Luxury LIfestyle

This 34-carat diamond-encrusted $554,000 key fob could be yours

Eileen Falkenberg-Hull
Dec 5, 2019, 9:58 am

A Finland-based company is now selling high-end custom key fobs.

Photo courtesy of Awain

For when the common key fob just isn't enough, there's the Awain car key. Described by the brand as "The most exclusive car key," Alain's key fobs offer everything from a brushed titanium and anodized blue silver car key to a fob encrusted with 34.5 carats in trillion and round cut diamond.

"When I was a motor journalist, I noticed that most luxury and supercar keys were fairly non- descript and made of plastic," said Jalmari Mattila, CEO, Awain. "They didn't have the same craftsmanship or finesse as the cars they powered, which seemed like such a shame. So, with that in mind, I enlisted the help of designer Leevi Markkula and watchmaker Joakim Jokela to help me create a really beautifully crafted, bespoke and incredibly luxurious key. After two years of honing and perfecting the technical and aesthetic design, Awain and our exclusive line of keys were born."

Awain key fob custom Some models have leather and metal accents while others feature diamonds.Photo courtesy of Awain

The company offers two collections of fobs with three car keys to choose from within each collection. Grand Prix Collection models are lower end models that are named after historic race circuits: Monaco, Spa, and Suzuka. Those three models are available in eight different leather and stitching colors. The design of the keys in this collection are more understated than the others that Awain offers.

Quantum, Serenity, and Phantom models are higher-end and feature diamond designs. The Quantum model has just 345 diamonds totaling 3.6 carats in diamond while the top Phantom fob has 34.5. Serenity models have 1,250 diamonds. Buyers are offered their choice of five inner colors for their fob and Quantum buyers have three metals to choose from as well.

Awain key fob diamonds Phantom The Phantom model is a hand-customized creation that has its price tag top $500,000.Photo courtesy of Awain

The Finland-based company touts the fobs as a, "functional work of art" and describes its production process as "badass craftsmanship." Grand Prix Collection keys take the company's Nordic craftsmen upwards of 20 hours to create by hand. The more expensive Prestige Collection models take upwards of 100 hours.

Prices for the pieces range from around $11,000 to upwards of $554,000 per key.

As if the price isn't limiting enough, the brand messaging on Awain's website describes the fobs as for, "an exclusive group of true global elites." If you have to ask if you qualify, you probably don't.

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New Model News

Bentley Continental GT Mulliner Convertible takes open top grand touring up a notch

The Bentley Continental GT Mulliner Convertible is a new addition to the automaker's lineup.

Photo courtesy of Bentley Motors

The Bentley Continental GT Mulliner Convertible is the first member of the new Collections portfolio introduced by Bentley Mulliner, a division of Bentley that raises the bar on vehicle offerings with additional possibilities for customization.

Up front are cut-crystal inspired, precision-made headlamps, which sit on the sides of a new Double Diamond front grille. There are also bespoke Mulliner-branded side vents that feature a silver-on-black diamond theme, illuminated Mulliner tread plates, and LED welcome lamps that project the Bentley wings to the ground from the door mirrors.

Bentley Continental GT Mulliner Convertible The model features many of the same body characteristics of the traditional Continental.Photo courtesy of Bentley Motors

Under the hood is the buyer's choice of a twin-turbocharged 6.0-liter W12 or a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 engine. The larger engine gets the car from zero to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds and has a top speed of 207 mph. The V8 has a top speed of 198 mph and gets to 60 mph off the line in 4.0 seconds.

The open-top car has Grand Black wallet veneer standard. Buyers can stay standard or opt to customize the look by choosing from 87 other piano-finished wood veneers. Options include the ability to match the wood to the exterior of the car. To do this, burr walnut veneer is hand sanded and polished to produce a smooth finish before painting to match the color of the customer's choice. Once dry, the veneer is polished to achieve a mirror-like finish.

Chrome details overlay the piano veneer, even showing a convertible silhouette in the passenger fascia and a B-motif in the door waistrails.

Buyers can choose from eight custom-made three-color combinations for the interior. The hand-stitched hides are embellished with unique Mulliner-branded embroidery.

Bentley Continental GT Mulliner Convertible

Bentley Continental GT Mulliner Convertible

Photo courtesy of Bentley Motors

The Double Diamond design continues into the cabin where a quilter version of the concept adorns four seats, door casinos, rear quarters, and a tonneau cover. To delver the quilting across the cabin, there are almost 400,000 stitches. Each diamond contains 712 individual stitches.

The center console has a Diamond Milled Technical finish. There's a Breitling for Mulliner clock that features a brushed metallic face and bejeweled hour marks. The clock bezel and air vent surrounds are finished in chrome.

Bentley is making the Continental GT Mulliner Convertible available with a Naim for Bentley audio system. The setup features 18 speakers and two Active Bass transducers driven by a 2,200‑watt, 20-channel amplifier and eight DSP sound modes with Active Bass.

The Continental GT Mulliner Convertible rides on new 22-inch 10-spoke painted and polished wheels that have floating, self-leveling wheel badges that remain upright as the wheel rotates.

Buyers get the keys to their car I a Mulliner-branded handcrafted presentation box, which matches the three-color interior configuration of the car. The two keys are provided in similarly color-matched leather cases with contrast stitching.

Pricing of the model depends on options chosen.

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Turn it Up

Pininfarina, Naim Audio pair 1,874 horsepower with 1,300 watts of sound

The Pininfarin Battista starts at 2.6 million euros.

Photo courtesy of Pininfarina

Automobili Pininfarina has chosen Naim Audio to create the in-car sonic experience for the most powerful Italian sports car of all time. The move will give the Battista 1,300 watts of sound.

The bespoke audio system delivers 1,300 watts of power through 10 speakers. It has a dual voice call subwoofer between the driver and passenger seats and super-tweeters are located behind the seats of the coupe in the panels of the car's butterfly doors.

Pininfarina Battista

Pininfarina Battista

Photo courtesy of Pininfarina

"Our clients are eagerly anticipating the unprecedented 1,900 PS driving performance of Battista, and now we will provide an equally thrilling 1,300-watt in-car sound experience for their pleasure," said Rene Wollmann, Automobili Pininfarina Director of Sportscars. "We will also harness the sound of Battista's four e-motors, which will provide a unique and exciting soundtrack when this hypercar accelerates at speeds up to 350 km/h. Electrification creates an entirely new dimension and opportunity for sound tuning throughout Battista."

Naim Audio, a division of VerVent Audio, is relying on its sister brand Focal to optimize the speakers for their environment. The teammates have tuned the car's amplification and built-in Digital Signal Processing system to deliver an immersive experience with auditorium-like effect. In a release, the company says that this "will make it seem as if musicians are playing inside Battista itself."

At cruising speeds, the nature of Battista will be serene and peaceful and in this scenario, sound quality will be critical," said Charlie Henderson, Naim Audio Managing Director. "We see this as a fantastic opportunity to create an all-new sound experience that is as revolutionary as Battista itself. Using the finest components from audiophile-grade automotive speakers, alongside our expertise in DSP and audio tuning, Battista will offer an exceptional sonic experience."

Each Pininfarina Battista will be hand-crafted in Cambiano, Italy. No more than 150 will be made. The car starts at 2.6 millions euros.

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