Aston Martin and Hogan collaborate on a limited edition set of training shoe, available soon.

During London Fashion Week Men’s, Aston Martin and Hogan are announcing a new partnership that will see the two luxury brands collaborate on an exclusive ‘Aston Martin x Hogan’ limited edition luxury sneaker for the Autumn Winter 2017/18.

Available later this month, the exquisite ‘Aston Martin x Hogan’ luxury sneaker will be presented in four striking colour ways.

“Collaborating with brands that share our views on quality, style and elegance is important to us,” said Marek Reichman, EVP & Chief Creative Officer at Aston Martin. “Working with creative teams outside of the automotive industry helps to broaden our designers’ minds, and this is always a positive experience for both myself and my team at Gaydon. We take inspiration from all walks of life and our work with Hogan will help to shape and inspire many aspects of our future creations”.

Aston Martin’s modern and sophisticated aesthetic combines with Hogan’s beautiful Italian construction for this unique line of shoes. Based on an iconic Hogan design named ‘Olympia’, and offered in four seasonal colours, the palette is versatile yet striking. 

Leather is paired with nylon mesh to create a look that is as casual as it is smart, creating a contemporary urban feel.

The exclusive sneaker reflects the elegance of the silhouette of an Aston Martin sports car and includes detailing from Aston Martin’s artisan leather craft. Applied to the exterior of the shoe, layers of leather create a wave of beautiful colours and materials that are sewn with exquisite attention to detail.

The tongue of the sneaker is cut from Aston Martin’s classic kestrel tan leather with pinched seam detailing and feature the iconic Aston Martin wings. Each ‘Aston Martin x Hogan’ sneaker is crafted to the same high standards that are expected by customers of the luxury British marque’s sports cars and those of the Italian master of casual-luxury shoes.

“Hogan’s attention to detail and passion for beautiful products, and Aston Martin’s beautiful craftsmanship made this project a natural fit,” said Sergio Azzolari, General Manager from Hogan. “It was a pleasure for us to collaborate on a shoe that reflects the attention to detailing in Aston Martin sports cars.”

Limited to a run of 3,000 pairs, the ‘Aston Martin x Hogan’ exclusive collection will be available at Hogan flagship stores worldwide, on Hogan.com and at the Aston Martin Dover Street brand centre from the end of June.

seat Leon Cupra or a pack of Huskey's. which is the best on the frozen lakes of Finland ?

A sled pulled by six Alaskan and Siberian huskies measures up against the Leon CUPRA, driven by racer Jordi Gené, on a frozen lake in Lapland; a fun challenge aimed at bringing out the best in each of them: the endurance of these ancestral breeds, which can run around 130 km in a day, and the 300 horsepower of the brand’s most powerful car.

Power and endurance: While the Leon CUPRA is characterised by its performance, accelerating from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.9 seconds, huskies are known for their endurance, although they are considered among the 20 fastest dog breeds. They make five-day journeys, reach a maximum speed of 40 km/h and each pull their own weight of around 30 kilos.

1 metre thick ice beneath the wheels: Nearly a metre of ice blankets Lake Pikku-Nissi, one of the 188,000 there are in Finland, and enables cars and dogsleds to cross it without any problems, from the end of the year until well into April.

Leader mentality: Mamba and Mustys are the two lead dogs that guide the team while sledding. Their trainer, Susi Normand, claims that they become leaders of the pack instinctively: “They have to be mentally strong and brave”. “Just like race drivers," smiles Jordi.

On any surface: The grip of their paws enables them to run over ice or snow at the same speed. Gené also takes full advantage of the Leon CUPRA’s 4Drive and snow tyres with special studs for extreme driving on ice.

25 ºC below zero: For the huskies, the -5 ºC displayed on the thermometer is typical of a balmy day; the ideal temperature for them is between -10 and -25 degrees. The same way their fur enables them to withstand the cold, cars can also endure very low temperatures. In fact, they are tested at temperatures ranging from -40 ºC to 110 ºC to guarantee their quality remains the same no matter what the weather conditions are like.

Brakes to match their power: Just as the CUPRA features four-pot Brembo brake callipers, the sled is equipped with a clawed metal bar. Both require a brake to match their performance. In fact, the dogs pull so hard that the musher has to step on the brake with both feet to prevent an excited team from taking off before the order is given. While on the move, it stabilises the seat and prevents the sled from swinging when taking curves. “We both take bends in a similar way: we brake before the curve to position the vehicle and ride it out correctly,” says Jordi.

Purebred champions: Huskies participate in several dogsled competitions all over the world, such as the European Championship or the End of the World Race in Argentina. On the other hand, the CUPRA have also achieved impressive successes in their lifetime, especially two record times on the Nürburgring, where both the Leon ST and the 5-door Leon set a lap time of under 8 minutes.

Volkswagen dealers to take orders for all new Polo Petrol Bluemotion.

Volkswagen Retailers in the UK will begin taking orders for the first-ever petrol version of the Polo BlueMotion today, ahead of first UK deliveries in March, with prices starting from £14,730 (RRP OTR).

The greenest petrol engine in the range is powered by a 1.0-litre BlueMotion TSI petrol unit.  It emits 94 g/km of CO₂ and returns 68.9 mpg on the combined cycle. 

Delivering 95 PS between 5,000 and 5,500 rpm the new three-cylinder engine is mated to a five-speed manual gearbox.  The Polo BlueMotion has a maximum torque of 118 Nm (160 lbs ft) produced between 1,500 and 3,500 rpm.

Efficiency does not come at the expense of performance.  The Polo BlueMotion will reach 62 mph from a standing start in 10.5 seconds and has a top speed of 119 mph.

Based on the S trim, the BlueMotion models add even more equipment including a styling pack which includes uniquely shaped front and rear bumpers, radiator grille, side skirts and rear roof spoiler, body coloured door handles, body coloured door mirrors with integrated indicators, front fog lights and static cornering function and unique BlueMotion badging.

Additional kit over that on the S trim includes 15-inch ‘Buenos Aires’ alloys with low rolling resistance tyres, aero body kit, multifunction leather steering wheel, alarm with remote central locking, air conditioning, a front centre armrest, Composition Media and infotainment system, cruise control and Volkswagen’s Driver Alert System.  This version of the Polo comes with a Think Blue, Trainer, which gives hint and tips on how to drive in a more economical fashion by analysing journey patterns.

This 1.0-litre BlueMotion TSI petrol 95 PS engine joins the three-cylinder diesel 1.4-litre TDI BlueMotion engine that produces 75 PS, returns 91.1 mpg and emits just 82 g/km of CO₂. 

All Polo models come with a colour touchscreen, SD card reader, DAB radio and USB and AUX-in connections, as well as a height-adjustable driver’s seat.

The BlueMotion models are available to order now with first deliveries expected in March.  For pricing see below, and for more information on the Polo BlueMotion and the rest of the award-winning Volkswagen range visit www.volkswagen.co.uk.

Engine derivative	Gearbox	Body	Combined mpg	CO2 (g/km)	Price, £ RRP OTR
1.0-litre TSI 95 PS	5-speed man	3-door	68.9	94	14,730.00
1.0-litre TSI 95 PS	5-speed man	5-door	68.9	94	15,360.00
1.4-litre TDI 75 PS	5-speed man	3-door	91.1	82	15,795.00
1.4-litre TDI 75 PS	5-speed man	5-door	91.1	82	16,425.00