Luxury
Orsos Island - the smallest personal floating island yet in a fast growing market
The concept of a floating island has been with us throughout history, but sprang back into the limelight just four years ago when Wally Yachts came up with an island-themed megayacht named the Wally Island. At an estimated US$200 million, the Wally Island was not designed for the common man, but the concept appears to have ignited a flurry of activity in the marine industry, with new designs focused on a comfortable movable living space that breaks the naval architectural mold. Now an Austrian-based company intends to manufacture much smaller, tailor made miniature floating islands, at a fraction of the cost. Read More
German automotive tuner Brabus has been offering tuned cars for the wealthy and ultra-wealthy since 1977. Some of them are lightning fast, some of them are productive multitaskers and some of them are clean and efficient, but they're all a little more exclusive than the average factory BMW or Mercedes. In addition to cars, the tuner offers a yacht customization service, and it recently turned its attention to the skies, where it will transform private jets to the desired specifications of paying customers. Read More
Italian industrial designer Michele Puzzolante has come up with a conceptual floating luxury hotel suite he claims could be entirely self-powering thanks to the dye-sensitized solar cells which would be integrated into the vessel's walls. Puzzolante suggests his "Solar Floating Resort" could be navigated along exotic coast lines, while its six resident passengers observe marine wildlife thanks to its underwater "observation bulb." Read More
Audi has added to its e-tron series of electric and hybrid concept cars with the unveiling of the A6 L e-tron concept at 2012 Beijing Motor Show. Joining the Frankfurt, Detroit, A1, Spyder and A3 e-tron models, the A6 L e-tron concept is the company’s first luxury-class e-tron concept vehicle. Based on the new A6 L, it is a plug-in hybrid that boasts an electric-only driving range of 80 km (49.71 miles). Read More
Though at this point only computer-rendered images area available for this audacious project, don't be mistaken. This is no mere concept. In fact, construction is already underway on the Shimao Intercontinental Hotel in the Songjiang District of Shanghai - a five-star, 19-story, 380-room, luxury hotel built into an abandoned, part-flooded quarry. Read More
Mercedes-Benz cars are pretty plush, luxurious vehicles, although even the most optioned-out S Class really can't compete with the pure comfort and style of a private jet ... but this Mercedes van can. The JetVan Sprinter was specially outfitted by Ventura, California-based Becker Automotive Design for display at the New York Auto Show. It brings a level of luxury that not even the average limousine can offer. Read More
Boutique luxury carmaker Eterniti Motors is a London-based manufacturer of prestige performance automobiles. The company's first offering is named the Eterniti Artemis - a remanufactured Porsche Cayenne that will compete against the new SUVs from Bentley, Lamborghini and Maserati in the luxury SUV segment. The engineering prototype went on display today at the Auto China 2012 international motor show in Beijing. Read More
Babies have a pretty charmed existence, they get food whenever they want, they're pushed around in strollers which resemble arm-chairs on wheels and enjoy relaxing stints in jacuzzis ... wait, what? The MagicBath from Italian design firm BluBleu is a specially designed baby bath featuring an air massage system for your little one's derriere. Read More
When Feadship Royal Dutch shipyards rolls, or rather, floats out one of their multi-million dollar superyachts, it does so with a lot of fanfare. Just last month, we covered the unveiling of their innovative Qi (Chi) concept vessel and now the megayacht builder has introduced its latest real-world effort, the 257-foot (78.50m) luxury motoryacht Hampshire II, which left the drydock at the company's Kaag, Netherlands, facility a few days ago. Read More
Last July, we provided readers with specs and renderings of the Adastra superyacht, which was being constructed in China by boat builder John Shuttleworth. While it might have seemed like a fanciful concept at the time, yesterday the completed yacht was launched in China’s Pearl River. Read More
