A rare 1937 Bugatti Type 57SC Atalante Coupe sold for $7.92 million at Gooding & Co.'s auto auction (that we recently reported on) during the annual Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in California over the weekend - the highest price ever paid for an automobile at auction in the U.S.A. The car was part of the Dr. Peter and Susan Williamson Collection, billed as the world's finest assemblage of Bugattis, several of which fetched high prices at the sale. The next highest price at the Gooding & Co. event was a 1950 Ferrari 166 MM Berlinetta Le Mans, which fetched $2.2 million. Meanwhile, at RM Auctions' similar sale during the classic car event, which we told you about earlier this month, a 1961 Ferrari 250GT SWB Berlinetta brought in an impressive $4.5 million.
Sylvester Stallone, has battled Russians in the movies but now he is happy to say "There's a bit of Russian in all of us." That's the slogan for the new ads he is doing in Russian for the vodka brand Russian Ice. Russian vodka producer Synergy announced that Stallone signed a one-year contract to promote the brand. Despite the fact that his character Rocky pummeled Soviet boxer Ivan Drago in Rocky IV and his other iconic action hero, John Rambo mowed down Soviet troops in Afghanistan, Stallone is popular in Russia. Synergy is also tauting the fact that Stallone, though most known for his Italian heritage, does have a Russian great-grandmother, Rosa Rabinovich from the Ukranian town of Odessa. Stallone will pocket around $1 million for the ads.
Jimmy Choo rarely disappoints whether it's shoes or handbags. Certainly his new saucy duo, Lola & Lois, is no exception. With their similar patent leather look and chunky size they make for hefty handbags. Each has its own distinct look -- Lois sports a detachable mini-messenger bag while Lola presents in a sassy Bordeaux color -- so you really can't go wrong preferring one over the other. Its feels a bit early to me to be breaking out the patent leather but if you buy it now then you'll be ready when the seasons change. Both are available for $2,495.
Omega may have sealed the deal for James Bond's watches but what about the villains. Enter Dr. Swatch, otherwise known as Nicolas G. Hayek. Swatch has created a new collection dedicated just to Bond's antagonists. The new collection will be out next month and will be a tribute to those Bond has sparred with in twenty-two James Bond films, from Dr. No to the forthcoming Quantum Of Solace. Featured villains will include Christopher Walken's Max Zorin, Gerd Froebe's Goldfinger, Lotte Lenya's Rosa Klebb and more. Sounds like fun, I'm just hoping my favorite, Richard Kiel (aka Jaws) has one.
Golfing gets more and more popular every year it seems, and although lots of people think it's a really good time it still has a reputation of being a somewhat quiet, calm, and sophisticated sport. That stereotype could be changing, however, thanks to Bad Ass Golf Carts.
Yes, that's really what they're called and yes, they really are bad ass. There are numerous customized carts available, including one that jumps (seen here), one modeled after a Hummer, and a limo version that seats six. You can also buy customized parts like wheels and accessories for existing carts if you want to make your own. Sounds like good times! $12,000 - $18,000
It's cool to spend lots of money on fancy electronic gadgets but it's totally not cool to spend several minutes fishing around for a remote control to (gasp) actually have to get up off the couch in order to turn them on manually. Of course The Clapper could do the trick but who needs such a startling way to adjust the mood when you could have this gold (that's one of the last places you thought you'd see bling, isn't it?) electricity switch by Tobias Wong. Put it wherever you want (it works wirelessly) and you'll be having lights, music, and whatever else whenever and where ever you want -- no fumbling required. $150
We've been looking at a lot of traditional homes lately so let's mix it up with a big slice of modern. Today's home was designed by architect Rafael Vinoly in 1994. It sits on a five acre hilltop setting with long views in Ridgefield, Connecticut. The home has both indoor/outdoor pools and a glass bridge to the private tower which houses the master bedroom, penthouse office and an observation deck. The interior features lots of heavy concrete, wood ceilings and so much stainless steel, the owner probably has to employ a designated polisher. It's stunning but I wonder how easy it is to live in. It's listed at $10 million.
The folks at the beloved Bruichladdich Scotch distillery on Islay just powered a racecar from 0-60 in 3.5 seconds on a tank full of of its X4 Scotch, billed as the most alcoholic single malt ever made. The car, a British-made Radical SR4 (above), was driven by Top Gear's James May and wine expert Oz Clarke for a segment on their upcoming BBC series Oz and James' Great British Adventure. The clear 180-proof quadruple-distilled spirit, which required no engine modification, produced 200 bhp, only 5 less than ordinary gasoline - but at about $200 a gallon it's a pretty pricey biofuel. A lower proof version of the X4 will go on sale (for drinking, not driving) in the fall. You can see a video of the run here.
I like sports cars, and I LOVE coffee, but I admit I totally don't get why the two seem to get combined so frequently. First we had this Lamborghini-inspired espresso machine and now, from Brunopasso, the PD-1 machine was created with Italian sports cars in mind. Of course there aren't many ways a coffee machine can look like a Ferrari, except of course a shiny red paint job (among other choices), automobile-inspired gauges that form a little mini-dashboard, and a lever made of beechwood for pressing the coffee. $850
Golf legend Tiger Woods is on track to become the world's first billionaire athlete, a goal he should reach in a few short years at his current rate of income. Woods' career earnings will hit the $1 billion mark by 2010, Forbes reports, but given the taxes and management fees he has to pay, it will take another year for his net worth to catch up.
In 2007 alone, the mag estimates Woods earned $115 million, $65 million more than the second highest paid athlete, David Beckham. While several billionaires over the years have been world-class athletes, none has ever earned their fortune solely from a career playing sports before Woods. Of course, most of his wealth comes from endorsement deals as prize money accounts for only one-tenth of his earnings.
This summer, luxury charter service V1 Jets opened up its seaplane service from Manhattan to the Hamptons (formerly reserved for members) to anyone with the price of a ticket, and it's proved to be very popular with the gliteratti. The 40 minute trip on an 8-passenger Cessna, which costs $495 one-way, has been taken by the likes of models Adriana Lima and Petra Nemcova, actors Pierce Brosnan and Jeremy Piven, and mogul Barry Diller. V1 Jets was founded in 2003 by hedge fund manager Andrew Zarrow who envisioned a way to utilize the excessive amount of "dead legs" created by private aircraft returning empty after delivering clients to their destinations, saving money and resources in the process.
Italian fashion designer Roberto Cavalli becomes the latest designer to take his talent to a hotel project in Dubai. The Fairmont Dubai will be the site of Roberto Cavalli's first Cavalli Club a new 'entertainment and night-life' concept. In Dubai, Cavalli is planning a two-story club with a separate entrance from the Fairmont Dubai. The floors will be done in shiny black quartz with reflective crystal dust and tall walls of Swarovski crystals create sparkling curtains. Want to shop late at night? The ground floor will showcase jewelry, watches and exclusive accessories from the Cavalli Maison. There will also be selection of refined food products chosen by Roberto Cavalli to express the best of 'Made in Italy."
Upstairs, an Italian restaurant is at center of the hall, while on either side of the Italian restaurant, there are are two large atolls in gold-colored glass and fur, suspended from the floor, which host a sushi bar and a wine bar featuring Cavalli Selection red wine. The upper floor also features a lounge bar with music and a suspended platform that will host the DJ and the dancers, as well as other entertainment and shows. The Cavalli Club Dubai will open in November 2008, with Cavalli set to take his party to Florence and Milan later.
(In this photo Cavalli poses with a plate portrait done by Julian Schnabel. Cavalli bought the plate portrait in 2007 at an AmFar auction).
It's not quite Brad Pitt body wash but the architecture-loving dad has teamed up with Kiehl's on their new new Aloe Vera Biodegradable Liquid Body Cleanser. The product is the popular skincare brand's first item that is completely eco-friendly right down to the packaging and is certified by Cradle to Cradle. Pitt won't be appearing on the bottle or in the advertising but he did pen a hand-written note that will be on the bottle. All the profits benefit JPF Eco Systems, a charitable foundation created by Kiehl's and Brad to support global environmental initiatives. The project hopes to raise $1 million for charity with the first funds raised earmarked for Pitt's Make It Right foundation, which builds eco-friendly housing for those affected by Hurricane Katrina.
Are skulls still in? I guess it makes sense that they are (and will always be) since they're one of the universal symbols for "bad-ass" and that attitude just never goes out of fashion.
I like this crystal-encrusted take on the skull by Thomas Wylde but I can't help but wonder why the little guy's mouth is hanging open ... is he hungry? About to say something? He looks more shocked than he does tough. Anyway ...
This Zanzibar Leather Clutch is made fold-over style with a zip closure on the front. Simple and interesting, I think this is the kind of handbag that grows on you over time. $1,495
Last month we reported that top fashion brands were once again bringing back the supermodels of the 1990s to star in new fall ad campaigns for the likes of Prada, Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent and Louis Vuitton.
Vanity Fair has now picked up on the trend, with an eight page story in the new September issue and a photo shoot by Mario Testino (right) featuring Cindy Crawford, Stephanie Seymour, Christy Turlington, Linda Evangelista, Claudia Schiffer and Naomi Campbell.
Though they're all obviously in great shape, Testino somehow makes Seymour look as if she's made entirely of plastic, while the gorgeous Schiffer looks more like a hausfrau than a supermodel. Perhaps the lighting and make-up is to blame. The shoot was originally rumored to be for the magazine's cover, but we can see why they went with Carla Bruni instead.
Golf legend 
Last month we 
