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Bentley and Zai Make a Scene in Gstaad
Storied British sports luxury marque Bentley celebrated its partnership with ultra high-end ski maker Zai over a weekend in Gstaad, Switzerland, showcasing the commitment to craftsmanship, ultimate performance and uncompromising attention to detail that characterizes the two brands. Both the impeccably appointed new Bentley Continental range and Zai’s superlative skis were put to the test in one of the world’s most stunning Alpine locales. While not as glitzy as St. Moritz or Courchevel, Gstaad is nonetheless excruciatingly exclusive, though the focus is on serious sport and a commitment to bespoke luxury that goes beyond mere bank balances. Ostentation is gauche but great style is a must.
The Zai for Bentley Supersport skis were designed in homage to the extraordinary Continental Supersports, the most powerful Bentley road car ever made. No mere branding exercise, Bentley’s engineers and Zai’s designers spent time at each other’s production facilities exchanging expertise in the worlds of automotive and sports equipment manufacturing to produce the skis, crafted of carbon fiber, steel, and cedar wood and high-tech composites. The collaboration proved fantastically fortuitous for both.
In Gstaad, Bentley made top luxury hotel Gstaad Palace its home base, famed as the favored getaway for the wealthy and well bred as well as royalty of the Hollywood and Hapsburg kind, alike. While Bentley was in residence, Keira Knightley was spotted enjoying a break from the paparazzi in the discreetly opulent, castle-like resort perched above Gstaad like a grand vizier surveying his domain.
Gstaad has always provided sybaritic shelter for the rich and famous, from David Niven, Roger Moore and Grace Kelly in the past to the likes of Bernie Ecclestone, George Soros and Roman Polanski today. Movie buffs may also recognize the hotel from 1975’s Return of the Pink Panther.
While Kankkunen and Moro’s feats may be difficult to recreate, Bentley enthusiasts can now order one of the 100 Continental Supersports Convertible ISR models being handbuilt in Crewe UK, in homage to the record breaker; and they can also sign up for Bentley’s incredible new Power on Ice driving program in Finland from February 5–26. The ISR edition, the most powerful Bentley ever made, features a 6-liter, twin turbo charged W12 engine with 631 hp, translating to 0–60 mph in 3.8 seconds.
Swish down the Swiss slopes with the luxe Infiniti-Volant Ski Packs
What happens when a luxury automaker partners with a premium ski-manufacturer? Introducing, The Infiniti-Volant Limited edition ski packs. Infiniti, the luxury Japanese automaker teamed up with Austrian based manufaturer of ski equipments, Volant for creating the most trendy and exclusive ski packs.
The packs includes a special personalized pair of skis which has the owner’s name engraved on it and bindings support bars for the car. Volant is the same company that made special skis for Prada.
Specially hand-made Nezza skis will help you swoosh through the hard slopes
With the Christmas break coming soon, it’s that time of the year when people begin planning their holidays. And if you have plans to go skiing with your friends, Swiss ski company “Zai” has unveiled its latest handmade creation, Nezza. The company calls it’s skis “a black blade to tame the mountain’. The USP of the skis is that it specifically crafted for hard slopes and is made of zaiira a composite of carbon fibre.
Nezza means blade or sword. The revolutionary looking skis weigh some 3.1 pounds and carry a price tag of $6,394. Moreover the skis have already become a hit, as nezza was recently announced as official supplier to the 2011 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in Garmisch-Partenkirchen.
World’s Fastest Jetski
t’s no exaggeration to say that Austrian manufacturer HSR-Benelli makes the Ducati of jetskis; its Series-R Race Edition, the world’s fastest jetski, is powered by a 342 hp V6 engine created by fusing two 1130 cc in-line three cylinder engines lifted from the Benelli Tornado 1130 Superbike. This is fitted into a sleek composite hull, painted black, red and silver, measuring 3.23 metres in length by 1.2 metres wide. Capable of carrying up to three people the total unladen weight of the craft is 328 kg.
If that’s a little too intense, the company also makes a Prestige Edition that still requires serious handling skills but doesn’t quite blow you out of the water. The Series-Rstarts at about $17,500. The pump is a high-pressure axial flow unit with reverse, while the dashboard features an integrated RFID function, adjustable sponsons and hydraulic trim.
Sea-Doo’s New RXT iS & GTX Limited iS 255s
Sea-Doo’s new RXT iS 255 and GTX Limited iS 255 jetskis feature some of the world’s most advanced watercraft technology, offering a level of control, power and performance never before seen on the water “” or so they claim. With a new technological platform called iControl, these models offer a slew of firsts for Personal Water Craft: Intelligent Brake and Reverse (iBRTM), the first on-water braking system; Intelligent Suspension (iSTM), the first full on-water suspension system; Intelligent Throttle Control (iTCTM), featuring the first true neutral, and the S3TM Hull, the first stepped hull design.
With the throttle control, the jetski now starts up in neutral mode, allowing the engine to run without propelling the craft forward facilitating dock or yachtside starts. An activity-specific cruise control system lets you customize speed settings as well. The stepped design of the S3 hull meanwhile creates a low-pressure zone, reducing drag and keeping the hull glued to the water, improving handling and top end speed.
Turkish Delight: Miss Tor 270
Underneath all that you’ve got guest accommodations including six duplex master cabins and a duplex owner’s suite, plus an interior pool deck featuring a fold-down balcony that can be used as a bathing platform with sun chairs, a diving board, and a tender tie up for jet skis and wake boarding. There’s also a cinema deck, a panoramic fitness deck and a Turkish sauna on the upper deck aft. Just write that check and hang loose “till 2011 and she’s all yours.
Viking Revives de Havilland Twin Otter Turboprop
After more than two decades, Canadian-based Viking Air is bringing back by popular demand the classic de Havilland Twin Otter turboprop airplane. Based on the original design beloved for its rugged versatility, the new Twin Otter Series 400 has been upgraded with modern technology to improve performance and safety while sticking to classic looks and functionality. It’s a highly maneuverable, versatile aircraft which can be flown safely at various speeds from 80 to 160 knots.
The 52-ft. high winged, un-pressurized, twin Pratt & Whitney engine turbine powered plane is ideally suited to operate in all conditions and climates. It seats up to 19 and can be equipped with wheels, floats, skis, or tundra tires for flying anywhere from the tropics to the Antarctic, where it’s used by researchers.
Bell 429 Light Twin Ready to Roll
Bell Helicopter of Texas has just begun deliveries on its $5 million 429 GlobalRanger, quite possibly the most advanced light twin all weather (IFR) chopper ever created. Thanks to Pratt & Whitney PWC207D1 turbine engines with, mostly composite construction, an all-graphite tail boom and X-shaped tail rotor, the 429 is incredibly fast, with a maximum cruising speed of 277 km/h. On the inside it’s also impressively quiet, impeccably appointed and more spacious than any heli in its class.
Digital fuel controls ensure the engines perform at maximum fuel efficiency even at the highest altitudes and temperatures. The spacious cargo area can accommodate golf bags or skis with ease for those who like to mix business with pleasure.
Maserati Quattroporte Bellagio Fastback
At the recent Essen Motor Show one of the best-looking and rarest Maseratis put in an appearance “” the Quattroporte Bellagio Fastback. Limited to only 25 pieces with a $200,000 pricetag, the car from Carrozzeria Granturismo coachbuilding is fitted with the same 4.2 liter V8 engine as the standard Quattroporte, enabling it to hit 100 km/h in 5.2 seconds with a top speed of 275 km/h. Designed as the ultimate sports tourer, the car was first mentioned at the Villa d’Este Concours d’Elegance.
For the Bellagio, Maserati’s famed four-door has been transformed into a sports fastback with a rear door and large cargo loading space in the grand tradition of luxury autos custom tailored to gentlemanly country pursuits. With an additional weight gain of only 50 kg, the Bellagio is available in a variety of bespoke finishes including a wide palette of exterior and leather colours, plus the option to specially configure the rear compartment to hold shotguns, skis, golf clubs.
Eurocopter EC145 by Mercedes-Benz
The famed German marque has teamed up with Eurocopter on a cool new heli design that was just unveiled at the European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition 2010 in Geneva. The special edition twin-engine chopper, conceived by the Mercedes-Benz Advanced Design Studio in Como, Italy, is being billed as the only helicopter in its class that can seat up to eight passengers. Worth noting that MB only had a hand in the aesthetics of thing and not the motor.
The luxurious cabin is equipped with comfortable leather seats coupled with sumptuous wood fittings for the floors and ceiling. A modular configuration inspired by the new R-Class crossover means that all seats are mounted on rails and can be quickly and easily switched around or removed. Thus you can choose to ditch the extra passenger space to make room for your golf bags, surfboards, skis or what have you.
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