monte carlo

Coachbuilt Italian Corvettes to Debut at Top Marques Monaco

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.

Source

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

Continue reading “Coachbuilt Italian Corvettes to Debut at Top Marques Monaco”

Aston Martin Delivers the First One-77 to Monaco

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

It's here at long last: the first Aston Martin One-77 has officially been delivered to its first customer, officially catapulting Aston Martin into the upper stratosphere of the supercar arena.

The first of 77 examples to be produced, this black example was delivered to Monaco, no less, at Monte Carlo's famous Hotel de Paris. The last example is set to leave the factory by the end of the year.

There are reportedly still a few places left on the list, but to get one you'll need to fork over an additional $240,000 on top of the initial $1.8 million sticker price for a grand total of $2.04 million. That's a lot of cash for one car, but a lot of car it is indeed.

Source

Tags: aston martin, aston martin one-77, hotel de paris, monaco, monte carlo, one-77

The $100,000 Monte Carlo Desk from Viscount Linley

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Architecture & Design

Viscount David Linley, the bespoke cabinetmaker who's a nephew of the Queen of England, has created an incredible one-of-a-kind $100,000 writing desk in homage to one of Monaco's most notable landmarks – the Monte Carlo Casino. Featuring the famed Beaux-Arts building as its central gallery, with stylized archways on either side, it bears marquetry detailing in various veneers representing the windows, columns, galleries and balusters of the casino, which was used as a location for the James Bond films Never Say Never Again, GoldenEye, and of course Casino Royale. The main body of the desk is constructed in American walnut with inlays of Santos rosewood and sycamore, while the writing surface is covered in rich dark red leather. On the underside of the domed lid of the architectural box is a marquetry depiction of Monaco's flag in red sycamore and holly. Six hand-carved figurines surmount the rooftop, and six secret drawers are each opened by a different mechanism.

Gallery: Monte Carlo Desk by Viscount Linley

[via JustLuxe]

Tags: architecture, Beaux-Arts, casino, Casino Royale, David Linley, desk, furniture, gambling, James Bond, leather, Monaco, Monte Carlo, Queen of England, viscount+linley, viscountlinley

Billionaires Demand Military-Grade Security on Their Superyachts

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Yachts & Sailing, Wealth

In an effort to boost the flagging superyacht market, manufacturers are fitting them out with increasingly complex, military-grade security systems aimed at assuaging the fears of paranoid billionaires. Bloomberg News reports from the Monaco Yacht Show that security systems similar to the ones on Roman Abramovich's enormous Eclipse are now standard issue for high-end craft. Pascal Wiscour-Conter, chief executive officer of Equisea Yacht Management in Monte Carlo, says that any billionaire buying a superyacht these days shells out an extra $400,000 at least for additional defensive measures, including bulletproof glass and "NATO military technology integrated with NASA satellite tracking to create an invisible offensive security bubble with underwater sonic cannons and surface lasers that evaluate and take out anyone who lays siege to the vessel." Wiscour-Conter notes that the high-tech system "knows the difference between a malicious scuba diver and a curious dolphin, and we transmit all the information to your iPhone four times a day."

Tags: billionaire, Monaco, Monte Carlo, Roman Abramovich, security, superyacht, wealth, yacht

Steinmetz Encrusts McLaren Gear with Diamonds for Monaco Grand Prix

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry, Luxury Cars & Autos, Sports

In the fast-paced, weight-obsessed, space-age world of Formula One racing, there's not much room for ornamentation. Except maybe in Monaco, the most glamorous race on the calendar. That's where the F1 circus is heading this weekend, and it's also where Steinmetz Diamonds will be unveiling a unique tribute to the McLaren team and its world champion drivers.

Steimetz has taken the helmets and steering wheels of both Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button, and embellished them with Forevermark diamonds. The pieces were unveiled at Villa la Vigie – once owned by Karl Lagerfeld and now the home of the Steinmetz Salon Privé – on Wednesday. Both world champions – Button 2009 and Lewis 2008 – will be sporting their diamond-encrusted helmets and steering wheels at this weekend's grand prix, where Hamilton, for one, hopes to recreate his 2008 Monaco GP win, where he also wore Steinmetz diamonds on his helmet.

Gallery: McLaren helmets and steering wheels by Steinmetz

Tags: diamonds, f1, formula 1, formula one, grand prix, jenson button, lewis hamilton, mclaren, monaco, monaco gp, monaco grand prix, monte carlo, steinmetz, villa la vigie

RM Auctions Off Millions in Classic Ferraris and More at Monaco Historic

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Auctions

The Grand Prix de Monaco Historique just wrapped up this weekend in Monte Carlo, and Canadian firm RM Auctions was there to set new records with a slew of million-dollar classic automobiles.

In its first time at the iconic Monaco weekend, RM managed to rake in a whopping €33,235,917 ($45 million) in sales, matching the all-time record for single-day auction results... incidentally set three years ago at RM's own event at the Ferrari factory in Maranello. And once again it was classic Ferraris that helped RM achieve the record figures.

The highest amount was garnered for a rare 1962 Ferrari 400 Superamerica Cabriolet Pininfarina SWB, which sold for a high bid of €2,800,000 ($3.8 million), exceeding its estimate and fetching the highest price ever paid for this model. The Superamerica wasn't the only automobile – not even the only Ferrari – to break seven figures, however. A 1957 250 GT Tour de France went for $3.2 million, a 1959 250 GT California Spyder for $2.8 million, and a pair of mid-60s-era 275 GTBs fetched over a million each. A 1960 Maserati Birdcage went for $3.3 million, a rare 1930 Zagato-bodied Alfa Romeo went for $1.2 million, and several Rolls-Royce classics brought in bid figures as well.

Gallery: 1962 Ferrari 400 Superamerica Cabriolet Pininfarina SWB

Tags: 1962 ferrari 400 superamerica cabriolet pininfarina swb, ferrari, ferrari 400 superamerica, ferrari superamerica, grand prix de monaco historique, monaco, monte carlo, rm, rm auctions

The Fairmont Does a 180 at the Monaco Grand Prix

by Jonathon Ramsey (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

The Fairmont Hotel in Monte Carlo has a prime view of one of the most best corners in all of Formula 1 – it's the tightest turn of any track in the entire Formula 1 calendar, turned so tight around on itself that the cars' steering has to be modified to cope. In years past it was called the Lowe's Hairpin, but no longer. Thenceforth, it will be known as the Fairmont Hairpin, and the hotel has a plans to offer amenities and entertainment as exciting as the race itself.

The completion of a €46 million renovation has graced the Fairmont with a new top-floor restaurant called L'Horizon with 360-degree views of the Principality. The 5-star menu includes vegetables grown in the Fairmont's gardens in the countryside surrounding Monaco, which means the food probably tastes exceedingly rich in more ways than one. When not at the repast, there's the Willow Fitness Center overlooking the Riviera, the Willow Stream Spa with 8 treatment rooms and a sauna and Hammam. You can even order Adidas t-shirts, shorts and shoes from the hotel for your workout, and the Fairmont will provide an MP3 player with EMI tunes to enjoy while you tread on the mill.

For GP weekend, May 13-16, the resort's got two packages: one for the historic grand prix that gets you a bed from April 30 to May 2, and one for the Formula 1 weekend with flexibility from one to four nights. Another benefit of staying in-house is you'll have a better chance of getting into the Fairmont's Salle d'Or ballroom, where Flavio Briatore's Sardinia-based Billionaire's Club will be hosting parties from 11:30 p.m. until 5 a.m. And you can bet that any action that might be missing on track will be more than made up for at the Salle d'Or...

Source

Tags: f1, fairmont, fairmont hotel, fairmont hotel monte carlo, fairmont hotels, fairmont monte carlo, formula 1 2010, monte carlo

Celebrate the Economic Recovery with Ten Days in the Riviera

by Jonathon Ramsey (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Yachts & Sailing

Times were a little hard last year, and probably the only way to show that your unconquerable soul remains in tact is to get seven of your friends and €100,000 ($140,000 U.S.) together for a ten-day tour of the French Riviera, seven of them spent on a 100-foot yacht. No, really, anything less that that and there could still be some doubts...

The escapade, organized by Montreal's Pure Entertainment Group, begins somewhere in Western Europe, where you and your fellow sailors will be flown in a private jet to Nice. From there it's all high living: seven-day cruise (the pictured yacht is one of the fleet), two nights in Monte Carlo at the Hotel De Paris and four bottles of Dom on arrival, a two-hour massage for each person to put vigor in your legs again, and dinner at Alain Ducasse's Louis XV.

Travel dates are open from April 1 to September 1, 2010, and operators are probably standing by to take your booking. There might be easier ways to show you've turned it all around, but the words "French Riviera" are known to work rather well.

Source

Tags: france, french riviera, monte carlo, pure entertainment, pure entertainment group, riviera, yacht

$1.5 Monaco Grand Prix Gift Package With Custom Supercar

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Yachts & Sailing, Luxury Cars & Autos, Wings, Events, Sports, Holiday Guides, Wealth

Last month we reported that the glossy chronicle of the filthy rich Robb Report is offering the world's most expensive Christmas gift this year - a matching custom private jet and megayacht set costing $500 million. The profligate publication has a few more eye-popping offerings as part of its Ultimate Gift Guide, a seasonal smorgasbord of over-the-top exclusives. Among the most enticing is a $1.5 million Monaco Grand Prix gift package, consisting of the following: a VIP experience at the 2010 Monaco Grand Prix F1 races in May; round-trip private jet travel from North America to Nice, France, and helicopter transfer from Nice to Monte Carlo for a party of four; five nights' accommodation in the top-floor suite at the luxe Monte Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort; privileges aboard a private 170-ft. yacht that will provide a prime vantage of, and tender service to, four days of racing and activities; and last but not least a custom Spyker C8 Aileron Spyder (above) "as a keepsake".

Tags: Christmas, Formula 1, Formula1, France, holiday 2009, Holiday2009, Monaco, Monaco Grand Prix, MonacoGrandPrix, Monte Carlo, Monte Carlo Bay Hotel Resort, MonteCarlo, MonteCarloBayHotelResort, private jet, PrivateJet, racing, Robb Report, RobbReport, Spyker, yacht

Fairmont Monte Carlo: The Only Way to Watch the Tour de France

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Sports

There are two ways to take in the Tour de France. One is to cram yourself into a spot along some godforsaken stretch of road with all the other riffraff. You can hope to get a look at the action ... as long as they person in front of you isn't tall. Or, you can find your way to Monaco's F1 circuit, where the race departs. Instead of schlepping out to the site, you can stay nearby. Without the hassle of getting to and from, you might actually enjoy the experience!

To help you enjoy the kickoff of the 96th Tour, the Fairmont Monte Carlo has put together a great package. Stay from July 1 to July 5, and you can pick up a room for €529 (around $735) a night, with a buffet breakfast included.

So, if you've ever wanted to witness the greatest cycling spectacle of all time, here's your chance to do it the right way. Once the riders depart, drop some cash on the roulette table, and sip a wine carefully crafted in Provence. Do everything that those dedicated athletes can't. The lucky racers won't be back until next year, but you can take a few more days to play with the wealthy.

Tags: bicycle, bicycles, cycling, cyclist, cyclists, fairmont, fairmont hotel, fairmont hotels, FairmontHotel, FairmontHotels, monaco, monte carlo, MonteCarlo, tour de france, TourDeFrance

Monte Carlo Hopes For Good Attendance At Tennis Tournament

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Sports

U.S. players don't fill up the roster but for the rest of the the tennis world, the Rolex Masters Monte Carlo is a prime sports event and the start of the season on the French Riviera. It is the first big clay court tournament of the season and heralds the beginning of warm weather activities much the way the Masters does for golf.

Wealth Bulletin reports that after this grim and withering winter, Monte Carlo tennis fans are ready to indulge. A 20-seat prestige box at the Masters tournament costs 48,000 euros. The Monte Carlo Country Club has invested on expanding their facilities, adding 10,000 to the center court. The club is expecting an additional 3,000 spectators on what is one of the most gorgeous viewing courts in the game.

Monaco has been looking for increased tourism in a more aggressive way lately. Events like the Masters tennis tournament and the upcoming Monaco Grand Prix should provide an indicator of just how willing the wealthy are to continue to flock to the seaside town.

Tags: masters, monte carlo, MonteCarlo, rolex, tennis

Exotic Four-Door "Roadyacht" Convertible Supercar to Debut at Monaco Top Marques Show

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

The four-door convertible is one of those old-world luxuries that has long since been lost to the annals of history. Several automakers have contemplated reviving the body-style, known as the phaeton or parade car: Chrysler unveiled a Phaeton show car in 1997 before the company was acquired by Daimler-Benz, which in turn toyed with the idea in the Mercedes Ocean Drive concept in 2007 and the million-dollar, limited-production Maybach 62 Landaulet. But while these rare automobiles attempted to revive the classic body-style in splendid retro fashion, a team of Dutch engineers has given the idea a decidedly modern twist.

Called, in longwinded fashion, the Bewerp Savage Rivale Roadyacht GTS, the vehicle takes the four-door convertible concept and blends it with that of the most exotic supercars while throwing in some nautical cues, just to mix it up. Based on a custom space-frame chassis with carbon fiber body and powered by a Corvette-sourced 600-horsepower V8, the Rivale promises to deliver an entirely unique motoring experience to any buyer with the $340,000 to spare after it makes its debut this April during the exclusive Monaco Top Marques luxury automobile show at Prince Albert's Grimaldi Forum in Monte Carlo.

Gallery: Bewerp Savage Rivale Roadyacht GTS

Source

Tags: Bewerp, Bewerp Savage Rivale Roadyacht GTS, BewerpSavageRivaleRoadyachtGts, grimaldi, monaco, monte carlo, MonteCarlo, Rivale, Roadyacht, Savage, Savage Rivale, SavageRivale, top marques monaco, TopMarquesMonaco

Lagerfeld Cuts Back, Still Has 3 Hummers

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wealth

Even larger-than-live Chanel kingpin Karl Lagerfeld (above with Lindsay Lohan) is scaling down - sort of - during these straitened economic times. For one thing, "I have moved to a smaller house in Paris, and I don't fancy having so much staff now," he reveals to German weekly Die Zeit. However, "The chambermaid, chauffeur and chef are still musts," he says, "around the clock." His passion for gas-guzzling Hummers - the largest model, H1 - continues unabated. "I have three of them," Lagerfeld tells the mag. "Two here in Paris and one in Monte Carlo.... The Hummer is like a tank and gives me a feeling of security. I don't want to drive at the same level as the others." He also weighs in on his new house in Vermont, which we've covered here extensively, noting, "It's very Emily Dickinson. In fact it's almost Puritanical. For me it's a new form of modesty."

Tags: Chanel, Hummer, Karl Lagerfeld, KarlLagerfeld, Monte Carlo, MonteCarlo

$200 Million Megayacht Stars in Monaco Boat Show

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Yachts & Sailing

At the megabucks Monaco Yacht Show this past weekend in Monte Carlo, there was an estimated $4.5 billion worth of yachts on display, and none of the 98 craft on exhibit were under 100 ft. The biggest of them all however was the multistory, $200 million Anastasia (above) at 248 ft., recently completed by leading Dutch shipyard Oceanco for a Russian billionaire. Though the buyer's identity hasn't been confirmed, it's rumored to be Vladimir Potanin, the 25th richest man in the world with a fortune of $19.3 billion, the London Daily Mail reports.

The Anastasia features six decks, luxe quarters for 12 passengers and 20 crew members including a duplex master suite, a ten seat cinema, a discotheque with a laser light display and smoke machine, an artificial coral reef and 800-gallon fish tank, a swimming pool with a transparent wall, a sunbathing platform which converts into a stage for live music, a library upholstered in crocodile skin, and a hanger full of speedboats and jetskis.

Far from being an endangered species due to the grim economic outlook, these megayachts are more in demand than ever. In fact, the Anastasia is probably already worth more than Potanin paid for it. "People with $200 million to spend on a yacht tend to be above the credit crunch," Hugo Andreae, editor of Superyacht World magazine, tells the paper. "There are a lot them around, even if most are unknown to the wider world."

Gallery: Monaco Yacht Show '08

Tags: Anastasia, Megayacht, Monaco, Monaco Yacht Show, MonacoYachtShow, Monte Carlo, MonteCarlo, Oceanco, Russian billionaires, RussianBillionaires, Superyacht, Vladimir Potanin, VladimirPotanin, Yacht

London Loses World's Most Expensive Title to Monaco

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wealth

The Principality of Monaco has now overtaken London as the world's most expensive luxury property market, with prices reaching approx. $7,000 per square foot. According to newly-released data, the average price of Monaco's most expensive houses and apartments rose 30% over the past year as opposed to only 1.8% in London, which has held the top spot for the last five years, Bloomberg reports. As we noted a few weeks back, Monaco is home to the world's most expensive street, Avenue Princess Grace in Monte Carlo, where apartments cost tens of millions. London meanwhile has seen a steep decline in its luxury market, which has even affected Buckingham Palace to the tune of a $100 million depreciation. The top 10 luxury property markets in the world are now ranked as follows:

1. Principality of Monaco
2. London, England
3. Cap Ferrat, French Riviera
4. Courcheval, French Alps
5. New York, USA
6. Moscow, Russia
7. Tokyo, Japan
8. Hong Kong, China
9. Sydney, Australia
10. Paris, France

Tags: London, Luxury real estate, LuxuryRealEstate, Monaco, Monte Carlo, MonteCarlo