The 2010 Rolls Royce Ghost

In 1975—the same year his movie The Godfather: Part II won six Oscars at the Academy Awards—Francis Ford Coppola purchased a portion of the historic Inglenook Estate winery in Napa Valley, Calif. Today the 71-year-old filmmaker is nearly as well known for the wines he produces as for the movies he makes. Coppola is also […]

When BMW unveiled the 2010 BMW X6 M and X5 M models at last year’s New York International Auto Show, the carmaker surprised automotive enthusiasts and Bimmer fans—and put the Porsche Cayenne Turbo S and Mercedes-Benz ML63 AMG on notice. “BMW has never offered anything like this before, but some of our competitors out there […]

A few months after the terrorist attacks against the United States on September 11, 2001, Linda and Steve Sherwin received a request from a group of Italian vintners organizing an auction to benefit the families of employees of Windows on the World, the ill-fated restaurant on the top floors of the World Trade Center’s North Tower. […]

Frank Rainieri and Tom Fazio are a perfect twosome. Rainieri, CEO of the Puntacana Resort & Club in the Dominican Republic, dreams of making his property the Caribbean’s top golf and beach resort. Fazio, the renowned golf architect, says he “helps people fulfill their dreams.” With the opening of Puntacana’s Corales course—a bold, windswept layout […]

For memorabilia hunters, the auction on May 24, 2009, at Marrakech’s Palais des Congrès was a bonanza. The 5,000 items on the block—chandeliers, carpets, bathroom fixtures, monogrammed tableware—had until then graced one of the world’s most celebrated hotels, and speculation abounded over which head of state might have splashed in this bathtub, which famous artist […]

Introduced in the 1950s, the Favorite line of cruisers from Dutch builder Mulder Shipyard still enjoys a cult following. Enthusiasts around the world gather on a regular basis to take to the water in their vintage Favorites, which include the original Favorite Kruiser and the 1960s-era Super Favorite Kruiser. Now, on the heels of its […]

As its name suggests, the Ducati Multistrada was conceived to do much more than simply travel down the highway. Even the bike’s appearance—with its tall riding position, jacked-up front-fender overhang, and rear-wheel splash guard—telegraphed its dual-purpose ambitions. Yet despite these serious aspirations, looks and format were about all that the original Multistrada could offer in […]

After four years of renovations, the Glenmere estate in New York’s Hudson Valley opened as a resort in January. The heart of the 150-acre property, located 50 miles north of Manhattan, is a 1911 Tuscan-style mansion that once belonged to American financier Robert Goelet. Glenmere’s developers kept the home’s original floor plan, and each of […]

The Sawtoothed peaks of the Dolomites surround San Lorenzo Mountain Lodge, a 16th-century maso (South Tyrolean farmhouse) that recently opened to guests. The former hunting lodge—set on 42 forested acres above the Italian town of Brunico and across a valley from the Kronplatz ski resort—underwent a two-year, $1.9 million renovation following its purchase by two […]

Japanese architect Paul Tange, son of architect Kenzo Tange, describes the shape of the Fairmont Beijing as “symbolizing a gateway to modern China.” The younger Tange’s portal to the present, however, draws from the past: The 25-story, rose-glass-clad hotel recalls ancient Chinese city gates—erected to keep out foreigners—and presents a stark contrast to the Beijing […]

In a city filled with sushi bars, the new Culina, Modern Italian, restaurant at the Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills offers a refreshing alternative. Opened in March, Culina incorporates a crudo bar that serves Mediterranean-style raw-seafood dishes distinguished by a simplicity absent from rice- and sauce-heavy rolls. Yellowtail with star anise oil […]

The latest mechanical watch from Richard Mille, the RM 027 Tourbillon (www.richardmille.com), is the Swiss company’s first timepiece to weigh in at less than one ounce, strap included. This feat also is the fulfillment of a goal held by Richard Mille himself: the creation of a lightweight tourbillon that tennis pro Rafael Nadal—who collaborated on […]

Classic Recreations’ Shelby G.T.500CR (www.classicrecreations.com) is the first continuation car of that model to be licensed by Shelby Mustang. Classic Recreations is handcrafting a limited number of the autos, each in about five months, as 1967 or ’68 fastbacks. The Yukon, Okla.–based company built the G.T.500CR’s 7-liter V-8 engine in-house, and used various suspension, braking, […]

Montblanc is perpetuating its 19-year-old Patron of Art series with handcrafted writing instruments celebrating England’s Queen Elizabeth I. Released earlier this year, the Elizabeth I fountain pens (www.montblanc.com) include the $2,630 Limited Edition 4810. Gold-plated dots and fittings decorate the lacquered cap and barrel—a design based on the Virgin Queen’s dress in Nicholas Hilliard’s famous […]

Austrian motorcycle manufacturer KTM has designed its new superbike, the 1190 RC8 R (www.ktm.com)—the first RC8 R to reach U.S. shores—with refinements meant to challenge European literbikes such as the Aprilia RSV4 Factory, the BMW S 1000 RR, and the Ducati 1198 S. The $19,998 KTM has a 75-degree V-twin 1195 cc engine that churns […]

Unveiled at the Miami International Boat Show in February, Cigarette Racing Team’s 46′ Rider, inspired by AMG edition (www.cigaretteracing.com), takes its design cues from the 2011 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG. The boat’s most obvious similarities to the car are its paint color—AMG alubeam silver, one of the options available on the SLS—and its marine-grade upholstery, which […]

A series of new pieces from Santa Fe–based Stone Forest blurs the line between art and function. The company’s Siena Collection (www.stoneforest.com), available since June through select dealers, comprises seven pieces crafted from Siena marble and priced from $1,600 to $22,000. The line’s bathtub, vanity, and bench are clearly purpose-built, yet, owing to their Japanese-influenced […]

After 20 years designing jewelry for Tiffany & Co. and David Yurman, among others, Ward Kelvin struck out on his own in 2009 with American Chinoise (www.wardkelvin.com). For this collection, Kelvin drew inspiration from Chinese motifs, including calligraphic flourishes and traditional wood joinery, creating Asian-influenced designs with a bold American sensibility. The Bamboo Nest cocktail […]

Combining the classic style of an oxford with the rubber sole of an athletic shoe, the new Isaia sneakers (212.245.3733) will be available through select retailers in the United States beginning in late July. The shoes, priced from $425 per pair, come in a range of materials, including leather, suede, wool, and water-resistant cashmere. The […]

Great wine is the product of the relationship between the vintner and the land; yet it is also sometimes the result of an abiding friendship, as is the case with the wines of Cellers Melis, located in the Priorat region of Spain. Here, in 1984, Victor Gallegos and Javier Lopez, friends and fellow students at […]

1963 Ferrari 400 Superamerica Aerodynamico The 400 Superamerica—the ultra-performance GT that made its debut in 1959—represented the penultimate flowering of the truly bespoke Ferrari. More costly than series production models such as the 250 GT Lusso and 250 GTE, the $17,800 Superamerica was powered by Ferrari’s new Colombo-designed 4-liter V-12 engine, which produced 340 hp, […]

For Rolls-Royce, finding the golden mean between modernity and tradition in the development of a new automobile is critical. After all, consumers have, on the one hand, more than a century’s worth of products to inform their impressions of the marque and, on the other, the knowledge that the current incarnation of Rolls-Royce is not […]

After a 103-year hiatus, the Ghost model name has reemerged at Rolls-Royce. The original Silver Ghost was the first series-produced car from the factory at Derby, England, which was the primary Rolls-Royce facility until the Crewe factory became the company’s home in 1946. During a two-decade production span, the early Ghost established standards in quality, […]

San Onofre in South Orange County, Calif., is an ideal break for novice surfers because of its mostly gentle and consistent waves. Occasionally, however, the spot—located just up the shore from a nuclear power plant—becomes a raging monster. It was here, during a hurricane in 1939, where George “Peanuts” Larson rode a towering peak that […]

Unlike the sons of some highly successful men, 28-year-old Evan Yurman did not shy away from following in the footsteps of his father, jewelry sensation David Yurman. “Evan is passionate about a variety of things, and he has refined taste,” says the senior Yurman of his son, a connoisseur who has cultivated his interests in […]

When Colin Chapman founded the Lotus Engineering Company in 1952, he adhered to one simple idea: “To add speed, add lightness.” His unwavering determination to build the lightest and fastest cars for Formula One racing attracted many of the world’s best drivers—Stirling Moss, Jim Clark, Ayrton Senna, and Mario Andretti, to name a few—and led […]

Aquarium designer Martin Schapira’s love affair with marine life began in the third grade. “My father came home with a 10-gallon fish tank one day, and I was immediately captivated,” he recalls. It was Schapira’s first aquarium, and although it contained just two small turtles and a goldfish, it fostered a fascination that bordered on […]

Necessity was indeed mother to Alex Soldier’s inventions. As a young man, he lived in Russia’s remote Ural Mountains, where even the most basic tools to pursue a career in jewelry design, much less the advanced training and artistic encouragement required to excel at it, were lacking. His native ingenuity, however, supplied what his meager […]

Over a career spanning 58 years, Benjamin Menendez has worked in every major cigar-producing country in the world. But only now does the 74-year-old Menendez, vice president of premium cigars for industry giant General Cigar (maker of such brands as Macanudo, Punch, and Hoyo de Monterrey), finally have a cigar of his own. The new […]

Former motorcycle drag-racing legend Terry Vance likes to take a hands-on approach to running his business, and his new Embraer Phenom 300 enables him to do so. The Brazilian manufacturer’s $8.14 million aircraft—a larger, more powerful follow-up to the Phenom 100—delivers remarkable range, speed, and comfort for a light jet, making it an ideal transportation […]

A dietary practice known for its privations—no caffeine, dairy, refined sugar, chemical additives, or nightshades (such as eggplant and tomato)—seems an unlikely basis for a destination spa. But Spanish real estate developer Alfredo Bataller Parietti believes the strict regimen of macrobiotics goes hand in hand with the good life. In May 2009, after using the diet […]

During the Nazi occupation of his native Denmark, Henning Koppel (1918–1981) fled to Sweden with his wife and daughter, whom he supported as an artist for hire. While in exile, he learned that his metalwork had captured the attention of Anders Holstrup-Pedersen, head of the jewelry department at Denmark’s renowned Georg Jensen Silversmithy. Koppel began […]

On December 31, 1914, the social pages of The New York Times cheerfully informed readers that Robert Goelet would host New Year’s Day trotting races on Glenmere Lake, part of his estate “near the headquarters of what is generally known as the Tuxedo colony.” These midwinter festivities were to serve as a housewarming of the […]

Great Britain’s colonial legacy in India is a controversial subject, but few would question the infrastructural contributions the British made to the subcontinent—namely the 28,000 miles of railroad track that was laid by the early 1900s. A century later, the rail system is one of the largest in the world, with some 7,500 stations and […]