Luxist

In spite of their occasional dynamic faults, vintage sports cars had a number of things going for them: namely, they were dripping with beauty and they had a way of attracting beauty of the opposite sex -- of either sex. They could also be faulted for not having any seriously considered luggage space, but then again micro miniskirts and bikini brief swim trunks didn't take up that much space.

Austrian luggage couturier JOCHEN70 can help you put more junk in your trunk -- certainly one of the few times you'd be interested in that kind of help -- and do so gorgeously. There are eight bags in the company's J70 collection, each one featuring a hard back and ample capacity finished with synthetics, stitched leather, and a racing stripe in any color you choose. The bags are also "protected against battery acid, lubricants, petrol, gasoline, exhaust fumes and other hazards," because, you know, you're a dangerous man. Try the limited edition 1000Miglia if you want something even more period, or the custom line that was designed to fit in cars such as the Alfa Spider Duetto, Jaguar E-Type Coupé and Roadster, and Porsche 356.

Interestingly, the inspiration for Jochen's bags is derived from a source that long predates vintage cars: horses. Or, more specifically, saddlebags. By "crossing the travel bag with the suitcase," the hard back of a JOCHEN70 helps keep contents protected, while two bags attached to one handle (they flip out, like wings) makes for easier carrying and more efficient storage.

And even though JOCHEN70 can't match the finest thing to grace a vintage car -- that would be probably be Grace Kelly -- if you really want to get your weekend gear and her twelve changes of clothes to the Hamptons, it is certainly worth a look.

We bet you didn't even know you dreamed of eyeglasses, but this will help you catch up. Lorgnettes were all the rage in the 19th century, Roosevelt made pince-nez Presidential, and that guy in Los Feliz with the monocle is a sight to behold. Nevertheless, over-the-ear eyeglass still haven't had their golden age centuries after they were invented. Nader Zadi's Custom Eyes, in New York's Upper East Side, could put a change to that.

If Saville Row is where you get your suits, Custom Eyes is where you go for vintage and bespoke glasses. For the classicist Custom Eyes has rimless and semi-rimless antique frames and components in white and yellow gold, some of them 200 years old, and full frames from the early 19th century. Should you insist on the unique, after selecting your frame and bridge preferences Zadi will take your measurements and handcraft a set of eyewear -- even the lenses are ground and shaped by hand -- that would make both Ben Franklin and Jackie O. jealous.

Before it comes to all that, you need to make an appointment -- you know how the highest fashion rolls, darling. However, he will come to your office, hotel, or West Wing if that's how you roll. And if you really want to play the period game, Zadi will be happy to design a lorgnette or a set of opera glasses. We can't say they will make Strindberg's The Stronger any more comprehensible, but you'll look dashing and timeless while you try to figure it out.

It should be more widely known that Canadians are a giving people. The folks in the geographical apartment above ours invented provided the pager, the foghorn, and basketball. We also have them to thank, or perhaps curse, for the Blackberry. As for talent, or something close to it, Canadians Alannis Morissette, Leonard Cohen, Keanu Reeves, and Natasha Henstridge have all come down to borrow our proverbial cups of sugar.

And although the Maple Leafers didn't give us The Fairmont Hotels -- that's a San Francisco invention -- they own them now, and they're offering you ten days of deals. Book a room in a Fairmont between November 10-19, and you can spare your bank account up to 25% off the normal rate or get a night free.

Of course there are terms and conditions, because even honey comes with bees. Still, when The Fairmont Orchid Hawaii can be had for $299, The Fairmont Southampton in Bermuda for $199, The Fairmont Singapore for $195, and for you devil-may-care MI6 types The Fairmont Monte Carlo for $370, well, bees be damned. Should you wish to visit the company's on its home turf, The Fairmont Le Château Frontenac in Québec City (pictured) is just $165. While you're there, have a Reese's Cup -- they were invented by Pennsylvanian H. B. Reese, but peanut butter and candy bars are yet more Canadian gifts to the world...

We're not sure why you'd want a topographical map etched on a set of sterling silver cufflinks. However, like the judiciary, if it's legal then we don't need to concern ourselves with your intentions, and neither, for that matter, will Fluid Forms. The Austrian company will be glad to etch a section of the huge prairie deal you just closed in Montana -- or that Arcadia to which you and Mary Jane retired after senior Prom -- onto a small sliver of 925 silver for some 'links, a brooch, even a pendant.

And because, like the Earth, you're made of many things, Fluid Forms' work isn't limited to corporeal jewelry in silver. If it can be rendered in three dimensions, they can probably fashion it. Their Serene Salt & Pepper Shakers are particularly intriguing, the QR barcode belt buckles are a geek fashionista's dream, and they make Earth Bowls that look like they do their best work supporting your fruit collection. If you'll excuse us, we're going to see if we can have them create a topographical map of... Mary Jane...

MasterCraft is known for its recreational boats -- the company leads the market in inboard skiing, wakeboarding, and sport craft. With the 30-foot, 4-inch MasterCraft 300 twin inboard (the platform adds another 3.5 feet) the company moves into the big boat business, and with its first offering wants to reset a boat buyer's expectations about how a day-tripper should make its owner feel.

The cockpit features big-boat electric equipment standard, but you can opt up for items like the Raymarine E80 and get a systems monitor with maps, radar and a 3-D terrain view of the ocean floor. And you'll be able to see it, and to stay cool behind the wheel, under the boat's tinted glass hardtop that is lined with a misting system. However, the folks lounging on the transom's adjustable seating will probably be having more fun than the pilot, with custom wetbars on either side and space for an electric grill or, even better, a waterproof flat screen TV.

The 300 is the first boat in the segment with a twin-tipped monohull, which opens up space in the interior cabin. Head below decks with your head up and your chest out, and you'll find customized hardwood cabinets and hardwood floors, ultra-leather fabrics, a galley with all the mod-cons, and a stand-up shower with a full-sized door. When it's time to get off your sea legs, the room in that twin hull provides you a bed big enough stretch out in, meaning that unless you're a Grizzlies center you don't have to sleep in the shape of a 'V.'

And once you're in bed, if you realize you forgot to turn off that "Songs of the Humpback" CD, don't bother getting up. Just grab the Contour Zone remote (or C-Zone to you, Commodore), which puts you in pushbutton control of all the boat's electrical systems. That way you can let the real humpbacks sing you to sleep.



[Source: MasterCraft]

John Ramsay has been with The Glenrothes since 1991, and if you've bought a bottle of the single malt Speyside whiskey since 1994 you'll find his name on it. The Malt Master retired this summer, and to celebrate his tenure The Glenrothes has produced a limited edition bottle not only bearing his name, but also his blending genius.

Ramsay selected 30 casks -- second-fill American oak sherry casks from vintages ranging from 1973 to 1987 -- to create a single malt. After blending, but without being chill-filtered, the result is a whiskey with flavors of spice, mango, blood orange, vanilla, and dark chocolate, and a long, oak finish.

Only 1,400 of the 70cl, non-vintage Legacy bottles are being released worldwide. Each bottle is numbered and comes in a glass-fronted oak box, and a secret drawer at the base of the box hides a booklet by Ramsay with tasting notes. It is available now in the UK and at The Glenrothes for £699.

[Source: Lussorian]

Ever since that youthful Christmas when we drove our remote-controlled car into the pool, we've been focused on keeping battery-powered objects away from water. Today, though, Sweden's Nimbus Boats gave us hope that one day big, battery-powered craft can live in harmony with "H" and its two "O" friends.

The 27-foot Nimbus E-power is the first commercially available electric boat. A full recharge only takes four hours, a span of time could provide the perfect interlude for a siesta and a frolic in the lagoon at that little atoll just over the horizon. Or at least, it would when they equip the lagoon with a 400V electrical supply. If you're using the standard euro-version 220V outlet, you'll need 28 hours to see the gauge back at "Full."

Lacking that crucial step, you'll need to within the E-power's range of 20 nautical miles (37 kilometers), and probably go easy on the craft's top speed of 27 knots if you want a full day of fun (cruising speed is 22 knots). A tank of juice costs €5, so your wallet will love you, and the boat creates no emissions so the fish will love you -- at least the ones you aren't busy catching now that you spend so much more time on the water...

The "Mammoth" in Mammoth Mountain, California actually comes from the 19th century gold rush, when a group of prospectors among the clamoring hordes founded the Mammoth Mining Company. But with winter -- and a yearly average of 400 inches of snow -- rapidly approaching, the kind of mammoth you should be concerned with right now is the resort, its luxury, its skiing, and the fun you can have with all of those.

The Westin Monache Resort in Northern California is Mammoth Mountain's only 4-star resort, and it intriguingly lists "excellent soundproofing" as one of its signature features. When you're finished testing your bedside klaxons, you'll find it is also just steps from the mountain's 15-passenger express gondola that will begin the trip to 3,500 skiable acres and 3,100 vertical feet of skiing at a maximum altitude of 11,053 feet.

At the conclusion of exploring any of the 150 named trails you can head back to your suite -- the resort has 230 of them in studio, 1- and 2-bedroom varieties, each one benefiting from a kitchen and a fireplace, and that Heavenly Bath (you'd never guess how good a second shower head can make you feel; it's almost like being tenderly scrubbed to by mermaids... or so we've imagined). Regardless of whether you brought your own skis or snowboard or used the on-site shop's pro fitments, the ski valet will be happy to relieve you of your equipment and prepare it for the next day's adventures, 24 hours a day.

Book a package before November 5 and you could save 25% on your winter getaway. Direct air service on Horizon Air begins December 17 from some West Coast and Nevada cities, and the Village Ski Back Trail should open around that time as well, so you can glide straight from the mountain into the base Village. The only thing you'll need to worry about then is getting back in time for the Korobuta pork chop in a cognac demi-glaze at Whitebark and saving room for s'mores...

Snuggled in among the 800,000 acres of the White Mountain National Forest, settled at the base of the 6,288-foot Mt. Washington, is the Omni Mt. Washington Resort. Although it sounds singular -- and in many ways it is -- the resort is actually a group of four properties: the epic Spanish Renaissance edifice and National Historic Landmark that houses the Mt. Washington Hotel, the 19th century Bretton Arms Inn, The Lodge, and The Townhomes.

Among them there are nearly 300 rooms in addition to the 80 townhomes. Even better: there's a ghost. Now, ghosts in New England aren't exactly uncommon -- departed souls apparently have a thing for clam chowder -- but this ghost is royalty, and has her own lounge. Princess Carolyn Stickney Faucigny-Lucinge was the widow of the Mt. Washington's owner, and word is she's not ready to let go of her castle.

If you hurry, you can sneak in for the resorts Fall Colors package, which offers fall views, daily breakfast, and a carriage ride but ends October 28. If you can't make it by then there is still plenty to do: fourteen places to eat means you'll never be hungry, and working off the kilojoules can be done with alpine and Nordic skiing, snowboarding, ice skating, ice climbing and snow tubing, sleigh rides, winter hiking trails, a Canopy Tour on 10 ziplines... or the 25,000 square foot spa, because nothing says workout like "all-day massage."

Nightcaps won't be a problem either, since the resort has enough drinking spots to justify its opening its own distillery if it chose. And apres-ski, if you do your best Balzac impression and arrive with 50 pairs of gloves -- we hear princesses really like them -- perhaps the Her Highness Faucigny-Lucinge will join you. If you don't want to wait for her, ask for room 314 -- it's her favorite... haunt.

The Alpina B7 Bi-Turbo Long Wheelbase is for when merely long isn't long enough. There is already an Alpina B7 based on the normal wheelbase BMW 750i, and that car is 16.7 feet long -- but come now, what are you supposed to do with that? Curl up into the fetal position when you want to go somewhere? Take classes at Cirque du Soleil so you can contort yourself into a rear cabin that offers a meager 38.4 inches of rear legroom?

No. What you do is buy the long wheelbase version built on the 750Li. It adds six more inches in back so you can stretch out -- you know, live like a real person, not some frightened armadillo. Your discernment will be rewarded with Alpina's fettled version of BMW's 4.4-liter V8, adding a couple of turbos for 507 horsepower and 516 lb-ft. of torque. That gets you and your white whale sixty in 4.8 seconds, just 0.1 second longer than the guy in a regular wheelbase B7.

But it's not like either of you will notice: you'll be too busy trying to finalize your hostile takeover of Samoa, he'll be too busy trying to figure out how to extricate himself from his Lilliputian conveyance. Alpina hasn't announced pricing, but if you want one, here's our advice: bring a lot of money.