Exclusive / Billionaire's playground: How TheArsenale finds extraordinary vehicles for those with money to burn
It’s essentially a billionaire’s playground.
Think pilotless cars and bulletproof extreme utility vehicles – you’ll see all this and more at TheArsenale, here in Asia for the first time. The brand’s retail showroom will be open to the public from Friday at The Boulevard in Macau’s City of Dreams resort.
Dubbed the most insane garage in the world’, TheArsenale’s mission is to ‘connect the world’s best builders, finest brands and accurate designers with … the world’s most sophisticated riders, collectors and curators’
Dubbed “the most insane garage in the world” (we suspect it came up with the name itself, but not without reason), TheArsenale’s mission is to “connect the world’s best builders, finest brands and accurate designers with … the world’s most sophisticated riders, collectors and curators”.
The brand, which publishes an annual book and has an e-commerce business that sells everything from art sculptures to submarines, is showcasing more than 40 of its most OTT machines and toys in its Macau showroom.
We’re told that this Aladdin’s cave for adrenaline junkies will have private jets, Formula 1 racing cars, submarines, bikes of all kinds, skateboards and even artworks, not to mention there will be limited-edition vehicles exclusive to this showroom, from Ujet, Geneinno, MV Agusta, Centauri and Viba.
Check out some of our favourites:
For the multimillionaire...
1. Roborace, US$1 million
This car has no cockpit and for good reason – it’s a pilotless car, the first ever to compete in racing events like the Goodwood Festival of Speed.
2. Centauri Valkyrie, US$1.3 million
It took more than five years to design and engineer this lightweight private jet, which has an interior design created by Maserati.
3. BMW Alpha Landspeeder, US$4.5 million
The big daddy of motorcycles, the custom-made BMW Alpha was inspired by the Great White shark and created by Mark Atkinson, founder of Speed of Cheese Racing.
The brand name came from an image showing Atkinson atop his spotted motorcycle, titled “Travelling at the speed of cheese”.
For the petrol heads...
1. R.S. 2018, US$700,000
Renault’s R.S. 2018 was designed to compete in the 2018 FIA Formula One World Championship. The carbon-fibre vehicle weighs only 733kg (1,615 pounds).
2. Venturi VFE-05, US$300,000
Thanks to the collaborative efforts of Venturi and Mercedes, the VFE-05 is born. The Formula E car weighs only 900kg and goes from 0 to 100km/h (0- 62 miles per hour) in 2.8 seconds. The car has a top speed of 280km/h – and you won’t even hear a thing when it zooms right past you.
3. The Rezvani Tank, US$240,000
Rezvani Motors is known for manufacturing “beast” vehicles that look as though they could be weapon-grade.
The extreme utility vehicle is designed to be bulletproof, and if it looks familiar, that’s because it is – the Tank made an appearance in this year’s action comedy Men in Black: International, starring Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson
The best of the rest...
1. Beau Lake Electric Runabout, US$62,000
This sleek boat has an engine only slightly larger than a human fist with no steering wheel, we’ll tell you why – it’s a pedal boat. An electrical pedal boat, to be precise.
An electric version of its predecessor, which required actual manual labour, this boat is propelled by a Cruise 2.0FP and Lithium smart battery from Torqeedo, and direction is controlled by a tiller.
2. Quadrofoil Q2, US$65,000
This boat looks a bit like a strange frog in the picture, but wait until you get it in the water. The Q2’s advanced foil system raises the vessel above the water, and its electric engine propels it up to 40km/h – and you’ll hear nothing but the waves.
3. Vanguard Roadster, US$120,000
This futuristic motorcycle is the only one of its kind in the world. Once a fully functioning motorcycle, it’s now a collector’s piece for those who appreciate beautiful design.
4. Fiik Drifter, US$3,500
Fiik, known for its electric skateboards, has now worked its magic on a tricycle. The Fiik Drifter is the only rear-wheel-drive, electric drift trike available on the market.
In addition to drifting downhill, it can also drift on flat ground and uphill. Happy sliding!
5. EsaVox by iXOOST, US$24,000
This sound system was not only inspired by the luxury Italian Lamborghini supercars, it incorporates actual parts from the supercars in its design.
The tubing of the exhaust system improves the sound delivery of this speaker, and inside the two cabinets are two 1-inch (2.5-centimetre) tweeters and two 6.5-inch midbass speakers. The heart of the EsaVox is a 10-inch subwoofer, with a 600-watt and 300-watt amplifier.
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A pilotless car, shark-inspired motorcycle and lightweight jet are among the OTT machines on offer at the luxury brand’s new showroom at The Boulevard in Macau’s City of Dreams resort