ELECTRIC VS. HYDROGEN

We are all familiar with those desirable, seductive supercars and limousines built to blend performance, luxury and status, but even they are relatively ‘off the shelf’. Naturally the colour, interior, tuning and detailing of such a car can be adjusted to suit your preference, but at the end of the day you’re still buying an existing design produced in series.

Today, a growing number of top-end buyers want the exclusivity and uniqueness of a limited series or even entirely bespoke car – something not seen in the automotive market for many a decade. It is a process given added impetus by the fact that the products of luxury car manufacturers have become increasingly accessible to the mass market. To own something truly unique has a little more effect these days, and it is this exclusivity that a new generation of buyers is looking for.

Fortunately there is a new generation of bespoke carmakers that do just that – create made-to-measure dream cars around their clients’ visions of perfection. “It’s a collaborative, creative process in which the design journey is as much fun as finally receiving your very own production car,” says Dany Bahar, co-founder and CEO of ARES, the Italian coachbuilder that is revolutionising the concept of what a luxury car is all about.

“Ares is not only a fine example of Italian design, but also the kind of one-off, bespoke creations that are increasingly characterising the luxury market.”

Marco Argentieri

COFIM Verona, ITALY

Develop your dream car within an inspiring environment

The Ares Italia factory in Modena, also the home of Maserati and Lamborghini

CREATING YOUR OWN CAR

In other fields of the luxury market, buyers have far greater freedom to give shape to their dreams, be it through the building of a private home, the commissioning of artwork or jewellery, tailored fashion or the construction of your own yacht, but until now it did not extend to cars. In changing this, ARES is challenging the realms of possibilities open to lovers of all things automotive and taking the upper car segment into new levels of exclusivity.

In reality, building cars this way is actually a tradition that goes back to the early days of the automotive industry, when wealthy owners bought the chassis (mechanical platform) of their choice and had renowned coachbuilders such as Vanden Plas, Mulliner, Vignale and Figoni et Falaschi create one-off bodies complete with exquisitely handcrafted interiors. In this way, the vehicles in question ranged from private limousines and hunting cars to outlandish vehicles of the kind crafted by Saoutchik or more recently Zagato – now worth millions at auction.

“To design a car out of series production is to create something unique and special,” says Dany, who with co-founder and Chairman Waleed Al Ghafari has revived the classic coach building tradition in a modern era. Indeed, many of the clients who commission their very own car from this boutique manufacturer are car enthusiasts and collectors.

“It’s a collaborative, creative process in which the design journey is as much fun as finally receiving your very own production car”

Ares designs new and retro-inspired cars and motorbikes

HOW IT WORKS

The production takes place at the state-of-the-art factory in Modena – heart of Italian sports car manufacture – but the private bespoke cars are configured at boutique studios in locations such as Milan, Kitzbühel, St. Moritz, Zürich, Porto Cervo, Miami, Munich, Modena, Dubai and Marbella.

“The process begins by exploring exactly what the client has in mind, their personal vision of automotive perfection. This could be a retro-modern version of their favourite classic car or something completely new, and once we have a clear picture we develop a pre-study that ultimately leads to the selection of the so-called ‘donor car’ – the chassis, technological platform and engine upon which the new car is built – and then proceed with creating one-off bodywork design that is the embodiment of everything you love about motoring. In other words, your perfect car!” Though hand-built by master craftsmen and fitted with the finest materials of your choice, ARES cars also come with the latest technology, comfort, performance and safety – regardless of whether you order a 1950s-style sports car or an ultramodern one. You will see the whole process begin to take shape before your eyes, first with advanced graphics and VR technology, and ultimately ‘in the flesh’.

For not so much more than a ‘standard’ limousine or super sports car, you can own a bespoke limited series creation or indeed the car you have always dreamed of – your very own creation of motoring perfection!

www.aresdesign.com

SPAIN’S PARADORES

Spain’s Paradores provide the ideal melange of culture, tradition, luxury, comfort and service. What’s more, there’s a fantastic choice of diverse options across the length and breadth of the country.

The Parador is in many ways a brilliant concept that suits luxury travel to a tee. Why build a cold, soulless structure if you can have your customers feel like royal guests of old, at home in the finest buildings and monuments of the land? In Europe and Asia, in particular, there is a wealth of beautiful, imposing and intriguing edifices of this kind in a myriad of styles, sizes, configurations and locations – and each has its own unique history, its stories and its pedigree.

This is what makes such a ‘hotel’ so much more interesting than even the most beautiful and opulent modern venue, for the latter has it all to do still in terms of ambience and character, and as the product of a purely commercial motive will struggle to imbue itself with the same rich tapestry of fascination. For this reason, the Paradores de Turismo de España rank among the country’s finest luxury establishments—and offer the ideal way to discover Spain in style.

First founded in 1928 by King Alfonso XIII, the organisation’s original purpose was to promote tourism in Spain, and the inaugural property within its now ample product range was the Gredos in the historic town of Ávila. You can either choose to be in the heart of a city’s classical quarter or opt for a country hotel in the midst of a former hunting estate, the choice really is quite bewildering, and the architectural diversity even encompasses some modern buildings in iconic locations.

The Parador de Cuenca quite possibly the best way to experience this amazing town

“Why build a cold, soulless structure if you can have your customers feel like royal guests of old, at home in the finest buildings and monuments of the land?”

TAKE YOUR PICK OF SPAIN

There are paradores in the green hills of Galicia and AsturiasCantabria, in the Pyrenean Mountains, on Mediterranean shores all the way from Catalunya and Barcelona down via Valencia and the Balearic Islands to the historic jewels of Andalucía, such as Málaga, Seville, Córdoba, Cádiz, Jerez de la Frontera and of course Granada. In fact, there is actually a parador within the Alhambra complex, which means you stay within one of its palaces, surrounded by the mesmerising gardens, fountains and water features of the Generalife. In a country as rich in history, tradition and architecture as Spain, your choice of experiences and historic settings is bewildering and indeed bewitching. From the Canary Islands to the plains of La Mancha, where Don Quijote’s windmills still stand, and the proud castles and fortresses of Castile, the variety of landscapes also changes from arid and imposing to green and cosseting – with everything in between. If Spain is a natural and human tapestry, then the paradores are the ultimate way through which to explore it.

Parador de Aiguablava Mediterranean idyll alongside a Catalan bay, Parador de Aiguablava

Parador de Cruz de Tejeda – a great way to experience the Canary Islands

The Parador de Jaén towers over the city

Segovia, Cuenca, Ronda, Toledo, Aranjuez and Monserrat are just some of the many treasures to behold, experience and stay at, and even if you are an experienced visitor of this country and even its paradores, you will still find so much more to marvel at in city palaces, coastal fortresses, mountain castles and aristocratic country estates or remote convents.

Wake up in the middle of a winery, atop a windswept cliff overlooking Galicia’s Atlantic shoreline or within a mysterious wooded mountain range in one of Europe’s last remaining wildernesses. Spain’s paradores offer the pick of the best!

www.paradoresofspain.com

The bar of the Parador de Plasencia, Castille

Booking a parador means staying in historic style The more modern but extremely scenic Parador de Cádiz, Andalucía “The Paradores of Spain symbolise the wealth of gorgeous historic and country properties that can be found in the country’s highly diverse geographical regions.”

María del Mar Bas

Rimontgó Jávea, SPAIN

Medieval charm in Cardona, within a short drive of Barcelona