Archive for March 2012
82nd year for Geneva International Motor Show from 8-18 March 2012
With a total of 180 World and European Premiers will be presented by the 260 exhibitors. As with every year, visitors will be able to discover the latest technologies and see the new models from more than 30 of the world’s major manufacturers. In addition, the winner of the ‘Car of the Year’ award will be named at the Geneva International Motor Show for the first time. As a result, and more now than ever, the Geneva International Motor Show has consolidated its position amongst the world leaders of international automobile exhibitions.
With more than 260 exhibitors occupying a total of 110,000 square meters of exhibition space, the Geneva International Motor Show attracts more than 700,000 visitors each year. Thanks to the 10,000 media representatives coming from 80 countries, the 70 press conferences organised by the exhibitors are considered by the experts and exhibitors to have some of the most important influences and repercussions of the year in terms of media coverage.
For this year’s Motor Show, 140 World and European Premiers will be presented in the sectors of automobiles, specialised body designers/builders and preparation/tuning specialists, plus 40 World and European Premiers in the sectors of accessories, parts, OEM providers and garage equipment suppliers. Amongst the new exhibitors this year are Karsan, a manufacturer from Turkey, plus two preparation specialists from Germany: Gemballa and Hofele Design GmbH.
Following three years of continuous improvements in the quantity and quality of the models presented, the Green Pavilion has become a vital and must-see part of the Motor Show. Visitors can now see and even test some 20 vehicles using the latest technologies for minimising consumption, either hybrid or all electric, which will be available to drive on a special closed circuit. All of this is to be found just across from the main entrance to the Motor Show. The Green Pavilion will be open every day one hour before the opening of the rest of the Motor Show.
For the Managing Director of the Motor Show, Mr. Andre Hefti - “Geneva is perhaps not the largest of the motor shows, but without doubt it is one of the most attractive and most effective events for enhancing the image of the participating manufacturers.”
The President of the Geneva International Motor Show, Mr. Maurice Turrettini has announced: “For the first time the Geneva International Motor Show will be the venue for unveiling the ‘Car of the Year 2012.’ For nearly 50 years, the Car of the Year organisation, founded by seven specialised magazines, has selected each year the best automobile launched on the market in at least 5 European countries and having sold at least 5,000 examples in that year. The jury is composed of 59 automobile journalists.”
The Geneva International Motor Show 2012 will be open on weekdays from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., and on the weekends from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. To better spread out the number of visitors during the day and to also enhance their comfort through less crowding, a discount of 50% on the price of an entry ticket will be made after 4:00 p.m.
The official website www.salon-aut.ch is permanently in place and will be continuously updated. It contains all the information required to prepare a visit to Geneva and to purchase and print out entry tickets in advance.
For more information visit their website here: http://www.salon-auto.ch/en/
Creative Photographer Arteh Odjidja on Ozwald Boateng, LFW and the Leica S2
Following the raft of enthusiasm we received following our comprehensive coverage of the Burberry grand finale to London Fashion Week, we simply couldn’t resist sharing another one of our favourite brands with you, the man single-handedly responsible for injecting a vibrant contemporary twist into Savile Row, Ozwald Boateng.
Renowned for his typically flamboyant colours, unique cuts and signature collars, Ozwald Boateng’s stunning London Fashion Week collection uncharacteristically featured more tradional muted Autumn Winter tones. The long haired oriental model line-up gave the razor sharp suits that extra element of mystique and sense of cool, once again showing Savile Row how to wow a new generation of bespoke fans.
London based Creative Photographer Arteh Odjidja is a regular on Savile Row and having shot for both E.tautz and Ozwald Boateng amongst other established fashion brands, was our man on the inside, providing a rare insight behind the scenes at the House of Boateng.
Arteh is a photographer with a few extra strings to his bow, having begun his creative career as a graphic designer, his keen eye for composition and detail fused with a passion for bespoke couture naturally led to him working in fashion styling, art direction and photography.
As ardent Leica photographer, Arteh typically shoots with an S2 medium-format camera in the studio or an M9 otherwise, but keen to capture enchanting mystique of the LFW AW12 Ozwald Boateng presentation, he opted to shoot the whole series on the S2, in what he calls live fashion.
“Shooting the London Fashion Week with a Leica combines my two favourite things; high end fashion and a fully engaged shooting experience. The S system is unique in its design as it provides a medium format sensor and Leica’s precision optics with the size and ergonomics of a full frame SLR. With prices starting at £17,095.00 for an S2 body, it is designed for the pro market and delivers on Leica’s enduring promise to provide superior image quality and efficient ergonomic design.” - Arteh Odjidja
From CDC Lifestyle (Showing 6 of 1648 items)
Generated by Facebook Photo Fetcher
Favourite feature:
The AF Assist in manual focus mode. Just gets you to that focus point with surprising speed and ease.
Camera 1
Leica S2 body
35mm & 70mm Summarit-S lens.
SF58 Flash
Camera 2
M9 Steel Grey
28mm f/2
50mm f/2.5 summarit lenses.
Arteh Odjidja
Photographer | Art Director | Stylist
e: arteh@me.com
w: arteh.co.uk
m: +44(0)7903048261
twitter: @ArtehCreative
blog: artehcreativeblog.blogspot.com
Ferrari unveil F12berlinetta to supersede their 599 GTB Fiorano
Ferrari unveil their fastest and most powerful road-going vehicle ever. The new 2013 F12berlinetta features a 6.3-liter V12 engine that produces a truly monstrous 740hp and a 0-62mph time of just 3.1 seconds
Replacing the 599 GTB Fiorano, the F12berlinetta features a reworked version of the V12 unit that first appeared in the FF, sharing the same front-engine configuration with 6262cc capacity and 65 degree configuration, but its power output has been substantially to just over 740hp (730bhp), produces 509 torques. With a dry weight of 1525kg the F12berlinetta delivers a mind-altering: 0-62mph in 3.1 seconds, with an even more impressive 0-124mph in 8.5. It can then remain planted all the way up to a top speed of 211mph. It has also been released that around the Fiorano test track it even out performs the Enzo, making this the quickest Ferrari road car to lap circuit with a time of 1min 23 seconds.
More details will no doubt be announced at the Geneva Motorshow tomorrow but for now we are lucky enough to have a gallery of the design renderings and a brief video below.
SceneCheck heads to Project, the West End's hottest new nightclub
Taking over the former site of previous celebrity nightlife hotspots Crystal & Merah, ‘Project’ is the hottest new club to be launched, situated in the heart of Fitzrovia, just off of Oxford Street. Project is definitely the nightclub to visit right now, perfectly catering for the nightlife revelry of London’s glamorous socialites, and aficionados of the finest House music.
Planned with the VIP in mind by the same interior designer responsible for the Armani Privé Clubs, the arty decor and trend-setting blueprint has completely done-away with the conventional dance-floor concept and reinvented the nightclub layout. As strange as this may sound in concept and practicality, this actually worked wonders for the ambience, resulting in an uplifting well-spirited crowd, a far from the over-wise pretentiousness often instilled by segregating those with tables from the rest of the club-goers. On the other-hand though, it also encourages those who really want a wild night out to take to their tables or flaunt it on the almost catwalk-like raised under-lit platforms. For the more discreet clients however, Project additionally includes several secluded VIP sections with hosting/table service that would even make the Royals feel at home.
One of the key objectives for Project during their multi-million pound refit, was to ensure that the venue would become a firm favourite amongst music fans who enjoy a sophisticated night out. It was quite evidently the case not a penny had been spared on the sound-system, or equally impressive acoustic treatment, which firmly ensured that the music always remained tight and punchy no matter how far it is cranked. Whilst on the top of cranked music, I could not believe how lucky we were to see none other than Internationally renowned DJ Roger Sanchez take to the decks, who decided that he would show up for an impromptu and non-advertised DJ set whilst in the UK. I can also say without a doubt that judging by the latest technology on display in the booth (including the first set of Pioneer DJS 2000 decks in the UK), this place is going to have the world’s top DJs literally queuing up to get a set.
The fact that the club has only been open for three weeks and was already completely full (even on the Tuesday night that we showed-up), is testament to the calibre of talent behind the scenes, with successful entrepreneurs Mounir Badaan and Omar Wansa, partnering with London nightlife luminaries Luca Maggiora (previously of Luxx), Jordan Rocca & Antonello Dato to bring this vision to life. Their collective visions, vast experience and passion for House music certainly guarantee that Project will soon forge a name for itself as one of the hottest, most exclusive nightclubs in London.
Memberships for Project are still available, yet issued strictly at the management’s discretion. Project is also available for private hire and events.
Open Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday 11pm – 4am
Project London:
78 Wells Street,
London W1T 3QL
projectclublondon.com
facebook.com/project
Twitter: @ProjectLdn
Canon announce their much anticipated new EOS 5D Mark III DSLR
At long last! As anyone passionate about their photography will confirm, this is one of the most anticipated news stories in the photographic world right now. Sitting amongst the top few DSLR cameras that Canon produce, the 5D has long had a reputation for being the best al-rounder, rendering awe-inspiring high resolution images that have made it a firm favourite amongst professionals spanning wildlife and exhibiting photographers to press and even cinematographers.
With the previous Mark II version of the 5D having been on the market for over 3 years, and countless predictions of the Mark III release date having been proven incorrect, things certainly were not helped by the unwelcome news that Canon was temporarily forced to halt production at some of its manufacturing plants during the recent Japanese earthquakes. Now with all plants fully operational and coinciding with the 25th anniversary of Canon’s revolutionary EOS system, they have announced the EOS 5D Mark III, featuring a 22.3 megapixel full-frame sensor CMOS image sensor that spans ISO 100–25,600 sensitivity, expandable to ISO 102,400. Performance also benefits from Canon’s latest on-chip noise reduction in both still and video modes.
Embracing the video capabilities that helped create a new breed of (DSLR) videographers and one of the key’s to its seminal success, the new EOS supports multiple HD formats, all with H.264 compression. It will shoot 1080p24, 1080p25, 1080p30, 720p60, and 720p50 HD video.
Inheriting many features from Canon’s flagship EOS-1D X DSLR, the 5D Mark III now includes a DIGIC 5+ Imaging Processor and a high-performance 61-point High Density Reticular AF array with up to 41 cross-type points and five dual cross-type points available, depending on the lens in use. The enhanced processing power enables fast continuous shooting of up to six fps, exceeding the speed of the EOS 5D Mark II model by more than 50 percent, and with improved weather resistance the EOS 5D Mark III is a serious option for sports and wildlife photographers.
The ‘must-watch’ Canon EOS 5D MarK III ‘RADBALL’ demonstration movie …
“We are extremely excited to announce the highly anticipated follow-up to our EOS 5D Mark II, a camera which has been called a ‘game-changer’ in most professional photography and videography circles. The EOS 5D Mark III will carry on that tradition, delivering better and more advanced features, helping our customers achieve excellent image quality for stills and video,” stated Yuichi Ishizuka, executive vice president and general manager, Imaging Technologies and Communications Group, Canon U.S.A.
Features
The Canon EOS 5D Mark III will be available by April. The body costs about £2999.99
Limited edition Breitling for Bentley GMT ‘V8’ chronograph
To coincide with their new Continental GT V8 launch, here is the first glimpse of of Breitling new limited edition watch which wasn’t meant to make its public debut until the Geneva International Salon d’Auto on March 5. Anyway, I’m sorry but we just couldn’t wait that long and simply had to break the news the moment we got it. Breitling has also only created a 250-piece limited edition of its Bentley GMT chronograph, featuring a second time-zone display. Its most distinctive feature is a metallic red inner bezel bearing the names of 24 global locations. The original and daring design of the steel case characterised by asymmetrical lugs is teamed with a bracelet or a rubber strap reserved exclusively for this model.
This tribute to the new Continental GT V8 marks a further strengthening of the common ground between Bentley and Breitling. The two renowned global manufacturers share the same passion for fine mechanisms, the same alliance of prestige and performance, the same heritage of excellence aligned with the same thrust towards the future, symbolised by a winged B signature.
Dedicated to the world of the automobile, the Breitling for Bentley line marries the best of two worlds. Elegance and performance. Class and expertise. British chic and Swiss tradition. All the instruments are endowed with exclusive technical features and movements that are chronometer-certified by the COSC, the official Swiss watch certification body.
To strengthen the ties with Bentley, designers have drawn inspiration from the characteristic features of the superlative British carmaker, including the knurled finish of the control buttons and the typography of the dashboard instruments. Embodying the perfect blend of technique and aesthetics, the Breitling for Bentley line is designed to appeal to connoisseurs – and to all those with a love of rare and exclusive watches.
Philanthropy this Easter with London's 'The Fabergé Big Egg Hunt'
Over 200 eggs have been designed by artists, fashion designers, architects, florists, even taxidermists! They have been hidden throughout the streets of London, which has been split into twelve hunting zones! Some are inside stores, others hanging up high.
At the end of the egg hunt, all of the eggs will be sold at auction, as one-of-a-kind pieces of valuable art.
There is an online auction, open now, and the Grand Auction, taking place at the Royal Courts of Justice on 20th March. It will be a ticketed gala event, where guests will have the chance to bid on an incredible necklace, donated by Fabergé, and 30 of the eggs as selected by Sotheby’s
For more information and details of how to get involved, visit: thebigegghunt.co.uk
Bentley confirms executive multimedia specification for flagship Mulsanne
Entertainment and advanced business connectivity meets handcrafted luxury in the introduction of the Theatre and iPad Specifications made available to Bentley customers specifying the vehicles with multimedia packages.
Bentley’s advanced multimedia Mulsanne Executive Interior Concept, first showcased at the 2011 Frankfurt Show, is now moving from the design studio to the commissioning suite with the introduction of Theatre and iPad Specifications offering state‑of‑the‑art multimedia connectivity on the move.
“The original Mulsanne multimedia concept was previewed at several special customer events across the globe and the reaction was immensely encouraging. Bentley has now created two bespoke Specifications, Theatre and iPad, and we’re confident they will meet the expectations of customers needing a business-focussed environment or simply a relaxing space where films, music, television and the internet can be enjoyed,” comments Alasdair Stewart, Bentley’s Member of the Board for Sales and Marketing.
Both the Theatre and iPad Specifications are seamlessly integrated into the Mulsanne’s sumptuous and supremely comfortable cabin, which takes Bentley’s craftsmen and women over 170 hours to create. When not required, features like the drop-down screen or picnic tables retract and are stowed both quickly and discretely.
