Luxury Vehicles: The luxury car market hasn't traditionally had to tempt buyers with anything more than exclusivity, style and power. But with luxury car sales down nearly 32% this year, luxury carmakers are resorting to tactics traditionally reserved for the commodity car brands.
Cash back incentives, low-interest financing and even touting environmental friendliness are all ways of finding customers outside the typical luxury buyer base. Or in some cases, luring a luxury buyer out of shelter from the economic storm and into action.
BMW, for example, is offering interest rates as low as 1.9% on some new models, and has been focusing more heavily on its certified pre-owned program as well. BMW is also one of the carmakers most concerned with offering a green image, touting its availability of diesels and preparing to introduce its first pair of hybrids to the U.S. in the form of the ActiveHybrid X6 and 7-series.
Bentley is also offering very low financing rates--as low as 0.9%--on the $179,000 Continental GT. Porsche is likewise offering deals, but in the form of cash back. Average cash incentives on newly-purchased Porsches for the year through August were $4,412, a rise of 657% from last year, according to the Detroit Free Press.
Even Mercedes-Benz is offering low 1.9-2.9% rates and special lease pricing on some of its vehicles, notably the C-Class Sedan, CLK-Class cabrio and CLS-Class four-door coupe. Mercedes is no stranger to diesel or hybrid vehicles either, recently introducing the S400 hybrid sedan to the U.S. to help win eco-conscious buyers that still want a luxury image. The S400 hybrid is, incidentally, the most affordable S-Class as well.
The bottom line to all this? If you're in the market, now's a great time to buy. With forecasted slow but steady rises in vehicle sales throughout 2010, these deals will slowly fade away, but in the mean time, there are serious savings to be had.
Luxury Cars: For nearly two decades, Acura has been delivering high-performance luxury vehicles. The new 2010 Acura ZDX is no exception, featuring the style of a coupe, with the comfort of a sedan and the cargo space of an SUV.
"The ZDX is like nothing you have ever seen before from Acura," said Jeff Conrad, vice president of Acura sales. "It combines the best attributes of a coupe, a sedan and a sport utility - all wrapped in a beautifully sculpted package - that will attract an entirely new luxury customer to the Acura brand." After making its debut at the 2009 New York International Auto Show in April, the ZDX will stay true to the original sketch from Acura's first female designer, Michelle Christensen. The SUV features key design highlights of a panoramic glass roof, hidden rear door handles and bold fender flares.
The new ZDX redefines the concept of a personal luxury vehicle with Acura's "Passionate Getaway" experience. Whether you are cruising along a freeway or going through rugged terrain, the ZDX has all the bases covered. The responsive, flexible, efficient and clean 300-hp VTEC® V-6 engine and Super Handling All-Wheel Drive? (SH-AWD®) system makes the ZDX the most innovative luxury vehicle on the road.
While Acura's newest design is a ground-breaking high-performance vehicle, inside the cabin the ZDX retains all the comfort and luxury Acura owners have come to expect and more. The ZDX interior offers Acura's first hand-stitched leather dashboard, door panels and sculpted center console as well as ample LED lighting. Also offered is a unique moonroof that is an integral design aspect of the longest glass roof in the industry with dual automatic sunshades that open and closes at the touch of a button. The cabin additionally offers plenty of storage options, with fold-down seats, removable side panels and an under-floor stowing area.
This revolutionary vehicle was designed, developed and manufactured entirely in North America and will be available at Acura dealerships beginning this winter.
Luxury Vehicles: It's not even out yet and already the 2010 Jaguar XJ is grabbing headlines all across the spectrum--from its controversial roofline and C-pillar to a possibly illegal dual-view navigation screen, the next XJ is pushing boundaries. Following on that theme, the 2010 XJ will also include a relatively new technology as standard equipment: HD Radio.
The HD Radio feature will be offered throughout Jaguar's North American territory. The 2010 XJ is available for order, but won't be hitting dealerships until early next year. If you just can't wait, the XKR and XFR also offer HD Radio as standard equipment and are on sale now.
Big deal you say? Well, consider that while XM Sirius satellite radio offers a wide range of genre-specific stations, it also requires a monthly subscription. HD Radio provides the highest-quality over-the-air digital talk and music all for free.
Combined with the available 1,200-Watt Bowers & Wilkins premium surround system available on the 2010 XJ, the HD Radio channels are sure to sound fantastic. The Bowers & Wilkins sound system first debuted in the XF sedan in 2007.
Luxury Vehicles: Governments around the world are bowing to public pressure to reduce levels of greenhouse gases their respective countries produce, and more often than not, the first sector they look at is the auto industry. Here in the U.S. the government has imposed a tough 35.5 mpg fleet-wide fuel economy standard for 2016, while in Europe the government wants to put a limit on CO2 levels--something that could have disastrous effects for niche players like Ferrari. In fact, the changes have Ferrari so worried that engineers for both its F1 division and road cars are hard at work developing methods to reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions of its engines.
Ferrari's management has maintained that any reduction of CO2 levels will not come at the cost of performance but recognize that it has a tough challenge on its hands.
Speaking at the 2009 Frankfurt Auto Show, Ferrari boss Amadeo Felisa has now revealed that the company's first production hybrid model is likely to be fitted with a V-12 engine. However, he conceded that it will be some time until the model arrives as battery technology is not at the level Ferrari requires.
Felisa stressed that the V-12 engine is here to stay and that other plans for reducing fuel consumption, such as introducing equally potent turbocharged V-8 engines, won't phase out the big mills anytime soon.
Earlier this year Felisa revealed that a concept based on Ferrari's hybrid system was in the works, and is likely headed to the 2009 Los Angeles Auto Show. His comments came after the leak of some official patent filings revealing schematics for a four-wheel drive hybrid system. Furthermore, former Ferrari president Luca Cordero di Montezemolo also revealed plans for a 599 prototype testing Ferrari's new hybrid technology.
Before any hybrid, however, we'll see 'simple' fuel saving features, such as engine stop-start and more direct-injection technology, make their way onto Ferrari's road cars.
Luxury Vehicles: According to the source of 4WheelsNews, who was present at the private unveiling of the new car, Bugatti Galibier (for those who don't know the manufacturer also used the name on the 1939 Bugatti Type 57C Galibier Saloon) is the name of the latest 4-door coupe from the Molsheim-based manufacturer.
The Galibier, named after a mountain pass in the southern region of the French Dauphiné Alps near Grenoble, is the vehicle teased by the manufacturer back in July, the one with the spectacular 8-pipe exhaust system.
Unlike the Veyron, the Galibier carries the W16 engine in the front, weighs around 1900 kg and is capable to achieve a top speed of around 350 km/h (still impressive we'd say) and will not need a second key like its 2-door brother in order to reach the incredible speed.
Regarding it's body, this is built using carbon fiber and has a total length of about 5.3 meters, with almost 80 inches longer than the Veyron.
Regarding the debut of the car, this remains a mystery. We will not see it at the Frankfurt Motor Show because Bugatti will not be there...
Luxury Vehicles: Audi R8 Spyder is the latest response from the German manufacturer to the supercar elite. The new convertible is the most expensive vehicle from the Audi and carries a price tag of ?156,400.
Regarding its engine, the new car comes with the same engine found on the coupe version: the 5.2-litre V10 capable to develop 525 hp and 530 Nm (390.91 lb-ft) of torque at 6,500 rpm.
With this amount of power, the R8 Spyder can sprint from 0 to 100 km(62.14 mph) in 4.1 seconds, to 200 km/h (124.27 mph) in 12.7 seconds and has a top speed of 313 km/h (194.49 mph).
The electrohydraulic soft top transforms the coupe in a convertible in just 10 seconds, even even while driving at speeds up to 50 km/h (31.07 mph).
Luxury Vehicles: It hit the track and drove in public for the first time just last month at Laguna Seca during the Pebble Beach Concours, and now Fisker Automotive has released the first fuel efficiency figures for its upcoming Karma luxury plug-in hybrid sedan. The figures are not your typical EPA estimates, however, but results from the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE).
The SAE ratings say the Fisker Karma is good for 67 mpg - an impressive result, especially given the Karma's rather un-hybrid-like six-second 0-60 mph time, 403 horsepower and luxury/sport design. The Karma is also clean, emititng just 83 grams of CO2 per kilometer traveled.
"The Fisker Karma is the future of driving," said Henrik Fisker, CEO. "It proves we can drive environmentally responsible cars without sacrificing the emotional things that made us fall in love with cars in the first place."
But is there more to the story? Of course there is.
While it could cost just 3 cents per mile to run the Fisker Karma plug-in hybrid - under near-ideal circumstances - the reality is that it will depend on how you use it. Drive it in performance mode with your foot to the floor, and you'll see considerably less efficiency. Plug it in everywhere you go and rarely dip into the gasoline-powered generator's reserve and you'll see considerably more.
As John Voelcker at Green Car Reports points out, there are a lot of issues with determining the fuel efficiency rating of series hybrids. "Performance mode" is a particular killer in the Karma, since it sucks down the relatively efficient grid-derived battery electricity and brings on the need for the dino-juice-powered generator sooner.
The more efficient "Stealth" mode lets the car operate closer to its full potential, though Fisker sees a mixture of the two modes as the most "real world" scenario for owners of the Karma. Under such conditions, Fisker estimates the Karma's fuel costs at about 7 cents per mile.
Another important thing to keep in mind is that the SAE methods do not duplicate the EPA's, so the rating the government issues may also differ. But whatever the final number the Karma ends up wearing in its window, it's impressive to see a vehicle with the Karma's capabilities - at least on paper - coming to production.
Luxury Vehicles: Not only has McLaren launched its own separate automotive division, it has also released a new supercar named the MP4-12C. The British race engineering firm developed the car entirely in-house and has incorporated its latest advances in automotive technology as seen from the Formula 1 circuit.
McLaren's engineers used an extremely light and rigid carbon fiber tub but they didn't use the heavier multi-piece tubs used by its competitors and predecessors. Instead, they used a single piece, weighing only 176 pounds. Compared to rivals, the MP4-12C is lighter in weight but is more expensive than either the new Ferrari 458 Italia or the Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4.
The MP4-12C is expected to have a £160,000 ($265k) price tag, due partly to its body panels, which are all carbon fiber and composites.
Luxury Vehicles: The successor to the legendary Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing from the 1950s (and replacement for the SLR) has finally been revealed today with a new batch of high-resolution photos after months of drip-fed teasers and spy shots. Picking up the official title of SLS AMG--a nod to its exclusive development by Mercedes- official in-house tuner, AMG--the latest model is set to grace the stands at next week's 2009 Frankfurt auto show before going on sale early next year.
In true gullwing style, the 2010 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG features a pair of vertically lifting doors that almost resemble wings once fully extended. These are bolted to a new aluminum spaceframe, which provides an almost perfect front-to-rear weight distribution of 48-to-52%.
Power comes from a revised version of AMG's now-familiar 6.2L V-8 mated to an all-new 7-speed dual-clutch transmission mounted on the rear axle. Peak output stands at 571 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque. Changes to the engine include a new magnesium intake with eight separate velocity stacks, two electronically controlled throttle plates, a high-flow exhaust and a new dry-sump lubrication system.
The engine is located up front but is mounted behind the front axle for better weight distribution. The SLS AMG's final kerb weight is around 3,571 pounds, and with the V-8 mill it's claimed to accelerate from 0-62 mph in 3.8 seconds and reach a top speed in excess of 195 mph.
As for the new dual-clutch gearbox, the unit was developed by AMG and boasts fast gear changes with no loss of tractive force. The driver has a choice of four different driving modes, ranging from comfortable to extremely sporty, as well as a "RACESTART" function. The suspension set-up is equally advanced, with double wishbones and hub carriers made of lightweight forged aluminum. Stopping power comes from carbon-ceramic discs, and these are mounted within 19 inch light-alloy wheels.
The car's dimensions have also been revealed, measuring in at 4.65 m in length, 1.95 m across and just 1.25 m in height. The wheelbase stretches just 2.7 m.
Standard features includes the COMAND APS, leather trim, an electronic parking brake, headlamp assist, keyless ignition, PARKTRONIC, rain sensors, heated seats, AMG floor mats, cruise control, sports pedals and THERMOTRONIC. Optional goodies include a 6-disc DVD charger, Bang & Olufsen BeoSound AMG sound system, alarm, and several AMG paint schemes include the special Alubeam Silver.
AMG is also offering several performance modifications including a carbon-fiber bonnet, carbon side mirrors, carbon trim, stiffer suspension settings, forged 10-spoke wheels, sports bucket seats and a performance steering wheel finished in leather and Alcantara.
The starting price in Germany is set at ?177,310 (approximately $257,232). U.S. pricing should be revealed closer to the car's sales launch, pegged for early next year as a 2010 model.
Luxury Cars: Aston Martin is world-renowned for creating cars that exude superiority and radiate sex appeal. Always at the forefront of contemporary design, the brand represents......
Luxury Vehicles: A legend is back. Porsche today unveiled a modern interpretation of its legendary 1973 Carrera RS 2.7, complete with a 'ducktail' spoiler and "Fuchs-style" custom alloy wheels. The new car is called the 911 Sport Classic and it's set to grace the automaker's stand at this month's Frankfurt auto show.
The latest model will be limited to just 250 units worldwide when it goes on sale early next year and both right- and left-hand-drive models will be available.
Other unique elements of the car include its 'double bubble' roof, similar to the design seen on the Carrera GT supercar and some of Porsche's racing cars, as well as a new front spoiler, bi-xenon headlamps with black surrounds and the Sport Chrono Package Plus.
Although based on the Carrera S, the 911 Sport Classic gets the 44 mm wider body of the Carrera 4S and a 400 horsepower version of the legendary 3.8-liter flat-six engine. The extra power is courtesy of a new intake and engine management system, as well as modified cylinder heads.
There is also the new variable-resonance intake system, featuring six vacuum-controlled flaps that optimize the oscillation of air in the intake manifold for a better cylinder charge. This ensures there is the perfect amount of air in the combustion chamber at all times to optimize torque, which peaks at 310 pound-feet at 4,200 rpm.
The end result is a 0-62 mph time of just 4.6 seconds and a top speed of 187 mph. Other modifications include a 20 mm suspension lowering kit, a limited-slip differential, and carbon-ceramic brakes.
Classic Car Auctions: Mecum Auction announced that it recently sold a 1965 Shelby Daytona Cobra Coupe CSX2601 for $7.25 million at Mecum's Monterey Auction in Marengo, Ill. The selling price established a new record for the most expensive American car sold at auction. The event was held on the Del Monte Golf Course at the Hyatt Regency Monterey Resort & Spa.
It was a high point as well for Mecum Auctions, according to the company's president, Dana Mecum. "Selling this amazing piece of American race history at our first Monterey auction has been the crowning achievement of my career and Mecum Auction's 22 years of selling collector cars," Mecum further added, "This hand-built car beat the fastest cars in the world and has now added another 'win' to its list of accomplishments. It certainly finished in record form again."
Legendary car designer Carroll Shelby originally built the car to compete in the Federation Internationale de l'Auomitive (F.I.A.) World Manufacturers Championship for the GT class. Shelby's goal was to have a car capable of competing head-to-head against the event-dominating Ferraris. An experimental lightweight coupe body, designed by Peter Brock, increased the car's speed by a dramatic 25 mph. The specially built Cobra was named the Shelby Daytona Cobra to commemorate both its debut and first victory at the 1964 Daytona Continental.
Mecum's Monterey Auction featured more than 200 classic cars, ranging from a vintage
1931 Rolls-Royce to an exotic 2007 Saleen S7 supercar. The classic-car auctioneer is the largest of its kind worldwide, auctioning more than 5,000 classic cars yearly.
For more information on Mecum Auction, visit Mecum.com.
JustLuxe is a luxury Web publication providing objective analysis and information to affluent consumers to assist with their decision making, decisions such as charting a yacht, purchasing a jet membership card, booking a luxury hotel, traveling to a specific destination, or buying real estate. Our writers conduct interviews with industry executives and leaders in their fields, analyze product offerings and review the Web sites of leading companies to ensure our readers have up-to-date data to make informed decisions. Consumers can find purveyors of fine luxury goods, services and travel solutions throughout the pages of JustLuxe via content or with our advertising partners. See our Best of Luxury High end Brands and partners.
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Luxury Vehicles: The luxury car market hasn't traditionally had to tempt buyers with anything more than exclusivity, style and power. But with luxury car sales down nearly 32% this year, luxury carmakers are resorting to tactics traditionally reserved for the commodity car brands.
Luxury Cars: For nearly two decades, Acura has been delivering high-performance luxury vehicles. The new 2010 Acura ZDX is no exception, featuring the style of a coupe, with the comfort of a sedan and the cargo space of an SUV.
Luxury Vehicles: It's not even out yet and already the 2010 Jaguar XJ is grabbing headlines all across the spectrum--from its controversial roofline and C-pillar to a possibly illegal dual-view navigation screen, the next XJ is pushing boundaries. Following on that theme, the 2010 XJ will also include a relatively new technology as standard equipment: HD Radio.
Luxury Vehicles: Governments around the world are bowing to public pressure to reduce levels of greenhouse gases their respective countries produce, and more often than not, the first sector they look at is the auto industry. Here in the U.S. the government has imposed a tough 35.5 mpg fleet-wide fuel economy standard for 2016, while in Europe the government wants to put a limit on CO2 levels--something that could have disastrous effects for niche players like Ferrari. In fact, the changes have Ferrari so worried that engineers for both its F1 division and road cars are hard at work developing methods to reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions of its engines.
Luxury Vehicles: According to the source of 4WheelsNews, who was present at the private unveiling of the new car, Bugatti Galibier (for those who don't know the manufacturer also used the name on the 1939 Bugatti Type 57C Galibier Saloon) is the name of the latest 4-door coupe from the Molsheim-based manufacturer.
Luxury Vehicles: Audi R8 Spyder is the latest response from the German manufacturer to the supercar elite. The new convertible is the most expensive vehicle from the Audi and carries a price tag of ?156,400.
Luxury Vehicles: It hit the track and drove in public for the first time just last month at Laguna Seca during the Pebble Beach Concours, and now Fisker Automotive has released the first fuel efficiency figures for its upcoming Karma luxury plug-in hybrid sedan. The figures are not your typical EPA estimates, however, but results from the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE).
Luxury Vehicles: Not only has McLaren launched its own separate automotive division, it has also released a new supercar named the MP4-12C. The British race engineering firm developed the car entirely in-house and has incorporated its latest advances in automotive technology as seen from the Formula 1 circuit.
Luxury Vehicles: The successor to the legendary Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing from the 1950s (and replacement for the SLR) has finally been revealed today with a new batch of high-resolution photos after months of drip-fed teasers and spy shots. Picking up the official title of SLS AMG--a nod to its exclusive development by Mercedes- official in-house tuner, AMG--the latest model is set to grace the stands at next week's 2009 Frankfurt auto show before going on sale early next year.
Luxury Cars: Aston Martin is world-renowned for creating cars that exude superiority and radiate sex appeal. Always at the forefront of contemporary design, the brand represents......
Luxury Vehicles: A legend is back. Porsche today unveiled a modern interpretation of its legendary 1973 Carrera RS 2.7, complete with a 'ducktail' spoiler and "Fuchs-style" custom alloy wheels. The new car is called the 911 Sport Classic and it's set to grace the automaker's stand at this month's Frankfurt auto show.
Classic Car Auctions: Mecum Auction announced that it recently sold a 1965 Shelby Daytona Cobra Coupe CSX2601 for $7.25 million at Mecum's Monterey Auction in Marengo, Ill. The selling price established a new record for the most expensive American car sold at auction. The event was held on the Del Monte Golf Course at the Hyatt Regency Monterey Resort & Spa. 
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