Another successful Pebble Beach Automotive Week just wrapped in California. For those in attendance at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance car show got to see two iconic luxury cars from Lamborghini – their first-ever prototype car and their latest car model.

Automobili Lamborghini was first founded back in 1963 and headquartered in Sant’Agata Bolognese, Italy. At that location, the luxury car brand manufactures some of the world’s most sought-after super sports cars in the world.

Lamborghini is celebrating its 50th Anniversary in a big way at Pebble Beach Automotive Week. The luxury carmaker will be displaying a rare U.S. appearance of its 1963 350 GTV in addition to the new 2013 Veneno show car which is making its American debut.

The 1963 350 GTV luxury car is first-ever prototype from Lamborghini, so car show attendees had a special treat by being able to view it up close and personal.

Stephan Winkelmann, who is the President and CEO of Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A.was quoted, “Lamborghini’s presence at Pebble Beach will be the pinnacle of the brand’s 50th anniversary celebrations in North America. We’re celebrating 100 years of innovation in half the time – what better way than by showing the first Lamborghini ever built alongside our latest racing prototype and road-going super sports car – the Veneno.”

The ‘one-off’ 2013 Veneno show car offers 750-horsepower and sells for about $4 Million. It was first viewed at The Quail: A Motorsports Gathering on Friday night.

The Veneno then joined the 350 GTV, which first made its world debut at the Turin Motor Show in 1963, in an exclusive display at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance car show on Sunday.

Friday night, Lamborghini hosted a display and exclusive executive retrospective presentation at Concorso Italiano. On Saturday, the general public also was able to see the two luxury cars during a Concorso Italiano-hosted parade that wound its way through downtown Monterey and historic Cannery Row.

Lamborghini continues to marked major milestones in the history of luxury super sports cars. In 2011 was the introduction of the best-in-class Aventador LP 700-4 and this year’s presentation of the SUV concept car Urus at the Beijing Auto Show,

Three lucky clients from around the world will begin receiving delivery of their Veneno production cars later this year.

If you are an avid luxury car lover and would like to make plans to attend one the luxury car shows from around the world, please contact The Life of Luxury and we can help arrange your trip.

Bonhams is hosting the 16th annual Carmel motorcar auction on August 16th. Bonhams is the world record-holding auction house and has lined up impressive assembly of Italian sports cars for the upcoming auction.

The luxury car auction will feature many iconic and desirable car models including from Lamborghini, Ferrari, Lancia, Alfa Romeo, Fiat, and Maserati.

The Quail Lodge & Golf Club is a spacious property and located in sunny Carmel Valley, California. The car auction is scheduled for Friday, August 16th. Preview days are available on the 14th and 15th.

Available to bid at Bonhams will be many noteworthy Italian cars, such as the one-off 1954 New York Auto Show, 1953 Ferrari 250 Europa Coupé Vignale. This vintage luxury sports car is now on display at Bonhams’ Manhattan showroom.

An amazing 1960 Ferrari 250 GT Cabriolet Series II with coachwork by Pinin Farina will be available as well. This expertly restored, matching numbers car has been documented from new by historian Marcel Massini. The car comes with an extremely rare factory-delivered hard top, and truly represents the epitome of Ferrari’s mid-century fast and glamorous image of la dolce vita.

Other Ferraris at the Bonhams car auction include two superb examples of the heralded 330 GTC, a platinum-winning 365 GTB/4 Daytona, and a beautiful Dino 246 GTS.

There’s a 1975 Lamborghini Countach LP400 “Periscopica” (shown above) that has only 53,000 km on it. The matching numbers missile is one of only 150 created and is a pioneer of design whose paternity can be seen in the supercars of today.

You will also find a classic 1955 Lancia Aurelia B24S Spider America with coachwork by Pinin Farina. This B24S Spider America is just one of 240 that were ever made and of 181 with left-hand drive. The stunning sports car comes with a race-developed V-6 engine and went through a quarter-million dollar restoration.

It’s a wonderful car auction that should be a must for any classic car enthusiast. Entry to Bonhams’ preview and actual car auction does not require a ticket.

If interested in learning more or planning a trip to participate in “The Quail: A Motorsports Gathering” Bonhams Auction, please contact The Life of Luxury.

It was an exciting week in the world of automobiles as luxury car maker Bentley announced that that they will proceed with a luxury Bentley SUV. It would become the world’s most expensive SUV but you’ll have to wait a few years before you can buy it.

The new luxury SUV from Bentley will become the fourth model in their product line. Bentley also stated that the SUV will become the most luxurious and powerful SUV on the auto market when it goes on sale in 2016.

Since 1998, Bentley Motors Limited has been owned by Volkswagen Group. The new SUV will be part of major program and over the next three years, Bentley will invest greater than than £800 million ($1.23 billion) in its headquarters at Crewe, England and the development of its next generation of new luxury models. The investment by Bentley will produce about 1,000 jobs in the UK.

Dr Winterkorn who is the Chairman of the Board of Volkswagen Group was quoted, “The Volkswagen Group believes in the UK as a competitive location for industrial production. Bentley fans all around the world are looking forward to the brand’s first SUV. Together we will make this new Bentley another true Bentley – powerful, exclusive and successful.”

The original EXP 9 F concept was unveiled at the 2012 Geneva auto show (see the above photo). There are industry talks that the new Bentley SUV will look differently.

In the last 16 months since the  Geneva car show last year, the initial response from its customer base to the new Bentley SUV has been extremely positive.

Volkswagen’s ultra-luxury Bentley brand will expand its vehicle line beyond the popular sedans and coupes it currently offers. It’s estimated that the new SUV will be priced around $237,000, which will definitely make it the most luxurious and the world’s most expensive SUV!

If you desire to won a luxury car or SUV, contact The Life of Luxury and we can assist in finding you the best vehicle at the best price!

Looking for those unique, luxury vintage or classic cars can be a challenge. First, how do you easily find them and more importantly how do you know you are getting your money’s worth?

One of the best certified brokers we work with is Luxury Brokers International, who specializes in the purchase, sales, and brokerage of investment grade classic cars.

One of the nice options is offering your luxury car as a consignment sale. The primary advantage of a consignment sale of your car is you get the power of leveraging the entire car network in the automotive field to help sell your vehicle.

Here’s a small sample of the many quality classic cars available on the market for sale.

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1965 Shelby Cobra 427 S/C (CSX Continuation) – pictured above
An extremely high quality Shelby Continuation car with under 5K from new, and well optioned.
Offered at $109,500

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1964 Jaguar E-Type FHC
A Numbers Matching, Two Owner Example, Retaining An Original Interior.
Offered at $64,500

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1968 Mercedes-Benz 280SL
A Restored, Factory Black/Black Example With Two Tops.
Offered at $72,500

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1981 Rolls-Royce Corniche
RROC Member Owned With Great Original Colors And Well Serviced.
Offered at $39,500

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1971 Mercedes-Benz 280SL
A Cosmetically Restored, Well Sorted Driver Quality Pagoda in Interesting.
Reduced to $59,500

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1986 Porsche 930 Track Car
A Very Well Engineered Example With Much East Coast Pedigree.
Reduced to $64,500

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1965 Mercedes-Benz 230SL
An Excellent, Well Sorted Euro-Spec 4-Speed Example With Two Tops.
Offered at $42,500

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It is important to understand the always evolving market price, car features and options plus the condition of the car you may be interested in buying. There are several important investment factors that need to be taken in to account and a quality, certified car broker can assist in breaking down those detail and help you in buying the right car.

There are additional services available such as classic car storage, classic car consignment, brokerage, and other consulting services

If you are in the market to buy a classic or vintage car or have one to sell, please contact The Life of Luxury to see how we can help.

Photo: West Coast Defender

West Coast Defender (WCD) is the brainchild of founder Matthew Perlman, a lifelong Land Rover enthusiast and the company’s mission is to take vintage Land Rover Defenders and transform the legendary all-terrain vehicle into a luxury SUV.

West Coast Defender vehicles are offered in both 90 and 110 models and come in 4-9 person seat configurations (depending on the model). Additional features include: auto/manual transmission, left/right hand drive, hard or soft top roof in addition to gasoline or diesel engine options.

Matthew Perlman was in the commercial real estate development industry and had a desire to to buy Land Rover Defender, which was considered one of the most prestigious all-terrain vehicles ever produced.

Perlman purchased his own Defender car, then carefully refurbished and upgraded it with top-of-the-line amenities. Along with the strong interest he received from friends and acquaintances, his gratification for the finished Defender was all the motivation he would need. The result was his own company – West Coast Defender.

West Coast Defender offers its clients lavish interiors and contemporary amenities, in addition to restoring the steadfast engine of the Land Rover Defender to a pristine on and off road driving experience.

Interior amenities are plentiful including – leather interiors, navigation, power windows, heated seats, Bluetooth, premium sound, xenon headlamps and LED tail lamps are all standard with the vehicle.

You also have a choice of various interior options, such as choosing an array of colors and styles, like cross-stitched or piped leather seats. The standard vehicle colors that are offered include: black, grey, silver or white. Additional customized colors are also available upon request.

So far this year, demand for his custom Land Rover Defenders has been strong. The company has a Los Angeles showroom and projects sales to keep increasing as awareness grows for his company’s services.

West Coast Defender has developed clients from all over the U.S. The Defender cars are available for purchase by visiting www.westcoastdefender.com or calling (310) 439-9055

Photo: Lexus

The latest Lexus model, the new GS450h is a midsize luxury hybrid vehicle that provides almost everything someone would want in a  luxury car –  a smooth ride that’s loaded with luxurious features.

This Lexus hybrid has an electric motor built to generates about 180 horsepower from its batteries. It runs quiet, then will jump into electric mode for acceleration. Need a little more power? The gas-powered 3.5-liter V6 engine provides 338 horsepower.

Let’s jump right to the purchase price. The Lexus GS450h starts at $58,950. Of course add some nice luxury features and you can easily tack an another $10k to your purchase reprice. The rear-drive GS350 begins at a base price of only $46,900 and comes with a 306-horsepower V6 engine.

The Lexus car adaptive variable suspension offers a drive mode option allowing the driver to decide between Normal, Eco or Sport SS acceleration mode. In addition, the electronic variable speed automatic transmission helps improve gas mileage and removes the gear shifting feel.

The default mode is Eco which is perfect for your basic city driving. Saving gas is a big plus. In Normal mode, you get a little more pick-up, and still get gas performance in the 40-45 mph range.

Inside, Lexus GS450h does not disappoint. A nice brushed metal trim highlights the dash, doors and wheel. You will also find two easy-to-see round gauges for easy viewing plus a power tilt/telescope steering wheel.

The driver’s seat comes with three memory settings and the armrest on the console slides back to display a power rear sunshade button.

Seating is made of soft, two-tone leather. It’s perforated and features 18-way driver adjustments to help with increased lumbar support and side bolsters.

If you really want the best in amenities, the choose the luxury package which includes: 3-zone climate controls, front and rear heated seats, a sunshade plus adaptive Bi-LED headlamps.

IF you make a lot of long distance trips than consider the $2,000 pre-collision system. An audible alert notified you if a danger is detected, provides brake assistance in addition to monitoring the driver’s eyes to detect if they are closing due to drowsiness. Now that’s a cool feature!

Other features include a lane departure warning system for $500 and a

The Lexus GS450h ride is smooth and controlled and the engine provides plenty of power. The luxurious leather seating and upscale interior offers a stylish look that will impress your friends.

If you need help locating the best deal on a new Lexus GS450h Hybrid car, then please contact The Life of Luxury by using the below form.

Photo: Bentley

For luxury car lovers, who can argue the value and prestige of a luxury Bentley.

Bentley has just announced a limited edition for the Mulsanne and Continental models to help celebrate the 90th anniversary of the historic Le Mans 24 Hours endurance race, plus the 10th anniversary of Bentley’s victory there back in 2003.

The Le Mans edition Mulsanne and Continental models number six in total, which represents each of the six Bentley Boys who were victorious in past Le Mans 24 Hours races.

Through the true engineering competence and the skills of a group of drivers known as the ‘Bentley Boys,’ Bentley has been incredibly successful in both setting new speed records and racing.

The luxury car brand is offering a site to view the new luxury car models and Bentley’s log and successful history at Le Mans: http://lemansedition.bentleymotors.com/index.html

Bentley began as a car maker in 1919 and founder W.O. Bentley had a goal of supporting motor racing.

They won its first Le Mans 24 Hours endurance race in 1924, followed by four consecutive wins between 1927 and 1930. The the long dry spell hit and the next victory wasn’t until 2003, when Bentley won again by placing first and second place. Guy Smith was the winning while driving one of the two Speed 8’s race cars.

To celebrate, Bentley is producing 48 examples of each ‘Le Mans Limited Edition’ model. Each specialty car will have its own Le Mans Edition numbered badge, Le Mans Edition clock face, embroidered Le Mans badge to each headrest, tread plates with the limited edition name, unique Le Mans Edition wheels and specific interior veneers and exterior colors.

The schedule is for Continental GT models are available now and the Mulsanne Le Mans Edition models available beginning in the third quarter.

Photo: Driver’s Selection by Porsche Design

Now available, it’s the gift for that child that has it all – a Porsche Go-Kart !!!

It’s a lightweight pedal-powered go-kart that was designed suitable for drivers of up to 5’2″ and up to 110 pounds.

The target age range is 5-8 years. Just think junior may be driving a luxury Porsche before his parents!

The Porsche Go-Kart is available from Driver’s Selection by Porsche Design, who is the lifestyle
clothing and accessories line of the luxury automaker.

The Porsche Go-Kart is available exclusively through authorized Porsche dealerships and comes with a suggested retail price of $900. It also comes with the following features:

· A sturdy metal frame and pneumatic air filled tires
· Ability to pedal both forward and backwards
· Coaster braking system

To learn more about the Porsche Go-Kart, please visit http://shop3.porsche.com/usa/ or contact The Life of Luxury using the form below:

Bonhams was founded in 1793 and is one of the world’s largest auctioneers of fine art and antiques. Bonhams just announced an exciting new addition to the upcoming Quail Lodge motorcar auction in Carmel, California.

Designed by Giovanni Michelotti for Vignale and then sold new to the famed North American Ferrari importer Luigi Chinetti, the amazing 1953 Ferrari 250 Europa Coupé Vignale will be up for auction.

This incredible Ferrari was announced as one of the early car consignments at the Quail Lodge motorcar auction to be held in August.

Truly a one-of-a-kind Ferrari sports car, the luxurious 1953 Ferrari 250 Europa Coupé Vignal was originally the star attraction at the January 1954 New York Auto Show at Madison Square Garden.

This Ferrari was part of the luxury carmaker’s legendary 250 model range. It was also tailor made to showcase a wealth of exquisite design and styling details that put it in a class of its own. Impeccable and correct in every detail, the tobacco and bruno siena-colored Ferrari (its original livery colors) would be a welcome entrant and fierce competitor at any major concours d’elegance around the globe.

No doubt this beauty would become the crown of any luxury car collection. This show-stopping Ferrari will be offered along with many other cars of distinction at the 16th annual Bonhams Quail Lodge Auction during the world-famous Monterey Peninsula Car Week, in scenic Carmel, California.

To learn more about the 1953 Ferrari 250 Europa Coupé Vignale or make reservations to attend the Quail Lodge Motorcar Auction in Carmel, California, lease contact us using the below form:

Photo: CXC Simulations

For avid car lovers, there is no thrill like being on a race track and getting that adrenaline rush. But for most of us, the closest we’ll ever get is watching on TV or attending a live car race event.

Car simulators are a hot trend right now. Based in Los Angeles, CXC Simulations offers state-of-the-art racing simulators for professional racing teams and drivers, and for users who wish to experience the thrill of racing in their own home.

CXC Simulations was approached by Toyota of North Hollywood to retrofit a 2006 Lola Champ Car and used as a racing simulator by people of all sizes and abilities.

The Champ Car simulator had a number of very strict requirements. Even though it needed to end up as a simulator, CXC had to make sure that it could be used as a racecar even after its work was done. The client requested unparalleled realism, easy access in and out of the car, a seat that would accommodate a wide range of body sizes, as well as in-game and on-car branding.

Mobile One Porsche Super Cup and Former IndyCar/Champ Car Driver – Matt Halliday was quoted, “It is pretty amazing what the CXC guys have been able to do with this project and the realistic nature combining the forces and drivability of the real car is very accurate.”

The custom Champ Car simulator features three 55″ LCD screens offer a 180 degree field of view that completely covers the driver’s peripheral vision. A high-powered force feedback system was added to provide drivers with the same experience they would have on the track.

Offering an LED gauge system, custom stairs for easy access, and a custom-made wide seat and headrest covered in leather, this one-of-a-kind simulator is certain to be a success.

To learn more about the production simulators from CXC Simulations, please visit: http://www.cxcsimulations.com/products/motion-pro/

All-New Range Rover

Land Rover North America recently launched a new video, titled “Roam Free.” Available online (and below), the video celebrates the unparalleled capabilities of the brand’s luxury vehicles.

Land Rover is the popular and respected British maker of Land Rover and Range Rover sport utility vehicles. They are renowned for providing its clientele with some of the most luxurious and capable vehicles in the world.

Evoking the free-form discipline of parkour to bring to life the brand’s essence, the 60 second video captures the luxury brand’s essence of all-terrain, go anywhere, and do anything feeling of freedom and premium all-terrain capability.

The Land Rover “Roam Free” video focuses on four parkour or free running athletes demonstrating amazing feats of balance, fitness and agility. The journey and movement of the athletes cleverly represents the “Above & Beyond” capabilities of Land Rover vehicles.

The group movement in *Roam Free* was specifically choreographed to offer video viewers with a virtual comparison to the reality of the way a Land Rover vehicle drives and feels on and off road. Coming full circle to truly encompass the Land Rover brand, the video is set to play with the tranquil sounds of the world-renowned composer Johann Sebastian Bach.

All-New Range Rover

Land Rover offers a stellar, vehicle lineup that includes the legendary Defender, LR2 (Freelander 2), LR4 (Discovery 4), Range Rover Sport, Range Rover and Range Rover Evoque.