If you’ve been longing for an open-air Aventador but didn’t want to go Bam and Billy Idol-style on the roof of the coupe, your ride has arrived. The Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4 Roadster (€300,000; roughly $380,000) adds a two-piece removable carbon fiber roof to the already lust-worthy racer, while retaining the best features from the coupe. Features like a seven-speed gearbox, a 6.5L V12 pumping out 700hp, a 0-62 time of just 3 seconds, and a top speed of 217 mph.
Yes, you read that correctly. The Puzzlebox Brain-Controlled Helicopter ($250) lets you control a floating orb using nothing but your brain power. The package includes a NeuroSky MindWave Mobile EEG headset, a Pryamid that serves as a home base and remote control, and the Orbit helicopter/orb itself. Simply select a flight path, slide on the headset, and focus — the software in the Pyramid will interpret your levels of concentration and relaxation and move the helicopter appropriately. A perfect gift for the sci-fi geek on your list.
Yes, it’s definitely intriguing. But unfortunately for anyone wishing to park one in their own driveway, the Mercedes Ener-G-Force Concept ($TBA) is about as concept-y as a vehicle can get. Created for the Los Angeles Design Challenge 2012, the Ener-G-Force was designed as a highway patrol car for 2025, it boasts such outlandish features as a tank on the roof to store water that’s transferred to the “hydro-tech converter” where it’s converted into hydrogen for running the fuel cells and a 360-degree topography scanner on the roof.
Celebrate your favorite set of wheels with one of these Manual Designs Prints ($80). Featuring minimalist line art representations of classic cars — some with a touch of color added in — these 10” x 16” handmade prints are signed and numbered by the artist, and are a perfect way to class up your garage or man cave. If you ask nicely, you can even get a custom print of your own ride, in any color combination you’d like.
The holy grail of at-home movie watching is nearly here. Prima Cinema ($35,000) is an elite service that brings current-release movies directly to your home on the day they’re released — at the equally elite price of $500 a pop. The rack-mountable player automatically downloads the movies and presents them over HDMI with clarity and color accuracy unmatched by even Blu-ray, along with lossless PCM or Dolby TrueHD audio output. Oh, and the biometric security protection ensures no guests “accidentally” drop half a grand on dreck like Red Dawn. [Scouted by Graham]
And you thought your concrete ping pong table was cool. The James De Wulf Pool Table($16,000-$18,000) is the next concrete creation from the artist, measuring 101” x 57” x 32”, and built to be both minimalist and within regulation. Thanks to its concrete build, it’s suitable for use indoors or out, although be prepared to cough up a little extra dough for the outdoor version, which arrives with rubber pockets, outdoor felt, and four graphite cues.
No, it’s not the 10th anniversary of the Wrangler — they’ve been making those for far longer than that. Instead, the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 10th Anniversary Edition ($TBA) celebrates a decade of extreme off-road Wranglers named for the grueling off-road trail. Available in both two- and four-door versions, this limited edition is described as “the most capable Wrangler ever produced”, with a 285hp, 3.6-liter V-6 engine, electronic-locking front and Dana 44 rear axles, a Rock-Trac transfer case, a six-speed manual transmission, a half-inch increase in ride height, red leather seats, and a special, exclusive Anvil paint job. Also, its hardcore winch-capable front and rear steel bumpers have removable end that help the beast climb obstacles better than normal Wranglers. Arriving in showrooms next spring.
Don’t try to hide your addiction to singing in the shower — embrace it with the Kohler Moxie Speaker Showerhead ($200). This clever piece of bathroom hardware embeds a speaker in the middle of a full-spray showerhead. And not just any speaker — a Bluetooth-compatible speaker that lets you recharge it on the counter, snap it back into the showerhead using the embedded magnets, and play music wirelessly from your phone or tablet. Just don’t forget to clean yourself up while you’re at it.
Enticed by the XKR-S, but decide that the coupe was just a little too impractical? Say hello to the 2014 Jaguar XFR-S ($99,000). The fastest, most powerful sedan Jaguar has ever produced, the XFR-S is powered by the same 5.0L supercharged V8 as its two-doored stablemate, giving it 550hp and a 0-60 mph time of just 4.4 seconds on its way to a top speed of 186 mph. Despite the speed, it still manages to eek out 23 mpg highway, and also features a ZF eight-speed transmission, wide 20-inch Varuna forged alloy wheels, and plenty of carbon fiber components to help reduce weight and lift. Limited to just 100 units in the U.S., it’ll go on sale next summer.
When the fine folks at Budnitz Bicycles tapped us to design our ideal city bike, we didn’t hesitate, and immediately began thinking about what was absolutely important. That was easy — beer and music. So the Budnitz x Uncrate Model No. 3 Bike was born. In addition to the meticulous handmade frame and custom titanium components of all Budnitz bikes (which normally start at around $2,600), this limited edition model sports an Uncrate matte orange paint job and is geared-up with a waterproof Turtleshell bluetooth boombox by Outdoor Technology, a custom 6-pack carrier hand-sewn in Colorado by Topo Designs (which just so happens to perfectly match our Topo x Uncrate Backpack), Brooks all-black grips and seat, and a titanium Budnitz Beer Wrench. Now for the bad news — there’s only one available. But the good news is that you can win it.
Budnitz and Uncrate are giving away this one-of-a-kind bike to one lucky Uncrater. All you have to do to enter to win is join the Budnitz Bicycles newsletter. The winner will be selected at random on December 21, 2012.
Should you know the pleasure of owning a 4K-capable TV or projector, you’re most likely also familiar with the first-world problem of trying to find content for it. The Redray 4K Cinema Player ($1,450) can help. Built specifically with 4K video in mind, this beastly digital content player packs a 1TB hard drive for storing video, USB ports and an SD card reader for manually transferring over files, Ethernet ports for Internet connectivity, and a bevy of HDMI outputs that support simultaneous playback of different content across two 4K screens or four 1080 screens. Even better, it will link up with Odemax.com, letting you access feature films right from home.
Is it a basketball shoe? A futuristic sleeve/boot? Actually, the Air Jordan XX8 ($250) is a little bit of both. The exterior of the shoe is dominated by a Schoeller mesh stretch synthetic shroud that serves to hide the majority of the shoe when zipped, making the whole thing look more like an overgrown sock than a shoe. It still offers high-end b-ball features, however, including the new Jordan Flight Plate that lets the shoe’s Zoom Air units react more responsively, internal straps to keep your foot in place, and a molded heel counter made from carbon fiber for added support. Landing at a store near you next February.
Yes, it’s a station wagon — but it’s a fast station wagon. The 2013 Audi RS6 Avant($TBA) might be the ultimate driver’s wagon, thanks to the twin-turbo V8 under the hood that gives it 560 hp, a 0-62 mph time of just 3.9 seconds, and a top speed of 190 mph, while still offering 24 mpg fuel efficiency. Other features include an eight-speed tiptronic transmission, quattro all-wheel drive, your choice of adaptive air or sport suspension, optional mammoth carbon fiber-ceramic brakes, two appearance packages, aggressive body work, and a sporty cockpit.
You don’t need to be heading into the wilderness to appreciate the military style of theTimex Camo Camper Watch ($55). This simple timepiece sports a camouflage dial, white numbers and hands, a dark resin case, and an olive green fabric strap. Just hurry if you want to get your hands on one — it looks like there’s only two left on Amazon.
Named after the nuclear powered icebreaking ship built to traverse the wintry wasteland of Arctic seas, the Ural Yamal Limited Edition Sidecar Motorcycle ($14,250) might not break apart ice, but it will certainly draw attention. Powered by a boxer engine with Brembo brakes for equal stopping power, this unique ride comes in powder coated flat orange with black accents and features additional lighting, a knobby spare tire, hand guards, an ore — no joke — and menacing teeth graphics. Only 50 available stateside, so get your order in now.