All hail the world’s fastest Go-Kart that literally vanishes in the blink of an eye—and is also probably the world’s most expensive. The C5 Blast zips the 0-100 sprint in 1.5 seconds, which beats hollow the Chiron’s 2.5 seconds and puts Tesla Model S P100D’s 2.28 seconds to shame! Built by Canadian manufacturer and developer of light electric vehicles (LEV), Daymak, the C5 Blast’s secret lies in a combination of a 48v/10KW brushless DC motor and a whopping twelve individual Electric Ducted Fan motors powered by another twelve 5000mAH batteries. As for the price, the electric go-kart retails for a cool $60,000, but there’s also a lesser priced standard model for $10,000. But of course with the smaller price you would have to compromise a couple of seconds, for the standard one fors the 0-100 race in 3.9 seconds. Oh well, you’ll still be in the company of some of the fastest supercars!
Ahead of the release of the latest Pirates of the Caribbean movie, there’s been a valuation of all the jewelry Captain Jack Sparow wears on his person—plus the treasure he has. And it’s no less than £224,000—which amounts to $289,687. The evaluation has been done by jewelry specialist F. Hinds, and includes the pirate’s semi-precious beads, rings, bracelet et all. And lest we forget, there’s also the Treasure of Cortes. The Skull Ring, The Dragon Ring, The Flower Ring and The Stolen Ring are evaluated at £19,000, £4,250, £750 and £5,500 each. The leather and gemstone beaded bracelet on Sparrow’s wrist is worth about £90, whereas the more opulent pieces such as his Pearl necklace and Silver crown are estimated at £5,500 and £200,000 each, whereas the Treasure of Cortés’ chest, containing 882 pieces of Aztec gold coins, costs a whopping £3,000,000.
Multi-Michelin star celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay is all set to open the first brick and mortar Hell’s Kitchen restaurant in Las Vegas. Situated at at Caesars Palace on Vegas’s center Strip, the restaurant and bar will serve daily brunch and dinner for up to 300 guests at a time, seated both indoors and on a Strip-adjacent patio. Ramsay said it was the show’s fans’ insistence that got him to bring the restaurant to life. Designed by Jeffrey Beers International to be an experiential destination restaurant, it will attempt to replicate the studio set experience of Fox’s “Hell’s Kitchen” television show, the 17th season of which will air during the 2017-2018 season. Design features will include a nod to both the red and blue teams featured on the show, and the open-concept kitchen will be the eatery’s centerpiece, viewable from all seats. Gordon Ramsay’s show Hell’s Kitchen is a partnership between Gordon Ramsay and Caesars Entertainment in conjunction with ITV America. The television series airs in the U.S. on Fox.
The St Regis Bal Harbour Resort, Miami, is now offering the world’s most expensive macarons— The Crystal Macarons. Created in collaboration with French glassmaker and jeweler Lalique, the macarons are made with white tea, decorated with gold and rest on a cushion of sugar crystals within a LALIQUE Dahlia-shaped crystal box that guests can take home as a keepsake for $9,703, which is a play on the resort’s address at 9703 Collins Avenue. The Crystal Macarons also come with an overnight stay at one of the new four-bedroom Sky Palace Suites and are served with Afternoon Tea on one of the suite’s four oceanfront balconies.
Sotheby’s is all set to auction off the Apollo and Artemis diamonds which could well become the most expensive earrings in the world. Going under the hammer today at ‘Magnificent and Noble Jewels’ sale in Geneva, this spectacular mismatched pair is valued at an estimated £55 million. The pear-shaped danglers with odd-coloured diamonds are named Apollo and Artemis after the Greek gods of power and beauty. While the Artemis is a fancy 16-carat Intense Pink diamond worth £14.5 million, the Apollo is a 14.54-carat ‘Fancy Vivid blue diamond’whose price alone is estimated at a staggering £40 million! And each one of the pair has its own separate standing too, for they will be auctioned separately.
Dior’s Cruise collection 2018 is a fascinating echo of all things wild and natural. This time the French fashion house stands out from its usual style with a collection that’s more laid-back —chic but with a wild side. The wardrobe takes inspiration from Lascaux cave paintings, painter Georgia O’Keeffe and feminist shamanic healer Vicki Noble, with plenty of pleated skirts and bolero hats on show. Brainchild of Dior creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri, the collection spells out femininity. There are plenty of pleated skirts, midi dresses with square necklines, motifs and embroidery details. You’ll also find lots of fringing, as well as leather pieces, boots, revisited ponchos and Bolero hats.
Montblanc just opened the latest chapter in its partnership with UNICEF to support children’s education, by unveiling the limited edition UNICEF collection at Dubai. Revealed at an event held at the W Hotel, this collection is designed around the idea that writing is a precious gift that should be passed on and it includes writing instruments, timepieces, leather goods and accessories. The collection represents the diversity of world languages through six handwritten characters, each being the first letter from six different alphabets that children learn to write first, including Roman, Hindi, Arabic and three Asian characters. The amount raised from the collection will be donated towards providing more children access to primary education of a better quality. Montblanc for UNICEF Collection is available in Montblanc boutiques worldwide.
ADRENALINE RUSH | Under the guidance of race-car instructors, you learn to push these beauties to their limits and manoeuvre them like a pro
Now this is a major piece of news for all you luxury car fans out there. If you’ve always fantasized about spending a day surrounded by your favourite cars – of the racing variety, learning to take on the hairpin bends of a real F1 track, in the company of real racing drivers? Here’s the good news – in India, it is indeed possible to learn how to drive, drift and race a car thanks to the BMW M Driver training. The day-long experience is reserved for customers willing to shell out a hefty sum and is not for the faint-hearted, requiring skill and determination.
What are the cars about? The cars in question are from BMW’s M portfolio, so there are enough drool-worthy cars for everyone. Just to give you a bit of a background about the M cars, the German luxury carmaker launched their “M” (for motorsport) variety of cars way back in the ‘60s and ‘70s, to affirm their racing program. One thing led to another, BMW’s M cars soon became a brand signature of sorts and quickly attained cult status. Today, BMW’s M cars feature more powerful engines, race car tuned suspension, transmission and design elements to enhance the racing experience.
The BMW M3, M4, M6 Gran Coupe, M5 Sedan and X5 M are some of the cars you get to drive at the F1 track
Where does it take place? The first event took place at the Buddh International Circuit, in Greater Noida. At this F1 circuit, you can truly make the most of this award winning and beautifully designed track by learning how to drift, do a lane change plus of course do timed laps in the company of your instructor. There are different BMW Experiences that take place in different cities across the country so you might want to check the schedule on BMW’s India website.
What is it all about? Basically, the BMW M Driver Training session for the cars is an immersive experience designed by the luxury carmaker to get customers and BMW fans to get a first-hand experience of what it’s like to drive one of these beauties. When I say immersive, I’m not talking about a simple drive here – if you sign up for the driver training program, you undergo a strict training procedure, in the company of a professional race car driver. Under the guidance of race-car instructors, you learn to push the car to its limits and manoeuvre it like a pro.
Learn to drift, do a lane change and timed laps at the Buddh International Circuit
Which cars can you look forward to driving? You get to drive some of the finest and the most hardcore performance cars that the BMW M division makes. Thus you get what you pay for. The guys at BMW brought out the best cars from their M range. Here are some of the cars that I spotted.
The BMW M3 and M4, with its instantly recognisable M styling and its powerful 3.0 twin-turbo 6-cylinder petrol engine and fast seven-speed dual clutch automatic gearbox.
The iconic BMW M5 Sedan with its massive V8 and capacity to accelerate from 0 to 100/kmph in 4.3 seconds.
The BMW M6 Gran Coupe with its seductive sporty coupe like appearance and gamut of high-performance features.
The BMW X5 M which combines the philosophy of a traditional M sports car with the functionality of an X model.
The BMW X6 M with its 4.4 litre, 575 hp M TwinPower Turbo 8-cylinder petrol engine that takes it from 0 to 100 km/h in just 4.2 seconds.
What you need to know Before you start the day, you will undergo a detailed safety briefing, where you will be introduced to the technical aspects of the car and the different techniques that you will be required to use during the day. The briefing is a very thorough one and is done in an interactive format, without using too much technical jargon. Given the speeds that these cars are capable of reaching, safety is top priority and all kinds of safety measures are put into place including strict enforcement of helmets and seat belts for every passenger and constant communication with the instructors through a walkie talkie.
When you sign up for the driver training program, you undergo a strict training procedure
How the day pans out Following the briefing, you will be divided into groups where you will be coupled with another driver, with whom you will alternate during all of the sessions planned.
Here’s how my day panned out, in order of sequence.
High-speed lane change
Drifting
Paced laps (led by the instructor)
Lunch
Paced laps (led by participants)
Time Bend Competition
A series of Taxi Laps
BMW M Driver Training session is an immersive experience designed by the luxury carmaker
What happens at the end of it all? Well, you get certification after having participated in the M Driver Training program. Plus of course, you have many unforgettable memories of that exhilarating experience, of sitting in the cockpit and driving these gorgeous performance cars. You will be among a few who have learnt and experienced how to push these cars to their limits!
How much does it cost? This whole day-long experience costs INR 50,000 per person. To register for this driver training program you can sign up on BMW India’s dedicated website for this.
Our verdict Luxury consumers in India are constantly looking for a new and immersive experience with brands that they use and love. Thus in a similar vein, this BMW Experience is worth every penny for those with the means and interest along with the love for fast cars. More importantly though, it is a great way for the carmaker to engage with its existing customers and give them an enhanced brand experience. I see these experience programs from luxury brands becoming more and more popular in the coming years as it is a brilliant way to strengthen your relationship with customers.
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The Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Cartier Tank watch is all set to go under the hammer as the sale highlight at Christie’s Rare Watches and American Icons New York sale on June 21. Christie’s New York Watches will be auctioning off this watch that was gifted to Jackie by her from her brother-in-law Prince Stanislaw “Stas” Radziwill in 1963. With its price estimated between $60,000 and $120,000, this Cartier Tank watch was born by Jackie for decades, as can be seen in many iconic photos. The watch features the engraving: “Stas to Jackie 23 Feb. 63 2:05 am to 9:35 pm.” The times refer to the start and stop times of the famous 50-Mile Hike in Palm Beach in 1963. In the June 21st NY auction, the watch will also be accompanied by an original painting that Jackie made in 1963 as a gift for Stas Radziwill celebrating the hike with the dedication “February 23, 1963 2:05 am to 9:35 pm / Jackie to Stas with love and admiration”. The 50-mile hike became a short-lived fad in early 1963 after President Kennedy publicly asked the American people to accept the mentally and physically grueling challenge of walking this long distance. His inner circle of family and friends were some of the first to attempt the hike including his friends Stas Radziwill and Chuck Spalding, featured in the painting. This watch and the accompanying painting, previously unknown to the public, are two of the most important historic artifacts to surface in recent years from the Kennedy Presidency times.
Alila Hotels and Resorts are all set to open their second property in China, the Alila Yangshuo. Set amongst picturesque karst mountains, Alila Yangshuo was once a working sugar mill that’s been transformed into a modern retro resort of 117 rooms, suites and villas. Located in Guilin, one of the world’s most stunning landscapes and overlooking the panorama of the Li River, Alila Yangshuo has been designed by Dong Gong of Vector Architects with interiors by award winning Ju Bin of Horizontal Space Design. The designers have artfully incorporated elements of the retro 1960’s sugar mill architecture into the common areas of Alila Yangshuo as seen in the hollow wall structure and in the transformation of the original sugarcane dock into a swimming pool. Spa Alila also offers guests exclusive treatments combining the finest traditions of East and West. Housed in a unique underground location, guests descend through an ultra-modern spiral entryway into a luxurious cocoon. The walls and floors are made from underground volcanic rocks unearthed during construction which produced the jewelled hues in the cave-like interiors. Comprised of five state-of-the-art treatment rooms, Spa Alila offers guests the option of taking their spa experience in the intimate indoor spaces or outdoors in the Villa garden. Alila Yangshuo’s Sugar House Restaurant is located in the historical Sugar Pressing Room. Using local and fresh ingredients, the restaurant serves a selection of Chinese and Western cuisine based on a seasonal farm to table menu. Other facilities include an outdoor swimming pool, a library, the Alila Living boutique, creative design spaces for up to 20 guests and a private pier for destination dining.
