Celebrity Life

Long considered the yardstick by which full-size luxury saloon cars are judged, the latest Mercedes-Benz S-Class, now in its seventh generation, is on sale in Hong Kong. And though its sheet-metal styling is so evolutionary it’s hard to tell it apart from its predecessor, the latest model is so jam-packed with intelligent tech that it’s surprising there’s room for the passengers at all.

We joke, of course, because when it comes to the kind of lebensraum that the Sonderklass’s well-heeled customers love to stretch out in – and, indeed, have come to expect – there’s plenty of it, with an interior that’s utterly new (and whose stunning design cues are likely to filter down through the entire Mercedes range). The driver’s seat, for example, can electronically adjust in so many directions – and employs so many motors to do so (there are an astonishing 19 of them) – that it’s surprising it doesn’t take on a life of its own.

An “interior assistant” interface, which uses an array of user-identifiers (including voice, eye-tracking and gesture control), takes care of many functions that the drivers of lesser vehicles are forced to perform themselves. And as for the cabin architecture, finish and build quality, well, they verge on the spectacular, with more acreage of LCD screens to divert the eye than the average multiplex (the driver’s display even benefits from eye-tracking 3D technology).

Safety is, always, in the forefront, with rear-seat passengers getting an airbag that reduces loads on the head and neck in the event on a frontal collision (it’s standard on S500 models). Rear-wheel steering is now an available option, always a boon on big cars such as this, and an upgraded suite of driver-assistance aids mean that the S-Class could pretty much drive itself, if only it were legally permitted to do so.

Initially, the Mercedes-Benz S-Class is available in two versions, the S450 and S 500, both of which are fitted with Mercecdes’ 4Matic all-wheel-drive system and nine-speed multi-clutch transmission. Although both have a mildly hybridised 3-litre straight six under the bonnet, the S500 gets increased horsepower and torque, making it the model that more enthusiastic drivers are likely to choose. Expect hybridised, electric and even more luxurious Maybach versions to follow, though what we’re not going to see this time around are either a coupe or a convertible: in future, niches such as these are likely to be handled by Mercedes’ performance offshoot, AMG.

The post The Boss is Back: Say Hello to the New Mercedes-Benz S-Class appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

When mere seconds can make the difference between the best and the rest, there’s really only one name that matters. The worlds of motorsport and watchmaking have much in common. Both rely on ground-breaking technologies and innovations, constant development and precision that together push the envelope to achieve incremental – indeed, often infinitesimal – yet crucial improvements that make the difference between being the best time and again, rather than merely one of the rest.

Rolex, the brand that, above all, represents the epitome of watchmaking excellence, has been directly linked with motorsport for almost 90 years. It’s no coincidence that, in the 1930s, its watches were worn by the British pioneer Sir Malcolm Campbell when he captured the imagination of men and schoolboys everywhere by setting multiple world land-speed records in his car named Bluebird.

Rolex’s near-legendary Cosmograph Daytona, which first appeared in 1963, was named after the famed racing circuit in Florida and was designed specifically with the requirements of racing drivers in mind. And in the early 1970s, Rolex teamed up with its first Testimonee from the world of motor racing, the great Scottish-born driver Sir Jackie Stewart, who was not only crowned Formula 1 World Champion three times but famously led a push for safety that continues to this day and has helped save the lives of countless competitors in what is, by any reckoning, one of the most dangerous sports of all.

“The levels of precision, engineering and innovation upheld by the top echelons of motor sport, and particularly Formula 1, are very similar to those set by Rolex,” says Stewart, who remains a proud Rolex Testimonee. “They’re leaders in their respective fields and have made a habit of turning unconventional thinking into the norm, resulting in many pioneering moments in their histories.”

More recently, Stewart has been joined in the ranks of Rolex Testimonees by other motorsports legends, such as multiple Formula 1- and Le Mans-winner Mark Webber, the 2016 Formula 1 World Champion Nico Rosberg, and Tom Kristensen, who won the gruelling 24 Hours of Le Mans race a record nine times. Moreover, Rolex has partnered the epic Le Mans sportscar race since 2001 and its 24-hour counterpart at Daytona since 1992; in 2013, it also became the official Global Partner and Official Timepiece of the Formula 1 series in 2013.

Says Stewart, “Competition is a tremendous motivator and motor racing has it in abundance – the sport innovates at an incredible rate, faster than any other activity I know. Think about the amount of testing and simulation that’s carried out by a Formula 1 team before a component ever makes it to a track … Rolex is the same; the brand’s watches have been proven in the harshest environments around the world.”

No wonder that, when it comes to choosing a timepiece to be worn day after day, and in the ultra-competitive world of motorsport, so many leading drivers have a Rolex on their wrist.

The post Rolex and Motorsport: The Winning Team appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.