Neiman Marcus’ Limited-Edition 2009 BMW

Christmas may be months away, but Neiman Marcus has just released their holiday shopping catalog — which, of course, means an overpriced limited-edition luxury car has also been revealed.

Following on the heels of last year's Lexus IS F and 2006's 2007 BMW M6 Convertible, this year they'll be offering up the new 2009 BMW 7-Series.But what’s so exclusive about this 7-Series? Each model has been customized by BMW Individual and painted in a special Diopside Black metallic color with an interior stitched in Champagne Merino leather and accented with wood and Piano Black inserts.

This luxury car limited to 31 examples which also expresses the commemoration of 31 years 7-series. Those who do their daily shopping within the pages of the Neiman Marcus Christmas Book will be the first able to purchase the new 2009 BMW 7 Series beginning October 17th, before it arrives in showrooms next spring and even before its LA Auto Show stateside debut.

The $160,000 package also includes two business-class tickets to the Headquarters in Munich including a four-night stay in a luxury hotel. And, to adequately get in touch with the your one-of-31s you’ll be invite to seize a road-trip into the French Riviera.

Limited Edition Neiman Marcus Ducati Hypermotard

This week Ducati North America launched a limited edition Ducati Hypermotard with luxury retailer Neiman Marcus. The limited production motorcycle is featured in the Neiman Marcus Fall Men’s Book and can be ordered through the Neiman Marcus website.

It features a Termignoni full exhaust system with performance ECU, Ducati Performance race seat, a specially designed “Tricolore“ color and graphics package and an array of carbon fiber accessories – all conceived and executed by Advanced Motorsports, one of the premier Ducati dealerships in North America. Production is limited and each unit carries an individually numbered plaque signifying its exclusivity.

Each Limited Edition Neiman Marcus Ducati Hypermotard begins its life as a Hypermotard 1100 in Ducati's Bologna, Italy factory and is then hand crafted in the US by one of the foremost authorities on Ducati performance. These special bikes are built to order and will be delivered to the Ducati dealership of your choice.

It's priced at $17,995. But can the additions and the supposed exclusivity brought by the limited numbers justify the $6,000 premium? Neiman Marcus is hardly an aspirational brand these days, and with only a few accessories added to stock bikes, these are unlikely to become collector's items...

Audi R8 Themed Catamaran

Catamarans have become increasingly popular over the last year or so. This one is the creation of Swedish design and engineering firm Vizualtech (designer : Bo Zolland), which was contacted by a customer from Dubai who was seeking a new design for a race boat. Starting with an R8 as its inspiration, Vizualtech set about creating what it is now named the Biocat R8 racing catamaran.

According to the Swedish designer, the 8.8 meter long R8 speedboat has been designed to use a V10 biodiesel marine engine or two smaller 320 HP diesel units helping it to achieve a theoretical top speed of 110 MPH.

The R8 Catamaran has an Audi inspired design and equally impressive technology that goes with it. The boat comes in a number of cool colors like metallic gray, black and red.

Vizualtech exec Bo Zolland is yet to confirm whether the Biocat will be produced but states that the original customer that commissioned the design is very happy with the initial concept.

Source : motorauthority

2009 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster 722 S

Mercedes have launched the latest iteration of their Mercedes McLaren SLR called the SLR Roadster 722 S. Not to be confused with the power output of the car, which stands at 650hp (478kW), the “722” labeling came from a race in 1955 in which Stirling Moss competed in a Mercedes Benz 300 SLR. The start time for Stirling Moss was exactly 7.22am.

The Mercedes McLaren SLR Roadster 722 S is based on the SLR Roadster but features numerous performance improvements.

The body of the 722 S, with the exception of two aluminum frames, is completely made of carbon-fiber materials just like the hardtop. It also features the same 650hp (478kW) and 604lb-ft (820Nm) output from a hand-built 5.5L supercharged V8.

The five-speed automatic carries over from the standard SLR lineup but has been specially configured to accommodate the engine's very high torque, and allows the driver to choose between two sets of shift characteristics. As a result the SLR Roadster 722 S sprints from 0-62mph (0-100km/h) in just 3.7 seconds, and 124mph (200km/h) is reached in 10.6 seconds.

In addition, the 722 S still features a fully retractable folding roof designed to withstand the extreme speeds the car is capable of !

First sales will start in Europe in January, with pricing around the €520,0000/$750,000 mark (about €25,000/$36,000 more than the standard SLR Roadster) and only 150 units will be built in total. North American availability and pricing is yet to be announced.

Ferrari Motorcycle Concept Drawings

Interesting Ferrari motorcycle concept by Israeli industrial designer Amir Glinik based on the engine of a Ferrari Enzo car.

Using drive-by-wire technology, the V4 superbike features hand controls adapted from an F-16 fighter jet and buttons based on those found on the steering wheel of Ferrari’s Formula 1 racecars. Other controls for the sound system and trip computer are located on an all weather touchscreen.

"Vintage and modern Ferrari projects influence my design," Glinik says. "It's a mix of what I find to be the best Ferrari lines with the latest technology I could think of in terms of engine, gear and driving management."

Glinik's V4 motorcycle is still in the concept drawing stage and we have no idea if it will ever reach the production stage. Unfortunately, Ferrari does not want their name attached to this motorcycle concept and told Amir to take it down from his site.

More info and pictures at Glinik's site

Bentley updates Ego laptop line

Bentley Motors, manufacturer of the cars used by James Bond, announced plans this week to release a brand new "luxury" laptop computer. As we initially reported, when news of the Ego Bentley first surfaced, Bentley Motors teamed up with Ego Lifestyle on the ultra high-end laptop project (Ego Lifestyle designs and sells high-end consumer electronics).

These laptops have been around since 2003, but maybe you got yourself a new Bentley and so you might want laptop constructed with the same materials. The Ego laptop, of course, can be ordered to look like your Bentley automobile. According to the company, the color options of the lacquered inside matches the car's most popular exterior paint colors. The external panels have been trimmed with the finest selection of Bentley leather and finished with the authentic Bentley cross-over hand-stitching, designed to match exactly an individual’s particular requirements.

Running Microsoft Vista software, the laptop has a 64-bit processor and a 160GB hard drive. And Bentley being nothing if not stylish, the notebook is encircled with a white gold frame engraved with the limited edition number.

Looking more like an expensive handbag than a laptop when it's closed, the outside of the machine is trimmed with "Bentley leather" and styled with Bentley cross-over hand stitching. Bentley also notes that the laptop has an ergonomic, integrated handle designed to "remove the need for an unattractive bag or case."

Coming in at a whopping $19,800, only 250 of the systems, dubbed the Ego for Bentley, will be sold. Yes I know, $20,000 seems like a lot of money for a laptop computer but in case you hadn't noticed, we're not the type of customers to whom Bentley caters ^_^

Porsche Employees To Get Big Bonus

After gaining its long fought 35 % majority stake in Volkswagen AG last week, Porsche SE announced its intentions to reward employees at Porsche AG with an increased annual bonus of 6,000 euro ($8,760) for the year ending July 31. The bonus grows 800 euro compared to last year's awarding.

The bonus includes a 3,800-euro payment from operating profit, 700 euros stemming from one-time financial gains, and 1,500 euros in honor of the company's 60th anniversary, the carmaker said.

Worldwide Porsche sales for the past 10 months through May are up 0.7% to 6.02 billion euro. Aiding these figures is the 47% increase in Cayenne SUV deliveries and the recent European introduction of a revamped 911. Up to date Porsche revenue figures are expected in the near future.

It's great to see companies who give a damn about their employees!

Source: Bloomberg

Vintage Ferrari 250 GTO

Talk about auctions, this wasn’t one that can be compared with the ordinary! Not for the way the décor was done, but it was about the most valued Ferrari getting all it was worth as the hammer went down. The most admirable of them all, the Ferrari 250 GTO shattered all records by fetching €20 million.

We would not get into the intricacies of judging whether the money spent by the unnamed Englishman was logical, for it is simply a timeless ruby that eventually turned valuable.

A rare pick for the early ’60s considering those 302 horses under the hood, and a top speed of 283km/hr, it is a desirable gem that wouldn’t surprise us even if someone pays double the amount the next time around.

Source: Bornrich

Swarovski MINI Cooper

Dubbed “American Icon”, the glittering MINI is the work of CrystalArt and it’ll be on display at the upcoming National Stationery Show, May 20-23, at NY City’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.

The car features over one-million Swarvoski crystals in 50 different shades of color to represent the 50 states. Each stone was meticulously placed by hand and took four people almost 6 months to complete.

The car depicts America’s most revered iconic scenery and symbols including The Statue of Liberty, Mount Rushmore, The White House, The American Flag and the Eagle, among others.

5th Peugeot concept car design contest 2008

Voting period for Peugeot design contest 2008 is on the go !

For the fifth time Peugeot is holding their futuristic design competition. Last year the Flux, designed by 20-year old Romanian Mihai Panaitescu, won the competition and was built as a concept car and eventually shown at the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show.

This year the competition was themed as “Imagine a Peugeot for the Megalopolis of Tomorrow”. The participants should take into consideration Peugeot’s stylistic codes and their projects must contain the following four aspects: environmental awareness, social harmony, interactive mobility and economic efficiency.

Entries were submitted in July and a jury has selected their 30 favorite designs so that the a popularity vote (15 August through 15 September 2008) can be held on the internet.

A top ten will be revealed on 16 September 2008. At the Paris Motor Show on 2 October 2008 Peugeot will announce the winner of the competition so that the concept can go into development for a 2009 Shanghai Motor Show in China global debut.

And now the most interesting part… The finalists with their concept car designs are presented below. Just vote for the concept car you most like on the official Peugeot site. In a week we will get to know the best 10 finalists.


* * *
Title: SVP
Author: Mickael Soubabère
Location: France

* * *
Title: Module
Author: Cristian Fabio Di Filippo
Location: Argentina

* * *
Title: Peugeot 888
Author: Oskar Johansen
Location: Norway

* * *
Title: Streamlife
Author: Liang Tian
Location: China

* * *
Title: Opus
Author: Soheil Ghotbi Ravandi
Location: Iran

* * *
Title: Rugir (Roar)
Author: Onur Guvenc
Location: Germany

* * *
Title: OPENA
Author: Jaroslaw Koziel
Location: Poland

* * *
Title: Peugeot Stylight
Author: Ognyan Bozhilov
Location: Bulgaria

* * *
Title: Peugeot Pure
Author: Pierlot Damien
Location: Belgium

* * *
Title: Peugeot Rayo
Author: Ivan Kraljević
Location: Croatia

* * *
Title: MoVille
Author: Woo-Ram Lee
Location: France

* * *
Title: Ego
Author: Emre Yazici
Location: Turkey

* * *
Title: Globe
Author: Varun Gopinath
Location: India

* * *
Title: Seed by Peugeot
Author: Yann Terrer
Location: France

* * *
Title: OXO
Author: Lou Ke
Location: China

* * *
Title: P.R.O.
Author: Ke Guo
Location: China

* * *
Title: Peugeot Alegro
Author: Alexandre Raad
Location: Brazil

* * *
Title: xtreet
Author: Esteban Peisci
Location: Argentina

* * *
Title: Peugeot 50x
Author: Gustavo Hernandez
Location: Colombia

* * *
Title: Peugeot Blade
Author: Ying Hui Choo
Location: Singapore

* * *
Title: Peugeot Magnet
Author: Tolga Metin
Location: United States

* * *
Title: Facile
Author: Thierry Dumaine
Location: France

* * *
Title: [E cube]
Author: Seung Hoon Yoo
Location: Republic of Korea

* * *
Title: RD
Author: Carlos Arturo Torres Tovar
Location: Colombia

* * *
Title: Echo
Author: Sun Rujun
Location: China

* * *
Title: GALapagos
Author: Igor Yastrebov
Location: Russian Federation

* * *
Title: Peugeot Verde
Author: Michael Witus Schierup
Location: Denmark

* * *
Title: Peugeot 1009 Concept
Author: Edwin van der Mark
Location: Netherlands

* * *

Title: Vision
Author: Shinji Nukumi
Location: Japan

Dunhill creates luggage for Bentley

Dunhill, the English leather goods maker, have collaborated with Bentley to create a 5-piece set of luggage, designed specifically for Bentley cars. (Dunhill already make a luggage set for Maybach)

The Bentley Collection by Dunhill is to fit perfectly into the trunk of any Bentley : The luggage set is made of the finest leather and is reminiscent of fluted designs of Bentley seats and can be ordered in any color to match the interior of a Bentley.

The entire set consists of a briefcase, large and small suitcases, a washbag, and a weekend bag. You can expect to pay about $8600, before options.

Via sybarites

Volkswagen Caddy Topos Sail Design Concept

Among the display of leisure vehicles and campers on the Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles stand at Europe’s largest recreational vehicle show that starts in Düsseldorf, Germany this weekend will be an interesting Caddy Topos Sail design concept which takes its nautical theme to the extreme of having a wooden boat deck on its roof.

The Caddy Topos Sail design concept, based on the smallest model in the Volkswagen Commercial Vehicle van range, uses design cues from classic yachts and has its multi-functional roof covered with wooden decking surrounded by aluminium roof rails.

The deck also turns up to make a lounge chair over the Caddy, but the most appealing component of this concept would be the wooden ladder built into the glass that makes the roof accessible, and to complete the design theme there are wooden inserts along the side of the vehicle and in the rear bumper.

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles created the design study as part of the celebrations of 20 years of the California camper. It’s perfect for all you guys who like chill out by the deck after a long drive !

Pininfarina Rolls-Royce Hyperion Officially Revealed

The Rolls Royce Hyperion, that we introduced to you two montgs ago, made its world debut last week at the Concours d'Elegance at Pebble Beach.

The car was designed and built by Pininfarina, commissioned by car collector Roland Hall who wanted a unique Rolls Royce Phantom Drophead Coupé. The private client who already owned a Rolls-Royce Drophead Coupe, asked them to create a custom-built car that would evoke the appeal of the sumptuous cars of the 1930s.

'It is not the first time that the Pininfarina Special Projects Division has designed a unique car from a standard production model,' said Andrea Pininfarina, Chairman and CEO of Pininfarina SpA. 'In the recent past we have reinterpreted Ferrari engineering, as in the case of the Pininfarina Ferrari P4/5 of collector Jim Glickenhaus, or Peter Kalikow's Scaglietti 'K'.

The Rolls Royce Hyperion is based on the chassis of the Drophead Coupé but numerous changes have been implemented : the rear seats of the model are removed leaving enough area to nudge the driving position back an extra 400mm.

To accurately depict the styling of the pre-war cars, Pininfarina had to extend the roof which simultaneously shorten the rear end whilst keeping a beautiful array of soft flowing design lines.

The body of the car has been completely redesigned and is made of carbon fibre, although the doors which have been designed by craftsmen that usually focus on luxury boats are made of solid wood.

The interior remains largely unchanged except for the Rolls Royce dashboard clock has now been replaced with a custom made Girard Perregaux Tourbillon which fits onto a special mount on the dashboard and can be detached for Mr. Hall's personal use.

Related articles :

• Rare Bugatti Type 57SC Atalante Coupé sells for $8 million
• New Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport unveiled

Futuristic Ferrari

This futuristic Ferrari Monza was designed by Iman Maghsoudi and it looks more like a spaceship than a car.

The future cars will be capable of travelling speeds of 300 km/hour, too fast for a human to operate manually as they lack "sufficient concentration” and dexterity. As a result, computers will have to be programmed to drive them.

With the Monza, at slower speeds, the "pilot" sits in a cockpit similar to straddling a motorcycle and has full control. Once the vehicle reaches a predetermined speed, the vehicle changes its shape to become more aerodynamic, and control is taken over by a computer.

It is designed to speed with tail fins that make sure that your Ferrari doesn’t take to the skies at high speeds and it also has a friction reducing technology.
The original Ferrari Monza was one of a series of cars built by the Italian manufacturers in the early 1950s.

Rare Bugatti Type 57SC Atalante Coupé sells for $8 million

A rare 1937 Bugatti Type 57SC Atalante Coupe sold for $7.92 million at Gooding & Co.'s auto auction during the annual Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in California over the weekend

With its streamlined styling, low-slung chassis and supercharged engine, the Type 57SC Atalante is one of the most desirable Bugattis. It was designed by Jean Bugatti as a two-seater sports coupe and became the rarest of the four different body styles offered at Carrosorie Bugatti : only seven were manufactured.

The Bugatti Type 57 was solely a road-going vehicle and is considered the most celebrated of all non-racing Bugattis.

Though It is the highest price ever paid for an automobile at auction in the U.S.A.. A few months ago, British radio host, Chris Evans, set the world record for the highest price ever paid for a vintage car, when he paid $10,894,900 for a 1961 Ferrari California Spyder at RM Auction’s second annual “Ferrari Leggenda e Passione” auction in Maranello, Italy.

New Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport unveiled

Press Release

On the evening prior to the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, Bugatti unveiled
the new Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport.

In response to customer demand, significant modifications have been made to the vehicle’s complex structure to make possible open-top driving, thereby adding a new dimension to this high-performance sports car. Incorporating a host of new and innovative safety and equipment features, it is the world’s fastest roadster. It is immediately recognizable as a result of its slightly higher windscreen, stylized daytime running lights, and lightweight, transparent polycarbonate roof.

The main challenge in developing the new Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport with removable roof resulted from the unique structure of the fixed-roof Bugatti Veyron. An optimum combination of rigidity and lightweight engineering ensures the monocoque passenger cell of the original model is extremely strong while weighing an absolute minimum – it is a central element of the vehicle’s structure.

As the roof is an integral part of this, removing it meant the load paths had to be completely redesigned to maintain the vehicle’s rigidity and crash safety, and to offer additional protection from side impacts and rolling.

As a result, the monocoque structure has been reinforced around the side skirts and the transmission tunnel. The B-pillars have been cross-stiffened using a carbon fibre support, and a central carbon plate has been positioned beneath the transmission tunnel to ensure the vehicle suffers from less torsional flexing
than any other roadster. The doors of the new Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport are made of carbon fibre, and house an integrated longitudinal beam. In the event of an accident, this transfers the load from the A to the B-pillar, thereby dissipating impact energy. Furthermore, the two redesigned air intakes for the 16-cylinder mid-engine now feature 10-centimetre wide carbon-fibre elements to offer protection should the car roll.

Along with moisture-resistant, backstitched leather, a range of new equipment features has been added to the interior, including a reversing camera with 2.7-inch monitor in the rear-view-mirror, and the “Puccini” sound system with digital signal processor.

When the roof is closed, the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport can reach 407 km/h, while speeds of up to 360 km/h are possible with roof off. Should it rain, an innovative folding roof stored in the luggage compartment can be opened up like an umbrella at any time. When this folding roof is in place, the car can travel at up to 130 km/h.

Assembled by hand at the company’s headquarters in Molsheim, Alsace, the Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport will be available from March 2009 at the price of 1.4 million euros (excluding tax). Just 150 examples will be made, with the first 50 of these going exclusively to registered Bugatti customers.

2008 Iconic GTR Roadster

The Iconic GTR Roadster, that is is being showcased at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance Car Show, is one of the most luxurious American cars on the market.

That is where many of the world’s luxury auto manufacturers choose to debut beautiful supercars, including the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport that will also make its first public appearance this Summer.

The GTR has a V-8 engine that generates 800hp and 600 lb-ft of torque. The car can reach speeds of more than 200mph and accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in a blazing 2.8 seconds.

"I have wanted to build a car that combines the latest innovative technologies with the most exquisite detailing, design and all out performance since the day I began reading car magazines as a kid," said Claudio Ballard, the inventor and visionary behind the GTR Roadster. The dash center console has a 8-inch touch screen display utilizing the same bright-view technology found in military strike fighters and bombers for clear visibility regardless of sunlight exposure in support of its onboard GPS navigation and driver information displays.

Entirely designed, engineered and constructed in the US, this supercar is priced $600,000 with production slated to begin in Fall 2008.

Aston Martin’s One-77 is the new World’s Most Expensive Car

Aston Martin has lately unveiled the One-77, a codename for the as-yet-unnamed V12 coupe, the first new Aston Martin since the company was sold to Ford.

Aston will make only 77 models (seven is the Aston Martin CEO Ulrich Benz lucky number!) and each customer will be able to customize the supercar to their personal tastes.

Each Aston Martin One-77 will be built around a carbon fiber chassis which will be ultra light and strong, supporting a handmade aluminum body.

Aston Martin One-77 will be the fastest car the British marque has ever built. Fitted with a hand finished 7-litre V12 engine, the Aston Martin One-77 will produce more than 650 horsepower. Top speed is estimated at 220 mph and 60 mph arrives in 3.5 seconds.

Aston discloses his plans to hit the market by offering One-77’s for sale by late 2009. Though, Aston Martin is going to unseat the Veyron as the World's Most Expensive Car knowing that the coupe model is anticipated to bear a retail price of $2.3 million.

Aston chairman David Richards says the company has already identified the “500 or so” potential customers and will take demonstration cars to them, rather than requiring them to visit a showroom.