Table of contents for Best of the Best 2015 in Robb Report

Newspapers delighted in reporting Earl Rogers’s lurid courtroom antics: producing the entrails of one victim, brandishing the skull of another. EL PUEBLO DE Nuestra Señora la Reina de Los Ángeles had few practitioners of the dramatic arts when the Reverend Lowell L. Rogers arrived there in the 1870s. With the invention of the motion picture, this deficiency was corrected, but few screen stars ever gave a performance to match those delivered by Rogers’s son, Earl Rogers (pictured), whose theater was the courtroom and whose appearances attracted as much press as any Klieg-lit premiere. Though Rogers, a graduate of Syracuse University, had planned to pursue a career in corporate law, a succession of unfortunates in legal peril pulled him into criminal cases, which appealed to his taste for drama. Newspapers delighted…

AS THE REPLACEMENT for the Gallardo, Lamborghini’s all-time best-selling model, the Huracán LP 610-4 had to be good. It is better than good: It is excellent, featuring advanced design, extraordinary performance, exquisite build quality, and good manners. The Gallardo’s great shortcoming was a 6-speed automated-manual transmission that, thanks to the clunking brutality of its shifting, made the car seem like a piece of mechanized armor. The Huracán’s new 7-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox eliminates all that commotion, executing gear changes quickly and smoothly. And the all-wheel drive system puts power down with electronically regulated, electro hydraulically controlled authority. The Huracán may appear too extreme for daily commutes, but it is more refined than it looks. The spacious interior, good visibility (for a mid-engine car), light-touch controls, and docility in city traffic…

THE MULSANNE SPEED’S engine has been uprated to 530 hp and a stunning 811 ft lbs of torque: increases of 29 hp and 59 ft lbs over the base Mulsanne model. The power plant’s prodigious output helps the nearly 3-ton sedan accelerate—smoothly— from a stop to 60 mph in 4.8 seconds. The sport driving mode showcases the car’s new performance enhancements by stiffening and lowering the suspension, adjusting the steering feedback, and loosening the reins on the traction-control system. The cabin remains quiet during hard acceleration, enabling the optional 20-speaker, 2,200-watt Naim sound system to reveal the subtlest inflections. The Mulsanne Speed is visually distinguished from the standard model by dark-tinted brightwork, rifled exhaust pipes, and Bentley’s first-ever directional wheels, which are milled from a solid block of aluminum. The…

STANDARD Ducati Scrambler PRICED AT JUST under $8,500 for the least-expensive variant, the Scrambler is a Ducati for the masses. It is intended to introduce the brand to a broader and younger audience, but it should not disappoint longtime Ducati loyalists. The new bike is modeled after the Scramblers that the brand produced from 1962 to 1974. Those bikes were designed to be ridden on dirt trails as well as paved roads. Ducati may be marketing the new Scrambler to hip, young city dwellers, but with an 18-inch front wheel and a 17-inch rear wheel, the bike has a stance that suggests playful times off the pavement, and its sport tires encourage such pursuits. The Scrambler is a naked bike with a wide handlebar, a slender tank, and a narrow…

WHEELS UP wheelsup.com | 855.FLY.8760 Wheels Up is a revolutionary membership-based privateaviation company that significantly reduces the cost of flying privately while providing unparalleled flexibility, service, and safety. Wheels Up offers mission-appropriate aircraft with guaranteed availability and occupied hourly pricing on its members-only private fleet of brand-new aircraft. With the newly launched Wheels Up mobile app, members can now streamline travel plans, manage their accounts, and participate in ride-share opportunities, truly making Wheels Up the most intelligent private-aviation solution. THE CALLING thecallingwine.com | 707.523.3646 The Calling was created by wine entrepreneur, Peter Deutsch and sports commentator, Jim Nantz. Both having found success following their callings in life, they have partnered to create a wine that reflects their shared passion for exceptional quality. The wines are sourced from the finest vineyards…

THROUGHOUT ITS 143-YEAR history, the Brenners Park-Hotel & Spa has been a hideaway of the highest order, serving as a retreat for royals, a common ground for heads of state, and a quiet place away from the spotlight for celebrities. In January, the grande dame of the German spa town of Baden-Baden ushered in an even more rarefied—and rejuvenating— era with the debut of the new Villa Stéphanie wellness center. Villa Stéphanie is a 54,000-square-foot state-of-the-art destination spa set within a mansion built in 1890. Named after Napoléon Bona parte’s adoptive daughter Stéphanie de Beauharnais, Grand Duchess of Baden, the five-story facility adjoins the 110-room Brenners hotel and its 18,300-square-foot Haus Julius medical center. Villa Stéphanie includes 15 guest rooms and suites of its own, as well as 15 treatment…

The 2005 vintage is one of the greatest Bordeaux has ever produced, and the wines as a whole garnered tremendous praise from the press globally. For many, the 2005 vintage is just as impressive and important as the legendary 1961 and 1982 vintages. Now at ten years of age, it is time to check in on these sleeping giants and see first-hand how wonderful these wines are and how well they have aged thus far. Our cellar is loaded with 2005s that have never moved since landing in the USA. These are pristine bottles that have never seen the light of day–until now. To secure your bottles of Bordeaux from the 2005 vintage, contact morrell Wine at: customerservice@morrellwine.com • 800.96.WINES • morrellwine.com…

VIDEO Sony 4K Ultra Short Throw Projector GOING BEYOND THE new-andimproved television sets that the world’s leading manufacturers release every year, the Sony 4K Ultra Short Throw Projector is a wondrous anomaly that offers a new way to view the highest-quality video available to consumers. The projector is housed in a long, low cabinet that sits within 7 inches of the wall on which it casts a brilliant 4K picture as large as 12 feet (measured diagonally). The installer paints the wall with a special matte-white finish to provide an optimal viewing surface. Sony’s new short-throw lens and mirror system , which uses pitch panels set only 4 microns apart from each other, projects the image upward from a network of microscopic blue-laser diodes that produce a total of 2,000…

THE ALEN 68 from Alen Yacht may be a production model, but the boat’s design originates from a client’s desire for an elegant and distinctive motoryacht that could carry as many as 16 people on day trips and include a comfortable stateroom for overnight trips. For his 184-foot Perini Navi yacht Panthalassa, the client had worked with Foster & Partners, the design firm behind Hearst Tower in Manhattan and the futuristic 30 St Mary Axe skyscraper in London. This time he enlisted the firm to work with the Turkey-based Alen Yacht for what would become the Alen 68. “The owner imagined the 68 running in a warm, beautiful climate,” says David Summerfield, a Foster & Partners senior partner and the head of the yacht’s design team. “With that initial concept,…

MONDOMARINE Mondomarine unveiled this year its new 197-foot yacht (SF60), developed in collaboration with the Italian designer Luca Vallebona and SF Yachts. Characterized by clean exterior and interior lines and an unconventional layout, the SF60 entirely built in the historical shipyard Cantieri Navali Campanella. As with all Mondomarine yachts, it is a “Made in Italy” product from the first sketch to the last touches. With the SF60, a new standard has been launched. Mondomarine: the next sea level. +377.97.77.20.80 | info@mondomarine.mc www.mondomarine.mc MIDNIGHT EXPRESS Experiencing the performance of a Midnight Express is a rush like you’ve never had before. Imagine the performance that makes the Midnight Express a top choice among military and law enforcement coupled with industry-leading luxury and cutting-edge technology. This is the source of incomparable brand loyalty…

HAVING LEFT THE cobblestone streets of Siena, we were on a two-lane Chianti country road, butting through a Tuscan summer monsoon. The rain, horizontal and ferocious, had turned the dirt shoulders into mush. If there were any objects ahead, we prayed they would be small and soft. Saner souls would have headed for the nearest Autogrill Ciao and sipped espresso while the storm passed. But my valorous passenger and I were motoring in a Ferrari California T, which may be the finest, most driver friendly GT in this generation of grandly touring automobiles. In a downpour rivaling the one that set Noah’s ark afloat, the California T practically drove itself. The sensors kicked in, the computers whirred, and the car automatically stayed in balance, on course, and far from hydroplaning…

UNLIKE MANY SPORTS cars with comparable quickness, the Porsche Cayenne Turbo provides an imperturbably smooth ride because of the air-suspension system that enables it to seemingly float over potholes and bumps. It is an eerie sensation, especially when experienced in conjunction with the vehicle’s rocket-like acceleration. A full-size SUV weighing about 4,800 pounds, the Cayenne Turbo reaches 60 mph from a standstill in 4.1 seconds when equipped with the optional Sport Chrono package (4.2 seconds with standard equipment). It is powered by a 4.8-liter V-8 that produces 520 hp and a tremendous 553 ft lbs of torque starting at just 2,250 rpm. Compared to the engine in last year’s model, this one generates an additional 20 hp and 37 ft lbs of torque. Along with increasing its output, Porsche made…

TOPCOATS Isaia DISTINCTIVE TEXTURES, rich colors, and superbly shaped silhouettes characterize Isaia’s stylish new topcoats. The Neapolitan menswear company experimented with various wool blends and weaving techniques to create novel fabrics for its latest collection. The success of these efforts is evident in the sharply tailored Portofino coat, $4,195, whose material is an amalgam of wool, mohair, and alpaca that is brushed to produce a layered moiré effect. (isaia.it) SUITS Kiton THIS SEASON, KITON redefined the double-breasted suit, presenting this classic in myriad perfectly tailored variations. “The doublebreasted suit is in fashion among younger men,” says Antonio De Matteis, the house’s CEO, who refers to the garment as a “statement-making power suit.” In addressing this next generation of clients, Kiton emphasized fitted, more contemporary lines and a broad range of…

EXCLUSIVITY IS PARAMOUNT to the experience at any private villa, but when it comes to Tarkuni— the Oppenheimer family’s retreat on their Tswalu Kalahari Game Reserve in South Africa—the concept takes on new meaning. Available to the public for the first time last September, the five-suite estate sits amid 250,000 acres of savannah grasslands and red sand dunes, offering a maximum of just 10 guests a seemingly unending playground shared with the black-maned lions, antelopes, meerkats, cheetahs, and other wildlife of the Kalahari. The Oppenheimer family first constructed Tarkuni in 1988 as their own private safari retreat. Following a major expansion and a renovation by the interior designer Boyd Ferguson (of the acclaimed firm Cécile and Boyd’s, known for the chic safari style it established at Singita lodges throughout Africa),…

THE BRITISH AND the French have at times been at odds, historically speaking. Over the centuries they have sniped at each other, sometimes literally (see the battles of Tra fal gar and Waterloo, to name just two examples), and on occasion the United States has benefited from the countries’ rivalry. When the French supported the colonies’ cause in the Revolutionary War, they were just as interested in frustrating the Brits as they were in supporting the ideals that would later kindle their own revolution. Collaborations between the British and the French have also worked to our collective advantage, most notably during the World Wars. More recently, the joining of forces between a British furniture company, George Smith, and a French designer, Jean-Louis Deniot, has underscored the advantages of our allies…

THE MOST STRIKING feature of Perini Navi’s Grace E is its sundeck, which was designed as a health spa at the request of the owners; they wanted the 240-foot trideck superyacht to be a spa at sea. The designer Phillippe Briand accommodated that request by outfitting the 2,500-square-foot space with a hydrotherapy room that includes a cold plunge pool, a meditation room that features a 180-degree view of the sea, and a massage area that is connected to a hammam-style steam room. The deck’s outdoor area features six sun pads, a hot tub, and shaded seating pods. A remarkably quiet diesel-electric power plant is another feature adding to the tranquility that the yacht can foster. When that propulsion system is producing enough energy to propel the yacht at 14 knots,…

Large-Cabin Ultralong-Range BOASTING THE LONGEST range of any business jet in service, the Gulfstream G650ER (Sgulfstream.com) can fly more than 8,600 miles nonstop at a cruising speed of 562 mph (when transporting eight passengers and four crew members). The $66.5 million jet is an enhanced version of the G650. It can carry 4,000 additional pounds of fuel compared to the G650, which enables it to travel nearly 600 miles farther. (For $2 million, Gulfstream will upgrade an existing G650 to G650ER specifications.) Under the right conditions, the G650ER can take off from London and fly nonstop to any country in the world except Aus tralia. It has a top speed of 610 mph, and it has set a speed record by flying from Teterboro, N.J., to Hong Kong in just…

AS THE INTERNATIONAL demand for luxury goods has grown, so too has the market for Robb Report. Our magazine, which first launched in Atlanta in 1976, is now available in 14 different editions in nine languages across the globe. For this, our 27th annual Best of the Best issue, we asked some of our international editors—from China, Russia, Turkey, and elsewhere—to identify the most exciting new products and places from their home countries. Their selections range from a striking St. Regis hotel in Istanbul to a brilliant Indian jewelry collection and a brawny Spanish supercar. Robb Report Vietnam The 2015 Rolls-Royce Phantom Dong Son (rolls-roycemotorcars.com) is a limited-edition model of the marque’s flagship sedan built exclusively for the Vietnamese market. Available in six different designs, this special version of the Phantom…

A-Audio, page 328 a-audio.com Aaron Basha, pages 38-39 aaronbasha.com Abellán New York, page 279 abellannewyork.com ACASS, page 309 acass.com Air France, page 177 airfrance.us Anguilla Tourist Board, page 317 ivisitanguilla.com Antigua & Barbuda Tourism, page 317 visitantiguabarbuda.com Armin Strom, page 74 arminstrom.com Arnold & Son, page 223 arnoldandson.com Ascot Chang, pages 42-43 ascotchang.com Aston Martin, pages 32-33 astonmartin.com Backes & Strauss, page 207 backesandstrauss.com Balvenie, The, page 133 thebalvenie.com Bell & Ross, page 225 bellross.com Benetti, pages 70-71 benettiyachts.it Bertani, page 247 palmbay.com Black, Starr & Frost, pages 24-25 blackstarrfrost.com Blancpain, pages 16-17 blancpain.com British Virgin Islands, pages 198-199 bvitourism.com Bulgari, page 61 bulgari.com Calling Wine, The, page 255 thecallingwine.com Camper & Nicholsons International, page 159 camperandnicholsons.com Cannes Yachting Festival, page 321 cannesyachtingfestival.com Capella Marigot Bay Resort, page 317 capellahotels.com/saintlucia…

SUNSEEKER sunseeker.com | nick.bischoff@sunseeker-usa.com Sunseeker, a name synonymous with quality yacht building and performance, continues to innovate and evolve fifty years later as a British luxury yacht builder. With distribution points covering the globe, Sunseeker now offers yachts ranging in size from their flagship 155’ to their 40’ Portofino. If reliability and reputation are important to you, then peace of mind should come at a value that is unmatched in today’s luxury yacht ownership experience. BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS TOURIST BOARD BVITourism.com | 800.835.8530 The British Virgin Islands offers discerning travelers the ultimate in luxury escapes and relaxation. With pristine beaches, fascinating natural wonders and more private island resorts than any other Caribbean destination, the BVI is where nature’s secrets are kept. Throughout the month of November, secrets of the BVI’s…

THE BMW i8’S DOORS FLY UP AND OUT TO DRAMATIC EFFECT, INVITING THE DRIVER AND PASSENGERS INTO AN ERGONOMICALLY FRIENDLY INTERIOR. FOR THE STRIKING design of its thermoplastic-and-aluminum body alone, the BMW i8 is a novel vehicle. But its ability to accommodate four occupants in such a low and shapely mid-engine design with a plug-in hybrid drivetrain elevates the i8’s status to groundbreaking. Behind the passenger compartment, which is made primarily of carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic and aluminum, is a twin-turbocharged, 1.5-liter inline 3-cylinder gasoline engine. It develops 228 hp at 5,800 rpm and 235 ft lbs of torque at 3,700 rpm, and it is connected to a 6-speed automatic transmission. Up front, a 129 hp electric motor instantaneously produces 184 ft lbs of torque and delivers it to the front wheels…

CLASSIC SPORTS CAR Shelby 427 Cobra S/C 50th Anniversary Edition IN 1965, SHELBY American fitted 51 AC Cobras with Ford 427 engines, intending to race the car model in that year’s International Automobile Federation manufacturers championship series. When the car, known at the time as the Cobra Mark III or the big-block Cobra, failed to achieve homologation status due to low production numbers, some examples were sold to privateer racers and the rest were detuned for street use. The road car became known as the Cobra S/C, for “semicompetition” or, some say, “street competition.” Earlier this year, Shelby American launched the 427 Cobra S/C 50th Anniversary Edition. The company is building only 50 examples, which have sold already. However, according to a Shelby American spokesman, some of the cars may…

INNOVATOR Wallace Chan CAPTIVATED BY THE sundry beauties of the natural world, the jewelry artist Wallace Chan translates his very personal vision of nature into compositions of gemstones and metal. The Eyes of Infinity necklace, which features removable scorpion pins of rubies and demantoid garnets, exemplifies Chan’s imaginative approach to setting layers of stones in a complex formation that lies gracefully on the neck. At the center of this lightweight gold-andtitanium design is a rare 45.51-carat cat’s-eye alexandrite that changes color— from green in daylight to purplish-red in incandescent light—and can be worn as a ring. (wallace-chan.com) COLLECTION Cartier THE CARTIER ROYAL collection, unveiled at last fall’s Biennale des Antiquaires in Paris, presents an impressive selection of more than 455 unique pieces, including a regal necklace with a natural pearl…

IN A CITY where luxury knows no limits, Aman Tokyo is the newest superlative. Set high above the Japanese capital’s frenetic Nihonba shi district, the hotel is an elegant aerie that soars above the competition with its stellar service and perfectly executed fusion of tradition and modernity. The property, which opened in December as the Singapore-based Amanresorts’ 27th hotel, occupies the top six floors of Tokyo’s glasswalled Otemachi Tower. Stepping from the elevator into the 33rd-floor lobby, guests enter what appears to be a larger-than-life shoji lantern centered on an enormous internal garden and crowned by a glowing washi-like ceiling. Though magnificent in scale, the space is an intimate haven where kimono-clad attendants serve afternoon tea, and a massive vase of cherry blossoms is arranged in the customary manner of…

IN RECENT YEARS, golf-course architects have attempted to broaden the appeal of their designs by creating layouts that accommodate players of all abilities. Some have come close, usually by offering a throng of tee boxes. But until last summer’s debut of the David McLay Kidd–designed Gamble Sands, no architect has been so successful at building a simultaneously fun and formidable course for both high and low handicappers. Opened last August amid the apple orchards of central Washington (roughly a 3.5-hour drive east of Seattle), Gamble Sands raises accessibility and enjoyment to new levels—and could signal a new direction for the sport. “I want to partner with the golfer,” Kidd says. “If he has some degree of talent, I’m going to help him get around this golf course, to score, to…

IT WAS, IN no uncertain terms, a landmark year for Christie’s. In June 2014, the world’s largest auction house declared that it had broken into uncharted territory, totaling roughly $4 billion in sales during the first half of the year. By November, the upward momen tum showed no signs of slackening, with a PostWar & Contemporary Art auction that brought in a record shattering $852.9 million across 75 lots (including 11 all time artist records). By year’s end, Christie’s reported $8.4 billion in sales, a 17 percent increase from 2013 and a figure far exceeding the sums of rival houses. While Christie’s blockbuster auctions garnered most of the attention in 2014, the company’s private treaty sales also escalated to record breaking proportions. Of the auction house’s sky high totals, private…

THE E IN the name of the Mangusta 165 E is short for “evolution,” but it could also stand for “enhanced.” The yacht is essentially an upgraded version of the Italian shipyard’s 165-foot maxi open, the first example of which was delivered in 2007 and featured in Robb Report’s Best of the Best issue in 2008. The first 165 E hull debuted at the Monaco Yacht Show in September and has been christened Moonraker. The Evolution series originated from a client’s request to build a Mangusta 165 that would have more aggressive-looking lines and a muscular aspect. The designer Stefano Righini and the Mangusta design team recon figured the flybridge, integrating the exterior couch with the handrails. The change gives the yacht a more angular profile aft and a more…

THE PENINSULA BEVERLY HILLS Please contact The Peninsula Beverly Hills for room, suite, villa, restaurant and spa reservations at 800.462.7899 peninsula.com/beverlyhills MACKLOWE GALLERY Pierre Sterlé was the premier society jeweler, creating unique designs for an exclusive Parisian clientele. In this piece, a lady’s fan is reimagined as a spray of diamonds. The mid-20th century brooch contains a total of 32.85 carats of diamonds set in platinum. macklowegallery.com | 212.644.6400 A-AUDIO HEADPHONES INC. Immerse yourself into the full spectrum of sound with the meticulously engineered Icon Wireless Bluetooth headphones. A blend of 􀀀 ne craftsmanship and premium sound, the Icon’s intricate detailing is inspired by classic auto and luxury timepiece design. Experience studio quality audio with patented 3-Stage Listening Technology™ that puts you in the driver’s seat to select the sound…