Billionaire Life

This luxury SUV appears to have been based on a simple cardboard box…just replace the cardboard with carbon fiber.  Oh, and slap on a price tag of $1 million smackeroos.  Meet the Mercedes G-Couture.

This SUV is not only an eyesore; it makes no logical sense, yet there it is.  Yet, it does please me greatly that companies are willing to add luxurious carbon fiber to SUVs, it will not only look great, but lighten the gas-guzzling load and lower environmental impact. 

In my humble opinion, the G-Class SUV still bears too much of a resemblance to its original tank-ish beginnings.  Now it is a tank with a luxury badge, and demands a heavy wallet.  Now let’s get down to specs!
 

Engine:  5.7-liter supercharged (I love that word)
Power/Torque:  700 bhp
Top Speed:  158 miles per hour
0-60 Mark:  4.3 seconds
Fuel Economy:  Don’t ask
Competition:  Lunar Shuttle, Brabus G-Wagon, TechArt Magnum, Chuck Norris
 

Attention Steve McQueen and Porsche fans, a rare 1970’s Porsche racecar just destroyed the auction block, fetching a stunning $3,965,000 million at Bonhams & Butterfield’s in Monterey.  This also shatters the world-record for the most expensive Porsche ever sold at auction.  Let’s find out why.

The Porsche is actually a historic and rare ex-Jurgen, similar to the one sported by Steve McQueen in Le Mans.  It is a 1970 Gulf-JWA Le Mans 917K Porsche Interserie Spyder, so try saying that three times fast.  Racecars generally boast lengthy names, in efforts to give credit to various people or innovation. 

Have you ever thought that things would be ‘perfect’, if only you had more money?  Fantasizing that all of those miniscule issues like bills would suddenly evaporate into a green cloud of awesomeness?  While I love the luxury lifestyle, it does umm, pay, to observe both ends of the spectrum.  Here are some pros and cons of being rich that may interest you and make you feel better about having less!
 

What?  You mean life is not just peachy when you are rich?  Hell no!  Being rich presents a whole new set of issues that must be dealt with, including:

For those of you who find New York to be expensive, take notice of London!  A luxury penthouse just sold for a staggering $220 million, located at One Hyde Park, a development in Knightsbridge.  This could be the most expensive apartment sale.

The prestigious One Hyde Park development features 86 luxury properties starting at the bargain rate of around $31 million. Interestingly, the sale of the $220 million dollar unit at One Hyde Park dwarfs the previous record holder in Britain, the James’ Square apartment in Westminster’s 8 St. that sold for $180 million in 2008.

I think I have discovered the most expensive round of golf in the world!  It seems that Barbados attracts more than those seeking the sand, sun and surf-it also beckons to golf lovers.  For $2,300 per game, you could consider golf a luxury sport on this swanky island!

So how do they charge so much for 9 holes?  Well, the actual fee for a round of golf at one of Sandy Lane resort’s three courses, the Green Monkey, the Old Nine and the Country Club is $300. 

For the art lovers, I have compiled a list of the top 5 most expensive paintings sold in our lifetime.  These are the sough-after and pricey picks that grace only the most luxurious of art displays, and the artists may surprise you:
 

1.    No.5 by Jackson Pollock 1948
Sold by David Geffen in 2006 to a private buyer via Sothebys for $151.2 million dollars

2.    Woman III by Willem de Koonig 1953
Sold by David Geffen to Steven A. Cohen in 2006 for $148.5 million dollars

3.    Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I by Gustav Klimt 1907
Sold by Maria Altmann in 2006 to Ronald Lauder, Neue Galerie for $144.8 million dollars

4.    Portrait of Dr. Gachet by Vincent Van Gogh 1890
Sold by Siegfried Kramarsky family in 1990 to Ryoei Saito for $139 million dollars

5.    Bal du Moulin de la Galette by Pierre-Auguste Renoir 1876
Sold by Betsey Whitney in 1990 to Ryoei Saito for $131.6 million dollars

These are the list-toppers for expensive paintings out there, though it is uncertain if any are available (collectors tend to hold on to them).  What happened in 1990 and 2006?  I ask because 3 of these paintings were sold in 2006, and 2 in 1990.  Is this a curious coincidence, or did David Geffen perhaps need a bit of money in 2006, to the tune of nearly $3 million dollars (as he sold 2 of the top 5 paintings).  These affairs are often highly discrete, and of course, highly priced.

Want more of the Most Expensive?  Follow link!   Also, don’t miss our fleet of exotic rental cars on your way out!
 

Post by Imagine Lifestyles Luxury Rentals

Exotic and luxury cars come with more than just bragging rights and a lofty price tag, they come with the responsibility and expense of regular maintenance, which can be shocking to those unaccustomed to such extravagance.   Meet the $10,000 car wash.

Yes, I said $10,000 car wash, more than some cars cost in the world!  For those who own or invest in luxury vehicles that cost anywhere from $200,000 to $2 million dollars and more, you want the car to stay in mint condition inside and out.  Of course you would never pull your Pagani Zonda, Bugatti Veyron or Lamborghini Gallardo into a regular car wash, where $25 can get you the works, and possibly some scratches.

Mega yacht O’mega has been drawing attention to herself for many years.  O’mega may be a bit older than most luxury yachts in her class, but she remains among the elite, with a coveted spot on the 2008 list of the World’s 100 Largest Yachts, by Power and Motor Yacht magazine.

Miss O’mega has undergone a bit of “work”, with major refits in 2004 and August of 2009.  She was born in Japan in 1985, at the cost of $50 million Euros.  She can now be chartered, for a mere 70,000 Euros per day.  Talk about a return on an investment!

It is said to be the current largest private yacht in existence, and she is near completion.  Her name is ‘Eclipse’, and she certainly seems to eclipse all other mega yacht favorites.  But does size really matter?  For a rumored $1.2 billion, it may!  You be the judge, she emerges from Blohm & Voss shipyard in Hamburg, Germany any moment.

It seems that the world’s mega yacht owners are in a never-ending battle to outdo one another, perpetually ordering larger and more lavish yachts.  I will say one thing, it does make for a wonderful form of entertainment for the rest of the world, and I love seeing what mega yacht is coming out next and what its outstanding features are!

You most certainly read that right- there is a MacBook Air in existence that will set you back an astounding $486,616 USD.  While some expletives come to mind at this, keep in mind that it weighs 15.4 pounds and is made of platinum!  This is one heavy apple.

The second largest yacht in the world goes by the name “Dubai”, which is fitting, as it is owned by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who happens to be the ruler of the Emirate of Dubai.  This luxury mega yacht stretches to an incredible 557 feet, and took an outlandish 10 years to build!

Mega yacht Dubai was built by German construction company Blohm & Voss and finished by Lurssen Company.  I wonder if Blohm & Voss dropped the ball, or if after 10 years they forgot what they were doing.

Soccer is a much-loved sport around the world, with hoards of devoted fans.  So are diamonds.  Enter Shimansky jewelry house, which has designed a $2.5 million dollar soccer ball, adorned with diamonds, to celebrate South Africa hosting the FIFA World Cup in 2010.

So is this the world’s most expensive soccer ball?  I think so (please add links and comment if I am wrong!).  The bejeweled soccer ball took approximately 3 months to design, and is still in the process of being festooned with 6,620 white diamonds and 2,640 black diamonds for a grand total of 3,500 carats of genuine South African diamonds. 

Luxury List Item: Soon to be Announced

Luxury List Item:  $1 Million Dollar G-Class

Sink your eyes into the $1 million dollar Mercedes G-Class SUV.  This boxy little number is just as powerful as it is pricey, and makes our Big List because it is certainly for the big spenders.

Aesthetics have inched along over the past 30 years, as it still appears a bit like an army tank, yet there is something seriously cool about carbon fiber and SUVs meshing. Only 7 of these luxury SUVs will be sold, leaving us all to wonder who they will be?  Oil tycoons, celebs, royalty?  Follow link for full story on the 1 Million dollar Mercedes Benz G Class.
 

Luxury List Item: $190 Million Dollar Mega Yacht: Alfa Nero

So what is the difference between your ordinary everyday yacht and a ‘mega yacht’?  Oh, just a few million dollars…or a few hundred million dollars!  Meet Alfa Nero, the $190 million dollar mega yacht.

When it comes to a luxury yacht, size matters, and the biggest and grandest snag the title of mega yachts, and make our ‘Big List’! 

The Alfa Nero (the name is even cool) expands to 269 feet, and was named for Roman emperor Nero.  Our Big List is not the only list this exotic and expensive mega yacht has made, she also ranked #43 in Boat International’s list of the world’s 100 largest yachts in February of 2009!  That is no easy list to make, so it certainly seems that Alfa Nero is a starlet in the luxury yacht industry.

As for onboard?  Designer Nuvolari & Lenard went to great measures to ensure that all modern amenities were provided.  Complete with 4,000 square feet of living space, 2 VIP suites and 3 double rooms.  This is a luxury yacht of massive proportions, potential and propulsion, with a range of 6,630 miles and a cruising speed of around 23 miles per hour.  

Luxury List Item:  $40 Million Dollar Bugatti

This is one of our personal favorites.  Some of the higher-end Bugatti’s go for around $2-$3 million, but this one certainly takes the cake…and your wallet!  And that is why this Bugatti makes our 'Big List'!

It is a 1936 Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic, and has sold for somewhere between $30-$40 million (reports vary).  The auction house broker, Gooding & Company is of course keeping silent on the matter, in order to provide the proper standards of customer confidentiality. 

So why the staggering sales price?  It all boils down to supply and demand, and this stunner is one of just 4 made, offering supreme bragging rights to one very sexy luxury car.  I am not sure that if we had a luxury car rental worth $40 million we would be eager to rent it out!

Luxury List Item:  $1.2 Million Dollar Koenigsegg Eco Supercar


Want to rev an engine worth over $1 million dollars?  Sink your peepers into the 2010 Koenigsegg CCXR supercar, perhaps the world’s first uber-luxe car that manages to be a luxury hybrid.

Yes, not only is this one hellaciously expensive exotic car, it boasts a powerful engine that can run on E85 biofuel as well as regular petrol.  It defies rationality how strikingly beautiful, powerful, and green this car is, no matter what paintjob is chosen!  Follow link for more on the exotic koenigsegg sports car.

Luxury List Item:  $4 Million Dollar Rare Porsche 917 Racecar

A rare Porsche racecar has snagged a shocking $4 million dollars at the elite auto action Bonhams & Butterfield’s in swanky Monterey, California this past week.  So why so much for a Porsche?  It is a racecar, the 1970 Gulf-JWA Le Mans 917K Porsche Interserie Spyder, similar to the one driven by famed Steve McQueen in Le Mans. 

After a spirited round at the auction, this fiery hot Porsche went to the highest bidder, who was the big spender of the day, as the next highest item sold for around $2.5 million, a rare Mercedes-Benz SS Tourer.  Overall, an impressive $18.6 million in rare luxury racecars were rolled across the auction block, follow link for more on the $4 million dollar 1970 Porsche!

Post by Imagine Lifestyles Luxury Rentals

If you live in South Florida and are up on your luxury gossip, you know about the $1.2 billion dollar ponzi scheme orchestrated by disbarred Florida attorney Scott Rothstein.  Mr. Rothstein has received his sentence of 50 years, imposed by U.S. District Judge James I. Cohn.

While the sentence was below the 100 year maximum for the charges Rothstein faced, he had hoped to receive a more lenient 30 years for assisting investigators.  Rothstein turned 48 years old on June 10th. 

The $1.2 billion dollar ponzi scheme afforded Rothstein such a broad range of amenities and luxury items, which were auctioned off recently.  The luxury items auctioned off raked in a cool $5.8 million dollars, which was of course funneled back to the investors he had wronged.  As previously reported, Imagine Lifestyles attended the Rothstein auction, and Items included:

With all the hype and responsibility to be environmentally friendly, companies are stepping up with increasingly innovative energy solutions to reduce harmful impact on our environment.  An increasing number of those companies are luxury companies, like Sauter Carbon Offset Design, who has unleashed the world’s first low carbon mega yacht!