In the fantastic world in which Bugatti lives, there are two kinds of people: those who can afford a Veyron, and those who cannot. Most of us fall into the latter category, but those who fall into the former certainly have cash to spare (to say the least). For both, the most exclusive of exotic automakers has launched the Bugatti Collection.
The line at launch is quite limited, but includes such items as polo shirts, a jacket, a keychain and an umbrella. Of course, all of the Bugatti items are appropriately priced for the company's super-rich clientele, but even a thousand-euro leather duffle bag is a far cry from the price of a new Veyron – especially the new Grand Sport roadster.
You can check out the new Bugatti Collection at its dedicated website, which is currently only in German... so enjoy the window shopping like you were on vacation.
Trucker chic isn't exactly the same in Europe as it is in America, where every tool with a practical-joke or retro-themed television show is punkin' out the mesh-backed trucker hats. Case in point: the new apparel collection launched by Volvo Trucks.
Although the fashion-forward collection might seem more aligned with Volvo's latest passenger cars than commercial vehicles, remember that, since 1999, the two divisions are separately owned (one independent, the other by Ford... for now) and both share the same name and logo. Commendably, Volvo Trucks didn't just slap its name on some t-shirts and backpacks and called it a day. The recently launched collection consists of more than 100 items, on which the company's designers collaborated with IKEA fashion designers for over a year. The line includes leather jackets sporting shoulder sections modeled on the company's trademark grille and watches shaped like the cabin's instruments. Clever, eh? We don't know who is driving the big-rigs on that side of the pond, but the Volvo Trucks collection has things for the whole family, including men, women and even children – like baby tees with UV protection to safeguard their fair Swedish skin.
Saab has embraced E85 as an alternative fuel in Europe as a way to offer good performance and relatively good emissions using small turbocharged engines. Because ethanol has a higher octane rating than gasoline, boost pressure can be raised, allowing for a higher specific power output. It also helps that Saab already had a history of being quirky and using turbocharged engines in their vehicles. As an added bonus, it also gets to capitalize on the "green" aspect of the biofuel, and is leaving no eco-stone unturned. For the New York Auto Show, the Swedish brand be showing off its 9-X BioHybrid concept and the 9-4X BioPower concept. But its latest foray into being eco-friendly is the Pure BioPower Eco Clothing Collection, which was created in conjunction with the Swedish clothing design firm Reflective Circle.
The Saab/Reflective collection, which currently includes T-shirts, button-down shirts, jersey shirts, a ladies shirt dress and tennis shirts (more coming soon), is made from 100 percent ecological/organic cotton certified by Skal International, an independent inspection and certification organization. One highlight of the collection is the use of the Coroso nut, which comes from Palm trees found in rain forests, for their buttons - as opposed to molding them from plastic.
Fans of the simple Scandinavian design ethos who prefer organic clothing will be able to purchase the Pure BioPower Eco Clothing Collection starting in May at www.saabexpressions.com.
