teNeues

The World's Top Luxury Toys for Men

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches, Yachts & Sailing, Luxury Cars & Autos, Wings, Books, Wealth

What are the world's top luxury toys for men? Uber-luxe German publisher teNeues has the answer with its newest super-sized volume, Luxury Toys: For Men. The awesome Aston Martin One-77, so named because of its limited 77-example run and $1.7 million pricetag, appears on the cover.

Other supercars that make the cut, including the Audi R8 GT, Rolls-Royce Ghost, Jaguar XKR Special Edition, Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, Maserati Quattroporte Sport GT S Awards Edition, and Bentley Continental Supersports Convertible. Quite the garage.

Covering transportation, style, accessories and dream vacations, the massive 220-page volume features 138 giant full-color photographs and text in English, German, French, Spanish, and Italian. Not based merely on price, the selections show how "emotion and finesse can be combined with spectacular aesthetic purity."

Tags: Aston Martin, aston+martin+one-77, astonmartinone-77, Audemars Piguet, Audi R8, books, Hublot, jets, luxury books, luxury cars, luxury goods, luxury toys, Luxury Toys For Men, mens luxury, Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, Rolls-Royce, supercars, teNeues, watches, yachts

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The Classicist: The Year's Best Luxe Books

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Books, The Classicist

Followers of The Classicist, the weekly column devoted to timeless style, enduring elegance, and true, built-to-last luxury as opposed to mere extravagance, are familiar with the fact that we take pains to search out every season's most luxurious books and bring you exclusive glimpses. 2010 was a particularly good year for top-drawer tomes; if you've any space left in your library we suggest you stock up on the following titles which we declare to be the best of the best from those that made our grade in 2010. Featuring our favorite subjects ranging from Savile Row to classic Louis Vuitton luggage, high equestrian style to high society, and classic architecture to the perfection that is is Porsche, this is a chance to catch up on the must-have volumes you might have missed.

Topping the list are our two favorites, Louis Vuitton: 100 Legendary Trunks (Abrams) and Bespoke: The Men's Style of Savile Row (Rizzoli), both dealing with icons of luxe style, the first a legendary French luggage firm, the second a street synonymous with the world's best men's tailoring. Can you imagine anything better than a suite of Vuitton trunks full of Savile Row suits? Didn't think so. While you're busy assembling a collection these books are the next best thing. Men's style also comes into play in two other titles on our can't-miss list, the bible of Ivy League style Take Ivy (powerHouse) and We Want Miles: Miles Davis vs. Jazz (Skira Rizzoli). They're more closely related than you might think; the jazz legend had a not-so-hidden passion for preppy finery in his early years, while Take Ivy's title is a reference to jazz.

Gallery: The Best Luxe Books of 2010

Tags: Abrams, architecture, books, coffee table books, equestrian, Flammarion, jazz, Louis Vuitton, luggage, mens style, Miles Davis, Paris, Porsche, Rizzoli, Savile Row, Scotland, Take Ivy, teNeues, The Classicist

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Miranda Kerr, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley & More Go Nude at Necker Island

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Books

The world's sexiest new supermodels pose sans clothes at Richard Branson's Necker Island paradise in a massive new monograph from famed photographer Russell James. V2 from uber-luxe publisher teNeues showcases the girls James believes will be the superstars of the new era, including Miranda Kerr, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Candice Swanepoel and Brooklyn Decker (on the cover, above). The Australian lensman, a connoisseur of the female form, has shot numerous ad campaigns for Victoria's Secret as well as sizzling spreads for Sports Illustrated's Swimsuit Issue. In V2 he presents the gifted goddesses in the natural splendor of Necker Island, Vrigin mogul Richard Branson's luxe tropical retreat. We're sure Branson was only too happy to play host to the bevy of naked beauties. See the gallery for an SFW preview (you'll have to buy the book to get the full treatment).

Gallery: Russell James: V2

Tags: books, Brooklyn Decker, Candice Swanepoel, coffee table books, Island, Miranda Kerr, models, Necker Island, nude, photography, Richard Branson, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Russell James, supermodels, teNeues, Victorias Secret

The Classicist: Celebrating the Season in Style with Range Rover at Wheatleigh

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

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

Click above for high-res image gallery. Photos exclusive to Luxist.

Winter can be a long, cold interlude verging on a test of endurance in the Northeast, and it's all too easy to get bogged down by the doldrums. Plenty of people either hibernate by their hearths or hit the beach until the mercury makes its ascent, but there are myriad ways to keep warm with style, verve and panache. We recently gathered some of our favorite accessories of the season at Wheatleigh, the majestic mansion-turned-luxury hotel in the heart of the Berkshires' winter wonderland. Getting us there in style and comfort through anything the weather cared to concoct was the 2011 Range Rover Sport, a luxurious way to see the landscape safe in the knowledge that the elements have met their match. The pedigreed SUV's smooth, refined, performance and rugged good looks mark it as a thoroughbred in all respects, a suitably stylish conveyance for arriving at a desirable destination like Wheatleigh. And we had the great new Olympus PEN E-PL1 compact, versatile digital camera on hand to record it all for your vicarious enjoyment.

Wheatleigh, located in Lenox, Mass. next door to Edith Wharton's famed country manor The Mount, is a grand estate based on a 16th century Florentine palazzo built in 1893 by New York financier Henry H. Cook for his daughter who married a Spanish count. Many of the materials and over 150 artisans were brought from Italy to produce intricate carvings and design flourishes for the grand interiors and facades. Frederick Law Olmsted, the landscape architect who designed Central Park in New York, was responsible for creating "Wheatleigh Park" on the land surrounding the palazzo. Following a four year multimillion dollar renovation it was transformed into one of the most unique luxurious small hotels in the world. The nineteen suites, guest rooms and baths artfully combine antiques and custom furnishings with original museum quality contemporary art. The baths are finished with English limestone, marble and hand-blown glass fixtures, and most rooms feature fireplaces and Bang & Olufsen TVs. Check out the gallery to see the perfect accoutrements for a stylish seasonal sojourn – from books to watches, champagne to cashmere sweaters, and boots to bags – no matter where your journey takes you.

Gallery: Range Rover at Wheatleigh Dec. 2010

Graf & Lantz wool felt Boat Bag, personalized Tumi Alpha wheeled case.

Tumi Alpha case; Dom Perignon Tribute to Andy Warhol edition; Private Stock jeans; Graf & Lantz Quiver wine carrier w/ Robert Mo

Tags: Bang Olufsen, Berkshires, Brooks Brothers, Central Park, champagne, Dom Perignon, Edith Wharton, estates, Frederick Law Olmsted, gardens, Holiday 2010, L.L. Bean, Lenox, luggage, luxury hote, mansion, Massachusetts, mens style, New England, Olympus, Olympus PEN E-PL1, palazzo, Persol, Ralph Lauren, Range Rover, Range Rover Sport, spirits, stolichnaya, sunglasses, SUV, teNeues, The Mount, Tumi, vodka, Wheatleigh, winter

The Stunning Photographs of Stan Shaffer

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Art, Books

If you've never heard of photographer Stan Shaffer, who captured the cream of cultural bohemia in the golden age of the '60s and '70s, now's the time to rectify that courtesy of über-luxe German publisher teNeues. You Should Have Been With Me is a massive scrapbook culled from Shaffer's stunning archive, with intimate portraits of celebs of the day including Gloria Vanderbilt, Angelica Huston, Andy Warhol, Halston, Calvin Klein, Peter Beard, Cheryl Tiegs, Grace Jones, Jerry Hall, Brooke Shields and Mariel Hemingway. These are interspersed with sexy fashion snaps and outtakes of sessions with supermodels on yachts and in Porsches once the "work" was done. In diary form Shaffer shares extracts from his extraordinary life at the nexus of New York's art, fashion and cinema worlds, at glitzy parties "where everyone is somebody and they're all dressed to kill!" Shaffer's journey was that of a "voyeur, participant, invited guest and documentarian" wrapped into one; sadly he died during the final stages of production on this book, which now serves as a fitting legacy for an artist who deserves more recognition.

Tags: 1960s, 1970s, Andy Warhol, art, books, Calvin Klein, celebrity, coffee table books, fashion, Jerry Hall, New York, Peter Beard, photographer, photography, Stan Shaffer, style, teNeues

Twenty Years of Claudia Schiffer by Karl Lagerfeld

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Books

Quirky Chanel kingpin Karl Lagerfeld has been photographing his muse, supermodel Claudia Schiffer, for the past 20 years. To celebrate their "anniversary", teNeues has published a special oversized portfolio under the auspices of Germany's Stern magazine compiling the best of the Kaiser's images of the famed beauty from his archives. Claudia & Karl features six different covers, capturing Schiffer's personas ranging from studious to sexy. Also included for the first time are some new self-portraits taken in Paris earlier this year of Lagerfeld posing with Schiffer, whom he first met when she was 19. "Right from the start, Claudia was a personality and not just a model," Lagerfeld notes. "That is something completely different."

Tags: books, Chanel, Claudia Schiffer, coffee table books, fashion, Karl Lagerfeld, photography, style, supermodel, teNeues

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

A Backstage Pass to Berlin Fashion Week

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Events

Luxe German publisher teNeues offers an all-access pass to one of the world's most cutting edge fashion weeks, that of Berlin. Backstage: Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Berlin is a suitably oversized, lavishly illustrated volume featuring 120 stunning images behind the scenes at the designers' shows. Leading photographer Claudius Holzmann, who has chronicled Berlin Fashion Week from the very beginning, sifted through approximately 40,000 images to select those that "capture the extremes of creativity and passion." Beautiful models, brilliant designers, talented makeup artists, high-strung hairstylists and an army of fashion soldiers are seen staging some of the world's most glamorous spectacles. The book, a must for any dedicated follower of the fashion scene, features text in both German and English.

Tags: Berlin, coffee table books, fashion, fashion designers, fashion shows, Germany, Mercedes-Benz, models, photographer, photography, teNeues

The Classicist: A Perfect Pictorial History of Porsche

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Books, The Classicist

"Porsche means looking at the world from a different angle. The fact that, unlike other cars, the ignition switch is located to the left of the steering wheel is just one indication that this company, these sports cars and this family are different from other automobile dynasties." Thus begins Generation Porsche, a brilliant new volume published by teNeues in the wake of the opening of the new Porsche Museum at Zuffenhausen's Porscheplatz in Stuttgart. The most comprehensive and best-designed pictorial history of the marque we've seen to date, it contains a brilliantly curated collection of artfully layered images, taking full advantage of the museum's archives and displays showing how three generations of the Porsche family have defined automobile history, and in particular the saga of the sports car. Until you can actually get over to Germany, this book is the next best thing.

The famed marque officially celebrated its 60th anniversary last year, but its history in fact goes back 110 years to 1900 and 24-year-old Ferdinand Porsche's visionary Lohner electric car concept, debuted at that year's World's Fair in Paris; that's where Generation Porsche kicks off. In merging the highest standards of design with advanced technology, Porsche has since become a byword for four-wheeled works of art, ranking among the most coveted cars in the world. As avid Porsche collector Jerry Seinfeld puts it, "Driving a Porsche always gives you a futuristic feeling." The high-tech museum certainly conveys that. Construction began on the building, designed to be an architectural emblem of the Porsche brand, in October 2005, making history as the most spectacular building project ever undertaken by the company. In addition to 80 ever-changing exhibits, the museum also features workshops, a Porsche boutique, the Porsche archive, a restaurant, a café and event space.

Gallery: Generation Porsche

Meanwhile teNeues has published a second work entitled Porsche Icons, showcasing the influence and history of the legendary Type 64, one of the most mysterious yet influential car designs ever, which many consider to be the first true Porsche. Ferdinand Porsche established an independent engineering office in Stuttgart in 1931 and went on to make automotive history with pioneering developments in motorsports. Over the next several decades Porsche introduced innovative production models such as the 356, 911, 914, 924, 944, 928, the Boxster, the Cayenne, and, most recently, the four-door Panamera, while continuing its strong showing in the world's most important auto races. Check out the gallery for a preview of images from Generation Porsche.

Tags: Ferdinand Porsche, FerdinandPorsche, Germany, Porsche, Porsche 911, Porsche Museum, Porsche911, PorscheMuseum, Stuttgart, teNeues

The Classicist: The Best of Luxe Books

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Estates, Yachts & Sailing, Books, The Classicist, Wealth

For your reading and viewing pleasure we present the second in a series looking back at highlights from the first year of The Classicist, the weekly column devoted to timeless style, enduring elegance, and true, built-to-last luxury as opposed to mere extravagance. For our second installment we sum up the best in luxe books, featuring our favorite subjects ranging from high equestrian style to classic architecture, historic estates, high society, jetsetters, megayachts and more. No truly luxurious library is complete without these volumes.

Gallery: Best of the Best: Books 2009

1. Equestrian Style: Home Design, Couture, and Collections from the Eclectic to the Elegant by Vicky Moon (Clarkson Potter)

Moon divides her volume into different facts of the equestrian experience: In the Field, On the Farm, At the Track, In the Ring, On the Move, and Down the Road, focusing on all facets of horsiness and everything that goes along with it. The emphasis is on authenticity, not affectation; she notes all that's really required is a "basic love of horses" but opines that actually riding them gives one a much stronger connection. True equestrian style, she writes, is "more than a feisty, wet Jack Russell terrier, a pair of Wellington boots and a tweed jacket. It goes beyond hanging a hunting print in the dining room wall to actually leaping over a stone wall on your favorite hunter. An unspoken equestrian philosophy surpasses wearing an Hermes scarf; it celebrates riding over jumps in an Hermes saddle."

Gallery: Equestrian Style

Racing tropy from Bonhams Sporting Sale.

2. The Legendary Estates of Beverly Hills by Jeffrey Hyland (Rizzoli)

A meticulously researched and lavishly illustrated history of 50 magnificent estates in three world-famous enclaves of the ultra-wealthy - Beverly Hills, Bel-Air, and Holmby Hills - this is a definitive history of the area's most famous estates, "the architecturally spectacular homes and lavish grounds that have been home to countless celebrities and the world's richest families for almost a century." Aside from the purely visual pleasure of the photographs both old and new, Hyland explains the history and architectural importance of each estate, and tells the fascinating stories of the many famed owners, from their "passionate involvement in the design of these costly properties, to their intrigues, triumphs, calamities, and romances."

Gallery: Legendary Estates of Beverly Hills

3. Great Estates: The Lifestyles & Homes of American Magnates by William G. Scheller (Universe)

This oversized, lavishly illustrated volume celebrates the history of 40 of America's true barons of business, from the 1700s through this year's Forbes list, and opens the door into their private palaces along the way. Great Estates follows the "restless careers of our most brilliant and driven merchants, industrialists, and financiers as they mastered a new economic world of textiles, railroads, oil, and steel." Men of great fortune erected massive monuments to their success, inclduing Henry Clay Frick's Manhattan mansion, now a magnificent museum; William Randolph Hearst's San Simeon in California, aka Hearst Castle; and one of our personal favorites, railroad magnate Jay Gould's gothic castle on the Hudson River, Lyndhurst and more.

Gallery: Magnates' Great Estates

Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum (former Carnegie Mansion)

4. Luxury Toys: Mega Yachts from teNeues

In the rarefied world of mega yachts, the ultimate achievement is to have one designed by a certain Norwegian genius named Espen Oeino. The world's top star in naval architecture, Oeino's megabucks creations "combine the precision of fine machinery with indulgent finishes and the high-end amenities of a palace." When German luxury publisher teNeues opted to focus a volume in its amazing Luxury Toys series to the world's greatest yachts, it was quickly decided to dedicated the entire book to Oeino. The book showcases 20 of his stellar creations, including Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen's 413-ft. Octopus, the 8th largest yacht in the world and the second largest superyacht that is not owned by a head of state.

Gallery: Luxury Toys: Mega Yachts

Continued after the jump.

Tags: architecture, Assouline, Beverly Hills, BeverlyHills, equestrian, high society, HighSociety, library, mansions, megayachts, Rizzoli, San Simeon, SanSimeon, Stanford White, StanfordWhite, teNeues, yacht

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EXCLUSIVE PHOTO FEATURE: Essential Summer Style, Starring the Jaguar XK Convertible

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Gadgets, Timepieces / Watches, Luxury Cars & Autos, Wine, Cosmetics and Fragrance, Shoes, Books, Men's Style

Click above for high res image gallery and full credit info. Photographed by Adrianna Ault for Luxist.

Welcome to the first in a new series of exclusive photo features showcasing seasonal style essentials inspired by classic icons of elegance, sport and design, photographed with the most beautiful and coveted cars on the road. The emphasis is on luxury of course, but of the timeless variety as opposed to mere extravagance.

In our recent Classicist column on the 2010 Jaguar XK convertible coming out this August, we remarked on the sleek new cat's stylistic heritage dating back to 1948's XK120, as driven by the likes of Gary Cooper, Humphrey Bogart and Clark Gable, as well as later models like the D-Type (or XK-SS) made famous by the great Steve McQueen. The first in our new series of exclusive shoots is inspired by them and stars the XK in homage to these stylish icons, both man and automotive (read all about the new XK here).

In particular, the influence of Gable (with his XK120 in 1954, top right) and McQueen (with his XK-SS, center right) can be seen in the summery style essentials we've assembled for this shoot. For the pastoral setting we drew on another classic Jaguar reference, an image of writer Truman Capote in a Jaguar XK-E, the model most closely aligned with the new XK, in the Hamptons in 1965 (bottom right).

In the spirit of summer we've chosen a classic combination of navy and white, popular as fashionable resort wear for a nearly a century and still going strong in the right circles. While navy blazers of the type shown here originated as part of English cricket club scenery and other elegant sporting occasions such as the Henley Royal Regatta, without gold buttons it needn't be unnecessarily nautical or costume-y.

The jacket shown here, in tropical weight wool with soft shoulders by the dashing Italian house of Etro, references its sporting antecedents with grosgrain tipping on the lapels, pockets and cuffs; however, since it is finished in the same color as the jacket the effect is a subtle one, while the slim cut updates the look with Italian flair. A cream linen camp shirt by Paul Stuart and white linen pants by Polo Ralph Lauren round out the rest of the ensemble.

As an alternative on cooler days or evenings - which we've certainly had plenty of this summer - we've also included a variation of the navy blazer by Brooks Brothers made of butter-soft goat suede with spiffy sporting details including a throat latch, stand-up collar, action back and pure Irish linen lining, which calls to mind the jacket worn by Gable above.

While a polka dot foulard silk scarf by the venerable British clothier Turnbull & Asser (shirtmaker to the Prince of Wales) provides not only another classic touch and added dose of sprezzatura, it also protects against the elements while piloting the XK with the top down at serious speeds. A hefty dose of McQueen meanwhile can be seen in the rakish cap, sunglasses and watch. For the feet and the road, a pair of pebble-sold leather driving moccasins by Tod's keep the haute Italian vibe going.

The checked linen driving cap - this model is made by Brooks Brothers - of the type favored by McQueen has no brim to collide with a car's headrest, and is infinitely more elegant than a baseball cap. Also on view: iconic Italian Persol sunglasses, in particular the model made famous by McQueen in The Thomas Crown Affair. Starring in this feature are a foldable version of McQueen's faves, as well as a couple of other killer Persol models; all are available at Ilori. Also included is a pair of shades by Paul Smith. The watch is a classic and vintage stainless steel Rolex GMT-Master II, available at Tourneau, of a similar design to the Rolex Submariner model favored by McQueen (and which recently fetched a record price at auction). Read on for details of the rest of the accessories after the jump.

Gallery: Essential Summer Style 7/09

Tags: Adrianna Ault, AdriannaAult, Brooks Brothers, BrooksBrothers, camera, Clark Gable, ClarkGable, classic cars, ClassicCars, convertible, Duke of Windsor, DukeOfWindsor, Etro, Floto Imports, FlotoImports, hats, Ilori, Jaguar, Leica, lighter, Paul Smith, Paul Stuart, PaulSmith, PaulStuart, Persol, photography, Polo, Prince of Wales, PrinceOfWales, prosecco, Ralph Lauren, RalphLauren, Rolex, S.T. Dupont, S.t.Dupont, scarf, Steve McQueen, SteveMcqueen, summer, summer style, SummerStyle, sunglasses, teNeues, Tods, Tourneau, Truman Capote, TrumanCapote, Turnbull Asser, TurnbullAsser, Via dei Mille, ViaDeiMille

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New York's Most Luxurious Living Spaces

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Estates, Books

Luxury Living: New York, the latest volume in teNeues' luxury series, affords a rare inside peek at a truly privileged world. The book features some of the Big Apple and environs' finest architecture interior design, from a glinting modern masterpiece in Manhattan to a solidly traditional structure set in the Hamptons. More than just the most expensive living spaces, however, the featured abodes all express opulence married to great taste, even on a small scale; one of the apartments included in the volume measures a mere 300-sq.-ft., while others are multimillion-dollar palaces. Dazzling photographs by Reto Guntli adorn every page.

Tags: architecture, Hamptons, interior design, InteriorDesign, Manhattan, New York, NewYork, teNeues

Stefan May: Women Only

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Art, Books

The other day we wrote about some of Helmut Newton's work being offered at auction. Sadly, Newton died in 2004, but a few photographers are carrying on in his spirit of fashion-meets-fine art-meets-erotica. Chief among them is German lensman Stefan May, who has a brilliant, lavish new monograph coming out from teNeues on June 15 titled Women Only. The book, available for pre-order from Amazon, cements May's place as the master of the sensual nude. The collection combines duotone and color images in an imaginative assortment, and the "contrast between photographic modes helps the reader fully appreciate form and texture, as well as interplays of light and shadow." It's also damned hot.

Tags: erotica, Helmut Newton, HelmutNewton, models, nude, photography, sex, Stefan May, StefanMay, teNeues

The Classicist: The World's Greatest Luxury Yachts

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Yachts & Sailing, Books, The Classicist

In the rarefied world of mega yachts, the ultimate achievement is to have one designed by a certain Norwegian genius named Espen Oeino. The world's top star in naval architecture, Oeino's megabucks creations "combine the precision of fine machinery with indulgent finishes and the high-end amenities of a palace." When German luxury publisher teNeues opted to focus a volume in its amazing Luxury Toys series to the world's greatest yachts, it was quickly decided to dedicated the entire book to Oeino.

Luxury Toys: Mega Yachts showcases 20 of the Monaco-based Oeino's stellar creations accompanied by text from top yachting author Nick Jeffery, the most respected authority on luxury watercraft. Among the megayachts featured is Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen's 413-ft. Octopus, the 8th largest yacht in the world and the second largest superyacht that is not owned by a head of state. The nine deck ship cost $200 million to build and has an annual operating budget estimated at $20 million.

Designed for self-sufficient long range cruising, the Octopus contains a wet dock for a 59-ft. tender and an equally large remotely-operated submarine that can descend to 2500 meters, a twin helicopter hangar and two helipads, countless giant antennae and a telescopic sonar, a cinema and music studio. Another Oeino creation featured in the book is the military-looking 233-ft. SKAT, pictured above, built by Lürssen of Bremen, Germany for Charles Simonyi, a former Microsoft software engineer and pioneering space tourist. The yacht features an elevator serving all four decks, a gymnasium, matching helicopter, and motorcycles with a special lift.

Gallery: Luxury Toys: Mega Yachts

Tags: Charles Simonyi, CharlesSimonyi, Espen Oeino, EspenOeino, Lurssen, megayacht, Microsoft, Monaco, Octopus yacht, OctopusYacht, Paul Allen, PaulAllen, teNeues, yacht

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The Classicist: The World's Most Beautiful Ferraris

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Books, The Classicist

Every year since 1985, German lensman Günther Raupp has photographed the world's most beautiful Ferraris for the exclusive, limited edition official Ferrari Calendar, of which only a few thousand copies are printed every year. He has now selected the best of the best for an incredible book marking the 25th anniversary: Ferarri: 25 Years of Calendar Images from teNeues. The cars in the book span the entire history of the world-famous Italian marque, from the 1950 166 MM Barchetta Touring victorious in the Mille Miglia, to the high-tech supercars of today, including the amazing 275 GTB Competizione (above), which came in 3rd at Le Mans in 1965 and is worth millions.

In his preface to the book, which he considers a sort of "family album," founder Enzo Ferrari's only living son Piero Ferrari writes that Raupp "seizes the spirit rather than simply the form of our vehicles." Enzo himself, to whom the book is dedicated, obviously agreed; the title page is a facsimile of a personal note of thanks he sent to Raupp when the first calendar was published. Raupp himself is an avid Ferrari collector; his favorite is a 1972 Dino 246 GTS, which he has owned for 28 years. He "lovingly handpicked" his greatest work over the decades for this volume showcasing scores of legendary vehicles.

Gallery: Ferrari: 25 Years