Billionaire Life

The lid, and top, are now off of the new Maybach Landaulet-a luxury car adding to the very definition of the luxury car.  The art of creating majestic automobiles has been furthered a bit with its introduction.

We at Imagine Lifestyles wince whenever we read about an exotic car being crashed, totaled, mangled or otherwise destroyed, but when we read about this Ferrari 250 GTO crash that totaled an unbelievable $28,500,000 in damage, we truly felt for the guy.

Disclaimer:  this information may make you feel broke.  2009 was a challenging year for the economy, yet some lucky folks were not exactly feeling the strain.  So if you have ever wondered how the other half lives, check out 5 of the most expensive, rare and outlandish items auctioned off in 2009:

Ok ok.  By now the Tiger Woods jokes have pretty well run their uhm…course…sorry, couldn’t help it.  The recent “transgressions” made Imagine Lifestyles wonder if there may have been a different outcome had Tiger been behind the wheel of something else?  So without further ado, here are the Top 5 Cars Tiger would have been better protected in:

1.  BMW 750.  You know, the security model with bulletproof glass.
2.  GTC Convertible.  No broken glass necessary.
3.  Lamborghini LP-650.  Speed people, pure unadulterated speed.
4.  Limousine.  We will get to that.
5.  Tripoli Rocket Car.  When all else fails, just bolt man.

Following 61 years, Ferdinand Porsche’s little sports car empire is rumored to be “merging” with VW.  As Daimler did with Chrysler, the merger will place VW with a firm hold over Porsche, which will remain headquartered in Stuttgart.  But wait, didn’t Porsche try to acquire VW?  Under the direction of former chief Wendelin Wideking, holding company Porsche SE acquired 51 percent of VW.  So who is holding the wheel here?

In what must have been a spur of the moment decision that became a career-ending move, an exotic car dealer in New York opted to take a customer’s 2008 Koenigsegg CCX for a joy ride.  Dustin Hoffman (Rainman) comes to mind-"I am an excellent driver", this guy-not so much.  The photo you see more than describes the end result.

This is definitely not a round you want to pick up the tab for-because a single solitary bottle of Russo-Baltique Vodka, yes vodka, has a staggering price tag of approximately $1.3 million smackaroos.  I know we covered this last year, but we are still astounded and felt a compulsion (and possibly revulsion) to revisit the subject. What can we say, money fascinates us.

If you are among those who think the real estate bubble burst a while back, you may want to reconsider.  An apartment in Hong Kong has just sold for almost $57 million big ones, casting a limelight so bright the owner may have a sunburn from the glare.  The property is believed to be the most expensive property in Asia, by square foot.

According to AP, the apartment is a duplex suite, featuring five bedrooms, an aroma spa center, fitness room, outdoor yoga gym and grand harbor views.  The new homeowner will have bragging rights to the exclusive address, located in the hills of Hong Kong’s main island where the who’s who list begins.  The square footage is approximately 6,158-which translates to an astounding $9,200 per square foot of property.  Even the wealthiest of New Yorkers would stagger at that cost.

These are the top 5 droptop dreams over $200,000 that made our list:

•    Rolls Royce Drophead Coupe
•    Lamborghini LP640
•    Ferrari F430
•    Mercedes Benz SLR McLaren
•    Bentley GTC

Better known for $3,000 Birkin handbags and signature scarves, Hermes is testing the waters in the world of luxury yachts-with a concept that is making quite the splash.

Wiesmann’s has done it again, toyed with our fascination for exotic cars and delivered upon us another savory treat-the 2010 MF5 Roadster.  This sizzling slice of luxury is far from scrap metal-searing the streets from 0-60 in 3.9 seconds.

In the world of super yachts, it is quite a feat to stand out among the millions, and that is dollars.  Yet the stunning and unique design of “Oculus”, a super yacht designed to resemble a sleek sea-creature, has managed to achieve just that.

November 1st 2009 cannot come sooner for racing fans, as the Formula 1 raceway circuit on Yas Island-Abu Dhabi nears completion just in time for the climax of the World Championship season.  Yas Island is just off the coast of Abu Dhabi, and Yas Marina Circuit is a short drive from the capital city of the UAE and international airport.

Let’s forget for a moment that the front-end of this luxury Jaguar looks like it has been blown up like a piece of bubble-gum and appreciate how awesome the effect is.  It is truly unfortunate that this 1952 Jaguar is not made any longer; it is so classically gorgeous and was ahead of its time.

The master of manipulation, Bernie Madoff, is now behind bars.  This leaves many, namely his investment-fraud victims left to wonder what will be done with his millions in real estate, exotic cars, yachts and other luxury items-because money is sexy and when you add in scandal, well, you get the picture!