 designers, modelers, engineers and project managers from 21 different countries, with offices in Shanghai and Los Angeles in addition to their Turin headquarters. In 2018 Icona’s revenue exceeded 23 million Euros, a 28% increase over 2017.

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