In a world where technology and life in general move forward at breakneck speeds, sometimes it’s good to take a moment to slow down and enjoy something with a bit of history. Enter The Gladstone Axe; a Scotch Whisky with oodles of history and promising plenty of flavour.

Background

Whisky brands, perhaps more so than with other drink brands, pull heavily on history and as a result, you tend to drink the ‘story’ as much as you do the liquor. The foundations and naming of this whisky were formed over 100 years ago when the founder’s ancestor was a rather prominent figure in UK politics. William Ewart Gladstone served 4 terms as Prime Minister through the 1800s, with a political career spanning 60 years. Known for his hands-on approach to land management, Mr Gladstone would regularly be seen roaming his grounds axe in hand; and hence we arrive at ‘The Gladstone Axe’.

The Whisky

Two whisky blends are offered; American Oak and The Black Axe. Both are made from 100% malted barley and aged in oak barrels in Scotland, mixing a selection of malt whiskies from 14 different Highland and Islay distilleries. The American Oak offers a more traditional whisky flavour, whereas the Black Axe offers a more spicy, smokey flavour.

Taste is highly subjective and biased by personal taste, but with Whisky it’s also important to keep in mind cost; with The Gladstone Axe selling for a modest £32.00 a bottle.

Considering the cost, the American Oak is a very smooth, drinkable whisky with a well-judged balance of subtle flavours. The Black Axe is perhaps more of an acquired taste, with a distinct smokiness which may be overpowering for some, but will blend well in whisky cocktails.

Cocktails are an area The Gladstone Axe are keen to push; hoping the flavour/cost combination will open up appeal to a younger generation of Whisky drinkers. From a branding point of view, they’ve certainly created a cohesive and appealing story that very much compliments the product on offer. The bottle too is superbly designed, with fantastic details formed into the glass and the wax-sealed cork a superb final touch. Based on the great combination of price and design, The Gladstone Axe gets a thumbs up from the MSF team.

Please visit: Men Style Fashion for more articles like this.

In a world where the rise of the electric vehicle seems to be at the forefront of government vehicle policies, I’m sure many wonder (like myself) how the infrastructure will cope. Then, when you also consider the range anxiety, charge point accessibility and various other unknowns… are we really ready for electric vehicles now?

This is where Plug-in hybrids come in, offering a modest electrical range (enough for a trip to the shops and back, or a reasonable commute) backed up with a traditional combustion engine for longer jaunts. Win/Win? Well, with the technology we have available today, it certainly looks appealing, none more so than when it’s been developed and built by Audi. With a premium build and packed with technology, is the Audi A3 TFSI-e the ultimate compact car of today?

E-Tron Technology

If you ignore the ‘e’ badge on the boot, the spec sheet for this Audi A3 TFSI-e could read off like any other. There’s a 4-cylinder, 1.4 petrol engine producing 150PS, which drives the front wheels via a 6-speed automated dual-clutch transmission. There’s a fuel filler at the back, with the car running on standard pump petrol from a 40-litre internal tank.

The eagle-eyed will then notice the additional ‘filler hatch’ at the front, underneath which there is an electrical charge port. This allows the supplementary 13kWh battery to be topped up between journeys, with which around 30 miles of EV-only mileage can be achieved. The electrical side runs at 400v, and thanks to the modest size of the battery can be topped up via a standard UK plug in a matter of hours.

This electrical energy can then be deployed in a number of different ways; to provide total driving power for short journeys (zero combustion usage), to run in hybrid with the combustion engine to minimise fuel usage on longer trips, or to provide ultimate performance by running in unison with the combustion engine. The underlying benefit here is flexibility; the electric side is quick and easy to charge, suitable for short journeys and thanks to the combustion fall-back won’t cripple you with range anxiety for longer trips.

Carrying around the additional weight of essentially two engine types isn’t to the detriment of outright performance either; put your foot down and the petrol and electric unite to deliver a potent 203 PS (201Hp), more than enough for overtaking slow traffic or a bit of fun on country roads.

Interior design

So aside from the electrical ‘fill port’, the ‘e’ exterior is as-per a standard Audi A3. The same could be said for the inside, with the only notable differences being the addition of an ‘EV’ button for selecting the drivetrain mode (battery charge, hybrid, EV only) and an additional ‘fuel gauge’ for the battery charge level. This neatly sits opposite the petrol gauge on the driver’s cluster creating a seamless and easy to read snapshot of available energy levels.

Moving away from these specific tweaks, this is my first experience of the latest Audi interior refresh. The centre section carries the now common-place central touch screen, on which the interface feels snappier and more responsive than ever. Rather than the all-touch layout of the premium Audi A6/A8 line, the Audi A3 splits climate/vehicle controls out to a lower panel of physical switches. Whilst it may look less space-age, the layout works well and is easy to use whilst on the move.

The steering wheel is the same fantastic design as most recent Audi’s, whilst the gear selector has been tweaked and is now a nice, simple chrome rocker in the centre section. A new design of air vent flanks the steering wheel with a beautifully engineered open/close mechanism, which latches shut with a satisfying click. Whilst it’s important not to get too hung up on the details, this new air vent design is incredibly slick and Audi deserve kudos for its implementation.

The premium feel extends through the rest of the interior, whether it be the S-line seats (optional extra), door trim or dash surround. Whilst the Audi A3 may be a more budget-friendly Audi, there’s clearly been no skimping on quality.

Exterior design and practicality

Size-wise, the Audi A3 TFSI-e offers a good balance between overall vehicle size, room for passengers and luggage. The rear seats have just enough legroom for adults, whilst some clever sculpting of the roof means that headroom is ample even for those on the taller side. Reading lights and air vents ensure those in the back get an Audi-esque ride despite the more compact sizing of the Audi A3.

Boot size is also as you’d expect for a vehicle of this size class, although it’s worth noting that a fair chunk of this is lost to the bag of charging cables. Obviously, you don’t absolutely have to carry these around, but it’s worth bearing in mind as they’re not small! They did at least come well packaged in a zip-up bag, which has built-in tethers to hold it to the boot floor – handy for stopping too much sliding around.

The test car came dressed in a beautiful Daytona Grey, a pearl effect paint that compliments the tinted rear windows from the S-Line trim level fantastically. Locking and unlocking the car is met with the usual Audi pizzazz from the lights, with a dynamic animation running on both front and rear clusters. The car on test also came fitted with the excellent Matrix LED headlights (a £675 upgrade I would recommend to all) which makes night driving a breeze.

18” rims on all four corners sit extremely well within the arches (a recommend upgrade over the 17’s). The rest of the car is typically Audi, which is to say it’s an extremely sleek design with formidable build quality, resulting in nothing bad to note or report.

On the road

Firstly, electric driving is simply superb. I’ve driven a fair few EV’s, but this is the first hybrid I’ve driven with a true EV mode, which instantly makes you aware of the engine on/off driving difference. Road/tyre noise becomes dominant, but even then it’s far quieter than your ears expect any car to be and the performance the Audi offers in pure-EV mode is very usable for around town and keeping up with traffic. Whilst the headline range may seem restrictive, the reality is that once you break it down the majority of journeys people undertake are well within the 30 miles, and it’s particularly satisfying when you get from A to B with zero need for the combustion engine.

When required though, the 1.4 4-cylinder seamlessly springs into life. No doubt a considerable amount of work went into the calibration and setup of running both electric and petrol in a single drivetrain, but the end result feels well refined and incredibly smooth. Slow speed work, creeping forward at junctions and between traffic lights is all handled by the EV side, which results in silky pull-aways before the petrol side is introduced.

Pushing your foot to the floor engages both powertrains (there’s a very slight lag as the Petrol engine scrambles to catch up with the instantaneous motor), but the resulting surge of acceleration is quite superb. The performance belies the headline figures, as the reality is that the electric motor is providing plenty of low down punch, making the drivetrain feel far more responsive. Whether it be overtaking slow-moving traffic or joining the motorway, this Audi A3 has you very well covered.

Assuming a charge point is available to manually top up the battery, using the automatic mode for battery power injection and recharge is definitely the best and smoothest way forward. Utilising the in-car satnav resulted in efficient use of the battery across the journey, arriving with the battery fully utilised after a long drive with accuracy typical of German engineering. Fuel economy seemed to reflect the electrical benefits, with long drives (~120 miles) returning a commendable ~55mpg despite enthusiastic driving. Shorter journeys flagged up figures well over 100mpg, as the A3’s drivetrain strangled petrol usage in favour of electrical efficiency.

With the hybrid system taking care of efficient propulsion, attention turns to the rest of the Audi A3 TFSI-e, which is also superb. The ride and suspension were well suited to the far from perfect UK roads, whilst the steering offers a good amount of feel in Dynamic mode (although lifeless in comfort). The hybrid drivetrain doesn’t reward high revs and precise gear changes as a normal petrol drivetrain would, as the hybridisation instead offers more of a torque ‘wall’ which can be extracted with ease. That’s not to say the 6-speed DSG gearbox isn’t fast though, because it is, as well as being smooth and enjoyable to use via the paddles behind the steering wheel.

Conclusion

Driving this car around felt a bit like reviewing two cars in one. On the one hand, this is the latest shape Audi A3, which brings a number of subtle interior and exterior upgrades over the previous generation, all of which I found to be a step up. In fact, for the size of the car, it’s very hard to find fault anywhere with the Audi A3 itself.

And then we have our second item; the drivetrain. Again though, it’s very, very hard to find fault here. In fact, using this as a plug-in hybrid actually raised some big questions for me and also completely sold me on the technology. The implementation by Audi was so seamless, it just seems obvious that this is a route all manufacturers should be taking until the infrastructure is ready for fully electric vehicles. Charge times are acceptable, range anxiety none existent and yet you still clean up the CO2 emissions for the majority of journeys. It may not be the technology of the long term future, but it feels entirely compatible with the infrastructure we have available today and that’s surely the point.

The engineering and technology inside this car blend together superbly. Not only have they sold me on the plug-in hybrid concept, it made me want the Audi A3 TFSI-e as my practical daily more so than any other car I’ve reviewed. I guess that’s where the only real issue comes in – all that technology doesn’t come cheap! As reviewed, the Audi A3 TFSI-e would cost a fairly hefty £36,825. I’d best get saving…

Please visit: Men Style Fashion for more articles like this.

When it comes to defining a family car, many would think of traits such as boot space, legroom, storage, or comfort. Few though would have speed, power, and engine noise near the top of their list, but that doesn’t mean these aspects should be forgotten. Why should having a practical family car means you have to disregard the traditionally more exciting avenues of car ownership? Well, Audi has a long-standing solution to this problem in the form of the RS6, and they kindly gave us the keys to their latest 2020 edition…

Introduction

Before we get into the nitty-gritty, let’s go over a few headline facts and figures. Firstly; Power, with this generation of RS6 receiving a tweaked and revised edition of the V8 twin-turbo seen before, now pumping out a whopping 592hp. That power is funnelled to all 4 wheels by an 8-speed gearbox, the result of which is the eye-watering 3.6 seconds 0-60 time and a top speed of 190mph. Yup, that’s 190mph from a ‘family’ car…

Then there’s boot space, which comes in at a very luggage-friendly 565 litres, so they’ve got the family and pets covered too. Similarly, the options list caters for all, with a wealth of tech on offer from 4-zone climate control, heated rear seats, Bang and Olufsen audio, and even a portable espresso maker. Suffice to say, on paper the RS6 covers pretty much all the bases, and considering how the previous generation RS6 blew me away 2 years ago, this should be a slam-dunk review… Or will it be?

You see, the world has moved on from 2 years ago. Environmental factors have become ever more prevalent, and the SUV market has continued to grow. Does the fast-estate recipe still work, or has Audi been left behind? Headline figures only tell so much, so let’s dig in.

More Than Just a Face Lift

The latest generation of RS6 (generation code ‘C8’) is fairly easy to tell apart from the previous, largely thanks to the overhaul of the external appearance. Aggression has been cranked up a notch or two, with more noticeable arch flair, angrier lines, and sharp creases sweeping across panels. The arches need enlarging too, as the model on test came fitted with quite frankly ludicrously big 22” wheels, and yet they somehow didn’t look outlandish (standard size is a ‘meagre’ 21”…).

The Vorsprung trim option also includes various trim swaps to black, covering areas such as the badges, roof inserts, window surrounds, and side sills to name a few. These certainly add to the stealthy look and compliment the stunning Navarra blue paint.

All of this means that, as far as estate cars go, few carry as much presence as the RS6.

As the heading suggests though, it’s not just the external features that the Audi engineers have been busy refining. Oh no, because by far the most dramatic overhaul can be found inside the cabin, where a heavy sprinkling of the future has been applied throughout. It’s clear to see a lot of techs have originated from Audi’s premium A8 line, but whereas other vehicles in the fleet receive watered-down versions, the RS6 seems to have received a full-fat offering. The result of this is a whopping 3 displays with which you can view vehicle data, along with a superb heads-up display projected onto the windscreen, giving you a variety of information from local speed limits to engine boost pressure.

The fit and finish of the entire cabin is quite phenomenal and raises the already high bar which Audi set.

The tactility, fit, function, and lighting of the RS6’s cabin impressed every time I was in it, a truly fantastic feat of engineering and design.

On the Road

So whilst the styling and interior have been radically overhauled, the drivetrain follows a similar recipe to the previous model, albeit with a few tweaks here and there. As mentioned earlier, the engine power output has been increased, but it still delivers power to the road through the same 8-speed gearbox and Quattro all-wheel-drive system. However, there has clearly been a number of tweaks as well as the addition of rear-wheel steering.

The rear-wheel steering is an interesting one; a feature that felt a little numbing on a standard A6 but which really brings the RS6 alive. The car feels more nimble, connected and the steering feels overall feels a step ahead of the previous generation. Whether the system received a bit of RS-specific tweaking or not I do not know, but the result is that this 2+ tonne family wagon handles and drives far better than it has any right to.

The drive select system for changing the vehicle’s characteristics also seems more powerful than ever, making this RS6 a car of two very distinct personalities. With the suspension, steering and drivetrain softened right off, the inner A6 takes centre stage; it rides bumps well, purrs along near-silently, and can return a respectable ~30mpg on a long run. The economy figures are phenomenal for such a powerful vehicle, no doubt partly thanks to the new mild-hybrid system, 4-cylinder operating mode, and evolution of the engine-off coasting modes. There’s a definite sense of technology beavering away in the background to constantly savour every drop of fuel, and it’s fair to say they work rather well!

Switching to dynamic though, and everything instantly sharpens up, the deep roar of the V8 engine becomes far more vocal and the insane levels of performance become effortlessly accessible. Acceleration is gut-wrenching to an almost hilarious level, the chassis firm (highlighting how poor UK roads are) and the enormous brakes provide a heap of stopping power. Stopping power is sorely needed too, as the RS6 gathers pace at a scarcely believable rate of knots. It’s hard to put into words how much this car warps your perception of speed, with vast quantities of it so effortlessly available it becomes a real job to ensure road-speed legality is upheld.

The result of all of this is that the RS6 covers ground at a pace no family estate has the right to. On top of that, you’re sat in a supremely comfortable cabin and the driving experience is utterly enjoyable.

How one car can manage all of this I just don’t know, but the RS6 just does. Bravo Audi.

Conclusion

So the Audi RS6, how does it stack up in the year 2020?

Well, thanks to a number of key refinements, largely on the technological side, it stacks up better than ever. The infotainment system and interior quality are next levels, whilst the inclusion of the mild-hybrid and cylinder shut down ensure fuel economy is kept in check.

So the recipes still the same, but Audi have tweaked it to include all the ingredients required of a car in 2020. I loved the previous generation car and yet they’ve still managed to find a way to improve almost every aspect of it. This is truly staggering and makes it hard to find any real fault with the RS6. The only quibble I found? The price.

All that performance does not come cheap, with the RS6 as tested coming in at an eye-watering £112,840 on the road.

Thank you to Audi UK for arranging our Covid-friendly RS6 loan.

Please visit: Men Style Fashion for more articles like this.

With many of us getting used to a new ‘normal’, which includes working from home and being far more reliant on the space we live in, it’s little wonder that expenditure on home improvements has increased. An area where many will no doubt miss a luxury offered by the office is the quality of the coffee, with no commute also eradicating the train-station or high-street coffee many employ. So, with options limited, it’s time to start brewing at home – which is where today’s review item could come in.

Background

Founded in 1919, Kitchen Aid is by no means a new brand when it comes to making kitchen appliances, although they are probably best known and recognised for their stylish and well-engineered stand mixers. Alas, like many companies, over the years they’ve branched out into new areas, and have been making coffee machines for a good while now.

Today’s item differs from most traditional coffee makers, using a relatively new (and very much on-trend) method of vacuum brewing. It’s essentially a two-stage process, which starts off with the coffee grinds being placed in an upper chamber, whilst the required amount of water is poured into the chamber below.

The lower chamber acts like a kettle, and when switched on starts off the brewing process by boiling the water, thus creating pressure and pushing the liquid up into the top chamber. Here, the hot, pressurized water and coffee mix, forming stage 1 of the brewing process. Up to now, it’s very similar to the process used on a wide variety of coffee makers, but the next step is where it gets a bit sci-fi.

The lower chamber is allowed to cool, which in turn creates a vacuum of pressure relative to the upper chamber. With a vacuum-formed, the water is then pulled back down from the upper chamber through a filter, which captures the coffee grinds and ensures all the water passes through them – thus extracting the maximum amount of flavour.

In Practice

So now that we’ve covered how the process works, how does the Kitchen Aid actually perform? The machine is simple to disassemble, aiding quick filling of the lower water tank. The lower tank is marked to aid your filling, with notches indicating fill points between 3 and 8 cups, with a maximum 1-litre capacity.

The filter twists simply into place in the top half, whilst a stand is provided so you can add the coffee grinds without the base (lower tank) attached. It’s then a case of locking the top ‘ball’ half over the base, which locks together with a satisfying notch to let you know it’s watertight. The lid for the lower section can be fastened to the upper chamber, although this felt like a slight afterthought with lacklustre fastening.

Flick the kettle-like switch and the lower half begins to boil, taking just a few minutes to force the water up into the top chamber thanks to the potent 1440w element. Another minute or two pass as the water is pulled back down in a slightly less vigorous manner (all the while extracting flavour).

The end result? Aside from impressing your friends with the intriguing process, the coffee is strong, full of flavour and the filter does a good job of making sure no grinds make it into the finished brew. Very little crema is created, unlike an espresso machine, but that’s more a difference of process than a negative on the Kitchen Aid (something to be aware of).

Where this machine excels is in its ability to produce a large quantity of good coffee in a short amount of time no replacing grinds between each cup or waiting for the gas hob to provide the required heat. Fill, add beans and go, it really is a breeze and a noticeable step-up from cafetière or similar brew methods, both in quality and speed.

It’s not all good though, and there are a few issues that need to be discussed. Kitchen Aid seems somewhat aware of the first; cleaning. In fact, the instructions make specific reference to the cleaning process and how the included brush is there to aid this process, so they’ve done what they can to address the issue. You see, whilst the coffee maker may have a fantastic looking design, it makes for a very tricky routine with some internal surfaces tricky and difficult to access. These surfaces are not only hard to clean, but also trap some of the finished brews when in use, meaning there would consistently be ½ a cup or so that couldn’t be enjoyed.

The trade-off is for aesthetics, which are hard to overlook as it looks fantastic on the countertop. The build quality too is absolutely top-notch and the included brush/coffee measure certainly goes a healthy way towards alleviating the concerns.

The bottom Line

If you’ve already fallen in love with the looks of this machine, I don’t blame you, and it would also be tricky to offer any hard arguments against purchasing. Yes, it’s tricky to clean, but there’s always a trade-off with form/function and the build quality is first-rate. The vacuum process is as intriguing as it is efficient, making this machine an accessible way of producing quality coffee at home.

The Kitchen Aid Vacuum coffee brewer currently retails for £159.00.

Update: Kitchen Aid has discontinued this product

Please visit: Men Style Fashion for more articles like this.

If electric cars are the future and combustion engines are the past, it’s safe to say the ‘here and now’ technology is hybridisation. Efficiency benefits courtesy of a combined electric/combustion drivetrain, but without the heavy dose of range anxiety. Until the government get their act together and establish a suitable charging network, hybrid vehicles represent a very accessible and usable way to reduce your carbon footprint.

Lexus have just launched their latest iteration, the UX 250h; a compact SUV with a 2.0 litre petrol engine paired with electric motors. The question is, should you buy one?

UX Big Hits

For those that don’t know, Lexus are ultimately part of the Toyota group, operating as their luxury vehicle arm.

This brings with it a number of big pluses, the most obvious being that they have an enormous wealth of knowledge and experience they can tap into – Toyota are the world’s largest automotive manufacturer after all.

This is all especially relevant to the hybridised Lexus UX, as Toyota manufacture the fantastically successful and now well-established Toyota Prius Hybrid. For years, this has been the benchmark of mainstream hybrid vehicles – we can only hope this shines through with the UX.

The drivetrain in the UX comprises of a 2.0L petrol engine, which drives through the front wheels, with electrical motors running in parallel for efficiency benefits. Combined power output sits at 181bhp, which is fed through a CVT, or Continuously Variable Transmission. Essentially this means the UX doesn’t have pre-defined gears (1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd etc), but instead constantly changes the ratio between the engines input and the wheels speed. The net result is that when you accelerate, the engines speed remains constant. Why is this a benefit you ask? Well, the engineers are then able to tailor the gearbox to hold the engine at its most efficient speed, then hold it there. Efficiency therefore, should be a key talking point for the UX.

Visuals

Before we dive too deeply into the drivetrain though, lets discuss the most obvious attributes of the UX – it’s visuals. Finished in graphite black metallic paint, the UX on test certainly made an impression, with the front grill carrying signature, angular Lexus styling. The rear of the car continues this strong, angular design language, with the tail lights stretching across the full vehicle width and featuring ‘eyelashes’ at their outer edges. The styling certainly isn’t subtle and may not be to everyone’s tastes, but the quality of the paintwork, panels and alignment was all exemplary.

The inside of the car is similarly well put together. Fit, finish and general feel of all the interior surfaces was spot on – no flimsy plastics here. The optional premier plus pack ensures our review unit carried many features beyond a base UX, including privacy glass, a powered tailgate, heated seats, heated steering wheel and extended leather to name a few. Coming in at a cool £4,200, it doesn’t come cheap, so it’s good to see it is at least an extensive offering.

The red leather seats fitted to this UX are absolutely superb. The leather is nice to the touch, looks sleek and the seats themselves are supremely comfortable. Support is offered in all the right places, whilst added depth on the bolsters ensure you’re held in snug for the bends – these seats would feel right at home in most modern sports cars. The heating function offers 3 levels as well as an auto mode – with heat supplied readily and to a decent temperature. Another tick for the UX.

Other neat interior features include the analogue clock – seemingly a little antiquated in 2019, but a novel addition which sits very nicely amongst the various screens and switches on the dash. Another feature I’d not experienced before, was the central cubby hole, which also serves as an armrest to both the driver and passenger. Traditionally, these hinge from the rear, but Lexus have summoned some Japanese ingenuity and created a special hinge which allows it to hinge from both side. That’s right, the driver the and passenger both have their own latch-button, which alternates the hinging side, allowing for unimpeded access. Neat.

Then we get to a couple of bad bits. Firstly, boot size; It’s really quite small – offering just 320litres of storage. This sits it right at the bottom end of the pile for vehicles at this size and would leave me feeling a little anxious for family weekends away.

The Infotainment System Why Is It So Complicated

The infotainment system is a major concern though, with others warning me prior to the Lexus’ delivery of its complexity – a challenge I duly expected to demolish. How wrong was I?! It is the same in the LC500 too.

I consider myself pretty techy – I’ve done my fair share of IT journalism in the past, yet I too was left dumbfounded by the complex Lexus system. Whilst many competitors use touch screens, the Lexus system uses a laptop-style touch pad located adjacent to the gearstick.

This allows movement of the infotainments cursor, with feedback fed back both visually and via haptics in the touchpad. In principal this sounds ok – it works in laptops after all, but the implementation feels so clunky and the software is poorly laid out. Simple features took a long while to discover in the software, and even after a week of use I found myself tearing my hair out at times. It’s also worth noting Apple CarPlay and Android Auto fail to make an appearance here.

Drivetrain

Whilst the infotainment may come across a little complex, the drivetrain on the other hand is ever so simple… to the drivers eye anyway. Pop the gear selector into drive or reverse and away you go – the handbrake automatically releases and the electronics work wonders to keep everything buttery smooth. The reality is that, under the skin, the drivetrain on this Lexus is far from simple. This is hard to perceive from the drivers seat, at first anyway, but once you start motoring there’s a key audible difference. You see, because the engine is held at a steady speed by the CVT gearbox, the engine note is incredibly monotone. This can not only be a bit grating, but also makes it hard to tell how quickly you’re going without checking the speedo. You see, in most cars you quickly get a feel for the relationship between gear/engine speed/road speed, but in this it is simply impossible. 4,000 rpm could literally be at 10mph or 100mph, which takes a little getting used to.

Beyond the audible differences, the drivetrain works incredibly well. In terms of pedal use and driving style, it requires minimal adjustment and the car constantly and seamlessly swaps between petrol and electric driving modes to optimise efficiency. The end result is really quite startling, especially considering the vehicles size; 46-48mpg was returned during testing. From a non-turbo petrol SUV, that’s quite frankly ridiculous and beyond what I expected or thought possible. Kudos to Lexus – it may not be the most engaging drivetrain, but the efficiency it offers is hard to argue with.

On The Road

With clever drivetrain, it’s fair to expect plenty of technical wizardry aiding you on your travels. Lane assist, dynamic cruise control, road sign assist and collision systems all come as standard. As a base offering, this is strong, especially as the dynamic cruise control works so exceptionally well. It’s incredibly good at monitoring the gap to cars ahead and adjusts your speed with such subtlety I rarely felt it effects.

The lane assist isn’t such a big hit and felt a little too intrusive whilst travelling on the motorway – I found it best to leave this off. Fortunately I didn’t have any need for the collision assist, but the road sign assist worked well and was fantastic for monitoring speed limit zones.

The UX rides very well, with general road comfort good and enough firmness and feedback in the suspension to make bends feel engaging. How much of this is down to the F-Sport level upgrades to this UX is hard to say, but it surpassed expectations in this regard. Vibration and road noise is handled well too, whilst wind noise is minimal, even when traveling at speed.

Steering feel is a little muted, but for a compact SUV its roughly what you’d expect. The headlights and steering controls are all intuitive and even after spending 300 miles in the UX, I failed to find any annoyances or areas of discomfort. To drive then, it’s certainly no sports car, but for efficiency, smoothness and comfort it scores very highly.

Conclusion

Efficiency? Tick. Comfort? Tick. Build quality? Tick. Storage space? Questionable. Infotainment? Must try harder. In a very broad manner, that’s perhaps the best way to summarise the UX. It’s a commendable package, with a few key weaknesses which unfortunately hold it back from being a stand-out performer.

It really is worth emphasising the efficiency the drivetrain brings though – for those looking for a daily commuter, this could easily save a small fortune over competitor, non-hybrid vehicles. The drivetrain technology implementation is impressive beyond the efficiency gains too, with the smoothness and driving ease both great.

All of which makes it frustrating that the infotainment is so complicated. If only Lexus could work on this, they’d greatly improve the car’s appeal – especially with the rest of the interior being so well put together. As it is, the UX is a good car but falls short of offering the full package.

Thank you to Lexus UK for providing our loan car. Price as reviewed: £33,905

Please visit: Men Style Fashion for more articles like this.

When it comes to spending money, most of us enjoy spending on things we’re interested in; fast cars, nice watches or a luxury getaway. These items can easily cost considerable sums of money, with their relative impact on your life and wellbeing often somewhat small. Why is it then, that when it comes to spending money on the areas that really make a difference to your everyday wellbeing, spending is typically frugal?

A high-quality mattress can make a big difference to the quality of your sleep, yet they often get overlooked or ignored as a purchase because they’re not an ‘interesting’ buy.  Why is it that a car, where you may spend 2 hours a day, can have 10’s of thousands of pounds justified on its purchase, yet a mattress, where you spend ~8 hours a day, is often dropped to the bottom of the list?

In fairness, this is exactly how I used to feel – a mattress is just a fabric bag filled with springs, my current one provides a good night’s sleep, so what’s interesting about trying something new? Except that’s not the mattress landscape we find ourselves in today, with numerous, high-tech foam-based offerings battling it out against the traditional, sprung mattresses. MSF thought it was about time we saw what all the fuss was about, so reached out to Emma Mattress, a UK based manufacturer which specialises in sophisticated foam mattresses.

Arrival By Post

The first difference between a spring and foam mattress is the purchase route. Thanks to their ability to be vacuum packed, foam mattresses can be delivered direct to your door in a courier friendly box – handy! The box itself is surprisingly compact (considering it contains an entire mattress), but don’t be fooled into thinking it’s lightweight; there’s still a considerable amount of material maintained within and lifting the mattress upstairs is best handled between two.

Inside the box, the mattress is essentially rolled into a long sausage, tightly held by a thick plastic sleeve. Removal of the sleeve is an easy process, thanks to the thoughtful inclusion of a cutting blade in the box. A moulded plastic guard ensures the blade is held away from the mattress cover, stopping any accidental slips causing damage during unpacking.

The mattress, blade and information leaflet are all that’s to be found in the box. Once released from its plastic wrapper, the mattress will begin to inflate and take shape. According to the manual, it’s ready to sleep on within a few minutes, although be aware the fresh mattress gives off a gluey, plasticky odour during its first few days of freedom.

Sleep & Comfort

Before covering the mattress in bedding, it’s worth discussing how well clothed it already is. The top cover feels incredibly soft and premium to the touch, with apparent temperature regulating properties to boot. The grey lower cover contrasts very nicely and feels as durable as you could ever need it to be – grab handles can be found around the periphery too which make manoeuvring the Emma that little bit easier. Conveniently, the zip running the periphery of the cover allows you to easily remove the white upper portion for washing – a welcome aid to bedroom hygiene.

The foam inner is constructed of three main layers: An ‘airgocell’ upper layer provides breathability and initial squish, with the memory foam layer underneath providing pressure distribution and further contouring-comfort. Finally, the bulk of the mattress is made from ‘HRX’ foam, a firm lower-layer designed to provide counter-pressure and lower-back focused support. This HRX layer also has additional cooling channels cut through it to stop you overheating at night. These cooling channels are very welcome, as many memory foam mattresses restrict your body’s ability to ‘breathe’ to such an extent they can become a very sweaty place to be!

Lying in the Emma for the first time, you can really feel the design intent of the three-layer system. The softer top and second layer allow you to sink into the mattress just enough to spread the pressure over your body, with the firm under layer providing ample support and stopping you from sinking in too far. It strikes a very nice balance, with overall squishiness hitting the sweet spot for me.  Everyone has different tastes mind you, which Emma cover well by offering a 100 day money-back guarantee.

Of course, a good mattress won’t necessarily shine after a single night – likewise, a terrible mattress may only show its true colours after a few weeks. For that reason, I used the Emma as my sole mattress for a full month before writing this review and am pleased to say the initial impressions carried through. It’s certainly a big step up from my previous sprung mattress, or any other mattress I’ve slept on during the last year for that matter, with the result being a month of pain and ache free sleep.

It’s always difficult to gauge these things accurately – I never struggled with sleep previously but I’d definitely say it’s providing a boost to the quality of sleep I’m able to achieve. I never find myself waking from discomfort, which couldn’t be said of the previous mattress I’d used. I’d previously been put off foam mattresses after a few experiences of overheating in their suffocating squish, but the combination of cooling channels and breathable materials in the Emma really seem to work – I didn’t find myself overheating during my time with the mattress.

Conclusion

Memory foam, or foam technology for mattresses in general, may not be anything new, so I sadly can’t preach about how the Emma is a total game changer. However, as a cocktail of foams packaged together, the Emma is a very compelling buy. It looks and feels high quality, can be delivered direct to your door and is easy to unpack and ‘install’. The thoughtful addition of a zipper for the top cover, the grab handles and small knife in the box are excellent examples of the attention to detail that has gone into this product.

There’s little, if anything to dislike then – and even if you do, Emma have you covered with their 100 day money back guarantee. A 10 year guarantee backs up any purchases, whilst prices sit between £429 for a single and £799 for a king. To my mind the mattress easily justifies its cost, making it a sure-fire MSF recommendation.

Check out  https://www.emma-mattress.co.uk for more information.

Please visit: Men Style Fashion for more articles like this.

I recently had the pleasure of driving Jaguar’s I-Pace; with its electric drivetrain it produces  zero exhaust emissions and houses motors instead of a combustion engine. Today’s Jaguar couldn’t be more different; for all the eco-centric messages given off by the I-Pace, the F-Type SVR is all about the old school combustion engine. No electronic drivetrain, just petrol, a massive 5.0L V8 and enough power to move a small planet. Time to get stuck in…

SVR Magic

A ‘standard’ F-Type is by no means your average car. I had the pleasure of reviewing the 4-cylinder 300hp coupe model for MSF last year, with its gorgeous looks and fantastic handling leaving a lasting impression. Immediately I was keen to try the larger-engine models though, with the smaller engine feeling a little lacking compared to the rest of the chassis. Fortunately, Jaguar came up trumps and offered the 5.0l V8 SVR model for evaluation.

The V8 is available in two configurations – 540hp or 570hp. Both are fundamentally the same engine, but the higher output is reserved for the SVR model, running in a performance enhancing configuration. The added grunt of the SVR allows the Coupe model to hit 200mph, whilst the convertible drops in slightly below at ‘just’ 195mph.. Gulp.

The quad-exit exhaust system receives an SVR tweak, being made of titanium and Inconel – exotic, lightweight materials more commonly seen in high level motorsport such as Formula 1. The aerodynamics receive a tweak too, with the most obvious change the addition of a large, carbon fibre rear wing. These combine to make the rear-end of the F-Type rather menacing – you really can’t beat quad exit tail pipes.

An SVR specific aero package and wheels round things off very nicely, with the latter of the 20” variety – easily filling the wheel arches and necessitating rubber-band style low-profile tyres. The interior on this SVR was finished in red leather, which combined with plenty f quilting looked absolutely fantastic. Is the red a little loud? Perhaps, but when you’re in a car that looks as good as the F-Type surely that’s what it’s all about. Talking of loud, did I mention the SVR F-Type carries a 5 litre (!) V8?

The Engine

Thinking of a single adjective to describe the engine in the F-Type SVR proved difficult, so here are a few that should give you the gist: Snort, growl, crackle, pop. You see, the exhaust note of the SVR excites the little child inside you, perhaps to a greater degree than any other press car I’ve driven. It’s so full of character, drama and most of all volume that use of the accelerator becomes less about accelerating and more about noise generation.

Acceleration is hardly lacking though; the V8’s punch allows the F-Type to hit 60mph in just 3.5 seconds. The car continues to accelerate at a vast rate of knots well beyond 60mph too, with the 8-Speed gearbox changing ratios rapidly along the way. The gearbox suits the personality of the car incredibly well; seamless auto-changes tame the V8 beast for comfortable cruising, whilst wheel-mounted paddles offer manual control for spirited drives.

Of course, having a loud, shouty engine isn’t always the best thing, which is probably why Jaguar included an exhaust valve control button in the centre console, changing it between two volume levels. Whilst the exhaust volume is undoubtedly reduced in the quiet mode, the F-Type still makes its presence felt. Personally, I loved the noise and this never bothered me, but those living in built up areas may want to consider their neighbourly relationships before firing up in the early-hours!

Interior

With the exterior finished in Santorini black paint, the interior/exterior contrast with the red leather is a sight to behold and looked simply fantastic. The interior itself is well laid out – the central area is a mixture of buttons and a large touch screen, making regularly-used features just a button press away. Opening out the doors reveals yet more leather, with the well-placed seat adjustment panel sitting high up on the door, allowing easy adjustment without having to reach awkwardly down the side of the seat.

The seats offer plenty of adjustment, particularly in the height department where a low seating position is easily achieved – great for the taller drivers out there. They strike a good balance of comfort, support and sportiness, with the raised sides holding you in for spirited drives without feeling restrictive. A mixture of quilted and plain leather cover its entirety, with cooling air or heating available through the seat itself.

Other neat touches include the Suedecloth steering wheel, a £580 optional extra which adds a little extra race car feel and grip to the wheel. The steering wheels narrow, contoured rim makes for a very comfortable interface and feels fantastic in the hands. Red seat belts (£160), a carbon centre console (£580) and premium leather interior pack (£1080) round off the interior options on this SVR.

A highly spec’d interior makes even more sense with the convertible roof of the F-Type, with the red leather showed off superbly when driving with the roof down. The roof folds down flush in a matter of seconds (at speeds up to 30mph), with a small (removeable) wind deflector sitting between the two head rests.

The carbon fibre centre console surrounds the Jaguar infotainment system. As the F-Type debuted a few years ago, it’s now a step behind the latest incarnation we sampled in the I-Pace, although the basic feature set remain the same. Carplay, Android Auto, navigation and phone synchronisation staples are all included, system response was good although the interface is now beginning to feel dated. The sound system performs well, although in truth usage of it was strictly limited to a few rainy evenings. With the roof down, this F-Type was permanently tuned into radio V8 SVR.

On The Road

SVR cars are all about the driving experience, and having fallen in love with the Coupe 300hp model I was keen to see how this F-Type handled when everything had been turned up to 11. Pleasingly, I can report that it’s an experience which is truly unforgettable.

The move to four-wheel drive mutes some of the rear end feel from the standard model, but the extra grip and punch out of the corners it affords makes this one of the most rapid mile-crunching experiences I’ve ever had. The moment you begin to straighten the wheel and bury the throttle, the V8 roars and is closely followed by a slingshot of acceleration which fully intoxicates all your senses. Roof down and sun shining, I find it hard to believe there are many that can thrill beyond the F-Type SVR.

Combining a large V8 and four-wheel drive system means the F-Type SVR is a little porky at 1720kg, but it’s not as noticeable as you’d expect on the road. The brakes are sharp, steering responsive and road handling superb. The ride feels a little on the firm side, no doubt a product of the low-profile tyres and performance orientated suspension setup, yet it rarely caused discomfort and the performance trade off felt more than worthwhile.

There is of course a fuel cost to all this performance, but it’s not as bad as I was expecting. MPG figures returned throughout my week with the F-Type were around the 20 mark, which seemed reasonable given the performance on tap. Quite how much of this fuel was used for noise creation vs actual performance is questionable, but it was a price worth paying in my book!

Conclusion

Where to start with the F-Type SVR? In truth, this conclusion is one of the easiest I’ve ever had to write. Put simply, the F-Type SVR is superb, a true masterpiece, which epitomises all the values and qualities you’d expect from a high performance vehicle carrying the Jaguar badge.

It’s very hard to find fault with the car – yes, the infotainment is now a little dated, but the reality is I never really used it, the SVR is so focused on the driving experience, as should you be driving it. Having recently spent a week in the I-Pace, there is no doubt in my mind that electric cars are the future, but a week with the SVR’s V8 growl and it’s obvious how much the combustion engine will be sorely missed. Thank you and bravo to Jaguar for building such a wonderful car.

Jaguar F-Type SVR’s start from £118,575 on the road. Thank you to Jaguar UK for supplying our review car.

Please visit: Men Style Fashion for more articles like this.

When it comes to electric cars, most probably think of one company: Tesla the brand which seemingly came from nowhere and made the electric car market what it is today.

This month we are trending everything electric cars. Tesla Model 3  we shall be driving it real soon. And can the four circles take on these two brands, Audi E-Tron we shall find out too.

It’s fair to say, they somewhat caught the established guard of automotive manufacturers with their pants down. Whilst the big players may have years of experience building automobiles, their reliance on traditional combustion engines has meant they‘ve been frantically playing catch up since. Until the I-Pace that is. Jaguar have beaten their combustion-reliant rivals to launching a fully electric vehicle, but have they managed to bridge, or even overcome, the technological gap to the market leaders?

I-Pace on paper

On-paper pedigree for the I-Pace is certainly impressive. Debuting in the second half of 2018, the I-Pace quickly racked up awards all over the globe – becoming one of the most highly decorated production vehicles ever. A haul of 62 awards in its debut year is no mean feat, especially when you consider that includes the European Car of the Year award.

It’s fair to say then, Jaguar’s first effort made quite the splash. An initial look down the spec sheet reveals a little more of how Jaguar achieved this; 0-60 in 4.5 seconds, 400 PS (395Hp), a 90kWh battery and permanent 4 wheel drive via a twin-motor drive. Numbers-wise, this throws if firmly within Tesla territory, although the Tesla’s outright numbers win the ultimate top trumps – Ludicrous mode 0-60 times just can’t be beaten.

However, it’s not all about the numbers those awards were given for a reason. With all their years of automotive knowledge, it’s safe to assume Jaguar will have applied more than a mild helping of their secret sauce. Time to dig a little deeper.

Energy Efficiency

This is why manufacturers need to be as clear about their electric cars’ energy efficiency.

All of these cars’ official consumption figures are listed in their literature or online, but not every manufacturer is equally forthcoming with their EVs’ efficiency information. This is why it’s important that you, as a buyer, keep in mind to ask for it before you sign on the dotted line.

Because while you’ll need to pick an electric car that won’t leave you stranded, you’ll also need to pick one that you won’t pay over the odds to run. The best electric cars, after all, are not simply those which can travel the furthest on one charge, but those which can do so using the least amount of electricity.

For example, take the Jaguar I-Pace and Audi E-Tron.

Both have an identical official efficiency figure of 2.8mpkWh, at best. But the Jaguar will cost around £7,000 less to buy and travel 292 miles on a charge, compared with the Audi’s 271. On paper, then, it’s already the more attractive option – and knowing it will cost you no more to run will probably make it even more so.

Thomas wearing London Brogues

In the flesh

The styling of the I-Pace is more evolutionary rather than revolutionary – it’s undoubtedly an SUV of the modern century, but with the proportions all receiving a tweak rather than a space-ship overhaul. Thanks to the front-end being combustion engine free, the front wheels can be moved further forward and the bonnet line lowered – advantageous to both aerodynamics and handling. The aero side is further enhanced with numerous scoops and ducts, including a large central scoop that re-directs air along the length of the bonnet.

The rear is less curvaceous, perhaps struggling to live up to the design creativity of the front, with its edges a little boxy by comparison. For a company that has delivered truly stunning cars through the years, from the E-Type of yesteryear to the F-Type of today, the I-Pace was always going to be hard pushed to live up to the standards of Jaguar’s heritage. Whilst it’s a shape that struggles to create as much instantaneous wow factor as its predecessors, it’s certainly one that grows on you and will no doubt mature very nicely in the coming years.

In terms of accessibility, the I-Pace uses standard, front-hinged doors, with 4 flanking the vehicle and a boot at the rear. Opening of the doors is a manual operation (not quite the automated, falcon door, Tesla Model-X experience), but that doesn’t mean the I-Pace lacks tricks of its own. The door handles are concealed flush within the door, reducing aerodynamic drag when on the move and only presenting themselves when required. A puddle light projection, including the important Jaguar name, is emitted from beneath, aiding nighttime accessibility and increasing the sense of occasion.

5 seats fill the spacious cabin, with a large boot taking up the rearmost section of the interior. It’s safe to say then, that as an automotive manufacturer, Jaguar has stuck to their guns and designed a car in their traditional way – sticking to well-proven methods and layouts to create an interior instantly comparable with the rest of their modern fleet. A (very) small ‘frunk’ underneath the bonnet is perhaps the only quirk afforded by the use of electric motors, with room for a shoebox or two should the main boot prove insufficient.

Then we get to the central dash area; whilst Tesla stripped back the buttons and put all their faith in a single touch screen, Jaguar has made an evolutionary step with their well-proven interior methods. Twin screens adorn the central section, with a myriad of buttons and dials flanking their sides, offering easy adjustment of the climate control and driving modes. We’ll go into more detail on the tech later, but aside from driving the I-Pace, it’s safe to say it’s essentially as per any other Jaguar out there.

Drivetrain

So whilst evolutionary rather than revolutionary steps have been taken with the exterior and cabin, under the skin it’s a very different story. Instead of a fuel tank and combustion engine, batteries and electric motors are the order of the day. Petrol station visits are no more – power sockets are your new best friend!

Jaguar only offers a single configuration for the motors and battery sizing, resulting in a 90kWh capacity and drive to all four wheels as standard. Driving all four wheels gives the car superb traction in slippery conditions, which is further aided by the very low centre of gravity afforded by the batteries-in-the-floor layout. These aids to traction are very welcome given the vehicles overall mass – 90kWh of batteries don’t come light and the I-Pace tips the scales at 2.1 tonnes.

The battery size does at least give the I-Pace a decent range – official WLTP figures put it at 292 miles, although real-world figures during my time with the vehicle were a fair bit lower. No doubt this is partly due to my driving style not being entirely suited to maximise range, but the ~230 miles achieved is a little daunting and whilst I reckon 250 would be possible, the 292 claimed seems a little ambitious.

Nevertheless, find a potent charge station and the I-Pace will hit 80% charge in ‘just’ 45 minutes. This relies on a 100kW DC feed, for which charge points are currently scarce but becoming more readily available. I was fortunate to find a 50kW DC charger close by during my time with the vehicle, which increases the charge time but even so, was easily enough to fill the vehicle whilst busying myself walking the dog (the fill cost just under £10 too). For those without access to a DC feed, you’ll have to rely on an AC supply instead. These are very common and can even be fitted at home, but sadly the I-Pace is limited to just 7kW of supply on AC, necessitating a lengthy (overnight) charge.

London Brogues at my feet.

Driving the I-Pace

The use of secret sauce was mentioned earlier, and it’s safe to say it becomes very evident where it’s been applied once you start driving the car. The moment you put the car into drive and pull away, the level of refinement in the driving experience is beyond anything I’ve felt before. The I-Pace pulls away with such grace and smoothness, picks up speed so readily and glides along the road in a simply superb way.

The weight of the steering is perfectly suited to the vehicle, whilst the tailored driving modes (such as eco & dynamic) adapt the ferocity of the accelerator pedal to a considerate degree. The brake pedal feels a little mushy at first, no doubt due to a lot of the ‘braking’ being performed by the electric motors, but you quickly get used to this.

Despite the pedal lacking a little feel, the brakes themselves are incredibly potent, stopping the vehicle far quicker than the 2.1-tonne mass would allow you to expect. Cornering is handled with similar above-expectation competence, enabling the I-Pace to cover ground at a vast rate of knots. As with any car though, push it hard and the energy consumption goes up dramatically, with range quickly becoming a concern.

Overtaking has to be my favourite part of the electric car experience, however, with the instantaneous performance offered by the motor-drive absolutely magnificent. The I-Pace continues this trend, with huge amounts of shove available at the touch of the throttle. When overtaking slow traffic the difference this makes versus even the most potent of combustion cars is breath-taking; even cars like the mighty Audi R8 Performance can’t dispatch traffic with such aplomb.

Technology

Technology-wise, there’s obviously plenty of it stuffed into the floor of the I-Pace. However, Tesla set themselves apart by also cramming plenty of tech into the in-car experience, with their self-drive feature a particular headline grabber. Sadly this is the one area where I really felt the I-Pace let itself down.

The disappointment isn’t even because the I-Pace can’t self-drive. Yes, that’s an impressive feature on the Tesla’s but realistically it’s not an essential feature. A responsive user interface is though, which is where the Jaguar sadly falls short. You see, when the car is fired up the central infotainment takes a while to get going, but even when it has, it just lacks anywhere near the levels of fluidity expected from a car in 2019. Heck, even 5 years ago the Jaguar would have been a little questionable for fluidity and responsiveness.

This is a real shame, as it’s actually got a healthy spread of features, great Carplay/Android Auto integration and the mixture of buttons and touch screens hits a nice balance. The pre-condition menu was particularly user-friendly and intuitive, allowing you to set a departure time for your next journey, which the car will then use to ensure the interior is acclimatised before departure.

Connectivity is also a big plus on the I-Pace, with both the front and rear peppered in USB ports, affording plenty of mobile devices and gadget usage when travelling. No gimmicky features are present (Tesla’s fart mode, I’m looking at you) – Jaguar have clearly gone down the grown-up route here, but it’s a shame that few technological barriers have been pushed.

Conclusion

Whilst Tesla may grab headlines with their fancy features and quirky styling, Jaguar’s I-Pace is the strongest case for an electric future I’ve driven yet. It’s hard to put into words just how nice this car is to drive – there’s no vibration or noise from the engine, the ride and handling are superb and the calibration of the electric motors and brakes is spot on. Jaguar really, really nailed this area of the car.

Range anxiety remains an issue, particularly with charge times still in the ~1-hour range even on the fastest plugs. No doubt time and technology will help cure this problem, but an electric car remains a lifestyle decision for now. Those that jump on the bandwagon of bashing electric cars need to remember – these are just the first generation. Imagine where we’ll be in a few years?!

The only real downside with the I-Pace was the in-car technology, which sadly let the rest of the car down. For a car competing with Tesla and costing the best part of £70,000, it really should (and needs to) be better and the lack of basic interface fluidity is a shame. Hopefully, Jaguar can fix this, as the rest of the car is a superb advertisement for electric vehicles as a whole. We can’t wait for gen 2!

Menstylefashion would like to thank Jaguar UK for providing us with the review car. I-Pace prices start from £64,495 OTR.

MnStyleFashion has since this review tested the updated version of the I-PACE with big improvements in its infotainment system. You can read the review here.

Please visit: Men Style Fashion for more articles like this.

At the tail end of 2018, MSF was invited to Scotland to test out Alfa Romeo’s latest high-performance SUV; the Stelvio Quadrifoglio. A roaring V6 coupled to a refined version of the standard Stelvio chassis, the car was an absolute hoot. However, the recipe wasn’t a new one – Alfa had previously released a Quadrifoglio model based around their Giulia Saloon car. The Giulia Quadrifoglio is a car I’d personally wanted to drive for some time, and my experience of the Stelvio did little to dampen this appetite. 6 months later, Alfa informed me they had availability on a Giulia, would I like a go? Would I?! Roll on the Giulia Quadrifoglio.

The Recipe

Writing about Italian cars and not referencing food in some way is so tricky – the two just seem to go together so well! Anyway, lets discuss the recipe Alfa cooked up with the Giulia Quadrifoglio (known as the ‘QV’). As with many Italian dishes, it appears relatively simple – take a standard Giulia, throw in extensive use of lightweight materials, add a Ferrari co-engineered engine and spice up the interior. Sounds easy right? Except, there’s actually a lot more to it, with many of the changes far from obvious to the outside viewer.

For starters, the use of lightweight materials isn’t all about reducing the overall weight of the car. Instead, Alfa have used lightweight materials to help them optimise where the weight sits in the car, with the result being a perfect 50:50 front/rear weight distribution – ideal for handling balance. The use of carbon fibre isn’t exclusively for ‘bling’ areas – sure, it’s nice the bonnet and roof are made of carbon, but so is the prop-shaft – a part completely hidden away, yet through the use of carbon fibre Alfa shaved off an extra 5kg.

Suspension tuning isn’t just stiffer springs and new dampers either, with bespoke components fitted to the Quadrifoglio and a trick rear linkage setup – so trick it earned Alfa a new patent. The suspension connects to the road through Pirelli P-Zero tyres, well-regarded rubber with the unenviable job of transferring the engines 510 horse power to the tarmac.

Those horses are delivered by the beautiful V6, and anyone who knows anything about the Giulia QV will know the engine is a bit special. Based around the recent Ferrari V8 twin-turbo, it’s architecture is all but the same, albeit with the end two cylinders chopped off.  Despite the cylinder reduction and ‘small’ 2.9L displacement, resultant performance is still staggering; 0-60 takes just 3.9 seconds, whilst the Giulia QV will carry on all the way to 191mph… Gulp.

First Impressions       

On paper then, the Giulia QV appears to have it all. However, first impressions tell you ever so much about a car, and Alfa’s haven’t always been love at first sight for me. It pains me to say it, but the Giulia QV was no different. Whilst the interior is full of beautiful pieces of carbon fibre, alcantara and aluminum, there are still a few panels that feel cheap – certainly for a car costing ~£70,000.

Then there’s the seating position, which is quite far forward within the vehicle. The spacing to the pedals and wheel are correct, but the dash itself is very shallow so the windscreen & mirrors feel a little claustrophobic. Adjustment of the seats is also fairly limited – only basic changes can be made, with even lumber adjustment a step too far.

The infotainment system is per other recent Alfa’s I’ve tested – ie, a little lacking. Ok, the Giulia has been around for a couple of years now, but even so it seems to have aged faster than you’d like. The central display is smaller than rivals, whilst the interface lacks the fluidity and graphical pizzazz rivals from Germany offer. Not the best of starts then…

The ‘but’

As ever, there’s a but; and the but in this case comes into action the moment you press the engine start button. You see, no matter how hard you try to find fault with the car’s interior or infotainment, the truth is none of that matters once the engine’s fired up and you start to drive the car.

The steering got me first; supercars aside, I’ve never driven a car where the steering feels so alive and direct. The car just begs to be driven – there are a buzz and energy transmitted through the steering wheel which is far beyond what you’d expect from a family saloon. No doubt the speed of the rack has a lot to do with this – the smallest of inputs at the steering wheel changes the vehicle’s direction considerably, necessitating concentration but rewarding you with a front end which feels hyper-mobile. A glorious flat bottomed carbon fibre wheel is Alfa’s chosen communication device – with a thin rim which allows for a race-car-like grip.

Then you touch the throttle, which is an experience in itself. Turbochargers typically dampen and scramble an engine’s natural tune, yet Alfa has managed to shoe-horn an addictive bark into the V6 which once again begs you to drive it hard. The V6 creates a real shove – plenty enough to break traction at the rear wheels in the lower gears despite the considerable size of the P-Zero tyres. It likes to rev too, with the engine providing plenty of push all the way to the red-line.

Alfa chose well with the rest of the drivetrain; ZF’s excellent 8-speed automatic gearbox provides plenty of ratios, fast changes, and versatility. Alfa’s software control of the gearbox invokes fun too – smoothness may have been performance criteria in the vehicles comfort modes, but switch it to dynamic or race and it slams home the gearchanges with real ferocity.

Lastly, power is split between the rear wheels, and the rear wheels only, by a properly limited slip differential (LSD). Sending power solely to the rear wheels certainly hurts initial traction, but it more than makes up for this in the fun it allows and the weight saving it no-doubt facilitates over a 4 wheel drive system. The LSD is a welcome aid to rear-traction, distributing power mechanically rather than relying on clever electronics.

With the bar set very high, perhaps the only minor niggle is brake feel, which can be a little lacking through the pedal. Feel and stopping power are very different mind you, with the QV offering the latter in abundance. Alfa quotes a stopping distance of 32 metres from 62mph, a staggeringly short distance for such a car. The steel discs as tested never felt out of their depth throughout testing, although carbon ceramics are offered for those with a hunger for more at a cool £5,500…

The combination of all this means the Alfa eats roads for breakfast and provides driving joy like nothing I’ve experienced before. The performance is so useable and the car so communicative, it’s a serious delight to drive; I never once drove the QV without a childish grin on my face. A testament to this, I actually found myself taking an alternative (often longer) routes home in the hopes of finding new roads, corners and experiences to enjoy in the QV.

Civilised Style

The drivetrain all works superbly well for spirited drives, but as this is a family-friendly 4-door saloon, its versatility will need to be such that it can be driven every day, all year round. For this sort of driving, the QV’s best left out of the performance orientated dynamic and race modes, with both normal and advanced efficiency well suited to the daily grind.

In these modes, the QV is a tamed beast, with the aggression dialed back and a passive, docile personality revealed. The exhaust note is restrained at low-rpm, gearchanges softened, the suspension tempered and resultant ride superb. Despite not offering much adjustment, the Sparco bucket seats are some of the best around, with all passengers commenting on their remarkable ability to give support without causing discomfort. Mind you, at £3,250 I suppose they ought to be good!

Initial grievances over the unusual seating position quickly melt away, with the positives it affords in terms of driver/vehicle communication, head room and visibility soon apparent. The Harmon Kardon stereo (£950) provides abundant volume and detail to the stereo system, offering a viable alternative to the V6’s note should the desire take you. Boot space isn’t bad either, with more than enough room for the weekly shop or a few suitcases.

Then there are the QVs looks. Whilst a lot of rivals are focusing on hard lines and creases, the QV takes on typically curvaceous Alfa styling. Finished in Competizione Red, it carries real presence whilst also being instantly recognisable as an Alfa. The car drew attention and admiration throughout my time with it – there’s no doubt the Alfa badge carries more kudos than direct rivals.

Fuel economy for everyday driving wasn’t bad either – on a long/careful run you can expect to achieve ~30mpg, with a mixture of spirited and casual driving dropping this south to around 20mpg. For the performance on offer, these are commendable figures – aided somewhat by features such as cylinder de-activation, proving the V6’s ingenuity extends beyond pure performance.

Conclusion

Is the Giulia Quadrifoglio the family saloon that has it all? It certainly makes a compelling case, offering a smooth, quiet and efficient ride for the everyday and barn-storming performance for the weekend. The stark contrast between the car’s two personalities is truly impressive.

In terms of driving enjoyment, the QV is the best I’ve driven all year. The connection you get with the car, the roar of the engine and snap of the gearbox combine to make an irresistible experience. If family saloons were bought purely on the driving experience, it’s hard to see the QV failing to be top of the list.

However, it’s not perfect. The interior could certainly offer more given the price tag, whilst the technology is a step behind competitors. Is this enough to stop you buying the QV? Not in my book – handing back the keys to Alfa was really tough. What a car!

Thank you to Alfa Romeo UK for providing our test car. On the road price as reviewed:  £72,685.

Please visit: Men Style Fashion for more articles like this.

Audi’s R8 model has been gracing the roads for over 10 years now. When first launched, it was a turn up for the books – Audi making their claim for supercar status with quite a bang. The original featured a V8 engine producing 414hp, manual transmission and could sprint to 60 in a then-impressive 4.6 seconds.

Wind the clock forward a few years and how things have changed. V8’s are off the menu, as is the manual transmission. Power output has jumped massively, with performance models now pumping out 612hp, whisking the car to 60mph in a breath-taking 3.1 seconds.

Question is, does it still carry the R8 Magic?

Sentebale

24 hours before picking up the keys to Audi’s latest supercar, myself and MSF’s founder, Gracie Opulanza, were invited to Hampton Court Palace by Audi for the Sentebale concert. When it comes to events, Audi knows how to host and Sentebale was no different. Chauffeured door to door, we were then treated to an outstanding evening of food, drink and entertainment.

Sentebale itself is a charity founded by the Duke of Sussex and Prince Seeiso in 2006, which aims to look after and support vulnerable children in Lesotho, Botswana and Malawi. The event at Hampton court was a fundraiser; headlined by Rita Ora and with both the founding Royal members in attendance, it was a memorable evening. To find out more about the amazing work Sentebale undertake, or make a donation.

Before we return to the R8, I’d just like to thank Audi UK for inviting myself and Gracie to this fantastic event.

The R8

 Press cars resemble something of a lottery – although you know the model of the car to be delivered, the spec in terms of options and engine are generally unknown until shortly before the car is delivered. On this occasion, however, I hit the lottery jackpot, with the R8 in question a V10 Performance Coupe model.

On top of this, it carried Audi’s top tier ‘Carbon Black’ trim pack, which includes various carbon fibre body panels, 20” wheels, carbon fibre roll bars, ‘magnetic ride’ suspension, monstrous Carbon Ceramic brakes and much more. The petrolhead inside me was kicking and screaming – was this really going to be mine for the next 5 days?!

Time in any supercar is precious, so it always pays to have a plan of action whilst testing them out.

Fortunately for me, I had just the occasion in the calendar already transporting my other half to Cheltenham to visit her parents for Father’s Day. 150 miles each way, beautiful Cotswold roads staying at Crestow House  Cotswold is famous for some of the best scenery around, what more could I wish for?

The R8’s Beating Heart

R8’s have always left a lasting impression with me, but not primarily for a physical or visual reason. It’s the unmistakable note of the V10, which penetrates your entire body and produces a buzz like no other engine. Thankfully then, this generation of R8 carries forward all the engine fundamentals of past, with a few minor tweaks here and there allowing the Audi engineers to boost the engine’s output from 602 to 612hp, along with a torque increase from 560 to 580Nm.

The engine nestles just behind the cabin, displayed to the world underneath the glorious glass hood. With the Carbon Black pack, a carbon fibre engine cover also comes as standard, with LED’s under the bay ensuring the R8’s heart is permanently on display. Ostentatious? Yes, but when you have an engine as impressive as this one, it would be rude not to show it off, right?

As the engine remains fundamentally the same, the increase in power hasn’t come about through a change in displacement that still stands at 5.2L, making this one of the largest engines available in a road car today. Such a big engine comes with its own problems though, particularly in today’s world where such a tight focus is placed on emissions and the environmental effect.

It’s these emissions regulations which have been brought to attention on this latest R8, with numerous journalists reporting a subtle change in the V10’s bark.

Is this due to new emissions equipment being fitted to the engine? Quite possibly, nothing’s been confirmed, but from my time with the car, it’s hard to disagree with those who’ve noticed a difference. It’s hard to place your finger on exactly what’s missing, but some of the V10’s character has been dampened. Fortunately though, whilst it may have lost some of its edge, it’s still a truly magical note and one of the most glorious sounds you’ll hear.

Interior

Numerous changes have been made to the interior of the R8, although these are mostly in way of updating the styling rather than a fundamental overhaul. The air-con controls, user interface, dash and cubby holes are all in familiar spots, whilst the gear-stick is unchanged. Being a performance model, the biggest change from my previous R8 experience was around the steering wheel, where an additional, chequered flag bearing button has been added.

This activates a performance mode beyond that of the dynamic mode in the Audi drive select system. Intended as a track-focused, full-on driving mode, it makes changes to the traction control program and sets the engine and gearbox up in their sharpest form. Audi’s virtual cockpit changes the speedo and rev gauge graphics to reflect this more aggressive setting too, with a hue of red used throughout.

Whilst on the virtual cockpit, it’s worth noting that this is perhaps my favourite incarnation of it to date. As the R8 has no central LCD display to fall back on, all the cars infotainment runs through the single display sat behind the steering wheel.

When driving the car, this is absolutely superb, as it makes all the information it displays so accessible and easy to view to the driver.

To my surprise, the R8 also supports Apple car play, which meant Waze, Spotify and other apps were all visible behind the wheel – talk about connected!

The cabin itself is typical supercar-small, with legroom and headroom a little scarce. The R8 on test was hindered slightly by the fact it had been speced with ISOFIX child seat anchors, necessitating a change from the would-be standard bucket seats to the ‘normal’ R8 Sports seat. The sports seats offer more adjustment, but as a fundamentally more bulky seat I’m certain the bucket seat would be a wise choice for those of above-average height.

Storage in the Coupe model is reasonable, with a well sized shelf behind the seats a welcome addition on top of the frontward ‘boot’. The cabin quality and material selection is very much typical Audi, by which I mean of very high quality but also instantly familiar to anyone who’s driven an Audi of recent birth. In terms of interior fit and finish, user-friendliness, sophistication and connectivity, the German giants are difficult to beat.

On The Road & Styling

So it’s a familiar Audi on the inside, but what about on the road? Well, switch it to comfort mode and it’s no more intimidating to drive than an Audi A3. The B&O sound system is absolutely superb, road noise is reasonable and fuel economy hovers around the low 20’s on a long run – not bad for a big V10. With Audi’s magnetic ride suspension the bumps and undulation are handled well too, all pretty civilised then…

But let’s be honest, that’s not really why you’d buy an R8 is it? Dynamic mode is where this car really wants to live. With the exhausts opened up, the gear changes sharpened and engine unleashed, the animal within is well and truly let loose. Here, the engine’s output is truly breath-taking, with the 3.1 seconds claimed 0-60 time easily believable and the performance attained with such ease, it really does boggle the mind.

Drawing comparisons to my previous R8 experience (a previous generation V10 Spyder of non-performance variety), the uplift in engine performance is staggering. The V10 Spyder was undoubtedly a fast car, but this generation of Performance completely blows you away. I spent the whole 5 days taking friends and family out in the car, with every single one of them lost for breath after their first experience of full-throttle R8 power.

It’s very hard to subjectively assess the handling experience of the R8, partly because the few days I had with it were hampered by bad weather, and partly because it’s just so ludicrously fast, the performance is almost impossible to exploit on the public road. The chassis feels incredibly capable, confidence-inspiring and exploitable, but the UK roads simply struggle to handle/cater for a vehicle offering this much performance.

Outside of its performance offerings, the R8 carries real road presence. Wherever it was driven, heads would turn and admiring looks given.

Audi have turned up the aggression and drama with this generation – aero-surfaces, a large rear diffuser, vents and scoops dominate the exterior of the car.

As part of the Carbon Black trim package, numerous exterior panels were left un-painted, exposing the carbon fibres used in their construction. The side blades, front splitter, rear spoiler and rear diffuser are all key elements finished in this way, adding in a bit of contrast which looked fantastic alongside the Kemora grey paint. As metallic paints go, this is one of the more intriguing colour choices. In dull light, it’s unquestionably grey, but with more light, a real blue hue comes to life. Difficult to explain in words, it’s the sort of paint finish that has to be seen through the human eye and looks fantastic in the flesh.

Conclusion

This latest generation of R8 feels very much like an evolution rather than revolution. The basic recipe remains unchanged – Quattro all-wheel drive, a howling V10 engine and typically fabulous Audi cabin are all present, producing another remarkable vehicle.

It’s as easy and familiar to drive as previous generations, continues to turn heads and even returned reasonable fuel economy during motorway driving. Performance has continued the upward trend, with figures now well and truly in the mind-boggling category. As you can probably guess then, it’s very hard to find fault with this latest R8.

The slight tune change from the V10 is perhaps the only minor downside, but with emissions regulations ever-tightening, it’s hard to blame Audi for this. In fact, I believe their efforts should be celebrated, for in a landscape of supercars where more and more manufacturers are turning towards smaller, turbocharged engines, isn’t it fantastic that a corporation as big as Audi is still sticking to its guns and manufacturing these glorious engines?

It’s hard to say how much longer naturally aspirated V10 engines will be a viable option to Audi, but for all the while they’re available, they’re a thing of beauty and best celebrated.

Bravo Audi, and thank you for producing another wonderful addition to the R8 family.

We’d like to thank Audi UK for arranging our loan R8. Price as tested: £169,880 OTR.

Please visit: Men Style Fashion for more articles like this.

The Cotswolds contains some of the most breath-taking greenery, hills, and architecture you’ll find anywhere in the UK. Sitting within its margins, 20 miles east of Cheltenham, is a small Market town called Stow-on-the-Wold. With roots back to the Norman days, where the passing of two trade routes made it the perfect nesting spot, it’s an idyllic town steeped in history. The perfect place for a luxury getaway then? You bet, with today’s review focusing on Crestow House; a restored Victorian house, now a boutique hotel, located centrally within Stow-on-the-Wold.

Crestow House

 Restored in recent years, Crestow House is an old Victorian house which has been given a fresh lease of life. Now home to 7 luxury bedrooms, its aim is for quality rather than quantity, with the décor tastefully blending the building’s heritage in with modern design and technology.

Arrival is by private driveway, discreetly off to the side of a quiet back road; easily missed if it weren’t for the thoughtful sign-posting. A cobbled track leads to private parking at the front of the house. Emphasis can be put on the private here, as the car park is well hidden from onlookers and proved a reassuringly safe place to park the Audi R8 on test at the time.

It’s here that I first met Rasa – House Manager at Crestow and a key cog in what makes this such a charming place.

Being a small establishment, the hotel ‘experience’ relies heavily on its staff members; an area where Crestow really shone. Rasa and her husband Kevin live on site, with Kevin an award winning chef whilst Rasa is a well-travelled and experienced face for front of house. Between them they lead up the Crestow staff crew, and their passion, warmth and expertise really showed throughout our stay.

Interior Design

Inside the house, there are 3 key rooms accessible from the front of the house. To the immediate left and right are two living rooms – one less formal, airy and more relaxed, the other a little darker and more ‘focused’. Each clearly has a purpose and both would make a fantastic place to spend an afternoon relaxing. The third room is a conservatory, which is used as the dining room. With the sun shining it’s very airy and light, with neatly arranged furniture allowing efficient seating of guests within its modest size. Most importantly, it’s where breakfast is served… (more on that later!).

Bedroom

Each room at Crestow offers its own unique touches, with a spread of sizing and prices to suit each guest, ranging from a Classic Double to Junior Suite. Our stay was in a deluxe double – towards the top end of their range and priced at £250/night (at the time of staying).

Beyond the large double bed, the room offers a couple of seating areas, a writing desk and both a walk-in shower and large bath. A welcome bowl containing fresh fruit and macaroons was waiting on the coffee table, accompanied by the guest information book. Typical items such as tea and coffee facilities, a hair-drier and bathrobes are all present, with a couple of thoughtful and useful extras. A wireless phone charging pad is offered on one of the bedside tables, complemented by a few USB charging ports for those with older phones. Behind the door, a shoe horn is magnetically held, whilst a Bluetooth speaker dock/alarm clock sits neatly beneath the TV and offers a high-quality option for music playback.

Décor in the room continues the modern/Victorian symphony, with furnishing all of very high quality. Again, attention to detail can be found in the bedding, which exudes luxury and is custom embroidered to carry the Crestow name.  The bathroom was immaculate upon arrival, with a selection of Miller Harris toiletries to choose from and a full assortment of white toweling.

Grounds

In addition to the living quarters, Crestow House offers a bar, garden and pool area. Unfortunately, thanks to the fantastic UK weather, the pool was closed during our stay, but when open is fully heated and complemented by numerous sun-loungers and outdoor seating.

The garden area sits to one side of the pool, with decking attached to the back of the house offering space to sit and enjoy the outdoors. The lawn is reasonably sized and well kept, with a croquet set available should you fancy a game.

The bar is well stocked and once again Crestow House aims to exceed expectations. A wealth of spirits are on show behind the bar, with the whiskey selection particularly strong. Rasa and Kevin previously lived in Scotland, where they lived on a small island called Islay, famous for its Whisky production. It’s little wonder then that their influence can be seen in the healthy selection of high-quality whiskeys.

Opposite the bar, the wall is decorated in old cigarette/cigar tins, packets and boxes. It’s quirky, but also reflects the wide selection of cigars available, should you desire. Opposite the cigars is an impressive cabinet space filled with a selection of wines. Did we mention this was a bar area well supplied?

Breakfast

So with plenty to keep you entertained during the day, a beautiful room to sleep the night away, there’s only one thing left to cover – the food. Crestow House doesn’t offer a lunchtime or evening meal service, but Crestows proximity to Stow-on-the-Wold gives you access to a range of pubs and restaurants leaving you with plenty of choices. Breakfasts are offered, however, with a superb spread on offer.

The living space immediately adjacent to the dining conservatory was filled with a selection ham, pastries, bread, fruit, and cereal – all fairly standard so far, with all that we managed to taste very fresh and high quality. Fruit juices and a fresh fruit smoothie are offered, alongside tea/coffee/water.

Each table carries a menu for cooked dishes, which covers the classic breakfast dishes such as eggs benedict, pancakes, full English, etc. We went for the eggs royale and avocado and tomato on toast, both of which came extremely well presented and tasted delicious (we’ll let the pictures do the talking on this one…).

Conclusion

With 7 rooms in total, Crestow House may not be the biggest hotel around, but what it lacks in size it more than makes up for in quality. Throughout my stay, I was constantly finding little details that made me smile. A serious amount of thought and care must have gone into putting Crestow together, and it really shows.

The staff was all friendly and polite, Rasa ran the front of house impeccably and the breakfast more than lived up to expectations. Stow-on-the-Wold is a fascinating little town, which in our 24 hours there offered plenty of intriguing little shops, pubs, and architecture to ensure we’ll be back again. Crestow House is the perfect escape, offering a prodigious combination of Cotswold magic, luxury rooms, and a warm welcome.

We’d like to thank Crestow House for being so accommodating during our stay. Price as reviewed: £250 (breakfast included).

Please visit: Men Style Fashion for more articles like this.

Introduction

Watch servicing isn’t something new – in this article we won’t be covering new ground as such, merely covering my own journey through the watch servicing world. I’ll hopefully clear up a few myths surrounding watch servicing including why it’s important and what to look out for. Like most possessions, the better you look after them the longer they will last – high-end watches are no exception.

Background

Typically, servicing is undertaken on automatic or manual wind watches, as opposed to your more mainstream battery/Quartz watches. This is due to the complex winding movements they contain, which must be carefully lubricated and set for them to tell time accurately. Servicing also freshens up key areas of the watch, such as the seals, to ensure they’re still watertight. It’s no good taking your pride and joy underwater, only to flood it when you discover the seals have perished.

“Omega Seamaster with its fair share of scratches and marks”

This was exactly my thought when I made a purchase of my own; a 2006 Omega Seamaster. The previous owner was very forthcoming, explaining the watch had never received a service, had been his daily wearer (so had its fair share of scratching) and that the bezel was slightly sticky. Nothing drastically wrong, but it certainly wasn’t ‘mint’. For peace of mind I started searching online for information regarding a service, which proved to be something of a mine-field. Everyone’s opinion seemed to differ as to where, who and how it was best to have your watch serviced, and whether it was necessary in the first place.

“Deep marks around the case distracting from an otherwise beautiful watch”

In the end, I decided I would just plough ahead – I was unsure on the watches history and wanted to be sure before taking it on holiday. One name which appeared numerous times throughout my searching was ‘Swiss Time Services’; an Omega approved service centre based in the UK. After a quick phone call to reassure me this was the place to go, my Seamaster was booked in and on its way.

“Bracelet clasp covered in scratches” omega watch

Exterior Servicing

The exterior servicing starts by stripping the watch all the way down to its component parts. This includes the bracelet, which has every pin checked for wear and replaced if necessary (4 in my case were deemed outside tolerance). All new seals will be fitted when rebuilding the watch, so these are removed and set to one side – ready to be returned with the watch. The movement is also placed to one side, with remaining parts then going through a deep clean in an ultrasonic tank.

“Watch fully disassembled for inspection and cleaning”

“Bracelet stripped and worn pins replaced”

Once clean, re-finishing can begin. With the case, any large areas of damage are filled using a laser welding process; building the metal back up above the surface where it can then be lapped & polished back down flush. Various polishing and ‘graining’ processes are used, to make sure that the watch’s surfaces look as they did when it left the factory. It’s worth noting that some parts of the watch can’t be re-finished, such as the blue bezel insert and glass – so if these are badly damaged they must be replaced.

“Laser welding applied to case to fill deep scratches”

“Case lapped and polished to bring back it back to top condition” Omega watch

Movement

The movement is handled separately to the main case – it contains all the minuscule, fragile gears and mechanisms that make the watch tick. It’s such a shame that these tiny pieces of engineering excellence are hidden away inside the watch; with them laid out, you can see why luxury watches demand such a price premium.

“Watch movement fully disassembled – exquisite jewels within the watch”

“Watch movement fully disassembled – exquisite jewels within the watch” Omega watch

The movement is painstakingly disassembled, then ultrasonically cleaned, rinsed and dried as per the exterior. Numerous ‘service’ items are replaced as a matter of course – in the case of my Seamaster the mainspring & reverser wheel, to ensure it continues to keep time accurately. Any other items which are seen to be outside specification are also replaced at this stage (in my case, quite a few!), before it’s placed back together using specialist Omega equipment. During re-assembly, the movement must be de-magnetised, lubricated and timed, all in accordance to Omega guidelines.

“Watch movement skilfully re-assembled and checked for accuracy” Omega watch

“Fascia is re-attached to the watch, ready to be installed in the case”

“Fascia is re-attached to the watch, ready to be installed in the case” Omega Watch

Back Together

Once the watch’s movement and case have been fully overhauled, the two can be mated back together. New seals are installed throughout, ensuring the watches underwater ability is tip-top. Multiple pressure tests are then carried out, which verify the performance of the seals under both negative and positive pressure environments. Only once these have been passed is the watch’s underwater ability signed off, with a pressure test report printed for the customer.

“All replaced items returned after service, leaving you in no doubt a quality service has been undertaken”

After pressure testing, a 48-hour inspection period begins. This period checks various functions of the watch, primarily its ability to hold time accurately. If the watch fails during this inspection period it is returned to the technician and re-worked.

“The re-assembled watch has been completely transformed, scratches have been eradicated and polished surfaces gleam”

Finally, the watch is packed in an official Omega travel case and returned to the customer.

“Watch back has plastic film applied as ‘from factory’, whilst the bracelet has been fully revitalised”

Wrap Up

Although I’d heard of watch servicing in the past, it wasn’t until I put this article together that I fully appreciated the amount of work that goes into keeping a premium time-piece in top condition. It’s easy to be put off by the price (my Seamaster cost £350 to service, with an additional £32.40 for a replacement crown), but when you consider the amount of work that’s required, it starts to look far less daunting.

“Un-recognisable from pre-service. This area of the watch featured a deep gauge which has been totally eradicated”

Then there’s the personal aspect. For me, opening the watch box after the service was like opening it for the first time – a great deal of satisfaction and joy can be had from the new look of your timepiece. For anyone purchasing a watch second hand like me – you’re always left with marks, scratches and grime from the previous owner that never seems to quite go away. After the service, it feels like a clean slate – this is now my watch.

“The iconic Seamaster buckle, now without a myriad of scratches”

“The iconic Seamaster buckle, now without a myriad of scratches” Omega

Then there’s the peace of mind – the watch is now guaranteed for two years (other agents may differ), ensuring any issues that arise are dealt with properly and not at my expense.

It can also be taken underwater worry-free, and should continue to keep time accurately for years to come. Official recommendations for service intervals are 3-4 years, which ensures seals are always 100% and time is kept accurately. How strictly this needs to be adhered to probably depends on where and how the watch is used, along with a little common sense. For anyone looking to have the best possible watch ‘experience’, servicing is an absolute must.

Please visit: Men Style Fashion for more articles like this.

There are car launches you want to go on, then there are car launches you simply have to be on. When Jaguar sent out invitations to their latest launch – a two day trip to St Tropez in southern France, it certainly had the location box ticked. The promise of testing their new XE model increased interest, but it was the day two test of their latest vehicle from their special vehicles division that sealed the deal.

The itinerary kicked off with an early morning flight from London’s Heathrow airport to Nice, where we would pick up our vehicles for the morning – Jaguar’s newly launched XE mid-sized saloon.

The New XE

The old XE wasn’t exactly a bad car – it looked good, was well spec’d and drove well. However, it felt like it was just a little behind its competitors, predominantly when it came to interior quality and tech. The new XE isn’t a total overhaul, instead of being what’s known as a ‘facelift’ model – but have the changes Jaguar made been worth it?

The ‘XE’ day of the launch was split into two halves; the first would allow seat time in a more affordable Diesel variant, before an afternoon switch to the all-wheel-drive petrol RDynamic model. Exterior impressions of both were very positive, with the changes made making this XE recognisable but distinguishable from the previous model, refreshing the look and creating a sleek, good looking car. As with previous models, the R-Dynamic variant has been carried forward, which offers additional design tweaks which add a little more focus and sportiness to the look.

Stepping inside the XE for the first time, it’s clear a lot of effort has gone into modernising and invigorating the interior space. Quality throughout felt great and it’s good to see Jaguar has overhauled the gear change paddles behind the wheel. The previous items were small, lacked tactility and generally felt a little lacking, but the new paddles have rectified all these issues and really improve the driver-gearbox engagement (they look great too).

Interior quality updates? Nailed. With the quality of the interior lifted, Jaguar just needed to give the tech a kick. A kick they’ve given it too, with subtle tweaks and improvements made throughout, along with a couple of headline new features. Two variants of the central infotainment system are on offer; with the top-tier adding a secondary screen which replaces the climate-control button area. This swapping of buttons for screen makes a big difference to the feel of the cabin and is far more ‘this century’. The higher offering also increases the size of the screen nestled
behind the steering wheel, which is great for showing additional navigation information between the gauges.

For me though, the most ‘wow’ piece of tech on the XE was a digitised rear-view mirror, which beautifully presents a wide field-of-view image from the back of the car. The snap of a button switches it back to a traditional mirror arrangement, but it’s a little tweak that exploits technology fantastically.  2019 tech? Got it.

Engine-wise, three offerings are available – a 180PS diesel, 250PS petrol and 300PS petrol. All the engines are 4-cylinder turbo-charged units, offered in a variety of AWD and RWD configurations – automatic gearboxes are used throughout for an effortless drive. The engines all allow for a certain amount of fun; the diesel sounds good (for a diesel) and the 4-cylinder engine sounds and feels far more at home in the XE than it did in the F-Type. 300PS delivered through the all-wheel-drive system ensures rapid acceleration out of corners, although considering how sporty the rest of the car feels, it’s a little surprising to find there are no V6 offerings. V6 or no V6, it doesn’t detract from the fact that Jaguar has put together a very capable chassis.

The XE has a good weight to the steering, handles corners well and thankfully doesn’t achieve this at the cost of ride comfort. Hitting bumps or riding undulation are both handled very well by the suspension, with no crashing or jarring felt during testing. Admittedly the French roads far exceed those in the UK so sterner tests will surely arrive, but the XE dealt with everything presented in front of it.

So, what about the bad bits? Well, the roof-line/A-pillar combination is a little encroaching (particularly for taller drivers), the infotainment system is still running largely the same software as before (which feels a little behind the market best) but that’s about all. As far as 1-day impressions go, the XE pretty much smashed it. The XE’s biggest problem before was that it faced stiff competition from German rivals, with its shortcoming making it a difficult sell. Now that Jaguar has updated these areas, it’s a very compelling offer – no obvious weaknesses, but with a Jaguar badge on the bonnet and with that special Jaguar feel and styling. No matter what people say, the Jaguar badge still carries its own bit of magic and should make this a serious contender to those in the market for a 4-door saloon.

F-Pace SVR

As fantastic as the new XE is though, the first day felt very much like a prelude to the main event. With a 5.0 litre V8 engine, 550 PS (542hp) and a 0-60 time of the just-over 4-second mark, Jaguar’s new SVR-tweaked F-Pace offers plenty on paper to whet the appetite.

Further introduction to the car by Jaguar’s engineering team promised further delights, with clever torque distribution, heavily revised suspension and ducts, scoops and vanes that offer a real aero advantage. Known internally as the ‘Magnificent Beast’, there was a real sense that Jaguar’s team felt they were unveiling something special, something which all the journalists in attendance were eager to test.

The standard F-Pace is a good-looking car (and a popular seller), so thankfully the SVR team haven’t gone too OTT with their visual modifications. All the detailed aero tweaks actually serve a purpose, whether it be cooling or airflow management and thankfully, Jaguar resisted the urge to stick any outlandish wings or other bling to the car.

Inside, the biggest change is to the seats, with a new suite of sports-focused seats throughout. On test, these featured split-tones with additional quilting to the central leather, which looked fantastic, whilst no qualms can be made about their comfort even after extended driving.

The star of the show is undoubtedly the engine though, with this SVR proving to be a beast which will be heard long before it’s seen. The large V8 produces a deep roar, which is tuned and amplified through the vehicles variable exhaust valves (which can be shut for quieter driving), creating a tone that reflects the serious punch the engine offers. The supercharger isn’t afraid of being heard either, with hard acceleration adding a low whine to the engines note.

Packing a 5.0L V8 plus supercharger under the bonnet can’t have been a simple task, but the resulting performance is truly mind-boggling. The fact a vehicle of this size and weight can push north of the 60mph mark in such a short space of time seriously changes your perception of what SUV’s can achieve. Fortunately, the brakes have also seen an SVR makeover, with large disks and callipers all round, which slow the F-Pace with impressive force.

It doesn’t lose its legs when it comes to the corners either, with the electronic dampers allowing the SVR to offer a good blend of comfort and performance across multiple terrains. Steering feel is good and despite the vehicle’s size, it does well to avoid understeer or any other unnerving characteristics. This is an SUV where serious fun can be had, with its ability to cover ground unlike almost anything else I’ve driven.

Aside from the sports seats up-front, the cabin is largely the same as a standard F-Pace. Rear legroom is plentiful, the roof-line affords plenty of headroom and the boot is expansive. Fit and finish is very good, although having spent the previous day in the new XE, the interior felt a little dated by comparison. Discussing this with the Jaguar engineers, this is due to the SVR being locked to the standard F-Pace interior, giving little scope to upgrading the tech and controls to the latest spec (for now at least…).

So the SVR ticks all the performance boxes has space for the kids, dog and luggage, has the ground clearance and 4wd to go almost anywhere… What’s not to like? It really is a car for almost any occasion. Keeping the engine fed with fuel may be a little expensive, but then again Jaguar aren’t miracle workers, and a 5.0L engine is never going to compare to more frugal units. Nevertheless, that’s beside the point of this car – it’s big, brutal and a fantastic drive, sure to bring a smile to your face every time.

Best performance SUV out there? The Alfa Stelvio Quadrifoglio’s perch is certainly under threat…

Wrapping up

You’d have to have been living under a rock for the last 6 months to miss news regarding Jaguar’s current financial struggles. At such a difficult time for the business, they really needed to pull a rabbit out of the hat – fortunately for all those involved, they appear to have pulled out a pair. The XE is a fantastic refresh of the existing model, whilst the F-Pace SVR takes an already very capable SUV and injects a ridiculous quantity of fun. Bravo Jaguar.

Thank you Jaguar UK, for inviting MSF along to St Tropez, for their excellent hospitality and their insight throughout the trip.

Please visit: Men Style Fashion for more articles like this.

Jaguar’s E-Pace was first launched back in 2017, following in the footsteps of it’s very successful older, larger brother, the F-Pace. Having been established in the market for a while now seemed a good time to take a fresh look at the E-Pace. With our bags packed, we set off for Belgium in a 300PS R-Dynamic HSE edition E-Pace.

Initial Impressions

Initial impressions count for so much and fortunately, the E-Pace doesn’t disappoint. Finished in Farallon Black Pearl paint with privacy glass in the rear, this spec of E-Pace has a real focus and stealth-ness to it. It’s clear to see there’s been a carry-over with the F-Pace design language, whilst the signature Jaguar grill is neatly flanked by sculpted LED headlights.

The rear takes a more bulbous approach compared to the sleek front, with twin pipes mounted low in the bumper hinting towards the slightly more sports-focused nature of this SUV. The E-Pace continues the trend seen across numerous SUV’s, with a heavily raked rear window emulating a more coupe-esque body shape.

Inside

 It’s always fun devising test routes when evaluating a test car, with the E-pace coinciding with a planned European road trip; 2 days, 700 miles, Belgium and back via the Euro-tunnel. This wouldn’t be half-hearted either, as the E-Pace was going 5-up with all 3 rear seats filled with fully grown adult humans. Early starts and late finishes beckoned…

Fortunately, the E-Pace is ideal for chilly early starts. With what I can only describe as the best cold-weather cabin I’ve ever experienced, the E-Pace de-mists the screens and heats the cabin with fantastic efficiency. This is largely thanks to the use of heater elements within the glass itself, as well as the car automatically activating the de-misting system should the conditions require.  Coupling this with heated seats and steering wheel results in the ultimate cold-weather formula.

Keeping with seats and steering wheels, it’s worth discussing the interior as a whole. Finished in ‘Mars Red’ leather with chrome highlights scattered throughout, it’s a smart cabin with the leather dash a nice addition. Further spec’ing on this model includes the Suedecloth headlining – a pricy option at £820 that adds an extra bit of luxury and tactility to the upper surfaces.

The overall fit, finish & feel of the E-Pace is very good, with the only let down being the area above the rear-view mirror – the sunglasses holder is a frustrating film-fest. Overall though, it’s one of the best put together interiors I’ve experienced and feels solid enough to easily last through years of abuse – bravo Jaguar.

Space-wise, the boot holds a reasonable 577 litres, but it’s the interior cubbies where the E-Pace excels. The door bins are cavernous (easily big enough for a couple of bottles of wine…), whilst the armrest/centre section opens out to offer plenty of additional space. In terms of occupant space, three adults across the rear is a bit of a squeeze (2 adults or kids will be fine), whilst the low roofline can make the rear feel a little claustrophobic. Fortunately, the panoramic glass roof is a superb remedy to this – but at £970 it is an expensive tonic.

Underneath

 Enough about the interior – having been given the top-spec 300PS R-Dynamic model, it’s about time we discussed the E-Pace’s drivetrain. It’s a 4-cylinder petrol engine, which drives all 4 wheels through a 9-speed automatic gearbox. All four corners are sprung using traditional springs/dampers (no trick air suspension here), although the ‘adaptive dynamics’ pack does upgrade these to electronic dampers.

The ride is on the firmer side, which can be a little crashy over bumps but allows the E-Pace to really stretch its legs when it comes to cornering. Body roll is kept to a minimum, whilst steering feel and a general sense of the car feeling very planted are excellent. The E-Pace certainly registers at the entertaining end of SUV drives, which is all the more surprising when you realise the engine is just a diminutive 2.0-litre unit and the E-Pace weighs close to 2 tonnes.

It’s the same engine unit as fitted to the F-Type I drove last year, in which I felt the engine failed to fit the personality of the car. Take the high-demand for noise & drama out of the equation though and it’s an impressive unit. It takes the E-Pace to 60mph in 6.1 seconds, with its general grunt and ‘squirt’ plentiful for daily driving.

With 9-speeds to choose from, the gearbox does a good job of keeping the engine in its sweet spot should you push on. Conversely, with so many ratios on offer, it is surprising how poor the fuel economy can be. Driven carefully in eco mode, 30mpg can just about be achieved, but expect figures around 25 for normal driving and 20 for anything excitable… Ouch!

Tech

In terms of car tech, the E-Pace offers up the now-expected suite of connectivity, touch screen and controls. The digital dashboard is well integrated and a fantastic display, complemented beautifully by the heads-up display on this model (£920). The software feels a little behind rivals, lacking the fluidity and plethora of features that rivals such as Audi fit in their vehicles. However, it’s all simple and easy to use, with the condensed button selection below the central display offering a good balance between touch and physical controls.

An optional 825w Meridian sound system can be spec’d for an additional £1,020 – again, an option ticked for this vehicle. As sound system upgrades go it’s a little hit and miss, fitting firmly into the middle ground and is nothing to shout about.

Jaguar has also squeezed in a decent suite of driver aids – auto lights, wipers and adaptive cruise are complimented with traffic sign recognition, a 360-degree parking camera and rear cross-traffic monitoring. All the systems worked well throughout testing, with their integration into the steering wheel and centre console controls easy to master. The adaptive cruise must be praised and lauded, for it can be incredibly strict about the distance to the vehicle in front, resulting in a lot of accelerating/braking as it hunts for the optimum gap. However, in doing so it did respond well to some incredibly dangerous driving encountered on a Belgian motorway, so it’s not all bad…

Conclusion

It took me a long time to decide how I felt about the E-Pace, and its perhaps best summed up in a single word: solid. It’s well built, sturdy and has all the creature comforts you’d expect from a car in 2019. Where it perhaps loses marks is that it offers nothing particularly standout, nothing to get excited about or that you’d be desperate to show off to your friends.

It’s a good-looking car, handles well and offers plenty of get up and go for an SUV in this class. Given the choice though, I can’t help but feel the Diesel engines on offer (the D240 looks an excellent proposition) would be a better bet, with their favourable fuel consumption to performance balance an attractive option. Care also needs to be taken when spec’ing up the E-Pace; starting prices are as low as £28,900, whilst this spec came in at £48,900 OTR.

MSF would like to thank Jaguar UK for supplying today’s review car and being kind enough to let us enjoy it during our trip to Belgium.

Please visit: Men Style Fashion for more articles like this.

When building a mental list of beautiful cars, it’s fair to say that most would produce a list with heavy Italian influence. The country has a rich history of designing exquisite cars, from a wealth of brands. Whether it be sports cars, grand tourers or even SUV’s, the Italian’s seem to have the knack. Maserati certainly fall into that category, with a range of elegant vehicle shapes and sizes available throughout their range. We were invited to Beaverbrook Hotel for a look at their 2019 offerings, along with a bit of Italian culture…

Drive & Design

Maserati brought along with them a whole range of cars to test – from the lairy GranTurismo MC coupe to the SUV based Levante. With so many beautiful cars to fit into a short length of time, I put myself forward for an early drive of the Granturismo MC. As Maserati’s range-topping GT car, it comes suitably furnished with a mix of leather, alcantara and carbon fibre. This isn’t a GT car in the same vein as say a Bentley Continental however, with a much heavier emphasis placed on the driving experience. For all the digital computing power of modern cars, the MC goes a little analogue old-school.

Up front sits a large, naturally aspirated (4.7L) V8, pumping out 460hp which punches the ‘MC to 60 in 4.7 seconds. In terms of raw numbers, it’s not the most impressive engine – but it more than makes up for it with one of the finest soundtracks around. Then there’s the looks. It’s the least-subtle from the Maserati range, with carbon splitters and lips adjourning the exterior, but boy does it work. Finished off in stunning ‘Rosso Tironfale’ paint, the GT MC is perhaps the most beautiful car I’ve had the pleasure of driving.

Sadly, the driving experience was hampered somewhat by the English weather, with damp roads and summer tyres providing considerably less grip than the V8 demands. The MC was would light up the rear tyres with ease, but the soundtrack and driver-focused feel left a real impression – one to try again in warmer weather!

The Performance

The second day of the event featured two other models from the Maserati range; their 4 door Ghibli saloon and Levante SUV. The Ghibli was up first; fitted out in GranLusso trim (comfort-focused) with a 3.0L 275hp Diesel engine, Blu Passione paint and the Bowers & Wilkins audio option ticked (a £2,300 option). Of all the Maserati’s on show, it’s perhaps the least-striking to look at from the outside, but still carries the signature front grill and angular lights that give it an un-mistakably Maserati look and presence.

On the inside, the interior is beautifully assembled and strikes a good balance between classic styling and modern technology. Time with the car was short, but the technology (including adaptive cruise and lane assist) is well integrated and the central touch screen nice and responsive – even if its chunky bezel is a little old-school. The Bowers & Wilkins sound system packed a real punch, with audio quality of an incredibly high standard – a feature that would be a joy to explore further.

The Diesel motor up-front produces a fair bit of poke – 600NM of torque from 2000rpm is not to be sniffed at; 62mph can be attained in 6.3 seconds. However, whilst Maserati’s efforts to produce a soundtrack fit for the Maserati badge are admirable and impressive, it simply cannot match the bark of a petrol engine. With that in mind, I swapped keys during a stop-off and jumped in a 350hp petrol Levante GranSport.

The interior is instantly recognisable from the Ghibli, but with the Gran-sport trim the seats focus a little more on support rather than comfort. In ‘standard’ mode, the engine offers a subtle, tuned note which merely offers a hint as to the delights on offer via the sport button. Valves open, the exhaust has a real performance bark to it – not dissimilar to the Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio. Further aural interest is generated by the optional 430hp V6, which has an even more aggressive note.

Cabin-side, it feels very spacious and well laid out – it took only a few minutes to feel fully at-home inside the Levante and the leather has a delightful ‘Maserati’ quality to it. Spirited driving was in short supply, but the chassis hinted towards potential greatness, with very little roll in the corners, good steering feel and comfort. Could this be a real competitor to the Stelvio’s ‘driver’s car’ SUV crown?

Perhaps the biggest surprise of the event was the pricing. Maserati have worked very hard to make their cars more affordable, with the result being a £53,415 starting price for the Ghibli and £58,315 for the Levante. Admittedly, it’s easy to quickly inflate this with options (as tested Ghibli/Levante prices were £74,465/£82,790), but the basic price must surely raise a few eyebrows with competitors. Admirers of the Maserati badge take note.

Gourmet Experience With Chef Francesco Mazzei

With the driving over on day 2, Maserati lined up a cooking experience with renowned Italian chef and TV regular, Francesco Mazzei. After an introduction, general guidance and discussion, a simple task was laid out; cook Francesco’s truffle risotto recipe to perfection.

Ingredients were mostly pre-measured, but a few of the key items were left to our own desires, allowing our personal taste to influence the dish. A top tip from Francesco was to add the stock to the Risotto cold, which helps to draw starch from the rice and create a creamier dish – advice duly taken on-board.

The pressure was on; as a half-Italian myself, I knew all too well the disappointment it would cause should I not win. The competitive element added a great deal of fun, with a dozen journalists going head to head to win a promised prize.

Final dishes were served up and each tasted by Francesco himself. Deliberations ensued, before Francesco returned to announce the winner – team MenStyleFashion had come out on top – I could return home with pride.

The whole experience was truly unique, and was followed by an Italian meal served from the Beaverbrook kitchen. The Beaverbrook in itself is a truly fascinating venue, which will have to be revisited by MSF in the future to do it full-justice.

With a lot packed into our 2 days with Maserati, it’s safe to say we got a real flavour for the brands 2019 ambitions and look forward to working with them again through the year. A big thank you to Maserati GB & Francesco Mazzei for being such fantastic hosts.

Thomas won the best risotto competition!

Please visit: Men Style Fashion for more articles like this.