Luxury Cars & Autos

Prince Charles' Ferrari Daytona Up for Auction

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) — Mar 30th 2011 at 2:01PM

1973 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona - chassis #16531

A very special Ferrari is set to cross the auction block in May. One of only 1,400 examples made, and only 158 in right-hand drive, this metallic blue 1973 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona has some very prominent provenance indeed.

Chassis #16531 most recently appeared on an episode of the hit BBC television program Top Gear, where celebrity presenter Richard Hammond drove it along the riviera from Portofino to Saint-Tropez while his co-host James May raced him in a speedboat. But long before the filming of the episode, its first owner was none other than HRH Charles, Prince of Wales. The car is being auctioned by Historics at Brooklands and is expected to fetch around £180,000 - £210,000.

Gallery: 1973 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona #16531

Tags: brooklands, daytona, ferrari, ferrari 365 gtb4 daytona, ferrari daytona, historics, historics at brooklands, luxury car, prince charles, top gear

Daimler and Aston Martin to Collaborate on High-End Maybachs and Lagondas

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) — Mar 30th 2011 at 8:01AM

Taking on the likes of Rolls-Royce and Bentley is no mean feat. In fact few are up to the task – not even Aston Martin and Mercedes-Benz parent company Daimler. The latter has tried with limited success to turn a profit on the Maybach brand, but the latest reports indicate that it's preparing to take a different approach.

Because Daimler is used to building cars in large volumes, it has been negotiating with Aston Martin for several years now on a new partnership that could see the British automaker – which has more expertise in small-batch production – build the next generation of Maybachs. Production would, according to reports, take place at Aston Martin's headquarters at Gaydon, Warwickshire in England, pictured above.

What would Aston get in return? The technology – including chassis, engines and more – on which to base its relaunched Lagonda brand, which is part of the company's portfolio but has not been used in decades. The first Lagonda luxury sedan could be built alongside the next Maybach, followed by a high-end crossover/utility vehicle based on the Mercedes-Benz GL-Class.

Tags: aston martin, aston martin lagonda, gaydon, lagonda, maybach, mercedes-benz

Volvo S60 Street Art Car Project at the Zurich Train Station

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) — Mar 29th 2011 at 4:01PM

Commuters passing through the busy Zurich Bahnhof over the course of a week in February got a special treat. There Volvo set up its latest S60 luxury sedan against a white backdrop as an "art car" project, and invited ten graffiti artists to share their vision. The process was captured by camera at 10-second intervals to make a three-minute time-lapse video you can watch after the jump.

Tags: art car, bahnhof, s60, switzerland, train station, volso s60, volvo, zurich, zurich bahnhof

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The World's Top Luxury Toys for Men

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) — Mar 29th 2011 at 2:01PM

What are the world's top luxury toys for men? Uber-luxe German publisher teNeues has the answer with its newest super-sized volume, Luxury Toys: For Men. The awesome Aston Martin One-77, so named because of its limited 77-example run and $1.7 million pricetag, appears on the cover.

Other supercars that make the cut, including the Audi R8 GT, Rolls-Royce Ghost, Jaguar XKR Special Edition, Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, Maserati Quattroporte Sport GT S Awards Edition, and Bentley Continental Supersports Convertible. Quite the garage.

Covering transportation, style, accessories and dream vacations, the massive 220-page volume features 138 giant full-color photographs and text in English, German, French, Spanish, and Italian. Not based merely on price, the selections show how "emotion and finesse can be combined with spectacular aesthetic purity."

Tags: Aston Martin, aston+martin+one-77, astonmartinone-77, Audemars Piguet, Audi R8, books, Hublot, jets, luxury books, luxury cars, luxury goods, luxury toys, Luxury Toys For Men, mens luxury, Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, Rolls-Royce, supercars, teNeues, watches, yachts

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Rolls-Royce Flagship Showroom Debuts in Abu Dhabi

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) — Mar 29th 2011 at 1:01PM

Rolls-Royce has 82 dealerships around the world. But the largest of them isn't at its factory in Goodwood. It's not in London, either, nor is it in Manhattan or Beverly Hills. It's in Abu Dhabi.

The latest of eight dealerships in the Middle East, the new Abu Dhabi showroom encompasses some 10,000 square feet of floorspace, including uncluttered display for five cars (Rolls currently only makes four model variants) plus a coffee bar, customer configuration lounge and adjacent service center.

Tags: abu dhabi, emirates, luxury car, rolls-royce, uae, united arab emirates

Royal Wedding: The Carriages of Choice

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) — Mar 29th 2011 at 11:45AM

1902 State Landau carriage royal wedding

With the highly-anticipated marriage of Prince William and Kate Middleton fast approaching, reports have confirmed the posh vehicles that will be used in the procession.

According to Buckingham Palace's transport manager, the princess-to-be will ride to Westminster Abbey in a 1977 Rolls-Royce Phantom VI. The limousine from the royal motor pool was the subject of an attack when student protesters broke its windows with Prince Charles and Camilla on board this past December.

Returning from Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace, the newlyweds are scheduled to ride in a 1902 State Landau carriage, however if the weather doesn't permit for an open carriage ride, the 1881 Glass Coach that traditionally carries royal brides will be hitched up and called into service.

Gallery: Royal Wedding Carriages

[Source: Hello Magazine via Autoblog]

Tags: buckingham palace, carriage, catherine middleton, kate middleton, prince william, rolls-royce, royal wedding, westminster abbey

Ralph Lauren's Cars, Private Parrot Cay Villa & More in Bid to Save the Earth Auction - Part 2

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) — Mar 29th 2011 at 10:01AM

Parrot Cay Villa for auction in Bid to Save the Earth

Last week we reported on the host of international celebrities, creative icons, industry leaders and conservationists joining together with famed auction house Christie's to support the 2011 Green Auction, a momentous live event and companion online auction raising funds and awareness for the preservation and sustainability of the planet.

Christie's has partnered with luxury charity auction site charitybuzz.com to put more than 200 coveted auction packages online from now through April 7 to raise funds for Oceana, the Natural Resources Defense Council, Conservation International and the Central Park Conservancy. Supporters can make a Bid to Save the Earth at www.charitybuzz.com/BidtoSavetheEarth.

A companion invite-only event and live fantasy auction hosted by Seth Meyers will be held at Christie's New York on March 29 in partnership with Vogue's Runway to Green. The event will feature a fashion show sponsored by Tiffany & Co. on the night of the live auction, with designer collection selections available online through Net-A-Porter.com.

In part one of our report on the incredible experiences on offer, we focused on the big ticket items estimated at over $100,000 apiece, including a ride with Harrison Ford on his private plane. Now we're selecting some of our favorite lots across a range of expected prices (N.B.: Lagerfeld and Ducasse are being auctioned off live tonight):

Tags: Alain Ducasse, auctions, bid to save the earth, celebrity auctions, Chanel, charity, Charity Buzz, Christies, christies+bid+to+save+the+earth, christiesbidtosavetheearth, environment, Ferrari, Girard-Perregaux, green+auction, greenauction, Karl Lagerfeld, luxury travel, Paris, Parrot Cay, Ralph Lauren, Ralph Lauren car collection, Robert F. Kennedy, Turks and Caicos

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Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) — Mar 29th 2011 at 8:01AM

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, teenage drivers are four times more likely to get into a car accident than adults. In fact, driving accounts for the leading cause of death among American teenagers. Armed with those kinds of statistics, Mercedes-Benz USA is launching its own teenage driver training program.

The Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy is mirrored on a similar program running in the UK, and aims to turn participating new drivers into safe drivers. The Academy is targeted as an additional training program over and above what states require in order to obtain a license, and Mercedes is even in discussions with local DMVs to integrate it into a comprehensive program as well.

Tags: driver training, mercedes-benz, mercedes-benz driving academy, safety, teenage driving, training

Mercedes-Benz Zetros 6x6 Luxury Expedition Vehicle

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) — Mar 28th 2011 at 8:01AM

If you were going on an expedition and wanted to take all your luxuries with you, what would you pick? A Range Rover? Maybe a Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen? Neither of these nor any other vehicle can rival the sheer capabilities of the Zetros.

Made by Mercedes' truck division, the Zetros packs a 7.2-liter inline-six diesel engine with 326 horsepower and 960 lb-ft of torque driving all six wheels for a 16-ton cargo capacity and go-anywhere capabilities. But while these vehicles are used by militaries around the world to move cargo, a pair of Mongolian businessmen -- one runs a mining operation and the other a brewery -- have commissioned a pair for their hunting expeditions.

The specially-made models feature full bedroom, living room, kitchen and bathroom (complete with shower, marble tiles and under-floor heating), 46-inch flatscreen TV monitors, outdoor grilles, Bose sound systems, self-adjusting motorized satellite dishes, wireless internet... the works. Their new owners use them for hunting wolves in the Altai mountains with an eagle.

Tags: altai mountains, expedition, hunting, mercedes, mercedes-benz, mercedes-benz zetros, mongolia

German Carmakers Tapped for Motorsport Safety Cars

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) — Mar 25th 2011 at 8:01AM

2012 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Estate F1 Medical Car

German cars Mercedes-Benz, Porsches and BMWs are loved by their owners for their meticulous engineering. But private consumers aren't the only ones who've noticed their capabilities. So have the organizers of some of the most prestigious motor racing series in the world. And though both compete at the top levels, it's not for racing cars that they've been tapped this time. It's for safety cars.

Tags: alms, american le mans series, bmw, bmw 1 m, bmw 1 series m coupe, emergency vehicle, f1, formula 1, formula one, mercedes, mercedes-benz, mercedes-benz c63 amg, mercedes-benz c63 amg wagon, moto gp, motogp, pace car, porsche, porsche panamera, porsche panamera turbo, safety car

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Audi R8 GT Coming to America for $200K

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) — Mar 24th 2011 at 8:01AM

Exclusive. Fast. Stylish. Few cars are as eminently desirable as the Audi R8. More desirable still is the V10-powered R8 5.2 FSI. But at the top of the heap is the R8 GT. Unveiled at the Paris Auto Salon last year, the R8 GT packs the same V10 engine, but tuned to 560 horsepower and with 180 fewer pounds to drag around, it's that much faster.

Only 90 examples of this raw performance machine will be coming to the United States, each carrying a price tag of $196,800, making it the most expensive car Audi offers, and probably the most expensive it ever has.

Tags: audi, audi r8, audi r8 gt, luxury car, r8, r8 gt, vehi

Coachbuilt Italian Corvettes to Debut at Top Marques Monaco

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) — Mar 23rd 2011 at 4:01PM

Each year, the Top Marques show in Monaco brings out some of the finest pieces of craftsmanship, from cars to watches. And this year's event is sure not to disappoint. Among the many debuts scheduled for the Monte Carlo exposition are a pair of custom supercars crafted in Italy and based on the Chevrolet Corvette.

Tags: chevrolet corvette, codatronca, corvette, monaco, monte carlo, soleil anadi, spada, spada codatronca, spada codatronca monza, top marques, top marques monaco

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Venge Bicycle by S-Specialized + McLaren

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) — Mar 23rd 2011 at 3:01PM

Bicycles are one of the oldest forms of mechanical transport we have. So surely there's not much new that can be done with it, right? That's what we thought until we saw the Venge racing bike.

Tags: bicycle, bike, mclaren, mclaren applied technologies, specialized, specialized bicycle components, venge

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BMW to Show 6 Series Coupe in Shanghai

by David Kiley (RSS feed) — Mar 23rd 2011 at 2:01PM

BMW will unveil its 6 Series coupe at the Shanghai Motor Show next month, highlighting in part the importance of the China market for the German automaker.

Media insiders got a look at a "concept" 6 Series coupe last September at the Paris Motor Show, but this will be the final production version. It will arrive in European and U.S. showrooms by this Fall.

The coupe will face stiff competition against the Jaguar XK and Mercedes E-Class coupe, as well as the recently introduced Cadillac CTS-V Coupe -- which has been extremely well received by the motoring press.

The 650i will come with an 8 cylinder gas engine, while the 640i is powered by a 6-cylinder. Both are fitted with an 8-speed sports automatic gearbox as standard equipment. A diesel powered version will follow the launch.

The price in Europe for the 640i Coupe will be about $106,000 (74,700 euros).

Tags: BMW, BMW 6 Series coupe, Cadillac CTS-V, Jaguar XK, luxury car, Shanghai Motor Show

Porsche 918 Spyder Heading to Production for $845,000

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) — Mar 23rd 2011 at 10:01AM

At the Geneva Motor Show last year, Porsche wowed the crowds with the 918 Spyder. A conceptual successor to the Carrera GT, the 918 Spyder showed what a hybrid could be in the extreme. Greeted by positive reactions, Porsche approved the model for production, and has now announced that it is accepting early orders.

The production version packs a 4.0-liter V8 engine and a pair of electric motors, working in unison to deliver 718 horsepower for a 3.1-second sprint to sixty and an impressive 78 miles per gallon. Only 918 examples will be offered, each fetching $845,000.

Tags: 911 turbo, 911 turbo s, 918 spyder, luxury car, porsche, porsche 911 turbo s, porsche 911 turbo s edition 918 spyder, porsche 918 spyder, Spyder

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