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6 years ago

The DYNAMIC Issue

  • Text
  • Jaguar
  • Dynamic
  • Bonus
  • Elba
  • Printing
  • Cumberbatch
  • Idris
  • Urban
  • Exclusive
  • Seoul

ROAD TRIP IDRIS AND HIS

ROAD TRIP IDRIS AND HIS CARS... continued people carrier, a big square thing. And I got a sports one with BBS alloy wheels with the gold trim. But it used to pack up all the time” Any good American cars? “A Dodge Ram 1500. Which was my big spend – when The Wire was commissioned as a series, I practically spent my first cheque on that whole car. I still have it and it’s actually on its way to me now. I’ve shipped it from America to England, and I’m gonna take it to [my house in] France” What other cars do you have? “A Range Rover Autobiography, which is lovely. A nice big thing. Lots of space” What do you think of Jaguar as a brand? “The brand’s legacy is sown into British culture. It has mastered the art of reinvention without selling out and without compromising its integrity. Jaguars are very stylish, very elegant cars. I get a lot of opportunities working with car brands, but I have always focused in on Jaguar. The Jaguar and I, we have a lot in common. After all, we are both well travelled and quintessentially British” Best ever driving experience? “I wouldn’t mind driving across America. I’ve never done that. But I drove to New York on the Gumball Rally once. It took me through London, Amsterdam, Stockholm, Boston, Toronto and New York. That was a major trip. I did it in an Aston Martin DB9” Worst driving experience? “I used to drive a little Ford Escort van for a DJ sound system and one time a speaker nearly fell out the back. I had to hold on to it while I was driving. I had one other guy with me but it was six o’clock in the morning, and he was dead to the world. I was holding this bloody speaker and I was on the motorway, so I couldn’t pull over. It was a nightmare” Any points on your licence? “No” Could you pin-point parts under a bonnet? “To a degree, definitely” Additional reporting by Jenny Buchholz It is, then, quite a trip. Why has Elba agreed to take the wheel on such an undertaking? “I’m doing it ’cause I just love cars, thank you very much,” he grins. As he puts it, Jaguar approached him and said: “Here’s a car, Idris, can you drive it and have fun with it and see what you think?” But he’s not a man to do things by half. “The truth is, I’ve got things to do,” Elba chuckles as he settles into the driving seat of a hot-from-the-factory XE with next to no miles on the clock. From inside the NYMT drifts the sound of youngsters singing. From inside the XE wafts the heady aroma of innovative Jaguar design. “I’m a busy man,” he continues. “And Jaguar and I are just building a relationship to be honest. I said: ‘Look, why don’t I take this for a test drive, an extreme one, which is to drive from London to Berlin? And on the way, get some stuff done?’ Which is why I wanted to see the National Youth Music Theatre. I started here, so I sat with some kids today and we filmed that, and that was great. Then I go to Belgium and I’m gonna rag this thing round the Spa race track, and put it through its paces, see what it’s got to offer.” Elba also has an appointment with Martin Brundle, the former British F1 ace whose experience makes him an authoritative motorsports TV pundit. He reckons he’s going to give me a lesson in going round a lap pretty quickly.” Elba sniffs and considers this information. “Ah, I don’t know,” he says, lapsing into a comic Marlon Brando impersonation. “We’ll see about that.” Most know Elba has a keen interest in all things fast. This, after all, is the man who made the two-part 2013 TV documentary King of Speed. Building on that passion, he’s currently working on a series for the Discovery Channel. “I’m doing some very, very dangerous things,” he says. “It’s four parts, and I’m doing power-boating, flipping planes about, a parachute jump…” Has he done that before? “No – and yes, I am ‘concerned’ [he actually says something less printable]. I don’t know why I said I’d do that, but I’m doing it,” he laughs. Still, every cloud has a silver lining: making the Discovery series means that Elba now has insurance which is fully comprehensive, all eventualities considered. Which is 50 j THE DYNAMIC ISSUE

SPA TREATMENT Elba takes to the Spa F1 track in Belgium on the second day of his road trip. Snow threatens to stop play but expert advice from former Formula 1 racing ace Martin Brundle (pictured above) helps Elba learn his racing lines Elba tears the XE ROUND THE RAIN-SLICK TRACK HITTING 130MPH ON THE STRAIGHTS. THEN HE BOUNDS IN FROM THE COLD CLEARLY BUZZING THE DYNAMIC ISSUE j 51

 

JAGUAR MAGAZINE

 

Jaguar Magazine celebrates creativity in all its forms, with exclusive features that inspire sensory excitement, from beautiful design to cutting-edge technology.

In this issue, we explore the art of creativity from the Brazilian masters who devised the graceful art of Capoeira, to the Irish artists mixing new culture with old. You will also discover the creative line that links Victorian wallpaper to the iPhone. While the multi-talented actor and performer, Riz Ahmed, explains why it is the right time to reveal his true self to the world.

© JAGUAR LAND ROVER LIMITED 2020

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The fuel consumption figures provided are as a result of official manufacturer's tests in accordance with EU legislation.
A vehicle's actual fuel consumption may differ from that achieved in such tests and these figures are for comparative purposes only.