Yves de Contades

A Visit to a Leading Italian Builder of Fast Yachts
300kph in a car; few people even motoring journalists have achieved that speed.  A few more will have travelled at 50+ knots in a power boat.  However, only a small minority will have travelled at that speed in a comfortable cruising motor yacht, doubtless with a glass of something good like champagne to hand.  Perhaps it is a case of more fizz in the yacht than in the champagne?

It all started over an inebriated argument between banker husband and wife essentially covering the topic of how manly escapades were no longer partaken of. Just work and family. A few phone calls later to a once legendary but now ageing crew, myself included, and permission granted from partners (bribed with future promises of luxury spas) and the die was cast.
So International eXcellence Magazine set off for the 24 hrs of Le Mans with some very old friends in three Ferraris for a manly few days of luxury camping and racing!

International eXcellence Magazine took the Aston Martin Volante DB9 convertible in Bronze on a British Luxury Tour to experience Britishness at its best.
We combined great British automotive design, classic British luxury hotels, Michelin starred restaurants, sky diving and country scenery in a five day extravaganza.

Automobili Lamborghini unveiled its first plug-in hybrid (PHEV) technology demonstrator, the Lamborghini Asterion LPI 910-4, making its world debut at the 2014 Paris Mondial de l’Automobile.

On the occasion of the celebration of 100 Years of Leica Photography, Valbray – the renowned Swiss watchmakers from Lausanne – presents a special limited edition: the EL1 Chronograph. This watch is strictly limited to only 100 exemplars and is engraved with the Leica logo features on the crown and ‘100 Years of Leica Photography’ engraved on the back.

The fashion world has been moving towards a more ambiguous way of dressing, seen across the industry from Givenchy’s use of campaign images and Saint Laurent’s unisex collection, to the rise of transgender model Andrej Pejic.
This trend is now hitting the streets of the UK, according to research released today from the luxury retailer Harvey Nichols which reveals that almost half of all Britons regularly wear items of their partners clothing (48%).

Aston Martin Lagonda have announced the appointment of Andrew Palmer as their new Chief Executive Officer to lead the company in its next phase of technology and product creation.  Dr Palmer, 51, will join Aston Martin from Nissan Motor Corporation where he served as Chief Planning Officer. Palmer will assume operational responsibility for all aspects of the business.
 

 
The Goodwood Revival will mark 60 years of one of Formula 1’s most iconic machines, the Maserati 250F, with one of the largest ever on-track collections of the car at the September 12-14 event.
As many as 16 examples of the 250F will take part in the Richmond Trophy, which this year will feature 2.5-litre, front-engined grand prix cars of a kind that raced from 1954 to 1960. Among them is one of only two of the V12-engined versions of the machine ever built.
 

Simon West is the celebrated British director of big budget action movies such a Con Air, The Incredibles 2, The General's Daughter, Tomb Raider and The Mechanic amongst others. He has worked with a stellar cast of Hollywood actors, such as Bruce Willis, Angelina Jolie, Sylvestor Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Nicolas Cage, John Malkovich, John Cusack, Jason Statham and many more.

International eXcellence Magazine was invited to play in the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open Pro Am with Ian Poulter, as part of the launch of Ballantines new online golf club presenting Ian as the new club Captain.
I spent the weekend before the Pro Am at the driving ranges at Hoebridge and Broadwater, two lovely little Surrey clubs and my golf was in pretty good shape. Mind you I was going to be playing on a tough course with one of the top 25 golfers in the world!