BMW reveals new Z4: first videos
The BMW Z4 came across as a far more butch sports car than the prissy Z3 that came before it, helped in no small part by the series of BMW Films starring Clive Owen. At the Detroit Auto Show, BMW reveals an all-new Z4 that’s longer and wider, with longer doors allowing for easier access, […]
The urgent measures Detroit must take
Above: One of the cars that Ford could sell in North America: the subcompact Ka, built in Poland. [Cross-posted] Earlier this year, before we found out just how bad Detroit’s financial situation was, I wrote a paper for The Journal of the Medinge Group called ‘Saving Detroit, by Not Making the Same Old Mistakes’. My […]
H&M and Electrolux discuss CSR
I’ve been preaching corporate social responsibility (CSR) for many years—indeed, most of this century—which is probably why I was invited to the Medinge Group (though its name had not then been coined) many years back. Our first book, Beyond Branding, was a call to action for companies on transparency and integrity, and centred in many […]
Mini has revealed its new convertible, based on the latest platform. Earlier this year, Lucire tested the Clubman estate, which we dubbed a fashion item for the RAV4 crowd turning away from SUVs because of their negative image in 2008. The cabriolet should equally be a winner for BMW and Mini, especially with new engines, […]
New London footwear label is a trip
We like this idea: Above + Below London, a new footwear label, uses fabrics that have been reclaimed from London buses and Underground carriages from the 1950s through to the 1990s—with the permission of Transport for London. Some are rare and will likely take wearers back to an earlier era. Central St Martin’s graduate […]
Matthew Williamson is H&M’s next guest designer
Above: Model Veronika Fasinova and Matthew Williamson, previewing one of the designs in next spring’s collection for H&M. (Photographed by Magnus Magnusson for H&M.) Continuing the idea of accessible luxury, Hennes & Mauritz has announced that its next guest designer will be Matthew Williamson. Williamson follows in the footsteps of Karl Lagerfeld, Stella McCartney, Viktor […]
New Porsche Panamera 4S: official first videos
Porsche has released footage of its new Panamera sports sedan—we have the latest video of the car, both stationary and in motion. If it’s anything like the 911s we have driven, this car could do well. And we were right about the Cayenne being a sales’ hit for Porsche. While there are still people smarting […]
Do US automakers deserve a bailout?
[Excerpted; full post here] Today at the Vista Group luncheon, we’ll be discussing the US auto industry’s desire for a government bailout. My view: of course it’ll be great to protect US manufacturing jobs, since the situation is not of the plant workers’ doing. As mentioned in one of my papers, ‘Saving Detroit’, the troubles […]
Porsche shows revised Boxster and Cayman at LA
Porsche has shown its new mid-engined Boxster and Cayman models at the LA Auto Show today. In some respects, this is a facelift for the cars, now looking more aggressive. Under the skin, the changes are more thorough, with new flat-six boxer engines and the new Porsche-PDK double-clutch gearbox. Below, videos of the new Boxster […]
‘Milliner to the stars’ opens showroom
Her handiwork has dazzled on the dance floor, won awards and is set to feature in Peter Jackson’s upcoming film The Lovely Bones. Such is the demand for her fancy hats and quirky fascinators that milliner Amy Jansen-Leen has opened her first atelier—Amy Jansen-Leen Millinery—in Te Aro, Wellington. With the race day season kicking […]
