Bill Gates treats his family to a Mediterranean vacation

• World's richest man is vacationing with his family off the coast of Sardinia, Italy
• Is renting superyacht for $5million-a-week that cost $330million to build
• Was photographed also enjoying jet-skiing with his wife and three children

Bill Gates vacations exactly like you would imagine the richest man in the world should.

First up a relaxing game of tennis in the morning before being helicoptered - not ferried - back to the superyacht you and your family have chartered to the tune of $5 million-a-week.

Then, an exuberant jet ski around the $330 million boat with wife Melinda and children Rory, Jennifer and Phoebe, moored off the billionaires playground of Porto Cervo, Sardinia.

The Microsoft founder and philanthropist - worth $76 billion - has taken time away from his busy schedule to relax with his family - renting The Serene, the 436ft yacht of Stolichnaya vodka magnate, Yuri Scheffler, as a luxurious base.

Style: Bill Gates returns to The Serene, the $330 million yacht he has chartered for $5 million-a-week. Currently moored off the coast of Sardinia, Italy

Boating: The helicopter carrying Bill Gates approaches to land on The Serene -the world's 9th largest yacht - this week during the billionaire software pioneers vacation

Tough start: Bill Gates serves in his tennis match in Sardinia as he works up a sweat in the morning as he vacations with his family

Return: Keeping fit allows the 58-year-old to travel the world for his philanthropic ventures - such as working to rid the world of malaria

Smiles: The billionaire, who has a fortune of $76 billion and is the richest man in the world, seemed to enjoy his tennis match in Sardinia

Deft control: Bill Gates was playing to win during his tennis game in Sardinia this week

Beaming as he played his shots during his tennis game, Bill obviously had no need for a more traditional boat to get back to the huge yacht his family is aboard.

Walking with his entourage from the courts to his aerial transport, Bill was flown back to his yacht, christened The Serene, where he changed into a wet suit for a jet ski with his entire family.

Boasting not one, but two helicopter landing bads, because, let's face it one is never enough, The Serene can play host to 24 guests in 12 staterooms, which includes a master suite, one VIP stateroom, seven double cabins and three twin cabins.

 

Up close with the $300m super-yacht where Bill Gates is...

Stroll away: The billionaire walks away from the tennis courts at the billionaires playground of Porto Cervo, which became a resort when the Aga Khan purchased land along the Sardinian coast in the 1960s

Just bring your racket: Bill didn't need to bring much with him for his tennis match seeing as it was only a short hop from his yacht to court - via a helicopter

Your ride: Bill Gates gets ready to get inside his helicopter that will take him back to his rented yacht. In the past he has said that he does have guilty pleasure purchases - such as his own private plane

Can you take me to my yacht? The richest man in the world would have no problems finding a landing spot on his rented yacht - it has two helipads

Get comfortable: The billionaire prepares to sit down to be helicoptered back to the 436ft long yacht. When asked to reveal a secret about himself which no-one would expect, Gates said: 'Playing Bridge is a pretty old-fashioned thing in a way that I really like. 'I do the dishes every night - other people volunteer but I like the way I do it.'

Ready to go: Bill Gates prepares for take-off to be returned to his $5million a week yacht moored of Porto Cervo in Sardinia. In an interview earlier this year, Gates said he oesn't plan to stay at the office for days at a time as he did in his younger days when he had 'energy and naivete' on his side

Approach: This wider shot shows the green-grassed landing pad that the Microsoft billionaire's helicopter waited for him on. Gates held the title of 'richest man in the world' for 15 out of the past 20 years, but he was succeeded- briefly- by Mexican telecommunications magnate Carlos Slim Helu for the past four years

Luxury: While most would settle for a boat to take them back to their yacht, Bill Gates decided to go large

With 52 crew, The Serene also boasts a hanger for the helicopter, a seawater swimming pool, submarine hanger, a cinema and onboard WiFi.

LUXURY FIT FOR A BILLIONAIRE: THE $5 MILLION-A-WEEK BOAT CHARTERED BY BILL GATES

The Serene was built in 2011 for the owner of Stolichnaya vodka, Yuri Scheffler.
She is 436ft long and comes complete with a sundeck that has a wet bar, a wood fire pizza oven and a Teppenyaki grill.
She is capable of traveling 6,000 nautical miles on one tank of fuel, which is the same as traveling from London to New York and at least half way back again.
Her most impressive feature are her two helipads, but the luuxrious yacht does not shirk on features.
She also has an indoor climbing wall and a dedicated children's playroom to keep infants occupied.
She also has a fully equipped spa and club and three external swimming pools and one indoors.
Boasting an underwater viewing room, The Serene also has space or a large submarine able to reach a depth of more than 330 ft.

The opulent yacht also has a gym, swimming pool and two jacuzzis on deck.

The Serene also has a full library, health spa, underwater viewing room, nightclub and indoor climbing wall for the Microsoft billionaire and family to enjoy.

It has a cruising speed of 15 knots and is able to travel 6000 nautical miles on a full tank - which is almost the distance from London to New York and back again.

Indeed, the Gates family have been vacationing off the coast of Porto Cervo for years.

Every August the coastal town off the coast of Sardinia becomes a literal billionaires playground.

Originally owned by the Aga Khan, who bought up 50km of coastline almost as a private beach in the 1960s, Porto Cervo is now undergoing a mini-boom since he sold it to a consortium of bankers in the early part of the 21st century,

It is where Princess Diana spent her final days before her fated trip to Paris.

Former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi and ex-British prime minister Tony Blair have spent time relaxing in the sun there.

Now dotted with Louis Vuitton and Gucci stores, the coastline is the perfect spot for the richest man in the world to unwind.

However, they may be the children of the world's richest man, but Rory, Jennifer and Phoebe probably should enjoy this vacation while they can - because their father is not leaving them any of his $76 billion fortune.

Back on the boat: Bill Gates aboard The Serene with his wife, Melinda

Which wetsuit? Bill Gates looks for suitable gear to wear for a jetski while his son, Rory, runs past him

Family fun: Bill Gates, wife Melinda, daughter, Phoebe, son Rory and daughter Jennifer (being pulled from water) prepare to get wet off the coast of Porto Cervo

Adventure: The Gates family get ready to jet ski aboard the $5million-a-week superyacht The Serene which the billionaire is renting from the owner of the Stolichnaya vodka brand

Rested: Melinda Gates walks the decks of The Serene later that day while her husband prepares to head out again for a jet-ski

In a rare insight into his personal life in March, the Microsoft founder and his wife, Melinda, opened up about how they are raising their family.

The couple, speaking at a TED conference in Vancouver, said their children will be encouraged to make their own way in the world without the help of billion-dollar trust funds.

Gates said that instead of money, they had given their two daughters and son a good education so they can learn how to rely on their own abilities rather than their parents' fortune.

'You’ve easily got enough money despite your vast contributions to the foundation to make them all billionaires,' conference organizer Chris Anderson said.

Luxury: The Serene has the ability for two helicopters to land on deck - the circular pool seen in the middle of the boat can be transformed into a helipad

Opulence: The state room of The Serene is capable of hosting huge parties and guests of billionaires

Super: The Serene cost $330million and boasts space for 24 guests and 53 crew and was delivered to its owner, Stolichnaya tycoon, Yuri Scheffler in 2011

But, according to Wired, Gates responded by saying: 'They won’t have anything like that. They need to have a sense that their own work is meaningful and important.'

'You’ve got to make sure they have a sense of their own ability and what they’re going to go and do,' he added.

Anderson likened raising three children in the world's richest family 'to a social experiment without much prior art' before asking the couple, who run the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, how they had decided to raise their family.

'We want to strike a balance so they have the freedom to do anything but not sort of a lot of money showered on them so that they can go out and do nothing,' Gates said.

He added that they have told their children most of the fortune would be left to their charity, which tackles poor health and poverty.

Beach day: Microsoft founder Bill Gates later made his way to a beach near Porto Cervo, Sardinia, with his wife, Melinda. The husband and wife married in 1994 and now run the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in Seattle

Heat: Bill Gates used a boat to get to the beach after earlier transporting himself from his tennis match to his yacht via a helicopter. His foundation has assets worth $37.1 billion, thanks in part to contributions of shares from his mentor, American 'uber-investor' Warren Buffett

More blingtastic and vulgar than ever! It's that month when super rich Arabs flock here for an orgy of spending

• 'Ramadan Rush' sees Middle Easterners fly in to end fasting with indulgence
• They team Eid celebrations with spending outrageous amounts of cash
• Last year credit card processor Worldpay handled £73m from the shoppers
• Nightly supercar parades rev up outside Harrods and Harvey Nichols 

The Middle Eastern owner of the gleaming white Rolls-Royce doesn’t even glance at the double yellow lines as he parks over them outside the famous green-and-gold frontage of Harrods in London.

He is on his way to the store’s exclusive French cafe Ladurée, where outdoor tables are packed full of stylish men speaking Arabic and smoking, while glamorous women stand chatting in niqabs or brightly coloured scarves with jeans and stack-heeled designer trainers.

And as a parking warden fixes a £60 ticket to the perfectly polished windscreen of his car — a Phantom Drophead Coupé with a Saudi Arabian number plate — he doesn’t even flinch, simply continuing the animated chatter with friends. 

Ramadan Rush: Jordanians (from left) Zizi, Shahed, Janat and Fatima hit Knightsbridge in London for a spree

Striking gold: A heavily modified Range Rover that looks like a bar of bullion, worth £150,000. With gold-rimmed, carbon-black alloy wheels and wrap-around tinted windows, this golden bullet is powered by a 5.0 litre 500bhp V8 engine and will accelerate from rest to 62mph in just 5.4 second, with a top speed of around 140mph

After all, the car is worth £350,000, making the fine small change for a man of his means.

Besides, these wealthy men and women are here in the UK with one main objective — to spend outrageous amounts of cash.

It is late Thursday afternoon in the first week after Ramadan — the month-long Muslim fasting period that emphasises self-control and moderation.

When it ended last month, it heralded not just the traditional fast-breaking Eid celebrations, but also the now infamous ‘Ramadan Rush’, which sees thousands of super-rich Middle Easterners flying in from countries such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar.

They have one intention: to see off their month of fasting with major indulgence.

That means retail therapy on an eye-watering scale — and experts expect the post‑Ramadan splurge to last throughout August, not just in London, but all over Britain. The French ban on burqas, worn by women from some of the Middle East’s richest families, means the number of post-Ramadan visitors to the UK is even higher.

Last August, credit card processing giant Worldpay dealt with more than £73.2 million from Middle Eastern shoppers — a figure estimated to rise by 25 per cent.

Exuberant spending was certainly on display when the Mail visited London’s most expensive shopping destinations.

In the jewellery and watch departments at Selfridges on Oxford Street, we watched as one Middle Eastern man tried on an £18,000 limited-edition Hublot watch, while others clustered around £23,000 diamond-studded Piaget timepieces.

In Chopard’s discreet private room, reserved for the wealthiest customers, a group of three burqa-wearing ladies — exquisite eye make-up and pristinely manicured nails peeping through the black fabric — examined necklaces that retail at upwards of £6,000.

Big spenders: These shoppers load up on designer labels while shopping in the capital today

By far the most coveted items are designer handbags and shoes, which are plucked from the shelves like pick-and-mix. Women shopping in groups of twos or threes, perhaps with children in tow, will snap up armfuls of luxury accessories worth anything from £1,000 to £87,000.

When we visited Harrods, a robed and veiled woman was handing over her credit card to pay for two classic Chanel 2.2 handbags, costing £3,090 each, while young girls wearing headscarves picked up £2,300 denim-studded shoulder bags and pink quilted clutch bags — a bargain at £1,690.

It was the same story at all the luxury accessories departments.

In Dolce & Gabbana, twenty-something Middle Eastern shoppers tried £1,050 limited-edition handbags against their robes, one smiling woman instantly snapping up two. There was also lots of interest in Yves St Laurent’s latest wheeze: tiny handbags in an array of bright candy colours that are just begging to be collected, at a comparatively modest £1,300.

‘Customers often buy more than one colour because they can’t choose,’ the assistant reveals, as one young shopper, with the blue version already hanging over her black abaya cloak, handed over her card to buy the same bag in pink.

Gucci, too, is in on the act, with a £510 evening bag in a choice of bronze, gold, black and red. ‘They’ll buy all four at once,’ the assistant shrugs. ‘It happens all the time.’

Another Harrods worker told us: ‘I’ve seen a 14-year-old buying a crocodile bag for her mother. She paid the £12,000 price tag in cash.’

‘Some of our customers came across literally the day after Ramadan ended,’ says Adhum Carter, a partner at Pocketlife, a concierge firm for high net-worth individuals, which has bases in Dubai, London and Switzerland.

‘They love to stay at top hotels like the Dorchester and Brown’s, and many keep family flats here. They do a lot of shopping themselves, but they also like to use the services of personal shoppers.

‘Sometimes they might ring up and just say: “I’ve got a budget of £20,000, you know my taste, just get some stuff.”’

Not surprisingly, retailers fall over themselves to accommodate these lucrative customers in exquisite comfort. At Bond Street jeweller Boodles, staff are given training in cultural nuances, and a private area allows women to try on jewels without their faces being seen.

Among the Middle Eastern customers’ favourite lines is the Wonderland collection, costing from £30,000 to £300,000, specifically designed with their market in mind. More elaborate than other ranges in the Boodles collection, it features brightly coloured precious stones.

Light touch: Don’t let the subdued shade of this Bugatti Veyron fool you - the sculpted £1 million hypercar is powered by an 8-litre W16 engine, producing 1,000bhp. Put your foot down and it’ll hit 230mph in 30 seconds

High roller: With a £6,000 gold-plated Spirit of Ecstasy ‘Flying Lady’ at its prow, this bespoke £225,000 Rolls-Royce Wraith is spectacularly finished in Madeira Red and English White. It makes 0-62mph in 4.2 seconds

‘Where British shoppers might buy just one piece, the Middle Eastern customer might buy a whole suite,’ explains Boodles managing director Michael Wainwright, who might be forgiven for having something of a spring in his step.

Bouncing along the road behind Harrods, two twentysomething Saudi Arabian girls are thrilled with their handbags, purchased moments before but already slung over their shoulders.

But Lama Obi’s £1,840 caramel leather Prada tote and her friend Deema Alakeel’s blue Balenciaga Padlock mini, £875, are just the start of their month-long shopping trip, they tell us with a giggle. ‘I love London — the weather, the restaurants, everything,’ smiles Lama.

For Lama Al Qheliwi, 21, also from Saudi Arabia, it is choice that gives our shops the edge: ‘London is much better than Paris or Milan. Yesterday, I stocked up on Acqua Di Parma perfume [£63] and Monica Vinader jewellery, which aren’t available at home. Altogether, I’ll probably spend £10,000 to £20,000 shopping.’

Another group of seven elegantly robed women dangle an impressive collection of designer handbags — including an Yves St Laurent Betty (£1,385), a Chanel Boy (£2,850) and a Bottega Veneta shoulder bag (£2,185).

Many luxury stores such as Harrods, Selfridges and Harvey Nichols extend their opening hours during July and August. ‘Gulf clients like to shop late because they wake up late,’ an assistant in Versace explains. ‘They come here before going out for the evening.’

At Westfield shopping centre in West London, extra Arabic-speaking concierge staff are laid on for Ramadan and Eid, and the upmarket boutiques often employ Arabic-speaking female staff.

Money spider: This two-seater Ferrari 458 Italia is covered in a blue web ‘wrap’ and costs £160,000. The 4.5 litre V8 engine develops 570bhp, taking it from rest to 62mph in just 3.3 seconds

Rise of the machines: Built in Austria, this £80,000 Terminator-style KTM X-Bow supercar is open to the elements. When its 2.0 litre Audi engine is specially tuned, it can go from rest to 60mph in three seconds

There, we observed groups of Middle Eastern shoppers being ferried around the air-conditioned mall in chauffeur-driven electric red buggies laid on by the centre.

‘It’s been a busy start,’ says Myf Ryan, marketing director for Westfield UK And Europe. ‘Middle Eastern tourists take advantage of the concierge service because they buy a lot. To carry around all those bags is just not an option.’

Back in Knightsbridge, Sara Ali, 35, and her sister Batool, 20, are shopping on Sloane Street. ‘We’re on holiday with our children and our family, but without husbands because we want to do a lot of shopping and it’s boring for them,’ says Sara.

‘We’ve been in Harrods, Harvey Nichols, Bicester Village, and my best buys are from Dior — belts, accessories, wallets.

‘Why here? The weather maybe, and it’s more unique, more expensive things that I’d prefer to buy here rather than in Dubai.’

The wealthiest shoppers often fly in an entire entourage to help them with their shopping and partying, including bodyguard, chauffeurs and, of course, cars. In the evenings in Knightsbridge and Mayfair, fleets of so-called ‘supercars’ zoom through the streets, including a gun-metal grey bespoke Oakley-modified Porsche 918 ‘hypercar’ valued at an astonishing £900,000.

There’s also a £480,000 customised Lamborghini Aventador in dark chrome, a £170,000 modified Porsche GT2 and countless Ferraris, Bentleys and Mercedes.

They delight the assembled ‘carparazzi’ — supercar fans who flock here for the annual display.

Many of the vehicles have been customised, with bespoke modifications made for members of the Kuwaiti, Qatari and Saudi royal families on a money-no-object basis.

Mighty Merc: This six-wheel G63 AMG 6x6 is the largest civilian sports utility vehicle built by the German firm Mercedes. Powered by a vast twin-turbocharged 5.5-litre V8 bi-turbo engine, the beastly motor costs £370,000

Red bullet: The brushed-metal bonnet of this Maserati Granturismo MC Stradale tips the price over £150,000

‘What the drivers really want is individual one-offs,’ says Jon Oakley, owner of one company trusted with such alterations, Oakley Design. ‘They’ll have their names tooled into the exhaust and bodywork and so on.’

Drivers can use foreign registration plates for only six months at a time, so those who keep a car here for occasional visits snap up personalised British plates — though even these are somewhat pricy.

A company called Prestigious Plates is offering EMII RAT for £35,000, as well as KUW 4IIT, E9 YPT and YAII AA (for yalla, the commonly used Arabic phrase for ‘let’s go’).

Meanwhile, for mini-sheikhs, Harrods’ toy department offers a £29,895 Mini V8 Roadster and £39,900 mini Hummer for kids.

Of course, all these visitors need somewhere to stay between shopping trips, and the swankiest five-star hotels across the capital, from the Royal Garden Hotel in Kensington to The Langham in Regent Street, have seen smart Middle Easterners booking up to 80 per cent of the rooms.

Not that they handle the bookings themselves, of course — it is staff and high-level concierge companies who take care of everything, making sure their clients can fully enjoy the London lifestyle.

‘A lot of them find it more fun here,’ says Mr Carter. ‘When they’re in their mid-20s and at home with their families, they don’t get room to do much; they are under strict guidelines. But here, they have freedom.

‘This year we’ve made lots of club bookings for upmarket places like Annabel’s. Clients agree to spend at least £40,000 in the venue so they waive the membership requirement.’

Rumours abound, too, of the generosity of Middle Eastern visitors. Steven Skippen, a shoeshine at the Hilton Park Lane for the past 14 years, has polished the footwear of the King of Jordan and the Sultan of Brunei, and says his Middle Eastern clientele are ‘extremely generous’. One Arab even presented him with a £1,500 pair of Berluti shoes — his ‘absolute top favourite brand’.

And it’s not only adults’ footwear that he tends to. Every day, there’ll be a succession of Gucci and Louis Vuitton-clad kids who love nothing more than to jump into his chair.

Any colour you like: A Bugatti Veyron, hand-built at the firm’s boutique factory in Molsheim, north-eastern France, where the well-heeled customers can pick all variety hues to match their lipstick or nail varnish

Green with envy? This lime green Mercedes-Benz CLS 63 AMG Coupe stands out from the crowd at £82,000

He knows his Arab customers’ tastes in footwear well. In fact, rather surprisingly, Clarks is often among their favourite brands.

‘They like Louis Vuitton and Gucci, obviously, but in the Middle East, Clarks is promoted so well that when visitors come to London they rush there and buy loads of shoes. One of my clients from Bahrain says: “Oh, yeah, Clarks are the best shoes.” I haven’t the heart to tell him they are not. Primark bags are flowing through this hotel, too.’

But it is high-end designer goods that remain the biggest lure. Sisters Sara, Noura and Hessa Saud from Saudi Arabia are staying at the exclusive Grosvenor House Hotel on Park Lane with their family for one month.

Twenty-year-old Sara confesses: ‘Saudis are shopaholics, and at home, everything sells out really fast — so here we have a lot more choice. We like the items that are a big hit on the catwalk.’

It’s not just the retail sector raking in cash from Arab visitors. After the strict period of Ramadan fasting, female visitors also like to indulge in high-end beauty treatments, too.

Dr Aamer Khan, co-founder of the Harley Street Skin Clinic, says: ‘[During Ramadan] women can’t have injectables because they can’t take anything into their body. Following Ramadan, we get an influx for Botox and fillers and non-surgical injectables.’

Meanwhile, as dusk falls in Knightsbridge, the Ramadan Rush continues. The nightly supercar parade is revving up outside Harrods and Harvey Nichols, while chauffeurs drop off their high-spending female passengers, who are whizzed through the hotel entrances by slick doormen.

A good night’s sleep is essential. They need to recuperate in time to carry on their spending tomorrow.

Watch the birdie: Eagle-eyed

• Photographer Christian Kneidinger, 50, captured images in Linz, Austria
• He was trying to focus on colours but after a closer look spotted the 'bird'
• Centre of pink moth orchid shows an optical illusion of animal in flight
• Showed other visitors at Botanical Garden who could not believe it
• Said he was surprised and 'never expected to see something so magical'

An eagle-eyed photographer has captured these incredible pictures of an orchid that looks just like a bird.

Photographer Christian Kneidinger, 50, was taking pictures in a botanical garden in Linz, Austria, when he realised he was looking at something special. 

Initially the software engineer was trying to focus on the colour of the flowers but after an hour he took a closer look at the pink moth orchid and noticed an optical illusion of a bird in its centre.

The optical illusion of a bird can be seen in the pink moth orchid found at Botanical Garden in Linz, Austria

Photographer Christian Kneidinger from Austria could not believe his eyes when he captured the images

‘I showed other visitors what I had captured, but no one could believe it. Everyone was so surprised, even when I showed them the orchid,’ he said.

‘I was trying to get some beautiful pictures of some beautiful plants. I never expected to see something so magical.’

‘I came by the bird completely by chance. I thought I was seeing things, but it felt so real.

‘I knew I had to capture it before it disappeared and I'd think my eyes had been deceiving me.’

Mr Kneidinger, who lives in Austria, used a DSLR 5D Mark III camera with a Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L lens and a Macro IS USM lens to capture the stunning pictures.

He said: ‘I looked through the finder of my DSLR and I noticed that it looked like a bird - I was really surprised.

Mr Kneidinger said he showed it to other visitors at the Botanical Garden in Linz, Austria, who couldn't believe it

He used a DSLR 5D Mark III camera with a Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L lens and a Macro IS USM lens for the image

Christian Kneidinger, 50 (pictured), said: 'I never expected to see something so magical¿

‘Looking at it through the camera monitor didn't have the same feeling as in real life, so I took my video LED light that I use to brighten shadows.

‘I placed the light behind the flower and reduced the intensity, and I got what I expected. It was amazing.’

The orchid, scientifically known as a Phalaenopsis, was found among the 10,000 various plants at the Botanical Garden in Linz, which houses five greenhouses full of exotic floras.

‘It shows how beautiful these flowers are and how nature is at one,’ added Mr Kneidinger.

‘I try to go with open eyes everywhere I go and I try to use different views.

‘I take time watching for my desired object and sometimes, like now, something unexpected happens.’

Saudi tourist flies in to London

• Modified Range Rover the latest supercar spotted in West London
• Motor is painted gold and features large bumpers and vent on the bonnet
• It is thought car's rich Saudi owner had it shipped over for his holiday
• Follows series of sightings of expensive cars in the Knightsbridge area 

The supercars parading through London's streets reached a whole new level of extravagance this week when a wealthy Arab rolled his gold Range Rover into town.

The 'Mystere' is a £150,000 version of the famous British vehicle which has been given an overhaul by German tuning house Hamann.

The car's normal design has been replaced with a customised body-kit which includes oversized bumpers and a bonnet vent.

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The £150,000 'Hamann Mystere' is one of the most flamboyant vehicles yet to be seen in the capital

It is thought the Range Rover's Saudi owner brought the car over with him for his summer stay in London
Its Saudi owner has also opted for the luxury off-roader, which is fitted with 23-inch alloy wheels, to be kitted out with a black and gold wrap.

The car, with the registration plate '666', has been flown over to the UK by its Saudi owner and is parked outside the expensive Wellesley Hotel in Knightsbridge.

A top-spec Range Rover costs £100,000 - with Hamann charging around £50,000 for the 'Mystere' conversion.

It is one of a number of flamboyant cars which have arrived in London for the summer season, when Middle-Eastern millionaires escape the desert temperatures for a holiday in the UK.

One local resident said: 'Range Rovers don't normally stand out because there are so many of them in London, but this one is different.'

'You can't miss it. It is amazing that the owner, who must be quite rich, decided to have it wrapped gold coloured. It is so eye-catching, but I don't think it will be winning any style awards.

The luxury off-roader was spotted in the car park of the Wellesley Hotel in Knightbridge, opposite Hyde Park

It comes after this ornately-painted Lamborghini Aventador was spotted in the area last summer

The 4x4's gold finish is similar to this Bugati Veyron which was parked outside the Dorchester last year

He added: 'It was parked next to a Rolls-Royce Ghost, and you hardly noticed the Roller. It is not often that a Rolls-Royce looks like the understated car.'

Last year, residents of West London complained the capital was being inundated with supercars, which they claimed were leading to unruly driving.

Petrol-heads were seen driving round wealthy areas of the city in Lamborghinis, Ferraris and Bugattis and attracting bands of camera-carrying youngsters, known as the Carparrazzi.

Channel 4 made a documentary about the drivers, called Millionaire Boy Racers, after local residents called for a clampdown.

In 2010, a £1.2 million Koenigsegg CCXR and £350,000 Lamborghini Murcielago were clamped outside famous department store Harrods.

The supercars, like this Lamborghini, are regularly seized by police for over suspicions about their insurance

This bright pink Rolls Royce was among the expensive cars spotted in London last summer

Local residents say their lives have been made a misery by the supercars like these driving around the district

Crowds of tourists watched in disbelief as a traffic warden first ticketed then clamped both vehicles, which were believed to have belonged to the oil-rich Qatari royal family.

It was the first summer in which the so-called 'invasion of Arab supercars' was noticed on London's streets, with a £1 million-plus Bugatti Veyron and a £500,000 Mercedes Benz McLaren SLR, both chrome-finished and with Middle Eastern plates, spotted outside the Berkeley Hotel in Knightsbridge.

It is believed wealthy Arabs from Qatar, Abu Dhabi, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia relocate to the capital in the Middle East's hottest summer months and compete over who can show off the most expensive vehicle. 

Experts said insuring some the supercars on London's roads can cost more than £50,000-a-year, with a £15,000 excess.

Last summer, a £350,000 purple and orange Lamborghini was seized by the police after the driver was pulled over, again outside Harrods, because of police concerns about his insurance.

Weeks later the same car was seen back on the streets, but was given a parking ticket just days after police handed it back to the owner.

A policeman talks to the owner of a blue Maserati on a double red line route during the Channel 4 show

This gold and white Bugatti put two Porsches in the shade when it parked outside Harrods last summer

These supercars - a Lamborghini Murcielago and a Koenigsegg CCXR - were seen in Knightbridge's Sheraton Park hotel last summer

The King of Rock and Rollers: Elvis's Rolls-Royce Phantom'

• King of Rock's old limousine will go under the hammer during a Bonhams auction in California next month
• Icon bought the luxury car in 1963 and had it sent to coachbuilder James Young who fitted it with new accessories
• Memphis's most famous son held on to the car for five years before donating it to charity, where it sold for $35,000
• Elvis was a renowned car fan - owning a number of Cadillacs, Jaguars and a BMW  

A prized possession of one music's biggest petrolheads, Elvis Presley, is set to fetch up to $300,000 at auction next month.

Elvis bought the Rolls-Royce Phantom V brand new in 1963 and had it custom-fitted with the latest gadgets including a telephone, electric windows and a microphone. 

The car was initially midnight blue, but he was forced to have it re-painted a lighter silver because his mother's chickens would repeatedly peck at their reflections when he visited her.

Rock and rolls: Elvis's 1963 Royals Royce Phantom will go under the hammer next month and is expected to fetch between $200,000 and $300,000

Luxurious: He bought the car in 1963 and sent it to a coach builder to have it equipped with the latest gadgets. The car was initially midnight blue, but he was forced to repaint it light silver because his mother's chickens kept pecking at it

Elvis was renowned for his love of cars, especially Rolls Royces. He is pictured here with another Phantom he bought in 1961 outside his Graceland mansion 

When his new purchase arrived, he sent it to Britain where coachbuilder James Young installed the newest gadgets including a Blaupunkt Koln radio, parking and flashing lights and air conditioning.

The car will go under the hammer next month at a Bonhams sale in The Quail, California and is expected to sell for between $200,000 and $300,000.

The centre rear armrest featured a writing pad, mirror and clothes brush while a fitted cabinet contained cut glass decanters and crystal glasses.

Under the bonnet was a 6.2-litre, V8 engine which gave the 2.6-ton car 200bhp and a top speed 

of around 100mph.

Elvis, then a 28-year-old global sensation, had the 20-foot long car shipped out to his home in Bel Air, Los Angeles, where he entertained the likes of The Beatles.

Memphis's most famous son held on to the Rolls-Royce for five years before donating it to charity, where it sold for $35,000 (£20,500).

It then disappeared for the next 20 years until it was bought by its current owner at a memorabilia auction in London.

They have kept it in a private museum and used it sparingly, with the car regularly maintained by English Rolls-Royce restorers Frank Dale and Stepsons.

Bonhams yesterday described the Rolls-Royce as 'one of the more significant Phantom V's to have come up for sale in recent years'.

The auction house added: 'It is a most interesting model of this highly desirable motorcar complete with undisputed Elvis provenance

'It is offered with copy of its original chassis card confirming the original owner as well as his exacting specifications.

'This important and significant Rolls-Royce Phantom V, with its undisputed place in pop culture history, will surely be jewel in the crown for any Elvis collector.'

Steering wheel: After the car was given a makeover, with new seating and radio put in place, it was shipped to his home in Bel Air, Los Angeles 

Grey interior: Memphis's most famous son held on to the Rolls-Royce for five years before donating it to charity, where it sold for $35,000.

Innovative: Elvis had the car fitted with all the latest gadgets of the time including a telephone, electric windows and air conditioning 

Proof: The car comes with its original documents. The form states that the owner is 'Elvis Presley' and the coach builder who designed the interior is Briton, James Young

Is this the most expensive Ferrari ever?

• The 1965 handbuilt Ferrari sold at auction for £1million in the mid-1990s but is now expected to fetch up to £20million
• It is one of only three models of its kind, can reach a top speed of 170mph and was once owned by a British colonel
• The grey 275 GTB/C Speciale is scheduled to go under the hammer at an auction in Monterey, California on August 15

A 50-year-old Ferrari which is one of only three of its kind and described as one of the iconic car maker’s most important models is expected to sell for a whopping £20million.
The 1965 handbuilt Ferrari, which has mainly been used as a road car even though it was designed to compete at motorsport events, can reach a top speed of 170mph.
Despite it selling at auction for less than £1million in the mid-1990s, it is now expected to fetch £20million when it goes under the hammer in California next month.

The 1965 handbuilt Ferrari, which has mainly been used as a road car even though it was designed to compete at motorsport events, can reach a top speed of 170mph

The 50-year-old grey Ferrari 275 GTB/C Speciale is one of only three of its kind and has been described as one of the iconic car maker's most important models

Despite being designed to compete at motorsport events, the sports car has mainly been used as a road vehicle over the years and was once owned by a British colonel

The stunning grey 275 GTB/C Speciale, known as 06701, was owned by an English colonel in 1970s.
It is made from super-lightweight aluminium and powered by a V12 engine which develops around 300bhp.
There are only two other models exactly like it, and it is thought both of those may never go onto the open market again.
The sports car is the star lot at RM Auctions’ Monterey sale in California next month, with one expert calling it a ‘once in a lifetime opportunity’.
Shelby Myers, senior specialist at RM Auctions, said the car’s ‘almost unbelievable rarity and high performance are matched only by its stunning good looks’.

The sports car is the star lot at RM Auctions' Monterey sale in California next month, with one expert calling it a 'once in a lifetime opportunity'

It is powered by a V12 engine which develops around 300bhp. There are only two other models like it, and it is thought both of those may never go on the market again

Shelby Myers, senior specialist at RM Auctions, said the car's 'almost unbelievable rarity and high performance are matched only by its stunning good looks'

The stunning grey 275 GTB/C Speciale, which is known as 06701, is made from super-lightweight aluminium and was once owned by an English colonel in 1970s

She said: ‘Simply put, this is one of the most important Ferraris in the world, and absolutely one of the most important motor cars ever to come to auction.
‘These cars were a clear evolution of the GTO concept, one of which set a record at Le Mans that stands to this day.
‘06701’s two sister cars are in highly respected private collections, from which they will certainly not emerge in the near future.
‘This sale is unquestionably a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.’

The Ferrari 275 GTB/C Speciale, which is in excellent condition, is scheduled to go under the hammer in Monterey, California over the weekend of August 15-16

The sports car was carefully restored about a decade ago, which saw it finished with its current two-tone silver and grey color scheme - throwback to its original

At one point, the car was owned by Ferrari collector, Brandon Wang who showed it off at various competitive events, including the International Festival at Goodwood, Tutte Le Ferrari in Mugello and the 1997 Tour Auto

The Ferrari’s first owner was a businessman who used it as a road car before selling it on to its next owner, who kept and maintained the vehicle for 25 years.
It was later passed onto Ferrari collector, Brandon Wang, who showed it off at various competitive events, including the International Festival at Goodwood, Tutte Le Ferrari in Mugello and the 1997 Tour Auto.
Following a restoration which saw the car refinished in its current two-tone silver and grey color scheme - throwback to its original colour scheme - the car was passed on to its current owner.
The Ferrari 275 GTB/C Speciale will go under the hammer in Monterey, California over the weekend of August 15-16.