The Most Expensive Things

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
 

If you are a luxury car enthusiast, you may also love luxury car memorabilia.  For the Porsche lovers, German luxury publisher tenuous is about to unleash a limited edition book on the famous brand accompanied by a signed and numbered photographic print.  All of this can be yours, for the bargain price of $3,000. 

Only 50 copies of The Porsche Book collector’s edition will be released and it boasts some of the most stunning Porsche images captured in the world.  Some of the images were taken by designer Frank M. Orel, and others were selected by him, but all have passed his critical expert eye and made it into the book.   Orel collaborated with the Porsche Museum team in Stuttgart, Germany on the luxury masterpiece of memorabilia, both adding their passion and perspective to the project.

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. 

The M31 luxury watch by Wiegand is certainly attractive, and will set you back around $475.  We think it would look great dangling out the window of one of our luxury rental cars. 

I like the sleek and understated elegance, and the chrome and red color scheme.  Picture this luxury watch with a flashy red Ferrari rental as a backdrop; even James Bond would take a second glance.  Ahh how we love all that is luxury.  So what is so special about this particular wristwatch?  Here are some of its eh, specs:

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.

The name Gulfstream certainly stands out among private jet and aircraft manufacturers, and the Gulfstream G550 is among their best models.  So let’s discuss what comes with the $59.9 million dollars buyers will shell out to own one.

The G550 Gulfstream features an oversized cabin, and is a long-range business jet charter that has been receiving its fair share of attention from its inception.  It accomplished this by flying non-stop from Seoul, South Korea to Orlando Florida just two weeks after it entered service, scaling the 7,301 nautical miles in just 14.5 hours.  This feat snagged the G550 a city pair record, and it established 40 more during its first 5 years of service (it has been in service since 2003).

In the market for a supercar, but it needs to be environmentally friendly and be able to successfully display your impressive bank account?  Meet the 2010 Koenigsegg CCXR, destroyer of wallets, but not the planet!  It can be yours, for $1.2 million or more.

That is right, no matter what color your CCXR is, they are all green inside.  So how does a world-class supercar manage to meet eco standards, while keeping its er, cool?  I thought you would never ask, let’s get down to specs.

This Koenigsegg has taken all the success of its predecessors, and adapted it a bit to create a new level of performance.  The CCXR is a derivative of the CCX model, but boasts a modified 4.7-liter twin-supercharged Koenigsegg engine that can run on E85 and E100 biofuel, and normal 98-octane petrol (Europe).

If you are a beer fan, you love to swill the succulent sauce, but may sometimes turn your nose up at the bar tab.  While some places charge “too much” for what are considered “regular” beers, there are still others that are semi-unbelievable to most bar patrons.  Meet some of the world’s most expensive brews!

Topping the list is Ville Bon Secours, a luxury beer available only in a bar called the Bierdrome in London.  This is an exclusive brew you may not want to buy a round of, as it is $1,000 per bottle!  Well, if you have the means and a taste for this particular beer, it certainly would be a special occasion.  You can indulge in a luxury rental car for that price! 

Want a bit more power in your luxury car?  How about 888 horsepower?  G-Power, a German tuning company that focuses on BMWs has enhanced a BMW X6 to put out insane power, let’s discuss how.

Recently, BMW has used a V10 to power its illustrious M Series, spitting out 500 horsepower.  Both the BMW M5 and M6 have the V10 engine.  The company has now opted to use a V8 twin-turbo for the X6 and X5 M Series models and the new M5 is expected to use the new V8 as well.

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!

Imagine Lifestyles Chicago recently upgraded the rims on its Mercedes S550 rental car.  As all you car lovers know, a new set of rims is a very important piece to each of your vehicles.  While walking through the shop looking for the perfect set for our Mercedes, we stumbled upon the world’s most expensive set of rims.

Asanti’s diamond-encrusted 22-inch wheels are one of the most unique rims you will ever see.  If diamonds are not your thing, just let Asanti know and they will put on rubies or sapphires instead.  Price tag on these bad boys will run you $1 Million dollars so make sure you pick the right jewel to match the color of your car.  

 Not only are these rims $1 Million, they come with a Bentley GT Coupe.  So for the small cost of $1 Million, you get a set of rims and a Bentley.  Worried about walking out to your car and finding your rims gone?  Asanti will also throw in a 24-hour security guard to watch your rims for the first year.  

 Although Imagine Lifestyles Chicago will not be outfitting any of their luxury rental cars with these rims just yet, all you need is a cool million and you can have the rims and the Bentley.  Good luck explaining that credit card receipt to your accountant.

Check out our fleet of exotic rental cars Chicago and luxury rental cars Miami.

Post by Imagine Lifestyles Luxury Rentals

The most expensive Porsche model remains the Carrera GT, which you can expect to decrease your bank account by around $440,000.  While this is certainly not the million or two damage a Bugatti would inflict, it is still on the high side for exotic and luxury cars.

So why the high price tag for this particular Porsche?  Power my friends, that would be power and prestige.  The Porsche Carrera GT can hit speeds of up to 205 miles per hour, possibly more depending on track and driver experience.