Mercedes-Benz USA has recently announced their 2012 Fashion Collaboration that combines the new SL Roadster with supermodel Lara Stone in Calvin Klein Collection.

The scene you see above was captured by American photographer and filmmaker Alex Prager who states Fellini and Hitchcock characters as her Icons of Style. Dutch supermodel Lara Stone sets the scene alongside the Mercedes SL-Roadster, she plays an updated Hitchcock blonde and the scenario is described as:

“A beautiful woman stands alone in the desert, suitcases in hand. Yet in this 21st century update on classic Film Noir, the blonde is her own getaway driver, outpacing a tornado in a sleek SL Roadster by Mercedes-Benz.”

The SL Roadster featured in the latest Mercedes-Benz Icon of Style campaign, combines technical innovation with sleek sportiness and classic luxury and reinterprets the legendary Mercedes-Benz classic of the 1950s for today.

Lara Stone commented, “It’s an honour to work with Mercedes-Benz on a project like this. Both Mercedes-Benz and Calvin Klein Collection brands represent great luxury and timeless elegance and it was a really unique experience.”

To promote the New Twingo, Renault has enlisted the combined creative talents of four European artists to create a series of bespoke city cars.

The line up features; UK singer, Nicola Roberts, French fashion designer, Jean-Charles de Castelbajac, Italian chef, Davide Scabin, and pragmatic German designer, Nils Holger Moormann.

The results of the style project reflect their view of the world: joyous, optimistic, clever and bold, just like the compact city car.

First up, the Twingo Goes Pop by Nicola Roberts combines the singer’s love of music and fashion. As such, the boot holds a miniature recording studio combined with clothes, personalised portable music player, hair dryer and a make-up counter in the front.

Moving on, the Twingo 55 FBG by fashion designer Jean-Charles de Castelbajac has old world furniture, gold curtains and a wood table. According to Castelbajac, “We have to reconcile creativity and democracy. It should be a cast-iron rule for all candidates in the Presidential elections that they have to travel in a Presidential Twingo.” We doubt Nicolas Sarkozy agrees.

Next up, the Twingo Reading Room by Nils Holger Moormann is a place where the driver can “escape, far [away] from the madding traffic jams.” It has a library, a sofa and a fireplace.

Lastly, the Scabin Pasta Twingo by Davide Scabin has pasta-covered seats and a food pantry for a dashboard. There’s also a 3D television for watching the latest cooking shows.

BBC TopGear Magazine has named the new Range Rover Evoque, which was officially launched in Malaysia recently, as their Car of the Year 2011. The Evoque came top in the SUV category of the annual awards and was also picked by TopGear TV presenter Jeremy Clarkson as his favourite new car this year.

The Evoque beat stiff competition from the BMW 1 Series M, Mclaren MP4 12c, Ferrari FF, VW Up! and Kia Picanto to scoop the coveted Car of the Year title.

The awards are officially announced in the December 2011 issue of BBC TopGear Magazine. With 29 international editions, BBC TopGear is read by an estimated 12 million people worldwide.

To celebrate the award, TopGear took a Range Rover Evoque on an African adventure through the souks, deserts and mountain passes of Morocco to fully experience the superb all-round capability and outstanding performance offered by this year’s winning car. The full story is featured alongside the Car of the Year Awards in all 29 international editions of the magazine, including the Malaysian edition.

The judging panel, headed up by BBC TopGear Magazine Editor-in-Chief, Charlie Turner, comprised members of the magazine’s editorial and road testing team, together with the three TopGear TV presenters, Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond.

Commenting on the awards, Turner said, “Judging the TopGear Magazine cars of the year takes a lot of time, coffee and shouting. But, strangely, when it came to the choosing the overall winner, the yelling softened to agreement. Universal approval from the most opinionated minds in the industry is almost unheard of. Which gives you some idea of just how good the Range Rover Evoque, TopGear’s 2011 Car of the Year, really is.”

As well as triumphing in the SUV and overall Car of the Year categories, the Evoque was also chosen by presenter Jeremy Clarkson as his personal choice for Car of the Year. Summing up his decision, he says, “There have been many great cars launched over the last 12 months….but these are just one-trick ponies. The Evoque is more than that. It’s a pony that is also a racehorse, a shire horse, a dray horse, a show jumper and an easy rosette-winner in the dressage competition. It’s brilliant. And it’s the Top Gear Car of the Year.”

The Top Gear Award represents the 34th international award for the Range Rover Evoque since its launch earlier this year.

Land Rover Malaysia Sdn Bhd Managing Director, Mohd Hazem Abd Rahman said, “The TopGear Magazine Award is certainly one of the most coveted titles in the industry and we are extremely pleased and excited that Evoque has been crowned overall Car of the Year 2011.”

The Range Rover Evoque has generated an unprecedented response in all global markets, including in Malaysia, and has been particularly successful in attracting new customers to the Land Rover brand.

“The TopGear Car of the Year award is further recognition that the Evoque offers a unique combination of distinctive premium design and outstanding performance underpinned by Land Rover’s legendary all terrain capability.

Discerning Malaysian motorists clearly agree as we have received more than 400 orders to date for the Evoque, a remarkable achievement that augurs well for the future of the brand.”

Land Rover Malaysia will be moving its flagship branch in Section 13 Petaling Jaya to bigger, more prominent along the Federal Highway in January 2012 to cater to the surge in number of customers.

For more information on the Range Rover Evoque, please contact 1-300-1300-16 or visit www.landrovermalaysia.com.

Fiat has unveiled a new national ad in the United States featuring actress and pop star, Jennifer Lopez.

The commercial, titled “My World,” is voiced-over by Lopez, who is seen driving a Fiat 500 Cabrio as she travels through the streets of Manhattan to the Bronx neighbourhood where she grew up.

The new ad explores her personal take on how life in the New York City borough continues to inspire her to be tougher, to stay sharper and to think faster.

“The commercial tells the story of how the simple elements of our upbringing can help explain who we are, where we’re going and serve as a source of inspiration to achieve our goals in life. That drive and determination is the common thread that is shared with the Fiat brand and our philosophy that ‘Life is Best When Driven.’” said Olivier Francois, Fiat-Chrysler’s chief marketing officer, in a statement.

The ad campaign kicks off with a Fiat 500 Cabrio being featured in Lopez’s official music video for “Papi”, the latest single off her “Love?” Album.

Would like to see Lopez displays her vehicular skills and struts her stuff? Do take a peek at this all-new commercial as well as J.Lo’s latest music video, “Papi”, below!

The Global Shell FuelSave Day is Shell’s official attempt to create a Guinness World Record for the ‘Largest Fuel Efficiency Training’ session. The session will be conducted simultaneously in 10 countries across Europe and Asia. The event will take place on the 15th October 2011 at 1 Utama Shopping Centre.

The event will also include an adrenalin pumping line-up of entertaining performances who will be headlining the Global Shell FuelSave Day in Malaysia. They are: Malaysian pop and R&B singer Ning Baizura, Winner of the One in a Million competition (in 2006) Suki Low, Independent rock band Freeloaders Inc, Percussion ensemble Diplomat of Drums, and Pop rock band Rosevelt.

Fahrin Ahmad, Malaysia’s favourite TV Host / Actor / Model, and Shell Malaysia’s FuelSave Ambassador for the third consecutive year, will also be on site to meet fans and to encourage motorists to practice fuel savvy driving styles. “I can’t wait to be part of the Guinness World Record attempt and help Malaysian drivers learn how to save fuel and money. It promises to be a historical day – so I’m calling on people from all over the country to come and join us at One Utama Shopping Center on the 15th October 2011,” said Fahrin Ahmad.

The Global Shell FuelSave Day marks the latest in an ongoing campaign to help drivers all over the world to save fuel and money. The event will give attendees the opportunity to learn on ways to save fuel and driving costs. This will involve taking part in a 30 minute interactive fuel economy training session at exactly the same time alongside motorists in Denmark, Germany, Hong Kong, Netherlands, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Turkey, and United Kingdom.

This event will also see the 2011 Grand Finale of Shell FuelSave Challenge taking place, in which the 2011 Regional Shell FuelSave Challenge Winners from Penang, Kuala Lumpur and Johor will vie for the Grand Prize of RM50,000.

Encik Azman Ismail, Managing Director of Shell Malaysia Trading Sdn Bhd and Shell Timur Sdn Bhd said, “The Global Shell FuelSave Day was created with the aim of encouraging fuel efficient motorists and educating them on how it can lead to more Ringgit savings in their pockets. We are proud to be hosting Shell FuelSave Day in Kuala Lumpur and this incredible line up of local artists. Being able to be part of this global initiative takes our commitment of fuel efficiency to new and greater heights.”

Shell looks forward to seeing Malaysians out in droves to be part of history in the making. For those who are interested in being part of the Global Shell FuelSave Day, you can register at www.shell.com.my/fuelsaveday.

One of the most remarkable cars on display at the recent 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show is the Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupe V16. The one-of-a-kind Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupe plays a crucial role in the movie, ‘Johnny English Reborn’ starring Rowan Atkinson.

During the occasion, Atkinson showed up for the Rolls-Royce press conference to talk about his co-star, ‘Royce’, the film, and his passion for Rolls-Royce.

The movie version of the car has a 9.0 litre V-16, a bit more than the 6.75 litre V-12 in the production version of the Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupe.

Rolls-Royce originally intended to use a 9.0 litre V16 engine in the Phantom as they wanted the ultimate engine for the ultimate luxury car of the 21st century. The British automaker designed and developed several examples of the V16 but at last they decided to use a more economical V-12 engine.

Atkinson, being a Rolls-Royce enthusiast knew that 3 or 4 of these engines had been built and asked Rolls-Royce if he could use one of them for ‘Johnny English Reborn. The engineers at Rolls-Royce were happy to fit one in a Phantom when approached by the actor.

The V16 engine first appeared at the 2004 Geneva Motor Show in the Rolls-Royce 100EX ‘Experimental Car’, which went on to become the Phantom Coupe in 2008.

How often do we find modern day Formula 1 racecars, like say Red Bull Racing, collecting dust in a barn. Well, we’re lucky enough to see one in the video below.

Red Bull Racing has recently posted a video shot in Central Texas celebrating the return of Formula One racing to the United States at a track under construction near Austin.

It features former F1 driver David Coulthard, a few cowboys and some livestock on a ranch owned by Red McCombs, a key investor in the circuit. The video was shot in a variety of places, including the capitol building and the yet-to-be completed Circuit of the Americas track.

As far as we know, Coulthard is the first driver to have a crack at the track in any state or form, and we have to say that it’s pretty fun to watch his carbon-fiber beast skip across the dry Texas dirt.

We can’t wait to see the completed Circuit of the Americas which will host the F1 Grand Prix on 18th November 2012. Meanwhile, peep at the video below for yourself.

Phoenix Suns point-guard, Steve Nash said he always takes competition seriously… but how competitive can he be?

Recently, Toyota pulled out a new Prius commercial that featured Nash; the seven-time NBA All-Star who continues to prove himself as one of the funniest players in the NBA.

Ok, here’s a sneak peak of what you’re about to watch. The video captures Nash driving a Prius probably running some errands and as he narrates his need to constantly find competition, he speeds through a wide open parking lot full of empty space and stole a spot from an old lady! To add to insult, he gets out of the car and taunts her with some slick dance moves too!

Do check out the video below because we do find it pretty entertaining, and we’d agree that Nash’s comedic talents in front of the camera might just serve him a second career opportunity!

The former pop-star turned fashion designer, Victoria Beckham, now has a new role as a car interior designer when Land Rover recently announced that the former Spice Girl will be their brand’s creative director executive, leading her input on all things high-end for future projects, starting with a Special Edition Range Rover Evoque!

The Victoria Beckham Special Edition Evoque has been finalized and is expected to be launched whenever Mrs Beckham is ready to work again after she recently gave birth to a daughter, Harper Seven Beckham.

Further information on this Special Edition Evoque has yet to be unveiled, but given Mrs Beckham’s style, we bet the Victoria Beckham Special Edition Evoque is going to be very “posh” and luxurious indeed! And if you happen to be a fashion-conscious buyer, you’ll probably get all excited although we anticipate that it’s going to come with a matching price tag!

Sepang International Circuit launches world-class Go-Karting circuit officiated by Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek (Minister of Youth and Sports)

Sepang International Circuit (SIC) launched the newly refurbished Sepang International Kart Circuit today as part of its efforts to promote SIC as not only a world class motorsports facility but also as an entertainment and corporate events venue.

The newly revamped go-kart track was designed by the renowned F1 Track designer, Hermann Tilke, who was also responsible for the layout of Sepang International Circuit’s main F1 track, built in 1999. It is 1.247 kilometres long and 10 metres wide, with 11 challenging bends. The tarmac used for the karting track’s surface is exactly the same as used for the Sepang Main Track, thus offering the best racing experience possible.

The re-launch marks the changes in the operator of the circuit, City Karting Events Sdn Bhd (CKE) which will now co-manage the circuit with SIC. CKE brings over 30 years of industry experience to the circuit with both planning to invite various international kart series to Malaysia. The track also underwent some refurbishments recently such as the setting up of complete new tyre barriers, re-laying of track surface and the installation of a better drainage system. The karts brought in by CKE are also brand new, and includes two-eater karts for parents to take their young kids.

Chief Executive Officer Sepang International Circuit (CEO) Dato’ Razlan Razali revealed that the revamped go-kart track was part of SIC’s role in providing value added services and as a way of promoting grass roots racing in Malaysia.

“As the home of motorsports in Malaysia, we realize that we play a big role in developing motorsports in our country. The Go-kart track is a perfect avenue and a safer option for beginners and youngsters in the racing industry, while helping them to develop skills such as sportsmanship and competitiveness. Furthermore, compared to advanced types of racing, it does not require a significant amount of money to get started,” said Razlan at the launch.

“Formula One champion, Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton both started out in karting before going to achieve greater heights. In fact, our own race car drivers such as Fairuz Fauzy and Nik Iruwan Nik Izani also started out in karting and look where they are today.”

“We have taken the initiative to install new tyre barriers, re-laid the track surface in certain areas and installed better drainage around the track among other renovation efforts in making sure that this facility maintains its high standards.

“Our partnership with CKE will ensure that we can offer the best expertise in running the go-kart track as CKE is renowned for their experience in the local go-kart circuit for many years,” added Razlan.

Razlan further went on to add that SIC now has value-added services to attract the public to the track every day and not only during their events. “As we all know, SIC plays host to two of the most glamorous racing events in the world, namely the Formula One and MotoGP, apart from numerous exciting races on a smaller scale. But not many are aware that we also provide other exciting activities for the family and the corporate sector such as the Driving Experience, Track Days , daily Circuit Tours, bicycle rides on the Motorcross track and many more teambuilding activities.”

“We are also fast becoming a venue of choice for lifestyle events such as corporate dinners and concerts because of the vast space available and the uniqueness of having an event here, “Razlan added.

The event which was graced by the presence of the Minister of Youth & Sports, Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek SIC and Chairman of SIC, Datuk Mohzani Mahathir, attracted the presence of many local celebrities such as Fahrin Ahmad, Aqasha, Joey G, Alan Yun, Steve Yap, and Jacky Kam. SIC also hosted 20 orphans from Pusat Jagaan Baitus Sakinah, Sepang. Around 200 people attended the event comprising members of the media, government officials, SIC’s corporate clients and local car and bike clubs. All attendees were given the opportunity to try a few laps on the go kart track.

All in all, an exciting day for everyone involved! SIC also plans to further promote Go Karting as a family oriented sport with the bringing of Family Karts into the track.