Can it beat the SSC Ultimate Aero? That’s what everyone’s wondering about Porsche tuners 9ff’s new GT9-R, based on the 911 Turbo. With 1120 horsepower in a lightweight custom body it boasts a top speed in excess of 257 mph; the SSC Ultimate Aero is the current holder of the “World’s Fastest Production Car” title, having clocked an average top speed of 256.18 mph, beating the Koenigsegg CCR’s previous official record by 11.83 mph and demolishing the Bugatti Veyron’s unofficial record by 3.63 mph
Only 20 GT9-R’s will be made at an undisclosed price, and not all of them will be as powerful as the pretender to the speed record, which the SSC captured back in 2007 – a 750 hp and 987 hp version are also on offer - though of course that’s the one garnering all the attention. Torque clocks in at 1050 Nm which translates to a 0 - 62 mph time of 2.9 seconds. Aerodynamic features will be customizable as well as upgradable. You know, should you wish to try and break that record after all.
Avant-garde Monegasque yachtbuilder Wally is known for producing some of the world’s most brilliantly styled and engineered motor and sailing boats. Back in September we told you about the two new sailing superyachts they launched at the Monaco Yacht Show. When not engaged in revolutionizing the yachting world, Wally’s design geniuses work on their other passion, skiing. Wally’s range of high-tech skis, made using the same carbon fiber technology the company developed for its yachts, now includes six different models for a range of expert skiing styles and conditions.
Wally skis are 30% lighter than conventional skis and combine exceptional grip on ice with high performance on powder. Designed for speed of course they’re made to make deep carving turns as well, keeping everything smooth as silk even at maximum velocity. The carbon fiber is accompanied by cores of ash and birch wood, titanium accents and steel edging. The models in the range are the Original, Tradition, Magic, Freewally, Minipowder and Wallypowder. At 176 cm long, the new Wallypowder is one of the widest skis ever produced and the only full carbon ski specifically developed for off-piste runs. We’ll meet you back on the yacht for drinks.
Steve Petrovich
Thanks to James Bond 1960s Aston Martins are an automotive icon for the ages – not that the marque really needed any help from 007. Among collectors the extremely rare competition versions of the street legal swifties are highly prized, of course; one such model, a 1963 Aston Martin DB4 GT, one of only 75 built, will cross the auction block on Jan. 21 during RM Auctions’ Automobiles of Arizona event at the Biltmore Resort & Spa in Phoenix, which this year features a special night of Britain’s best. The example on offer is the last DB4 GT built and sold by Aston’s Newport Pagnell Factory.
The competition variant of the DB4, the model was formally introduced in September 1959 at the London Motor Show the year Aston won the World Sportscar Championship title. It was based on the race winning prototype SP199/1, which won its first outing at Silverstone in May 1959 with the great Stirling Moss at the wheel and was one of the first cars away at Le Mans that June. The car underwent a complete restoration and handles beautifully even when topping out at 150 mph. Expected to fetch $950,000 – $1,000,000, we say it’s cheap at twice the price.
London-based TMB Art Metal, makers of “provenance” sculptures, cufflinks and other items fashioned from actual bits of automotive, aeronautic, locomotive and maritime icons, has come out with a new limited edition Spitfire Mk 1 sculpture stylish enough to adorn any gent’s library or office. Made in a limited edition of 24, the sculptures are crafted of aluminum originating from the Rolls-Royce Merlin Mk III engine fitted to X4276 KL-B, legendary RAF ace Al Deere’s personal Supermarine Spitfire for the latter part of the Battle of Britain and 1940, which crashed on 28th December of that year.
Numbers 1 to 12 will be mounted upon the twelve original pistons removed from X4276’s V12 Merlin and numbers 13 through to 24 upon the 12 beautifully engineered original engine conrods. All are supported by purposefully made bronze stalks with precision engineered ball and sockets which facilitate movement so the sculptures can be placed in various attitudes of ‘flight’. All sculptures are set upon a mahogany and burr walnut plinth and come with a certificate of authenticity signed by one of the original Supermarine test pilots. Now that’s what we call art.
Last time we looked in on the lads at The Balvenie, the Speyside spirits superstars had just released their sumptuous second series Signature batch 12 Year Old. Now they’ve followed up that feat with a limited release 17 Year Old finished in Madeira casks.
It’s the latest and tastiest experiment by The Balvenie Malt Master David Stewart in using different cask types to create new expressions of The Balvenie’s unique honeyed character, matured in traditional oak and finished in casks previously used to make fortified Madeira wine.
“Each bottling is its own alchemy of spirit, wood and time,” Stewart notes. “The 17 year old whisky extracted some wonderful rich spice and distinct raisin flavours from the Madeira cask, which we hope malt enthusiasts will enjoy discovering in the glass.” Oh hell yes we will, David old sport.
The new Rock Bar at the Ayana Resort & Spa in Bali puts a bit of much-needed adventure back into cocktailing. Accessed via an inclinator that traverses the face of a dramatic craggy seaside cliff, the Rock Bar is a potent cocktail in itself of engineering, architecture and mixology. Towering 46 feet above the crashing waves, it was designed by Yasuhiro Koichi of Japan’s Design Studio SPIN and offers uninterrupted, 360-degree views from every single vantage point. Talk about “on the rocks”. We expect to see Daniel Craig fueling up there in the next Bond film.
Designed to ensure maximum seclusion for every guest, the Ayana’s 78 free-standing, cliff-top Bali luxury villas are set in traditional Balinese compounds with private pools surrounded by tropical gardens. If for some reason the Rock Bar isn’t your cup of tea – vertigo, perhaps – check out one of the resort’s other three watering holes, the C-Bar, Martini Club and Damar Terrace. We like a place with plenty of options for boozing, and those Bali sunsets are pretty intoxicating in their own right.
Triumph and TAG Heuer have teamed up to pay homage to the great Steve McQueen with a one-off “Bonneville Heuer” motorbike painted in the King of Cool’s iconic racing colors. The moto’s orange and blue stripes echo the livery of the Porsche 917 he drove in the famous 1971 racing flick Le Mans. McQueen also wore TAG Heuer’s now-iconic square-faced Monaco watch in the movie, which TAG recently re-issued in celebration of the timepiece’s 40th anniversary.
McQueen rode and raced Triumph motorcycles in his off-duty hours, including the International Six Days Trials in Germany, as well as in movies such as 1963’s The Great Escape, and it remained his favorite maker. The Bonneville was born in 1959 to recognize Johnny Allen’s land speed records at the Bonneville Salt Flats, quickly becoming one of the brand’s most iconic bikes. The only thing we can’t understand is why Triumph aren’t putting the McQueen version into production.
DQ’s new Miami digs were rockin’ on Friday night when Birmingham’s The Twang, who opened Glastonbury in front of 500,000 people, played a one-off show for the DQ faithful in the amazing space dedicated to gentlemanly pursuits. The glamorous gig put the finishing touch on the limited edition pop-up pad which features a killer collection of vintage Ducatis, including a 450 Desmo from the 70’s, a 350 Desmo, built in 1969 and a 1985 F1 prototype. Select models are for sale, should you wish to pick up a bike as stylish as your DQ suit.
Also on hand are a 1962 Maserati, full-size croquet pitch, bespoke lounge with Dormeuil fabrics, Ruby motorcycle helmet installation, Hendrick’s Gin cocktails and more. Things got off to an auspicious start when world-famous shoe designer Christian Louboutin, who has his own op-up shop down the block, was our first customer, coming in to buy an outfit for his own opening before we’d even officially cut the ribbon. The Miami shop will be open until Dec. 12th, then once a month for dinners and tastings and otherwise by appointment. Check out some of the great press we’ve gotten here and here.
4040 NE 2nd Ave., The Moore Building, #102, Miami FL 33137. Email miami@duncanquinn.com to be added to the mailing list for updates and event details.
