La Dolce Vespa. Limited Edition Vespas Inspired by Classic Italian Speedboats.

Digital Veneer in Auckland, New Zealand, provides ultra high quality environmentally responsible alternatives to the use of real wood, marble, granite and stone in the aviation, marine, automotive and high-end architectural markets.

They began their Designer Series of Limited Edition "Tribute" Vespas last February with the GTV Tribute Vespa, using the larger model as a canvas on which to try out a Mahogany veneered version of the originally Italian scooter.

The Limited Edition GTV "Tribute" Vespa:





GTV Specs:


Now, they have released Limited Edition LX50 and LX150 "Tribute" Vespas.






LX50 and LX150 Specs:


The styling and prestige of these limited edition Vespas evoke famous Italian speedboats from the 1960’s with their Mahogany mirror finish and hand stitched leather seats.




Each brand new Vespa is transformed by craftsmen into an authentic and unique work of art and carries a numbered limited edition silver plaque. Their personal customization service is also available to meet any specific requirements you might have.

What is Digital Veneer?

The Digital Veneer™ process decorates 3-dimensional and flat surface products made from plastics, metals, foam, wood, composites and any other structural material with a variety of finishes which exactly replicate the look and feel of natural and man made materials.

Digital Veneer™ is a fraction of the weight of real wood veneers and stone equating to lighter structures and significant fuel savings in aircraft, boats and automobiles.

Digital Veneer™ has the following three significant benefits:

• Environmentally Responsible: With exotic hardwoods, teak and other timber products becoming hard to obtain the ability to replicate the look without using valuable scarce resources.

• Lightweight: Using foams and advanced composites we are able to make hand rails, tables, flooring and cabinets that weigh 60 - 70% less than comparable units made from wood.

• Durability and Flame resistant: Considerable cost savings in maintenance can be achieved using 'Digital Veneer'TM. Utilizing our high solids top coating system developed in conjunction with Awlgrip outside products need only be re-coated every 2 - 3 years opposed to every 2 - 3 months for wood / varnish. As the sub straights are made from a stable material they will not warp, split or swell. The composite construction makes the product stronger than real wood products.

Contact Lance Sheppard of Digital Veneer for more information

Street Artist RETNA Gets Some Tail As He Hand Paints A $60 Million Vista Jet.

As part of a partnership with VistaJet & Bombardier Aerospace, 31 year old Los Angeles street artist RETNA has hand-painted a unique artwork on the tail of a VistaJet Global Express XRS as part of his Hallelujah World Tour.






Those familiar with RETNA's work will recognize the iconic styled heiroglyphics which he uses in much of his art, as shown in the multiple examples of his work below:








This $60,000,000 luxury aircraft will be the star of VistaJet’s fleet of 31 private jets. Drawing from a wide array of influences including the Old English style of gang graffiti writings, Asian calligraphy, Incan & Egyptian hieroglyphics, Hebrew and Arabic, RETNA’s vision manifests as an international visual language all his own.




At EBACE 2011, the premier aviation show in Geneva, May 17 - 19, RETNA will officially launch his artistic vocabulary over 50,000 feet above ground.

VistaJet and RETNA is a new partnership that begun with VistaJet’s and Bombardier’s sponsorship of RETNA’s “Hallelujah World Tour,” presented by Andy Valmorbida and Vladimir Restoin Roitfeld, which launched in New York in February and will continue throughout the year in cities including London and Hong Kong.



Retna, whose real name is Marquis Lewis, comes from a graffiti background. The nom de plume – derived from a Raekwon song – was originally given to a friend. “I gave him a sketch, and he went and battled some dude and he lost,” Retna said previously in an interview with Upper Playground. “He wasn’t even supposed to battle anyone anyway with my sketch that I gave him. And on top of that he lost, so that really pissed me off, so I took the name back.”

Over the past few years, Retna has been known less for his graffiti pieces than a unique written language derived from various ancient scripts.



“It draws on Egyptian hieroglyphics, and Mayan glyphs, as well as Mexican and pre-Columbian heritage,” Jeffrey Deitch, director of MoCA in Los Angeles, said. “He filters those traditions through the tradition of tagging and graffiti that has been seen in Los Angeles since the 1970s. Within these traditions, he has come up with something entirely his own.”

The New York exhibition, The Hallelujah World Tour (Venice and London are the two other stops) is Retna’s biggest show to date.

Images courtesy of Bombardier and RETNA

The 100m Phoenicia Superyacht Design By Igor Lobanov

Designer Igor Lobanov has revealed his latest innovative design concept to Super Yacht Times. He stated that Phoenicia it is an explorative study, focusing purely on the design elements themselves. This concept amalgamates various historical influences with a new modern design.



above: original sketch for the Phoenicia

The model explores a 100+ meter superyacht with generous open deck space, particularly aft of the yacht including a helipad; a feature which is usually seen on large motor yachts rather than a sailing yacht.



Another key element of this model is an all surrounding open deck arranged as a gallery with a pattern design as a feature. One of the proposed patterns has a special Arabian influence.



Additionally Phoenicia has a very unconventional bow, which has a hint of ancient Greek influence. This design gives the feeling of 1000 years of history of an “ancient royal ship” with the appropriate name concept of "Phoenicia". Phoenicians are believed to be the people who influenced the Greek alphabet. From the Greeks it was then passed to Romans as Latin and to Slavs (and even Mongols) as Cyrillic. As a result a wide range of nations from Australia to Russia are now using letters that derive from those once created in the small area of Phoenicia.



Also known for trading across the whole of the Mediterranean, the Phoenicians influenced many nations and cultures that lived around sea. The Phoenicians are a link between East and West, between modern Muslim and Christian cultures. Hence, this name is symbolic and appropriate to the design of Phoenicia. This concept is an expression of how we should continue to explore different shores, different cultures and the various way of life.

By Rosie McCall for the Superyacht Times.com
images courtesy of Igor Lobanov

H2ome Yacht Has A Sleek Profile, Modern Interiors And A $20 Million Asking Price.

The H2ome Yachting Villa is a 44 meter long luxurious yacht with a large open back three level deck. It's designed and furnished with stylish modern interior accomodations for guests and crew, a state of the art kitchen, stunning bathrooms, a living room and dining room divided by a 'plant wall' and teak flooring throughout.







The exterior of the sexy and sleek luxury yacht has teak wood decks contrasting with the yacht's glossy reflective finish.





The concept of H2OME was born during a long conversation between the owner of an Open 35m yacht and Mario Grasso, the owner of the Italian naval design studio Navirex. In addition to engineering, Mario Grasso, guided by the owner's taste, designed the hull and superstructure. As for the interior, it was a design collaboration between Genovese Studio A-LAB and actress/ interior designer Raffaella Berge.



The entrance is in the large main hall, designed as an open loft and includes the living area, dining room (70 sqm) and steering in one connected space. The plentiful windows create a continuum between the inside and the marine environment, filtering in the natural light. The decor inside is characterized by clean geometric lines and balances perfectly with the plant wall, the focal point of the living area. The teak flooring strips helps to create an exotic atmosphere.





In the sleeping area of the lower deck are the owner's suite and four guest cabins which total 100 square meters. Each room has a sophisticated lighting system, which runs along the ceilings, walls and furniture, creating striking effects of lightness and elegance.







The beautiful bathrooms have glass walled showers and modern fixtures :




Forward on the starboard side are the large kitchen and left the laundry room, both accessible from the crew accommodations.



The outside areas consist of a beach (15 m), a well of 50 square meters and a Sun Deck (60 sqm). And the latter is endowed with a square dining area, bar, and lots of sun exposure.







Thanks to twin 1,925hp Caterpillar diesel engines and one Vericor gas turbine the yacht can reach a top speed of 36 knots. H2ome cruises at 17 knots (with the gas turbine engine off).


H2ome Yachting Villa

If you're interested in purchasing one, Fraser Yachts has listed her at an asking price of just under 20 million dollars. $19,910,781 (€14,500,000)