Davison

The Steady Wealthmaker

October 1, 2021 • Davison

“When we stop working, we stop growing. We stop contributing to society and lose our purpose. We age fast and become irrelevant,” Olga Iserlis, a leading events organizer and author, declares. “My mother, who is 84 years old, remains active in her medical profession, and I believe that keeps her mind and body young.”

Iserlis learned the value of hard work and perseverance early. Compelled to leave her native St. Petersburg for New York with her mother before she reached her teens, she was exposed to real hardships. “But I also saw opportunities,” she adds. “It wasn’t just hard work; my dreams gave it shape and direction.” Together with her mother, they rebuilt the life of comfort they knew and missed. “Being productive and having a creative outlet are extremely important to me. Hard work is inspired and animated by a goal. You have to decide what all your hard work is for.”

Industry has rewarded Iserlis with financial stability. She has sent her two children to very good schools which set them up for promising careers. When travel was unrestricted, she visited them, and her mother, in New York whenever she felt like it. She owns her apartment in Singapore, and has acquired others in America and Portugal. She goes to art museums often and grows her personal art collection. But she hasn’t stopped working. “One of my go-to expressions is ‘dream big’, and it is one that I manifest often. Financial stability, which comes from hard work, provides access to those big dreams.”

FREEDOM OF CHOICE

Financial security allows a person to decide freely and spontaneously, Iserlis surmises. It affords more and better choices, and allows a person to manage variables that can affect her actions. “My dream has been to do what I’m good at and not necessarily worry about earning enough money from it to sustain the kind of life I want. Financial security gives me that. I can pursue whatever I want with my original intent and authentic goals,” she says. “But if you ask me if financial security can bring happiness, I’ll say probably not, but it does make life easier.”

Although she is clear where she is headed financially, Iserlis admits they change from time to time. “But having experienced poverty as well as material comfort, I have developed a survival instinct that kicks in when necessary.” She admits to being an intuitive investor, and the composition of her portfolio justifies her claim. “If I were given the option, and larger financial resources, I would have more properties in my portfolio, but I also wish I knew more about financial planning, and have the confidence to do it myself. As it is, I have to rely on friends for advice. My financial plan certainly needs to be approached more systematically.”

INDUSTRY AND A GOAL

The current situation has handed Iserlis important lessons. “What I have valued in life have remained constant: family, health, creative outlet, and material resources — but they have all been compromised by the pandemic. I cannot be with my family often, our health is under constant threat, and business opportunities have been uneven. Fortunately, I have discovered creative outlets.”

The reality has also forced Iserlis to reconsider what she has and can do. “I connect with my family digitally, we make healthier lifestyle choices, and I’m able to develop new skills by going around the problem.” Iserlis has launched a vlog series on IGTV featuring her interviews with world-renowned personalities. She is also in the middle of production on her second book that will be released before the holidays.

“From time to time, you will be forced into a corner if you limit your imagination and your willingness to work hard. Financial resources can help you out of it — up to a certain point, but the real key is industry and a clear goal.”

CUSTOMIZE YOUR PORTFOLIO WITH CITIGOLD PRIVATE CLIENT

Entrepreneurs like Olga Iserlis have invested time, talent, and energies to perfect their craft, for which they are rewarded with professional success and financial ease. These in turn spur them to prolong their working life or pursue even higher goals. This cycle of hard work and reward provides them with sustained material security that may keep them from monitoring their accumulated wealth closely, thereby missing other opportunities for growth and sustenance that can see them well into their retirement.

With Citigold Private Client, dedicated senior relationship managers (RMs) can help entrepreneurs like Ms. Iserlis by first understanding their needs and goals, and then providing them with personalized wealth management advisory and solutions to help them achieve their goals. Trained through the Citi | Wharton Global Wealth Institute, these RMs will also leverage the Portfolio 360°, Citi’s wealth advisory tool, to customize a well-balanced portfolio that will see clients on track to achieving their objectives.

Exclusively for Citigold Private Clients, Portfolio 360° is a powerful tool that provides comprehensive insights into the investor’s total portfolio makeup and characteristics. It delivers analysis of investment products including unit trusts, equities, and fixed income.

It performs comparative portfolios analysis in asset allocation, historical performance and risks. It also provides insights on portfolios in simulated periods of market stress, such as the global financial crisis. Through these analyses, clients can appreciate the risk-reward profile of their existing portfolios and explore other suitable investment opportunities.

Senior specialists expertise on investment, insurance, treasury, and mortgage will support the RMs with credible insights backed by research from Citi’s global team of analysts, to provide bespoke advisory to help clients work out personalized wealth management plan.

Knowing that their portfolios are in good hands, clients can have the peace of mind and the freedom to pursue their passions.

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Let our wealth specialists spot opportunities for you. Receive a welcome gift of up to S$29,256* when you start a Citigold Private Client relationship.

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Home Edit: Designer Bar Cabinets

August 12, 2021 • Davison

Atlante by C. Ballabio for Porada

Canaletta walnut or ash with two doors in smoked glass and wooden top. Equipped with three compartments with glass holder and drawer with soft closure. Inside shelf in smoked glass with LED central compartment lighted through a remote-control system. Mix tray can also be inserted in the drawer.

www.marquis.com.sg

Cidori by San Giacomo

Inspired by traditional Japanese construction system. Comprising elements of different heights, colours and finishes that can be overlapped. Drawers’ openings can be orientated as desired. Finishes in matt lacquer, oak veneer or glossy lacquer.

www.xtrafurniture.com

Steward by Christophe Pillet for Lema

Steward drinks cabinet from the Steward family comes in thermos-treated oak with nickel bronze lacquered detailing.

www.watelier.com

Tesaurus by Antonio Citterio for Maxalto

Curved wooden doors, protruding shelves, and a continuous profile that follows the outline. Three different heights and widths, with two or four doors, with drawers and flap doors. Die-cast aluminium structure, black marquina top, white Carrara or Emperador marble. Interiors of refined frisé maple.

www.spacefurniture.com.sg

Bang & Olufsen’s Beolab 28 is Some Good Looking Sound

July 27, 2021 • Davison

We’ll start off by saying that you’ll definitely want a pair of these. The towering stereo speakers are statement pieces, with various chrome finishings in silver, black or bronze colours. And between the fabric and wood covers, we fancy ourselves the smoked oak.

That being said, the design is not for naught. The elegant column-like speakers (at a height of 137cm with the floor base, and 140.5cm when mounted) are inconspicuous features to a room, as if to spook you with its studio-grade sound when you least expect it.

The sound engineered for the Beolab 28 promises exactly that, coming from a complex system with a frequency range between 27Hz to 23,000 Hz. The bass is fitted with Advanced Adaptive Base Linearisation technology (ABL) that delivers optimum performance that’s coupled with a custom designed down-facing woofer.

Needless to say, its connectivity features don’t fall short. It is compatible with all popular streaming formats, namely Chromecast, Apple AirPlay 2, Bluetooth and Spotify Connect. It also has multiple analogue ports, wireless capabilities and multiroom integration for that all-around peak sound system.

Alternatively, one could possibly furnish a room with a couple of Beolab 28s and not even play anything at all.

The National Geographic and Rolex Perpetual Planet Tupungato Volcano Expedition

July 16, 2021 • Davison

In the mountainous area of the Andes in Chilean territory, the spring water that flows through here supports a population of six million inhabitants in the country’s capital of Santiago. This vulnerable water tower is just one out of many that face risk of depletion, facing factors from rising temperatures and pollution, among other stressors induced through climate change.

At 5,660 metres, the Tupungatito Volcano is smaller than Tupungato Volcano and is one of four active volcanoes near Santiago, Chile.
© Armando Vega_National Geographic

The precarious position of these water towers contain information that is not easily accessible due to their extreme elevations and harsh surrounding environments. Thus in a bid to assess the atmospheric conditions and threats in maintaining this natural resource, Rolex has lent aid to this phenomenon by supporting a team of explorers and scientists from National Geographic in installing a weather station at a height of 6,505 metres on the Tupungato mountain in Southern Andes.

This exploratory mission allowed the team to gather information over a period of 19 days whilst successfully installing the highest weather station in the Americas.

The highest weather station in the Southern and Western Hemispheres, installed on Tupungato Volcano at 6,505 metres.
© Armando Vega_National Geographic

The Tupungato Volcano expedition is the latest in a series of National Geographic and Rolex Perpetual Planet Expeditions, that goes to the heart of the commitment Rolex has made to a Perpetual Planet and to future generations, by supporting individuals and organizations in their efforts to preserve the natural world and the systems that sustain life. Members of the Tupungato Volcano Expedition were equipped with the Oyster Perpetual Explorer II, a practice that has been ongoing since the 1930s when Rolex began to equip numerous expeditions with Oyster Perpetual watches, providing reliable and accurate tool watches to endure even the most treacherous conditions.

Thinking About Using NFTs for Wine Investment? Listen to These Experts First

July 13, 2021 • Davison

When filmmaker Phillip Lim and wine businessman Edward Chew spotted a precarious problem in the wine investment market, they sought to solve it using modern technology. Friends since they studied together as teenagers in Anglo Chinese School, Phillip and Edward then embarked on an exceptional endeavour to improve the security of wine investments using blockchain technology.

“A problem faced by wine futures, is people who are buying these wines don’t see them because the wines aren’t bottled yet,” explains Phillip, who has produced and directed prominent movies like The Teenage Textbook Movie (1998) and Homecoming (2011), and several other programmes for HBO, MTV and AXN. A knowledgeable wine enthusiast, he now serves as an adviser to Vine Group, of which Edward is Founding Director.

“After bottling, these wines will remain in their chateaus for two or three more years, depending on who you buy them from. However, the company selling you these wine futures might not last two or three years.

“If they shutter, then you, the buyer, are left with only an invoice. This is why buyers prefer to only buy from very established wine merchants,” he notes.

Phillip is well-versed in the ins and outs of wine futures, a wine buying programme that has been spearheaded by popular wine producing regions like Bordeaux. In that region, this programme is named En-Primeur (“The First”) and its primary reason for being is to support cash flow.

Revered chateaus in Bordeaux, for example, require three years to produce a bottle of wine. From harvest to bottling, these wine producers have recently been incurring higher costs – labour, barrels and even the price of corks have gone up.

Steep increases in these expenditures threatened the profitability and very existence of these chateaus. Trapped between a rock and a hard place, they fortunately came up with an innovative solution, which was to sell these wines ahead of their completion.

En-Primeur typically refers to the buying of wine while it is still ageing in a barrel. Revenue generated goes to offsetting the chateau’s overheads and the buyers receive their purchase approximately three years later.

An experienced dealer is vital

“After you buy a case or barrel, your wine might appreciate. Wine investors will still need a merchant,” adds Phillip, expounding on another need that Vine Group is addressing.

“You can keep your wine and slowly drink it, but if you want to liquidate your wine investments, you will need a merchant to assist. I bought some wine futures and saw a lot of potential.”

“Vine Group is one of a few companies that have direct access to preferentially allocated wine futures releases by chateaus and négociants (traders),” he shares. Vine Group was founded in 1989 built on Edward’s love for “sharing wines of exceptional pedigree”.

Today, Vine Group is an internationally trusted wine partner that imports, distributes and retails wine, from ancient to new latitude wines, across 10 major wine producing countries. Vine Group’s experience and expertise also comprises the conducting of wine expositions, winemakers’ and proprietors’ dinners, tours and chateau visits, sommelier services, wine appreciation and scholarships, wine futures and investment, portfolio management, and rare wine and cellar creation and management.

Dealing through a tenured wine merchant, Phillip opines, is the best way to ascertain when opportune times for buying and selling might arise, especially given the unprecedented circumstances that we are currently living in.

NFTs can safeguard your wine assets

Although global interest in wine investment is on the uptick, safety of investment in this commodity still had lots of room for improvement. “Vine Group is using NFTs (non-fungible tokens) to address this security need. All relevant data is block-chained,” remarks Phillip.

“We put the certificate of origin, bottling details, customs number and all pertinent data into a wine case or barrel’s NFT. In an extreme scenario, even if Vine Group ceases to exist, you can still trade your wine on an NFT platform like vineart.org.”

If a wine buyer or producer were to shutter, an NFT would ensure that investors do not find themselves in the “left with only an invoice” outcome.

“All of your wine’s data will be in your NFT, proof that you own those wines. When I pitched this to Dunstan, he immediately understood the idea and saw its potential.” Phillip is referring to Dunstan Teo, President of Sanctum, who has been building blockchain technologies and companies for the past 12 years, and has mentored the crypto space and groomed several crypto disciples.

To say the least, Dunstan is a prominent figure in the NFT sphere. He consults for a variety of projects and enterprises, builds sovereign-level technology, creates new economic models, and is the president of a multi-office advisory, an author and an advisor to exchanges.

“Even though it took a while because of all the technical jargon, Dunstan and Edward saw how NFTs and blockchain technology can change the way wine investments are managed. Ownership of wines are now digitised as Non-Fungible Tokens recorded on the ERC 721 as a smart contract, and if the owner chooses to exit, the token can be listed for sale on an NFT marketplace,” Phillip divulges.

“Dunstan was so confident that this was the way to go that he made one of the largest orders of the 2019 En-Primeur from Bordeaux. However, some investors and fund managers are still skeptical, because no one has done this before.”

The Founder of Vine Group, Edward was a first-mover in En-Primeurs. He mostly secures the best En-Primeur vintages, and those that are reasonably priced.

For example, Vine Group skipped 1997 and 1999, but bought the vintage 1998, which yielded good returns. Clients of Vine Group have also reaped multifold returns from investing in fine wines of vintage 2000, 2003, 2005, 2008 and, most recently, vintage 2018.

Among these batches, the best return was realized in 2009, when the Lehman Brothers Collapse led to one bottle of Lafite Rothschild 2008, which was released at 135 Euros, and selling for 1600 Euros. Phillip and Edward are now working on a new batch of wine NFTs, the 2020 En-Primeur, with Dunstan.

Interested parties can find out more at www.vinegroup.com.sg

How Rolex Came to be the Longstanding Partner of Motorsport Races

May 20, 2021 • Davison

Rolex’s longstanding partnership with motorsport dates back to the 1930s when Sir Malcolm Campbell wore his Rolex while doing record speed runs at the famous Daytona Beach. Sir Campbell broke the World Land Speed Record nine times between 1924 and 1935, including five times at Daytona Beach in Florida.

His first land speed record at Daytona Beach was done in his famous Blue Bird, a speed record car which thereafter fetched the first 250 mph pass on the sandy stretch. He then took it up to over 300 mph while speeding at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah in 1935, becoming the first person ever recorded to drive an automobile at such a speed.

Sir Malcolm Campbell’s speed record, 1935 © Rolex

He addressed an open letter to the manufacture writing, “I have now been using my Rolex Watch for a while, and it is keeping perfect time under somewhat strenuous conditions. I was wearing it on the occasion of the J.C.C. Double 12 Hours Race on Friday and Saturday last, and the vibration which this watch has to withstand during this long period has not upset its time-keeping properties in the least.

I would like to congratulate you on having produced a very first-class watch, suitable for really rough treatment.”

Inspired by the spirit of Hans Wilsdorf, Rolex’s pursuit of perpetual progress and improvement drove it to create watches so precise and reliable, even in the most extreme conditions. The 1930s was an important decade for Rolex, as it embarked on a string of global expeditions where the watches were tested in various terrains.

08 Mar 1935, Daytona Beach, Florida, USA. Daytona Beach, Florida: This is how Sir Malcolm Campbell’s car “Bluebird” looked when he hit 281 miles per hour on one leg of his two record breaking runs here. On the first dash Sir Malcolm had made 272 miles per hour. Image by Â© Bettmann/CORBIS

As nature would have it, Daytona Beach became one of the best places for extreme racing. The hard-packed sand served as stable ground, and the smooth surface stretched for miles along the coast.

The unconventional racing location saw racers gather from all over the country, and soon after, the city became synonymous with the sport.

The city’s new-found reputation gave birth to the Daytona International Speedway (DIS) in 1959 with whom Rolex has partnered with ever since. At the time, it was the fastest speedway in the United States, and its construction was of epic proportions.

The sub-4-mile track surrounds a 29-acre man-made lake that serves as the view to over 100,000 spectators. It is home to numerous races, among which includes the Rolex 24 at DAYTONA endurance race.

97, Aston Martin Racing, Class: LM GTE Pro, Car: Aston Martin Vantage V8, Drivers: Peter DUMBRECK (GBR), Stefan MUCKE (DEU), Darren TURNER (GBR)

Perhaps it was being at the right place at the right time – in this case, Rolex at Daytona, where a particular chronograph was to become the most significant timepiece in Rolex’s association with motorsport. Like Sir Malcolm, NASCAR founder Bill France Jr. was also a fond owner of a Rolex and has thus proclaimed that the Swiss manufacture be the official timepiece of DIS.

In homage of their partnership, Rolex introduced a new Cosomograph in 1963 that was noted as the Reference 6239. It was identified as the Daytona watch by name – Daytona was not printed on the dial until a year later.

The design of the Cosmograph Daytona sported contrast counters and a distinctive tachymeter bezel that framed the watch ever so boldly. The watches were known to be undisputedly accurate and reliable, as is the case for every Rolex watch.

The Testimonee programme that Rolex formulated allowed the brand to be more than just a title sponsor or an official timekeeper at these races. It became an annual tradition to award the winning racers a Cosmograph Daytona, complete with a special engraving on the case back.

Thus came the likes of Sir Jackie Stewart and Mark Webber, who were both Formula One legends in their prime, and carry a personal affinity for Rolex through the timepieces they owb. For Sir Stewart, it is a Cosmograph Daytona that signifies one of his many achievements at the Monaco Grand Prix.

He recalls, “It’s nice to have been a champion. I think I still want to be a champion at whatever I do — and that’s still a challenge. When I look at my watch today, I see all of that.

I see the first entry into having something of real quality. It still means as much to me today as it did when I was given it all those years ago in Monaco.

Today, almost 50 years later, the watch reminds me that I was good enough and fast enough to win it.” While Rolex only formed its partnership with Formula One in 2013, there’s no denying that the race’s very nature was akin to the manufacture’s own.

The enduring spirit of motorsport celebrates record holders and innovative designers and engineers, who all come together to test and break their limits no matter the challenges imposed. It’s no different to what Rolex envisions for its watches, be it in on land, in air or sea, as long as performance is at its peak.

Anticipating Tomorrow

December 24, 2018 • Davison

The clearest view of the new A7 Sportback’s flair, is from the back. Particularly, the full-width LED taillight that spans dramatically across the boot lid to complete the car’s crisp, clean impression.

Trust a brand who lives and breathes Vorsprung durch Technik to know a thing or two about developing cars that constantly redefine what it means to go quick with effortless cool.

Building upon the success of the first A7 Sportback which first appeared in 2010, the second iteration of the acclaimed grand turismo has Audi’s signature design ethos taking centre stage.

From the moment one meets the gaze of the new A7 Sportback, it’s hard to resist the allure in which the car combines the sleekness of a coupe body-style with five-door practicality. Sporting the same striking Singleframe front grille characteristic of modern Audis and matched by a pair of HD Matrix LED headlights that accentuate the car’s gaze, the new A7 Sportback doesn’t just look wider, lower and more athletic, it now exudes greater confidence and sophistication.

The ‘cool’ in the new A7 Sportback is achieved by preserving the elegant silhouette that has been its hallmark. Credit to the meticulous devotion to detail by Audi’s engineers, who impress with style lines that span the length of the car, an integrated spoiler that self-deploys at speeds in excess of 120km/h, and prominent wheel arches that hint at the car’s quattro all-wheel drive pedigree.

It’s hard to resist the allure in which the car combines the sleekness of a coupe body-style with five-door practicality.

But the clearest view of the new A7 Sportback’s flair, is from the back. Particularly, the full-width LED taillight that spans dramatically across the boot lid, completing the crisp, clean impression the car now makes.

Stylish without compromising practicality, the A7 Sportback’s large hatchback rear door offers owners a big loading aperture, making fitting large luggage less of a hassle in its 535-litre boot. Legroom too has been improved so four adults will find comfort in every ride.

Dual touch screens make convenience and control a state-of-the-art affair.

Sharing the same platform as the tech-heavy Audi A8 luxury limousine, the A7 Sportback boasts its own set of high tech innovations, with everything from dynamic all-wheel steering, adaptive air suspension and parking assist systems that will put any driver at ease.

Like the exterior, there’s a little more driver-focus with the latest infotainment system in a luxuriously well-appointed interior. MMI Touch Response, packing dual-screens angled towards the driver, and the design flourish of a buttress with the “quattro” logo now displays far more panache than a regular executive sedan could.

The new Audi A7 Sportback doesn’t just turn heads, it wins over hearts as well.

Looking dapper may help the A7 Sportback turn heads. But Audi has given the A7 Sportback a peach of an engine to win hearts. Paired with a seven-speed S-tronic dual-clutch autobox for silky-smooth gear shifts, the 3.0-litre V6 TFSI powerplant offers 340bhp with 500Nm of torque on tap. This enables it to make 0-100km/h in 5.3 seconds before going on to a peak velocity of 250km/h (electronically limited).

But even with that much go, the new A7 Sportback still manages to show a very impressive 7.3L/100km fuel return, and a C1 grade on the VES (Vehicle Emissions Scheme).

Beautiful, yet fun, the new Audi A7 Sportback will appeal to anyone looking to add a dose of character and flair in their everyday commute.

Going fast, has now been made fashionable.

For more information about the new Audi A7 Sportback, visit http://audia7.sg or head on down to Audi Centre Singapore for a test drive.

Audi Centre Singapore, 281 Alexandra Road, Singapore 159938

Tel: 6836 2223

AUDI A7 SPORTBACK 3.0 TFSI QUATTRO S TRONIC

ENGINE: 2,995CC, V6, TURBOCHARGED

POWER: 340HP AT 5,000-6,400RPM

TORQUE: 500NM AT 1370-4500RPM

GEARBOX: 7-SPEED DUAL-CLUTCH

TOP SPEED: 250KM/H

0-100KM/H: 5.3 SECONDS

FUEL EFFICIENCY: 7.3L/100KM

Cervelo’s Grand Ambitions

December 8, 2018 • Davison

Words by Teo Seet Heng

Photos by Cervelo and Gruber Images

Four years in the making, Cervelo finally unveils its latest flagship aerodynamic race bike – the S5 Disc. Evidently, the brand’s design and engineering team spared no details in their pursuit of peak performance, and this latest iteration of a favourite puts it back at the forefront in the world of ‘superbikes’.

With a new ride comes grand ambitions too as Cervelo announced alliance with Team Sunweb the same day the Cervelo S5 Disc was launched.

“We want to challenge at the highest level for the World’s most prestigious titles in pro cycling and Sunweb is the perfect partner to achieve that with” explains Cervelo Sports Marketing Director Richard Keeskamp.

“The launch of the new S5 heralds a new era for both the team and our company. Stunning advances in aero and engineering technology not yet seen before on the UCI WorldTour will soon be available to Sunweb athletes and we can’t wait to see how they turn them to their advantage” adds Keeskamp.

“The partnership will give us also excellent opportunities to develop other future products in close cooperation with the team benefiting from their feedback and experience.”

Redefined aerodynamics and superior stiffness have greatly upped the performance levels of of the new Cervelo S5 Disc.

V for Victory

The bicycle industry is no stranger to eccentric designs on aero road bikes, so even though the S5’s V-stem is unconventional, it doesn’t look too out of place. In fact, the execution of the concept has been seamless, even to the point of lovely.

From the side, the patent-pending CS28 V-stem does not interrupt the silhouette of a bike optimised for speed. The top-down view, however, reveals the V-shaped gap between the top tube and handlebar. This, according to Cervelo, is a feature that allows faster airflow when compared to the standard stem and handle bar setup. Aerodynamic gains aside, the V-stem also allows for easier internal cable routing for those who are more mechanically-inclined.

While it might seem like most of the improvements were focused at the front end of the new S5 Disc, Cervelo also managed to pack in impressive innovations in the less visible department – stiffness. Using a combination of materials, shape and carbon layup, the engineers at Cervelo have delivered a 13 per cent stiffer head tube that improves handling, as well as at the bottom bracket where it is 25 per cent stiffer over its predecessor, ensuring that no physical effort goes to waste when sprinting out of the saddle.

Combined all this with the stopping power of disc brakes, extended seat tube cut out, and a new seat post design – and we have a lean, mean, racing machine with a claimed 42g savings on drag over its predecessor. That works out to 5.5 watts equivalent in power. An impressive feat, considering that the previous S5 had made its mark in the superbike hall of fame when it was the bike of choice by former world champion Mark Cavendish.

The new Cervelo S5 Disc also boasts a redesigned geometry. In short, the bike is now longer and shorter for precise handling and greater stability. The stack has been reduced to provide more aggressive position for speed demons, with options to custom fit it for mere mortals with up to 32.5mm stem spacers, six stem lengths, four handlebar widths, and five degrees of rotation.

Also in the comfort department is the bike’s ability to accept 28mm tyres, and its proprietary carbon layup as well as shape of the rear stays that will soak up road vibrations for a smoother ride.

An Alliance with Team Sunweb

No doubt, Cervelo seeks to reign supreme in the coming season with the new S5 disc, especially since they have also confirmed that they will be partnering Team Sunweb for 2019 on the day of the bike launch.

Based in the Netherlands, Team Sunweb comprises of a Men’s and Women’s team, as well as a development program. With high-profile riders such as Tom Dumoulin who placed second in both the Giro d’Italia and Tour de France this year, it is only fair to expect seeing a lot of the new S5 Disc on screens soon.

The Cervelo and Sunweb alliance is expected to make its debut at the Santos Tour Down Under in Adelaide, Australia in January 2019.

This means owners of the new Cervelo S5 will now have the opportunity to reap the aero advantage of this amazing machine before Dumo, Michael Matthews, and Leah Kirchmann do.

If you live for the exhilaration of going fast, you might want to check out the new Cervelo S5 Disc at Bikes n Bites, the brand’s exclusive distributor in Singapore.

Bikes n Bites is located at 100G Pasir Panjang Road, #01-11 Interlocal Centre, Singapore 118523.

For more information, visit their website here.

Scooter Therapy

December 7, 2018 • Davison

Words: Tim McIntyre

Photos: Piaggio

There’s very little not too like about the 946. You certainly don’t need to be predisposed to scooters. Even hardcore motorcyclists, the kind who regard scooters as a two-wheeled sub-species, find their biases swept away by the 946’s attention to detail and purity of form.

Created as a homage to the original Vespa, the MP6 prototype, the 946 is Vespa’s flagship scooter. Or let me rephrase that, its most expensive scooter. The 946 has been around in various guises since 2013 but unlike other Vespa scooters, it is typically produced in limited editions annually. The 2016 Emporio Armani Edition was a hugely popular previous edition. In 2017, this was followed by the fourth version in this series, the lovely red number known as the Vespa 946 Red.

This all-red siren is the result of a partnership between the Piaggio Group and non-profit organization (RED) (www.red.com) in 2017. (RED) was created by Bono and Bobby Shriver in 2006 to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria in Africa. One thing that parent company Piaggio are extremely proud of is that the Vespa 946 is the only product in the automotive world to have been chosen by (RED).

The mechanics of the arrangement are straightforward. For each Vespa 946 RED sold, Piaggio will contribute US$150 to (RED). This amount is reportedly enough to guarantee over 500 days’ worth of life-saving medical treatments for HIV patients. Another way funds will be used is in helping prevent infected mothers from passing the virus onto their unborn children.

The affiliation with (RED) has given birth to a scooter with not-so-subtle applications of red everywhere – frame, wheels, seat, grips, and mirror stems get the scarlet treatment. If you are trying to remain low-key while out and about, this is not the scooter for you. Red, black or blue, Vespa 946s can’t help but call attention to themselves.

Beyond that sea of red, the Vespa 946 is no different from earlier 946s. The bodywork is steel flanked by aluminium fenders, seat, side and handlebar panels. The 157-kg scooter is powered by a 125cc single-cylinder four-stroke engine that makes just under 12hp. For those who may be worried about wheelspin, Vespa have equipped the 946 with traction control. Dual disc ABS brakes are standard as well. Top speed? You could probably get the scoot to nudge 100 km/h although effortless, fast, inner city gallivants are more its thing.

The Vespa 946 (Red) is available in Singapore at a cost of $20,779, excluding COE and insurance. More information at the authorised Vespa dealer, Mah Motor.

DID YOU KNOW?

Founded in Genoa in 1884 by twenty-year-old Rinaldo Piaggio, the company was initially involved in outfitting luxury ships and later expanded to building rail carriages, luxury coaches and engines, trams and special truck bodies.
Before and during World War II, Piaggio was one of Italy’s top aircraft manufacturers. For this reason, its plants were important military targets and its factories in Genoa, Finale Ligure and Pontedera were irrevocably damaged during the war.
Enrico Piaggio, a son of Rinaldo Piaggio, decided to focus on personal mobility in the aftermath of WWII. Thanks to the extraordinary design work of the aeronautical engineer and inventor Corradino D’Ascanio (1891-1981), a prototype of the first Vespa, the MP6, was built in 1946.
On seeing the scooter, Enrico Piaggio is said to have exclaimed: “It looks like a wasp!” “Vespa” is Italian for wasp, and so the name was born.
The first Vespa – the Vespa 98 – went into production in 1946. It was powered by a 98cc engine that delivered 3.2 bhp at 4,500 rpm, and had a top speed of 60 km/h.

An Interview with Andreas Bovensiepen

July 23, 2018 • Davison

Story by Tim McIntyre

Photos by Alpina

Alpina – a bigger, faster and badder BMW?

Our target is to build a dream car for everyday use. Not as sporty as a BMW M but still much more performance than most people can exploit.

Our goal has always been to get the best driving harmony. We are not the best in horsepower, maximum speed, or racetrack driving but we combine very good acceleration with very good high speed, and very good fuel consumption and ease of operation. Within the first two or three kilometres of driving an Alpina, you have to feel that, the car is nice, easy and forgiving to drive.

What about performance at the limit?

Our formula has always been to build stability at maximum speed, with as much comfort as we can. Because it’s not fun to drive with race suspension for any distance. Stiffer suspension does not necessarily mean faster. In the wet, or over bad surfaces, a car that is more pliant is easier to exploit. At very high speeds, say between 250 to 300km/h, we have engineered the steering to not be overly sensitive. If you lose concentration for a moment, the car is still easy to correct.

What about the design?

Our customers like understatement. They don’t find it important to be seen as someone who has a lot of money. So, we don’t get too aggressive here. The Alpina B5 looks like a standard 5 series with bigger wheels. Inside the car, you will see more classic leather and lacquer instead of aluminium and carbon fibre. Our production run is only 1,500 to 1,700 cars annually and this exclusivity is something our customers like as well.

Can you talk about the relationship with BMW?

The partnership gives BMW the possibility to add more exclusivity to the brand while giving customers a very refined driving machine. We have a combined production process where parts from Alpina are sent to the BMW factory to be installed on their production line.

What kind of parts?

We cast our own crankcases. This allows us to mount twin turbochargers while retaining all-wheel drive. We also use forged crankshafts versus a standard BMWs cast item.

Alpina have a different perspective on power

We optimise our engines for torque. That is our philosophy. We like max torque to come in near 3000rpm. On a race track, you may use 5,500 to 7500rpm but in everyday driving, you are often between 2500 and 4500rpm.

It’s also important that your cars are frugal

When you drive high mileage, between 50,000 to 100,000km a year, these things matter. For our customers, it means less fuel stops and of course, money saved. We like to think of an Alpina as a car where you smile when you accelerate and also when you refuel.

Have you had to make performance compromises as a result?

It is possible to use quality engineering, design and parts to get a low to moderate fuel consumption from a fast car. For example, with a torquey engine, the revs can average between 1,500 to 2,000rpm lower than a normal everyday car. Lower revs equal lower consumption.

We also design for zero lift and downforce. Downforce is important for racing cars but it creates drag. Many cars have wide front fenders and even wider tyres, creating even more drag. We prefer to cover the front wheels as best as we can. There are some of the many small but important areas where you can gain advantages in fuel consumption.

How do you test the cars?

We do a 24-hour test at Nardo. Then we run a 40,000km test on the dyno. It’s a demanding test and equal to about 200,000km on the road. And after that, we do another 40,000km test on the road. After all this, we can be quite optimistic about the reliability of the car.

Will we see an Alpina hybrid or electric?

With hybrids, the issue is that you need additional space and nearly 300kg more weight for the battery. That’s not good for handling. Range is another issue. An Alpina B4 has a range of about 600km while the diesel can go 800km. A hybrid’s range is only 400 km – significantly less than what the majority of our customers expect.

With an all-electric car, things are even more difficult. Electrics are great for city driving but not convincing for those who drive fast and far. Take a Tesla for example. At 160km/h, the car will drain its battery very quickly. This is what happened with Tesla owners in Germany. They drove fast initially then found themselves having to learn to drive conservatively and smoothly.

We are a couple of years away from where electric cars can be driven this way our customers want to drive. And have a range that customers can live with. But in a few years, I am convinced you will have an Alpina hybrid.