GEARBOX by Octane magazine
6. Zebra Figurine
Zebra figurine – Jan keeps a zebra figurine in his house to remind him of first attempt to set the world record and his co-driver hit a zebra and both the Cayenne, and the zebra did not look good afterwards. And since the accident has this car always have a zebra livery and is simply called “the Zebra”.
“I keep a small zebra figurine on my desk as a reminder of our first attempt to set the world record. It was an unforgettable experience – not for the right reasons, though. During the drive, my co-driver hit a zebra on the road. Neither the Cayenne nor the zebra came out of it looking too good. Terrible but the local predators got a “free meal”.
GEARBOX in Octane magazine is a character-driven page that turns attention away from cars for a moment and focuses instead on the people shaping the automotive world. Each edition profiles a selected individual through a curated set of 15–20 short prompts, observations and personal signifiers that together build a layered snapshot of who they are.
Rather than a traditional interview or biography, GEARBOX works like a collage. It blends habits, preferences, influences, routines, quirks and defining moments into a compact editorial portrait. The result is less about what a person says about themselves, and more about how they are understood through the details that surround them.
The selection might include everything from a favourite road, a formative driving memory or a go-to car, to more unexpected elements such as personal rituals, design influences, or the tools and objects they always keep close. Together, these fragments create an impression that feels immediate, human and often revealing in ways a standard profile cannot achieve.
As part of Octane magazine, GEARBOX carries the same editorial DNA: a respect for authenticity, mechanical culture and the people who live deeply within it. It is not concerned with hierarchy or status, but with character—how individuals relate to cars, travel, design and the wider automotive world.
For readers, GEARBOX offers a fast but intimate way of understanding influential figures in the industry. For those featured, it becomes a distilled portrait—an editorial snapshot built from details rather than narrative, capturing personality through association, preference and instinct rather than formal description.
