WOOD THAT WORKS
With many Porsches featuring sombre black interiors, adding a flash of colour and chic detailing doesn’t go amiss. Famous first in the 917 Le Mans car, and then emulated in the 2004 Carrera GT, wooden gearknobs do just that. But they are exceptionally rare items, which is why CarBone is producing these beautifully finished wooden gearknob kits for a whole host of Porsche models. The full kits are offered in different timber shades, both light and dark, plus one without the inlaid bands, and can adapt the gearlever to better suit the new knob where needed. A kit for modern 911s, Boxsters, Caymans and transaxle Porsches is €460, while prices vary considerably for older 911s, from €225.04 to €1033.98.
carbone.pl
Race to the bottom
These sling-design folding canvas stools strike us as the perfect solution for trackside seating, where low weight and ease of transportation are crucial. Or they simply make nicely decorated pieces of garden/picnic furniture. Decked out in colours inspired by Gulf, Lotus and Martini racing liveries, all versions cost £75 each.
meandmycar.co.uk
Shock control
GAZ has introduced a new line of shock absorbers that offer double adjustment, with both bump and rebound rates separately tunable. The two adjustment knobs are designed to be as accessible as possible in situ, and are colour-coded to aid precise rolling tuning. Available as dampers on their own, or as part of coilover units, the shock absorbers can be made to order at the required length and with the appropriate top and bottom fixings. Prices vary depending on these specifications.
gazshocks.com
Sticking it to the man
Jaguar E-type owner of nearly 50 years Kirk Rylands has started producing his own stickers for his and friendsʼ cars that emphasise the environmental benefits of durability and preservation, over fast-moving disposable consumer culture. The stickers, which read ʻSave the planet – buy cars that last 50 yearsʼ are not produced for profit: Kirk asks just £2 per sticker, or £5 for three.
rylands@crookdake.com
Tested this month
OSRAM H4 NIGHTBREAKER 200
These Nightbreaker 200s are Osram’s latest and most powerful bulbs, promising an increase in brightness of up to 230%. I fitted them in the dipped-beam units of my Smart Roadster-Coupé, a car not renowned for great headlight performance, replacing bulbs that were midrange branded items. I can’t say the bulbs reached further – perhaps they would on full beam – but the illumination in the area they did reach was much brighter, with a whiter light that resisted dimming at the edges of the lit area. Given that bulbs are only
