#Second-Hand Mercedes Sprinter Engine

[autobahnengineering]

Expert Advice: Is Installing a Used Mercedes Sprinter Engine a DIY-Friendly Task?

[vehicles45669]

Emergency Vehicle Conversions Medical Articles

The range covers Mobile Clinics, Basic Patient Transporters, Intermediate Care Ambulances and High Care ICU Ambulances as well as Rescue Vehicles with objective constructed our bodies on a wide range of chassis'. From reckless drivers to poor highway conditions — South Africa’s road customers ambulance for sale south africa usually are not secure and it might appear as though the Department of Transport is doing little or no to deal with road safety. This is especially evident within the panel vans which are unlawfully transformed into taxis to function on the country’s roads.

Our engineering and manufacturing strengths are now complemented by our ‘fit for purpose’ facility making it the proper new home for RMA Special Vehicles. At the same time, RMAA SA’s Ford Vehicle Personalisation team has relocated to the newly built Ford Motor Company South Africa Vehicle Modification Centre . The production and high quality teams will continue providing accent fitments to Ford Rangers destined for each native and export markets.

RMA Automotive offers industrial or mine website vehicles which would possibly be constructed to the highest high quality and specifications. These vehicles are tough and durable vehicles tailored to suit mining customers’ particular security necessities. The fourth map was created to make the Land Cruiser 70 Series even higher at what it does best, off street driving and towing heavy equipment emergency vehicles. This map makes the engine very powerful, but driveable for the times you tow a ship or caravan or when you are in search of low down torque whilst fording rivers or crawling over rocks. Kindly note the extreme pricing of respectively R254,905 and R278,297 on each agreements. Long wheelbase Quantum panel vans solely retailed for R197,500 VAT inclusive during 2007.

Foot pedals may be raised, or replaced with hand-controlled units. Hand Controls are used for these individuals that have the power to drive, but have restricted or no use of their legs. Conversions are solely possible via a producer-involved process of homologation which incorporates rigidity testing. It is towards the law for banks to finance “fake” Quantum panel van conversions to taxis as they are not designed for the purpose they are meant i.e. as a passenger carrier/taxi. If there have been another questions, they would be completely transparent in answering them. He confirmed that they bought no seats, no parts and no kits for conversions of panel vans into passenger carrying vehicles.

Conversions embrace, however not limited too; Ambulances, Rescue Vehicles, Rescue Trailers and Mobile Clinics. Rapid response vehicles , these are non-patient carrying vehicles but have a full set of medical gear on board. Response vehicles are usually staffed with superior life support paramedics and are used to respond rapidly to a scene and start treating a patient ambulance conversions south africa, whereas the ambulance comes. Due to the rural environment that KZN EMS operates in, principally 4×4 vehicles are used. Both Guidosimplex and Kivi make a range of accelerator rings which is a second ring that's positioned both above or behind the steering wheel, and is squeezed towards the steering wheel for acceleration.

“Following worldwide requirements, we’ve moved away from a steel-type conversion to a really lightweight and aerodynamic conversion inside the vehicle,” Davis provides. Good issues come to those who work for it… And to those that have a superb emergency vehicle conversions support system. The Mercedes-Benz Vito and Sprinter conversion option for service cars will remodel the way in which you're taking in your everyday jobs.

We rent out automobile trailers and vans that may transport vehicles and other things that have to be moved. We will attempt to help anybody with an engineering downside regarding the conversion of vehicles. We as Colmay Industries pride ourselves on our service and superior high quality merchandise, backed up by our wonderful guarantee program and the trusted relationships we have with our corporate clients. Our imaginative and prescient as an organization is though our beginnings are small we anticipate an expansion of dedicated and dedicated workers members. We imagine in our tradition of service and high quality to the profit of our most valued shoppers.

From the first minute till the final – the Mercedes-Benz Unimog is there. Clause 5.1.1 read with clause 16.2 explains the core of the contract and that should 40 conversions not be made the contract fails. On recorded evidence the manufacturing of forty conversions could solely be achieved if the plaintiff was supplied with the panel vans by the defendant. Without this understanding that the defendant had to supply 40 panel vans for conversion, no conversions might be made by the plaintiff. Persons who're going to drive a vehicle & transport Persons with Disabilities, ought to apply for a PrDP Licence. A Professional Driving Permit is required to drive public transport and heavy duty vehicles, such as taxis, buses and breakdown vehicles.

[carsmedd]

Safari Condo the art of feeling at home wherever you go

Safari Condo the art of feeling at home wherever you go

Safari Condo the art of feeling at home wherever you go

Are you a nomad on wheels and looking for a welcoming and versatile RV, and especially not bulky? Then you have to see the Safari Condo XL Plus to discover its spacious and bright interior. Quebeckers use different means of transportation to satisfy their thirst for discovery: the car, the train, the plane or even the bike. Still need to find the perfect place to stay when you arrive at your destination. However, a motorized recreational vehicle like the Safari Condo provides an all-inclusive solution by intelligently and conveniently combining the mode of transportation and the accommodation. It's the perfect way to feel at home wherever you go.

Safari Condo the art of feeling at home wherever you go

For 20 years, this builder Beauceron refines a range of recreational vehicles (RV). Today, it is packed with motorcycles developed from three popular commercial vans: GM's Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana twins, the Ram ProMaster front-wheel-drive, and the more sophisticated Mercedes-Benz Sprinter. Added to this is a range of trailers with mobile or fixed roof called Alto. All Motorized Safari Condos are Class B RVs. Measuring up to 22 feet in length, they are relatively compact and above all highly maneuverable compared to Class A motorcycles (you know, those that look like a bus). That's why we never hesitate to drive these vehicles, even in the narrow streets of a city center or a small hinterland village. Among the various 2019 models offered by Safari Condo, the XL Plus caught our attention. Built on the basis of a Sprinter 3500 double-backed van, it has one of the largest gross weight ratings (GVWR) in its class, 5,000 kg (11,030 lb.). For RV enthusiasts, this rating is crucial. The GVWR is the maximum weight that can weigh their vehicle including the load, that is to say, everything we put in, we put on the roof and hang on behind! With such an important rating, the XL Plus gives users plenty of latitude.

Safari Condo the art of feeling at home wherever you go

A real sprinter 2019 Basically, the XL Plus is a Sprinter 2019. This is an important clarification, since some RV manufacturers offer 2019 vintage models, which are built on a chassis Sprinter 2018. Fortunately, the Sprinter 2019, which inaugurates the third generation of this truck, is easily distinguished from its predecessor. It has a redesigned front part (grille, headlights, bumper, bonnet, wings, etc.) and a new dashboard, in the center of which throne also the first touch screen offered for this truck. For this new version of the Sprinter, Mercedes has renewed the V6 BlueTec 3.0 L. This turbodiesel is paired with a 7G-Tronic Plus automatic seven-speed gearbox that we love for its flexibility. With 188 horsepower, this engine transmits a torque of 325 lb-ft over a wide range of speeds to the rear wheels. Sign of the times, some customers of the builder beauceron now choose to equip their RV of the 4x4 system offered by Mercedes for three years. Highly efficient for an RV, this engine is known for its low fuel consumption. Safari Condo says it would be able to settle for as little as 9.9 L / 100 km on the highway, a rating that, under favorable conditions, seems feasible. As a result, the 93 liters of diesel poured into the tank could cover more than 900 km, an undeniable asset for long-haul travelers. The brightest interior The interior of the XL Plus is very bright thanks to a very generous fenestration, which imposes no major obstacle on 360 degrees. We choose this Safari Condo model for the driving pleasure that comes from the Sprinter's architecture, it's obvious, but even more so for its unique interior design. In my opinion, the XL Plus is the VR with the brightest interior. Its very generous fenestration, which imposes no major obstacle on 360 degrees, allows to taste fully the beauty of the landscapes, whatever the position of the vehicle. This is an RV in which you never feel cramped! All this glass surface is accompanied by two large counters. There is room to prepare meals! This rare quality among the VR is particularly pleasing to "foodies" (you also like good food?). Not to mention the fact that we have two 3.5 cu. Ft. Refrigerators (yes, a total volume of 7 cu. Ft.), Of which we can of course adjust the temperature separately, which can sometimes be practical. The bench and two swivel front seats form a comfortable and welcoming dinette area. Inside, there is no space lost, as evidenced by this original storage compartment. This very uncluttered interior does not prevent the XL Plus from having a transformable shower-toilet. So this is a versatile RV that makes its travelers independent wherever they are. And when you no longer need this equipment, it is hidden under the seat to form, with the two swivel front seats, a comfortable and welcoming dinette corner.

Safari Condo the art of feeling at home wherever you go

A flex bed ... ible! The Flex bed adjusts in height thanks to an electric drive system. It allows to modulate the storage space below.

The four seats provided by the seat and the two bucket seats allow so many people to travel aboard this RV. However, when stopped, the XL Plus is more suitable for two or three occupants. At the back, there is first a very comfortable queen size bed (70 x 76 inches). In addition, a removable single bed, which is installed in the front, is among the options. This is an interesting solution for a family with only one child. In addition, several buyers are now choosing the Flex bed: a queen bed adjustable in height. Thanks to an electric drive system on rails (and not hanging straps, as found in some RVs of other brands), this bed allows to fully exploit the storage space below. According to the needs of the moment, Like all other Safari Condo models, the XL Plus comes with, among other things, an awning, a fan, a heating system, a water heater, a microwave oven, a built-in stove and an inverter. In addition, the 2019 models have a USB charging station for all these electronic devices that are now part of our daily lives. There are some who prefer to invest in a cottage, because they consider it a safe bet. What they do not know, however, is that in the RV world, Safari Condos are also an attractive investment. The very high repurchase value of these vehicles, which are rarely displayed more than a day in second-hand ads, is an eloquent proof of this.

Safari Condo the art of feeling at home wherever you go

TECHNICAL SHEET Starting price $ 120,392 (XL Plus). Powertrain V6 turbodiesel DOHC, 3.0 L, 188 hp at 3800 rpm, 325 lb-ft from 1400 to 2400 rpm. Seven-speed automatic transmission. Rear or 4x4 drive wheels. Specials Independent suspension with front wheels, rigid axle on the rear; four-wheel disc brakes; anti-lock as standard; LT215 / 85R16 tires. Dimensions Wheelbase: 4320 mm; length: 6900 mm; width: 2430 mm; height: 2950 mm. Weight: ND Towing capacity: 3402 kg (7500 lb). Volume of the tank: 93 liters. Consumption on highway (builder): about 9.9 L / 100 km. Competition -New-West Evazion -Pleasure-Way Ascent -Pleasure-Way Plateau -Roadtrek Adventurous -Agile Roadtrek -Winnebago Era -Winnebago Revel Strong points -Inner finish -Practical arrangement -Pleasant driving Low consumption -Author ratings -Overall Rating: 9/10 -Consumption: 8/10 -Equipment: 9/10 -Price: 8/10 -Appearance: 8/10 -Comfort at the front: 8/10 -Comfort at the back: 9/10 -Behavior: 8/10 -Performance: 8/10 -Storage: 9/10 -SIMILAR ITEMS:

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[brajeshupadhyay]

My Other Car is a…Mercedes Camper Van?

Harley Sitner was in the Dumbo neighborhood of Brooklyn for a wedding in March, feeling as if he’d just been sprayed by a skunk. Mr. Sitner’s hometown, Seattle, where he owns a camper-van restoration, repair and rental business called Peace Vans, was the site of one of one of the first huge coronavirus outbreaks. “People were like, ‘Stay away,’” he recalled.

Back home, with peak road-trip season approaching, his employees reported a rush of cancellations on rental vans. Mr. Sitner had just hired a “super-awesome” marketing manager and began thinking he might have to lay her off.

School was canceled and all but the most essential businesses were ordered to shut down. Mr. Sitner was compelled to give his employees a month off, save for a skeletal crew that stuck around to perform essential services like repairs.

“We were looking at some pretty significant revenue black holes,” he said.

Then, in mid-April, the phone started ringing in the repair shop.

“People started thinking they’d have a summer, and wanted their classic Volkswagens looked at,” Mr. Sitner said.

But it wasn’t just that. There was also a run on a new line of modern camper vans his company had announced with Mercedes-Benz at the Chicago Auto Show in February: produced by a third-party manufacturer called Driverge, sleeping four apiece, and starting at $69,000 without kitchen and cabinetry, $89,000 with.

“We sold like 28 of them in 30 days,” Mr. Sitner said. “Some people are saying they’re not getting on a plane for two years or never going to Europe again.”

Mr. Sitner is 52, with a 10-year-old daughter named Eden Peach. In person, he projects a tender, Michael Stipe-ish vibe, wistfully remembering that “until recently, we hugged so many of our customers” and brewed espresso in the shop’s front office.

He first became acquainted with Peace Vans as a customer, running his Vanagon (a.k.a. the Volkswagen T3) in and out of the shop, in Seattle’s industrial SoDo neighborhood, between jaunts to Burning Man. In 2013 he learned from the shop owner that he planned to close the business, and Mr. Sitner convinced him to hand it over instead.

Over the years, Mr. Sitner has served clientele from aging hippies to Instagramming millennials, and all political persuasions. (In the lot of Peace Vans there was an old VW bus from Iowa awaiting restoration with a National Rifle Association sticker on the driver’s-side window and a painting of the word “Peace” on the side panel.) But the venture with Mercedes, which began casually after he began buying the chassis of the brand’s Metris van from a dealership down the street, has brought a new kind of buyer, Mr. Sitner said.

Ed Stevens, a 51-year-old tech entrepreneur in Dallas, had planned to take his wife, Robin, and two adult children scuba diving in the Caribbean when the pandemic took hold. The virus’s spread, he said, was the reason he started looking to buy a camper van.

“We canceled the reservation and hunkered down, and then I started thinking, ‘I can work from anywhere, Robin’s taking a class online, and we thought we’d just cruise the whole country,” he said. “As soon as I saw the official partnership between Mercedes and Harley, that was the motivating factor.”

(“The idea of building on a Nissan or a Ford light van did not meet the quality bar we wanted,” Mr. Sitner said, explaining his choice of chassis.)

Mark and Linda Kimlin had just spent the winter in Spain before returning to New York City in mid-March, feeling “very lucky to escape unscathed,” said Mr. Kimlin, 63. But New York was itself about to get scathed, and with the lease up on their Upper East Side apartment, the Kimlins high-tailed it to a home they owned in New Paltz, north of the city. (They expect to return to the city when things “settle down,” Ms. Kimlin, 65, said.)

Their daughter had planned to get married in California in July (the celebration has been postponed, though not the ceremony) and, Mr. Kimlin said, “it seemed like a good time for wide-open spaces and not getting on an airplane.”

His son-in-law-to-be had driven a simpler version of the Metris camper van and shared his positive experience with Mr. Kimlin, who bought one from Peace Vans on the strength of that recommendation and the fact that his wife “likes camping, but with a comfy bed.”

Talk to any camper-van owner and they’ll tout the relatively small size of their vehicles compared to traditional RVs and the taller Mercedes Sprinter vans that many Amazon delivery drivers whiz around in, explaining that the more compact Mercedes Metris and VW Vanagons are easily usable as second cars in dense neighborhoods in major metropolitan areas.

But they’re also great for when a wildfire jumps the highway and bears down on your house — the precise scenario Naomi Neilson stared down in mid-June at her house in Shell Beach, Calif.

“Everyone was like, ‘Where are you going to go?’ And I was like, ‘I don’t know, I’m going to take my van and go,” said Ms. Neilson, 46, who owns a Metris camper van and runs a bathroom-fixture company called Native Trails. “I just threw some food and drinks in the fridge and was ready to go. It took me 10 minutes. I went down the coast a little way and just relaxed. I didn’t end up needing to evacuate for the whole night, but it was nice to be able to just throw a couple things in there and know I had a place to sleep and cook for as long as I needed.”

Of course, this is something owners of Volkswagen Vanagons have taken comfort in for decades. While Metris owners like Mr. Stevens never considered buying such a lovable relic of hippie culture because he “didn’t want to be spending two days somewhere while my transmission gets shipped in from God knows where,” VW owners like Brian Kolonick of Cleveland think the hassle’s worth it because, he said, “my kids think I’m cool for a minute.”

“It’s the way it smells, the way it drives, the way people look at you — you’re bringing them some level of joy,” said Mr. Kolonick, 42, who works in digital health for a company called Conversa in Portland, Ore.

He rented a Vanagon from Mr. Sitner before he bought one, and said some VW scenesters turn their nose up at him because he “can’t repair things” and has to call a mechanic. He’ll often visit Vanagon forums online, where he occasionally finds die-hards dissing the Subaru engines in some custom conversions, arguing that they’re “taking away from the slow-running intensity” of the stock motor.

And it’s fair to surmise that some VW devotees think Metris owners are a tad soft. “We have friends who have them, and I’ve got to admit, we joke about their vans,” said Jim Samuel, 58, a realtor and University of Oregon grad in Seattle who named his 1991 Vanagon “Bertha,” after the Grateful Dead song. “But it comes down to people, ultimately.”

Joayne Andrews agrees. A 72-year-old retiree, she lives in Cathedral City, Calif., just east of Palm Springs, and has owned 26 Volkswagens in her lifetime, four of them vans. A Jetta is her daily ride, but when she really wants to get away, she’s got a 2000 Eurovan at home and an ’82 Westfalia stashed in Seattle that Mr. Sitner’s crew has been restoring for the past two years.

When she visits friends up and down the West Coast, she thinks her vans make her a better houseguest. “It’s nice to be able to pull into their driveway and not take up space in their house,” she said. “We’ve got our own little studio apartment.”

As for the Metris campers, her neighbor has one and Ms. Andrews thinks “they’re lovely.”

She then added, “They’re super-expensive, but probably with what I had to have my van restored, I could have bought one.”

The post My Other Car is a…Mercedes Camper Van? appeared first on Sansaar Times.

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[eddiejpoplar]

Inside the Automotive Extravagance of the Chantilly Arts & Elegance Concours

Not far from the bustle of Paris is an idyllic, lake-encircled swath of old world opulence. Chantilly, France is home to a sprawling château, painstakingly manicured gardens, and the Chantilly Arts & Elegance Concours, which descends upon this haven of serenity every September (the 2017 edition runs this weekend), dotting the grounds with an abundance of classic automotive excess, from remarkably preserved turn-of-the-century relics and elegant sleds from the golden age of coach building to 20th century supercars and future concepts.

Chantilly challenges the world’s top Concours d’Elegance— think, Pebble Beach, Villa d’Este, Amelia Island—with an alternate spin on the celebration of classic and vintage automobilia. But does the world really need another high-end car gathering, and can the French newbie compete with the big boys? We embedded into the annual event and rubbed elbows with automotive aristocracy to get the scoop on this historic car gathering and find out.

Posh Proceedings

A world-class concours would be nothing without a strong sense of occasion, and Chantilly is no exception to that unwritten rule. In fact, the guidelines are practically spelled out in the printed program, which includes a rather explicit dress code: “A tight and/or short leather dress won’t make the woman wearing it the most noticeable guest,” the text advises, “neither will a deep cleavage nor nails painted in three different colors.” I witnessed a sloppily dressed fan turned away at the gate, proof that Chantilly’s dress code was not meant to be broken, much in the same way the U.K.’s Goodwood Revival adheres to its mandate of period-correct garb.

That said, Chantilly is closer in mood to Lake Como’s oh-so-Italian Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este than events like The Quail and Pebble Beach, which combine elements of dress-up with a certain sense of California casual. The delta makes sense; Chantilly’s backdrop is Domaine d’Chantilly, a centuries old château that makes Hearst Castle look like a quaint guesthouse.

As the weekend gets underway, cars fill the property by parading past the tranquil waterway and occupying various sections. From rows of natty car club stalwarts like evocative Mercedes-Benz convertibles and midcentury Jaguar sedans to auction offerings that include Bentleys, Porsches, Rolls-Royces and the like, the early arrivals are alluring yet relatively attainable.

However, the main attraction comes Sunday, when a head-turning array of classic exotica makes its way onto the impeccably manicured Le Nôtre Lawns for a dozen or so classes, including the Belles Voitures du Monde (“Most Beautiful Cars in the World”) Concours d’élégance. A black tie-clad crowd assembles on Saturday evening, and a quick survey will reveal familiar faces. In 2016, that crowd included Former Scuderia Ferrari and FIA boss Jean Todt and his wife, actress Michele Yeoh, actor John Malkovich, and sprinter Wayde van Niekerk, who had come fresh off his gold medal winning sprint at the summer Olympics. The glitterati is not surprising; after all, this is automotive event formed by a company that makes watches that can cost as much as half a million dollars.

Exceptional Automotive Eclectica

Chantilly draws a remarkably eclectic field of cars, one that reflects a broad swath of collectors and enthusiasts. Random samplings from last year’s lawn: A row of Schumacher-era Ferrari Formula 1 cars offset by a several 1960s-era Prancing Horse F1 examples; a smattering of Group B rally cars; pre-war beauties from Alfa Romeo, Bugatti, Osca, and Talbot-Lago; a coven of Citroens including a gorgeous 1965 Citroen Henry Chapron-bodied DS19 Majesty Spécial; a row of Zagato-bodied road cars, which were part of a Zagato retrospective.

Manufacturers also peddled their not-so-ordinary wares: Mercedes-Benz Classic brought out its restored 540K Streamliner while the modern division showed off its outlandish Maybach 6 concept; BMW dusted off their Mille Miglia Concept Coupe and their fired up an evocative Bimmer plane with their logo projected onto the prop; Bugatti, McLaren and Rolls-Royce also showed off their latest and greatest.

Motorcycles were on hand too, including a smattering of classic and modern Beemers, the debut of the Zagato-bodied MV Agusta F4Z concept, and Midual’s imaginatively ambitious Type 1 naked bike.

While the spectrum of participants is varied enough to offer something for every classic motorhead, the serious contenders for the top spot are often the same players you’ll find competing at Villa d’Este, Pebble Beach, and Amelia Island—there are only so many places for these one percent of one percent cars to end up. Case in point: 2016’s winner, Jon Shirley’s stunning 1938 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Berlinetta by Touring, also took the top prize at the Pebble Beach Concours in 2008.

(Very Expensive) Watch Origins

Chantilly was launched in 2014 by watchmaker Richard Mille, whose horological creations have been worn by athletes like Felipe Massa, Bubba Watson, and Rafael Nadal. Mille’s wristwatches are wonders of advanced engineering that were developed using real world R&D: they are put through the ringer by athletes during training and competition until they break, enabling Richard Mille’s team to find the weak spots in the tiny movements and re-engineer the watch until they’re durable enough to sustain extraordinary forces like the swing of a golfer’s club, the violence of a Formula 1 driver’s track battle, or the snap of a tennis player’s racket.

“I love to do extreme watches for extreme conditions,” Richard Mille told Automobile. “Philosophically, my watches are very complex but they can be worn in any condition. They are not pieces to be put in the safe waiting for the next generation, they’re watches you put on the wrist and you live with.”

As such, Mille demands that a sponsored athlete doesn’t just pose with the watch for podium and PR photos; he or she must wear them while training and competing. Michael Schumacher famously wanted to partner with Mille until he was told he must wear the watch while driving. With that stipulation, the notoriously rigorous racer opted out and stuck to his tradition of only wearing gloves on his hands.

Richard Mille’s watch movements are remarkable exercises in form and function. Nadal’s timepiece, for instance, is so seemingly weightless, it can float in water and enjoys its status as the world’s lightest automatic wristwatch. In a business where the average mechanical (i.e. self-winding) watch is accurate to within 4 to 8 seconds per day, Mille managed to engineer a piece that keeps time to a remarkable 1.03 seconds per month. By using nanotechnology, ultra-low friction finishes, and techy materials like titanium and carbon fiber—many of the techniques you’ll find in a Formula 1 engine—Richard Mille’s watches are remarkably accurate while also being able to sustain as many as 5,000 Gs of force. They can also be dizzylingly expensive; prices for a Richard Mille wristwatch can easily reach into six figures, and offerings top out with three sapphire tourbillon models priced at $1.9 million apiece.

Room For More

Even if you’re a globetrotting bon vivant who regularly makes the rounds at the world’s top automotive events, it’s hard not to become intoxicated by the Chantilly Arts & Elegance Concours experience. Beyond the predictable champagne-sipping, pinkies-out scene, the beauty of being surrounded by exceptional vehicles in this gorgeous setting is seductive for virtually anyone with a pulse, let alone a hankering for automotive extremes. Add Chantilly to your concours bucket list, where you can witness one of the most elegant automotive events the world has to offer. But be sure to pack accordingly; those dress codes aren’t messing around.

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[jonathanbelloblog]

Inside the Automotive Extravagance of the Chantilly Arts & Elegance Concours

Not far from the bustle of Paris is an idyllic, lake-encircled swath of old world opulence. Chantilly, France is home to a sprawling château, painstakingly manicured gardens, and the Chantilly Arts & Elegance Concours, which descends upon this haven of serenity every September (the 2017 edition runs this weekend), dotting the grounds with an abundance of classic automotive excess, from remarkably preserved turn-of-the-century relics and elegant sleds from the golden age of coach building to 20th century supercars and future concepts.

Chantilly challenges the world’s top Concours d’Elegance— think, Pebble Beach, Villa d’Este, Amelia Island—with an alternate spin on the celebration of classic and vintage automobilia. But does the world really need another high-end car gathering, and can the French newbie compete with the big boys? We embedded into the annual event and rubbed elbows with automotive aristocracy to get the scoop on this historic car gathering and find out.

Posh Proceedings

A world-class concours would be nothing without a strong sense of occasion, and Chantilly is no exception to that unwritten rule. In fact, the guidelines are practically spelled out in the printed program, which includes a rather explicit dress code: “A tight and/or short leather dress won’t make the woman wearing it the most noticeable guest,” the text advises, “neither will a deep cleavage nor nails painted in three different colors.” I witnessed a sloppily dressed fan turned away at the gate, proof that Chantilly’s dress code was not meant to be broken, much in the same way the U.K.’s Goodwood Revival adheres to its mandate of period-correct garb.

That said, Chantilly is closer in mood to Lake Como’s oh-so-Italian Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este than events like The Quail and Pebble Beach, which combine elements of dress-up with a certain sense of California casual. The delta makes sense; Chantilly’s backdrop is Domaine d’Chantilly, a centuries old château that makes Hearst Castle look like a quaint guesthouse.

As the weekend gets underway, cars fill the property by parading past the tranquil waterway and occupying various sections. From rows of natty car club stalwarts like evocative Mercedes-Benz convertibles and midcentury Jaguar sedans to auction offerings that include Bentleys, Porsches, Rolls-Royces and the like, the early arrivals are alluring yet relatively attainable.

However, the main attraction comes Sunday, when a head-turning array of classic exotica makes its way onto the impeccably manicured Le Nôtre Lawns for a dozen or so classes, including the Belles Voitures du Monde (“Most Beautiful Cars in the World”) Concours d’élégance. A black tie-clad crowd assembles on Saturday evening, and a quick survey will reveal familiar faces. In 2016, that crowd included Former Scuderia Ferrari and FIA boss Jean Todt and his wife, actress Michele Yeoh, actor John Malkovich, and sprinter Wayde van Niekerk, who had come fresh off his gold medal winning sprint at the summer Olympics. The glitterati is not surprising; after all, this is automotive event formed by a company that makes watches that can cost as much as half a million dollars.

Exceptional Automotive Eclectica

Chantilly draws a remarkably eclectic field of cars, one that reflects a broad swath of collectors and enthusiasts. Random samplings from last year’s lawn: A row of Schumacher-era Ferrari Formula 1 cars offset by a several 1960s-era Prancing Horse F1 examples; a smattering of Group B rally cars; pre-war beauties from Alfa Romeo, Bugatti, Osca, and Talbot-Lago; a coven of Citroens including a gorgeous 1965 Citroen Henry Chapron-bodied DS19 Majesty Spécial; a row of Zagato-bodied road cars, which were part of a Zagato retrospective.

Manufacturers also peddled their not-so-ordinary wares: Mercedes-Benz Classic brought out its restored 540K Streamliner while the modern division showed off its outlandish Maybach 6 concept; BMW dusted off their Mille Miglia Concept Coupe and their fired up an evocative Bimmer plane with their logo projected onto the prop; Bugatti, McLaren and Rolls-Royce also showed off their latest and greatest.

Motorcycles were on hand too, including a smattering of classic and modern Beemers, the debut of the Zagato-bodied MV Agusta F4Z concept, and Midual’s imaginatively ambitious Type 1 naked bike.

While the spectrum of participants is varied enough to offer something for every classic motorhead, the serious contenders for the top spot are often the same players you’ll find competing at Villa d’Este, Pebble Beach, and Amelia Island—there are only so many places for these one percent of one percent cars to end up. Case in point: 2016’s winner, Jon Shirley’s stunning 1938 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Berlinetta by Touring, also took the top prize at the Pebble Beach Concours in 2008.

(Very Expensive) Watch Origins

Chantilly was launched in 2014 by watchmaker Richard Mille, whose horological creations have been worn by athletes like Felipe Massa, Bubba Watson, and Rafael Nadal. Mille’s wristwatches are wonders of advanced engineering that were developed using real world R&D: they are put through the ringer by athletes during training and competition until they break, enabling Richard Mille’s team to find the weak spots in the tiny movements and re-engineer the watch until they’re durable enough to sustain extraordinary forces like the swing of a golfer’s club, the violence of a Formula 1 driver’s track battle, or the snap of a tennis player’s racket.

“I love to do extreme watches for extreme conditions,” Richard Mille told Automobile. “Philosophically, my watches are very complex but they can be worn in any condition. They are not pieces to be put in the safe waiting for the next generation, they’re watches you put on the wrist and you live with.”

As such, Mille demands that a sponsored athlete doesn’t just pose with the watch for podium and PR photos; he or she must wear them while training and competing. Michael Schumacher famously wanted to partner with Mille until he was told he must wear the watch while driving. With that stipulation, the notoriously rigorous racer opted out and stuck to his tradition of only wearing gloves on his hands.

Richard Mille’s watch movements are remarkable exercises in form and function. Nadal’s timepiece, for instance, is so seemingly weightless, it can float in water and enjoys its status as the world’s lightest automatic wristwatch. In a business where the average mechanical (i.e. self-winding) watch is accurate to within 4 to 8 seconds per day, Mille managed to engineer a piece that keeps time to a remarkable 1.03 seconds per month. By using nanotechnology, ultra-low friction finishes, and techy materials like titanium and carbon fiber—many of the techniques you’ll find in a Formula 1 engine—Richard Mille’s watches are remarkably accurate while also being able to sustain as many as 5,000 Gs of force. They can also be dizzylingly expensive; prices for a Richard Mille wristwatch can easily reach into six figures, and offerings top out with three sapphire tourbillon models priced at $1.9 million apiece.

Room For More

Even if you’re a globetrotting bon vivant who regularly makes the rounds at the world’s top automotive events, it’s hard not to become intoxicated by the Chantilly Arts & Elegance Concours experience. Beyond the predictable champagne-sipping, pinkies-out scene, the beauty of being surrounded by exceptional vehicles in this gorgeous setting is seductive for virtually anyone with a pulse, let alone a hankering for automotive extremes. Add Chantilly to your concours bucket list, where you can witness one of the most elegant automotive events the world has to offer. But be sure to pack accordingly; those dress codes aren’t messing around.

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[jesusvasser]

Inside the Automotive Extravagance of the Chantilly Arts & Elegance Concours

Not far from the bustle of Paris is an idyllic, lake-encircled swath of old world opulence. Chantilly, France is home to a sprawling château, painstakingly manicured gardens, and the Chantilly Arts & Elegance Concours, which descends upon this haven of serenity every September (the 2017 edition runs this weekend), dotting the grounds with an abundance of classic automotive excess, from remarkably preserved turn-of-the-century relics and elegant sleds from the golden age of coach building to 20th century supercars and future concepts.

Chantilly challenges the world’s top Concours d’Elegance— think, Pebble Beach, Villa d’Este, Amelia Island—with an alternate spin on the celebration of classic and vintage automobilia. But does the world really need another high-end car gathering, and can the French newbie compete with the big boys? We embedded into the annual event and rubbed elbows with automotive aristocracy to get the scoop on this historic car gathering and find out.

Posh Proceedings

A world-class concours would be nothing without a strong sense of occasion, and Chantilly is no exception to that unwritten rule. In fact, the guidelines are practically spelled out in the printed program, which includes a rather explicit dress code: “A tight and/or short leather dress won’t make the woman wearing it the most noticeable guest,” the text advises, “neither will a deep cleavage nor nails painted in three different colors.” I witnessed a sloppily dressed fan turned away at the gate, proof that Chantilly’s dress code was not meant to be broken, much in the same way the U.K.’s Goodwood Revival adheres to its mandate of period-correct garb.

That said, Chantilly is closer in mood to Lake Como’s oh-so-Italian Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este than events like The Quail and Pebble Beach, which combine elements of dress-up with a certain sense of California casual. The delta makes sense; Chantilly’s backdrop is Domaine d’Chantilly, a centuries old château that makes Hearst Castle look like a quaint guesthouse.

As the weekend gets underway, cars fill the property by parading past the tranquil waterway and occupying various sections. From rows of natty car club stalwarts like evocative Mercedes-Benz convertibles and midcentury Jaguar sedans to auction offerings that include Bentleys, Porsches, Rolls-Royces and the like, the early arrivals are alluring yet relatively attainable.

However, the main attraction comes Sunday, when a head-turning array of classic exotica makes its way onto the impeccably manicured Le Nôtre Lawns for a dozen or so classes, including the Belles Voitures du Monde (“Most Beautiful Cars in the World”) Concours d’élégance. A black tie-clad crowd assembles on Saturday evening, and a quick survey will reveal familiar faces. In 2016, that crowd included Former Scuderia Ferrari and FIA boss Jean Todt and his wife, actress Michele Yeoh, actor John Malkovich, and sprinter Wayde van Niekerk, who had come fresh off his gold medal winning sprint at the summer Olympics. The glitterati is not surprising; after all, this is automotive event formed by a company that makes watches that can cost as much as half a million dollars.

Exceptional Automotive Eclectica

Chantilly draws a remarkably eclectic field of cars, one that reflects a broad swath of collectors and enthusiasts. Random samplings from last year’s lawn: A row of Schumacher-era Ferrari Formula 1 cars offset by a several 1960s-era Prancing Horse F1 examples; a smattering of Group B rally cars; pre-war beauties from Alfa Romeo, Bugatti, Osca, and Talbot-Lago; a coven of Citroens including a gorgeous 1965 Citroen Henry Chapron-bodied DS19 Majesty Spécial; a row of Zagato-bodied road cars, which were part of a Zagato retrospective.

Manufacturers also peddled their not-so-ordinary wares: Mercedes-Benz Classic brought out its restored 540K Streamliner while the modern division showed off its outlandish Maybach 6 concept; BMW dusted off their Mille Miglia Concept Coupe and their fired up an evocative Bimmer plane with their logo projected onto the prop; Bugatti, McLaren and Rolls-Royce also showed off their latest and greatest.

Motorcycles were on hand too, including a smattering of classic and modern Beemers, the debut of the Zagato-bodied MV Agusta F4Z concept, and Midual’s imaginatively ambitious Type 1 naked bike.

While the spectrum of participants is varied enough to offer something for every classic motorhead, the serious contenders for the top spot are often the same players you’ll find competing at Villa d’Este, Pebble Beach, and Amelia Island—there are only so many places for these one percent of one percent cars to end up. Case in point: 2016’s winner, Jon Shirley’s stunning 1938 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Berlinetta by Touring, also took the top prize at the Pebble Beach Concours in 2008.

(Very Expensive) Watch Origins

Chantilly was launched in 2014 by watchmaker Richard Mille, whose horological creations have been worn by athletes like Felipe Massa, Bubba Watson, and Rafael Nadal. Mille’s wristwatches are wonders of advanced engineering that were developed using real world R&D: they are put through the ringer by athletes during training and competition until they break, enabling Richard Mille’s team to find the weak spots in the tiny movements and re-engineer the watch until they’re durable enough to sustain extraordinary forces like the swing of a golfer’s club, the violence of a Formula 1 driver’s track battle, or the snap of a tennis player’s racket.

“I love to do extreme watches for extreme conditions,” Richard Mille told Automobile. “Philosophically, my watches are very complex but they can be worn in any condition. They are not pieces to be put in the safe waiting for the next generation, they’re watches you put on the wrist and you live with.”

As such, Mille demands that a sponsored athlete doesn’t just pose with the watch for podium and PR photos; he or she must wear them while training and competing. Michael Schumacher famously wanted to partner with Mille until he was told he must wear the watch while driving. With that stipulation, the notoriously rigorous racer opted out and stuck to his tradition of only wearing gloves on his hands.

Richard Mille’s watch movements are remarkable exercises in form and function. Nadal’s timepiece, for instance, is so seemingly weightless, it can float in water and enjoys its status as the world’s lightest automatic wristwatch. In a business where the average mechanical (i.e. self-winding) watch is accurate to within 4 to 8 seconds per day, Mille managed to engineer a piece that keeps time to a remarkable 1.03 seconds per month. By using nanotechnology, ultra-low friction finishes, and techy materials like titanium and carbon fiber—many of the techniques you’ll find in a Formula 1 engine—Richard Mille’s watches are remarkably accurate while also being able to sustain as many as 5,000 Gs of force. They can also be dizzylingly expensive; prices for a Richard Mille wristwatch can easily reach into six figures, and offerings top out with three sapphire tourbillon models priced at $1.9 million apiece.

Room For More

Even if you’re a globetrotting bon vivant who regularly makes the rounds at the world’s top automotive events, it’s hard not to become intoxicated by the Chantilly Arts & Elegance Concours experience. Beyond the predictable champagne-sipping, pinkies-out scene, the beauty of being surrounded by exceptional vehicles in this gorgeous setting is seductive for virtually anyone with a pulse, let alone a hankering for automotive extremes. Add Chantilly to your concours bucket list, where you can witness one of the most elegant automotive events the world has to offer. But be sure to pack accordingly; those dress codes aren’t messing around.

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[brajeshupadhyay]

Harley Sitner was in the Dumbo neighborhood of Brooklyn for a wedding in March, feeling as if he’d just been sprayed by a skunk. Mr. Sitner’s hometown, Seattle, where he owns a camper-van restoration, repair and rental business called Peace Vans, was the site of one of one of the first huge coronavirus outbreaks. “People were like, ‘Stay away,’” he recalled. Back home, with peak road-trip season approaching, his employees reported a rush of cancellations on rental vans. Mr. Sitner had just hired a “super-awesome” marketing manager and began thinking he might have to lay her off. School was canceled and all but the most essential businesses were ordered to shut down. Mr. Sitner was compelled to give his employees a month off, save for a skeletal crew that stuck around to perform essential services like repairs. “We were looking at some pretty significant revenue black holes,” he said. Then, in mid-April, the phone started ringing in the repair shop. “People started thinking they’d have a summer, and wanted their classic Volkswagens looked at,” Mr. Sitner said. But it wasn’t just that. There was also a run on a new line of modern camper vans his company had announced with Mercedes-Benz at the Chicago Auto Show in February: produced by a third-party manufacturer called Driverge, sleeping four apiece, and starting at $69,000 without kitchen and cabinetry, $89,000 with. “We sold like 28 of them in 30 days,” Mr. Sitner said. “Some people are saying they’re not getting on a plane for two years or never going to Europe again.” Mr. Sitner is 52, with a 10-year-old daughter named Eden Peach. In person, he projects a tender, Michael Stipe-ish vibe, wistfully remembering that “until recently, we hugged so many of our customers” and brewed espresso in the shop’s front office. He first became acquainted with Peace Vans as a customer, running his Vanagon (a.k.a. the Volkswagen T3) in and out of the shop, in Seattle’s industrial SoDo neighborhood, between jaunts to Burning Man. In 2013 he learned from the shop owner that he planned to close the business, and Mr. Sitner convinced him to hand it over instead. Over the years, Mr. Sitner has served clientele from aging hippies to Instagramming millennials, and all political persuasions. (In the lot of Peace Vans there was an old VW bus from Iowa awaiting restoration with a National Rifle Association sticker on the driver’s-side window and a painting of the word “Peace” on the side panel.) But the venture with Mercedes, which began casually after he began buying the chassis of the brand’s Metris van from a dealership down the street, has brought a new kind of buyer, Mr. Sitner said. Ed Stevens, a 51-year-old tech entrepreneur in Dallas, had planned to take his wife, Robin, and two adult children scuba diving in the Caribbean when the pandemic took hold. The virus’s spread, he said, was the reason he started looking to buy a camper van. “We canceled the reservation and hunkered down, and then I started thinking, ‘I can work from anywhere, Robin’s taking a class online, and we thought we’d just cruise the whole country,” he said. “As soon as I saw the official partnership between Mercedes and Harley, that was the motivating factor.” (“The idea of building on a Nissan or a Ford light van did not meet the quality bar we wanted,” Mr. Sitner said, explaining his choice of chassis.) Mark and Linda Kimlin had just spent the winter in Spain before returning to New York City in mid-March, feeling “very lucky to escape unscathed,” said Mr. Kimlin, 63. But New York was itself about to get scathed, and with the lease up on their Upper East Side apartment, the Kimlins high-tailed it to a home they owned in New Paltz, north of the city. (They expect to return to the city when things “settle down,” Ms. Kimlin, 65, said.) Their daughter had planned to get married in California in July (the celebration has been postponed, though not the ceremony) and, Mr. Kimlin said, “it seemed like a good time for wide-open spaces and not getting on an airplane.” His son-in-law-to-be had driven a simpler version of the Metris camper van and shared his positive experience with Mr. Kimlin, who bought one from Peace Vans on the strength of that recommendation and the fact that his wife “likes camping, but with a comfy bed.” Talk to any camper-van owner and they’ll tout the relatively small size of their vehicles compared to traditional RVs and the taller Mercedes Sprinter vans that many Amazon delivery drivers whiz around in, explaining that the more compact Mercedes Metris and VW Vanagons are easily usable as second cars in dense neighborhoods in major metropolitan areas. But they’re also great for when a wildfire jumps the highway and bears down on your house — the precise scenario Naomi Neilson stared down in mid-June at her house in Shell Beach, Calif. “Everyone was like, ‘Where are you going to go?’ And I was like, ‘I don’t know, I’m going to take my van and go,” said Ms. Neilson, 46, who owns a Metris camper van and runs a bathroom-fixture company called Native Trails. “I just threw some food and drinks in the fridge and was ready to go. It took me 10 minutes. I went down the coast a little way and just relaxed. I didn’t end up needing to evacuate for the whole night, but it was nice to be able to just throw a couple things in there and know I had a place to sleep and cook for as long as I needed.” Of course, this is something owners of Volkswagen Vanagons have taken comfort in for decades. While Metris owners like Mr. Stevens never considered buying such a lovable relic of hippie culture because he “didn’t want to be spending two days somewhere while my transmission gets shipped in from God knows where,” VW owners like Brian Kolonick of Cleveland think the hassle’s worth it because, he said, “my kids think I’m cool for a minute.” “It’s the way it smells, the way it drives, the way people look at you — you’re bringing them some level of joy,” said Mr. Kolonick, 42, who works in digital health for a company called Conversa in Portland, Ore. He rented a Vanagon from Mr. Sitner before he bought one, and said some VW scenesters turn their nose up at him because he “can’t repair things” and has to call a mechanic. He’ll often visit Vanagon forums online, where he occasionally finds die-hards dissing the Subaru engines in some custom conversions, arguing that they’re “taking away from the slow-running intensity” of the stock motor. And it’s fair to surmise that some VW devotees think Metris owners are a tad soft. “We have friends who have them, and I’ve got to admit, we joke about their vans,” said Jim Samuel, 58, a realtor and University of Oregon grad in Seattle who named his 1991 Vanagon “Bertha,” after the Grateful Dead song. “But it comes down to people, ultimately.” Joayne Andrews agrees. A 72-year-old retiree, she lives in Cathedral City, Calif., just east of Palm Springs, and has owned 26 Volkswagens in her lifetime, four of them vans. A Jetta is her daily ride, but when she really wants to get away, she’s got a 2000 Eurovan at home and an ’82 Westfalia stashed in Seattle that Mr. Sitner’s crew has been restoring for the past two years. When she visits friends up and down the West Coast, she thinks her vans make her a better houseguest. “It’s nice to be able to pull into their driveway and not take up space in their house,” she said. “We’ve got our own little studio apartment.” As for the Metris campers, her neighbor has one and Ms. Andrews thinks “they’re lovely.” She then added, “They’re super-expensive, but probably with what I had to have my van restored, I could have bought one.” The post My Other Car is a…Mercedes Camper Van? appeared first on Sansaar Times.

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