Latest news with #ValkyrieHypercar
TimesLIVE
2 days ago
- Automotive
- TimesLIVE
Aston Martin Valkyrie LM lets you live your Le Mans fantasies
Aston Martin has introduced the Valkyrie LM, a limited-run, track-only hypercar developed as a tribute to the brand's return to top level endurance racing Derived from the Valkyrie Hypercar competing in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) and the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, the Valkyrie LM version is closely aligned with the race car – minus the regulatory constraints required for competition – that will take part in this week's 24 Hours of Le Mans. At its core is the same Cosworth-built, naturally aspirated 6.5l V12 engine, producing 520kW, the maximum allowed under race regulations. However, the Valkyrie LM has been tuned for private track use. It drops features such as FIA-mandated electronics, homologation hardware and race ballast. Power delivery systems are simplified for ease of use and the engine has been recalibrated to accept readily available fuel. Designed to be more accessible to amateur and gentleman drivers, the Valkyrie LM uses a seven-speed sequential transmission operated via paddle shifters and features a race-derived suspension setup – with double wishbones front and rear, and pushrod-actuated torsion bar springs paired with adjustable dampers. Tyres are sourced direct from Pirelli. The cockpit prioritises safety, access and visibility. Highlights include a fixed carbon-fibre seat with integrated support padding, a FIA 8853 six-point racing harness and a fire suppression system. The steering wheel incorporates a driver display and shift lights, as seen in the race car. Aston Martin confirmed only 10 examples of the Valkyrie LM will be built. On purchase each customer will have access to a tailored ownership programme designed to support them on and off the track. Known as the Valkyrie LM Performance Club, the initiative includes full technical support, driver coaching and logistics. Aston Martin will store, transport and maintain each Valkyrie LM enrolled in the programme. Track preparation, simulator training, data analysis and on-site engineering support are all part of the package. Drivers will also receive a complete kit – helmet, Hans device, suit, boots, moulded earpieces, gloves and fireproof underwear – along with classroom sessions and guided track walks led by professional instructors. Deliveries of the Valkyrie LM are scheduled to begin before the programme's launch in the second quarter of 2026.
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Ellie Kemper's Central Park-View Apartment in N.Y.C. Is Up for Grabs at $7.5 Million
After first hoisting her New York City apartment on the market in early March for just under $8 million, Ellie Kemper has now lowered the price of her Manhattan digs on Central Park West. The actress and comedian, best known for her roles on The Office and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, is asking a discounted $7.5 million for the combined two-unit spread. Unfortunately for her and her comedian and TV writer/producer husband Michael Koman, that's $300,000 less than the $7.8 million they paid in late 2021. Found on the fourth floor of The Ardsley, a 22-story Art Deco apartment house built and designed in the early 1930s by Emery Roth, the four-bedroom, seven-bath residence offers 60 feet of Central Park frontage. Pre-war details throughout its 3,750 square feet include herringbone-patterned wood floors, beamed ceilings, and large casement windows. More from Robb Report The First Completed Home in Park City's Wellness-Focused Velvaere Can Be Yours for $7.5 Million High Interest Rates Have Put the Brakes on Global Home Prices Bowmore and Aston Martin's New 54-Year-Old Whisky Comes in a Decanter Inspired by the Valkyrie Hypercar RELATED: Benny Blanco Just Sold His Manhattan Bachelor Pad for $3.6 Million A private elevator opens to a landing that flows to a duo of foyers leading to separate wings. The park-facing side includes a fireside living room with custom bookshelves and an adjacent library, plus a pair of sizable primary suite-eligible bedrooms outfitted with walk-in closets and updated baths. Other highlights include a dining room and a windowed eat-in kitchen sporting a multi-hued glass tile backsplash, a Wolf range, a Sub-Zero refrigerator, a Miele dishwasher, and a nearby nook holding another fridge and washer and dryer. Three additional bedrooms each have their own baths (one is currently set up as an office), while a TV room/den sits next to a wine room that can accommodate up to 1,000 bottles. The unit's $7,709 in monthly maintenance fees allow access to on-site services and amenities like a 24-hour doorman and concierge, a fitness center, a children's playroom, a library, and even a dog bath. The listing is shared by Ann Cutbill Lenane and Gregory Williamson of Douglas Elliman. RELATED: Claire Danes and Hugh Dancy Just Sold Their N.Y.C. Townhouse for $9.9 Million Kemper sold a similarly updated but slightly smaller pre-war apartment in the same Upper West Side neighborhood nearly three years ago for $3.3 million, according to the New York Post. A two-time Emmy nominee for her lead role in Netflix's Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, the actress has also appeared in The Office, as well as the films Bridesmaids, 21 Jump Street, Home Sweet Home Alone, and Happiness for Beginners. Most recently, she was tapped as 'Kohl's Mom' for the department store's new marketing campaign. Best of Robb Report The 10 Priciest Neighborhoods in America (And How They Got to Be That Way) In Pictures: Most Expensive Properties Click here to read the full article.
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
L.L. Bean's Japan Collection Makes Its Stateside Debut
Since its founding in 1912, classic outfitter L.L Bean has been synonymous with its home state of Maine. But for decades, it's enjoyed popularity not just in Vacationland, but in the Land of the Rising Sun, where a separate Japanese division of the company has operated for more than 30 years. And starting next week, L.L. Bean Japan will be sold stateside for the very first time via pop-up shops planned for Los Angeles and Brooklyn. The seeds of this full-circle moment were planted in the early '90s, when L.L. Bean noticed an influx of Japanese customers to its flagship store in Freeport, Maine. Before long, company higher-ups realized that these weren't just tourists passing between Boston and Bar Harbor: L.L. Bean itself was the destination, spurred on by a budding Japanese obsession for its famed mail-order catalog. So. L.L. Bean did the natural thing and met its newest customers where they were, opening a store in Tokyo—its first retail location outside of Maine—in 1992. More from Robb Report High Interest Rates Have Put the Brakes on Global Home Prices Bowmore and Aston Martin's New 54-Year-Old Whisky Comes in a Decanter Inspired by the Valkyrie Hypercar F. Scott Fitzgerald and Dorothy Parker Both Lived in This $6 Million Pre-War N.Y.C. Penthouse Although these stores were separated by two oceans and over 6,600 miles, L.L. Bean Japan proliferated at a rapid clip, and expanded its retail footprint to 25 locations today (most importantly, the Japanese business even got the keys to a Bootmobile of its own). Its success likely owed something to the 1965 publication of Take Ivhttps:// a photobook compiled by the Japanese photographer Teruyoshi Hayashida that depicted American college students in their ivy-covered natural habitats, cuffed khakis and all. However, L.L. Bean Japan was not just a copy-and-paste transplant of the U.S. business. While its styles were rooted in the heritage maker's classics designs, they soon took on a uniquely Japanese quality of their own. 'While both markets share the same core DNA––heritage, function and quality––the Japan collections often reflect a more curated, slightly more fashion-forward approach,' says Amanda Hannah, Head of Brand Engagement and External Communications. 'In Japan, pieces are often reinterpreted with updated silhouettes and influences from streetwear and minimalist design. It's a remix of classic Americana through a distinctly Japanese lens, blending tradition with innovation in a way that feels both familiar and entirely new,' Hannah continues. That East-meets-West quality is expressed in L.L. Bean Japan Collection pieces like the Prospect Harbor Field Coat, a sort of cousin to the label's classic barn coat marked by an oversized fit and springy, earth-toned colorways like light lemon, sandbar and ice blue. Other standouts from the twenty-plus piece curation include striped Union Crewneck tees, oversized Milo Anoraks and Milo Pull-On-Shorts with contrast-color elasticated bands. 'The collection showcases hallmarks of Japanese design––precision in construction, understated elegance, and a deep respect for utility,' Hannah says of it in sum. 'Oversized silhouettes, natural fits, and layered styling reflect Japan's approach to comfort and movement, while unique color palettes and subtle design details give each piece a quiet sophistication.' L.L. Bean Japan—and in particular, its collaborations with other Japanese labels including Beams, which have sold exclusive Bean Boot colorways and Boat and Tote designs in the past—have long been sought by American collectors, who had to either find them on online resale markets like eBay or else solicit Japanese consumers to buy them on their behalf, a practice known as 'proxy buying.' But the Los Angeles and Brooklyn pop-ups—based at 8406 Melrose Ave and 96 North 5th Street respectively, and running from April 10-11 in the case of Los Angeles and April 11-13 for Brooklyn—will showcase the L.L. Bean Japan Collection strictly in real life: there are no plans for the collection to be sold online. When asked if there might be further pop-up dates in the future, Hannah responds that 'No additional pop-ups are planned right now, but it's definitely not out of the question.' However, L.L. Bean has a history of giving its biggest fans what they want—we'll see if history repeats itself once again. Best of Robb Report The 25 Greatest Independent Watchmakers in the World The 10 Most Expensive Watches Sold at Auction in the 21st Century (So Far) 11 Stunning Jewelry Moments From the 2020 Oscars Click here to read the full article.
