The Mighty MP4-12C

Due north of New Zealand’s popular resort city of Queenstown, a vast and beautiful wilderness remains largely inaccessible to tourists. Hikers can tramp into the South Island’s 1,373-square-mile Mount Aspiring National Park to pitch a tent or stay in a government-run bunkhouse, but travelers seeking a higher level of comfort (and warmth) in the backcountry […]

Italy’s riches are innumerable, as any aficionado of art, architecture, automobiles, food, or wine will surely attest. But when it comes to golf, Italians have never embraced the sport with the same gusto they reserve for a Michelangelo or a Maserati. Recently, however, the emergence and growing popularity of Italian professional golfers Matteo Man­assero and […]

Since it opened on the north coast of Sardinia more than 40 years ago, the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda in Porto Cervo has been one of the Mediterranean’s top yachting destinations. The facility, which includes a 62,000-square-foot clubhouse and 24 guest suites for members, offers direct access to Porto Cervo’s massive megayacht marina but is […]

Tutima owner Dieter Delecate did not reestablish the German watch manufacturer’s presence in the town of Glashütte in a quiet manner. Although the inauguration of the company’s new facility lacked the fanfare and pomp that usually attends such moments elsewhere in the watch industry, the ring of the brand’s new minute repeater—the first of its […]

Chef Dean Fearing was in the galley, and the galley was 10,000 feet up—a burled-wood kitchenette inside a private jet making lazy loops above California’s Monterey Peninsula. On the cragged coastline below, the fourth-annual Pebble Beach Food & Wine festival was in high gear. The long April weekend of extravagant dining and revelry had attracted […]

When you drive the 2012 Nissan GT-R, red lights mean go. Flick the toggle beside each of the three letters R on the instrument panel—to set the transmission, suspension, and stability control to launch-control mode—see the bar above each R shine red, stomp on the throttle, and then enjoy or just try to endure the […]

A parade of Abraham Lincoln–related milestones began two years ago with the bicentennial of his birth and will conclude, temporarily at least, in 2015, with the 150th anniversary of his assassination. But interest in Lincolniana has thrived regardless of what the calendar says. The term, coined while Lincoln was alive, refers to an extraordinary range of […]

Araujo Estate did not begin with the arrival in Napa Valley of its eponymous owners, Daphne and Bart Araujo. Its history, like its soils, is more richly layered than those of the many boutique vineyards launched in the past two decades by enthusiasts who, flush with success in other lines of business, merely wanted to […]

McLaren Automotive’s launch this year of the MP4-12C is a laudable achievement. Not since Lamborghini in the 1960s has a super-performance marque emerged with a car in which every major component is unique to the brand. Engine-development cost is the Achilles’ heel of most automotive start-ups, and so high-end newcomers rarely if ever see fit […]

Earlier this summer, as the 61st annual Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance was approaching, we enlisted 20 automotive-design authorities to choose the most elegant cars ever made. The following pages feature the 10 models that received the most votes, along with background information about each car; the cars are arranged chronologically according to their initial release […]

Every country, however democratically inclined, requires some form of royalty—crowned or not—to cement the seams of national identity and to bring to the gray procession of life a flash of color and a touch of style. This role, which the Kennedys once fulfilled in the United States, a new generation of Windsors assumes in Britain; […]

The classic suit is getting a dynamic remake this season, with trimmer lines, pops of color, and a richer mix of textures—all fitting a confident main character adventurously forging his own style. Photos 1-3: Corneliani cotton-and-polyamide trench coat, $1,650; Brioni wool-and-cashmere three-piece suit, $6,850, shirt, $500, crocodile belt, $800, and leather-and-cashmere gloves, $395; Louis Vuitton […]

The Ultimate Jacket Without question, Kiton (www.kiton.it) makes some of the best tailored clothing on the planet, and it is raising the bar even higher with the new Lasa jacket for fall. Each one is made by a single tailor from start to finish in a meticulous process that takes 40 hours—a full 15 hours […]

As the fourth-generation family member at the helm of one of Italy’s most successful fashion brands, Gildo Zegna is adept at balancing his business and personal lives. “Family is the most important part of my life, and the family business is my passion,” says the Ermenegildo Zegna Group’s 55-year-old CEO, who is based in Milan […]

The private aviation industry shows signs of recovery, but conditions remain ideal for buying a pre-owned private jet. Demand for these secondary-market aircraft is still low; inventory is high; and so prices are still far below their usual levels. However, the best buys might be the aircraft with near normal prices. When our clients want […]

In pursuit ofprofits that have proved elusive, fractional-jet providers have altered the industry’s basic business model. Where once fractional ownership enabled you to enjoy the conveniences of private flight while assuming only a small portion of the investment risk associated with full ownership, now the fractional companies are expecting you to take on the bulk […]

While flying privately is unquestionably a more pleasant experience than braving commercial air travel, choosing a fractional, flight-card, or charter provider can be a daunting task. Beyond the myriad options available for fractional ownership and flight-card membership, the current Air Charter Guide lists nearly 1,900 charter operators in the United States, with high-traffic states such […]

Traveling abroad, even flying privately, can be a turbulent experience. Long flight legs and limited services in some foreign markets can raise stress levels and result in last-minute itinerary changes; these in turn consume time and energy that would be better spent engaged in business or leisure. In an effort to smooth these bumps, private […]

Making private flight arrangements when traveling abroad certainly helps maximize comfort and minimize stress for the traveler, but orchestrating a detailed intracountry itinerary in some regions may stress the capabilities of even veteran domestic flight service providers. To assist American travelers undertaking such trips in the world’s leading four emerging luxury markets—China, India, Russia, and […]

Great emphasis is placed on an aircraft’s capabilities—its range, cruise speed, climb rate, and fuel efficiency. Once the plane leaves the ground, however, the cabin design becomes of paramount importance: If you are comfortable on board and have all the amenities you need, you will not mind spending that extra time aloft that a speedier […]

The people in charge of the best FBOs—fixed-based operators—understand that their businesses are not just portals through which passengers pass from sidewalk to aircraft. They are a crucial part of the private travel experience, the point where it begins and ends, and as such their customer service and facilities must be on par with the […]