Subscribe to Gizmag's RSS feed
Follow Gizmag on Twitter
Luxury
The $100,000 Dynasty billiard table
By Mick Webb
17:04 February 2, 2010 PST
The Dynasty is a very 21st Century take on a gaming platform that's been with us for more than 500 years - the billiard table. The US$100,000 Dynasty features sculptured metal, slate pockets, and neon–look LED under lighting. Add to that a host of other top of the line fittings and you have yourself one very sharp looking centerpiece for the games room. The owner of the first known indoor billiard table - King Louis XI of France (1461–1483) - would surely approve. Read More
Necker Nymph: underwater flying becomes Virgin territory
21:51 January 31, 2010 PST
It seems that Sir Richard Branson's quest to conquer unexplored frontiers isn't limited to space tourism.The Virgin boss's latest acquisition is a DeepFlight three-person aero submarine that "flies" through the briny deep using the positive buoyancy system developed by Graham Hawkes. Christened Necker Nymph, the flying sub will find a home on Branson's 74 acre private island in the British Virgin Islands where it will launch from shore as well as operating from the luxury 105 foot catamaran Necker Belle - just add a quiet US$25,000 to the weekly hire price tag. Read More
HD Video road test: Victory's Vision megatourer
By Loz Blain
12:40 January 4, 2010 PST
For millions of commuters around the world, motorcycles are a compact and cheap way of getting around town in congested traffic. The Victory Vision is the absolute opposite - there's only been a handful of production bikes ever made that are bigger and heavier than this 400-kilogram, 1740cc American behemoth. It's built to eat up thousands of open-road miles with Harley-beating performance and buttock-coddling luxury - but in a surprise twist, this retro-futuristic mammoth can actually handle surprisingly well to boot. Loz Blain discovers how 10 days on one of the top five heaviest production bikes ever built can change your perspective on motorcycling in our video road test. Read More
Test drive: Toyota Landcruiser Prado 4WD
22:17 December 17, 2009 PST
"Two-in-one" products generally mean there's a compromise. A desktop replacement laptop is great until you've lugged its weighty frame through five airports in two weeks, a road-trail motorcycle is fine until you hit a really snarly stretch of dirt, and a keyboard that becomes a mouse when you turn it upside down, well, lets not even go there. So when Toyota introduced its new Prado Landcruiser mid-size 4WD as a "best of both worlds" solution for both the highway and the rough stuff I was a little skeptical. But after taking on all types of terrain - including, open roads, tight forest trails and a formidable purpose built 4x4 track - I may just have been convinced otherwise. The vehicle's versatile performance owes particular thanks to a sophisticated new suspension system and electronics suite, and although there's no point pretending that it can be a sports coupe one minute and a monster truck the next, as a two-in-one auto solution the fourth-gen Prado comes very, very close. Read More
‘Opera’ luxury camper trailer hits a high note
By Jeff Salton
17:10 November 3, 2009 PST
If you enjoy peace and quiet on your camping holidays, the "Opera” might not be the ideal choice. Emulating the renowned lines of the Sydney Opera House in Australia, this luxurious mobile home designed by Belgian architect Axel Enthoven is bound to get lots of scrutiny from inquisitive campers and passers-by... and it deserves all the attention it gets. Read More
Oasis of the Seas – world’s largest cruise liner sets sail this month
By Paul Lester
18:59 November 2, 2009 PST
Last year we introduced “Project Genesis”, the world’s largest and most expensive ocean liner. After a total of six years in the making, owner Royal Caribbean has now taken delivery of this 16 deck, 225,282 ton floating city which features 2,700 staterooms and can carry 5,400 guests. Now officially called “Oasis of the Seas”, the ship sailed from Turku, Finland on Friday, October 30 en route to her home port of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, for a U.S. debut on Wednesday, November 11. Read More
Turn heads at the yacht club with Alfra Vico's Marino 52
By Jude Garvey
19:39 October 7, 2009 PDT
A new yacht design by Barrett Prelogar and Franco Marino Cagnina blends extravagant features with all the functionality you would expect from a modern-day watercraft. The Alfra Vico Marino 52 is set to be the ideal boat for a weekend getaway - able to accommodate about 15 people for a day trip - or sleep the owners in luxurious five-star comfort. It features a captain’s station with unobstructed 360-degree views, self-contained bedroom and custom-built-kitchen, as well as purpose-build patent-pending electronic control systems and other essential functional components. Read More
Luxury on wheels - the 2010 Brabus Viano “Lounge Concept”
By Darren Quick
01:23 September 29, 2009 PDT
If your better half has put the kibosh on your dream of owning one of the ten BRABUS E V12 Black Baron’s, then maybe you’ll have a better chance at talking them around to the more family friendly BRABUS Viano “Lounge Concept” if it ever makes the jump from concept car to commercial reality. Described as an “exclusive office and movie theater on wheels” the concept takes a Mercedes van and packs it to the brim with state-of-the-art entertainment technology, so you’re not likely to hear the kids whine, ‘are we there yet?’ Read More
Today on The Mobiler - Vertu's luxury Constellation Ayxta
By Gizmag Team
08:04 September 25, 2009 PDT
Today on The Mobiler we take a look at luxury brand Vertu's latest handset, the Constellation Ayxta, the imminent release of BlackBerry Desktop Software for OS X, NTT's gorgeous TOUCH WOOD prototypes, CyanogenMod receiving a C&D from Google, and the fact you can buy a Palm Pre for under $100 without a single rebate to deal with. Read More
The world's first floating, rotating (floatating?) hotel building
By Loz Blain
05:47 September 18, 2009 PDT
Antalya is a city of around 800,000 people on the Southern Mediterranean coast of Turkey. Like most cities in that region, it has played host to a revolving cast of empires over the centuries, from the Romans, to the Byzantines to the Ottomans and Turks. Nestled between a stunning coastline and majestic mountain ranges, it's known as one of the most beautiful cities in Turkey, and it's also the site of one of the world's most unusual hotels. The Hotel Marmara Antalya features the only fully rotating hotel building in the world - and the way they've done it is fascinating. Read More
Lexus LF-Ch full hybrid concept debuts at IAA Frankfurt
By Jeff Salton
00:45 September 16, 2009 PDT
Back in August we told you that Toyota would be releasing its Lexus hybrid concept car at IAA Frankfurt, and here it is – in the flesh. Our team of journalists on the ground captured these images of the LF-Ch (Compact hybrid) as soon as the wraps came off at its world debut. Set to rival the Audi A3 and BMW 1-Series, the vehicle is the first Lexus full hybrid in the European premium compact segment – one that’s sure to be bursting with quality competition. If you thought hybrids and luxury didn’t mix, think again. And if you thought Lexus was a brand just for the over-50s, look closer. Read More
Mercedes-Benz Vision S500 Plug-in Hybrid
By Gizmag Team
15:34 September 10, 2009 PDT
Having launched its S 400 HYBRID, currently the most fuel-efficient luxury-segment saloon with a petrol engine, Mercedes-Benz is set to show its Vision S 500 Plug-in HYBRID technology vehicle in Frankfurt next week. Aimed at demonstrating the company’s scalable and intelligently organized set of hybrid systems, and previewing the next model, the compact 15-kW electric motor hardly differs from the S 400 HYBRID, yet is three times more powerful and can be elegantly incorporated into the housing of the 7G-TRONIC seven-speed automatic transmission. Read More
Bentley Mulsanne debuts at Pebble Beach
By Gizmag Team
19:10 August 18, 2009 PDT
Bentley Motors finally took the wraps off its all-new flagship grand tourer, the Mulsanne, at the Pebble Beach Concours D’Elegance in Monterey, California on the weekend. The Mulsanne is inspired by the company founder W.O. Bentley’s crowning achievement in 1930, the 8-liter. Fittingly, W.O.’s own sensitively preserved 1930 company car shared the podium with the new Mulsanne in Pebble Beach. This early motoring masterpiece represented the last big Bentley that was designed, engineered and built from the ground up by Bentley engineers – until now. Read More
SY Thalia - an electronic haven on the high seas
By Jeff Salton
07:41 August 13, 2009 PDT
The SY Thalia is a yacht with a difference … while it’s a beautiful looking vessel outside, it’s what’s inside that really takes your breath away. The 159-foot ketch is fitted out with an award-winning array of the latest and greatest AV gear that is usually reserved for luxury homes. In total, the $300,000+ installation has 12 entertainment, video and navigation zones, including five video screens, one of which is a home theater. Read More
Keeping supersonic transport quiet
By Paul Lester
20:54 August 4, 2009 PDT
Supersonic business jets have traditionally got a bad rap when it comes to practicality and the environment, with high costs, loud noises and short range far outweighing the benefits of speed. The future of air travel will therefore be subject to stringent criteria to ensure that economy and eco-credentials, particularly noise pollution, don’t take a back seat to comfort and performance, and with this in mind Supersonic Aerospace International seem to have hit a luxury-class balance between the two. Read More
Nissan's 'smarter' navigation system assists with safer, greener driving
By Jeff Salton
19:24 July 23, 2009 PDT
Nissan's new enhanced on-board navigation system will provide drivers with more information to make safer and greener driving decisions. The company is launching an automotive navigation system that uses intelligent transportation system (ITS) infrastructure and other advanced technology to warn drivers of low-visibility intersections, school zones, and navigation-linked speed control. The navigation system can also recommend faster route calculations, which can lead to fuel savings. Read More
Caravan overhaul: Rob Millington's retro take on trailer design
By Paul Ridden
22:10 July 15, 2009 PDT
If the mere mention of the word caravan gives you terrifying visions of formica fold-out tables, thermos flasks full of weak tea or being forced to play bridge with a bunch of sensible beige trouser-wearing accountants then fear not, there are those who are trying to leave such stale, cliched images behind and inject some modern thinking into the world of mobile holidaying. One person trying to bring some much needed cool to the world of the caravan is Rob Millington, who sought to create "something that had quality to rival that of a luxury yacht" with this gorgeous concept design. Read More
Like a cat outta hell: The ultra-luxury Aeroyacht 110
23:49 July 1, 2009 PDT
The Aeroyacht 110 has been dubbed “the world’s most innovative super catamaran” by its designers and, while that’s a pretty big claim, it’s certainly an audacious concept. Capable of speeds of over 32 knots but able to cruise effortlessly at 20, boasting a superbly-appointed 32ft wide salon with 360º sea views and with its own fold-up amphibious plane as a tender, the Aeroyacht 110 looks to be the ne plus ultra of luxury sailing. Read More
Bellperre adds extra-bling to custom made mobile phone collection
By Mick Webb
18:00 April 26, 2009 PDT
The words “global economic downturn” are not are part of luxury phone maker Bellperre’s vocabulary, as evidenced by the release of its new high-end Nero Gold series. The Netherlands based company offers handcrafted tailor made handsets using “0% plastic”, and has now added even more precious metals and gemstones to the available mix. Read More
World's largest aircraft from 1930: Giant Russian K-7 flying fortress
By Paul Evans
16:34 April 14, 2009 PDT
The Soviet aircraft industry really like building big. We recently reported on the Hotelicopter, a converted Soviet Mil V-12 Heavy Lift Helicopter, which proved to be an April Fools prank. The Russians can still claim the title of world's largest aircraft, though, with the Antonov AN-225 heavy lift transport, which has a larger wingspan than the Airbus A380. Both of these modern day wonders have still not eclipsed the Hughes H-4 Hercules or “Spruce Goose” for size and we have just unearthed pictures of something the Russians were working on in the 1930s that may have dwarfed even the Spruce Goose. Read More
The World's first flying hotel - The Hotelicopter
By Paul Evans
18:16 March 29, 2009 PDT
The double deck Airbus A380 has set new high standards for luxury accommodation in the air but, unless you can afford to deck out your own A380 as a private jet, the Hotelicopter concept aims to top this airborne opulence by equipping a four story converted heavy lift aircraft with 18 luxuriously-appointed room hotels. Modeled on the Soviet Mil V-12, the largest helicopter ever built, of which only two prototypes were built in the 1960s, the Hotelicopter company would like us to believe they purchased one of these prototypes in 2004 with the Hotelicopter now ready for its maiden flight in June 26th. We're not sure that we do, but we like the concept. Read More
Rolls Royce RR4: further details emerge
23:32 March 23, 2009 PDT
As promised last year when Rolls Royce revealed the first sketches of its planned new model - the RR4 - more details are beginning to trickle through about the exact make-up of this new luxury road-liner. There aren't many numbers in the latest release, the most notable being 500, namely 500bhp, this courtesy of a new 6.6 litre turbo charged V12 engine and a new 8-speed gearbox. Read More
Porsche releases technical innovations on new 4-door Panamera luxury sportster
By Loz Blain
14:11 March 19, 2009 PDT
Porsche's 4-door Panamera will be finally unveiled at the Shanghai Motor Show on April 20 - not that we haven't already had plenty of chances to take a good look at it through the company's prolific PR department. Designed to be at once more luxurious than an S-Class Benz and sportier than a Beemer M5, the Panamera is the first 4-door Porsche with an uncompromising performance focus. It looks like a belter too, considering rumors that the 500-horsepower, US$132,600 turbo model actually had to be reined back in performance terms just so it wouldn't trouser the 911, which is supposed to be Porsche's performance flagship. As a brand new, extreme high end model, you'd be expecting the Panamera to pack a few technological punches - and you'd be right. Here's a few of the key innovations. Read More
The ultimate in top-tier social networking: Facebook for the filthy rich
By Darren Quick
01:27 March 17, 2009 PDT
Groucho Marx famously said he wouldn’t want to be a member of any club that would have him as a member. That means he probably wouldn’t have been rushing to join Affluence.org, even though he’s one of the select few with would’ve had enough cash to meet the entry requirements. Described as, “Facebook for the filthy rich”, by its founder, Scott Mitchell, Affluence.org requires members to have a verified net worth of at least USD$3 million or an annual household income of USD$300,000. Read More
From oil rig to luxury eco-resort
By Karen Sprey
16:38 March 4, 2009 PST
Think "oil rig" and what comes to mind? Deafening noise, pounding seas, people covered in black muck and ugly metal structures? Perhaps even explosions and Red Adair, but it’s unlikely "luxury resort" popped into your head. However, thousands of decommissioned platforms in the Gulf of Mexico could in future be given a new lease of life as exclusive, self-sufficient eco-resorts that make use of renewable energy and cater for those looking for a new and unique holiday experience. The idea is catching on, with Morris Architects' program to turn a disused rig into a high-end resort experience winning it the firm a $10,000 Grand Prize in the Radical Innovation in Hospitality awards. Read More
windykites1
- February 9, 2010 @ 19:22 UTC
