Last February The Lux Insider ventured into the familiar realm of luxury lifestyle, sharing personal experiences and preferred choices in luxury lifestyle. Having dived into the ocean of luxury blogging, we turn the spotlight to some of the luxury insiders we had the good fortune of interacting over our journey. To mark our first anniversary, we let Alessandro Convertino take over our blog post as the pilot Lux Insider for this month sharing his passion and insider views on luxury cars. Being an Italian it is no wonder he has an unquenchable passion for automobiles the birthplace of Ferrari and Lamborghini. He is a seasoned hotelier and the General Manager of Baglioni Hotel London. London has played an important role in shaping his career where he returns after having enjoyed a significant role in Italy’s luxury hotels. Today Baglioni Hotel opposite the Kensington Palace Gardens is a notable address owing to his leadership style of leading by example and supporting the team. Over to Alessandro Convertino.
Growing Gains
Hello to all the readers with a taste for luxury lifestyle or those who are aspiring to live a lifestyle that offers unique experiences. I grew up in Italy, Switzerland and was fortunate to be introduced to the automobile world at the age of two. My father worked in the Volkswagen Group in Switzerland which was probably a nursery to my passion for cars. Growing up I had numerous car toys that I absolutely enjoyed dismantling into pieces only to reassemble them.
Little Schumie
After envying the driver’s seat for years growing up, I finally took my rightful place on it soon enough. Having a father in the auto industry does have its benefits and I had the pleasure of driving our car at the age of 12 along the picturesque countryside. Is there any joy than to take your car for a spin in European country roads at 12 years of age? Write me a comment if you have driven any earlier. During my teenage, I was a voracious reader of any and every auto magazine and television shows on cars. This childhood habit hasn’t waned after all these years.
Haute Wheels
My first love began with Porsche cars and then steadily as I dug down to every detail of a car, my horizon broadened. Today I consider Rolls-Royce Ghost, Bentley Continental GT, Aston Martin Rapid, Porsche Panamera and Mercedes S-Class to be the top five in luxury cars while Pagani Zonda, Bugatti Super Veyron, Lamborghini Veneno, Ferrari La Ferrari are the hottest piece of engineering on wheels. The Lamborghini Huracan, Ferrari F12 and 488 GTB , the newest Aston Martin DB10 and the Range Rover HSE belong to the uber cool clout of cars. So if you have your eyes fixated on any of these think no further you are on the right track.
Pearls of Wisdom
If you are a novice in the luxury car arena and are ready for your first car I would strongly recommend you have your sights on a good engine performance and design. By design, I don’t mean just the outwardly sleek and desirable look of the car. Design includes every functionality of the experience, how do you feel on the steering, on the seat, using the transmission, every detail of the design matters. Your personal experience during the test drive will allow you to narrow down the choice amongst many models. Go with your instinct a car will communicate with you if it’s right for you or otherwise. Having said that if you don’t have a Ferrari in your collection of luxury cars it will be incomplete.
The Sound Of Ferrari Music
Ferrari is an inevitable phenomenon in the life of a passionate car collector. You need not be an Italian to love a Ferrari and by it’s no guess that it is my favourite Italian brand. What I love about the Ferrari is their special engine that generates a unique sound to set your heart aflutter and many compare it with music. They have the best design and style, but it involves decades of history. What separates Italian luxury cars from other brands in Germany, Japan, Korea and even Britain is that each have their distinctive design and the style. I believe design and style are both like a “Fine piece of Art “.
Testing Tesla
With finesse and art comes responsible technology. Today we enjoy the fruits of innovation and technology in our luxury cars enabling them to perform the way they do. In my opinion, the evolution of the automobile industry is headed in the right direction with today’s needs of sustainability. It amazes me how the design and technology have evolved bringing their performance to a comfortable yet incredibly fast and perfect pace. I enjoy seeing that the designers and engineers of the industry strive very hard to improve quality, efficiency, performance and style by being very innovative and maintaining a strong connection with the past at the same time.
Tesla Motors has shown the world that technology can help us with a sustainable source of energy as well as driving assistance. My love for cars grew owing to the love for driving and I think that the self-driven car will definitely take away the pleasure of driving. However, there could be a possibility in the future where sophisticated cars will have an option of going driver free, as is the case with BMW’s Steptronic Gear Boxes.
Vroom Your Passion
Loving cars requires passion of great magnitude and it grows by discovering new models, new engines and any form of an update in trends of the future and the present times. Be passionate, take care of your car like a child, read and observe the trends and share them as well. I hope you have gained some insight on luxury cars or a perspective while purchasing your first one. As I get ready to lay hands on my very own Porsche Carrera Targa, I wish you a great journey in the world of luxury automobiles. Drive passionately, drive safe!
Luxury Meister 