If like me, you are on the waiting list for a Smart Car you might want to check out this custom design. The Limited Edition Ed Hardy Smart Cars were recently unveiled at the "When I Move You Move" lifestyle trade show in Las Vegas.
The cars come only in white or black and are custom-built upgrades to a standard Smart Car that are autographed and numbered by designer, Christian Audigier. Each car has a seven layer Ed Hardy tattoo inspired satin paint scheme, leather seats with tattoo embroidered suede inserts, integrated Bluetooth and navigation systems, twelve piece interior accents finished in piano black gloss and a specialized Ed Hardy Kenwood 6.1" touch screen AM/FM/CD/DVD player. Exterior upgrades include Ed Hardy edition badging, satin black multi-spoke wheels with the Ed Hardy "Tiger" center hub cap and a chrome dual tip exhaust system providing a 6hp and 14ft lbs. torque performance increase, designed by Doug Thorley Headers. Sounds nice if a bit garish but the Limited Edition Ed Hardy Smart Car upgrade package retails for $22,765 + tax and does not include the price of the car. In fact, the Smart Car itself is cheaper than the upgrade package.
A car with nautical ropes instead of doors? You are staring at the 2008 Fiat Fiorino Portofino. Fiat Professional asked customizer Vernagallo-Holiday and SALT to create a show car that looked like the Italian luxury beach buggies of the 1950s and 1960s. They took one of Fiat's FIorino vans and created this. The car has wood laminate flooring and the interior was created using natural fibers treated with a special waterproofing. They say it can seat five (five beach bunnies perhaps) and the rear seat folds down for your nautical gear. It's not known if the Fiat Fiorino Portofino will be produced as a regular car for the masses but it will be making the show rounds. Autoblog has a couple hi-res shots of this unique creature.
In honor of the Democratic National Convention I thought it might be fun to check out a little Denver real estate. Today's penthouse loft is a full floor unit in the Flour Mill lofts which has views of Coors field. This has to be one of the most interesting loft conversions I've ever seen. The space features a circular kitchen with a drop ceiling, oversized brass hood and a pizza oven. The loft has over 5,300 square feet of space. The architect echoed the circular shape and dimensions of the Flour Mill's storage silos to create a series of circular spaces, Angled walls feature floor lighting and the home features exposed ceilings and brick. The loft is wired with a Denon THX surround sound system and a Lutron lighting system. The north side of the loft is currently used as office space and has three round silo rooms that could be repurposed as a mother-in-law apartment, nanny suite or guest quarters. This side also features a 300 sq. ft. balcony. The south side of the 6th Floor penthouse is given over to the owner's private quarters. It is listed at $3.25 million.Check out more pictures at the loft's property website.
Pininfarina, the Italian design house, that has designed for Ferrari, Maserati and Rolls-Royce now has a wine label. Pininfarina wine debuted at the Concorso Italiano earlier this month in Monterey, CA. The inaugural release of 2005 Vino Rosso was tasted by throngs of spectators and a three liter bottle was auctioned off for $3,000 to benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
The 2005 Pininfarina Napa Valley Vino Rosso is a Napa Valley red that is 60% Cabernet Sauvignon,29% Cabernet Franc, 6% Sangiovese and 5% Petit Verdot. The wine has black currant and raspberry aromas with a balance of fruit and ripe, fat tannins. It can be drunk now but the winemaker's notes say that it will start to show its prime between 2010 and 2012, with the ultimate peak for this wine being probably between 2017 and 2021. While the label doesn't use the classic Pininfarina red color there is sleek carbon fiber like detail surrounding the label. There were 1,125 cases produced and bottles sell online for $95 each.
Last year, artist Damien Hirst exhibited his diamond skull piece "For the Love of God" while he was shopping for a buyer. Hirst eventually bought the piece along with a group of investors for its $100 million asking price. Now the piece is on the road again. The Netherlands' national museum will exhibit the diamond and platinum skull for six weeks starting November 1. The piece is decorated with 8,601 diamonds and allegedly takes its name from Hirst's mother's exclamation when she heard what her son was up to.
There's big trouble in France for the oyster market. Bloomberg reports that close to 80% of France's annual 130,000-ton oyster harvest have been killed off this summer due to a herpes-like virus. The virus affected the 12- to 18-month-old oysters that would be edible in 2010. Those due to be harvested this year and next year weren't harmed. Oyster growers are trying to replenish the stocks but the oyster business which generates $1.5 billion is sales is in serious jeopardy in two years.
Researchers at the French Research Institute for the Exploitation of the Sea found larger than usual quantities of the Ostreid Herpes, or OsHV-1, virus as well as bacteria called Vibrio Splendidus. They believe that the bacteria might have made the oysters more vulnerable and that climate change may also have been a factor. Winter temperatures in 2007 and 2008 were 2 percent above average. So far the oyster crisis has only occurred in France.
Today's estate would be a lot to live up to, the cool factor is pretty high. Out of the sleek modern homes perched on Camelback Mountain with views of Phoenix, Arizona, this is one of the best. The three-bedroom home features glass walls which open out onto terraces and a cantilevered pool and submerged Jacuzzi which seem to float above the city lights. The property also includes a 100 foot mountainside waterfall. The mountain comes inside the home in the 16-person home theater which has a rock wall. The home also features a separate catering kitchen, wet bar, full gym with a rockclimbing wall and a two-bedroom guest house. The garage has clear doors to showcase your exotic cars and the property also includes a putting green. A virtual tour with more pictures is here. This home is listed at $9.4 million.
When it comes to real estate, where haven't Russia's wealthy elite ended up? A mystery Russian billionaire recently scooped up the world's most expensive house on the French Riviera. We've seen them move in to the Plaza in New York, snatch up historic homes in London and pick up ski real estate in Colorado. The Moscow Times says that the next big flood of Russian real estate investment may be headed to the turquoise waters and white sands of the Caribbean. The lure is two-fold, part of it is the natural charm of an idyllic tropical paradise and part of it is the potential property tax breaks that make the homes both pleasure and a smart investment.
While Russian billionaires have long had Caribbean homes, now there is a move by multimillionaires to get their own piece of tropical paradise, buying in to the many developments springing up practically everywhere there is an untended beach. Projects such as Isla Moin in Costa Rica, Costa Blanca in the Dominican Republic and Vita Tower in Panama, which were in many cases originally designed for the American wealthy, have begin to sell toward Russian investors. The Moscow Times also reported last April that Florida real estate projects were also seeking out Russian buyers. The current weakness of the U.S. dollar is also spurring on Russian investors who are finding they can get some great deals.
I've got a fun one to show you today. Lioncrest is a 30,000 square foot English Tudor manor home overlooking the James River in Maidens, Virginia. The castle-like home is on over 56 acres that include formal English gardens as well as more rustic space. It looks old but the MLS says it was built in 1995. It certainly aspires to a different age with its large stone fireplaces, stone arches, use of shields and crests and a huge beamed grand hall that could easily be a setting for a scene in Harry Potter. Some of the wood and stone dates back to the 1600s and there is a concrete tiled roof. The huge house includes a tavern area, elevator, library, multi-car garages and a full apartment. The lower terrace level is home to woodworking shop, garden shop, morning room, pub, three wine cellars, rec room, sauna and more. The listing pics don't show much of the private spaces (the listing says there are nine bedrooms and 10.5 baths) and some are a bit blurry but I bet this is one fun house to tour. It is listed at $15 million.
Most people, when they get an Olympic gold medal hang onto it for dear life. Jason Kidd, who played on the Olympic basketball team however is giving his away. And to whom? No other than Elaine Wynn, wife of casino mogul Steve Wynn. It turns out that Kidd met Mrs. Wynn last year while he and the rest of the U.S. team were staying at the Wynn while training in Las Vegas. They got to talking over a banquet and Kidd promised that if the team won the gold he would give her his medal. No, he's not in debt to the house, Kidd says it's just a thank you because "the way they treated us at the Wynn, it was the least I could do." I'm hoping the Wynns display the medal at one of their hotels.
Pirates have attacked another luxury yacht. This time is was the Tiara, a 178-foot sailing sloop that first came to my attention in 2005 when the owner, Jonathan Leitersdorf listed his yacht and his Broadway loft with the same agent real estate agent. The yacht is a helicopter-carrying beauty designed by Dubois Naval Architects and launched by Alloy Yachts International. It is full of fine mahogany and 1930s-styled interiors and in 2005 was listed at $36 million. The yacht has since become a popular charter hosting the rich and famous including Giorgio Armani, Sean Combs and Jack Nicholson.
While off of southern Corsica in the Mediterranean, Tiara was attacked by four masked men with guns who pulled up in a speedboat. The pirates robbed the passengers and crew of more than $180,000 in cash from the yacht safe and from the nine guests who had chartered the yacht. The speedy pirates also took jewelry and artwork and within ten minutes quickly got back in their boat and disappeared. No one was hurt. Pirate attacks have occurred in the Philippines and off the coast off Somalia as we saw earlier this year but are rarer in the Mediterranean. The Tiara charters for €180,000-190,000 per week, pictures from her charter listing are in the gallery below and show the beautiful wood interior that includes a master suite with a fireplace.
This large home in Cotuit, Massachusetts takes traditional Cape Cod style to a new level. The home is on seven acres and has waterfront views. The land includes a pool area and a guest house with a turret and a circular staircase. The shingled home combines rough wood beams and exposed brick with columns and double-height ceilings to create a home that manages to be both cottage cute and a bit extravagant. The listing references a lot of France, pointing out that every room in the house features a chandelier, mostly imported from Paris, the kitchen features a professional eight burner Parisian stove and the master bedroom has glass etched doors reminiscent of Lalique styling. There are four bedrooms total and the home also has a library, fitness area and a wine cellar/grotto. The home is being sold furnished and is listed at $12.5 million.
The high-end condo market seems to be thriving in Newport, Rhode Island. The new complex, the Residences at Brown & Howard Wharf in Newport went on the market last month and six of the 16 units have been sold or are under contract which is pretty impressive in today's worrisome real estate market. The condos are pretty expensive by Rhode Island standards ranging up to $3.6 million. The 16 harborside homes have perfect views of Newport Harbor and dockage for yachts up to 250 feet in length.
Condo units range from 2,300 to 3,200 square feet and have open-plan interiors with numerous balconies. Owners can work with the on-site interior design coordinator to select finishes and style elements. Living rooms will have a gas fireplace, kitchens and laundry rooms feature an appliance package, with a Sub-Zero refrigerator, Wolf gas cook-top, ventilation hood, microwave and oven. Asko 4-cycle dishwashers and Bosch washers and dryers are also included in the unit.
One of the most interesting collections of vintage Rolls-Royces isn't in some U.S. millionaire's shiny garage. It's hidden in a tower among the Encartaciones mountains in Spain. Spanish website Eitb24 says that the Torre Loizaga in Galdames was once destroyed by a lightning and later rebuilt. The collection includes 43 Rolls Royces spread out over three pavilions along with 27 other makes of cars such as a a 1903 Peugeot, a 1911 Ford T, a Ferrari Testarosa, a Lamborghini Countach, two Jaguars and a 1934 Bentley in three other pavilions. The oldest car in the collection is a 104 years old "Gladiator". Check out the pictures from Flickr user jl_ibarruri who toured the place. It's definitely not your typical museum.
Rising fuel prices have some curious and wide-ranging consequences. The Financial Times reports it may be making your Champagne bottles thinner. Champagne bottles traditionally weigh more than a bottle of still wine in order to contain the pressure of sparkling wine. Bottles used to be smashed against ship bows for launching are thinned for easy breakage. But thinner bottles take less energy to create and are cheaper to ship.
G.H Mumm, the Champagne house owned by Pernod Ricard has completed a trial production run of bottle which weigh 835 grams (around 1.84 pounds which is a couple of ounces lighter than regular bottles which are 900 grams). The lighter bottles will be put in caves where the bottles will age.
The lighter bottles will save money on fuel because more of them can be loaded on each truck. Pommery, which already uses the bottles, says that if all the Champagne houses switched to lighter bottles there would be 3,000 fewer trucks on the road each year.
