Masterchef goes Private
After a flying lunchtime visit to Launceston Place a few weeks ago I was left flabbergasted by the food – incredible would not come close to doing it justice. Amuse-bouches and pre-desserts, spectacular presentation (a crab risotto came adorned with an entire spider crab shell), perfectly balanced mains and beautifully balanced desserts. And all this for a rather embarrassing £18.
The Rarer The Better
It’s hard to drum up much enthusiasm for investing these days. The housing market is in the doldrums, corporate profits continue to slump, retirement funds are losing ground and even most hedge funds are delivering, at best, meagre returns.
Fifty Thousand Feet in One Minute
Mike beachy head was not satisfied when he became the first and only private citizen in the world to own a supersonic plane, he then went and bought another three. Ready! Fire! Aim! Not good advice if you are flying a warbird in a conflict situation but with those words South African Mike Beachy Head sums up how he started the world’s only licensed supersonic civilian aircraft squadron.
Bullet Proof Fashions
Everyone likes adding on a few extras when they order their new car, that’s half the fun. The question is, where do you stop? If you are buying a new 7-series direct from BMW, pay another £600 and you get a phone in the back – a good idea because in a car like this, you’re going to spend a lot of time being driven.
Drive the Best
The Ferrari 599 is probably the best GT car currently in production - fact. It has the stunning 600 bhp engine from the fabulously expensive Enzo, mounted in a chassis so communicative that you know what it’s about to do before it’s done it. It has shift lights and electronic differential controls on the steering wheel that make you feel like Michael Schumacher.
Watch This Space
We have been pretty vocal about our new found love affair with Bremont watches in the past few issues of Lusso Magazine, so imagine our excitement when we found out that our favourite watch brand had just become the official timers of our favourite summer event - The Goodwood Festival of Speed.
Cohiba Cohiba
In the world of wine there is Champagne, in the world of whisky there are single malts and, in the world of cigars there is Cuba. Many, if not most, products have their stars but it is rare that within that category there is one clear leader. Unusually, Cuban cigars have that flagship brand that is not only put at the top by its manufacturers but also by the press and the consumers.
Italian Stallions
Like every reader of Lusso, I can tell the difference between a Pouilly Fuissé and a Pouilly Fumé without inhaling. I can distinguish between Gucci and Pucci with my eyes closed. I am, in other words, so profoundly sophisticated and so preternaturally cool that it sometimes gives me a headache.
David & Goliath
Once upon a time, long before the wristwatch was invented, the best clocks in the world came from England. The trouble was that they were rather big. This did not matter if their function was to act as a ship’s chronometer but it did get slightly awkward if, like all fashionable men, you tried to keep one of these clocks in your waistcoat pocket.
Reviewed: Antler new Size Zero luxury luggage range
Lusso recently previewed the new luxury range of luggage from British manufacturer Antler. Having owned some other Antler products for many years, I was keen to see how this new luggage set would survive. Having a trip planned to the Alps for the Megavalanche mountain bike race, this would provide a great test.
Portuguese Strokes
Departing the UK on an early morning flight in January, it was just a couple of hours before the plane was descending on to the red-earthed landscape of the Algarve. Leaving a dreary, wet, dark England behind, green oases were now scattered across the sun stricken ground beneath, promising recreational treats for most of the airliner’s cabin.
Everlands
Having never been to New York City, I perched on the side of my extra wide EOS seat enjoying the sights out of the window as the plane descended towards J. F. Kennedy airport. We land and I’m shuttled through the terminal’s eerily deserted border control and within 30 minutes I’m halfway across the airport, taking a short drive to the GA Terminal.
Louis Vuitton buys Yacht Manufacturer
The Louis Vuitton Group, LVMH, has purchased Dutch yacht manufacturer Royal van Lent. The yacht company make ultra high end yachts, with an average selling price of 30 million euros. The sellers are Dutch investment firm Egeria and the acquisition price is worth approximiately 11 times net profit.
Asics Inner Muscle Revolutionises Sport Clothing
High end sports clothing has recently gone down the route of tight elastic tops and shorts that initially appear about 4 sizes too small for the athlete. The theory is that the tops provide more overall support to muscles, which improves performance. Asics, a leading trainer company, has taken this technology one step further. Lusso took a look.
Topper chosen for Champion of Champions event
Topper Sailboats offer a range of 12 different boats for all abilities of sailor. They are highly regarded as having excellent construction quality and design. They have been chosen to be the craft of choice for the Endeavour Trophy at least up until 2010 and probably further into the future. Lusso have taken a closer look at this company to see how they do it.
Did Russian billionaire buy 496 million euro property?
Recently, it was reported that Villa Leopolda was sold to a Russian billionaire for just under 500 million euros. It soon revealed that Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov was behind the sale. As is the habit with Russian oligarchs, Prokhorov made his billions in precious metals. In 2007 he launched a $17 billion private investment fund, so he was definitely wealthy enough to purchase the property.
Issue 15, Available December 2008.
Travel Special
The ultimate in peace and quite. Lusso Magazine investigates the best island resorts in the world - it's a tough job, but somebody's got to do it.
Ultimate Toys
Super yacht tenders, powerboats, motorbikes and super cars, we serve up the usual dose of high octane machinery.
And the regulars...
Brian Ebbesen, Arash Farboud, Nick English and others all share their views
The Value for Luxury Market
“Doug,Very interested in your article on EOS and this is something I am trying to re-create ...” By Nigel Worrall 27 September 2008
