land rover

Reach the Beach: Luxury Resort Style in the Turks & Caicos Islands {Exclusive Feature}

Filed under: Apparel, Dining, Luxury Travel & Hotels, Timepieces / Watches, Luxury Cars & Autos, Books, Men's Style, The Classicist

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The Turks and Caicos islands in the British West Indies is well known for having the world's most beautiful beaches. It also has some of the world's most stylish and luxurious beach resorts, which are remarkable for their amazingly private settings and lush natural landscapes, far removed from the over-development that plagues some other Caribbean hotspots. The perfect setting for our latest style feature, we're sure you'll agree.

Parrot Cay, located on a pristine 1,000-acre private island, including a mile-long powdered beach, is an elegant combination of glorious nature, understated luxury and unparalleled privacy complete with an award-winning holistic spa, healthy gourmet cuisine and beach villas with private pools (above).

The villas are a favorite with celebrities including Donna Karan, Bruce Willis, Keith Richards and Sir Paul McCartney. Some like Willis and Karan were so entranced they decided to build their own beach houses on the island. Want to own one? So do we. Parrot Cay is currently offering a small selection of villas for private ownership, starting at $10 million.

Tags: Aman resorts, Amanyara, architecture, Bagatelle, beach, beach resorts, books, Caribbean, celebrity vacations, Donna Karan, Gansevoort, Girard-Perregaux, Helly-Hansen, islands, JetBlue, Land Rover, luxury resorts, Parrot Cay, private island, R A E N Optics, resorts, Rizzoli, Royal Elastics, shoes, spa, Tods, Turks and Caicos, Vineyard Vines, watches

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Range Rover Evoque Bicycle by Karbona

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

As versatile as its existing vehicles are, Land Rover aims to convey a more active lifestyle with the new Range Rover Evoque. And to that end, the British constructor of SUVs has designed a new road bicycle.

Tags: bicycle, bike, evoque, karbona, land rover, range rover, range rover evoque

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Land Rover & Range Rover Make the Scene at NY Fashion Week

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Luxury Cars & Autos, Events, Celebrity Shopping

Land Rover & Range Rover Make the Scene at NY Fashion Week

Land Rover and Range Rover added an extra dose of style to two of Fashion Week's hottest shows with a fleet of vehicles for VIPs. The new Land Rover LR4 was the starring attraction at the Rag & Bone show in Soho, sponsored by the famed UK SUV marque, where beauties like model Jessica Stam (above) and Mad Men's Jon Hamm made the scene. And at the presentation by Marchesa, designed by Georgina Chapman, Range Rovers and Range Rover Sports provided luxe transportation for the likes of actresses Vanessa Hudgens and Michele Trachtenberg, musician Eve, socialite and TV personality Olivia Palermo, and model Irina Lazareanu. At both venues the vehicles sported the designer's logos, and when lined up impressively outside got nearly as much attention as the scenesters themselves.

"Land Rover is expanding its marketing profile with, for the first time, supporting a fashion house, Rag & Bone, during New York Fashion Week," noted Stuart Schorr, vice president of communications and public affairs, Jaguar Land Rover North America. "The Rag & Bone brand, led by Marcus Wainwright and David Neville, is admired for its refined and versatile aesthetic. Both Land Rover and Rag & Bone were born in England and enjoy massive global appeal. The Land Rover LR4 has evolved a distinct design heritage that is rooted in both authentic luxury and rugged capability. Similarly, through Rag & Bone, Marcus and David have established a legacy through high levels of skill and craftsmanship." Might we dare to hope for a Ltd. Rag & Bone Edition LR4 edition in the near future....?

Gallery: Land Rover & Range Rover at Fashion Week

Tags: celebrity, celebrity cars, fashion shows, Fashion Week, Jaguar, Jessica Stam, Land Rover, Land Rover LR4, Mad Men, Marchesa, models, New York Fashion Week, Olivia Palermo, Rag Bone, Rag and Bone, Range Rover, Range Rover Sport, SUV, Vanessa Hudgens

The Classicist: Is the Royal Warrant Losing Its Lustre?

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: The Classicist, Wealth

A recent decision by two venerable British brands to drop the Royal Warrants from their packaging has occasioned some hand-wringing in the UK over whether the much-coveted distinction has lost its lustre. The Classicist calls it a tempest in a Royal Doulton teacup; read on to find out why. Only three royals are entitled to grant warrants – the Queen of England, the Duke of Edinburgh and the Prince of Wales – to firms who supply their royal requisites for at least five years, though most warrant holders have ties to Britain's royal family dating back several decades or more. Of course, Prince William will one day be granting his own.

Holders of the Royal Warrant include many of our favorite luxury brands – Asprey, Aston Martin, Bentley, Barbour, Burberry, Fortnum & Mason, Gieves & Hawkes, Holland & Holland, Hunter Boots, Jaguar, John Lobb, Johnnie Walker, Land Rover, Laphroaig, Lock & Co., Swaine Adeney Brigg, Smythson, Tanqueray and Turnbull & Asser – along with a host of lesser names, such as After Eight mints and Jacob's Cream Crackers. It is the latter two that have now decided to do without their warrants – though no insult is intended to the royal family, as it was when former Harrods owner Mohamed al Fayed burned his last year. That coupled with the results of a new survey showing that only 13% of respondents thought that warrants make any difference have called their usefulness into question, the London Guardian reports.

However, "It's hard to say that interest in royal warrants is conclusively on the wane," Vicky Bullen, chief executive of Coley Porter Bell, tells the paper, "because there is no existing data with which to make a comparison. However, consumers' apparent indifference to the royal warrants has surprised us. We can only surmise there could be a number of factors at play." Said factors, Bullen says, include "that we live in a less deferential society in which the royal family enjoys less prestige and political support." That of course is not exactly new, though the upcoming Royal Wedding may give them a boost. [cont'd]

Gallery: Holders of the Royal Warrant

Tags: Asprey, Aston Martin, Barbour, Bentley, British royalty, Burberry, Fortnum and Mason, Harrods, Holland Holland, Hunter Boots, Jaguar, John Lobb, Johnnie Walker, Land Rover, luxury brands, Mohamed al Fayed, Prince of Wales, Prince William, Queen of England, royal family, Royal Warrant, Royal Wedding, royalty, Smythson, Swaine Adeney Brigg, Tanqueray, UK

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The Classicist: London's Luxe Salon Prive Comes to 'Gosford Park'

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates, Luxury Cars & Autos, Auctions, Events, The Classicist

The Salon Privé, Europe's finest and largest dedicated display of supercars, exotics, classics and luxury goods in an English garden party setting, is moving to an amazing new venue this summer to house the largest exhibition to date and an incredible auction alongside. Syon Park (above), the sprawling London estate of the Duke of Northumberland, whose family have lived there for over 400 years, is best known as the mansion used in the movie Gosford Park and is the last surviving ducal residence retaining its country estate in Greater London, making a fitting new setting for the five-star event slated for June 22nd – 24th.

To mark the occasion, RM Auctions, the world's largest collector car auction house, has selected Salon Privé as the venue for its third annual European sale. Themed 'Quintessentially English' and scheduled for June 23, the new RM sale is set to become a regular fixture on the company's global events calendar, catering specifically for collectors with an affinity for British marques. Also joining the luxe event, now in its sixth season, for the first time is Land Rover who have confirmed that they will show the new Range Rover Evoque models which guests will be able to test drive.

2011 marks a return to the event for Porsche alongside such brands as Aston Martin, Bentley, Bugatti, Jaguar, Lamborghini, Maserati, Maybach, Mercedes-Benz, Morgan and Rolls-Royce. In addition to the stunning display of modern super and luxury cars, the event's internationally renowned Concours d'Elégance returns with seven new categories and a display of some of the rarest and most valuable cars in the world. Examples of this year's categories include Ferrari 250 Competizione, Historic Grand Prix Single Seaters, Grand Routier, Oddballs, Motorcycles from the Steve McQueen era and a collection of stunning Rolls-Royce models to celebrate the 100 year centenary of the Spirit of Ecstasy. [cont'd]

Gallery: Salon Prive & Syon Park

Tags: Aston Martin, Bentley, Bugatti, classic cars, Concours dElégance, concours delegance, English country house, events, Ferrari, Gosford Park, Land Rover, London, luxury goods, Maserati, Porsche, Range Rover Evoque, RM Auctions, Rolls-Royce, Salon Privé, Salon Prive, Steve McQueen, supercar, the+classicist, theclassicist

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Land Rover Discovery 4 Armoured

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

There are many definitions for "luxury". In some places it means over-the-top opulence. In others, quiet sophistication. But in some parts of the world, it means security. (Like Mexico City, for example, where the violent crime rates are high and also where the world's richest man happens to live.) And for just such volatile regions, Land Rover has come out with their latest armored SUV.

Starting with the Discovery (known in some markets as the LR4), Land Rover has teamed up with the security specialists at Centigon to install all manner of ballistic protection measures – from steel plating and run-flat tires to the upgraded brakes and suspension needed to keep it all under control – to keep its occupants safe.

Gallery: Land Rover Discovery Armoured

Tags: Armored, Armoured, Discovery, Land Rover, Land Rover Discovery, Land Rover Discovery 4, Land Rover Discovery 4 Armored, Land Rover Discovery 4 Armoured, LR4

Land Rover Defender 90 Yachting Edition by Startech

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

If you're looking to set out on an expedition by sea, you'll need the right kind of yacht. By land, the Land Rover Defender 90 is the tool of choice. Now German tuner Startech has brought the two that much closer with the Defender 90 Yachting Edition. The sailing theme has been carried out on the otherwise spartan sport-ute with such unique touches as white paint, illuminated running boards and an interior decked out in teak wood trim, offset by navy blue leather and Alcantara trim.

Gallery: Land Rover Defender 90 Yachting Edition by Startech

Tags: land rover, land rover defender, land rover defender 90, Land Rover Defender 90 Yachting Edition, Land Rover Defender 90 Yachting Edition by Startech, Startech

Land Rover Discovery 4 Landmark Edition

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

Land Rover has announced a new limited edition of its popular Discovery 4 model that blends the versatility of the go-anywhere SUV with some added refinement and exclusivity.

The LR4 Landmark edition can be had in either white or black, with grille, 20" alloys and roof rails painted black and tinted glass to compliment. For the interior buyers can opt for either ebony or – available for the first time – ivory leather. The Landmark comes powered by the company's muscular yet efficient 3-liter twin-turbo diesel V6 and boasts all the capabilities you've come to expect from a Land Rover.

Gallery: Land Rover Discovery 4 Landmark Edition

Tags: discovery, discovery 4, discovery landmark, land rover, land rover discovery 4, land rover discovery 4 landmark edition, land rover discovery landmark edition, lr4, lr4 landmark

Range Rover Evoque: Now with 5-Door Versatility

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

Land Rover unveiled the new Range Rover Evoque just a couple of months ago. But while it cuts a sleek profile, its three-door body-style won't be everyone's cup of tea. And so the British purveyor of luxury sport-utility vehicles has augmented the range with a more conventional five-door version as well.

The more versatile Evoque is otherwise essentially unchanged from the three-door version. 150 and 240-horsepower engines are available, in either economic front-wheel drive – a Land Rover first – or the company's go-anywhere all-wheel drive, complete with Land Rover Terrain Response. Only in the five-door version offers easier access to the rear seats for better passenger and cargo carrying capabilities. The Evoque hits 160 markets around the world beginning summer 2011.

Gallery: Range Rover Evoque 5-door

Tags: evoque, evoque 5-door, land rover, land rover evoque, land rover evoque 5-door, land rover range rover, land rover range rover evoque, land rover range rover evoque 5-door, range rover, range rover evoque, range rover evoque 5-door

Millionth Range Rover Donated to Charity

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Auctions, Charity

After forty years of production, Land Rover has produced their landmark millionth Range Rover, and is donating it for a charity auction in London. The milestone luxury SUV in question – a top-of-the-line Range Rover Vogue Autobiography edition in black – has a retail value in excess of £85,000.

Celebrity automotive journalist Jeremy Clarkson will take possession on the charity's behalf during the Top Gear Live show at Earls Court, after which the vehicle will be put up for auction to benefit wounded soldiers through the Help for Heroes foundation which Clarkson represents and for whom the vehicle is expected to raise in excess of £100,000.

Tags: charity, charity auction, clarkson, help for heroes, jeremy clarkson, land rover, land rover range rover, land rover range rover autobiography, land rover range rover vogue, land rover range rover vogue autobiography, milestone, millionth, range rover, range rover autobiography, range rover vogue, range rover vogue autobiography, solihull, top gear, top gear live

Mad Men Star John Slattery Pitches for Lincoln Cars

by David Kiley (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

Actor John Slattery (aka Roger Sterling in AMC's highly acclaimed series Mad Men) is the new star of ads for Ford Motor Co.'s Lincoln cars.

In ads that break on television coverage of The Ryder Cup starting October 1, Slattery is shown behind the wheel of the MKX crossover and the MKZ Hybrid uttering ad copy that would be worthy of a Man Men brainstorming session. "If you are going to buy a new luxury car ... shouldn't there be something new about it?" asks Slattery.

The new tagline for Lincoln; "It's not just luxury. It's smarter than that." Ad agency. Team Detroit created the campaign. ("Reach higher" was the old line.)

One of Slattery's cooly delivered lines, during a touch-screen demo in the car, is: "Don't be surprised if you haven't seen technology this intuitive before." Indeed, the final graphic on the screen is not a tagline, but just "Lincoln.com," an invitation for viewers to visit a redesigned Lincoln web site to learn about the technology savvy Lincolns they probably didn't know existed.

Ford is plowing more resources into Lincoln as its only true premium/luxury brand. The company has sold off Aston Martin, Jaguar, Land Rover and Volvo. At the Paris Auto Show on September 30, Ford CEO Alan Mulally said the company plans to take Lincoln into global markets in four or five years, namely China and the Middle East.

Gallery: Lincoln Cars Pitched by Mad Men Star John Slattery

Tags: Alan Mullaly, Jaguar, John Slattery, Land Rover, Mad Men, MKZ Hybrid

Land Rover Debuts Evoque At Paris Auto Show

by David Kiley (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

British luxury SUV company Land Rover revealed its three-door small Evoque SUV at the Paris Auto Show and announced that a five-door version will also be available next year as it goes on sale in 160 countries.

The five-door Evoque will make its debut at the LA Auto Show in November.

The Evoque is 17 inches shorter than the Range Rover Sport and seven inches lower. It's also constructed with lightweight materials, as it is engineered to give Land Rover a higher fuel economy option as automakers are pressured to meet stiffer mpg regulations. Land Rover describes Range Rover Evoque as "a luxurious coupe design with a compact and more efficient footprint than other Range Rovers."

The Evoque is built on a modified version of the company's LR2 SUV.

The new small SUV will be powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine generating 240 hp. The company says it will deliver the power of a six-cylinder while returning the mileage of a four. All Evoques models will be equipped with all-wheel drive and Land Rover's patented Terrain Response system.

The three- and five-door Evoques hit showroom floors in fall 2011. Final pricing has not been announced, but is believed to be about $37,000. The company has set up a website, www.helloevoque.com, to usher in the new model.

The Evoque is a significant departure in styling from other Land Rovers and Range Rovers. Sleek and angular, it is part of a new design scheme hatched under current Land Rover owner Tata Motors.

Tags: evoque, Land Rover, land rover evoque, Paris Auto Show 2010

Land Rover Introduces the Range Rover Evoque

by Jonathon Ramsey (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

This is the 2012 Range Rover Evoque – lighter, meaner, even greener... than the usual Range Rover product, at least. The production version of the LRX-inspired luxury SUV wears all of the cues that made us ask them to build it in the first place, and an interior that raises the game for smaller sport-ute offerings.

On the subject of exteriors, there will be three design themes from which to choose: Pure, a minimalistic take with 19-inch wheels outside and natural colors complemented by brushed metal trim inside; Prestige, a "bespoke exterior" treatment with exclusive 19-inch wheels paired "an indulgent interior;" or Dynamic, with 19- or 20-inch wheels a reworked bodykit, and a "premium sports interior" cabin with items like perforated leather seats.

Inside is an interior influenced not only by the Range Rover Sport, but by Jaguar as well. Seriously bolstered seat straddle a center tunnel wherein lies a rotary gear change dial that rises to hand. The four-setting Terrain Response System dial has been replaced with buttons attending an illuminated menu. Controls are mainly managed through an 8-inch touchscreen. Aural enjoyment is provided by the 825-watt, 17-speaker Meridian sound system with additional inputs for other peripherals.

Underneath the Evoque's hood is a 240-horsepower, 2.0-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder provided by Ford engine which should provide plenty of grunt with smaller gas bills. Electric power steering turns the wheels, and an regenerative electrical system captures energy when those wheels are slowed down. Roadgoing is meant to be kept smooth by the MagneRide adaptive dynamics suspension. It goes on sale in the fall of 2011, but we'll see it in person at the Paris Motor Show at the end of the month.

Gallery: 2012 Land Rover Evoque

Tags: evoque, land rover, land rover evoque, paris auto show, paris motor show, range rover, range rover evoque, suv

Luxist Drives the 2010 Range Rover, Feeling of Royalty Still Hasn't Worn Off

by Jonathon Ramsey (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

When the winds of model-year change blew on Land Rover's 2010 lineup, they hit the LR3 at hurricane speeds forceful enough to turn it into the LR4. A shade of velocity lost, they still rocked enough impact to reshape the Range Rover Sport into the faster and highly finessed luxo-beast we'd been pining for since we drove it in 2007.

By the time those gales rushed over the clamshell bonnet of the Range Rover they had slowed considerably, leaving a mild-by-comparison alteration of the top-tier landscape. That doesn't mean it wasn't a potent alteration, though: heightened sensations from innovations like the TFT dashboard and vastly increased motivation from the new Jaguar-derived 5.0-liter V8 helped make the total package a little bit better everywhere. And when you're already standing on the peak, every little bit counts for a lot.

Gallery: Luxist Drives the 2010 Range Rover

Tags: 2010 range rover, Land Rover, Land Rover Range Rover, range rover, Range Rover Autobiography

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Victoria Beckham to Collaborate With Range Rover

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Celebrity Design

Pneumatic pop star-turned-fashion maven Victoria Beckham has been named the "creative design executive" for Range Rover on the eve of the famed British brand's 40th anniversary. The announcement came during a glamorous fete thrown by British Vogue to celebrate the occasion at London's Kensington Palace. No word yet on what precisely Posh will be doing for Land Rover's luxe SUV marque, though she will probably focus on interiors. "I'm incredibly excited to be collaborating with Range Rover. I like to take on a challenge," Mrs. Beckham declared while wearing a nude silk crepe dress of her own design after Land Rover's new Evoque (formerly the LRX) was lowered from a crane amidst a cloud of dry ice and some sound effects. "This lady knows a lot about fashion and a lot about trends, a lot about luxury products," Land Rover design director Gerry McGovern told Vogue UK. "She's been running her own fashion business for three years and she's incredibly successful."

Tags: David Beckham, Land Rover, London, Range Rover, SUV, Victoria Beckham