(Credit:
Stefan Radev)
Step aside, Greenbird. Here comes a version with all the luxe trimmings. Cooked up by industrial designer Stefan Radev, the Blue Dynamics land yacht is a concept wind-powered pleasure vehicle that steers with the help of a huge sail in the rear. Entry to the cockpit is via the elevated wind screen, while the rigid sail adjusts according to wind direction either automatically or through the on-board sail control unit.
The name Blue Dynamics is a symbolic connection of the wind and BMW's "efficient dynamics," greener-emissions program, which helped inspire the designer. BMW is not affiliated with the project, however.
Like all toys for the rich, this is one selfish contraption that'll take just one person on-board. But hey, if you've got the chump change to afford this swanky three-wheeled ride should it ever hit the deserts or beaches, you'll definitely not want to share it as you zip past envious landlubbers and green-eyed sedan drivers.
More pics after the jump.
... Read moreIf you read the title of this weeks Gadgettes and have to ask yourself "what is fashion week?" then you are obligated to listen.
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EPISODE 106 |
Tech-Chic--Vivienne Tam Runway NP Notebook
Sheala: Kill this notebook, or at least any this color. It burns the eyes!
The Stiletto is a laptop stand with style
In cell phone land, is purple the new red?
Spark Lamp a bright idea for energy watchers
Full review: Apple iPod Nano 4G
ConceptFascination hints at future of Mercedes E-Class
... Read more
(Credit:
Terra Wind)
What could possibly be better than a million-dollar RV outfitted with state-of-art technology? One that goes in the water, of course.
As insane as it may seem, the Terra Wind Amphibious RV" has all the proper accoutrements for a luxury vehicle of its class, including an 6-foot swim deck, an 8-jet whirlpool, marble floors, wood paneling, leather furnishings, and a fully equipped home theater system featuring a 42-inch plasma TV, according to Uncrate. In the cockpit you'll find the instruments needed for the aquatic half of its persona to operate the submerged motors, rudder controls, bilge pumps, rudder control, and other standard yachting fare.
Surprisingly, the prices don't seem that much higher than land-only RVs in this category: from $850,000 to $1.2 million. Then again, there's not exactly a common range for this kind of thing. As for us, we'll wait for a seagoing version of the 5-star hotel on wheels.
(Credit:
Ferretti Group)
There's a dirty little secret about some of us at Crave that can be summed up in two words: motion sickness. For all the gadgetry we've tried over the years, from sonic-wave machines to magic wristbands, nothing can keep us from doing the old heave-ho, so to speak, on anything that's not sitting perfectly still on terra firma. We've even been known to get queasy on a riverboat casino in New Orleans--while it was docked.
So you can imagine our joy at learning about the first anti-seasickness yacht, which employs an "Anti-Rolling Gyro" stablizing technology that supposedly minimizes side-to-side rocking. The secret of the Ferretti 630's system, according to Luxist, is a motorized 154-pound gyroscope made of steel and aluminum that's stationed at the bottom of the hull. That makes it so much easier to enjoy the craft's other amenities, which include a massage lounge.
All we need to do is come up with $3.2 million or so to buy one. Which means we won't be tossing the Dramamine overboard anytime soon.
(Credit:
SuperYachtTimes)
Judging by its photos, the "118 WallyPower" doesn't look like a luxury yacht. If anything, it has a post-apocalyptic design that gives it the appearance of a maximum-security prison on the high seas, kind of like a water-borne "Badonkadonk" tank we featured recently. But for those who have the means to purchase one--for $23,903,925 (be sure you have exact change)--we suppose it can look like anything they want.
And if its fortress-like exterior doesn't provide enough security, the vessel can outrun any potential perpetrators with three gas-turbine engines that pack 16,800 HP capable of reaching 60 knots. Accommodations inside the seagoing monolith are apparently far less foreboding, according to BornRich, with "solid teak decks, a full kitchen, six Panasonic LCD TVs and an all-glass dining and lounge area."
For the price, though, we'd expect the yacht to carry more than the recommended six passengers. After all, that comes to roughly $4 million per head. (Or $2 million, if you include the six-person crew.)
(Credit:
Luxurylaunches)
Sure, a multimillion-dollar yacht is OK, especially if it has multiple bars on board. But the true seagoing sybarite needs a luxury submarine.
That's why some very wealthy adventurers are apparently flocking to U.S. Submarines of Portland, Ore., a company that builds custom models "for the eccentric billionaires who want mysterious and secret subs," according to Luxurylaunches. It says there are 100 luxury subs now in the water with unidentified owners. (Does DHS know about this?)
The price of covert underwater travel is predictably high, ranging from $12 million to $80 million. But you can get a perfectly decent 10-passenger sub on the low end of the scale for just $15 million, though the gym may cost extra. We already sense a new Tom Clancy book in the making.
(Credit:
Synfo)
We're sure it happens to you all the time: When you're out for a weekend cruise on your 23-foot yacht, things can get so boring. There's only so much water one can take, after all.
So when you tire of plodding along at 55 miles per hour on your luxury Frauscher Lido, you can check your e-mail with the on-board system installed by Mii AG (no relation to the Wii so far as we know). The digital specialist, as Luxist describes it, has outfitted the Austrian-made vessel with a 15-inch display, a keyboard and a Bluetooth mouse, as well as a DVD and iTunes player.
(Credit:
Synfo)
There's no word on what type of computer comes with the system, but given that the boat costs $126,000, we doubt it'll be a refurb from Office Depot. Come to think of it, at that price, couldn't they at least have gone to 19 inches? In any case, we hope they remembered to make everything waterproof.
(Credit:
Luxist)
Porsche may rule the road in many eyes, but it has a ways to go on the open seas. While its much-publicized $300,000 racing yacht boasts a top speed of 88 mph, for example, the new XSR48 claims to exceed 100 mph.
Called "the world's fastest diesel production boat," it will attempt to break various world records this year, according to Luxist. Its speed isn't the only thing that will hasten heartbeats: Its price is estimated at nearly $2 million.
(Credit:
Raymarine)
Now that you've ordered your Porsche yacht, what will you do in it when not racing? Raymarine has just the antidote to your boredom with its satellite HDTV system.
The seagoing dish is made specifically to work in boats, according to Gizmowatch, with antennae that continually change angles for optimal reception. The package, which includes an HD DirecTV receiver, is designed for uninterrupted signals even in extreme weather and oceanic conditions.
Depending on the model, it can cost as much as $9,000. But that's a drop in the Atlantic compared with the $300,000 you'll be shelling out for the boat.
(Credit:
Fearless Yachts)
If this isn't a match made in heaven, we don't know what is: Porsche and yachting. Offering the opportunity of a "blank canvas," Florida-based Fearless Yachts approached Porsche Design Studios to seize what it calls the "aquabahn" with a state-of-the-art seacraft, a 28-foot cruiser built for high speed (surprise) featuring a 525-horsepower Viper engine.
Typical for what you'd expect from Porsche, the luxury racer has "the sleek curves and lean silhouette of a European coupe" with a seamless fiberglass hull that "does away with unsightly rivets that might slow it down," according to Yanko Design. If you're interested in picking up one of these cruisers, it will be making its debut next week at the Miami Boat Show--with prices starting at $300,000. (Thanks for the tip, Takashi.)
