With designs heavily influenced by aerodynamics, and uncompromising engineering developed for racing, the aviation and racing heritage of early engines has evolved into the contemporary high-end sports car.
Today’s privileged class has pockets deep enough for the ever increasing extravagance of exceptional toys and incredibly expensive possessions. Designers strive to feed their insatiable appetites by creating the most lavish and unique products to meet those high demands. In order to sell to the cultivated super-rich, companies reinvent their products to combine three important elements to attract their attention: stylish design, high technology, and the use of choice materials.
Many of the desirable objects featured in Luxury Toys have a unique sense of purpose and distinctive style that deserve the label “luxury,” like the diamond-encrusted cellular phone or the bejeweled chess game in platinum. But in the world of luxury vehicles, high-powered design with world-class engineering is everything.
The extraordinary engines presented in the book-whether as a car, yacht, or plane-all have handcrafted and exclusive characteristics that give them that luxury aura. The Leblanc Mirabeau uses racecar technologies to rev up its turbo-charged engine, and the Ecosse motorcycle houses a 200-horsepower engine in the world’s first all-titanium frame, available for a mere $275,000. It is widely accepted that the Lamborghini supercar models are some of the most sought-after luxury toys in the world, but the newest supercar in their line has a price tag that ranks it as one of the most expensive. The limited edition Reventón, priced around $1.4 million, has a top speed of 217 miles per hour. Special features include an instrument panel similar to those used in Formula One cars, with three liquid crystal displays showing dynamic drive forces, including a unique G-Force meter.
The mechanics of luxury cars now go well beyond sporty exteriors and custom leather interiors. With designs heavily influenced by aerodynamics, and uncompromising engineering developed for racing, the aviation and racing heritage of early engines has evolved into the contemporary high-end sports car. The unique concept car by Tramontana is designed like an open-wheel racecar with the safety of a professional racing car, thanks to multitude impact-absorption areas. Its frame is compromised of different materials including carbon fiber, aircraft-grade aluminum, and even gold, and the central V12 engine produces more than 700 horsepower. Only 12 of these two-seater sports cars are handcrafted per year and can cost up to $1 million.
The most exclusive luxury products are specifically tailored for status-seeking consumers for whom money is no object, those whom demand toys that are not available to the masses; these patrons of luxury want the unique privilege of ownership where the exorbitant price is the true exclusivity factor, like the prized rare car with limited availability. One of the most exclusive luxury toys a person can own is the vintage Mercedes-Benz 540K Roadster, a distinguished investment that embodies the higher art of luxury living. Only 26 models were ever made, and one recently sold at an auction for a record $3.63 million.
A luxury toy is what many desire, but only a tiny fraction of the world can truly afford. For those who are partial to the truly magnificent things in life, there are only a limited number of playthings that can be truly categorized as “top of the world.” Regardless of income or habit, the products presented in this beautifully illustrated book will impress even the most particular members of the world’s financial elite-that special group in society that many refer to simply as billionaires.
