Karl Lagerfeld collection, courtesy New York Magazine
Karl Lagerfeld likes to be the leader of the pack. In recent years, the eco-friendly and economical scooter has seen a surge in sales, with women helming Vespas for their daily commute. Just in time, Lagerfeld unveils his Les Ateliers Ruby couture helmets for $1,805 to $6,837 that are now available at Colette and certain other boutiques, upping the ante on the bespoke helmet with gems to kickstand.
Pavillon Eley Kishimoto Helmet
The Lagerfeld line is an extension of Les Ateliers Ruby’s limited edition designer collection. Helmed by Jerome Coste, whose motorcycle helmets are made from extremely light-weight durable carbon fiber that’s all the rage on race cars, the Parisian company takes the helmet game seriously.
Coste studied at the Ecole Estienne Arts Des Arts Applique in Paris and then went to work for a real deal American company in motor sports equipment JT Racing. He ventured forward to explore the look of the action sports culture launching the apparel line Hold Up in 1996. But eventually, he returned to helmets made popular in Japanese motorbikes, and joined the ranks of California designers like Troy Lee.
Yet, Coste is French, and the French have a knack for a certain approach to couture. When he founded Ruby in 2004, his original design was the Pavillion helmet, inspired by the medieval knight. His online shop allows customers to create a bespoke helmet with sumptuous materials using Nappa Lambskin borders, Metal emblema and with a screenshield covering the whole face. Each helmet comes with three visors in different tints.
Lagerfeld is not the first designer partership. He started with French graffiti artist Honet and then the duo Eley Kishomoto to create the Belverdere Helmet. His next line was the spunky creation with Martin Margiela.
Honet for Les Atelier Ruby
Martin Margiela for Les Atelier Ruby
Lagerfeld, however, is on a higher profile for Coste’s Programme Court Signature line, and is certainly the most opulent, covered in mink fur, pearl and iPod hookups.
Sexy scoot, scoot, scoot!
Read more: Karl Lagerfeld’s ‘It’ Helmets Are Finally for Sale in Stores — The Cut http://nymag.com/daily/fashion/2009/11/karl_lagerfelds_it_helmets_are.html#ixzz0YD4drPRq
Meet the new Porsche GT3RS. Andreas Preuninger, Manager of High Performance Cars for Porsche makes the introduction for us on the Autobahn. He coasts at speed of 292 kilometers per hour on the unrestricted A5 Autobahn and provides enough info to whet the appetite of the average speed freak.
Founded in 1957, Mazda Laguna Seca Raceway is an apt setting for historic car races. The track is made up of 11 turns including turn 8, the feared corkscrew, a steep bend, that keeps drivers on their toes. In 1974, Steve Earle established the Monterey Historic Automobile Races, and 35 years later, the event is going strong.
The pits are a historic walk in time, as the buzz-buzz of antiquated engines keeps things lively and even the casual car buff will find entertainment in the eclectic scene ranging from Shelby Cobras to cheeky Alfa Romeos — all worth a well-polished pretty penny.
Whereas, the action on the tracks is both thrilling and endearing, particularly in the time trials as old trusties try to make qualifying times — the older the car, the more compelling.
We watched Jerry Seinfeld set the pace in his historic #12 Porsche along with a well-heeled set of historic Porsches, many of which are museum pieces. We loved the celebratory atmosphere and the enthusiastic owner’s pride, including my man pictured above.
Logic for BMW drivers: If you buy a BMW, you should know how to drive it. All too often, I come across two kinds of BMW owners, both of whom are clueless on the potential of their driving machines. The first set shows off as if they are chasing Vin Diesel himself, wrought with bad one-armed driving habits sloppy braking, and no real race car skills. Or they’re the other kind of BMW driver, they like to go fast, but are intimidated by anything except a straight stretch of highway. It would be to the best advantage of both under educated driver to opt on the BMW Performance Driving School Delivery Center, traveling to Spartanburg, South Carolina to pick up their new BMW car or motorcycle, and learn from experts on the nearby obstacle courses.
The school breaks it down likes this: Performance driving (per-for-mance dri-ving; verb, transitive) – the act of extracting the highest level of performance from an automobile by its driver under any circumstances.
I had a track side experience this week driving an M3, 650i, 750, X6, 1 series and 3 series for three solid laps a piece under the guidance of their certified instructors. My weak points are built on incorporating newish technology – like paddle shifters – into my F1 style moves. The instructors gently eased me on, building up my confidence with a few lessons for take home practice. It was just a taste, but the deft response of the M3 is best appreciated on the track. The M School is right up the ally of any performance driving aficionado, whereas tentative parents can’t go wrong with the Teen Driving School for next-gen BMW drivers. I spied drivers learning oversteer technique on the skid pad across the way, as students earned their racing stripes. Shiny new BMWs were lined up preened for customer pick up, with eager customers in search of their apex.
No this is not about Florida. For fans of American Le Mans motor sports, 12 Hours at Sebring is a legendary race not be missed. In fact, my ride-and-drive partners scoured satellite radio channels in the front seat for live coverage of the endurance race over the weekend. Adding to the momentum of this year’s race was the winner — the Audi R15 TDI clean diesel race car. Never mind that this was the R15’s big debut. Audi fans are still celebrating after drivers Allan McNish, Tom Kristensen and Rinaldo Capello led the No. 2 Audi R15 to victory. Here was an old fashioned thriller of a race as a dramatic battle for the crown took place with the No. 8 Peugeot 908 HDi FAP, which also runs on diesel fuel. Audi has won the past nine out of ten races at Sebring, but infusing a new contender proved to be a move in the right direction. We remember our loop around the block in a foxy TDI temptress at considerably lower speeds, and we still get shivers. With Audi technology at work, diesel is cleaning house.
Wind whipping, I could feel my adrenaline building. Lulled by smooth shifts, with each lap my determination heightened, and my skill improved. Wiggly wheels smoothed out as I learned how to position the car and use speed and turns to my advantage. One with the road, the gritty gravel grumbled beneath my backside. Track in, apex, turn out– home free on the straightaway. In a few short laps I was hooked — race car driving is where it’s at.
Now more than ever, it’s important to let go of that extra aggression in healthy ways. Sometimes it takes more than a Bikram yoga class to detoxify. Forget shots of whiskey and chain smoking — race car driving has the necessary peaks and leaps that topple any other form of escapist high While race car programs are usually pricy, here’s a good option to get behind one of the most enticing forms of motorsports out there – the open wheel car. [click to continue…]
Lotus is all over the news with announcement of a new EV — that’s electric vehicle — that will be unveiled in March. My guess is that it’ll appear at the New York or Chicago auto shows. In the mean time here’s a full frontal view of Lotus’s Evora, the company’s first new design in 13 years.
Many of the hallmarks are there including the recognizable and distinctive front intake, the “Lotus Mouth”, an evolution that’s transformed only slightly since the 1950s.
“Although aggressive aerodynamic and packaging targets meant that the form would have to complement the function, we never lost sight of the fact that sports cars are above all else emotional purchases that seduce the customer through beautiful design,” said Lotus Head of Design Russell Carr. The process has been underway since fall 2006.
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