The Smart, Quiet, Utterly Bizarre Future Of The Luxury Car

Artificial intelligence and fast, cheap algorithmic design will transform the automobile—and it will only get weirder from there.

By Josh Condon 15/04/2020

For as long as anyone could remember, a car was a car was a car. And then, one day, it wasn’t.

Which is to say the notion of an automobile going back a hundred years—a multi-box design on four tires, with a wheel and pedals, aimed by people and powered by orderly little explosions—has been upended by a maelstrom of globalisation, technological revolution, environmental reckoning and a wholesale assault on the ownership model. Such extreme disruption has unleashed a rapid evolution of the automotive species, with strange creatures now roaming the roads: Rolls-Royce SUVs and silent, battery-powered Croatian hyper-cars; Cybertrucks and fin-shaped hatchbacks with gullwings and brains big enough to take the wheel for a spell. It’s like looking around one day and realizing some dogs are now the size of horses and chirp, while others have opposable thumbs, sonar and definite opinions on Brexit.

Take the luxury car. Not long ago the term meant something fairly specific: a large, imperious saloon with a respectably immoderate gas-burning engine and a leathered and carpeted backseat with ample space for raising a family. Now it’s as formless and atomised as the rest of the sprawling luxury universe, which includes collectible sneakers and stiff, terrifying plastic Japanese teddy bears and feeling very ashamed of your jet. Tesla’s austere, vegan-friendly robots are the must-have choice for the Silicon Valley set even as six-figure SUVs proliferate like 2000kg bunnies in the exurbs. Meanwhile, a younger generation of buyers appreciates zero-emissions vehicles but would really rather the automobile had the good sense to go away entirely, like voice mail.

Yet there are signs the automotive industry is finally coalescing around an idea of what a car will be in the future—and down that road lies an interesting potential detour: The luxury car, instead of simply representing a pricier version of whatever the car du jour is, branches off into something else entirely. For the first time ever, a difference not just of degree but of kind, transformed by three interconnected forces: artificial intelligence, the rise of niche manufacturing and increasing rarity.

Aston Martin

New technology will create streamlined cockpits, like in Aston Martin’s Lagonda All-Terrain Concept. Courtesy of Aston Martin

Artificial Intelligence

Two major technological revolutions are shaping the car of the future: electrification and autonomy.

Electric vehicles (EVs) will eventually win out not simply because of an increased focus on sustainability, or because Tesla made them sexy, but because they provide undeniable benefits for an industry that’s become overwhelmingly consolidated, inextricably globalised and massively regulated—and because EVs ultimately pair better with self-driving technology.

Wide-scale EV adoption not only alleviates regulatory headaches over what’s being spewed from the tailpipe—EVs have no spew, and no tailpipes—but the cars are also simpler to manufacture and suited to the type of modular architecture now favoured by the world’s largest automakers, in which a few platforms underpin a wide variety of vehicles. (The Volkswagen Group, which owns 12 brands across seven countries, produces more than 30 different models on its MQB platform alone, from sports cars to minivans.) Plus, the world’s largest car market, China, is pushing a blistering rate of battery-powered EV adoption—more than a million electric and hybrid-electric cars sold in 2018—with Europe, the third-largest market, attempting to keep pace. Regardless of whether the US intends to continue its retrograde love affair with fossil fuels, an increasingly climate-minded global market will ensure the automobile’s plugged-in future.

As for self-driving technology, it’s anyone’s guess when it becomes a widespread consumer reality; it’s not just a question of technological capability but a complex matrix involving legislation, infrastructure and liability. Meanwhile, everyone from Samsung to Uber is spending astonishing amounts of money to ensure a front-row seat whenever the show starts.

“Without a doubt, on our road map is to have privately owned vehicles enabled with our technology,” says Adam Frost, chief automotive and corporate development officer at Waymo, formerly the Google Self-Driving Car Project, now its own entity within Google’s parent company, Alphabet. “And our partners are obviously very interested in that. We’re in discussions with them around, ‘What is that product?’”

Rolls-Royce

Rolls-Royce says its 103EX Concept will be “as unique as your own fingerprint.” Courtesy of Rolls-Royce

But the day when you can Netflix and chill in your Level 4 autonomous ride is years, if not decades, away. For now, companies like Waymo, Cruise and Argo AI have partnered with (or been bought by) automakers to develop fleets of L4-equipped taxis that operate within the confines of certain test cities: Waymo runs autonomous Chrysler Pacifica minivans in parts of Phoenix, while Argo has AI-equipped Fords operating in Palo Alto, Detroit and Pitts- burgh. These vehicles rely on information from onboard hardware such as cameras, sensors, radar and a laser-based system called LIDAR, plus incredibly detailed 3-D maps.

“We make a Waymo-specific map,” Frost says. “It’s a very deep understanding of the physical environment. It uses a high-definition mapping system that understands where hills are. It can see stop signs, it knows where the traffic lights are, where the lane markings are. It even has the curb edge captured.”

According to Alex Roy, a journalist for The Drive who writes frequently about automation and is an investor in the AV space, the industry’s “geofenced” operating areas and automotive-technological partnerships hint at how the technology could roll out for personally owned autonomous vehicles.

“The artificial intelligence stack has to be taught anew in each city,” Roy says. “You start with one city, then you add more cities, and then, eventually, those cities can be connected. It’s service coverage, like a cell-phone map.” At some point, Roy says, AV companies will have to compete for personal-vehicle customers in overlapping markets. That could mean choosing a Ford over an Audi based partly on the brand, specifications and range of its autonomous technology, like choosing a mobile phone based not just on features like screen size and operating system but service area and call quality. A vehicle’s tech capabilities (autonomous and otherwise) will increasingly become distinct vehicle features, like the engine or stereo system, upgradable for those who want the latest and best—and not just the tech itself, but how it’s deployed.

Google computer

Part of Google’s advanced quantum computer. Courtesy of Google

Consider that, by design, autonomous vehicles are unlikely to ever truly flaunt the speed limit like a human would, no matter how much open road lies ahead. That means, during the period when roads are shared by both human-driven and autonomous machines, getting anywhere faster than the posted limit in an AV might require the opening of a wallet instead of a throttle.

“Luxury cars that have been upgraded in the system as ‘priority vehicles’ could be allowed to travel much faster and overtake nonpriority cars,” Roy says. “For a price.”

And that’s to say nothing of in-cockpit technology. The crazed rush to develop self-driving capability kicked open the auto industry’s door to Big Data. Now comfortably inside, Amazon, Apple and Google have no intention of ceding a massive captive audience—more than 80 million new vehicles were sold worldwide in 2018 alone—that will soon have to figure out what to pay attention to inside a car once driving has been scratched off the list. Ordering the luxury vehicle of the future might entail ticking boxes for gaming and entertainment packages that include the latest Fortnite release and an Amazon Prime video subscription, or a health package with integrated real-time biometric monitoring.

If that sounds far away, that’s because it is. But Big Data is changing the possibilities around the luxury car in more tangible ways, and some of the most incredible are happening right now.

Niche Manufacturing

“To create a vehicle at the moment, whether it’s a run of one or a hundred or a hundred thousand, the investment needed in tooling and man-hours is astronomical,” says Felix Holst, chief product officer and founding partner of Hackrod, a start-up that explores radical new manufacturing applications in the automotive space. “As 3-D printing and robotic metal forming and all sorts of other advanced, automated manufacturing techniques come online, it has the power to put the consumer in touch with manufacturing—in effect, mass manufacturing in the quantity of one.”

Hackrod

The algorithmically generated chassis design for Hackrod’s La Bandita roadster.

This is the bleeding edge of automotive production. Even Tesla’s heavily automated Fremont factory, a vast California facility where whirring robots press and laser and lift car bodies 15 feet onto a rail system with the ease of placing a can of soup on a shelf, relies on an essentially traditional manufacturing process: Designers sketch cars, engineers model and refine the design, and people and machines assemble the parts. But Holst and Hackrod cofounder Mouse McCoy saw that a convergence of advanced technologies—artificial intelligence, virtual reality, algorithmic design, 3-D printing—could flatten the process in the same way that music software like GarageBand turned the labour-intensive process of making an album into something replicable by a bored teenager in his bedroom. Holst, a former vice president for design at Hot Wheels, says the goal was to imagine “whether three kids in their garage could start a car company.”

The result was Hackrod’s La Bandita roadster, built on a chassis conceived not by engineers but by a machine-learning algorithm and brought to life by advanced manufacturing processes.

“It’s generative design,” says Holst. “Which is basically, set your needs and parameters for what you’re trying to achieve and allow cloud processing to give you an optimised structure that solves for those needs.” This type of algorithmic software can already tackle complex engineering problems, such as an engine swap. When staggeringly powerful quantum computers become widely available (as of this writing, there are reportedly only 11 examples online around the world), such calculations could be computed across infinite parallel universes just for fun.

The implications for vehicle customization are astounding, especially in a future of simplified electric vehicles. A customer could buy a modular EV “skateboard”—a flat row of batteries on motorized running gear—then commission a boutique manufacturer to algorithmically generate a body design to exact performance and safety specifications, crash-tested in virtual reality and printed over the course of days or even hours, and entirely unconstrained by needs like a driver’s seat or a windshield you can see out of.

“We build the entire automotive experience around a steering wheel and pedals, so all cars have a similarity to them,” says Frost. “When you think 30 years down the track, and the Waymo [autonomous] driver being an enabler, it becomes a blank sheet.”

Rolls-Royce

Interior of Rolls-Royce concept Courtesy of Rolls-Royce

And creativity need not stop at the vehicle manufacturing. The interior and exterior could be painstakingly hand-finished using a combination of high-tech and old-school techniques, like contemporary resto-modifiers do today with classic cars. That could mean everything from 3-D-printed seats, designed using personalized body mapping and upholstered by hand, to a carbon-fibre rear wing re-created to the exact, laser-scanned dimensions of the ’95 Le Mans–winning McLaren F1 GTR.

“We really are on the cusp of some very dramatic shifts,” says Holst. “There is a view of the future that is very like the golden age of coachbuilding.”

To make such bespoke vehicles self-driving, imagine AI software and sensor hardware bundled together as an off-the-shelf automotive component the same way you can buy a Ford crate engine or parking sensors from Amazon. Waymo already sells its LIDAR scanning tech to nonautomotive customers, while San Diego– based Comma.AI offers a $930 device called the Eon DevKit, which uses a camera and the brand’s open-source software to enhance the driver- assistance systems of numerous vehicles across brands, like an aftermarket Tesla Autopilot.

Such bespoke and well-equipped machines will not come cheap; they will be the wild exceptions among a herd of increasingly homogenized commuter shuttles—until, of course, they’re not. Citing huge demand for mass-market but customisable 3-D-printed gear from Nike and Adidas, Holst suggests such cars “will very quickly be for the everyman.”

And when such dream machines become available to the masses, where will the luxury car go from there?

The Tesla Cybertruck

Tesla’s Cybertruck brings the post-apocalyptic future to the present day. Tesla

Rarity

There is a future––far away and hardly guaranteed, but possible—in which your average car is nothing but a whizzing electric box powered through inductive charging by the very roads on which it expertly drives itself. A luxury version of such a car is easy to imagine: Just make the box bigger and more sumptuous, an autonomous transport the size of a rock band’s touring bus lavishly appointed by the great interior designers of the time, hung with art and plied with every amenity from sleeping quarters and a gym to climate-controlled wine storage.

But in this same obscure tomorrow there’s another version of the luxury car, one which is considered an astonishing oddity to behold—outlandish, anachronistic, perhaps even deliberately provocative. That car will look, nearly exactly, like the car of today: an utterly servile box and tires, with a steering wheel and pedals, powered by the crude liquefied remains of dinosaurs.

The automobile may be rolling toward an electrified, customizable, self-driving future, but technology trends toward the efficient and the democratic—two qualities the luxury market can’t abide. Just consider the story of the “quartz crisis,” which almost killed off the luxury watchmaking industry as we know it.

In the waning days of the 1970s, the entire horological industry decided it had seen the future, and that future ran on batteries. Quartz-powered watches were more accurate, more reliable and far cheaper to produce than complex mechanical movements. Everyone from Rolex to Patek Philippe embraced the brave new world; brands across Switzerland destroyed their watchmaking machinery, the old ways unceremoniously discarded in heaps of suddenly obsolete tooling.

Bentley concept

Bentley EXP 100 GT concept car Courtesy of Bentley

Then, eventually, the fever waned. Luxury buyers were no longer enamoured of simplicity and efficiency. They wanted instead to absorb themselves in the complex, inefficient, labour-intensive products of human industry, as they did with their architecture and wines and bespoke suits. Powered once again by intricate mechanical movements, the luxury watchmaking industry eventually regrew itself into a multibillion-dollar industry that shows no signs of slowing.

There is no such mass-market future for the loud, brainless, gas-powered automobile, especially when fossil fuel may cost as much as gold and legislation and liability have driven human-powered cars from the road in the name of safety. And as congestion pricing and subscription-based automotive services conspire to hollow out the middle-class ownership model, “the luxury of private ownership is about to become far more rare, especially in cities,” says Alex Roy, with future roads populated by vehicles paid for “by the minute or mile.”

But for those collectors who can afford to house and feed and maintain a fussy, demanding, extravagant curiosity, the reward will be a direct link to one of humankind’s greatest achievements, a remarkably robust and sometimes dazzling beast of burden on whose back we built the modern world.

One will need more than access to gasoline and a dying breed of knowledgeable mechanics. An archaic automobile kept alive in a distant future will require space to roam. And in a world of whizzing boxes depositing us like pre-sorted mail, what savage freedom it will be to take off toward nowhere and let the thing bellow and fart and run where you tell it, as fast as you dare. They’ll call it senselessly dangerous and heretically backward—the kind of outmoded, mostly illegal fun available only to historical reenactors and the very rich.

Which is to say, according to Roy, “the best way to ensure you’ll be able to drive in the autonomous future is to own the road you’re driving on.”

 

This story comes from our latest Autumn 2020 issue. To purchase a copy or to sign up to an annual subscription of Robb Report Australia & New Zealand click here. To stay in touch with all the latest news click here.

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Escape from the Ordinary

Ponant, the luxury cruise line known for its meticulously planned itineraries and high-end service, ups the ante on their upcoming European Journeys that promise an unrivalled exploration of the Mediterranean.

By Robb Report Team 19/02/2024

Not all cruises are created equally. Ponant, the luxury cruise line known for its meticulously planned itineraries and high-end service, ups the ante on their upcoming European Journeys that promise an unrivalled exploration of the Mediterranean. From the stunning Amalfi Coast to the pristine Greek Islands, the narrow Corinth Canal to the picturesque Dalmatian coast, historic Istanbul and beguiling Malaga, each destination is a unique adventure waiting to be unravelled. With Ponant, these aren’t just locations on a map; they’re experiences that come alive with the intimate knowledge and insight that their expert guides provide.

Ponant’s luxury cruises are renowned for their individuality, with no two journeys the same. This is not by chance. Itineraries are scrupulously designed to ensure that each passenger is left with a feeling of having embarked on a journey unlike any other.

Athens-Venise. Photograph by N.Matheus. ©PONANT

In 2025, their fleet will set sail for a combined 56 departures from March to October, exploring the dreamy locales of Greece and the Greek Islands, Malta, Italy (including Venice and Sicily), Croatia, France, Turkey, Spain and Portugal. These European Journeys offer an intimate encounter with the Mediterranean, its people and culture. As you cruise in luxury, you’ll dive deep into the heart of each destination, exploring historic sites, engaging with locals, sampling scrumptious cuisine and soaking in the vibrant atmospheres.

The company’s small, sustainable ships, which can accommodate from as few as 32 to 264 guests, have the exclusive ability to sail into ports inaccessible to larger cruise liners, affording privileged entry into some of the world’s most treasured alcoves. Picture sailing under London’s iconic Tower Bridge, crossing the Corinth Canal, or disembarking directly onto the sidewalk during ports of call in culturally rich cities like Lisbon, Barcelona, Nice and Venice, among others.

Photo by Tamar Sarkissian. ©PONANT

This singular closeness is further enriched by destination experts who unravel the tapestry of each locale’s history and traditions.

Onboard their luxurious ships, every guest is a VIP and treated to refined service and amenities akin to sailing on a private yacht. Whether at sea or ashore, their destination experts guarantee a fascinating experience, immersing you in the rich cultural and historical diversity of each region.

Indulge in the finest gastronomy at sea, inspired by none other than gastronomic virtuoso and Ponant partner, Alain Ducasse. Each voyage offers an expertly crafted dining experience, from a-la-carte meals with perfectly matched wines by the onboard Sommelier at dinner and lunch, to a French-inspired buffet breakfast, featuring all the favourite pastries, fresh bread and quality produce.

Chef Mickael Legrand. Photograph by NickRains. ©PONANT

For a more intimate discovery, consider Le Ponant, with its 16 high-class staterooms and suites—perfect for private charter—sailing eight exclusive routes between Greece and Croatia, offering guests unparalleled experiences both onboard and ashore. Ponant’s commitment to crafting unforgettable experiences extends beyond itineraries. Aboard their ships, the luxury is in every detail. Unwind in opulent cabins and suites, each offering private balconies and breathtaking views of the azure water and destinations beyond.

Ponant’s upcoming European Journeys are more than just cruises—they’re your passport to a world of cultural immersion, historical exploration, and unrivalled luxury. Don’t miss this opportunity to embark on the voyage of a lifetime: the Mediterranean is calling.

To book European 2025 sailings visit au.ponant.com; call 1300 737 178 (AU) or 0800 767 018 (NZ) or contact your preferred travel agent.

 

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Saint Laurent Just Opened a New Bookstore in Paris. Here’s a Look Inside.

The chic new outpost is located on the city’s arty Left Bank.

By Rachel Cormack 14/02/2024

Saint Laurent is taking over even more of Paris.

The French fashion house, which only just opened an epic new flagship on Champs-Élysées, has launched a chic new bookstore on the Left Bank. Located in the 7th arrondissement, Saint Laurent Babylone is a mecca of art, music, literature, and, of course, fashion.

The new outpost is a tribute to the connection that Yves Saint Laurent and partner Pierre Bergé had to the Rue Babylone, according to Women’s Wear Daily. (In 1970, the pair moved to a 6,500-square-foot duplex on the street.) It is also inspired by the house’s original ready-to-wear boutique, Saint Laurent Rive Guache, which opened in the 6th arrondissement in 1966.

The exposed concrete in contrasted by sleek marble accents. SAINT LAURENT

With a minimalist, art gallery-like aesthetic, the space is anchored by a hefty marble bench and large black shelves. The raw, textured concrete on the walls is juxtaposed by a soft blue and white rug, a wooden Pierre Jeanneret desk, and sleek Donald Judd stools.

The wares within Saint Laurent Babylone are the most important part, of course. Curated by Saint Laurent’s creative director Anthony Vaccarello, the collection includes everything from photos by British artist Rose Finn-Kelcey to books published by Saint Laurent itself. Some tomes on offer are so rare that white gloves are required for handling.

The store also offers an enviable selection of records that are no longer being pressed. Highlights include Sade’s Promise, Kate Bush’s Hounds of Love, and the debut studio album of electronic band Kraftwerk.

Other notable items on the shelves include Leica cameras, chocolates made in collaboration with pastry chef François Daubinet, prints by Juergen Teller, and brass skull sculptures. You’ll also find an assortment of YSL merch, including pens, lighters, and cups.

To top it off, Saint Laurent Babylone will double as an event space, hosting live music sessions, DJ sets, book readings, and author signings over the coming months.

Saint Laurent’s latest endeavor isn’t exactly surprising. With Vaccarello at the helm, the Kering-owned fashion house has entered new cultural realms. Only last year, the label established a film production company and debuted its first movie at Cannes.

The space is fitted with a Pierre Jeanneret desk and Donald Judd stools.
SAINT LAURENT

Perhaps Saint Laurent film reels and movie posters will soon be available at Babylone, too.

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The Best Watches at the Grammys, From Maluma’s Jacob & Co. to Jon Batiste’s Vacheron Constantin

Music’s biggest names sported some outstanding watches on Sunday evening.

By Rachel Mccormack 08/02/2024

Weird yet wonderful watches punctuated this year’s Grammys.

The woman of the moment, Taylor Swift, who made history by winning Album of the Year for an unprecedented fourth time, wore an unconventional Lorraine Schwartz choker watch to the annual awards ceremony on Sunday night. That was just the tip of the horological iceberg, though.

Colombian singer-songwriter Maluma elevated a classic Dolce & Gabbana suit with a dazzling Jacob & Co. Astronomia Tourbillon and a pair of custom, diamond-encrusted Bose earbuds, while American musician Jon Batiste topped off a stylish Versace ensemble with a sleek Vacheron Constantin Overseas Tourbillon. Not to be outdone, rapper Busta Rhymes busted out a rare Audemars Piguet Royal Oak for the occasion.

There was more understated wrist candy on display, too, such as Jack Antonoff’s Cartier Tank LC and Noah Kahan’s Panerai Luminor Quaranta BiTempo.

For the rest of the best watches we saw on the Grammys 2024 red carpet, read on.

Maluma: Jacob & Co. Astronomia Tourbillon

Maluma busted out some truly spectacular bling for this year’s Grammys. The Colombian singer-songwriter paired a classic Dolce & Gabbana suit with a dazzling Jacob & Co. Astronomia Tourbillon and a pair of custom, diamond-encrusted Bose earbuds. The sculptural wrist candy sees a four-arm movement floating in front of a breathtaking dial adorned with no less than 257 rubies. For added pizzaz, the lugs of the 18-karat rose-gold case are invisibly set with 80 baguette-cut white diamonds. Limited to just nine examples, the rarity is priced at $1.5 million.

Asake: Hublot Big Bang Essential Grey

Nigerian singer-songwriter Asake may not have won the Grammy for Best African Music Performance for “Amapiano,” but did wear a winning Hublot Big Bang at Sunday’s proceedings. Released in 2023, the Essential Grey model is made purely of titanium for a sleek, uniform feel. The 42 mm timepiece was limited to just 100 pieces and cost $37,000 a pop.

John Legend: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Selfwinding

Multihyphenate John Legend wore a legendary Audemars Piguet with silky Saint Laurent on Sunday evening. The self-winding Royal Oak in question features a 34 mm black ceramic case, a black grande tapisserie dial, and striking pink gold accents. The watchmaker’s signature is also displayed in gold under the sapphire crystal. The piece will set you back $81,000.

Jon Batiste: Vacheron Constantin Overseas Tourbillon

American musician Jon Batiste received four nominations but no wins at this year’s Grammys. The “Butterfly” singer can take solace in the fact that he looked ultra-sharp in Versace and Vacheron Constantin. A tribute to the spirit of travel, the Overseas Tourbillon features a 42.5 mm white-gold case, a bezel set with 60 baguette-cut diamonds, and a blue dial featuring a dazzling tourbillon cage inspired by the Maltese cross. Price upon request, naturally.

Fireboy DML: Cartier Santos

Fireboy DML’s outfit was straight fire on Sunday night. The Nigerian singer paired an MCM wool jacket with a Van Cleef & Arpels bracelet, several iced-out rings, and a sleek Cartier Santos. The timepiece features a steel case, a graduated blue dial with steel sword-shaped hands, and a seven-sided crown with synthetic faceted blue spinel.

Noah Kahan: Panerai Luminor Quaranta BiTempo

Best New Artist nominee Noah Kahan wore one of Panerai’s best new watches to Sunday’s festivities. The Luminor Quaranta BiTempo features a 40 mm polished steel case and a black dial with luminous numerals and hour markers, a date display at 3 o’clock, and a small seconds subdial at 9 o’clock. The timepiece can be yours for $14,000.

Busta Rhymes: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore

Legendary rapper Busta Rhymes busted out a chic Audemars Piguet for this year’s Grammys. The Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph in question is distinguished by a 42 mm rose-gold case and a matching pink méga tapisserie dial with an outer flange for the tachymeter scale. The face is fitted with three black subdials, large black numerals, and a black date display at 3 o’clock. You can expect to pay around $61,200 for the chronograph on the secondary market.

Jack Antonoff: Cartier Tank Louis Cartier

Producer of the year Jack Antonoff took to the red carpet with a stylish Cartier on his wrist. The Tank Louis Cartier in question appears to be a large 33.7 mm example that features an 18-carat rose-gold case, a silvered dial with black Roman numerals and blued steel hands, a beaded crown set with a sapphire cabochon, and a brown alligator strap. It’ll set you back $19,900.

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This 44-Foot Carbon-Fiber Speedboat Can Rocket to 177 KMPH

The new Mayla GT is available with a range of different powertrains, too.

By Rachel Cormack 03/02/2024

We knew the Mayla GT would be one of the most exciting boats at Boot Düsseldorf, but a deep dive into the specs shows it could be downright revolutionary.

The brainchild of German start-up Mayla, the 44-footer brings you the blistering performance of a speedboat and the luxe amenities of a motor yacht in one neat carbon-fiber package.

Inspired by the go-fast boats of the 1970s and ‘80s, the GT sports an angular, retro-futuristic body and the sleek lines of a rocket ship. Tipping the scales at just 4500 kilograms, the lightweight design features a deep-V hull with twin transversal steps and patented Petestep deflectors that help it slice through the waves with ease. In fact, Mayla says the deflectors decrease energy usage by up to 35 percent while ensuring a more efficient planing.

The range-topping GT can reach 185 kph. MAYLA

The GT is also capable of soaring at breakneck speeds, with the option of a gas, diesel, electric, or hybrid powertrain. The range-topping GTR-R model packs dual gas-powered engines that can churn out 3,100 hp for a top speed of more than 100 knots (185 kph). At the other, more sustainable end of the spectrum, the E-GT is fitted with an electric powertrain that can produce 2,200 horses for a max speed of 50 knots. The hybrid E-GTR pairs that same electric powertrain with a 294 kilowatt diesel engine for a top speed of 60 knots (111 km/h/69 mph). (The GT in the water at Boot sported two entry-level V8s good for 650 hp and a top speed of over 70 knots.)

The GT is suitable for more than just high-speed jaunts, of course. The multipurpose cockpit, which can accommodate up to eight passengers, features a sundeck with sliding loungers, a wet bar and BBQ, and a foldaway dining table for alfresco entertaining. Further toward the stern, a beach club sits atop a garage with an electric transom door.

The garage has an electric transom door. MAYLA

The GT is even fit for overnight stays. Below deck lies a cabin with a double bed, sofa, wardrobe, vanity, and en suite. You can also expect a high-tech entertainment system with TVs and premium audio.

As for price, the GT with the entry-level powertrain will cost between $2.7 million and $2.9, depending on the final configuration. (You can fine-tune the layout, hull color, and interiors, naturally.) Interested buyers can set up a sea trial with Mayla, with test-drives set to begin this spring in Europe.

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Red Centre

First Nations artist Shaun Daniel Allen joins forces with Chopard to create a timepiece inspired by the Australian landscape.

By Horacio Silva 29/01/2024

Shaun Daniel Allen does not look like your typical collaborator on a prestige watch. For one, Shal, as he prefers to be known (“There are many Shauns but only one Shal,” he explains), is more heavily tattooed than your average roadie. His youthful appearance, bad-boy ink and all, belies his 38 years and leads to a disconnect. 

He recounts being recognised on the street recently by a journalist, who, unable to remember his name, shouted out, “Chopard!” “I was with a friend,” Shal says, holding court in his apartment in Sydney’s inner city, “and he’s, like, ‘What the hell? Does that happen to you often?’”

Perhaps because of his body art, he reasons, “People don’t put me and Chopard together.” It’s not hard to understand the confusion, Shal adds; even he was taken aback when Chopard reached out to him about a potential collaboration a little more than a year ago. “When I first went in to see them, I was, like, I don’t know if I’m your guy. I’m not used to being in those rooms and having those conversations.”

He’ll have to adapt quickly to his new reality. Last month Chopard released Shal’s interpretation of the Swiss brand’s storied Alpine Eagle model, which in itself was a redo of the St. Moritz, the first watch creation by Karl-Friedrich Scheufele (now Co-President of Chopard) in the late 1970s. 

Previewed at Sydney’s About Time watch fair in September, to not insignificant interest, and officially known as the Alpine Eagle Sunburnt, the exclusive timepiece—issued in a limited edition of 20—arrives as a stainless steel 41 mm with a 60-hour power reserve and a burnt red dial that brings to mind the searing Outback sun. Its see-through caseback features one of Shal’s artworks painted on sapphire glass.

When the reputable Swiss luxury brand approached Shal, they already had the red dial—a nod to the rich ochre hues of the Australian soil at different times of the day and gradated so that the shades become darker around the edges—locked in as a lure for Australian customers.

Shal was charged with designing an artful caseback and collectible hand-painted sustainable wooden case. After presenting a handful of paintings, each with his signature abstract motifs that pertain to indigenous emblems, tattoos and music, both parties landed on a serpentine image that evoked the coursing of rivers. “I have been painting a lot of water in this last body of work and the image we chose refers to the rivers at home,” he says, alluding to formative years spent at his grandfather’s, just outside of Casino.

It says a lot about Chopard, Shal points out, that they wanted to donate to a charity of his choosing. “Like everything else on this project,” he explains, “they were open to listening and taking new ideas on board and it actually felt like a collaboration, like they weren’t steering me into any corner.”

In another nice touch, a portion of the proceeds from sales of the watch will go to funding programs of the Ngunya Jarjum Aboriginal Corporation—an organisation, established in 1995 by Bundjalung elders, whose work Shal saw firsthand after the 2022 eastern Australia flood disasters ravaged their area. “Seeing Ngunya Jarjum suffer from the floods,” he says, “and knowing how much they do for the community on Bundjalung Country was heartbreaking. I want to see Bundjalung families thriving and supported.”

So what’s it been like for this booster of Australian waterways to be swimming in the luxury end of the pool? “I’ve done a few things with brands,” he offers, referring to the Louis Vuitton project earlier this year at an art gallery in Brisbane, “but nothing on this scale. It’s definitely fancier than I’m used to but I’m not complaining.” Neither are watch aficionados.

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