ramp #47 – Drive free

Drive free

Our world likes to surprise us with sudden obstacles lately. This calls for innovative thinking - and fast evasion. We in turn translate this idea into »Drive Free« for this issue. And in it we deal with the new Polestar brand, make a wild ride with an Audi R8 and a McLaren 720S Spider and start with two very special Bugatti EB110 S. We also talked to the chief designers of Lamborghini and McLaren and look back to the 60s, when Formula 1 was still on fire. In this sense: a lot of curves through time and space!

In this issue:

On the road

When things get really complicated, the essentials count. This is exactly where designers come in. Because products tell us what they are through their design and how they become a competitive advantage. Especially when a design brings everything to a reduced point. The new Polestar brand shows how. An interview with Björn Kusoffsky, founder of the Stockholm Design Lab, one of the most respected design agencies in Europe.

Wild thoughts

A farewell to Berlin. Through a city that is characterised by its constant change - and by new neighbours. The best way to get to know them is the right car. Or two. In this case an Audi R8 and a McLaren 720S Spider. And it's also about half-raw beans and man-eating despots. You can see: It's a pretty wild ride.

Vienna Calling

Everyone knows the Targa Florio or the Monaco Grand Prix. But there is another, rather unknown race that is deeply rooted in Bugatti's history: the 24 minutes from Vienna. This year there were two very special Bugatti EB110 Ss at the start. Whereby the story - apart from the cars of course - should perhaps not be taken so seriously.

The short and the long

Would the Audi Sport Quattro have become a cult even without the 1.95 metres tall Walter Röhrl? Perhaps. Especially since the world's first four-wheel drive coupé with its angular look and brute 306 hp would have had what it takes. But with the superhuman component of the Regensburger, the story is even more beautiful: "Röhrl is Quattro", Röhrl self-confidently quotes his fans. And they are right.

Who am I?

Bugatti Centodieci. Limited to ten pieces, costing eight million euros. And long sold out, even before it was presented to the public at the Monterey Car Week in Pebble Beach. Officially considered a tribute to the legendary EB110, it can be seen as a way of coming to terms with the past. And this is - in several respects - a success.

They knew what they were doing

in the 60s Formula 1 entered new dimensions. The racing cars were light, strong and fast - and so dangerous that many drivers died in accidents. We remember the wild drivers of this era - like Wolfgang Graf Berghe von Trips, Jim Clark or Graham Hill.

CarWash 

"A Lamborghini must never leave people untouched." That's what Mitja Borkert, chief designer of Lamborghini, said during the CarWash talk. It was also about flying on the screen, a preference for white and not being seen at Lamborghini.