BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo by Trussardi
Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos
Italian fashion house Trussardi celebrates its 100th anniversary this year, and to mark the occasion has teamed up with BMW for a special edition 5 Series Gran Turismo.
Cars
Italian fashion house Trussardi celebrates its 100th anniversary this year, and to mark the occasion has teamed up with BMW for a special edition 5 Series Gran Turismo.
Dimostra Debuts Digital Portfolios for Car Collectors
Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Wealth
Dimostra is a recently launched service for car collectors that brings classics into the digital age. The company's offerings include portfolio development, virtual showrooms, iconic photography, auction or show marketing, and asset documentation services to owners of the world's finest automobiles. The company is based on the concept that regardless of the size or value of a collection, true car connoisseurs should be willing to share their precious investments with fellow enthusiasts. "As rare collector cars become more valuable, their presence in public will continue to diminish," Dimostra's David Nawrocki tells us. "We hope to bridge this void in the collector car market."
By featuring and celebrating each car's beauty and history in a contemporary environment online with fellow enthusiasts, Dimostra also hopes to educate younger generations on the historical significance of the cars, "ultimately protecting their long term collectability and value." Don't have your own car collection? No problem – for $9.99 / month, you can purchase a VIP subscription to the portfolios on Dimostra's website, some of which belong to well-known collectors. A subscription gives you access to all the photographs, original documentation and a brief narrative about the history of each car, some of which are worth millions. You can check out a preview of some of our favorites in the gallery.
Mercedes-Benz Celebrates 125 Years of Automotive Excellence
Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Events, Art
January 29 marks an important milestone in the history of Mercedes-Benz, inventor of the motor car and the world's most famous marque – on that day back in 1886 Carl Benz filed an application in Berlin for a patent on his three-wheeled "horseless carriage". Early critics claimed the contraption had no future; 125 years and over 80,000 patent applications later they couldn't be more wrong. Tomorrow night the company will mark the historic occasion with a gala at Mercedes-Benz World in Stuttgart featuring German Chancellor Angela Merkel as the guest of honor. "The invention of Daimler and Benz changed the world for the better - and it will continue to do so," states Dr. Dieter Zetsche, chairman of the board of Daimler AG and head of Mercedes-Benz Cars. "As the inventor we also have the claim to shape the future of mobility: with fascinating brands, green technologies and new business opportunities."
The central anchor point for the celebrations is the Mercedes-Benz Museum, which in 2011 celebrates its 5th anniversary at its new home in the Mercedes-Strasse in Stuttgart. In addition to the museum's incredible collection of classics, an exhibition from the company's collection of modern and contemporary art will be on display from May through September. Many of the works feature the history, models or design of Mercedes-Benz motor cars, such as Andy Warhol's legendary series of paintings CARS, created by the artist 25 years ago on the occasion of the marque's 100th anniversary, along with new work commissioned for this latest milestone. Along with various other events and commemorations meanwhile, Mercedes-Benz is donating and planting 125 trees in New Orleans City Park to aid in the Hurricane Katrina recovery effort.
The World's Greatest Automobile Aficionados
Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Books
From James Dean to Gianni Agnelli and Paul Newman to Steve McQueen, automotive journalist Robert Puyal presents portraits of eighty icons of the automobile world in his lavish, stylish new book Behind the Wheel from Flammarion. The cover (above) features the coolest photo of the ill-starred Dean driving his famous Porsche 550 Spyder that we've ever seen, demonstrating Puyal's penchant for finding the image juste. Organized by decades, the book begins with pioneers of the automotive industry such as Louis Renault and the ultra-stylish Jean Bugatti, progressing to the likes of Agnelli, Enzo Ferrari, McQueen and Newman, to modern-day aficionados such as Horacio Pagani, who designs his own supercars, and famed Ferrari collector Nick Mason of Pink Floyd. Amongst them are champion racing drivers and a couple of fictional characters as well. Even director Quentin Tarantino rates a mention for giving muscle cars so much screen time.
Sixty Years of Formula One Racing in Photos
Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Sports, Books
The World's Most Expensive Car Wash
Filed under: Services, Luxury Cars & Autos
Buy an expensive luxury car and then run it through a $12 car wash? Or wash it by hand? The obvious answer is to wash it by hand but that takes time, something most high-end car owners don't have or don't want to spend. Enter Gurcharn Sahota, a luxury car enthusiast living in the UK who started a car-washing business five years ago that has since evolved into the world's most expensive car washing service. Charging up to £7,200 ($11,200) per vehicle Sahota can spend several weeks washing a car and uses over 100 cleaning agents, wax priced at $12,000 per tub, a computerized microscope for detecting minute scratches invisible to the naked eye, and a special clay compound for smoothing out imperfections. ''I treat every car like an individual project, Sahota says, "I want them to leave my workshop looking better than they have ever done. If you're paying £150,000 for a car then you're going to want it to be perfect."Ironically, each wash starts out with a simple soap-and-water scrub using a lambswool mitten.
Sahota works alone out of his parent's garage although his business, called Elite Detailing, is expanding and he just recently opened a secondary workshop. His client list includes many well-known celebrity names (although he won't get specific to protect privacy) and many elite supercars including the likes of Ferrari, Lamborghini, and his personal favorite: a McLaren F1 GTR. Check out video of the process after the jump.
The Ultimate Car Collector's Crash Pad, Yours for a Cool $35 Million
Filed under: Estates, Luxury Cars & Autos, Architecture & Design
For a cool $35 million you can get the ultimate car collector's crash pad in Montecito, California, a modernist masterpiece designed to house a world-class collection of 35 cars – that's $1 million per car – in a stunning automotive art gallery. Walls and pillars lined in walnut give way to massive plate glass windows fronting on a sweeping terrace so that the car collection is integrated into life of the house. Of course you also get 15,000-square-feet of living space into the bargain. Designed by architect Steve Hermann and dubbed the Glass Pavilion in homage to the late Philip Johnson, it's set within a 3.5 acre estate of oak groves near to where Al Gore recently spent nearly $9 million on a Mediterranean-style mansion. Other famous neighbors include Oprah WInfrey, Steve Martin, Jeff Bridges and John Cleese. Massive structural steel beams allow for acres of glass that appear to be floating above the rolling lawns. The kitchens and baths are fitted out by famous names such as Varena, Poliform and Antonio Lupi. In each category the "best and most exciting products from around the world" were sourced to make the entire house, which took six years to compete, utterly flawless.
[via JamesList]
Volvo Releases New-For-2010 S60 Sedan
Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos
If you're still used to Volvos being boxy, take another look. What you see before you is the new 2010 Volvo S60, Sweden's answer to such venerable German stalwarts as the BMW 3 Series and Audi A4.
Previewed nearly a year ago by the S60 Concept unveiled in Detroit, the production version of Volvo's latest will be properly unveiled at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show this coming March. But to keep our imaginations soaring, the Swedish automaker has released a pair of images and some initial details.
As could be expected from Volvo, the sedan features the company's latest in safety technology, including a new Pedestrian Detection system capable of stopping the car from low speeds in case someone jumps out in front. And while the panoramic glass roof and rear-hinged "suicide" rear doors from the concept car may have gone, the sedan's surprisingly swoopy styling and coupe-like roof-line remain. Have a look for yourself at the pair of images in the gallery below.
The Right Way to Mix Cars and Cocktails
Filed under: Spirits, Luxury Cars & Autos, Events
Last week, Domaine Select Wine Estates hosted a party at New York's Classic Car Club as part of the launch of its Classic & Vintage Artisanal Spirits line. The line includes small-batch spirits, both imported and domestic, among them Armagnac Castarede from France, and one brand that I was particularly excited to sample, Tuthilltown's Hudson Valley, New York bourbon, whiskeys and apple vodka.
For the event, brand ambassadors The Tippling Brothers created cocktails that were inspired by a hot car. The tables were set up near their four-wheeled inspiration, a Bentley GTC, a 1965 Shelby Cobra replica, 1957 Porsche and a 2006 Lamborhgini Gallardo, among other cars -- each carefully watched by an attendant who almost never stopped rubbing the exterior with a chamois. (Here, one attendant take a very short break in a 1966 Ford Mustang Fastback.)
I just received the recipes for the cocktails, all of which were quite tasty, but my two favorites were both inspired by a Ferrari F430 -- which, sadly, didn't make an appearance at the event. Try these at home, but nowhere near whatever car is in your garage, please! And check out the photo gallery for more recipes.
Eve's Cup
1 oz G'Vine Floraison (A wonderfully floral French gin, must try straight up first.)
1 oz Averna
4 leaves of mint
Half a sprig of rosemary
tonic
1 barspoon chopped apples
Rosemary and apple garnish
Guerillas in Manhattan
2 oz Tuthilltown 4 Grain Bourbon
.75 oz sweet vermouth
.5 oz Orgeat
.25 oz fresh tangerine
2 slices fresh banana
2 dashes angostura
Garnish with brandied cherry
Luxury Car Club Membership, aka "I'll Take the Lamborghini Today"
Filed under: Services, Luxury Cars & Autos
Ownership is a double-edged sword -- it's yours, and you loved it enough to buy it. But if you're bored, or something goes wrong, or you just want a change, you may sometimes wish you could give it back and try something else. If you're in the NYC - NJ - LI metro area, you can do this with luxury cars by joining Vulcan Motor Club. Founded in 2007, the club focuses on "placing a select fleet of the world's most prestigious high-performance and luxury vehicles at your disposal." Membership tiers vary from a $1,240/one-time 5-hour drive to a $28,800/year plan that allows 40 days of annual use and 40,000 annual miles with access to the full fleet of 12 cars, with several membership levels in between. You can get in touch for more info, and also check out Vulcan's blog.
Car Museum And Contents Up For Sale
Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos
This economy is not kind to the small car museum. While all museums have been affected in the economic crunch it seems like museums that are given over to small and specific collections are especially vulnerable. We've seen other car museums face closure and now the Ark-La-Tex Antique and Classic Vehicle Museum in Shreveport, Louisiana will become the latest to shut down and auction off its inventory. There is not enough interest to maintain the museum.
It is currently closed but offers group tours for students and the elderly and will do so until the auction on June 6, at the museum, located at 601 Spring St. The building has also been put up for sale and is listed for $1.85 million. It was originally a miniature vehicle factory when it was built in 1927 and served as a car dealership and a nightclub before becoming a museum in the mid-1990s.
Research Shocker: Women Prefer Bentleys To Fords
Last year I saw a study that the sound of a luxury car engine aroused women and now there is a study that shows that the car makes the man when it comes to looks too. The Telegraph writes up a study that showed women pictures of the same man sitting in two cars, a silver Bentley Continental and a battered Ford Fiesta. Surprise, surprise the women, who were aged between 21 to 40, chose the man in the Bentley.
The research from Dr, Michael Dunn, of the University of Wales Institute in Cardiff, has been published in the latest edition of the British Journal of Psychology. His study also shows that men are more impressed by how a woman looks than what she drives. Dr. Dunn says that women still look for wealth and status because they are seeking a man in "better condition to rear healthy offspring." He says that this basic human trait is not likely to change even as women acquire more independence and wealth. Dr. Dunn, who drives an old Ford himself, will now do research to find out if luxury items help make up for "the attractiveness-diminishing effects of age."
Are women more shallow than men? Dr. Dunn's final quote for the Telegraph: "Let's face it - there's evidence to support it."
Bentley Makes Furniture To Cope With The Econonomic Downturn
Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos
Luxury car company, Bentley has found a new way to help keep jobs, it has put its employees to work making furniture. The factory in Crewe employs a team of skilled woodworkers to make the gleaming walnut Bentley dashboard and wood trim. The Daily Telegraph reports that 140 members of the staff are using off-cuts from the walnut wood to make cabinets, occasional tables and furniture for the reception area at the Crewe factory. It also plans to use the furniture in Bentley showrooms and could even come out with a line for the public if there is enough demand. One of the cabinets is on display at the Geneva motor show. It's a clever move for the company which has recently had to cut jobs and slow production to keep pace with a decline in orders.Bentley to Raise Prices 5% in UK
Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos
Along with unemployment rates and the deficit, Bentley prices are on the rise, too, at least in the UK. Starting in April, Bentley will raise prices by 5% in the United Kingdom, citing the pound's weakness as compared to the Euro (about an 18% depreciation in the past year). So aspiring Brits will now be paying between around £120,000 and £245,000 for those new wheels. There is no expected price increase beyond Great Britain.
The Barn Bugatti Sells At Auction
Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Auctions
From the barn to the auction block, a rare Bugatti Atalante 57S that had been tucked away in a barn for half a century had its moment in the sun this weekend. The car was auctioned off in Paris as part of the Bonhams Retromobile sale. The estimated value had been listed as high as £6 million (about $8.8 million) and the official estimate was between 2.75 million euros and 4 million euros. Bloomberg reports that it sold for 3.5 million euros ($4.53 million). The two-seat 1937 Bugatti Atalante 57S coupe was one of 17 vehicles of its type and had just 26,284 miles odometer. This number was far less than the $7.92 million that, as my colleague Jared Paul Stern reported, another 1937 Bugatti Type 57SC Atalante coupe sold for last summer. That car, however, was in much better shape, the new owner of the barn Bugatti is facing a restoration bill in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
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