Connoisseur Episode 102

Welcome to Connoisseur. Ladies and gentlemen, restart your engines and buckle up for the next episode. This week we'll be admiring the latest Ferrari, a yacht, and exotic travel destinations. Join us as we delve into art, fashion, watches, and homes in the upcoming weeks. Immerse yourself in the luxury lifestyle and share the Connoisseur experience with your fellow passengers.

Ferrari Sold Out

As the Rolling Stones would remind you "You Can't Always Get What You Want" because the Ferrari Purosangue's first two years’ worth of production is sold out. Some purists might wonder why, but Ferrari have throughout their history created elegant 4 seaters.

The Purosangue's closest visual sibling being the GTC4 Lusso and its predecessor the FF are both comfy four-seater V12s that can cross borders at stunning pace and be practical enough to drop the children off at tennis.

You cannot buy a brand new version, but maybe, just maybe, you can get your hands on one when people start cashing in, once they have done a few hundred miles. Watch this space, upwards of half-a-million is expected when they hit the market. The Purosangue is a £310k/$380k V12, The Urus S (from last week) is £188k/$230k V8, is the extra four cylinders that big of a deal? It certainly seems many believe it is.

New creative direction for Gucci?

Gucci have announced that Sabato De Sarno will assume the role of Creative Director.

De Sarno cut his teeth at Prada in 2005 before moving on to Dolce & Gabbana and finally joining Valentino in 2009. Whilst at Valentino, he rose through the ranks to become fashion director, overseeing men’s and women’s collections and working closely with Pierpaolo Piccioli.

The fashion industry is eagerly anticipating the outcome of De Sarno's plans for the house. His debut runway collection at Milan Women’s Fashion Week in September 2023.

Under the direction of the previous Creative Director, Alessandro Michele, since 2015, the brand's revenue had grown fourfold to reach €10 billion. However, in recent years, Gucci has struggled to keep up financially with competitors like Louis Vuitton and Dior. Michele is said to have left Gucci due to the brands owners Kering asking for a creative revamp.

$80 Million for a Manhattan Mansion

Benjamin N. Duke House is one of a few 'Guided-Age' mansion left in New York, most have been demolished and built over. The remaining 120 year old buildings are fetching significant sums, like the one linked here from last year's Robb Report at $33m.

Benjamin N. Duke House, also called the Duke–Semans Mansion, is located at 1009 Fifth Avenue (StreetView). The 20,000 sq. ft. townhouse, was built in Italian Renaissance palazzo style with Beaux-Arts details. It has 8 bedrooms and 10 bathrooms spread over 7 stories, a grand staircase connecting each floor, high ceilings, a private roof deck, and scenic views of Central Park. The home was built between 1899 and 1901 and the last owner was Mexican business magnate Carlos Slim.

In 2015 Slim put the home of the market for $80million, however it failed to sell so was removed. Then on Jan 19 2023 the home was placed on Compass for $80million. With the housing market in decline at the moment it could be a hard sell, but this is no ordinary home.

The New S72 Motor Yacht

The brand new Princess S72 2023 is a £5million Sportbridge motoryacht by the Plymouth, UK, based yacht manufacturer which was launched at this years Boot Dusseldorf. The S72 Sportbridge model is a 23m long craft featuring twin MAN V12 engines at 1650 or 1800 horsepower. The deep-V shaped hull gives performance and smooth handling at speeds of up to 36 knots (41mph for all the land lovers).

Princess' S-Class yachts feature a Sportsbridge, which is an open elevated drive platform. The Sportsbridge sits between the Y-Class, with covered flybridge, and the V-Class sportscruiser, which has no flybridge.

Below deck on the S72, eight guests are accommodated in four nicely decorated cabins on a ship's lower deck. Three of the cabins have attached bathrooms and all have natural light from hull windows. A separate staircase leads to the owner's full-beam stateroom in the middle of the ship, through a private waiting area on the lower deck. There is also a twin cabin with an attached bathroom to the rear for crew or guests.

Check out the website https://www.princess.co.uk/boat/princess-s72-for-sale-2023/

Bora Bora

After spending too much time on YouTube, I stumbled upon a channel that only does walk-throughs of luxury hotels. I was taken to the Swiss Alps in winter and then to Bora Bora, where I was captivated by the beautiful turquoise ocean.

The videos are not narrated, which is unusual compared to watching superyacht walk-throughs, but it's actually a relaxing experience. There is sound, the sound of water lapping and people on the beach, and some occasional quiet piano music. I found it almost meditative, so check out the video below.

I then found myself on the Four Seasons website searching for holidays. For couples seeking a romantic getaway, you can book a one-bedroom mountain-view overwater bungalow suite. The bungalow has a spacious living room that opens to a deck and a bedroom with access to a private, fresh-water plunge pool with mountain views. For example, if booked at the start of April 2023, this bungalow costs around £5200.

Formula One

With last week's team line-ups covered, I thought the next thing to look forward to in Formula One was the new car unveilings. It's a chance to see new car design tweaks, although teams always keep the real "trick stuff" hidden until the first test in Bahrain on February 23rd to 25th.

It's also a chance to see the new car liveries, or wraps. Haas is likely to have something different as MoneyGram becomes their title sponsor, though the color palette is still likely to be red, black, and white.

Dates - Teams in order of Appearance 

Haas - January 31 - Online

Red Bull - February 3 - New York

Williams - February 6 - Online

Alfa Romeo - February 7 - Zurich

AlphaTauri - February 11 - New York

Aston Martin - February 13 - Silverstone

McLaren - February 13 - McLaren Technology Centre

Ferrari - February 14 - TBC

Mercedes - February 15 - Silverstone

Alpine - February 16 - London

There are several sponsors that haven't been renewed and therefore ejected from the pits and liveries this year, especially crypto-based sponsors, most notably FTX. Here is a video update on who is in and who is out.

And of course, we're awaiting Drive to Survive as a look back in time. Personally, I think this should drop earlier in the year, as it lands on the Bahrain test weekend. The new season will take fans behind the scenes to see how drivers and teams prepared to go wheel-to-wheel over the 2022 Formula 1 season. Spoiler alert: Max wins... again.

Please Share Connoisseur

Sponsored Feature

Adventures in the North

Join the Sixty8 team once again for a slice of Scandinavian supercar action for the Atlantic Road Trip of a lifetime. As the flag drops in Stockholm, Sweden’s largest archipelago, the driving drama begins immediately as we embark on a trajectory towards the skies of Åre.

From the mountains above to the crystal waters of the fjords below, you’ll be immersed in natural beauty, 5 star stays and bucket-list moments to enjoy in-between. We visit the Arctic Circle, untouched hidden beaches, you will experience the full spectrum of seasons in pursuit of the breath-taking North Cape, Norway’s best kept secret.

We are looking for other high quality advertisers.