Connoisseur Ep 104

Welcome to Connoisseur.After a couple of weeks off due to some snowboarding and skiing in France, which were beautiful and sunny, it is so exciting to see the new F1 2023 cars doing testing. Aston Martin seems to have developed a decent car for this season. It is too early to tell, but it looks like Alonso's arrival may have coincided with a brilliant Aston Martin car.

Aston Martin

The great thing about Aston Martin F1 appearing to have jumped some rivals is that it is the carmaker's 110th anniversary, so it would be something out of a movie if they were to make the podium regularly this year. Fairy tales do not often come true, but the brand has had its fair share of success in 110 years.

Aston Martin's Valhalla is a limited edition V8 mid-engine hybrid supercar that commands over 1,000 PS. It represents the brand's transition to electrification and boasts an immersive driving experience. The carbon fiber structure and sophisticated design materials make it a groundbreaking evolution of the Aston Martin Valkyrie. Only 999 units will be produced.

Aston Martin also has a few new and updated cars coming in 2023. There will be a final 'swan song' for the DBS, with the 770 Ultimate. And updates for the DB11 and Vantage coming this year. There has also been talk of a special limited-run model. However, Aston Martin is remaining very quiet on the details, so it may be something from their Q divisions.

2023 could be a beautiful year for Aston Martin.

Bond Horology

Following on from the Aston Martin theme, I thought we might dig into a rather famous fictional character's watch collection. Whilst James Bond is pretty synonymous with Aston Martin, he has driven a few other marques over the film series, including a Sunbeam Alpine, the Lotus Espirit, a Bentley Mk4, and a number of BMWs.

When it comes to Bond's watch collection, we also have a similar situation. From 1995's Goldeneye, for the last 28 years, Bond has worn an Omega. However, before that, there was a mixture of watchmakers, some with more clout than others. Rolex features heavily with Bond wearing various versions of the Submariner, on six occasions, the Chronograph (1969), and the GMT master (1967) also featured.

Seiko features in four of the movies, and a TAG Heuer is seen in 1987.

My favorite is the 1962 Dr. No film in which Bond wears the Rolex Submariner with a leather strap, which reportedly came from the personal watch collection of Sean Connery himself, in the debut film.

The connection between James Bond and Rolex dates back to Ian Fleming’s original novel, “Casino Royale,” in which the famous spy rocks the equally famous brand.

By the 2006 remake, the Rolex Submariner on Connery was replaced by the Omega Seamaster Professional 300M and Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean on Daniel Craig's wrist.

The Land of the Mid-Night Sun

In 2019, I had the opportunity to experience a bit of the Bond lifestyle by participating in a road rally that took us from Norway, through Sweden and Finland, and ended in Estonia. This luxury driving holiday, which was not a race, allowed me to discover the breathtaking scenery of Norway.

The 2021 Bond film, No Time to Die, features scenes filmed on the same roads that I was fortunate enough to drive on, including the Atlantic Road and the Trollstigen, a winding mountain pass. And I did it all in true British style, driving a Twisted Land Rover Defender.

One of our sponsors, Sixty8 Adventure, organizes amazing road trips, including this year's adventure from Stockholm, Sweden to North Cape, the northernmost point of Norway.

Days 4 and 5 of the week-long adventure sound particularly enticing, as we travel from Bodo to Svolvaer in Lofoten. We'll spend two days in Lofoten, staying in beautiful cabins overlooking the sea, complete with outdoor hot tubs and saunas. The guests have exclusive access to a surfer's beach and bar, just a 10-minute walk away.

On Day 6, we may even spot some whales during the ferry ride to Senja before continuing on to Tromso, also known as the "Paris of the North."

The final day of the trip begins in Alta, with a couple of hours' drive to North Cape, where we can witness the midnight sun, as the sun never sets.

This is truly an unforgettable experience and a must-do for any bucket list.

Contact AJ at Sixty8 Adventures for more information.

Highland Park 54 Year Old

Back in 1968, just a year after the release of You Only Live Twice starring Sean Connery, Highland Park Distillery laid down 40 casks of whisky at their 255-year-old distillery in Orkney. This exceptional whisky is now available as 225 bottles of 54-year-old single malt whisky.

The Master Whisky Maker, Gordon Motion, is responsible for the whisky's flavour and character. The release boasts an intensely rich, sweet, and complex taste. The aroma is intriguing with exotic lychee, aromatic camphor, vintage oak, and delicate peat. Warm spices of crushed cumin and coriander seeds are followed by fragrant notes of summer rose and jasmine, with a hint of honeyed kiwi fruit and pistachio biscotti. The finish is sweet and spicy, with woody notes giving way to a lingering whisper of sweet fenugreek and heathery peat smoke.

The recommended retail price for a 700ml bottle with an ABV of 46.9% is £39,000.

https://www.highlandparkwhisky.com/en/54-year-old

Editor's note: Although James Bond was a Scot and known for his love of whisky in the books, he was portrayed as a martini drinker in the movies. In the book Dr No, he drinks Canadian Club Blended Rye, and in the movie You Only Live Twice, James Bond (played by Connery) drinks Suntory Old whisky at Tiger Tanka's place.

While researching this, I came across a fascinating list of the whiskies that Bond drank in the books.

Mercedes-Benz and Moncler

Mercedes-Benz and Moncler recently collaborated for London Fashion Week, creating a unique and stylish collection that combines high-performance luxury cars with premium winter fashion. The collaboration brought together the iconic Mercedes-Benz G-Class and Moncler's signature down jackets to create an innovative design concept that was showcased during the fashion week.

The G-Class was reimagined with a sleek white exterior and Moncler's distinctive red and blue color accents. The interior was also given a luxurious upgrade, with Moncler's iconic quilted material adorning the seats and door panels. The result was a stunning fusion of automotive engineering and fashion design.

To complement the G-Class, Moncler created a limited edition down jacket that features the same red and blue accents as the car. The jacket is crafted from high-quality materials and boasts Moncler's signature style, making it the perfect accessory for the fashion-conscious car enthusiast.

The collaboration between Mercedes-Benz and Moncler has captured the attention of fashion and automotive enthusiasts alike. The innovative design concept demonstrates the potential for creativity and collaboration between industries, bringing together two distinct worlds to create something truly unique and remarkable.

 More here.

Hill Helicopters HX50

The Hill Helicopter HX50 offers a safe, luxurious, and thrilling flying experience that sets a new standard in General Aviation. With its state-of-the-art coaxial rotor system, powerful engines, and modular design, the HX50 provides unparalleled stability, speed, and versatility.

The HX50 has been designed with modern technology and materials, resulting in a helicopter that is fast, efficient, and powerful. The HX50 boasts a top speed of 260 km/h and a range of up to 740 km, making it a formidable machine in the world of helicopter aviation.

One of the standout features of the HX50 is its modular design, which allows for easy customization and reconfiguration. This means that the HX50 can be tailored to meet the specific needs of individual pilots and operators, whether it be for search and rescue missions, transport, or private use.

With its combination of classic design principles and modern technology, the Hill Helicopter HX50 is poised to become a new icon in the world of helicopter aviation.

I've had great fun playing with their Configurator on the website.

Formula One

And we are back. Well, almost. As an F1 addict, even a hint of an F1 car on a track is enough to satisfy me. All the cars have been revealed, and thankfully we had some testing. And that means all the drivers have been out on the track, except Stroll, who could not make it due to his injuries from a bike accident.

So what do we know after testing?

Well, no surprises, but Red Bull is at the top of the time sheets. But let's start with the teams in reverse order of potential.

Sadly, Williams is lagging behind, and there is not much else we can say about that.

Alfa Romeo and Alpha Tauri are pretty much occupying the same space on the grid, maybe with Alfa being a bit quicker. So, it will be good to see who develops their car the fastest.

McLaren has not managed to get their car on track in terms of development or actual track time, as they had the lowest amount of laps set at 311. As a McLaren fan, I hope that there is something yet to unlock to get them back to the top of the midfield.

Haas is in a decent position and will be fighting with the midfield for points. And as we saw last year, they are capable of mixing it at the top end when the car is on track.

Mercedes, while they have a better car in terms of the porpoising issues that plagued them last year, is still not where it needs to be. And some might put it behind the Alpine and Aston Martin even.

Alpine was the second-lowest lapping car, with 353 laps at the test, and they were a little quiet. Some wonder if that is quiet confidence, though. We will find out soon.

Aston Martin as the best of the rest? Really? In front of Ferrari, maybe? This would be exciting to hear, but we will not hold our breath for now. Alonso could have played a blinder and managed to get himself to the right place at the right time, which some would also say is "about time."

Ferrari - Leclerc says the car is faster on the straights but slower in the corners than last year. And the pit lane is also saying it has higher tyre wear than last year. So unless Ferrari gets their development heads on, they may well be losing podiums to Aston Martin.

Back to Red Bull, nothing unusual here for a car that comfortably ran away with the title last year. And it appears from this week's testing that that we're in for a similar run of Red Bull wins.

Just one week to go. 🤩

Bahrain Grand Prix - 3 - 5 Mar

Practice 1 - 03 Mar - 13:30

Practice 2 - 03 Mar - 17:00

Practice 3 - 04 Mar - 13:30

Qualifying - 04 Mar - 17:00

Race - 05 Mar - 17:00

Any-Other-Business

Le Mans Centenary

It is 100 Years of Le Mans, sadly it is all sold out. The only tickets left for this spectacle are practice sessions at the moment.I was lucky enough to visit the Le Mans Classic in 2022, and it was a spectacular show for car enthusiasts. Some tickets are sold out for the Classic, so it would be worth buying now I can imagine a fantastic show for the 100 year anniversary.

Other dates for your diary

Silverstone Grand Prix - Fri 7– Sun 9 July 

Goodwood Festival of Speed - Thu 13 – Sun 16 July

Goodwood Revival - Fri 8 – Sun 10 Sept

The Atlantic Road Trip

Join the Sixty8 team once again for a slice of Scandinavian supercar action for the Atlantic Road Trip of a lifetime. 

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