Stingray

Russian Billionaire's Philippe Starck - Designed Superyacht Startles San Diego

Filed under: Decor, Yachts & Sailing, Wealth, Architecture & Design

It caused quite a kerfuffle when 38-year-old Russian billionaire Andrey Melnichenko's megayacht A (above), designed by Philippe Starck, weighed anchor off San Diego the other day while its owner drove off to check out Hearst Castle. The 390-ft. craft which resembles a sci-fi submarine cost over $300 million to build to the quirky designer's specs at Blohm + Voss, where Roman Abramovich's Eclipse was also constructed. With a crew of 35 (all outfitted in Starck-designed uniforms) to run it, the A's twin diesel's kick down 24,000 hp for a maximum speed of 24 knots, impressive for a ship this size. The interior features $40,000 bath faucets and $60,000 stair banisters.

The all-white, 2,583-sq.-ft. master suite wrapped in bulletproof, 44-milimeter glass is accessed by a silver-plated staircase with a fingerprint scanner at the door. Elsewhere Starck scattered Baccarat crystal tables, alligator skin and Kudu horn chairs, stingray skin upholstered walls and hand-stitched leather paneling. Some of the companies involved in constructing the unique sea beast went bankrupt due to the difficulties in executing Starck's design dictums. Filling the A's gas tanks alone costs $500,000 a pop and running costs come to about $20 million a year. Check out a video of the eye-popping yacht after the jump:

Tags: alligator, Andrey Melnichenko, Baccarat, Blohm + Voss, bulletproof, design, leather, megayacht, Philippe Starck, Roman Abramovich, Russian billionaire, San Diego, silver, stingray, superyacht, yacht

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Lytton Minaudiere Stingray-Effect Clutch, Handbag of the Day

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Handbags

Diane Von Furstenberg Stingray-Effect Clutch

Diane Von Furstenberg has come up with a lovely evening look with this Lytton Miniaudiere box clutch in a shimmering gray and black zebra pattern on stingray-effect leather. The hardware is gunmetal gray and the clutch's top-clasp closure is shaped like a small branch. It also has a delicate rope-style chain handle and is lined in dark navy satin with one interior pocket. It seems like everything animal-print is leopard lately so this bag could be a nice way to switch things up while keeping current and paying homage to your exotic side. $325

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Tags: clutch, diane von furstenberg, handbag of the day, stingray

Andrea Levine Exotic Leather Dog Collars

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Pets

Some dogs wear clothes but for most their single chance to accessorize is in the collar, and Andrea Levine is delivering style in bundles with her Exotic Leather Dog Collars collection. Featuring all the skins usually reserved for handbags and shoes like python, lizard, crocodile, and even stingray, the collars come in a variety of colors and textures so you can best complement your pet's coloring, coordinate her with your outfit, or just show off your excellent taste. The polished stingray collar shown here sells for $210, plus you won't want to miss topping off the look with one of Levine's pretty diamond pavé charms.

Gallery: Andrea Levine Exotic Leather Dog Collars

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Tags: andrea levine, dog collar, dogs, exotic leather, pet collar, pets, Stingray

Legendary Designer's Unique '63 Corvette Stingray Up for Auction

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Auctions

Automobile auctions happen all the time. Sometimes they've got something interesting, sometimes they're all rather ordinary. But once in a while a sportscar rolls across the auction block oozing with heritage in equal measure to motor oil. This is one of those cars. It once belonged to Harley Earl, widely renowned and fondly remembered as the dean of automobile design. General Motors made this 1963 Corvette Stingray convertible specially for Earl, packed with all manner of special features, from the special paint scheme to the unique side-mounted exhaust. He drove the car for two years, even drove it as the Grand Marshal of the Daytona 500, before selling it and the car disappeared into obscurity. Four and a half decades later, the unique Corvette has been fully restored to original condition, and is being auctioned off to the highest bidder at the Mecum Bloomington Gold Corvette Auction in St. Charles, Illinois, later this month, where it is likely to fetch the highest price ever paid for a Corvette.

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Tags: auction, chevrolet corvette, ChevroletCorvette, chevy corvette, ChevyCorvette, corvette, corvette stingray, CorvetteStingray, earl, harley earl, harley early chevrolet corvette, harley early covette, HarleyEarl, HarleyEarlyChevroletCorvette, HarleyEarlyCovette, mecum, mecum auction, mecum bloomington gold corvette auction, mecum corvette, MecumAuction, MecumBloomingtonGoldCorvetteAuction, MecumCorvette, stingray, vette

Corvette Z07 To Be the Top Ride For Horsepower Fetishists in 2009

by Erin Mays (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

It was a happy day for Chevy when its cutting-edge Corvette Z06 was thrust by auto journalists into the same universe as the world's fastest and most exotic supercars. It's a luxury vehicle in only the purest sense -- interior frills are minimal at best, and legend has it that many a Z06 engineer went home in a snit after the decision was made to motorize the convertible top because of the weight it added.

That's right, folks, this baby is about pure performance -- and perform it does. Its 505 hp 7.0L V8 engine launches the 'vette to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds, putting it well within reach of vehicles three times as expensive, including the Lamborghini Gallardo, Mercedes SLR McLaren and Aston Martin V-8 Vantage.

Chevy engineers can barely contain themselves as they work to top the masterpiece in the C7 (the seventh generation of the Corvette), but to tide us (and them) over, they're taking one last crack at the C6 in the form of the Chevrolet Corvette Z07, expected to launch in time for the 2009 model year. Often referred to as the Blue Devil, the super-super Corvette will serve as a sneak preview for the 2010 C7 -- a whopping 700 horsepower will likely be achieved by supercharging the V-8 in preparation for putting it under the hood of the C7, and powertrain components borrowed from the C7's parts bin will grace the Z07's infrastructure.

Supercars, beware.

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Tags: blue devil, BlueDevil, C7, chevrolet, corvette, LS7, SS, stingray, Z07

Stingray Skin Evening Bag, Handbag of the Day

by Nicole Weston (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Handbags

If you really like exotic skins, than this is the handbag for you. This evening bag is made of stingray skin, so it is no coincidence that the bag is also shaped rather like a stingray with wide wings and a handle as the tail. Described as "eerily beautiful," it has a slightly pebbled surface and is both water and scratch resistant. It is small and only measures .5" x 4.5" x 4" and closes with a small toggle. Price: $190.

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Tags: animal, handbag, handbag of the day, hide, leather, opera bag, skin, stingray

Matthew McConaughey's Corvette Sold

by Nicole Weston (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Auctions

We mentioned that actor Matthew McConaughey had put his 1971 Corvette Stingray up for auction on eBay, with the proceeds from the sale to benefit Oprah Winfrey's Angel Network charity and the survivors of Hurricanes Rita and Katrina. The car has sold for a total of $61,600. As an added bonus, per the FAQs answered by McConaughey about the car, the owner will get to know the names of all the other celebrities who have ridden in the car.

Clearly, that was one of the biggest selling points (just kidding - hopefully).

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Tags: auction, auctions, celebrities, celebrity, corvette, ebay, Matthew McConaughey, MatthewMcconaughey, stingray

Buy Matthew McConaughey's Corvette For A Good Cause

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

Actor Matthew McConaughey becomes the latest to do a little something for charity. He's selling his blue 1971 Chevy Stingray convertible on eBay to benefit Oprah's Angel Network's Hurricanes Katrina and Rita recovery. On the auction website, McConaughey says that he picked up the car that he calls Mako in 1998 at a car show. He calls it the " quintessential, bare bones, badass American sports car" and says he has driven it all over Texas (where the car is now). No bids thus far...

[via Contact News]

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Tags: corvette, hurricane katrina, matthew mcconaughey, stingray

Stingray Wallet

by Dakota Smith (RSS feed) —

This wallet is made of stingray skin, the same material that Japanese swordsmen use on their weapons, according to Hammacher Schlemmer's web site. I had no idea swordsmen used stringray skin, but apparently the skin is very strong. And unlike a leather wallet, there's no fading or cracking with stringray skin. The wallet has eight credit card slots, a full length divided bill compartment, and two utiltiy pockets. Price: $69.95.