Month: January 2014

Ellen deGeneres gifts a Land Rover

She’s usually surprising audience members with unexpected gifts on her show, but Ellen DeGeneres recently gave her wife Portia de Rossi a shock.

Sharing it all in a segment titled Celebrity Christmas Stories, the affable host explained, ” ‘I got her a car. That was easy. But I had to hide it in the attic…which was not easy. It was a car she really, really wanted and was obsessed with this car. It’s pretty rare.

Setting the scene, the 55-year-old comedian begins, “So there is a car called The Defender, and there aren’t a lot of them, and every time she sees one, she says ‘I love that truck. I love that it is so cool.’ But they are hard to find. I found one in Texas. I had it trucked in and I parked it in a shopping area I knew we were going to go shopping in later that day and had the bow on it. So we were walking and I knew she would notice it, so I filmed it with my phone.”

Spotting the vehicle immediately, the “Arrested Development” star asks, “What about that car, did you get me that for Christmas?” Upon seeing Ellen with a keys, the shocked actress exclaims, What, are you kidding?” Check out her reaction in the player below.

If you think this is a great reaction, imagine the surprise of your better half when you surprise them with a Ferrari , Bentley or any luxury car  when you rent one through Hemingway Luxury Car Hire. We are excellent at planning surprises so just let us know it is a surprise gift when you book your luxury car through us this year.

Maserati start the 100th Anniversary Celebrations.

To kick off the 100th anniversary celebrations for Maserati, the Italian firm headed onto an Italian aircraft carrier in the United Arab Emirates in a similar scene as to how the Lamborghini Veneno Roadster debuted in the region.

As these images show, the full Maserati line-up was on-board meaning the GranTurismo, GranCabrio, Quattroporte and new Ghibli were on display!

This year promises to be a very exciting year for Maserati with a host of special events and models on the cards!

Thanks to www.gtspirit.com.

A date in history made by Aston Martin in January 1965.

On Jan. 9, 1965, the James Bond movie “Goldfinger” opened in American theaters, showing of the Aston Martin Silver Birch DB5 sports car.

Aston Martins would appear in many Bond films, but no Bond car has quite matched the style and elegance of the DB5 (totally our opinion). The elegant coupe also made appearances in “Thunderball” and “GoldenEye.” The film “Die Another Day” featured Pierce Brosnan in an Aston Martin V12 Vanquish, and the Daniel Craig version of “Casino Royale” featured an Aston Martin DBS.

The Silver Birch DB5 makes another appearance near the end of “Skyfall,” the most recent Bond film.

Take a look at the iconic car chase and take a few minutes to enjoy the thrill of the chase once again.

Bentley reveal plans for NAIAS 2014

Something for our North American clients now. As always we at Hemingway Luxury Car Hire are happy to provide your home from home luxury cars when you visit Europe  and given the increase in sales in the States we are guessing that a few more of you may be requesting a Bentley to explore the coasts of Italy or to take you on a German tour next year. Take the chance to visit the motor Show in Detroit to see the three proposed models in the flesh.

Bentley has revealed its plans for the coming North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) which is going to be held next week in Detroit. The renowned British luxury car-maker will showcase as many as three products at this prestigious motor show which include a more powerful version of its world’s most aristocratic car, Continental GT V8 S. The other two products would be world’s fastest four-door luxury saloon, the Flying Spur, and the pinnacle of the Bentley range, the Mulsanne.

2013 turned out to be a year of glory for Bentley Motors as it registered never-seen-before sales figures, in fact its global sales figures witnessed a hike of 19%, which is just incredible. Dr.Wolfgang Schreiber, Chairman and Chief Executive, commented on the same, “I am delighted to bring this car to our biggest market for the first time, in this sustained period of growth for the Americas. This region’s strong performance played an important role in making 2013 a record year. With its latest results, Bentley is the world’s most sought after luxury car brand.” He further added by putting a strong emphasis on the supercar V8,”The GT V8 S is a car for our V8 customers who want more. It is more agile, with a lower and uprated suspension, faster, with more power and more distinctive with its signature S styling and a unique V8 S soundtrack.”

Bentley Continental GT V8 S

The new GT V8 S is being offered as both a coupe and convertible and it would certainly bring sparks to the Continental range. It is powered by a 4-litre twin-turbo V8 powertrain which generates a whopping power output of 521bhp at 6000rpm and a peak torque performance of 680Nm at 1700rpm. The engine is mated to a close-ratio ZF 8-speed automatic transmission which enables it to deliver effortlessly. Its acceleration is so brisk that it touches the 100kmph mark from standstill in a mere 4.5 seconds with a top speed of 309kmph.

Sourced from www.cardekho.com

Bentley – a potted history

Much is made of the history of marques like Ferrari and Maserati but the history of Bentley, here reported in the local Stoke newspaper is altogether more sedate, as you might expect from this stately stable of cars.  2015 may well see a very doifferent Bentley on the market as the Bentley SUV starts to make appearances in the press. Watch this space.

1919 – Bentley Motors is established with H.M. and W.O. Bentley and H.M.J. Ward as directors. In October that year the first Bentley is completed.

1930 – The ultimate Bentley, the eight-litre, is launched.

1931 – Bentley Motors calls in the receivers.

In November that year Rolls-Royce buys the Bentley Motors business.

1946 – Bentley and Rolls Royce move  production to the Crewe factory. The Bentley MkVI is launched.

1998  – Volkswagen AG completes the purchase of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars for almost £480 million. BMW buys the rights to the Rolls-Royce name and it is announced that from midnight on December 31, 2002 – Bentley and Rolls-Royce will be separate companies once again.

The company is once more known by its original name – Bentley Motors. 2013 – In  January  Bentley announces a global growth of 22 per cent as deliveries increased to 8,510 cars in 2012. The Bentley Continental GT3 makes its running debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.

By The Sentinel  |  Posted: January 09, 2014

Read more: http://www.stokesentinel.co.uk

 

Gratuitous Ferrari 458 moment.

We are not prone to stereotyping but at first it seemed that this was just a gratuitous bit of video of a pretty under dressed girl in a fast car but after a straw poll in the office we decided that this is really quite funny and shows what a good sport Playboy model Jesse Preston is for letting this go viral.´

Yes, it’s another video of a beautiful girl screaming behind the wheel of an exotic supercar, this time a Ferrari 458 Italia at the Las Vegas racing tack. The video was filmed by a company called Exotics Racing, which seems to be a Nevada company that leases supercars like this one for hot laps.

The tires on the Ferrari 458 Italia cost about $30,000 to be changed, so we at Hemingway do not in any way condone this irresponsible behaviour with the fabulous Ferrari 458 but don´t mind this bit of entertainment with some one elses car!  570 horsepower and a limited slip differential ensure plenty of screams, smoke, engine noise and adrenaline for the girl.

Thank you to www.autoevolution.com

 

Ferrari F12 , the car with a heart?

Ever wondered how the contemporary supercar landscape would look like if Ferraris would have their engines on display like Lamborghinis do? Here’s a digital image manipulation that provides a pretty good answer.

The image above shows a Ferrari F12 Berlinetta with its superb V12 heart “visible” through the hood. We recently came across this and wanted to share the pic of the flamboyant F12 with you.

We’re not here to discuss the elegance of such a move. Neither are we ready to talk about how this may remind one of the Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1, for instance.  Instead, we see this as an interesting exercise.

Image via: Jimmy Oh Automobile Photography

The Huracan will debut at the Geneva Motor Show.

The new 601-hp Lamborghini Huracan is the latest in the automaker’s line of supercars. The 5.2-liter V-10 mid-engined coupe replaces the most successful Lamborghini model of all time, the Gallardo, as the entry into the brand’s lineup.

The Huracan will make its public debut at the Geneva auto show in March and deliveries will start in spring this year.

No prices have been announced.

The Huracan joins the more powerful Aventador in what is described as the youngest Lamborghini lineup since the Italian carmaker’s long-term future was secured following its purchase by Audi in 1998.

The initial model, which carries the designation LP610-4, will be available in four-wheel-drive guise only.

Like its predecessor, a lighter rear-wheel-drive version of the Huracan has been conceived and is planned to go on sale in 2015, according to officials at Lamborghini’s Sant’Agata headquarters in Italy.

True to Lamborghini tradition, the Huracan flaunts a highly extravagant appearance, with a distinctive wedge-shaped silhouette. The styling advances the dramatic lines and sheer surfacing treatment established on the Gallardo, with a more muscular-looking exterior.

Lamborghini’s design team has placed emphasis on an impression of width, seen in the added flare of the wheel arches, a more defined shoulder line down the flanks and large cooling ducts toward the rear.

The Huracan borrows various design elements from the larger Aventador, including its distinctive internal LED-accented headlamp and tail-lamp graphics.

Lamborghini has yet to confirm the dimensions of the new car, although these first official photographs reveal it has grown both in length and width while retaining a similar height to the Gallardo. Unofficial figures hint at a slightly longer wheelbase and wider tracks, giving it a larger footprint.

Along with the coupe version, Lamborghini plans to launch an open-top Huracan Spyder. Like the rear-wheel-drive variant, it’s not likely to surface before 2015.

Mirroring the Aventador, the Huracan makes extensive use of carbon fiber in a bid to shed weight. Its main structure, elements of which will be shared with the upcoming second-generation Audi R8, is constructed primarily of aluminum. However, the inclusion of carbon fiber within the bulkhead, floor and roof are partly credited with a 78kg reduction in curb weight to 1,422kg compared with the four-wheel-drive Gallardo LP560-4.

Power for Lamborghini’s newest model comes from a revised version of its predecessor’s naturally aspirated 5.2-liter V-10 gasoline engine.

Among the changes brought to the 90-degree unit, which will also be seen on the second-generation R8, is a revised injection system that uses both direct and indirect injection processes to improve combustion properties and overall efficiency. Further modifications were made to the exhaust system to reduce back pressure for added throttle response and reducing particulates – the latter required to ensure it meets upcoming EU6 emission regulations.

As alluded to in its LP610-4 model designation, the initial Huracan model offers 610 hp. However, this figure is quoted in DIN horsepower, or Cavalli Vapore in Italian. When converted to SAE horsepower, the new Lamborghini officially offers 601 hp.

This is 49 hp and more than the standard four-wheel-drive Gallardo LP560-4., which ceased production back in October. It has 39 hp more than the most powerful and final version of the Gallardo, the limited edition LP570-4 Squadra Corse revealed at the Frankfurt motor show last September.

The increase in power combines with the Lamborghini’s reduced weight to give the Huracan a weight-to-power ratio of 2.33kg per hp. By comparison, the Gallardo LP560-4 boasted 2.72kg per hp.

To make the most of the increase in power, Lamborghini has provided the Huracan with a new seven-speed dual-clutch transmission with large, steering wheel-mounted shift paddles as standard. A development of the unit used by Audi in the existing first-generation R8, it replaces the six-speed manual gearbox that came as standard on the Gallardo. The robotized version of the six-speed manual, which went under the name E-gear, has been discontinued.

The new transmission, dubbed Lamborghini Doppia Frizione or simply LDF, operates in combination with an electronically controlled multi-plate clutch four-wheel-drive system to provide drive to each wheel. The proportion of drive acting on the front and rear axles varies depending on the prevailing traction, with insiders claiming fast response times due to more new electronics in what is described as a fourth-generation system.

As with the Gallardo, the Huracan offers a choice of three different driving modes: Strada, Sport and Corsa. Each mode provides different characteristics for the operation of the transmission, engine, four-wheel-drive system, electronic-stability-control system and the sound of the exhaust.

With a 0-100koh time of 3.2 seconds, the Huracan LP610-4 is claimed to out-sprint the four-wheel-drive Gallardo LP560-4 to the standard acceleration benchmark by an impressive 0.5 second. It also eclipses the official time of the Ferrari 458 Italia by 0.2 second. Top speed is put at 325kph, the same as that quoted for the Gallardo LP560-4 and the Ferrari 458 Italia.

Together with the improvement in outright straight-line performance, Lamborghini says the Huracan is its most economical car to date. With new fuel-saving features such as an automatic stop/start function making it more efficient in city-driving conditions, it is claimed to provide fuel consumption of 12.5 liters per 100km. This compares to the four-wheel-drive Gallardo’s figures of 13.7l per 100km.

The Huracan will be produced alongside the Aventador at Lamborghini’s Sant’Agata headquarters on the outskirts of Modena, Italy.

The Huracan replaces the top-selling Lamborghini model of all time. With a run of more than 10 years, the Gallardo racked up 14,022 sales worldwide prior to an official end to production on Nov. 25, 2013.

The new Lamborghini takes the name of a prize-winning Spanish fighting bull. Huracan was part of the Conte de la Patilla breed that fought in the Spanish city of Alicante in 1879, according to Lamborghini.
http://www.autonews.com

Who wins – Aston Martin, Jaguar or Mercedes?

The following video comparison reunites some of the most hardcore coupes one can think of: the 542hp Jaguar XKR-S GT, the 565hp Aston Martin V12 Vantage S and the 510hp Mercedes C63 AMG Coupe Black Series.

Autocar reviewer Steve Sutcliffe makes no secret of the fact that the Mercedes is one of his all-time favorite cars, so the comparison is all about finding which of the two British cars comes close to the AMG-flavored C-Class Coupe.

On paper, the Aston Martin V12 Vantage S is the fastest, hitting 60 mph (96 km/h) from a standing start in just 3.7 seconds – 0.2 seconds faster than the Jag and 0.5 seconds faster than the Merc. But what happens on the track? You’ll have to hit play on the video posted below to find out.

This is a great video to watch if you are undecided which car to hire from Hemingway Luxury Car Hire anywhere in Europe. Take a look and then call us to reserve the car of your choice with Hemingway.

Thanks to www.autocars.com ´s Dan Mihalascu

When did you first fall for Ferrari?

The privilege of driving a Ferrari is something that should never taken for granted. No matter how many times you take the seat and start the engine you should always make a mental note that you are enjoying a wonderful piece of engineered art. Like Barry Cohen you may have a moment in your life when you first fell in love with Ferrari? This is his story about his first Ferrari experience.

Barry Cohen, 60, is the founder and co-CEO of San Rafael, California-based Luminox watches, on his Ferrari 550 Maranello, he tells his story to  A.J. Baime:

When I was 12 growing up in Dobbs Ferry, N.Y., I heard a sound that changed my life forever. I was in my house awaiting a friend and his father to pick me up when they arrived in a Ferrari 275 GTB—one of the most exotic sports cars of the 1960s. The purr of the V12 engine was intoxicating. It was like I was drunk on the sound. When I squeezed into the front seat (there were only two) and we pulled away, my dream took root. I was too young to understand what made a Ferrari so special, but I knew that someday, I had to have one.

The more I learned about this car, the more I wanted to know—how a man named Enzo Ferrari  created a company in bombed-out Italy after World War II turning out the fastest automobiles in the world. I read in Road & Track about cool guys like James Coburn driving their Ferraris around California.

It took years to make my dream come true. In 2001, I bought a 1998 Ferrari 550 Maranello, a front-engine V12 model in the same lineage as the 275 GTB I first fell in love with.

Now I own 3 Ferraris. Every time I drive them, the sense of wonderment I experienced as a child returns.

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Source : The Wall Street Journal – Business Section