One of the earliest Bugatti racing cars is expected to fetch up to 2.4 million euros ($3.4 million) at a sale in France, said auction house Bonhams.
Built in 1912, it was raced by by the manufacturer’s eponymous founder, Ettore, at Le Mans and on the Mont Ventoux.
Compared to the other Bugattis of the era, it has an unusually large engine and uses chains to drive the rear wheels.
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Bugatti unveiled a Sang Bleu special edition model of its new Veyron Grand Sport this weekend at Quail Lodge at Pebble Beach in California.
The Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Sang Bleu combines carbon fiber and polished aluminum – an innovative combination never realized before.
Bugatti calls this approach a ‘new dimension of « Art – Forme – Technique »’, the company’s core values statement.
The Grand Sport wheels also get a two-tone finish — Midnight Blue and Diamond Cut — while the rear air scoops are tinted royal blue.
The cockpit is trimmed in gaucho leather.
Like all Veryons, the Sang Bleu features a potent 1,001-horsepower W-16 quad-turbocharged engine and all-wheel-drive powetrain.
It shares the rest of its technical specification with the Grand Sport on which it’s based.
Designed as an homage to the marque’s heritage during its 100th anniversary celebrations, the Sang Bleu is also far more exclusive than the 15-car Sang Noir run, since it’s a one-off exercise.
The Volkswagen group aquired the rights of the Bugatti marque in 1998 and revived the marque.
In March 2006, the first Bugatti Veyron built by Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S. was delivered
BUGATTI says it has sold 250 of those cars, including 20 Grand Sport models, and has delivered 215 cars to customers.
Donald Edge has created with French company Chambord a £2 million bottle of their liqueur to celebrate the new stage version of Breakfast at Tiffany’s.
The iconic Chambord Royal orb bottle, hand-wrought from 18 carat yellow gold, will be encrusted with the finest round pearls, over 1,100 exquisitely cut round and pear shaped diamonds, and a square cut emerald diamond.
This expensive but magnificent, sparkling bottle will be launched at London Fashion Week on September 22.
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The Bulgari Serpenti Collection is Bulgari’s latest jewelry collection and takes its inspiration from snakes.
Bracelets and rings are unruffled of a series of scrupulously crafted components that replicate the scales of a snake.
The collection is made of yellow and white gold with scales made of onyx, pink coral, mother-of-pearl, lavender jade or encrusted with diamonds.
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Hyundai has officially confirmed the luxurious Equus sedan will be launched in the United States.
Set to go to on sale in late 2010, the Equus will attempt to compete with premium models from Lexus, BMW and Mercedes.
Hyundai’s American CEO, John Krafcik said that the success of the smaller Hyundai Genesis had paved the way for an American Equus.
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If the Vertu Ascent Ti Carbon fibre collection failed to meet your requirements, the latest Ascent Ti collection might impress you.
Dubbed the Vertu Ascent Ti Neon, it’s apparently designed with well-to-do women in mind.
It’s slightly slimmer than the regular Ascent Ti, being less bulbous at the bottom to fit more snugly in a handbag.
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A hotel near Venice has accepted that its rooms were mistakenly advertised online at a mere one-hundredth of a euro instead of up to 150 euros.
Nearly 230 people took advantage of the offer, booking on average more than six nights per person at the Crowne Plaza.
The hotel’s sales manager, Fulvio Danesin, said that the hotel first thought the advert had been posted by a hacker.
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LVMH has bought a 50% stake in St-Emilion’s Château Cheval Blanc from its billionaire chairman and controlling shareholder, Bernard Arnault.
However financial terms were not disclosed in the release, which pointedly failed to mention that LVMH was acquiring the Bordeaux wine from Arnault.
Arnault, reputedly France’s richest man, bought Cheval-Blanc with Belgian businessman Albert Frère in 1998 for a reported €155m.
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Photographed by renowned duo Inez and Vinoodh, the powerhouse has combined its menswear and womenswear collection for this campaign.
Some models featured in the ads are Anja Rubik, Natasha Poly, Raquel Zimmermann, Myf Shepherd, Gerhard Freidl.
Very italian, very sexy and very Gucci!
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Roman Abramovich recently launched the 557-ft. Eclipse, the world’s largest and most expensive privately owned yacht at a cost of about $450 million.
Now renowned naval architect Donald Starkey is offering to top that feat with a 656-ft. behemoth called Everest (named after the world’s tallest peak).
Currently under construction in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, the Everest will be longer than two football fields
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The International Herald Tribune has announced that Claudia Schiffer will join the lineup of high-profile speakers at its annual luxury conference.
Titled “Techno Luxury”, the conference will take place at Berlin’s Ritz-Carlton, On November 17 and 18, 2009.
The program will focus on how the technology and other marketing innovations can offer new creative direction and business opportunities for luxury goods.
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German fashion company Escada AG filed for bankruptcy after being unable to obtain sufficient financing, a Munich district court said Thursday.
The company carries around $100 million in debt and has struggled over the past year as the market for luxury goods has declined.
Founded as a knitwear company in 1976 by husband and wife Wolfgang and Margaretha Ley, Escada employs more than 2,300 people across the globe.
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Sony Ericsson is the latest company to team up with a fashion designer to launch a mobile phone, with the launch of the Sony Ericsson Dolce & Gabbana Jalou Mobile Phone.
At just 73mm long – The phone which is targeted at women is shorter than a lipstick tube and designed to slip into the tiniest clutch or jacket pocket.
The Sony Ericsson Dolce & Gabbana Jalou Mobile Phone features a 3.2 megapixel camera, and the ability to record video as well as take photos.
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UK daily the Telegraph reports that an Israeli woman paid the El Al airline USD32,000 to allow her dog to travel with her in business class from Paris to Tel Aviv.
The woman, identified by the paper as Rivkah, 60, took up an entire compartment to ferry her, her boxer “Orchuk†and a vet on the four-hour flight.
Airline El Al had to remove several seats to make room for Or’s cage.
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Japanese Design house Felissimo is launching an inspirational new product called the 500 Colored Pencils, a subscription of 500 different colored pencils.
The way to get them is unique. If you order this product, you’ll get 25 color pencils each month. After 20 months, you will get all of them.
As the year progresses, your art will gain a new dimension, as 500 colors pretty much ensures you can capture almost any shade imaginable.
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Nespresso have released three new Grand Cru espresso’s into their range which come from the worlds top coffee producing countries.
These new coffee capsules will offer Nespresso owners more variety, and will extend the current line of Nespresso Grand Crus instead of just being a seasonal offering.
The idea, beyond providing a unique flavor, is to support the local ecosystems, making this a green initiative as well as a premium one.
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Fans of luxury mobile phones will probably be interested in Vertu’s latest collection, called Ascent Ti Carbon Fibre.
This collection is a follow up of the previous Ferrari editions and Racetrack Legends series.
Vertu Ascent Ti Carbon Fibre will reportedly offer a 2 inch QVGA display, 3G, 4GB of internal memory and a 3.15MP camera with LED flash.
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Louis Vuitton partners with artist Camille Scherrer to present the new “Louis Vuitton : Art. Fashion and Architecture” book.
Discover the animated movie (below) created by the talented young artist and witness the book come to life.
A deluxe edition exclusively designed for Louis Vuitton by Takashi Murakami will be for sale in Louis Vuitton stores and online from September 1st 2009.
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We have followed Hermes helicopter earlier too and today it’s time to tell you all about Japan’s first Hermes helicopter.
The service will provide a 30-minute luxury helicopter shuttle service between central Tokyo and Narita International Airport.
The Hermes helicopter features calf-leather seats and walls decorated with the brand’s signature Toile H fabric used in its leather goods.
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A second group of artworks from the collection of the late fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent and his partner Pierre Berge is expected to fetch up to 4 million euros ($5.7 million) when it appears for sale in November.
Christie’s International’s YSL Part II sale, held in collaboration with Pierre Berge, will take place at its Paris auction rooms on November 17, 18 and 19.
Almost 1,200 pieces will be offered, about half of them from the couple’s coastal retreat, Chateau Gabriel, at Benerville near Deauville in Normandy.
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The new 41 Super Leggera from Rhode Island’s Outerlimits Powerboats can do 100 m.p.h., costs $650,000 and is the closest thing we’ve seen yet to an oceangoing Lamborghini.
Based on race boat technology, the 41 Super Leggera is available with a wide range of power options…
From deafeningly loud to the the new silent underwater muffling system introduced by Mercruiser, and a host of exclusive finishes.
