Debuting with an innovative Vantage coupe in late 2017, British independent car manufacturer, Aston Martin has since continued pushes the boundaries of supercar capabilities. Appeasing enthusiasts everywhere whom have long speculated and anticipated a Vantage reboot, with a V12 Speedster – Aston Martin’s latest build boasts an exclusively elite, high performance with no roof and an ultra-high price tag.

The Exclusive Aston Martin V12 Speedster is Worth Almost Seven Figures

With growing fears of the ongoing coronavirus, and the cancellation of the industry’s annual Geneva Motor Show, the V12 Speedster was unveiled on the morning of 3^rd March 2020 in an close-circle online presentation.

As the name suggests, the all-new speedster was inspired by the Vantage and fitted with a twin-turbo 5.2 liter V12 engine, mated unto an eight-speed automatic transmission. Producing an estimated 700 horsepower and 555 pound-feet of torque, the car speeds from zero to 60 mph in under 3.5 seconds.

Travelling at a maximum of 186mph, the V12 Speedster is constructed out of carbon fiber, featuring a larger front grille and intake, with a highly ventilated hood and a rear diffuser with a center-exit exhaust. Reminiscent of vintage racing cars and F/A-18 Hornet fighter jets, the two-passenger speedster separates each individual by two elongated oval openings in its body.

Produced in a record-breaking amount of time, the V12 Speedster sports a minimalistic design, eliminating prototypical elements such as the glove compartment and replacing it with a removable leather satchel. With hidden compartments, glass panels which house matching race helmets, and room for luggage, the speedster utilizes 21-inch center-lock wheels, a bespoke stainless-steel exhaust system and a highly comprehensible infotainment screen hidden below the central bar.

With 88 available samples, the Aston Martin V12 Speedster is customizable and finished with a wide range of leather, fabric textiles and 3D-printed rubber. Available for order, the car is worth at least USD$950,000.

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Pershing’s 50-knot 7X Leads High-Performance Generation X

Ferretti Group has unleashed the Pershing 7X, the fastest yacht in the brand’s current range and among all its Generation X models. Designed by Fulvio De Simoni with Ferretti Group, the sleek 69-footer had its world premiere at this year’s Boot Dusseldorf, a year after the 8X debuted at the same show, and also joins the 9X and 5X in the range.

The Pershing 7X hits 50 knots with twin Man V12 diesel engines (1,800mhp each)

Fitted with twin Man V12 diesel engines generating 1800mhp each, combined with a Top System P85X surface drive transmission with surface propellers, the 7X has a top speed of 50 knots, as well as a cruising speed of 42 and a range of 300nm. Stability at anchor is supplied by two Seakeeper NG6 gyroscopic stabilisers.

The yacht has a beam of 17ft and a displacement of just 35 tonnes, due to the use of carbon-fibre as the main material and other weight-saving measures such as lightweight alloys and furnishings, and the use of lithium batteries.

The aft garage can fit a Williams Sportjet 345 tender, which is deployed using the hydraulically-operated swim platform. The aft deck features a large sunpad and forward-facing sofa, while the foredeck also has a big sunpad plus forward-facing chaise longues. Both exterior areas can be protected by sun canopies.

A fully retractable glass door leads to the saloon, which offers panoramic views

The cockpit features an L-shaped sofa and table covered by the overhang, while the units to the side house a sink and optional grill, ice maker or refrigerator.

A fully retractable glass door leads to the saloon, which offers panoramic views through large windows and a glass roof. The lounge has an L-shaped sofa and an adjustable table that can be lowered for use as a coffee table or raised and extended to accommodate eight diners. Opposite is a cabinet with retractable TV.

The twin-seat helm station is also starboard and benefits from a windscreen with no pillars and electric-opening side windows.

Owner’s suite on the lower deck, where Pershing offers over 2m of headroom

There’s at least 2m of headroom on both the main deck and lower deck, where the open-plan kitchen to port at the bottom of the stairs enjoys natural light from the windscreen and skylight above.

The standard layout features a full-beam owner’s suite midships, forward VIP cabin and a twin to starboard, all with en-suites, although the guest bathroom also serves as a day head. There’s also a single crew cabin forward of the engine room and aft of the owner’s suite.

Pershing has designed much larger cabin portholes that are either square or rectangular and can be fully opened inwards for fresh air, with the 80cm-high porthole in the master suite aligning with the huge rectangular windows.

www.pershing-yacht.com

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German vehicle manufacturer, Automobili Pininfarina unveiled the world’s first luxury pure-electric hyper GT, the Battista Anniversario on 2^nd March 2020 in Munich. Crafted in honour of founder Battista ‘Pinin’ Farina’s original, legendary Pininfarina coachbuilder, the brand’s new hyper GT celebrates 90 years of establishment and is regarded the most powerful sports car to ever be designed and built in Italy.

The Battista Anniversario is The World’s First Luxury Pure-Electric Hyper GT

Handcrafted in the Pininfarina headquarters of Cambiano, Turin, the Battista Anniversario is the world’s most exclusive automobiles with a total production of only five samples, priced at a minimum of USD$ 2,904,291.

With dynamic ability and bespoke heritage-inspired anniversary livery, each of the five Anniversario cars is finished in a combination of three signature colours: Bianco Sestriere, the never-seen-before Grigio Antonelliano, and Automobili Pininfarina’s signature Iconica Blu.

Building up the finish layer-by-layer, the car is hand-painted over a span of weeks by skilled artisans in Cambiano, through a series of repeated disassembly, to create the most precise and meticulous body of colour.

“Battista Anniversario features one of the most complex paint finishes in the world. The process of creating such a finish is akin to a great artist completing an Old Master painting. The result is more than just a visual work of art. Styling, balanced with ultimate performance, produces a genuine Pininfarina: the beauty of power and the power of beauty.” – Luca Borgogno, Chief Design Officer, Automobili Pininfarina.

Equipped with a ‘Furiosa’ package, compatible with any prior Battista, the Anniversary model features a revised carbon fibre front splitter, side blades and rear diffuser, finished in a two-tone combination of exposed signature carbon and carbon tinted in Iconica Blu with pin stripes in Bianco Sestriere.

With centre-lock forged aluminium wheels and the incorporation of aerodynamic enhancements enabled by the ‘Furiosa’ package, drivers of the Battista Anniversario will experience a reduction in unsprung weight of almost 10kg, dynamic balance, an increased downforce and greater stability at higher cornering speeds of up to 217 mph.

Sustainably crafted from black leather and black Alcantara, the Battista Anniversario’s unique seating showcases a specially engraved chassis plate, whilst its side wings read ‘Anniversario’ and the black anodized dedication door plaques a homage to the founding of Carrozzeria Pinin Farina in 1930 with signature ‘Pininfarina 90’ logos.

Promising a level of performance, unachievable today in any road-legal sports car utilizing an internal combustion engine, the Battista Anniversario boasts four electric motors generating 1,900 hp and 2,300 Nm torque, a zero-emissions range of over 500 km, and a 120 kWh battery pack mounted within a strong T-shaped carbon frame low down in the chassis.

“I have piloted the quickest road and race cars in the world. I’ve never driven anything as powerful as the Battista. The Battista is faster than many race cars, but it is not a pure racing machine. Drivability in all situations is its primary focus. We will now concentrate our time testing and developing Battista to deliver a car that’s at the forefront of technological possibilities and innovation.” – Nick Heidfeld, Test and Development Driver, Automobili Pininfarina.

This summer, a very limited number of potential customers will be given the opportunity to experience the Automobili Pininfarina Battista’s thrilling performance at special drive events created around the world. With more than 150 Battista hypercars, including five Battista Anniversario cars, hand-crafted in Italy – delivery dates for first owners are set for end of 2020.

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Benetti’s New 70m Custom Build Adds to Series of 2020 Launches

Benetti has launched the 70m custom-built FB273 at its Livorno shipyard in the latest of a series of deliveries in 2020. The 230ft megayacht has a steel hull and aluminium superstructure, with an exterior by Benetti and interior design by Laura Pomponi.

Benetti presentation of the 230ft FB273 in Livorno

The six-deck yacht features an aft swimming pool with a special system – installed on a Benetti for the first time – that varies the depth, for use by both adults and kids. When fully raised, the bottom of the pool becomes an integral part of the main deck and the beach club opens out, with two side terraces over the water.

Other features include a balcony on the starboard side of the dining room on the main deck, while the lower deck features six guest cabins midships. The yacht has 11 crew cabins.

The upper deck is dedicated to the owner. The 120sqm master suite is aft and has 180-degree views, a bathroom with shower and sauna, walk-in his and hers wardrobe, vanity table and breakfast corner. Forward are outdoor and indoor lounges, an office, a gym with massage room, home theatre and touch-and-go helicopter landing area near the bow.

Benetti CEO Franco Fusignani speaks at the FB273 launch ceremony

The sun deck features a big open-air dining area connected to an interior veranda through a sliding door, while forward is the Captain’s cabin. The uppermost sky deck is completely open and has a jacuzzi, sunpads and loungers.

The yacht has two 2,400hp Caterpillar engines for a top speed of 17 knots and a range of 5,000nm at 12 knots.

Benetti started the year with several launches including the first hull of its new Diamond 145 series, Ink, during a special occasion in front of hundreds of spectators at its Viareggio shipyard.

Ink, the first Diamond 145, splashes in Benetti’s Viareggio facility

Designed by Giorgio M. Cassetta and Benetti’s Interior Style Department, the 44m fibreglass yacht entered the water down the slipway in front of members of the public, suppliers and company workers and office staff.

“Slipway launches are part of the history of Benetti shipyards,” said Paolo Vitelli, President of Azimut-Benetti Group. “We have a great tradition and hundreds of yacht launches to our name, but the revolutionary features of the Class category today promise to bring Benetti new success.”

Benetti announced two sales of the Diamond 145, which it states is the only fiberglass yacht of its size available today. Features include an attractive stern where sliding glass doors open out onto a spacious beach area.

The launch ceremony of the sixth hull of the Delfino 95 series

The 456GT yacht, which has a range of 3,600nm at 11 knots, offers accommodation for 10 guests in four lower-deck cabins, while crew accommodation includes the upper-deck Captain’s cabin by the helm station.

Cassetta said: “Diamond 145 springs from a project with a mission to improve life on board not only for owners and guests but for all the crew, too. The size of the yacht has made it possible to combine an ergonomic approach, ultra-modern details and a timeless style.”

Benetti then launched two yachts back to back in Viareggio in February, with the sixth Delfino 95 hull followed a day later by the 14th Classic Supreme 132.

www.benettiyachts.it

 

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Dedicated to passing down the traditional ethos and culture of the Amamian people, through preserving nature, architecture and villages, DenPaku offers a variety of tourist accommodation across the Japanese islands of Amami Oshima, Kakeromajima and Tokunoshima.

The Japanese Island’s Traditional DenPaku Beachfront MIJORA Villas and Resorts

Ranging from resorts to boutique hotels, the first two DenPaku inns were established in the northern region of Amami Oshima in 2016. Conceptualized and designed by Atelier TEKUTO’s principal architect Yasuhiro “Hiro” Yamashita, DenPaku inns are a product of the restoration and conversion of abandoned houses.

Complete with congenial furnishings, DenPaku strives to maintain each home’s original build and provide guests with an air of familiarity, warmth and comfort through well-equipped bathroom and kitchen facilities.

With thirteen villas stretched across the west coasts of north Amami and seven villas situated at south Kamesaki, each home features a modern interpretation of Amamian traditional wood roofs, origami-like concrete structures, four distinct floor patterns, and an enormous floor-to ceiling connecting window.

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Proving that women too can dominate the realm of fast cars, is Dubai supercar club, Arabian Gazalles. Founded in 2016 by Algerian-born, luxury car enthusiast Hanan Mazouzi Sobati, the club prides itself shattering stereotypes, raising eyebrows and inspiring women.

The Arabian Gazalles Are Dubai’s First-Ever All Women Supercar Club

“You don’t have to be the hot chick in the front right seat. You can be the hot chick in the driver’s seat.” – Jalyn Jarvi, member of the Arabian Gazalles

Comprising of all women, the Arabian Gazalles strives to offer women from all walks of life a platform to race and venture beyond their comfort zone. Tired of the existing motoring landscape, and the male-dominated community’s preconceived notion that women are “zero and inefficient”, the club aims to bring equal women equal representation and opportunity both on the road and when dealing with manufacturers and distributors in the workshop.

Embodying the grace and speed of the gazelle, Hanan Mazouzi Sobati believes in the capacity of every woman’s boldness, passion and strength. With a total of 120 members of 18 nationalities, the Arabian Gazalles’ only requirement is the ownership of any luxury sports car, such as a Ferrari, Lamborghini, McLaren, Aston Martin, Rolls-Royce, Bentley or Bugatti – which are priced 50% cheaper than in other major cities and parts of the world.

“Most members are business owners while others are high-profile executives and housewives with enormous wealth. Their husbands were all scared of me, because I was the one about to corrupt their women.” – Hanan Mazouzi Sobati

Thanks to their strong online media presence and collaborations, the Arabian Gazalles are no longer merely an intimate group of close friends, but a growing global community of empowered women, striving to make a difference, one race at a time.

From collaborating with New York-based fashion discovery platform, Moda Operandi for a driving event in 2018 to a Harper’s Bazaar Arabia feature, the Arabian Gazalles’ aspirations are never-ending, with dreams of infiltrating nations as far and near as Saudi Arabia and the United States.

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Second Calling – How London Is Wooing Property Investors

As we head into 2020, London looks set to remain a great place to own a holiday home with or without the EU.

Teddington Riverside, Richmond Upon Thames, London, United Kingdom

London has long been Europe’s most sought after international property market. Foreign buyers have flocked to the UK’s capital for years. Even during times of changing legislation, a fluctuating Pound, and Brexit, buyers haven’t been as drastically put off as one might have thought. If anything, the last several months have seen developers and agencies selling London property overseas doing especially well. This can be owed to many things including civil unrest in Hong Kong and favourable exchange rates, but it just goes to show you how London still attracts buyers.

 

Recent information released by LonRes showed that there has been an upswing in London’s most expensive neighbourhoods over the third quarter. Areas which throughout the last couple of years, had been in the weaker end of the market. This includes neighbourhoods such as Belgravia, Knightsbridge, and Mayfair.

 

While we wait for Brexit to actually take place, another area that will affect the capital’s property market is a stamp duty cut. London makes up 38 per cent of the stamp duty revenue in the UK. The current prime minister has hinted at removing stamp duty on properties valued over GBP 500,000, however, this has yet to occur. If it does, it will have a major impact on London where a substantial number of properties are valued far higher than this.

 

Headline transaction levels across the country remain relatively resilient – political uncertainty has been offset by ultra-low mortgage rates and a robust employment market. Any political clarity could trigger additional activity in the market – Gráinne Gilmore, Head of UK Residential Research, Knight Frank, UK.

Tottenham Court Road West residences

If you are looking to holiday in London and have always longed for a permanent residence there, then there has never been a better time to shop the market. Provided you have a relatively substantial budget, there is no shortage of properties offering something for everyone throughout the city. Here are a few examples of what’s currently on the market.

 

London has some dark expectations to tackle: The Euro crisis, rollercoaster financial markets and the rise of populist politics. In addition, a digital revolution has transformed London’s economy with tech disruption changing everything from how we hail a taxi to how we occupy offices. A key feature of the last decade has been an unsettling change. It is, however, change that has paid dividends for those agile enough to adapt. London has proved particularly adept at transforming itself to meet the demands of the new era. The city is so adaptable and examines the next wave of changes to come. What is certain is that the next ten years of change will create new opportunities in the London real estate market – William Beardmore-Gray, Head of London Offices, Knight Frank, UK.

Tottenham Court Road West

New Central London apartment buildings don’t come along every day. If you add excellent shopping and transport options, then they’re even harder to come by. Tottenham Court Road West (TCRW) by Galliard Homes, is set to deliver everything one could want in a London holiday home.

Aerial view of the city where Tottenham Court Road West is situated in

Situated above the western ticket hall of the new Crossrail station at Tottenham Court Road, TCRW fronts Oxford Street and Dean Street. Such an excellent location means that you can pretty much walk to most of the city’s prime destinations, as well as reach mainline train stations and international airports with relative ease. Such are the luxuries of owning a home in Central London.

 

The exterior façade with features an array of colours and materials which enable it to complement its surrounding neighbourhood and produce a sense of occasion before you even enter the main entrance. When complete, TCRW will boast 81 luxurious apartments arranged in studio, 1-, 2-, and 3-bedroom layouts. This will be further complemented by range-topping penthouses.

 

Interior designers Argent Design have worked hard to ensure that luxury and technology go hand in hand. Each apartment features luxurious materials including marble and natural oak, along with products from renowned company’s such as Geberit. With such complementing aspects of interior design, you may not want to leave your living room the entire holiday. Read more about the property here.

Price on application

https://www.ogpsglobal.com/

 

Teddington Riverside

Situated in beautiful Richmond upon the Thames, CDL’s luxurious Teddington Riverside development is luxurious London living, offering idyllic surroundings with waterfront views and parks galore. Richmond is one of the unique places in London where you can feel like you’re in the countryside while only being a short train ride from Central London. As such, it’s a great base to have a holiday home in London.

Teddington Riverside development is where residents can enjoy bicycle rides around its lush surroundings

Teddington Riverside is also a short drive from both Richmond upon Thames High Street, as well as Kingston upon the Thames. Both of which offer plenty of shopping and restaurants, along with supermarkets, bars, and the theatre. You’ll also find a wide selection of schools, including internationally recognised universities, such as Kingston University and The American International University.

 

There are one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments available at Teddington Riverside. Inside each unit, expect exquisite craftsmanship and state-of-the-art technology. From underfloor heating to Bianco stone worktops and Siemens appliances, every home has the potential to be a showhome.

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Price: GBP 670,000 (USD 863,000)

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