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Lotus to Launch Lotus Originals Lifestyle Brand

Filed under: Apparel, Luxury Cars & Autos, Men's Style, The Classicist

Famed British sports car marque Lotus has a super-stylish history, with the likes of James Bond and Steve McQueen among its best known enthusiasts. Now the storied firm, founded in 1952 by Colin Chapman, is looking to reclaims some of that former glory with a new lifestyle brand set to launch in February. Dubbed Lotus Originals, the diverse offerings will include everything from leather jackets and blue blazers to bags and backgammon sets. The company's motor racing and sports car heritage were used as inspiration for the collection, with tire tread patterns, vintage Lotus logos, racing stripes, car silhouettes and numbers relating to the dates of famous Lotus racing victories of the 1960s and 70s appearing on certain items.

"Our goal with the Lotus Originals concept was to create a range of apparel and accessories that really capture the true spirit of our iconic British brand," notes Lotus' Wiebke Bauer. "Lotus Originals isn't just for traditional car enthusiasts, on some of the pieces the branding is very subtle allowing the style and quality to shine, so we hope that it will appeal to a much broader audience. We have developed a collection that is luxurious in a classic, understated way so it is easy to wear every day yet still make you feel part of our very special brand." The Lotus Originals collection will be launched exclusively online at www.lotusoriginals.com on February 23 during London Fashion Week with a London flagship store slated to open later in the year. Check out the gallery for a preview.

Gallery: Lotus Originals

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Tags: James Bond, London, Lotus, luxury cars, mens style, motor racing, sports car, Steve McQueen, UK

The Ultimate Limited Edition Porsche Book & Photo Print

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Art, Books

German luxury publisher teNeues is coming out with the ultimate collector's item for Porsche enthusiasts: a $3,000 limited edition book on the famed sports car marque accompanied by a signed and numbered photographic print. The Porsche Book collector's edition, limited to only 50 copies, features the world's most beautiful Porsche images selected by photographer and graphic designer Frank M. Orel in collaboration with the Porsche Museum team in Stuttgart, Germany. Orel, who produces award-winning calendars for Porsche, is the editor of two other books dedicated to the legendary marque. The enormous volume features 24 chapters containing over 200 incredible full-color photographs. It spans the full measure of Porsche's illustrious history from road cars to rare racers. The signed and numbered photo print is suitable for framing.

[via JustLuxe]

Gallery: The Porsche Book Collector's Edition

All images courtesy teNeues, copyright Frank M. Orel

Tags: books, coffee table books, Germany, luxury cars, photography, Porsche, Porsche Museum, sports car, teNeues

The Classicist: Made in the Shade - Porsche Design Heritage Collection

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Men's Style, The Classicist, Architecture & Design

Unlike some collections whose famous names reflect only lucrative licensing deals, products bearing the Porsche Design label have a pedigree that's strongly linked to the famed sports car marque. The Porsche Design Studio was established in 1972 by Professor Ferdinand Alexander Porsche, designer of the iconic Porsche 911 and grandson of the founder of the world-renowned German automaker. Since then Porsche Design has become synonymous with innovative luxury products boasting immaculate craftsmanship, state of the art technology and the absolute highest quality materials, all adhering to the same clear functionality of form. While the product line ranges from cell phones to superyachts these days, sunglasses, one of the first items produced and one with the strongest ties to driving, remain the most appealing.

During the '70s and '80s the coveted sunglasses were the shades of choice for the rich and famous who prized elegant, sporty style. Now Porsche Design Eyewear has come out with a new "Heritage Collection" of aviators celebrating this colorful history. Often copied by others, they remind us that the originals haven't been bettered. The new collection is not just a re-issue of the most notable sunglass designs however, but also an update for the 21st century. Iconic styles that went out of production years ago are back with major upgrades in materials with super lightweight, anti-corrosive titanium frames and lightweight shatter-proof polycarbonate lenses with a multi-layered premium anti-reflective coating. Priced from $250–$409, there are four classic styles in the collection in various color combinations, all variations on the iconic aviator shape and all now available from haute online eyewear boutique Eyegoodies.

Gallery: Porsche Design Heritage Collection

Tags: aviator, aviator sunglasses, aviators, car design, design, Eyegoodies, Eyewear, Ferdinand Alexander Porsche, German design, Germany, leather, Porsche 911, Porsche Design, sports car, sunglasses, titanium

Continue reading “The Classicist: Made in the Shade - Porsche Design Heritage Collection”

$375,000 Lexus LFA Supercar Debuts at Tokyo Motor Show

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

If you're in the market for a top-of-the-line exotic sportscar, it used to be that the European automakers (like Ferrari, Porsche and Aston Martin) were the only place to go. The Acura NSX held down the fort for the Japanese automakers for a long while, but since its departure it's been back to business as usual.

Japan's carmakers, however, are in the midst of a renaissance in the supercar arena. The Nissan GT-R, once kept exclusively in the Japanese Domestic Market, has been taking on all challengers, and now Lexus has stepped up with the highly-anticipated new LFA. With a 550-horsepower V10 engine, a 3.7-second sprint to 60, a top speed in excess of 200 miles per hour and a $375,000 price tag, the Lexus LFA is capable of dicing it with the best Europe has to offer and holding its own.

Despite the extraordinary price tag, sources suggest that parent company Toyota will actually take a loss on each one sold. Which could help explain why they'll only be making 500 examples, making this one very attractive and – for everyone involved – very expensive piece of window dressing.

Gallery: Lexus LFA

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Tags: exotic, lexus, lexus lfa, lexus sports car, LexusLfa, LexusSportsCar, lfa, sports car, sports cars, SportsCar, SportsCars

The Ferrari California Wows Them In Paris

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

Our sister site Autoblog is at the Paris Motor Show checking out the newest models. One of the most anticipated is the Ferrari California. The California is a new design that takes inspiration from classic Ferrari designs from the 1950s but with a modern Pininfarina spin. Under the hood there is a direct-inject, 460-hp version of the company's 4.3L V8. It is a performance machine but with a little more room and a more street-friendly style than some other Ferraris. So far the public seems to approve, the retractable-hardtop GT is already sold out until 2011.

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Tags: ferrari, ferrari california, FerrariCalifornia, sports car, SportsCar

Luxury Motoring Without the Gas Guzzlage

by Erin Mays (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

Gas is getting more expensive, both politically and economically, yet we cringe to see the likes of Cameron Diaz and George Clooney in such un-glamorous vehicles as the Toyota Prius hybrid or Tango electric car.What's a politically and environmentally-conscious luxury car lover to do?

Hybrid Technologies has the answer. Check this out:

Ferrari F430: 660 hp, 0-60 in 3.3 seconds, mileage of 8 city/12 highway.

Hummer H1: 300 hp, maximum towing capacity of 9,303 lbs., mileage data not available because its curb weight exempts it from EPA testing, but estimates put the H1 at about 10 mpg... on diesel.

Hybrid Technologies' 2007 L1X-75: 600 hp, 0-60 in 3.1 seconds, runs on lithium batteries charged by a simple household 110-volt outlet.

In addition to sweet Italian-inspired roadster styling, lithium battery action means no gas guzzling. Plus, the only emissions coming from this vehicle are in the form of smoke rising from squealing tires.

With Hybrid Tech wooing potential distributors at the New York International Auto Show press preview this past week, you may be able to pick one of these babies up at a dealership near you in the not-too-distant future.

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Tags: alternative fuels, AlternativeFuels, ferrari, fuel cell, FuelCell, hybrid, italian sports car, ItalianSportsCar, lamborghini, lithium, race car, RaceCar, sports car, SportsCar

Riding in Nazarian's Bugatti Veyron

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

Sam Nazarian is big business. CEO of SBE Entertainment, Sam is quickly making a name for himself with a number of the highest-end restaurants, most exclusive clubs (L.A.'s famous Hyde is one), and most sought-after real estate to name just a few of his many projects. So what does a man like Sam do in his spare time? Drive around in his new Bugatti Veyron, impressing women, of course.

And Sue Callaway, of Fortune magazine, definitely seemed impressed when she got to ride in, and test drive, the $1.4 million sports car. Smooth, exclusive, and "jet-like" (Sue's words) in speed and power, I might never be interested in spending that much on a car, but I sure would have loved having her job that day.

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Tags: auto, automobile, Bugatti, bugatti veyron, BugattiVeyron, car, Fortune, nazarian, sam nazarian, SamNazarian, speed, sports car, SportsCar, Veyron, VW, wheels

Drive Green with a Tesla Roadster!

by Nicole Weston (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

The Tesla Roadster was unveiled this week in Santa Monica, California, and our friends at AutoblogGreen got a backstage look at the car and sat in on a test drive. The roadster is the first 100% electric performance car on the market and not only has no emissions (and no tailpipe), but actually generates energy when driven. The owners of the car will be doing a lot of driving, too, because the super-sleek car does 0-60 in 4 seconds and has a top speed of over 130 mph; it handles like a gas powered sports car, but like most EVs, makes no noise while doing so. The car comes with a home-based charging kit, so there is no need to install a generator in your garage, and charging it takes only 3.5 hours. Estimates state that the car will get around 250 miles per charge.

The roadster will be available for purchase starting in the spring of 2007, but people present at the unveiling were able to place advance orders for the car. The price will range from $80,000-$120,000.

More pics after the jump.

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Tags: autoblog, autobloggreen, eco-friendly, electric vehicle, ev, luxury car, performance car, sports car, tesla, tesla motors, TeslaMotors, zero emissions

Continue reading “Drive Green with a Tesla Roadster!”

Edo Competition Maserati MC12

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

Inside Line shows us another tease car, a one-off that has already found a home. This is a souped-up version of the Maserati MC 12. Edo Competition, a tuning company which specializes in exotics, created it for a "wealthy Russian enthusiast." The car has 700 horsepower and can hit speeds over 230 mph. It also has bigger ceramic brakes, an adjustable suspension, Bridgestone tires instead of Pirellis and a spiffy new paint scheme.

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Tags: edo competition, exotic, maserati, mc12, race car, sports car

The Antas Project

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

Autoblog has pictures of the Antas project, another swoop-shouldered car destined to make me swoon. The Antas project is as much art as auto, it was designed on paper not in a computer. The Antas gets its name from the Etruscan word for eagle and gets its power from a Maserati engine. It may look a bit overwrought but I love it right down to that weird fin on the back. Autoblog has lots of pictures of this amazing vehicle.

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Tags: antas, car, exotic, maserati, race car, sports car

1962 Ferrari 250 GTO Spyder

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

This beautiful 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO Spyder was the pride and joy of Frank Beard, the drummer for ZZ Top. ZZ Top's love of cars is well-documented in all those 1980s videos and this car was part of Beard's extensive collection. It was modified for Frank Beard by Greg Jones Restoration and Genaddi Design Group and has a signed plaque on the firewall. The custom, aluminum body was built in 1992 on a Ferrari 250 GTE Chassis that has been shortened and modified to accommodate the Spyder configuration. The 3L, 12 cylinder engine was converted to accommodate 6 twin-choke Webber carburetors. It also has a dry sump system, 5 speed manual transmission, fuel cell inside of an aluminum riveted gas tank, and original Dunlop disc brakes. The engine has just been rebuilt and it has Borrani wire wheels with stainless steel spokes. It is listed for $325,000.

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Tags: exotic car, ferrari, luxury car, sports car, wheels, zz top, ZzTop

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