Starting Sunday afternoon in one of my favorite cities, I was invited by a fellow italian friend (Grazie Matteo) to see probably the best fashion shows during the whole fashion week in Milan: Dolce & Gabbana. It is very difficult to describe how breathtaking it was, but please have a look at the video – even if it can only give a small impression of how it felt to be there “live”.

Bianca Balti, on the right side

After that we were also invited to the after-party at the restaurant “Gold”, which was one of the nicest events I have ever been – and I have been at a few in my life. I had even the chance to chat with the two gentlemen-hosts. But not only that, I met also the international top-model Bianca Balti, my “old” friend Bianca Brandolini and got even a smiling “buona sera” from Monica Bellucci. Beside other interesting people I met, Eros Ramazotti came up to me saying hello apparently remembering our gym-sessions in Milano some while ago.

Late at night we left the party and drove straight (and way to fast) to our hotel close to Maranello because we wanted to be at the factory of Ferrari before 0900 Monday morning. There – after an interesting tour in new parts of the factory (e.g. the aluminum cassis production) – we got the privilege to be introduced to the strongest Ferrari 12-Cylinder 11 days before the general public will be able to see this fastest ever for our streets built Ferrari: 740 PS, top speed arround 350 km/h, 0 to 200 in 8,5 seconds and 2 seconds faster in Fiorano (race-track of Ferrari) than the Enzo..!

F12berlinetta

Luca di Montezemolo himself took quiet some time to explain the main details of this state-of-the-art new Ferrari F12berlinetta. He even had one car flying a few laps in Fiorano sothat we could see the handling and hear this unique sound of that new Ferrari V12 – which one more time took my breath away in those 24 hours I will always remember.

After my amazing time with the Scuderia Ferrari (where I achieve the honor and pleasure of winning the European Championship in the Ferrari Challenge) my passion for “normal” street cars did fade away a bit. BUT now it has came back more than ever with the new Ferrari 458 Spider. Since I had the pleasure already almost two years ago to test-drive the 458 Italia (Coupé) I knew that it is probably the best sports car on earth at the moment (also “FifthGear” has found out, surprisingly even tested it against the new McLaren MP4). Then, beginning of September this year, I was invited to Maranello where the cabriolet (Spider) of the 458 was presented and I had the first opportunity to have a close look at this piece of art.

Three months later at the beginning of December, I received one of the very first cars and could not (and still cannot) find words to describe how perfect this sports car really is. It is not only pure Formula-One technology brought straight to our streets (like its older brother, the coupé called “Italia”), it is not only another cabriolet (the hard-top-roof is just the best I have ever seen, and I loved my Mercedes SL), it is not only in about 3 (!) seconds from 0 to 100 km/h and it has the best sound I have ever heard from any car, no matter if at low rpm or at 9.000 rpm (sounds also different from the “Italia” since the sound-designer in Maranello have paid great attention also to that detail). It is much more than that, but – as said – I can not find the words reaching where this car has already gone, maybe Ferrari could help here to get a flavor why even strangers take pictures of the car and post them online – Thank you guys

running time...

This does not mean that one should be super-stressed now and try to do as many things as possible in each hour we have because so many things are happening already while reading this. No, I am not speaking about the quantity of time, what I mean is “quality-time”. Do NOT try to give your life more hours, better give your hours more life since life is not about how many breaths you take – it is all about how many moments take away your breath..!

I try to live up consciously to this, my own rule – even if sometimes I got caught by so called “time-bandits” (think no need to explain who or what that could be). One of my ways of showing that I appreciated this law of nature is also carrying watches which have a special meaning to me – even if nowadays no one really needs a wrist-watch because we are constantly surrounded by other sources from which we could obtain the current time (e.g. mobile phones).

Anyway, I also suggest that we stop messing with one of the most precious things on earth by moving back and forward between “normal-time” and “daylight-saving-time” and just life in summer-time from now on because that would give all of us more sunshine in our lives..!

Ferrari FF (2011)

This new Ferrari FF is dividing people’s opinion about the looks of the car (I think no one would ever doubt the performance of it anyway).

First there are the “new” Ferrari-fans who do not know so much about the Ferrari-history and think that this ugly “not-really-a-Ferrari” looks like a BMW Z4-coupe. Funny enough that the same people usually like this BMW.

Second there are people who are the “real” Ferrari lovers who were already in love with this shape since the Ferrari 250 GTO, which was built from 1962 till 1964 and is not only one of the most beautiful cars ever created in my view but also one of the most expensive. Several “used” cars where sold far above 10 Million USD (!).

Ferrari 250 GTO (1964)

For example in 1989 one Ferrari 250 GTO was sold to a Japanese buyer for 14,6 Million USD. In 1994 a British buyer paid 15,7 Million USD and in May 2010 Chris Evans bought one of this wonderful GTs for 12 Million GBP.

Anyway, for me this FF is a real Ferrari! Even if it is not a pure sports car like the 458 Italia (can’t wait for the Spider) it is probably one of the worlds most exiting GT-coupés and if I would not like my CL 65 so much I would seriously consider changing…

Brandenburger Tor at night

Since many years I am attending the Berlinale, which is one of the most important film festivals in the world. According to the German newspaper “Die Welt” there are more movie tickets sold during those days than at the Cannes Film Festivals in its entire history.

But it is not only the dimension of the festival in Berlin that is impressive, it is also how many national and international movie stars and (related or not) major business people are to find here. More over the way they are doing their business between them is quite impressive since most of it is done during one of the many events and parties.

Julia & Sören Bauer (owner "movie meets media")

One of the most important events each year during the Berlinale is the “movie meets media” parts, which took place also this year at the Ritz-Carlton. Even I, who does not know too much about local stars, recognized – or even met – so many famous and interesting people in such a short time which is only beaten by our F1-Grand Prix in Monaco.

Another place to be during the Berlinale is my favourite restaurant named “Borchardt”. We went there Saturday night, which is the best and worst time (depending what you expect) and really enjoyed a wonderful evening with many excellent “Wiener Schnitzel mit Preiselbeeren”.

There are so many other places, events, parties, invitations and – last but not least – movies to go or see. Beside the two mentioned hot spots above I went to the Hotel Adlon for afternoon tea (quite quiet), the new Soho House (quite alternative) as well as San Nicci where the “Margin-Call” party – the new movie with Kevin Spacey – took place (quite good food).

Anyway, it is a pleasure to watch how Berlin is moving on to become a real Metropolis like it was some decades ago. This city really deserves it..!

Last Tuesday my parents have celebrated their 48^th (in words: forty-eighth) anniversary of their wedding day. Not only that this is a very long time, also they still love each other and live a life in harmony. In my entire life I have never see my parents having a fight or even a rough discussion.

The only thing I have contributed to that success so far – aside from some more or less smaller presents such as a big, fat, silver-grey Mercedes ML (just like my father, sorry daddy, but that’s maybe why you like this car so much) – was watching and trying to be a good student since I was a little child.

My parents perfect relationship might be the main reasons why I was not married till now, just because the benchmark is very high. And if I don’t get married this afternoon it will be a bit difficult to get as rich as my parents already are now!

One of my wishes since I was a little boy (beside becoming a racing-driver and a airplane-pilot, like most men) was going to the Seychelles. I actually don’t know why exactly those islands where in my mind all those years (even if I had been at some amazing places such as the Bahamas, Hawaii, Cuba, Phuket, Jamaica, Mauritius… before), but now the time just seemed right to go there.

Since I have never been there before I relied on the travel department of my Centurion card where to stay and they recommended the Banyan Tree Resort. So, we (my lucky lady and me) ended up in a very nice and rather large villa right at a white sandy beach with all facilities you might need in such a vacation-home.

On top of all that the service was just awesome! Twice a day the service girls (nothing nasty) came and cleaned, set the house in different moods for day and night, brought drinks and fresh fruits, did massages (again, nothing nasty) and so many more things which I have not experienced before.

That is why this is the place to charge your batteries and work even more when returning back to “real” life sothat I like to considered this rather expensive vacations as a very smart Investments – and after all THAT is my business!

(click on image to enlarge)

Today I have been at my first auction here in Monte Carlo and have got another piece of art which I am very happy about for several reasons:

First it is my first sculpture (except that an artist in Monaco has made me a present with one of his sculptures, but he has taken it back again because he expected me to persuade my friends to buy his art).

Second I really like the shape of it. It feels and touches so nicely that I can not pass by without touching it, a bit like the horse in the lobby of Hôtel de Paris. It has such nice curves that sometimes I can’t stop caressing it.

Further, the material it is made of is just perfect for that purpose. It is white marble that looks a bit cold from a distance, but is really warm when coming closer and touching it.

Last but not least, it was done by an artist who was born in Karlsruhe (Germany) just like one of our most important business partners (hello Rainer). Later she moved to Monaco to develop her skills to become one of the most impressive artists of our time.

That is why this sculpture will alway have a special place in my life.

Happy sunny day with my "oldie"

Since I drove the new Ferrari 458 Italia for the first time I knew that this is the ultimate sports car at the moment. I have had the pleasure to drive all of the predecessors from the 328 GTS over the 355 GTS to the 360 Modena, Spider and Challenge up to my current F430 Spider (already my second Spider because I gave the first one to a friend, but that’s another story, hello Edi).

There is only one reason why I do not yet have an Italia in my garage, simply because there is no Spider (Ferrari’s name for the open version of its mid-engine sports car) out yet. Even if there are rumors since more than one year that it will be presented anytime soon I think we will not see one before the end of the year in the streets of Monte Carlo or somewhere else.

But this does not make me unhappy at all (and if it would, there was something else wrong in my life). Last weekend I took my “old” 430 for the first time after the winter break (not sure if you can call what we have in Monaco ”winter” ) out for a little spin in my sunny home-town.

It was such a pleasure to open the roof and feel the warm, almost-spring air around my nose that I thought at that moment it does not really matter what car you are driving as long as the roof is down and the sun is shining. But it was only one short moment I thought that

This top-of-the-line car from Mercedes Benz is the very best compromise you will find on earth today if you are looking at the highest-end market.

All right, it is not as fast on some race tracks as the new Ferrari 458 Italia (actually no really usable car is as fast on a race track as the 458) but way more sportive than any other Coupé I can think of having. With 645 hp (all right, a bit tuned, the normal version has “only” 612 hp) and a torque of more then 1.000 nm you can really feel sheer power there. And the sound of its 12 cylinders in full action is – well – not to described in words.

At the same time you can cruise very comfortable with a friend and two ladies to the opera, listening at a very high quality to what you will hear later on live and all of you would sit extremely comfortable and – not to forget – in one of the safest places on the streets.