2005 Audi A8
 By  Mitch McCullough and
J.P. Vettraino 
$66,590 to
$68,500

Apreamare 14.5
 By Dag Pike

from
$1.5 million

New 12-cylinder W12. W stands for Wow! For the past decade, Audi has invested heavily in technology intended to establish itself once-and-for-all on equal terms with German heavyweights BMW and Mercedes-Benz. The company's flagship sedan, the 2005 Audi A8, suggests Audi has not only matched its primary rivals in most areas, but surpassed them in some.

The A8 is Audi's largest, most sophisticated sedan: Comfortable, fast and very smooth. Yet those qualities are the baseline for full-size cars in this price range. The A8 is the newest of Germany's Big Three luxury sedans, and it raises the performance bar in many respects. It's more refined that the Mercedes S-Class, and more handsome to many than BMW's 7 Series. Nor is Audi resting on the A8's achievements. All new for model year 2004, the A8 nonetheless adds features for 2005. The line has been expanded with two new variants, including the ultra-luxurious, 12-cylinder A8 L 6.0.

This distinctive Italian design is a standout among midsize cruising yachts.  Aldo Aprea, the founder and CEO of Apreamare in Italy, is proud of the historical ties to his boats. "Our designs are based on the traditional Mediterranean Gozo, the boat that fishermen have used for centuries in these waters. We still build our boats first with emotion and then add the modern technology."

The latest addition to the Apreamare line is the 14.5 Meter, which I tested in Sorrento. It's come a long way from its traditional roots, although it's built in the same place where the first Gozos were produced.

The 14.5 looks at home in the waters of the Mediterranean with its rich, varnished trim, simulated planking on the fiberglass hull and rounded transom. Yet the Apreamare is going to be a standout wherever it goes, both for its world-class quality and unique style, which is as distinctive in the Med as it is in New England. There are now more than 50 Apreamares in the United States (the company is now owned by the Ferretti Group), and these designs have proven to be interesting alternatives to the classic American lobsterboat.

When you step aboard, you enter a world of teak. Well, it's not quite all teak because the wide caprail is varnished mahogany, but the deck, fittings and passerelle are teak. You can almost smell the wood. The cockpit is on the same level as the salon. The areas are separated by a double sliding door. On the test boat, the doors rattled a bit when the boat was under way, but the boat I ran was a prototype; modifications were to be made on future production models. Seating includes a wonderful, semi-circular bench at the transom and the more formal settee in the salon. The salon deck is also teak, as are the furniture and fittings, so there is a great continuity of feeling.

The 14.5 weighs more than 50,000 pounds, making this a heavy boat that offers a comfortable ride at sea. Unlike traditional Gozos, the Apreamare has a modified deep-V hull that planes comfortably. .........More>>>>