It’s Friday and it’s five o’clock here in London: time to down tools, pour yourself a drink and look back at what A Prodigal Week we have just had.
Here’s your bite-sized helping of news and views.
CARS
Compromise doesn’t have to be compromising
The GT3 is the most driver-focused 911 Porsche makes. But the hard-core approach to its styling always irked me. Chief among them was the huge rear wing which always shouted ‘boy racer’ to me. This week, Porsche announced a compromise, the Touring. Now, you can have all the involvement of the GT3 but with more understated looks.
The basic bodywork is the same – including the carbonfibre bonnet – but the motorsport connection is taken down a notch by removing the swan-neck rear wing and reinstating the standard 911’s active spoiler. This is joined by a new full-colour front apron in lieu of the standard GT3’s extended use of matt black plastic, while aluminium-coloured brightwork around the windows is also fitted. The engine cover is bespoke to the Touring and now incorporates a unique mesh insert replacing the longitudinal vanes of the regular GT3.
I’m sold.
Also worth your time
Polestar 3 teased: “The Polestar 3 will also act as a stepchange model for the brand, introducing a new platform and design language.”
Audi E-Tron GT news: “Buyers will get three years of free DC fast charging, a perk shared with Porsche.”
BMW M5 CS 2021 review: “A class act that reaffirms the M Division’s brilliance.”
GADGETS
Back to the future
If, like me, you grew up in the 80s, chance are that for a few happy years your life centred on the Atari VCS games console. Well…it’s back!
The console’s built-in selection of 100 Atari games (18 from the arcade and 82 from the Atari 2600 console) might be emulated perfectly, but many are “so incredibly basic that they really don’t hold up to the mildest scrutiny in 2021.”
Middling reviews? Who cares!? It’s your childhood, wrapped in funky nostalgia. Go on, pull the trigger.
Also worth your time
Leica Leitz Phone 1 launched: “It features a 20-megapixel camera with a 1-inch sensor, which is the largest in any phone.”
WATCHES
Dear God, make it stop
The aim of our little weekly news roundup is simple enough: to celebrate the latest Prodigal watches, cars and gadgets. But every now and again something so heinous, so crass - something which is such an affront to good taste - raises its fuck-ugly face and steals the limelight. I’m sorry to say, my friend, that this is one of those weeks.
I give you the Jacob & Co. Twin Turbo “Fast & Furious” Limited Edition. The poor sods at Monochrome have actually written it up.
Head on over and read the full excruciating review if you must. It even includes a history of the Fast & Furious movie franchise (anything to delay looking at the watch, I guess) but the line that stayed with me was this:
Price is yet to be confirmed but expected to be north of USD 500,000.
You read that right. That’s half a million dollars for the privilege of telling the world you’re a vulgarian.
Actually worth your time
Seiko’s new collaboration with Rowing Blazers unveiled: “The surprise and insouciance of Rowing Blazers, plus the durability and affordability of Seiko, all smushed together into a handsome package.”
Don’t miss…
🏎 Do you have to be mad to take your car on a race track? Eric and I go head to head on this in a new episode of Persiflage. I point out all of the risks, he cares only for the rewards.
Have a listen >
👨🏻💻 Apple’s keynote at WWDC 2021 was a disappointment to those of us who had convinced ourselves that we would see the new MacBook Pro - but was full of clever, incremental software improvements that are much more than the sum of their parts.
Read the highlights >
🚗 What would you sacrifice for driver involvement? That’s the question we ask in this Persiflage episode. Eric favours driver involvement above all else. I demand some home comforts. Who’s right?
Decide for yourself >
Welcome to the weekend, folks. 🍸