Kiwi chef Russell Pirrit has beaten all odds in cooking his way to a Michelin star for restaurant “5” in Stuttgart, Germany.
Pirrit has been head chef at “5” since June this year and was thrilled to receive the accolade in his first ever head chef position.
The Michelin star system is the most widely recognised and respected culinary rating system in the world, and having even one star really boosts the profile of a restaurant.
Pirrit, who grew up in Te Kauwhata in the Waikato, suffers from severe dyslexia. He was encouraged to be a chef by his family who noticed his flair in the kitchen and saw the career as one where his dyslexia would be less of an impediment. Having a reader-writer as assistance helped Pirrit through both high school and his chef training at Waikato Polytechnic.
After a few years honing his culinary skills in New Zealand, Pirrit ventured to Europe to learn the secrets of the “star restaurants”. Twelve years and twelve positions later Pirrit is now fluent in spoken French, German and English, despite having difficulty reading or writing in any language.
Asked how he copes with his dyslexia Pirrit says he avoids written communication where possible and he often asks people to read out things for him. When hiring kitchen staff he doesn’t put too much emphasis on what’s written in the resume.
Leading a team of nine chefs, Pirrit doesn’t allow his kitchen to be too serious.
“A high-performing kitchen doesn’t need to be a hostile environment. My team knows that we have to deliver to the highest standard so I don’t need to remind them” he says.
The team listen to music while they work and laughter and joking is allowed, which is uncommon in many restaurants in Europe (especially those with Michelin-star food).
At 6pm, before the dinner service starts, the team drink a toast to “good service” as a sign of solidarity before the pressure goes on.
The restaurant offers up to a seven course menu with a vegetarian option. The menu changes every month, providing an added creative challenge.
Pirrit describes his cooking style as “fusion”, since he takes his inspiration from kitchens and flavours all over the world. His creations are often adventurous, with some of his dishes containing unusual cuts of meat such as chicken comb, calf face and lamb feet. He doesn’t like to waste any part of the animal, and so is always looking for new ways to incorporate parts of the animal other than the fillet into his cuisine.
Asked, what’s next, Pirrit hints that two stars may be the next goal, although he would eventually like to return to New Zealand sometime in the future and open his own restaurant.
If you are renting a supercar or SUV in Stuttgart build a visit to Pirrit´s 5 into your trip.
News from www.stuff.co.nz
mike
Luxury Cars and Luxury Watches
Hublot & Ferrari
Ferrari, one of Italy’s oldest supercar ateliers and one of the finest Formula One teams, has been a storied marque since 1929. Hublot, a Swiss firm founded in 1980, was looking to be involved with both a supercar marque as well as with Formula One racing, so the Hublot-Ferrari match was natural. Hublot is very involved with Ferrari, and participates in about 20 major events every year – over 130 joint events to date. Hublot describes their relationship with Ferrari as one comprised of “success, happiness, harmony, synergy, emotion and dreams”, a relationship that just keeps getting better. Hublot decided that, rather than just connecting with the Ferrari brand by licensing the name and logo, they would create a “360-degree, 365-day relationship”.
Hublot’s flagship model is the MP-05 LaFerrari pictured here ($345,000), a high-tech timepiece comprised of a Hublot-record 637 components (including eleven barrels arranged like a spinal column) which boasts a 50-day power reserve. The design is evocative of a transmission, with the gears and “shifter forks” clearly visible from above and through the transparent back. The vertical face is on the end of the watch, for easy viewing while driving, and utilizes a second hand and anodized black aluminum cylinders for the minutes and hours, plus a separate cylinder to show power reserve, all supported by red aluminum reinforcing bars. The complex shape of the case and of the sapphire crystal are meant to echo the shape of Ferrari’s latest über-car, the $1,300,000 LaFerrari (of which only 499 are to be made and all of which are already sold), through the use of black titanium and carbon parts and special windows into the soul. Both the car and the watch quicken the pulse, which somehow seems quite appropriate.Parmigiani & Bugatti
Parmigiani was founded in Switzerland in 1996 and, for a relatively recent entry into the world of watches, they chose a remarkable partner in Bugatti, a company started in 1909 in Molsheim (then part of Germany but after WWI a part of France). This relationship has produced some very special timepieces, most recently the Bugatti Super Sport Rose Gold pictured here, along with its namesake Bugatti Veyron Super Sport road rocket. Utilizing an innovative two-plane design, the main face presents an elevated view of the time and much of the intricate mechanical wizardry, while a second vertical face on the end of the watch incorporates an additional set of hands for viewing while driving. Having six sapphire crystals surely must be some type of record, allowing the interested viewer to see in to every part of the watch, which is held in place by a specially-designed Hermès strap. Priced at $285,000, this watch looks fast even in the case but, while the silhouette is reminiscent of an airplane wing, the designers were actually giving a nod to the case lug of their Fleurier watch. When the long-rumored Bugatti Galibier arrives in 2015 (projected), the 1,000-horsepower four-door $1,200,000 sedan will need an accompanying watch and Parmigiani is up to the task, reportedly designing a dash clock which can be snapped out of the dash and placed into a separate mechanism so it can be worn on the driver’s wrist, in a pocket-watch case or even displayed as a desk clock. Not that the owner needs reminding that his BugattiBreitling & Bentley
Breitling was founded in Switzerland in 1884, and Bentley was born in England in 1919, so these are two of the oldest companies in their respective fields. And their decade-long pairing has been an ambitious one, with innumerable Bentley-branded Breitlings to choose from. Interestingly, Breitling and Bentley have for some time now carried the relationship right into the cars themselves, installing Breitling-branded clocks on the dashes of Bentleys. The newest of the new is the Breitling for Bentley 24H Limited Edition ($10,925), in celebration of Bentley’s first and second place wins ten years ago upon their return to the Le Mans 24-Hour endurance race. This limited-edition watch (the series is limited to 288 pieces) utilizes Breitling’s new “in-house motor” – the self-winding mechanism developed entirely by the Breitling team – with a 70-hour power reserve. The rotating bezel of the watch furthers the knurled-metal design detail from the Bentley cars, most prominently featured in the Bentley Speed. The Bentley is quiet elegance personified, and this Breitling watch in particular furthers that tradition. The newest Breitling for Bentley edition, released during August’s festivities for the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, was unveiled together with the launch of the new “Le Mans Limited Edition” Bentleys, a series comprised of six models of their cars: the Mulsanne (pictured at right); the Continental GT W12 (both the standard and Speed editions); the Continental GT V8; and the Continental GT Convertible (both W12 and V8 editions). Only 48 cars of each of the six models will be produced and each vehicle will bear a unique “Le Mans Limited Edition” numbered badge. The 24H watch and the Le Mans Limited Edition cars – fitting tributes to a race-bred vehicle. projectile awaits.TAG Heuer & McLaren TAG Heuer began life in Switzerland in 1860. TAG is short for Techniques d’Avant Garde (French for cutting-edge) and was founded by Edouard Heuer (which name, perhaps not coincidentally, is remarkably close to “heure”, the French word for hour). McLaren is an English company, founded in 1963 by New Zealander Bruce McLaren, who was a team driver for the English Cooper Grand Prix team. The company has had a major role in several of the most famous races in the world, often winning at Formula One, Le Mans, Indianapolis 500 and other highly-competitive venues. These two companies have had an incredible relationship that has already lasted almost thirty years and was just renewed, adding the watch brand’s logo to the rear wing of the McLaren Formula One cars. TAG Heuer works very closely with McLaren’s technical engineering team on the creation of their timepieces. Guy Semon, who runs the TAG Heuer research and development group, was an aerospace engineer and a fighter jet test pilot so high-speed and ultra-performance machines are his strong suit.
TAG Heuer has become almost synonymous with timing at racing events and the most recent creation that shows its automotive genes is the TAG Heuer Carrera MP4-12C ($14,000). (Before you reach for your keyboard and fire off an angry missive about their use of the name “carrera” when not connected to Porsche, know that TAG Heuer used that name first. Also be aware that the word “carrera” means race in Spanish, as the first TAG Heuer Carrera was an homage to the 1950s-vintage Carrera PanAmericana, an historic street race in Mexico.) The MP4-12C (pictured here) is the approximately $240,000 McLaren road-going racer which commenced sales in 2011. The watch of the same name is offered in a 1,000-piece limited edition (each individually numbered) and is comprised of 363 components, includes 47 jewels and a 44-hour power reserve. The case is fabricated of sandblasted grade-2 titanium, the face has a black carbon outer ring with a clear crystal inner circle to allow viewing of the movement and the strap echoes the interior of the car – perforated black leather with orange stitching and lining. More good news for watch lovers – you don’t have to buy the car to qualify for the watch.
Jaeger-LeCoultre & Aston Martin Just slightly older than its Swiss countryman Breitling, Jaeger-LeCoultre was founded in 1883, while Aston Martin was founded in 1913. Interestingly, the car company’s name was originally Bamford & Martin Ltd. but was changed soon after Lionel Martin had a major victory at the famous Aston Hill Climb in 1914. The car-watch alliance began about ten years ago and to mark that milestone, as well as Aston Martin’s 100th birthday, Jaeger-LeCoultre created three new timepieces: the Master Hometime Aston Martin ($9,000); the Master Compressor Extreme W Alarm ($17,800); and the AMVOX5 World Chronograph Cermet ($22,200).
The Master Hometime shows two time zones using a simplified design. The Master Compressor Extreme’s unique features include the ability to easily read the time for any of the world’s time zones and a black dial with alternating red and white indicators, meant to evoke the vents on an Aston Martin. And the World Chronograph Cermet utilizes reinforced cermet for the case, an extremely lightweight and shock-resistant space-age material. With 45- to 65-hour power reserves and various additional features, the watches are evocative of the Aston Martin design cues and combine innovation, reliability and performance, traits shared by the watch and car companies. And if you really want something high-tech, get the transponder watch – it can lock and unlock the doors and flash the headlights on your Aston Martin DBS, DB9 (shown here) or Rapide, for prices in the low $30,000s.
Thank you to Haute Autos and Tim Lappen.
Ferrari LaFerrari Backended
It was bound to happen at some point. No matter how expensive, rare or special a car may be, the risk of an accident or any other sort of serious crash always exists. And the new Ferrari LaFerrari isn’t immune from an accident-free life. Thanks to car spotter Marchenttino, today we have an image and a few details regarding the first LaFerrari accident. The incident took place on a highway around Mantova, Italy, an area known for Ferrari testing. From the looks of the single image taken, the LaFerrari was rear-ended by a truck. No one was injured and the car doesn’t look too bad, but that truck driver has some serious explaining to do for smashing into a $1.3 million car. We all have bad days but can you beat this lorry drivers after he backed into a Ferrari LaFerrari? Give us your “worst ever day” stories. Article thanks to Jay Trougott . http://www.carbuzz.com/news/2013/12/1/LaFerrari-Gets-Rear-Ended-by-a-Truck-7717392/#sthash.dtpTCdGe.dpuf
An expensive lesson for Porsche?
This week I drove the Porsche 918 Spyder, and my goodness, was it worth the wait. There are many reasons for this, but here are the top 10…
1. In the metal, and without the garish Martini paint job (which costs an additional 20,000 euros by the way) it looks stunning. There’s a simple purity to the styling of the Porsche 918 that makes both the McLaren P1 and the LaFerrari look fussy and over-complicated by comparison. In silver, especially, it looks knee-tremblingly beautiful in the raw. And while I appreciate that beauty is always in the eye of the beholder, you really do need to see this car in the flesh, in amongst other ordinary cars, to understand just how elegant it is.
2. Forget the 94.1mpg claim for the combined cycle because no one is ever going to get that sort of economy out of it in the real world. But what you will see, and what Porsche’s test drivers have recorded time and again during the zillions of development miles they’ve covered, is a genuine 28-30mpg in normal driving. That’s nothing short of phenomenal for a car with this sort of performance. A Bugatti Veyron, for example, will quaff more than twice as much fuel on the same journey, sometimes three times as much if you open the taps properly.
3. Talking of 918 versus Veyron, Walter Röhrl – who has extensive experience driving both – reckons the 918 is “quite a lot faster than the Veyron” up to about 180mph. When we road tested the uber version of the Veyron, the 1183bhp Supersport model, in March 2011, it did 0-60mph in 2.6sec and 0-124mph in 7.1sec. Porsche says the 918 will do 0-60mph in 2.5sec and 0-124mph (200kmh) in 7.2sec. Crikey.
4. Despite costing 781,155 euros (or 853,155 euros in 41kg lighter Weissach Pack specification) Porsche won’t make one single cent out of the 918 Spyder, even if it does manage to sell all 918 examples that it is due to build. This much was confirmed to me by Mr 918, Frank Walliser. But what he also said was that the technology the car contains, and the lessons Porsche has learned during the three years it took to develop, are priceless.
5. Does this mean that the next 911 Turbo, or even just the next 911, will contain similar forms of technology? Yes, without question. Will it be a hybrid like the 918? Almost certainly, at which point the loss-leader aspect of the 918 very quickly begins to make sense.
6. The Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres that are fitted to the 918 are the exact same tyres used on the Ferrari 458 Speciale, although in each case the exact compound specification is bespoke. The wear rate of this tyre is, according to Michelin, 50 per cent better than a normal Cup tyre, and yet in the rain grip level is “in a different league” compared with other tyres of this kind. According to the man at Michelin.
7. The lithium ion battery pack of the 918 weighs 314kg, so without it the Weissach Pack version would tickle the scales at just 1320kg. As it stands – with its hybrid system in place – the car develops 875bhp and weighs 1634kg, which gives it a power-to-weight ratio of 535.5bhp per tonne. Remove the hybrid system and the power-to-weight ratio would in theory drop to 454bhp per tonne (given that by removing the hybrid system you’d also lose the additional power it generates, in this case a combined 275bhp). Which is the reason why Porsche claims that without its hybrid powertrain, the 918 would be more than five seconds slower around the Nürburgring, even if it weighed a theoretical 1320kg. Are you still with us at the back of the class?
8 Good, because talking of Nürburgring times, Porsche is convinced that the 918 can circumnavigate the green hell a fair bit quicker than it already has. The current official time is 6m57s, set by Porsche’s ace wheelman Mark Lieb on September 4 of this year. But Lieb claimed after his run that both he and the car were capable of going quicker. The idea of a 918 lapping in the 6m40s is not, it seems, unrealistic.
9. The most you can spend on a 918 Spyder is about 920,000 euros. On top of the Weissach Pack option – which brings magnesium wheels and a weight reduction of 41kg, and will set you back an additional 72,000 euros – owners can also be relinquished of their funds by specifying the “liquid paint” option, a carbon interior, bespoke 918 Spyder luggage and, get this, a button that raises the nose by a few centimetres so that speed humps don’t ruin your day. You’d think that for 781,155 euros they might throw this feature as standard, but no.
10. The steering wheel on the 918 Spyder apparently cost some 20 million euros on its own to develop. And this is why the exact same steering wheel (less a few key buttons, such as the one that allows you to switch between hybrid and hot laps modes on the move) will appear in the forthcoming Macan junior SUV. So now do you understand why this car won’t make Porsche a bean?
Article shown in Autotrader and written by Steve Sutcliffe
29 November 2013
Freshly spied G11 BMW 7-Series
It’s no secret that BMW has been on the forefront of weight reduction in volume production vehicles. Starting with their tie-up SGL Group and development of the BMW i vehicles, they have been finding great use for carbon fibre in weight reduction. The key to this is carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP). While this highly touted material is being used in the BMW i vehicles, it has yet to make its way into a series production BMW, until now…
And so it makes sense that the BMW 7-Series (usually the most cutting edge and forward looking BMW on the tech front) will be the first series vehicle to use this magical material in key areas to reduce weight, and thereby increase efficiency. As the use of this material will be a key selling point for the new model, it makes sense that the exact weight savings will remain guarded information until we are closer to the full reveal.
Slated as a 2016 model, the next 7-Series will fall under the G11 chassis code and will likely be shown off sometime in 2015.
What’s new today Today’s set of spy photos show the upcoming 7 in a similar amount of body camouflage, what is notable is that the car now appears to wear all the production reading parts underneath. This car is now fitted with parts previously mising, such as a production quality polished and stylized dual oval exhaust recessed into a properly cut rear bumper, production side skirts, front bumper and large kidney grills. Fans of cohesive styling will also rejoice, it seems the hood cut line runs along with the kidney grills and headlights.
A Hot 7? While what we see here is a “standard” 7-Series, there have been persistent rumors that this upcoming G11 7er will be the first to usher in the ///M treatment, in the form of ///M Performance. The exact engine configuration and power-output on the would be performance model is still in the realm of guesswork, but all signs have been pointing to an M770i xDrive variant. When more solid word comes, we will let you know!
Lamborghini Cabrera confirmed for 2014
A Lamborghini representative has announced a “Gallardo follower” will be launched in 2014.
Earlier this week Lamborghini released the first teaser for the Gallardo replacement and now they announced the car will go on sale in 2014. We won’t have to wait that long to find out details about the new model as a Lamborghini representative told InAutoNews a press release concerning the new entry-level model will be published before Christmas.
The spypictures show the September 2011 test drives at Nuremberg, please excuse the quality.
Set most likely to receive the Cabrera designation, the new bull from Sant’Agata Bolognese is rumored to pack a naturally-aspirated V10 5.2-liter engine developing 600 bhp (447 kW). It will have an AWD setup and power will be transferred with help from a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. There won’t be a manual gearbox offered but at least more radical special editions will have a rear-wheel drive layout.
Source: inautonews.com
Peter Andre enjoys his Lamborghini Gallardo
He is expecting his third child early next year with girlfriend Emily MacDonagh.
And Peter Andre took his mind off any nerves he might have as an expectant father by taking his Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder for a spin.
The 40-year-old star drove the black sports car to ITV’s Christmas Party on Wednesday.
He looked equally slick for the evening, wearing a silver-grey suit teamed with a matching tie and a black shirt.
His flash supercar features 513 horsepower and a six-speed manual gearbox and retractable soft top.
Peter has owned the car for around 18 months, while he has been spotted with several other sports cars in recent years, including a Ferrari California.
Meanwhile, Peter’s pregnant girlfriend Emily MacDonagh, 23, is slightly less experienced when it comes to driving, and was seen being picked up for another driving lesson earlier this month.
But Emily has a lot to fit in if she is hoping to pass her driving test before giving birth, as her and Peter’s baby is due in January.
Australian singer Pete, who has a son, Junior, eight, and daughter, Princess, six, from his marriage to Katie Price, has revealed he’s hoping for a little girl.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2514851/Peter-Andre-takes-Lamborghini-Gallardo-Spyder-spin-attends-ITV-Christmas-party.html#ixzz2m2Mg2JPx Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2514851/Peter-Andre-takes-Lamborghini-Gallardo-Spyder-spin-attends-ITV-Christmas-party.html#ixzz2m2MYsfca Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook
LA Motor Show News
Peculiar timing to have motor shows in Los Angeles and Tokyo at the same time, but there you go.
Tokyo had lots of concept cars on show, while Los Angeles mainly featured cars that are going to be hitting the showrooms soon. So let’s focus on LA, especially because one of the stars of the show is homegrown – the coupe version of the Jaguar F-Type. And yes, it will be cheaper than the roadster.
Jaguar F-Type coupe
The F-Type is some car. It’s no E-Type, but it’s not exactly ugly, either.
The good news, as we’ve already mentioned, is that it’s cheaper than the roadster. The entry-level coupe is the F-Type with the same 335bhp 3.0-litre supercharged V6 that’s fitted to the convertible – yours for £51,235 or six grand less than the entry-level roadster.
The headline version is the R Coupe, with the same 542bhp V8 motor fitted to the XKR-S (the F-Type R Roadster has 488bhp). That extra power plus the stiffer bodyshell make it a serious weapon. Should be at £85,000.
Porsche Macan
It’s Porsche’s answer to Audi’s Q5, BMW’s X3 and, of course, the Range Rover Evoque. It’s the Macan, and it arrives next April.
All Macans will be powered by V6 engines, two petrol and one diesel. The petrol engines are Porsche’s own, with the entry-level twin-turbo 3.0-litre producing 335bhp and a 3.6-litre Turbo S version with 394bhp. The diesel comes from Audi and produces 254bhp. Performance? The hottest Macan will do 165mph and 0-62mph in 4.8secs. Smaller engines will be available from 2015, which should bring the entry price down from the current £43,300.
BMW 4-Series Cabriolet
As we explained recently, BMW now calls its two-door 3-Series cars “4-Series”, so the new Cabriolet is actually a 4-Series Cabriolet. Easy really. The range starts with the 420d SE at £36,675 and tops out at £44,970 for the 435i Luxury.
Mercedes-Benz GLA 45 AMG
It’s a concept, but it’s more than likely Merc’s GLA 45 AMG will hit the showrooms. The compact SUV uses the same 355bhp 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo as the A-Class A45 AMG and will do 0-62mph in under 5secs. As Merc is aiming at younger customers, a hot one makes sense.
MAD Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz and Jaguar Pictures
Photographer captures ‘exploding, hatching’ cars
A Swiss photographer renowned for combining art and science has created a series of images capturing cars seemingly exploding and hatching.
On display at the MB&F MAD (Mechanical Art Devices) Gallery in Geneva, Fabien Oefner’s ‘Disintegrating’ and ‘Hatch’ series of images includes classic cars such as the 1954 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe, 1961 Jaguar E-Type, 1967 Ferrari 330 P4 and 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO.
Intended to look as if a specific moment in time has been captured on film, for the ‘Disintegrating’ series, Oefner blended hundreds of real photographs of a completely dismantled scale model car positioned piece by piece with fine needles and string to give the impression of it exploding.
An interpretation of a car’s birth, the ‘Hatch’ series was created by making a gypsum shell around a miniature car, then smashing it to create the illusion of the vehicle breaking out of its ‘egg’.
Oefner said it took almost two months to create each image, despite it appearing as if it was captured in a fraction of a second.
“The whole disassembly in itself took more than a day for each car due to the complexity of the models,” Oefner said.
“But that’s a bit of a boy thing. There’s an enjoyment in the analysis, discovering something by taking it apart, like peeling an onion.”
Fabian Oefner’s classic car images will be on display at the MAD Gallery until May 2014.
Thank you to David Zalstein |
With the aid of fine needles and pieces of string, the ‘disintegrating’ series comes to life through thousands of individual photographs. the intricate scale models of a Mercedes-Benz 300 slr uhlenhaut coupé with gullwing doors, a sleek, black Jaguar e-type, and a sensual Ferrari 330 p4 that Oefner creates, replicates every inner detail hidden within the hood. Carefully strung and placed floating in space, singular photos are taken of each part, then blended together in post-production to create one unified image.
‘What looks like a car falling apart is in fact a moment in time that has been created artificially by blending hundreds of individual images together. there is a unique pleasure about artificially building a moment…freezing a moment in time is stupefying´,Oefner explains.
Thanks to www.designboom.com , visit the site to see the incredible video of the work taking shape. fabian oefner- hatch and disintegrating- making of video courtesy of MB&
When bad things happen to a Lamborghini Aventador
What do you think of the decision to give the supercar a makeover like this?
A German tuning company recently spent £90,000 turning the stunning McLaren MP4-12C in to a psychedelic work of art. The $270,000 British built beast, owned by the likes of Jay Leno and Will.I.Am, boasts stunnin aestheitcs and raw power.
www.celebrity-cars.com