SEPTEMBER 2013 Fantastic Threads STRIKING NEW DESIGNS FOR MEN RALPH LAUREN | TOM FORD | BRUNELLO CUCINELLI | ISAIA HERMÈS | KITON | ERMENEGILDO ZEGNA | STEFANO RICCI GUCCI | PRADA | LOUIS VUITTON | VERSACE & MORE FALL FASHION EXCLUSIVE The all-new 520 hp Turbo Executive Panamera P ORSCHE ’ S 2014 EXECUTIVE P ANAMERA RobbReport.com SUPER SAFARI ➤ ABERCROMBIE & KENT PLANS THE ULTIMATE AFRICAN ADVENTURE
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S E P T E M B E R 201 3
Fantastic Threads
Striking new DeSignS for Men
Ralph lauRen | toM forD | BRunello CuCinelli | iSaia
All products and services offered and rendered by Inspirato® (including the operation and management of any vacation residence) are provided solely by Inspirato LLC, Best of 52, LLC, or their respective agents and affiliates, and not by the American Express Company or its subsidiaries or affiliates.
1890s 1900s 1910s 1920s1880s
DISCOVER THE TIMES OF CARL F. BUCHERER
1888
Bucherer Incabloc
1948
The 1930s were a critical decade for the development of the
wristwatch, which, for the f rst time, began to be produced in greater
numbers than pocket watches. The introduction of the temperature-
resistant Nivarox alloy and the novel Incabloc shock protection
system made wristwatches more accurate and durable than ever
before. From a handful of small workshops in western Switzerland,
Bucherer’s new models for men—still produced in small numbers—
soon incorporated both inventions. Like most watches of the day,
watches bearing the Bucherer brand were assembled by hand using
ebauches from the top Swiss movement manufacturers. The cases,
which incorporated many of the most memorable design elements
of the period including unusually shaped and faceted cases, kept
the brand at the height of desirability.
So much so that by the end of World War II, Bucherer stores reported
numerous cases of allied servicemen offering to trade their bomber
jackets to get their hands on one of the watches. These years also
saw collaboration between Bucherer and Rolex, stemming from
the long-term friendship Carl-Friedrich Bucherer established with
Rolex founder Hans Wilsdorf in the 1920s. The Bucherer collection
1940s1930s 1950s
Bucherer Incabloc
1950s
THE MEN’S WRISTWATCH MATURES
1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s
In the century and a quarter since 1888 when Carl-Friedrich
Bucherer f rst opened his store in Lucerne, Switzerland, many
people have come to know the Bucherer name as a luxury retailer
of the f rst rank, whose business includes watches. Relatively
few, however, know that their roots making watches go back in
an uninterrupted line to 1919. Their time as a company bears
exploring, as they are inextricably linked with the history of our
shared passion: the wristwatch.
contains a jumping hour Rolex Prince, one of the few examples of such
a co-branded piece.
Collectors today fondly recall the post-war years as one of the most
memorable periods for watch designs. Larger, sportier men’s watches, in
particular chronographs, were made in ever-increasing numbers. Bucherer
chronographs of the 1940s and 50s incorporate many of the signature
elements of the period, including the characteristic bi-compax counters
and tachymetric and telemetric scales. Some examples also include the
“big date” feature created by two large rotating discs. Bucherer was one
of the very f rst makers to incorporate this feature in wristwatches.
Bucherer’s growth continued into the 1960s, a decade in which the company
applied itself to another watchmaking specialty: the f eld of high-precision
chronometers. The 1960s were a competitive period for the watch industry
at large as many companies sought to prove the accuracy of their timepieces
through chronometry competitions. Bucherer had relied on a specialty company,
Credos SA, to assist it in this f eld, and eventually purchased the company
renaming it Bucherer Montres SA. Using the latest production methods and
equipment of the time, Bucherer increased the output of this facility to nearly
30,000 pieces per year. By the end of the 1960s Bucherer was one of the
top three producers of certif ed chronometers in Switzerland. The company’s
research in accuracy also involved it in an interesting new project—quartz.
That, however, is another story.
A CONTINUOUS THREAD
TO THE CONTEMPORARY
The near century’s worth of experience in making watches
is ref ected in every watch that leaves the Carl F. Bucherer
factory today. So too are the major design inf uences of their
history. If you look at the Manero CentralChrono, you will see
generations of chronographs from the 1930s, 40s, and 50s
imbued in its bi-compax counters, sweep seconds hand and
classical dial. But like every Carl F. Bucherer watch before
it, the Manero takes advantage of the very best modern
innovation has to offer. The modern self-winding
Caliber CFB 1967 beats at 4 hz, providing an
advantage in accuracy the classic watches
of the 1950s would envy.
Likewise, Bucherer’s famous big date lives
on in watches like the Patravi Calendar. But
underneath the dial is the most modern of
engines, the Manufacture Caliber CFB A1004
with its peripheral rotor, which Carl F. Bucherer
has designed and built to carry its tradition into
the 21st century.
1960s
Rolex Prince
1930
Manero CentralChrono
2011
Patravi Calendar
Chronograph
2011
125 YEARS OF EXCELLENCE
798 Madison Avenue New York
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sePtembeR 2013, volume xxxv i i , numbeR 9
102
90 Executive PrivilegesPorsche expands upon the Panamera’s
Research Editor Amanda Millin [email protected] Automotive Consultant Robert Ross [email protected] Senior Correspondents Paul Dean, Jack Smith Contributing Editors Christopher Campbell, Richard Carleton Hacker, James D. Malcolmson
Contributing Writers
Ronald Ahrens, Sheila Gibson Stoodley, Scott Goetz, Andrew Myers, Tim Neville, Regina Winkle-Bryan
Private Aviation Advisory Board
Peter V. Agur Jr. (The VanAllen Group), James D. Butler (Shaircraft Solutions), Edward H. Kammerer (Hinckley, Allen & Snyder), Walter Kraujalis (AeronomX), Kevin O’Leary (Jet Advisors), William J. Quinn Jr. (Charleston Aviation Partners LLC), H. Lee
Rohde III (Aviation Management Systems), Keith G. Swirsky (GKG Law)
Art & Design Senior Vice President/Design Director Ken de Bie [email protected]
Production Group Production Director Karen E. Nicolas Senior Advertising Services Manager Virginia L. Pickel Production Manager Eric Walden Quality Assurance Manager Mark Conn
Concierge Health & Wellness Division Kathe F. Mullally
Director, Membership, Benefits & Experiences Lisa Porter Vice President, Robb Report Club & Brand Benefits Ursula Damani Director, Membership Development Elizabeth Blair Events Director Linda McShane Events Manager Leslie Harrison Vice President, Human Resources Melinda Lyon
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Advertising rates furnished upon request. SEND ALL ADVERTISING INFORMATION AND MATERIALS TO 29160 Heathercliff Rd., Suite 200, Malibu, CA 90265.
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REPORT, CurtCo Robb Media, LLC, its officers, directors, employees, and agents make no recommendations as to the purchase or sale of any product, service, or
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therefrom without prior written permission is prohibited. ROBB REPORT® and FOR THE LUXURY LIFESTYLE™ are trademarks of CurtCo Robb Media, LLC.
The Virginian, an acclaimed 538-acre private country club community in the rolling hills of Southwestern
Virginia, is about to unveil its newest neighborhood. Named Grandview, it consists of 30 carefully contoured
homesites overlooking the 9th and 18th holes of the Tom Fazio championship golf course.
The name is apt because each homesite provides spectacular view corridors of meadows, forests, fairways and
the faraway Appalachian Mountains. This mature, successful community, named as one of the fi nest and best
planned in America, is already home to more than 100 families residing in charming estate homes. Talented
architects and planners have been working on Grandview for several years, assuring its homes will be the
pinnacle achievements in this distinguished community.
Outside the gates of The Virginian are the historic towns of Abingdon and Bristol, the scenic Appalachian
Trail and an unhurried, uncrowded and unparalleled living environment. We invite your inquiry.
thevirginian.com
22512 Clubhouse Ridge
Bristol, Virginia 24202
276.645.7050
Th e Pinnacle Ach ievem ent.
A private golf club community of 250 homesites on 538 acres of some of the most breathtaking highlands in North America.
Homesites from $70,000, resale homes from $500,000. Void where prohibited by law, including New York and New Jersey.
Classic Blue Blazer1957 BMW 507
d e s i g n p o r t f o l i o
40 robb report september 2013
The 507 roadster was one of the most beautiful cars of the post-
war era and, from a business perspective, a disaster for BMW. the
German automaker created the 507 at the urging of american importer
Max hofman, who envisioned the car as a lower-priced alternative to the
Mercedes-Benz 300sL.
Penned by the industrial designer albrecht Goertz,
the 507 embodies perfect proportions in a seductive yet
understated design. hofman anticipated that the 507
would sell for $5,000 (about $42,000 in today’s dollars).
Instead, costs ran so high that BMW had to price it at $9,000 when production
began in 1956 and eventually at nearly $11,000—and the company still lost
money on each car. on the edge of fnancial ruin, BMW ceased production in
1959 after building only 251 examples. today about 200 of those
cars remain, and their values can reach $1 million. —robert ross
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september 2013 robb report 41
Earth ShakenThe Tectonic Bar sets the cocktail hour in motion.
‘‘When I was a small boy, my grandmother challenged me to find a secret
drawer in a bureau that she treasured,” says David Linley, the renowned
British designer and a grandson of the Queen Mother. “I couldn’t under-
stand how it was possible to conceal something so cleverly, so I resolved to find out how.” The
Tectonic Bar (www.davidlinley.com) is the latest manifestation of Linley’s fascination with mechanical
furniture, a design genre that was the vogue of the 18th century. This contemporary interpretation
by Linley’s eponymous furniture-making firm appears to be simply an elegant cabinet of ebonized
walnut incised in gold leaf with an abstract map of the world. But at the press of a concealed
button, the doors open to reveal an interior lined in gold leaf and housing a cocktail bar outfitted
with Linley accessories. Internal columns rotate; a refrigerator appears in the base of one column,
and the press of an interior button summons a cigar humidor. should prospective owners of the
Tectonic Bar (approximately $130,000) require secret drawers of their own, Linley—which allows
any number of variations—will enthusiastically oblige. —andrew myers
d E S i g n p o r t f o l i o
42 robb report september 2013
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Available at fine optical retailers worldwide | 1-800-223-0180
Patrick Dempsey wears
TiTAn MiniMAl ArT.
The icon.
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THE ALL-NEW QUATTROPORTE. A CELEBRATION OF ELEGANCE, TECHNOLOGY AND POWER.
The Quattroporte was born in 1963, when Maserati put a racing engine in a Grand Touring automobile. Today, the sixth-generation
Quattroporte is simply the world’s f nest luxury sports sedan, with a choice of two new engines: a 523 hp V8 capable of 191 mph
or a 404 hp V6 with intelligent Q4 all-wheel drive. Both engines are matched to an 8-speed automatic transmission for maximum
acceleration and fuel eff ciency. Quattroporte blends unmistakable Italian design and one of the most spacious interiors in its
category with engineering precision for a combination of performance, luxury and driving pleasure that only Maserati can offer.
GET THE MASERATI PASSION APPSTAY IN TOUCH
maserati.us / 877-my-Maserati
*MASERATI QUATTROPORTE S Q4 BASE MSRP $102,500, NOT INCLUDING GAS GUZZLER TAX, DEALER PREP AND TRANSPORTATION. DEALER PRICE MAY VARY. TAXES, TITLE AND REGISTRATION FEES NOT INCLUDED.
created by: Gerald Clerc.................................................................................................................................
limited//edition
case//dlc steel 103 elements/
locking rotating bezel/water resistant 500m/
movement//automatic chronograph/
hand-crafted in switzerland/
please call 609-750-8802
or visit clercwatches.com
Patek Philippe shoots for the moon once more. . . .
Production has begun on the second genera-
tion of the Patek Philippe Sky Moon Tourbillon (www.patek
.com), the company’s most complicated production
wristwatch. Like the first-generation Sky Moon (Reference
5002), which was introduced in 2001, this version features
12 complications. The price of the new watch, Reference
6002G, is available upon request and will likely be seven
figures, as was the price of the original. Patek Philippe will
not say how many examples of the watch it plans to make,
but plan on production being extremely limited.
The new watch features a slightly updated version of the
original movement and three wholly new windows that
display the perpetual calendar. The tourbillon escapement,
cathedral-gong minute repeater, and celestial complication
(displayed on the back of the watch) remain unchanged. The
most noticeable upgrades are the high-relief engraving on
the case and the cloisonné and champlevé enamel on the
dial. The decorations demonstrate Patek Philippe’s growing
in-house artisanal capabilities, and for a timepiece of this
caliber, such flourishes seem appropriate. . . .
The new Patek Philippe Sky
Moon Tourbillon is as compli-
cated as the original version and
more elaborately decorated.
■ FrontRunners ■
september 2013 robb report 61
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A Spyker in America’s future market, and boots made for climbing. . . .
going dutch � With the Spyker
B6 Venator (www.spykercars.com), the
Dutch automaker plans to return to
the American market in 2014. The new
design is created in the tradition of the
limited-production, hand-built sports
cars for which the brand is known.
Unlike Spyker’s previous model, the C8
series—which was made of aluminum
and powered by an Audi V-8 engine—
the B6 Venator has a carbon-flber body
and a transverse-mounted V-6 engine
that develops at least 375 hp.
The B6 Venator also features a cur-
vaceous body and luxurious interior,
which are hallmarks of Spyker cars, and
exquisite aluminum details that exploit
the beauty of the material and chal-
lenge the machinist’s art. . . .
high climbers � The Swiss-made,
reindeer-fur-covered Bally Everest Col-
lection Himalaya boots (www.bally.com)
commemorate the 60th anniversary of
Sir Edmund Hillary’s ascent of Mount
Everest. The boots are a cashmere-
lined version of the Bally footwear
that Tenzing Norgay, Hillary’s lead
guide, wore when he and Hillary
reached the mountain’s peak in 1953.
They are made-to-order and available
at Bally’s Madison Avenue store in
Manhattan for $2,095. The boots fea-
ture an elastic update of the original
lace-up system, which allows for easy
adjustments even in extreme weather.
The lightweight sole is new, but it has
the original nonslip grip. . . .
sports Writer � The Visconti Pinin-
farina Carbongrafte pen (www.visconti.it)
is the product of a two-year collabo-
ration between the Italian pen maker
and the design flrm that has created
bodywork for Ferrari, Maserati, and
other Italian automobile marques.
The pen’s carbon-composite barrel
displays the graceful lines of a flne
sports car. Production is limited to
930 fountain pens ($1,895 each) and
930 roller balls ($1,695 each). . . .
Spyker B6 Venator; Bally Everest
Collection Himalaya boot;
Visconti Pininfarina Carbongrafte pen.
■ FrontRunners ■
62 ropp remort semtebper 13�a
Ferretti 960; Valgrine S.T. Dupont putter;
McLellan Jacobs Kayak 1.
planing and simple ✵ The flrst
Ferretti 960 (www.ferretti-yachts.com),
a production yacht that launched in
June, is the largest planing-hull ves-
sel the Italian company has ever pro-
duced. The 96-footer can reach a
speed of 27.5 knots with the standard
engines, and it sleeps as many as 10
guests. (The price is available upon
request.) Accommodations can include
a master suite forward on the main
deck and four lower-deck cabins. The
960 has quarters for flve crew mem-
bers, but it does not require a profes-
sional captain for operation. The yacht’s
highlights include a large �ybridge, a
main saloon that is well lit thanks to
the yacht’s low gunwales, and a padded
lounging area at the stern. . . .
artistic stroke ✵ The limited-
edition Valgrine S.T. Dupont putter (www
.valgrine.com) features an alligator-
scale pattern carved into the club’s
face and is accentuated with Chinese
enamel work and palladium-flnished
rings and screws. The golf-club
manufacturer Valgrine, which was
founded two years ago in Saint Eti-
enne, France, specializes in bespoke
putters rendered in a range of materi-
als, styles, and flnishes. S.T. Dupont is
a 141-year-old Parisian design house
known for its flne lighters and writing
instruments. The blade-style putter is
priced at $25,000. . . .
the river styled ✵ The New
Zealand designers Jamie McLellan
and Andy Jacobs have turned their
focus from furniture and lighting
to their mutual passion for boating.
The result is the McLellan Jacobs Kayak 1
(www.mclellanjacobs.com). Nearly
11 feet long, the single-person kayak
is made of carbon flber, so it weighs
less than 40 pounds, making it easy to
transport and maneuver in the water.
The seat back, carrying handles, and
deck hatch are made of teak. Priced
at $15,000, the vessel can be ordered
with a paddle made of teak and carbon
flber. Each kayak requires eight to 10
weeks for completion. . . .
Ferretti’s biggest wave rider, and a light and luxurious kayak. . . .
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64 onmm osbnou psbus2mso 013�
�The american Whiskey boom of recent years has
prompted a good deal of experimentation. Lincoln
Henderson, who spent 40 years as Brown-Forman’s
master distiller, placed himself at the forefront of this move-
ment with the 2011 introduction of his Angel’s Envy label,
whose inaugural release was a bourbon flnished in port
barrels. With Angel’s Envy Rye, Henderson has again ventured
into new territory. Distilled from 95 percent rye grain, the
whiskey ages for at least six years in new, charred American
oak barrels before flnishing for 18 months in Caribbean
rum casks that previously held Cognac. Bottled at 100 proof,
Angel’s Envy Rye initially presents strong vapors on the nose,
followed by a rich bouquet of orange zest, clove, hazelnut,
and buttery brown sugar. The palate is smooth, showing
�avors of cinnamon, vanilla, candied apple, and cherry—as
well as a delicate tobacco-like spiciness—that leave the taste
buds yearning for more. ($70) www.angelsenvy.com
the family that owns David Family Wines is not
named David. This boutique producer of Pinot Noir based
in Santa Rosa, Calif., was founded in 2006 by Michelle
Reeves, an entrepreneur from Australia who developed a
fascination for wine, particularly Pinot Noir, while living
in San Francisco. Enlisting the expertise of master somme-
lier Emmanuel Kemiji and winemakers Byron Kosuge and
Pat Knittel, Reeves traded a career in sports-and-fashion
marketing for one in viticulture. Because her maiden name,
Turnbull, was already taken by another producer, she named
the new venture for her father and set about developing a
style of Pinot that appealed to her palate. The David Family 2011
Pinot Noir Anderson Valley embodies
Reeves’s concept of vinous per-
fection: reflned yet subtle com-
plexity. Its aromas of black plum
and wild strawberry draw the
nose in deeper to reveal loamy
scents of mushroom and piñon.
In the mouth, earthy notes of
cocoa and caramel coat the
wine’s mineral core, which
is as precisely rendered
as the bottle’s removable
tooled-leather label. ($90)
www.davidfamily.com
Fron tue Ross Ceppmr ✵ Fine wines & spirits worthy of a place in your private collection.
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Cartier’s hometown homage, and an unmatched chess set.
seeing the city of light ✵ The
designs in the Cartier Paris Nouvelle Vague
jewelry collection (www.cartier.com)
either obviously or subtly reference
the jewelry house’s home city. One of
the collection’s motifs features curva-
ceous diamond-studded wave patterns
intended to evoke the ripples of the
Seine. Another references the city’s
1930s architecture with graphic shapes
and subdued gemstones. The ring
shown here is adorned with strands of
gold beads that appear to burst from the
band like flreworks launched into the
night sky. The collection ranges from
gold designs to pieces featuring striking
layers of onyx, lapis, and
diamonds. Prices start at
$2,740. . . .
chess mastered ✵
The board for the Purling
London Art Chess set (www
.purlinglondon.com) is
crafted from black ani-
gre wood and bird’s-eye
maple, and each of the
game pieces is hand-
painted by a contempo-
rary British artist. The set is priced from
$2,300 to $3,830. Custom artist com-
missions and colors are available for an
additional fee.
�o�tr�s�tor�: Brett Anderson,
Bailey S. Barnard, Christina Garofalo,
John Lyon, James D. Malcolmson,
Amanda Millin, Jill Newman, Robert Ross
Cartier Paris Nouvelle Vague ring;
Purling London Art Chess set.
■ Fro0tR300er� ■
66 ross reyort �eytenser hl�
Download the FREE App
Featuring
Blancpain Breguet Bulgari Carl F. Bucherer Harry Winston
Jewelers Unblocked Patek Philippe Ulysse Nardin Vacheron Constantin
Deep ConnectionCRN’s 197-foot J’ade links guests to the sea—and the Italian yard to the future.
The launch of the 197-foot J’ade marks a new direction for CRN, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.
one of the latest launches from Italy’s CRN Yachts includes
all of the amenities—lavish sleeping accommodations for
10 guests, an expansive saloon with floor-to-ceiling win-
dows, iPad-controlled lighting and entertainment systems, a
sundeck with a hot tub and gym—one would expect of a
200-foot custom megayacht. But of all the vessels in its rar-
efied class, J’ade, which was delivered to its billionaire owner
in April, offers perhaps the closest connection to the sea.
J’ade is the 125th yacht from CRN, an Ancona-based
builder that is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. The
launch marks something of a new era for the shipyard and
its parent company, the Ferretti Group, which a Chinese
firm acquired a controlling interest in early last year. The
investment helped to reduce some of the Italian company’s
debt and is now supporting new research and development
at the eight yards—including Riva, Pershing, and Custom
Line—under the Ferretti umbrella. CRN, the group’s only
builder specializing in custom megayachts, appears to be
■ b o at i n g
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september 2013 robb report 71
taking full advantage of this creative opportunity.
Standout features aboard J’ade include a water-level
beach club, a striking owner’s suite with a balcony, and an
aquarium topped with a bar. The boat also ooers something
never before seen on a yacht of its size: a noodable tender
garage. Located on the lower deck, the garage allows J’ade’s
27-foot Riva Iseo tender to dock directly into the yacht’s
hull, just as it would at a marina.
A push of a button opens the garage’s 10-foot-wide
water-level door, located in the port side of the aluminum hull.
Seawater then ells the recessed dock in the noor of the aft
beach club. A pair of small door naps protects the tender from
waves while it is docked in the nearly 5,000-gallon tender bay.
The Riva can be refueled in the garage, which can be drained
of its seawater in a few minutes with the nip of a switch.
Guests boarding J’ade from the tender bay simply step
from the Riva to the almost 1,100-square-foot teak-clad
beach club. They can then either walk up a short night of
stairs to the main saloon or stay at the club
to enjoy another of the yacht’s novel water-
front features: The stern door of the club
drops down to become a large terrace over
the water, and ladderlike stairs lower from
either side of the platform into the sea.
The innovative features found aboard
J’ade point to a bright future for CRN.
With seven yachts ranging in length from
about 140 feet to 260 feet currently under
construction, and with several more con-
cepts on the drawing board, the company
promises to push the boundaries of yacht
design for another 50 years.
—fthflfiff �. fts�ts�
CRN, www.crn-yacht.com Ma
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J’ade’s 27-foot Riva Iseo tender can dock directly into the 5,000-gallon tender bay built into the yacht’s 1,100-square-foot beach club.
■ b o at i n g
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Why just be precise When you can be the most precise?
master tourbillon Dualtime.jaeger-lecoultre calibre 978b with patented jumping date.Winner of the first International Timing Competition of the 21st century, held under the auspices of the Geneva observatory, jaeger-lecoultre calibre 978 boasts peerless precision in a new 41.5 mm-diameter pink gold case. its 71-part tourbillon regulator features an ultra-light grade 5 titanium carriage and a large variable-inertia balance beating at a cadence of 28,800 vibrations per hour. yo u De s e rv e a re a l Watc h.
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Eleven Experience debuted its first European ski lodge, Chalet Pelerin (bottom), last February in the French Alps’ Tarentaise Valley.
i am standing in the shadows of the 11,000-foot-high
Tête du Ruitor, staring down a spectacular powder ribbon
along the French Alps’ Invernet Glacier. No one has skied
this slope—a whopping 9-mile-long descent that drops
7,800 vertical feet to a quiet mountain village—all winter,
and Jean-Noël Gaidet, a guide for Eleven Experience, has
elected me to go first. Normally, passing the leader is strictly
verboten in heli-skiing, so I check with Gaidet to confirm
I have his blessing.
“We are told so much in life—don’t do this, don’t do
that,” Gaidet says. “But in the mountains we have freedom.”
After three days with Gaidet and his fellow guides, I have
become accustomed to the freedom—and exhilaration—
that comes with an Eleven Experience journey.
Launched in 2011, the Colorado-based bespoke
adventure company is opening a handful of
intimate luxury lodges and chalets in remote
destinations where its founder, entrepreneur
Chad Pike, has skied and fished for years. From
fly-fishing and mountain biking at the recently
opened Scarp Ridge Lodge in Crested Butte,
Colo., to scuba diving and kitesurfing at the
soon-to-open Bahamas House Inn on Harbour
Island, each of the company’s trips strives to go
a notch beyond other high-end outdoor expe-
riences. Even Eleven’s name—a cheeky refer-
ence to the famous amplifier scene in the cult
movie This is Spinal Tap—emphasizes pushing
the boundaries of adventure travel.
“We want to show people our mountain
lifestyle while embracing their lifestyle,” says
Alan Bernholtz, Eleven’s head of global opera-
tions. “We take them right up to their comfort
level doing the things they love to do, but never
quite like this.”
Comfort is a priority at Chalet Pelerin, a
6,000-square-foot wood-and-stone cottage that
Eleven opened last February in the French
Alps. Located some two hours south of Geneva,
Pelerin sits in the hamlet of Sainte-Foy-
Tarentaise, population 800 or so, surrounded
by three ski resorts and some of Europe’s best
heli-skiing. The chalet includes a private chef, a
heated saltwater pool, a media room, and five
guest rooms stocked with new ski jackets.
(Helmets, custom Wagner skis, and other gear also are avail-
able to guests.) In addition to downhill excursions at nearby
resorts and off-piste slopes, guests can snowshoe, dogsled, or
even take a B3 helicopter for an afternoon of skiing in Italy.
Back on Invernet Glacier, Gaidet assures me I am free to
christen the fresh slope before me. Pushing off, I bounce
through some of the best snow I will find all winter—maybe
ever. Hours later, when I finally collapse beside the chalet’s
fireplace with ice in my nostrils and a glass of bourbon in
my hand, I am convinced Eleven’s volume goes to 12.
Betting Against the SpreadThe price gap relative to baseball memorabilia could mean NFL items are undervalued.
■ c o l l e c t i B l e S
■
84 robb report september 2013
GMT
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Users can access the Kaleidescape Store from an iPhone or iPad to purchase digital versions of Blu-ray Disc–quality movies.
late last year, after signing a landmark licensing agree-
ment with Warner Bros., the Sunnyvale, Calif.–based
Kaleidescape announced that it would sell the film studio’s
content through a new online service. Fully launched this
May, the Kaleidescape Store offers users the ability to pur-
chase and download the nearly 3,000 movies and more than
8,000 TV shows in the Warner Bros. collection. Such a service
is nothing new—Apple and other companies have been sell-
ing downloadable video content for years—but Kaleidescape’s
version is the first to allow users to download Blu-ray Disc–
quality content without having to purchase a physical disc.
Kaleidescape, which is working on similar agreements
with other providers, is the leading manufacturer of media-
server-based entertainment systems. The company’s largest-
capacity server can hold as much as 48 terabytes of content,
the equivalent of about 1,300 Blu-ray Discs, which can be
played on multiple screens throughout a home. In July the
company introduced its first off-the-shelf product, the $3,995
Cinema One, which is a server and disc player in a single box
that can store up to 100 Blu-ray-quality movies.
Blu-ray movies available through the Kaleidescape Store
can be as large as 60 gigabytes each, whereas movies from
Apple’s iTunes and similar services are usually just a few giga-
bytes. The result is a crisper picture, with more detail, less
motion blur, and higher-quality sound. Movies downloaded
from the store also benefit from Kaleidescape’s coding, which
integrates the video content into the company’s easy-to-use
library and on-screen interface. Through the interface, users
can implement proprietary features that include the ability to
mark favorite scenes and jump to the beginning of a movie
(rather than waiting the often painfully long startup time of
Blu-ray Discs played in a traditional system).
The considerable size of Blu-ray-quality movies, which
cost anywhere from $7 to $26 through the Kaleidescape
Store, translates to download times that are often as long as
an hour. Kaleidescape alleviates some of this burden by
allowing users to queue up multiple movies so that when
one download is complete, the next begins automatically.
(Through the store, users can also upgrade the DVD-quality
content in their libraries to Blu-ray quality.)
Once purchased, the movies can be downloaded to as
many as five of the user’s Kaleidescape systems, whether in
a primary residence or vacation home, a yacht or private jet.
Most downloads come with a cloud-based UltraViolet ver-
sion of the content so that, through a third-party app such
as Flixster, users can also watch videos purchased from the
Kaleidescape Store on mobile devices—including Apple
iPhones and iPads. —bailey s. barnard
Kaleidescape, www.kaleidescape.com
Skipping the DiscKaleidescape’s new online store offers a direct connection to high-quality movie content.
■ h o m e e l e c t r o n i c S
■
86 robb report september 2013
Aaron Basha Boutique • 685 Madison Avenue • New York • 212.644.1970 • www.aaronbasha.com
Athens • Dubai • Hong Kong • Italy • Kiev • London • Moscow • Qatar • Tokyo • Toronto
Of Note
P R O M O T I O N
From David Arnold, Senior Vice President/Group Publisher of Robb Report
FIpA GROup
www.fipagroup.com | +39 0584.38191
The Fipa Group consists of: Maiora, AB Yachts and CBI Navi.
Today, the Fipa Group can offer a complete range of products
including: fiberglass motoryachts by Maiora, fast open yachts
with waterjet propulsion by AB Yachts, to steel/light alloy cus-
tom motoryachts by CBI Navi. The Aifos by CBI Navi was among
Robb Report’s 2012 Best of the Best – Custom Megayachts.
The Fipa Group also offers complete after-sales service,
refitting and assistance.
Do not miss the opportunity to discover our innovations at: Festival de la Plaisance de
Cannes, September 10th-15th; Monaco Yacht Show, September 25th - 28th; Fort Lauderdale
International Boat Show, October 31st - November 4th
pAul & ShARk
www.paulshark.it | 212.452.9868
The fall/winter 2013 collection by Paul & Shark features apparel and accessories rich
in research and innovation. Technical fabrics and precious yarns are combined with
contemporary silhouettes to create highly performing garments with refined details.
kAlAMAZOO GOuRMET
www.kalamazoogourmet.com I 800.868.1699
Recently named “the best gas grill in the world,” the legendary
Kalamazoo is a hand-built masterpiece in outdoor cooking.
Unrivaled in its performance and versatility, it is truly in a
class all its own. Kalamazoo is the only grill that gives you
the freedom to seamlessly combine gas, charcoal, and wood
cooking techniques. Each Hybrid Fire Grill is built to order
and signed by our skilled team of Michigan artisans. Call
800-868-1699 to learn more.
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Executive
The Porsche Panamera Turbo Executive
adds about 6 inches of rear-seat legroom
compared to the standard Panamera.
A new pair of stretched-out Panameras may be the fi rst Porsches that are as
appealing to backseat passengers as they are to drivers. BY RONALD AHRENS
90 robb report september 2013
Privileges
september 2013 robb report 91
he folklore and religious fgures depicted in the
Lüftlmalerei, the murals that decorate the facades of houses throughout
Bavaria, seemed to enviously scrutinize the Porsche Panamera Turbo
Executive as it passed by them. Yes, the fsherman balancing on the gun-
wales of his rowboat while holding up a large trout for all to see appeared to
have his eyes on the Porsche as it crept through one village at the speed limit
(of about 25 mph). It was tempting to excite the Turbo Executive’s 4.8-liter
520 hp twin-turbo V-8, exercise manual control of the 7-speed dual-clutchT92 robb report september 2013
Executive Privileges
automatic transmission, and disrupt the frescoed tranquility
enough to send the fsherman into the drink.
Porsche’s revision of the Panamera sedan for the 2014 model
year includes the addition of the $161,000 Turbo Executive
and the $125,600 4S Executive, two tafy-pulled variants.
Media members had the chance to drive both, plus the much
improved $99,000 S E-Hybrid model that now features plug-
in capability, earlier this summer in southern Bavaria, between
the pyramidal peak of Zugspitze and the shimmering waters
of Lake Kochel and then back north to Munich.
Stretched to nearly 17 feet long—about 6 inches longer
than the standard-length Panamera—the Executives provide
the “optimal experience for those customers who want
[the] Porsche driving experience from the second row,” says
the chief of the Panamera product line, Gernot Döllner. Just
how many people want to experience Porsche driving from
anywhere but behind the steering wheel remains to be seen,
but it certainly is pleasant in the Turbo Executive’s rear com-
partment. The seats are electronically adjustable and heated
and cooled, and the four-zone climate-control system allows
each of the car’s occupants to choose a separate setting.
Power-operated sunshades rise with a second upward tug
on the window switch after the window is sealed, shielding
passengers from prying eyes. With those features plus foot-
well lighting, reading spotlights, and adjustable overhead
lamps, the rear is nearly habitable.
Although the Turbo Executive is long, wide (6.3 feet), and
heavy (4,564 pounds), it still was fun to prod the car along
Bavaria’s undulant byways and occasional twisty roads. The
Turbo Executive appears no taller than a 911, and it seemed
no larger when it was finging through corners and barreling
across the intensely green landscape of open felds and dense
copses. The quick variable-rate steering became tauter during
the turns, and the exhaust gabbled especially bountifully
when the driving mode was set to Sport Plus. The Turbo
Executive may be suitable for limo service, but it is still a
driver’s car, willing and responsive, compliant and composed.
On fast stretches of autobahn during the drive to Munich
from Schloss Elmau, the century-old hotel at the foot of the
Wetterstein mountains that hosted the drivers, the 4S
Executive serenaded travelers with the hum of its V-6. It is a
remarkable car, and if the Turbo Executive did not exist, this
one would satisfy.
Porsche now ofers eight Panamera models in the United
States. For the 2014 version, the company made a number
of key changes to the car in addition to stretching it into
the two Executive models. Foremost among the alterations
was equipping the Panamera S, 4S, and 4S Executive with a
new engine, a smooth-running twin-turbocharged 3-liter
V-6 that produces 420 hp. (A 3.6-liter V-6 still powers the
base Panamera and Panamera 4.) Compared with the natu-
rally aspirated 4.8-liter V-8 that it replaces, the new V-6 is
marginally more powerful and delivers a fuel economy as
Porsche altered the look of the front
end and gave the liftgate a longer fy
line and fatter and wider glass.
september 2013 robb report 93
Executive Privileges
The Executive models’ rear seats are electronically adjustable and heated and cooled, and the cars have a four-zone climate-control system.
much as 18 percent better. The engine enables the 4S to
bolt from zero to 60 mph in 4.6 seconds; top speed is 178
mph. The heavier 4S Executive has the same top speed and
reaches 60 mph in 4.8 seconds. The Turbo Executive has a
zero-to-60-mph time of 4 seconds and a top speed of 190
mph. The optional Sport Chrono package improves the
sprint time of each model. Among the standard equipment
for all 2014 Panameras is an engine stop-start feature, which
saves fuel by automatically shutting down and then refring
the engine at intersections, in lines, or in heavy trafc.
Porsche has restyled the car’s front and rear, giving the
swooping liftgate a longer fy line and fatter and wider
glass. With their 121-inch-long wheelbase, the Executives
look distinguished but retain the menacing sportiness that
characterizes all Porsches.
For some drivers, the revamped S E-Hybrid may be the
most impressive Panamera model. It has a more powerful
electric motor compared to the previous version, and a
rechargeable battery pack, with lithium-ion cells replacing
nickel-metal hydride ones. The electric drive works in tan-
dem with the new 3-liter V-6, but the engine’s forced
induction comes from a supercharger instead of turbos. The
engine system’s total output peaks at 416 hp, and in Sport
mode the car can display a wicked side.
The Turbo Executive may be suit-able for limo service, but it is still a driver’s car, willing and responsive,
compliant and composed.
94 eptt esmpe2 0sm2s1tse 3���
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Executive Privileges
The latest version of the S E-Hybrid has a plug-in feature. Its electric motor and new V-6 engine together produce 416 hp.
During a nearly 44-mile lap through the Bavarian coun-
tryside, traveling in electric mode, the S E-Hybrid’s 8-speed
automatic transmission modulated all output. Instead of
evoking a concrete saw, which is typical of single-ratio
electric mobility, the car ofered a refned experience, glid-
ing along in near silence. It covered the frst 17 miles or so
exclusively on battery power. When the battery was
depleted, the V-6 propelled the car and expedited the
recharging through an E-Charge mode.
The route included the lakeside village of Kochel am See,
home of the Franz Marc Museum. Born just up the road in
Munich, Marc was a leader of the expressionist movement.
“He painted pictures of horses in vivid colors to express his
own spirituality,” says the art historian Lynne Pauls Baron.
Marc volunteered to serve in World War I and at age 36
became one of the hundreds of thousands of casualties of
the fve-month-long Battle of Verdun when he was killed
by artillery shrapnel.
The drive also passed through the village of
Oberammergau, which is associated with another artist:
Franz Seraph Zwinck, the most renowned painter of
Lüftlmalerei. Indeed, the name of the craft apparently comes
from his nickname. Zwinck lived in Oberammergau in the
late 1700s in a house named Zum Lüftl, and so he became
known as der Lüftlmaler, “the Lüftl painter.” Most of his
paintings depict fgures from Christian history, thus serving
as billboards of a sort for the fve-hour-long passion-play
performances that the residents of Oberammergau famously
stage every 10 years.
Villagers frst performed the passion play, which recounts
the fnal days of Jesus Christ’s life, in 1634, believing that the
production would impress their god enough to spare them
96 bepp btsebm 2tsmt0ptb 13��
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Executive Privileges
The Turbo Executive is powered by a 4.8-liter, 520 hp twin-turbo V-8, which gives the car a zero-to-60-mph time of 4 seconds.
from the bubonic plague that had struck the region a year
earlier. Now, once a decade, about half of the village’s 5,300
residents participate in the 100 or so performances that are
staged from May through October. Together, the perfor-
mances draw more than 500,000 visitors to Oberammergau
from all over the world.
The passion play may not be responsible for keeping the
village plague free, and it has been labeled anti-Semitic, but
it has helped balance the municipal budget. The locals have
an expression: “Die Passion zahlt,” which means, “The pas-
sion [play] will pay for it.” And indeed, the production’s
proceeds (said to be $20 million from the last production)
have paid for numerous civic improvements, including a
community center and a community swimming pool.
The next performances are in 2020. The last production
was in 2010, a year after the Panamera debuted. As Porsche’s
sales and marketing chief, Bernhard Maier, recalled in Bavaria,
the introduction of the original Panamera was greeted with
“very intense discussion” in the press, which is to say that
the media was skeptical, even critical. The car’s shape was
compared to that of an unleavened loaf, and like the
Cayenne SUV before it, the Panamera prompted questions
about Porsche’s compromising the integrity of its brand, in
this case by producing a sedan. The reception from customers
has been warmer. Porsche produced the 100,000th Panamera
in May, and last year it sold more than 27,000 of the cars
worldwide, making the vehicle the company’s second-
best-selling model in 2012, behind the Cayenne—and
ahead of the 911. So like Oberammergau’s passion play, the
Panamera may have its doubters and detractors, but over
the years the car has proved so successful that its production
is not only enduring, it is expanding.
Porsche, www.porscheusa.com
With their 121-inch-long wheelbase, the Executives look distinguished but retain the menacing sportiness that characterizes all Porsches.
98 robb report september 2013
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Designed by Antonio Citterio
A&K’s mobile camp at the Lewa
Wildlife Conservancy highlights another
of Kent’s in�uences on the modern-day
safari. For decades, traditional safari tents,
known as manyaras, were awkward ayairs,
with as many as 100 poles bristling like a
thicket for support and tarpaulins spread
on the ground to keep occupants dry.
Setting them up could take hours, and
the result was a rustic shelter with spin-
dly cots draped with mosquito netting
and para�n lamps for light.aIn the morn-
ing, safari goers made do with a basin of
hot water set on a table just outside the
tent’s entrance. Guests would share one
toilet—a seat mounted on a box over a
pit lined with lime—and a “shower tree,”
or a sturdy branch at just the right height
to hang a 3-gallon canvas bucket �lled
with water.
A&K’s modern “mobile camping” tents
bear little resemblance to those that once
dotted East Africa. The spacious, veranda-
fronted tents at the Lewa outpost are made
of heavy-duty canvas, with waterproof
�oors and large arched windows made
from netting.aEach tent is furnished with
two full-size single beds with side tables, a
dressing table with a mirror and washbasin,
and an en suite shower and toilet.
More extravagant are permanent camps
including Sanctuary Olonana, with its
canvas-walled apartments, spa, and spa-
cious restaurant and bar—where Kent
and I watch hippopotamuses splash and
bellow in the river below. Such luxuries
have become commonplace through-
out African game reserves, from Kenya’s
Maasai Mara to South Africa’s Kruger
National Park. Indeed, A&K today is cer-
tainly not alone in oyering an upscale
experience in the bush. But the company’s
leader, after more than a half century of
safaris, is still pioneering new frontiers.
Kent’s clients will see the majesty of
the modern-day safari reach new heights
during A&K’s private-jet trips through
Africa next year. Guests on the excur-
sions will undoubtedly enjoy hassle-free
journeys, but on the oy chance something
does go wrong, Kent has this advice: “The
only thing you can do is keep your wits
about you,” he says, “and act as if, what-
ever is happening, you saw it coming all
along.”
“The truth is, there is no
Abercrombie. I thought
the company’s name
sounded more
upper-crusty with two
names instead of one.”
—ksmiitsh ser
j o u r n e y s
Of Note
P R O M O T I O N
From David Arnold, Senior Vice President/Group Publisher of Robb Report
Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong constitute the
three major Chinese metropolises that likely lie at
the heart of our shared global future. This eight-
day tour not only features the most impressive cultural
treasures of these remarkable cosmopolitan cities but
also introduces the daily life of their inhabitants. In
Hong Kong the grandiose colonial history of Central
is contrasted with the everyday ambitions of ordinary
locals as expressed to the fortune-tellers at Wong Tai
Xin temple. Similarly, the communist and imperial
architectural splendors of Beijing’s Tiananmen Square
and Forbidden City are contrasted with a pedicab ride
through the residential districts of the lower-middle and
affluent classes in the traditional hutong or alleyways
of the city’s historic center. In Shanghai, you will spend
time in the three historic divisions of the city—wandering
along the charming mansion-lined streets of the famed
French Concession, investigating the handsome
early-20th-century institutions along the Bund in the
International Settlement, and finally pressing close
along the narrow lanes of the old Chinese quarter. These
remnants of a colonial past are in turn contrasted by
the proud futuristic sentinels of Shanghai’s riverside
business district, an ever-developing skyline boasting
From David Arnold, Senior Vice President/Group Publisher of Robb Report
OcEANcO
www.oceancoyacht.com | +377.93.10.0281
With over 25 years of award-winning design experience
behind it, Oceanco can confidently describe itself today as
one of the world’s finest custom yacht builders. Such has
been the quality of Oceanco’s products over the years that
the company is now a reference point in superyacht design
and construction and a first point of contact for clients looking
for craftsmanship that is truly above and beyond the norm.
Oceanco will be showcasing its latest yacht projects at the
Monaco Yacht Show, stand N° QT7, September 25-28, 2013.
For tickets and information, please contact us at: info@
oceanco.mc or visit our website: www.oceancoyacht.com
INTRAv
www.IntravJet.com | 888.757.9700
Whether you’re a seasoned ambassador of world travel or an
adventurer seeking new horizons, Intrav will take you to the
most fascinating places on earth in true, first-class luxury.
Our 25-day journeys around the world are limited to 50
elite travelers on our private Boeing 757-200ER, custom
configured with 180-degree first-class flatbed seats and
Wi-Fi connectivity. Journeys include luxury accommodations,
24/7 concierge service, personalized ground services, and
ultimate dining freedom. With Intrav, you can travel the world
in a way few can.
AZIMuT YAchTS
www.azimutyachts.com | +39.011.93161
The new Azimut 80 exemplifies the contemporary lifestyle by
offering exceptional comfort - the innovative solutions introduced
by the furnishings and the precise lighting design do the rest.
The new 24-meter is a leisure craft built in CE class: A, and is
able to tackle any weather conditions. The layout comprises
four cabins, all with bathrooms, including the owner’s cabin
extending over the full beam. The yacht can accommodate eight
guests and includes a 42-square-meter flybridge, designed for
maximum versatility of use.
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Modern Sound, Midcentury VibeTwo audio stalwarts deliver cutting-edge performance and enduring design.
b y r o b e r t r o s s p h o t o g r a p h y b y c o r d e r o s t u d i o s
Audiophiles can also be slaves to fash-
ion, and one seeking a music system to
complement a postwar modern interior
will find that most contemporary components are
jarringly out of sync with the classic furnishings of
Eames, Nelson, Noguchi, and other midcentury
designers. So what’s a hepcat hi-fi enthusiast to do?
JBL and Luxman may provide solutions.
The two audio-component companies share
the common goals of achieving excellence in
sound and creating timeless design. Combined,
they claim more than 150 years of experience
advancing the audio arts. JBL, an American
company, is renowned in the United States and
Japan, while Japan’s Luxman is almost unknown
in this country. The two brands may seem
The JBL Synthesis S4700 speaker (right)
is a perfect visual and aural match to the
Luxman electronics and turntable.
h o M e e n t e r t A i n M e n t
september 2013 robb report 143
A window exposes the glowing valve—
a warm reminder of the time when vacuum
tubes ruled the audio world.
These Luxman components feature refned tube topology and a retro style that complements this 1955 painting by the artist Hans Laabs.
unlikely bedfellows, but the musical—
and visual—synergy realized by pairing
their components can be brilliant.
Luxman—which was founded in
1925 in Osaka as a radio-equipment
importer and is now a subsidiary of the
International Audio Group—designs,
assembles, and tests its products in Japan.
On a Higher Note, a company in San
Juan Capistrano, Calif., serves as the
Luxman distributor for North America.
Most current Luxman gear is solid
state, but the company tips its hat to
the vacuum tube by continuing to ofer
its longest-lived product, the SQ-38u
integrated amplifer ($6,000). Though
it has evolved through 11 iterations
since its debut in 1964, the amp retains
the classic look of the original with
an exquisitely machined aluminum
faceplate, velvet-smooth controls, and
a wood cabinet. The SQ-38u’s sound is
anything but retro. The 44-pound com-
ponent employs a quartet of EL-34 out-
put tubes and massive, custom-wound
transformers to deliver 30 watts per
channel into 6 ohms. This is potent
vacuum-tube power and, as the amp
demonstrated during a test session at
the Harman Luxury Audio Group
headquarters in Northridge, Calif., is
sufcient to drive a pair of JBL’s top-of-
the-line speakers to earsplitting levels.
Luxman makes exceptional digital
playback equipment, including the
D-38u CD player ($4,000). It com-
plements the look and sound of the
SQ-38u amp and features a unique
front-panel switch that allows the lis-
tener to select vacuum-tube or solid-state
output. Vocals and acoustic instruments
sound warmer and more open with
the tube circuit, but some listeners
may prefer the speed and bandwidth
of transistors for amplifed music with
wide dynamic range. A window on
the front panel exposes the glowing
valve—a warm reminder of the time
when vacuum tubes ruled the audio
world. A wood-tr immed remote
control enables Eames-lounge-chair
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Uncanny realism is achieved when analog tapes from the Tape Project are played on the Sonorus Audio ATR10 recorder.
potatoes to take command of the
D-38u without budging.
Responding to the resurgence of
vinyl, Luxman has returned to the
turntable market after a hiatus of nearly
three decades with an impressive deck
called the PD-171 ($6,400 with the
tonearm). The belt-drive turntable
weighs more than 50 pounds and
has a wood trim that matches that of
Luxman’s tube electronics. The massive
aluminum platter is speed-regulated
by a precision-controlled synchronous
a.c. motor and a novel strobe that can
be adjusted by silky plinth-mounted
knobs. The static-balance tonearm
is suitable for even the sumptuous
Ortofon SPU and other high-mass
phono cartridges, as long as they are
accompanied by a heavier counter-
weight. The SQ-38u amp is equipped
with a superb phono stage that accom-
modates moving-magnet and high- and
low-output moving-coil cartridges. The
Brinkmann Pi ($2,700, distributed by
On a Higher Note), a low-output
moving-coil cartridge, was the choice
for our listening test involving the
Luxman components and JBL speakers.
b�� oet stpe��ht�sa in 1946 in
Los Angeles by James B. Lansing, who
had been designing and producing
loudspeakers since the 1920s. Now
owned by Harman, JBL has been
bringing sound to professional studios,
concert halls, and living rooms since
its founding. JBL’s high-end compo-
nents, including its cagship $75,000,
630-pounds-a-pair Everest DD67000
loudspeakers, are sold under the JBL
Synthesis brand.
Like the Everest, the S4700 speaker
($20,000 a pair and 120 pounds apiece),
which the company introduced last
year, employs JBL’s most sophisticated
technology. With 94 dB efficiency
and 6-ohm impedance, the S4700 is
the perfect mate for the Luxman rig.
It achieves realistic volume on massed
orchestral passages, high-powered jazz,
and amplided rock music.
For the listening test, two S4700
speakers were placed about 8 feet apart
in a moderately damped, 500-square-
foot room. The playlist included CDs,
LPs, and analog tape with an emphasis
on unamplided classical, jazz, and vocals.
(The analog tape—from the Tape Project,
which produces and sells copies of studio
master tapes—was played on a $13,000
Sonorus Audio ATR10 recorder.)
Blue Note Records classics such
as Wayne Shorter’s Speak No Evil,
remastered on a 45 rpm LP, rendered
Shorter’s tenor sax with body, timbre,
and explosive dynamics that placed
the horn right in the room. Bach’s Art
of the Fugue, performed on organ by
Charles Krigbaum and pressed on a
rare 45 rpm Mark Levinson LP from
1976, plumbed the depths; one could
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When the business jet was born 50 years ago, Bill Lear and Marcel Dassault—
two very disparate geniuses—both could claim paternity. // By Michelle D. Seaton
LEAR JET 23
THE FIRST LEAR JET BORROWED FROM THE P-16 JET FIGHTER (FRONT).
E
MYSTÈRE 20
THE FIRST FALCON INCLUDED ELEMENTS OF THE MYSTÈRE IV JET FIGHTER.
LEARJET 85
BOMBARDIER’S
NEW MIDSIZE JET
WILL REACH A SPEED
OF 541 MPH.
EVEN IF BILL LEAR’S name had not become synonymous with private
jets, he still would be an aviation-industry legend. Lear may have started out
as just another high-school dropout with a passion for making radio receiv-
ers, but he had an unusually high IQ and could be monomaniacal about his
tinkering, working so many hours that he often forgot to eat. In the 1920s,
Lear invented one of the f rst car radios. (He also invented the 8-track tape,
in 1964.) Then he fell in love with f ying. He built a biplane in his backyard
(but he could not get it to f y). Later he bought a plane and paid a commer-
cial pilot to teach him to f y it. He got lost on his f rst cross-country f ight,
which led him and his company, Lear Developments, to improve the signal
receivers inside airplanes so that it would be easier to f nd beacons at airports.
Then he created the Learoscope, a direction f nder that enabled pilots to
navigate using radio signals. He continued to invent instruments for f ying,
including the autopilot, which drew the interest of the U.S. military. ➞E
FALCON 2000LXS
DASSAULT’S LATEST
SUPER-MIDSIZE JET
HAS A RANGE OF
4,600 MILES.
fall 2013 robb report private aviation sourcebook 15
In 1960, at age 58, Lear was very
wealthy and equally restless. Like
everyone else in the aviation indus-
try, Lear looked at Boeing’s 707, the
f rst successful passenger jet, and
saw the future of air travel. Already,
airports were building longer and
more durable runways to accom-
modate the airliners. Already, a new
generation of air traf c controllers
had to be trained to track them.
Lear should have been thinking
about how to build instruments for
these jets. Instead, he wanted to
build one of his own. He wondered
why a smaller jet would not sell to
businesses and private owners that
could af ord one. Weren’t they in a
hurry to get to their destinations?
Didn’t they want to f y above the
clouds on their own schedules?
There was only one problem: Lear
had never designed an aircraft.
He had loved tinkering with his
old Lockheed Lodestar, a World
War II–era troop transport that the
Air Force had given him so that he
could design new autopilot sys-
tems. But Lear wanted to see how
fast the plane could go, so during
the mid 1950s, he replaced the
engines to give it more power.
He also had his engineers remove
the door handles and f le down
the rivets to reduce drag. Then he
tore out the seats in the back and
‘‘’’I HAVE SPENT
MY WHOLE LIFE
DISCOVERING
NEEDS AND THEN
FINDING WAYS TO
FULFILL THEM.
—BILL LEAR
LEAR JET 23
THE AIRCRAFT MADE
ITS MAIDEN FLIGHT IN
OCTOBER OF 1963.
◗
The Fathers of Modern Private Flight
16 robb report private aviation sourcebook fall 2013
installed carpeting, a divan, and a
small bathroom. He added a bar
and lined the walls with paneling.
Lear sold the aircraft for $200,000
and bought two new Lodestars for a
fraction of that price. He had found
a new passion, and he was deter-
mined to modify the plane until he
could get its airspeed above 300
mph and its range to 3,800 miles.
He would rename it the Learstar
and sell it as a private plane. Lear
hoped to sell hundreds of Learstars,
at a price of about $650,000 each.
In the end he sold at least 60, but
the project required huge amounts
of capital, man-hours, and spare
parts. Lear Incorporated (Lear had
changed the company name from
Lear Developments) continued to
lose money on each aircraft it sold
until Lear gave in and sold the aero-
nautics division in the late 1950s.
But he remained convinced that a
market for fast and luxurious air-
craft existed.
LEARJET 85
THE 10-PASSENGER
CABIN IS THE
LARGEST IN THE
LEARJET FLEET.
The Fathers of Modern Private Flight
fall 2013 robb report private aviation sourcebook 17
So here was Lear at the end of
the decade, dreaming of making
another Learstar, but one with jet
engines.
Creating a jet that would appeal
to airlines, charter companies, and
corporate titans was a task on the
to-do list of every aircraft manufac-
turer. In the United States, Lockheed
was going forward with its JetStar.
In England, De Havilland had one
on the drawing board, called the
Jet Dragon (also known as the DH
125, which after many iterations
was renamed the Hawker 800).
And in France, a jet was conceived
by Dassault Aviation founder and
CEO Marcel Dassault, a genius
much like Lear but made from a
very dif erent mold.
DASSAULT WAS BORN in 1892
as Marcel Bloch. After World War
II, he changed his last name to
FALCON 2000LXS
THE JET CAN LAND
ON AND TAKE OFF
FROM RELATIVELY
SHORT RUNWAYS.
The Fathers of Modern Private Flight
18 robb report private aviation sourcebook fall 2013
ONE OF THE
GOLDEN RULES
OF AVIATION
IS THAT HIGH
PERFORMANCE
ALWAYS PAYS OFF.
—MARCEL DASSAULT
‘‘’’Dassault, the nickname his brother, Paul, had earned during the war while f ghting for the French resistance. Paul had a preference for battle tanks, called char d’assault
in French. Not only did Marcel Dassault
f nish high school, he earned diplo-mas from engineering school and the prestigious École Supérieure de l’Aéronautique, where he was well schooled in the physics of f ight. After graduation, Dassault designed the Éclair propeller, which was used on numerous airplanes. From there he designed f ghter planes, and after World War I he created an aviation company that designed military and civil aircraft, including troop transports.
Although Dassault never learned to f y, he loved to be in the air. He loved the sensation of f ight and became renowned for his ability to create airplanes that were agile and easy to f y. By 1935 Dassault’s company was one of the largest aviation businesses in France. As war loomed, he joined the resis-tance, and in due time he was detained by the Vichy government and asked to design troop transport planes for Germany. When he refused, he was sent to Buchenwald concentration camp in Germany, where he nearly died of diphtheria.
In 1945, within months of his release from Buchenwald, Dassault was working on a twin-engine commuter prop plane called the Flamant. It went into service in 1947 and became famous for its durability. Some were still in ser-vice 30 years later. Dassault also designed several f ghter jets, each one faster than the last.
In 1960, when Lear was still hoping to build a small private jet,
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Dassault signed a contract with the French government to help design the prototype for a supersonic jet. The goal was to create a passenger jet that could f y at Mach 2.2, have a range of 4,500 miles, and carry as many as 50 people. Dassault’s early design specs borrowed heavily from his own delta-wing f ghter jets, and they ultimately inspired the f nal design for the Concorde.
BY 1960, Lear had moved to Switzerland, formed the Swiss American Aviation Company (Lear Incorporated board members and investors had urged him not to put his name on the business because of the failed Learstar venture), opened a plant, and hired a raft of engineers to study various transport planes and f ghter jets in the hope of merging the two platforms into a successful 10-seat jet.
The company started with the FFA P-16, a Swiss-made jet f ghter with a thin, unswept wing design that aided its runway performance. The Swiss military had given up on the design after a couple of accidents, but Lear f ew the plane and loved it. He asked Hans Studer, an engineer who worked for him, to design an airplane around the P-16 wing design.
Lear planned to build the air-frame in Switzerland and then bring his own avionics and landing gear from the United States to complete the aircraft.
However, Lear did not care for the pace of the workday in Switzerland. He was used to boss-ing people around, bullying them into working 60-hour workweeks, if not 20-hour days. He had no patience for workers’ rights or holidays or breaks of any kind.
MYSTÈRE 20
THE JET IMPRESSED
THE PAN AM DELEGATES,
INCLUDING LINDBERGH.
◗
The Fathers of Modern Private Flight
fall 2013 robb report private aviation sourcebook 19
LEAR JET 23
ON ITS MAIDEN FLIGHT
THE JET CRUISED
AT A REMARKABLE
500 MPH.
engineer on the project but did so
from his of ce in Paris, while the
prototype was being built at the
Bordeaux-Mérignac Airport in
the South of France. Every night,
photographs of the prototype would
be sent by train from the airport to
Paris, where Dassault would make
notes on them with his red pen and
send them back by train the next
morning. He made adjustments to
everything from the height of the
tail f n to the design of the staircase
to the logo on the fuselage.
In 1962, Lear closed his plant in
Switzerland, f red everyone, and
moved his operation to Wichita,
Kan., where he boasted to the
CEOs of the city’s other aircraft
makers—which at the time included
Cessna, Beechcraft, and Boeing—
that he would build and certify a
business jet in record time. He
practically lived inside the hangar
and had engineers working a pun-
ishing schedule.
That summer Dassault’s son,
Serge, attended the annual meeting
of the National Business Aviation
Association in Pittsburgh, where
he showed a one-f ftieth scale
When progress stalled on the proto-
type throughout 1961, Lear became
increasingly frustrated.
Meanwhile, Dassault had turned
his attention to the idea of a busi-
ness jet. He closed a company meet-
ing in November of that year by
announcing that Dassault Aviation
would soon launch its f rst busi-
ness jet. He even had a name for it:
the Mystère 20. Two days later,
Dassault sketched a design of the
aircraft, which would hold as many
as eight passengers and be equipped
with twin jet engines positioned
at the rear of the aircraft, above
and slightly behind each wing. He
wanted the aircraft to have a range
of 2,000 miles and a speed approach-
ing Mach 0.9. Dassault used ele-
ments of his Mystère IV f ghter jet
and the fuselage from his Flamant.
It would be an elegant and power-
ful jet.
By this time Dassault was nearly
70 years old. He worked as an
model of the Mystère 20. It was a
huge hit: Nearly 150 business-
aircraft professionals signed up to
receive more information. One
regional carrier of ered to buy a
half dozen of the jets.
The Lear and Dassault proto-
types rolled out within months of
each other. The f rst-ever Mystère
20, equipped with two Pratt &
Whitney engines, left the hangar
in southern France on April 1,
1963. Dassault employees gathered
around it for a simple group photo.
A month later, on May 4, the jet
had its f rst f ight. In attendance
was a group of Pan American
World Airways executives, includ-
ing Charles Lindbergh, then a
technical advisor to the company’s
president. Lindbergh loved the
plane, calling the interior roomy.
Given that he was 6 foot 3, this
was quite a statement. Ten days
later, Pan Am ordered 40 of the
aircraft, the f rst of which was to
be delivered early in 1965.
The Lear Jet 23 also had its f rst
f ight in 1963, in early October,
from an airf eld in Wichita. Few
if any of Lear’s employees fully
LEARJET 70
THE NEW LIGHT
JET CAN REACH
535 MPH AND FLY
AT 51,000 FEET.
The Fathers of Modern Private Flight
20 robb report private aviation sourcebook fall 2013
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MYSTÈRE 20
THE 6-FOOT-3
LINDBERGH WAS
IMPRESSED WITH THE
CABIN’S SPACIOUSNESS.
The plane featured a pusher con-
f guration in which the propeller
was positioned at the rear of the
aircraft, behind the two engines.
The f rst prototype of the Lear Fan
2100 made its maiden f ight on
Jan. 1, 1981, but the aircraft failed
to earn FAA certif cation and never
went into production.
In 1990, Bombardier acquired
the Learjet brand (the name is now
one word), which is still def ned by
luxury and speed. Within a year,
Bombardier plans to begin deliver-
ing the Learjet 85, a midsize jet
with a fuselage and wings con-
structed primarily of a carbon-
f ber composite. The 10-passenger,
$20 million aircraft will travel as
fast as 541 mph and have a range
beyond 3,400 miles.
The Mystère 20 had a fate dif-
ferent from that of the Lear Jet 23.
As planned, Pan Am took delivery
of the f rst examples in 1965;
in the United States, the aircraft
was known as the Fan Jet Falcon 20.
It became a ubiquitous regional
commuter airplane, used by corpo-
rations and small airlines in many
believed the plane would f y. When
it landed safely, many wept, includ-
ing the test pilot. But he and other
pilots would remark that the Lear
Jet 23 was faster on takeof than
any plane they had ever f own. It
cruised at 500 mph, an unheard of
speed, even for Dassault.
Only about 100 examples of the
Lear Jet 23 sold before production
ceased in 1966, but Lear had
achieved his goal of creating and
producing a business jet. He made
successive improvements to the
design before selling his share of
the company to Gates Rubber
Company in 1969. Lear then went
of on another venture, to invent a
steam-powered car. He died in
1978 at age 75.
At the time of his death, Lear
was developing the Lear Fan 2100,
a seven-passenger turboprop made
of lightweight composite materials
and designed to f y at 41,000 feet.
countries. The company built more
than 500 of them.
Dassault continued to have a
hand in the operation of Dassault
Aviation until his death, in 1986 at
age 94. Serge Dassault inherited
the business from his father and, at
88, remains the chairman and CEO
of the Dassault Group, the parent
company of Dassault Aviation.
The company’s latest jet is the
Falcon 2000LXS. Deliveries of the
aircraft are expected to begin next
year. With enough agility to land
on and take of from relatively short
runways and a 10-passenger cabin
spacious enough that it would
please Charles Lindbergh, the $32.9
million super-midsize jet is a true
descendent of the Mystère 20.
The Learjet 85 and the Falcon
2000LXS are the type of aircraft
that Bill Lear envisioned and Marcel
Dassault continued to pursue—
and which both men ultimately
made possible.
BOMBARDIER LEARJET, WWW
.LEARJET.COM; DASSAULT FALCON,
WWW.DASSAULTFALCON.COM
FALCON 2000LXS
CABIN AMENITIES INCLUDE
HIGH-DEFINITION VIDEO
SCREENS AS LARGE
AS 22 INCHES.
The Fathers of Modern Private Flight
22 robb report private aviation sourcebook fall 2013
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The latest aircraft from Gulfstream should keep
the company at the top of the business-jet world.
// By Bailey S. Barnard
WHEN IT COMES to aircraft design, the crystal ball is not always
clear. Creating a business jet requires about 10 years from initial
concept to entry into service and tens—if not hundreds—of millions
of dollars to research, develop, build, and certify. So a misread fortune
can cost, well, a fortune. This is why manufacturers do not take the
development of new models lightly. They use every resource at their
disposal to ensure that their aircraft are well received by the market.
Perhaps no business-jet manufacturer is better at removing the
guesswork from the process than Gulfstream Aerospace, which is
based in Savannah, Ga., and has been in operation since 1958. (The
company was originally named Grumman Aerospace.) Gulfstream’s
fi rst business jet entered service in 1968. Its two newest business jets,
the super-midsize G280 and the large-cabin, ultralong-range G650,
both of which entered service late last year, demonstrate the
company’s ability to see the future clearly. ➞
Well CoNNeCted
WITh ITS G280 anD
G650 JeTS, GULFSTReaM
LaUncheD ITS caBIn
cOnTROL aPP, WhIch
enaBLeS iPhOne anD
iPaD cOnTROL OF
caBIn FUncTIOnS.
◗
fall 2013 robb report private aviation sourcebook 25
G280 and G150 use smaller
Honeywell power plants.
At the G650’s service ceiling of
51,000 feet, passengers feel as
though they are fiying at less than
5,000 feet, which is considerably
lower than the cabin altitude of
most airliners and signi�cantly
reduces passenger fatigue.
Gulfstream claims that the
G650 and G280 have the quietest
cabins of any of its aircraft, and
that they are likely the quietest
Gulfstream currently has some
200 orders on the books for the
$64 million G650, and production
is backlogged until 2017. The
G650 will remain alone in its
market segment until Bombardier
delivers its two forthcoming
large-cabin, ultralong-range jets,
the Global 7000 and Global 8000,
which are expected to enter service
in 2016 and 2017, respectively.
According to Gulfstream, the
G650 has been the most successful
launch in the company’s 55-year
history and one of the entire
industry’s most successful.
Gulfstream worked to ensure this
result from the time it began
developing the aircraft, in 2003.
That year, as the company was
preparing deliveries of the G650’s
smaller sibling, the ultralong-range
G550—which replaced the GV, a
model that had come to represent
the pinnacle of private aviation—
Gulfstream’s R & D department,
consisting of some 1,300
engineers, began asking, “What’s
next?” And so began a several-
years-long dialogue with
customers, speci�cally members of
Gulfstream’s Advance Technology
Customer Advisory Team, or
ATCAT. This group, whose
members rotate out regularly to
keep the collective perspective
fresh, comprises Gulfstream jet
owners and operators and other
individuals active in the industry
who are familiar with Gulfstream’s
current lineup. (In addition to the
G280, G550, and G650, the
company also o�ers the midsize
G150 and the large-cabin G450.)
During the early development
of the G650, Gulfstream found
that its customers wanted a jet that
traveled even farther than the
G550’s globe-hopping range, and
they wanted the new jet to go
faster. The ATCAT members also
expressed a strong desire for a
larger cabin with more natural
light, lower noise levels, and
improved pressurization, so that
passengers would feel as though
they were fiying at lower altitudes.
When completed, the jet that
Gulfstream had begun developing
would address all of those requests.
✪ ✪ ✪ ✪
The G650 can travel more than
8,000 miles without refueling,
which is farther than any other
business aircraft, except for private
versions of jetliners from Boeing
and Airbus. With a top speed of
610 mph, the G650 is also the
world’s fastest business jet
currently in production. (The
G550 has a maximum cruise
speed of about 584 mph and a
range of 6,900 miles.) Like all
Gulfstream jets except the G280
and G150, the G650 is powered
by Rolls-Royce engines. The
approximate SpeCiFiCatioNS maximum raNge 8,050 miles maximum
CruiSe Speed 610 mph (Mach 0.925) ServiCe CeiliNg 51,000 feet
CabiN dimeNSioNS 6 ft. 5 in. (h), 8 ft. 6 in. (W), 46 ft. 10 in. (L)
maximum SeatiNg 18 passengers baggage CapaCity 195 cubic feet
StartiNg priCe $64.5 million
g650 ◗
above and beyond
26 ���� �����r ��ober� eboero�p t�i�v����n fall 2013
cabins in the industry. The cabins
benefi t from the R & D
performed at Gulfstream’s
acoustics lab. The facility is run by
technicians who previously
developed submarines for
Gulfstream’s parent company,
General Dynamics, which, among
other interests, is the country’s
sixth largest defense contractor.
Lab workers can test the acoustic
properties of cabin insulation
materials in temperatures as low
as negative-60 degrees Celsius,
which is how cold it can be at the
jets’ operating altitudes.
The G650 and G550 are
certifi ed to seat the same number
of passengers, 18, but G650
passengers have more space. At
6 feet 5 inches tall, 8 feet 6 inches
wide, and 46 feet 10 inches long,
the cabin of the G650 is a few
inches taller, more than a foot
wider, and about 3 feet longer
than that of the G550. The G650
vieW From tHe top
The LaRGe-caBIn,
ULTRaLOnG-RanGe
G65O IS cURRenTLY The
OnLY JeT ITS caTeGORY.
➞
fall 2013 robb report private aviation sourcebook 27
may choose to work with the
Gulfstream completions team and
design their own layout. Available
options include a private ofice and
bedroom, lavatories both forward
and aft, and a full shower.
Gulfstream will work with buyers
to accommodate more outlandish
requests, as long as they pass
muster with the FAA. At the
company’s sales-and-design centers
in Savannah, Dallas, and London,
customers can see and touch the
has slightly less room for baggage
than the G550—195 cubic feet
compared to 226 cubic feet—but
the newer jet has two more of
Gulfstream’s trademark round
windows than the G550 (the new
windows are also 16 percent
larger) and more options for
interior con�gurations.
Gulfstream completes all of its
interiors in-house. For the G650,
the company o�ers 12 di�erent
standard con�gurations. Buyers also
iN WitH tHe NeW
GULFSTReaM
DeVeLOPeD The G280
TO RePLace ITS
SUcceSSFUL G200.
◗
28 ���� �����r ��ober� eboero�p t�i�v����n fall 2013
approximate SpeCiFiCatioNS maximum raNge 4,140 miles
maximum CruiSe Speed 561 mph (Mach 0.85)
ServiCe CeiliNg 45,000 feet CabiN dimeNSioNS 6 ft. 3 in. (h),
7 ft. 2 in. (W), 25 ft. 10 in. (L) maximum SeatiNg 10 passengers
baggage CapaCity 154 cubic feet StartiNg priCe $24 million
options for upholstery, carpeting,
and metal and wood trim.
The combination of ATCAT
members’ wanting more cabin
conveniences and the advents of
the smartphone and tablet
computer led Gulfstream to equip
the cabins of the G650 and G280
with touchscreen controls and
launch its Cabin Control app.
When installed on their iPhone or
iPad, passengers can use the app to
adjust the temperature at their seat,
open and close the nearest window
shade, and select what to watch on
the cabin’s video monitors.
✪ ✪ ✪ ✪
WhILe The G650 is a brand-new
aircraft, the G280 is an
evolutionary model, developed to
replace Gulfstream’s successful
G200. The new jet exceeds all of
its predecessor’s performance
capabilities. Indeed, with a range
beyond 4,000 miles, a top speed
of about 561 mph, and a
10-passenger cabin that is more
than 6 feet tall, more than 7 feet
wide, and nearly 26 feet long, the
G280 is among the best-
performing and most spacious
super-midsize jets on the market.
Gulfstream has not released sales
numbers for the G280, which has a
starting price of $24 million, but it
says demand for the jet is strong
and that the global interest for all
of its jets has increased in recent
years. For example, the number of
Gulfstream jets in China has grown
from about 10 to well over 70 in
the past six years. (Gulfstream used
the model designate G280 because
in Mandarin slang 250 is an insult
meaning fool or simpleton.)
The company continues to
service its customers around the
globe with more than 3,700
workers assigned to product
support. It also has over $1.4 billion
worth of parts located around the
world. For those reasons and
because of such services as Airborne
Product Support, through which
Gulfstream will send a G150 with
a technician and parts directly to
an aircraft in need of urgent repair,
Gulfstream is consistently named
the top manufacturer for service
and support by Aviation International
News and other publications.
Despite its industry-leading
aircraft and stellar service
programs, Gulfstream has been
absent from the multibillion-
dollar orders placed in recent
years by NetJets and other large
service providers. While NetJets
does operate a number of G200,
GIV, G450, GV, and G550 aircraft,
Gulfstream says that it prefers to
sell its jets directly to individual
customers. And why not? With a
four-year, $12.8 billion backlog
for the G650 alone, Gulfstream’s
sales numbers seem just f ne.
Now that Gulfstream’s two
newest jets have entered service,
the company says that it has
begun the lengthy process of
determining what new models to
put on the drawing board. In
other words, the folks in Savannah
are again asking, what’s next?
Maybe a G50 light jet or a G750
jumbo jet. Whatever it decides,
Gulfstream certainly will not have
relied on a crystal ball.
GULFSTReaM aeROSPace,
WWW.GULFSTReaM.cOM
◗
g280
above and beyond
fall 2013 robb report private aviation sourcebook 29
to// Illustration By Umberto Mischi
According to members of the Robb Report Private Aviation Advisory Board, something good
came out of the recession, and some bad may come from the recovery. // By Larry Bean
30 robb report private aviation sourcebook fall 2013