Luxist

They might be billing it as a concept vehicle, but it looks pretty production-ready to us. And the choice to launch it at the Middle East International Auto Show? All the more suspect -- Maybach could sell every last limited-production one of these at the next OPEC meeting alone.

Witness the closest thing to a production-ready four-door luxury convertible we've seen in a while, the Maybach 62 Landaulet. The Landaulet can thank the 62 S sedan on which it's based for its 612-horsebower biturbo V12 and reclining rear seats, the latter of which are done up in white leather, contrasting the black leather adorning the chauffer's cockpit. That and the electronically-dimmed glass partition aren't all that separates the "haves" from their driver -- while the cockpit is enclosed overhead, the rear passengers enjoy a retractable soft top.

Just to give the sun something to glint off of spectacularly, Maybach also sprang for piano lacquer and gold-flecked granite (yes, granite) inserts.

Check out Daimler's full press release after the jump.

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Being in the drivers' seat is so passé. Sitting in the back seat, demanding that your full-time driver "step on it," bolstered by a whopping 750+ ft-lbs. of torque, is the new black.

As heavy as they are (5,000 lbs. plus, in some cases), big luxury sedans like the Rolls-Royce Phantom and the Maybach 62 S haul ass to 60 mph in less than 6 seconds -- on par with the likes of the Porsche Boxster.

Absent, of course, is the driveability of similarly-priced luxury vehicles -- a 5,000 lb. luxury sedan does not an ultimate driving machine make. Instead, execs with cash are opting for off-the-line speed to get where they're going, fast, saving driving dynamics for their weekends on the track.

On that note, visit BusinessWeek's slide show of the world's fastest luxury cars, sure to get you up to speed in under 6 seconds.

[Source: Businessweek]

J. Lo might think she has an ass worthy of insurance, but Aston Martin has one up on her. The automaker's prized asset, the DBS, won accolades for its derriere with a total of 1,260 people who took a survey at the MPH '07 car show, beating out the other fantastic butts of the Jaguar XK, the Audi R8, the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizone and the Bugatti Veyron. Interestingly enough, the women who took the poll were fonder of the Bugatti; however, the DBS won out.

Automotive asses are hardly the new topic of conversation. BMW design chief Chris Bangle's rear-end design was initially ridiculed with cat calls of "Bangle-Butt," then later highly-revered as the new direction for car design.

[Source: Mobilemag]

Dropping just $12,000 for a Ferrari might sound like a dream-come-true... but don't get too excited. The Ferrari you'd be picking up only goes 12.5 miles per hour.

In fact, despite its branded image, the Limited Edition Ferrari PTi2 apparently has no performance advantage over the original, though its leather-trimmed handlebars, classic Ferrari red paint and Scuderia Ferrari logo certainly make the personal transport vehicle look the park.

Like the original, the PTi2 can go about 64 miles on a single charge at speeds two to three times as fast as the average walker. Ferrari's employees apparently scoot around their Maranello plant on Segways quite a bit to save time.

[Source: Sybarites]

Thanks to RV for the tip.

It's truly a thing of beauty. The new X6, BMW's answer to consumers' burgeoning love of crossover utility vehicles (or "sport activity vehicle," as BMW bills it), dresses the part without losing the style and driving dynamics that make it a BMW. As BMW head design honcho Chris Bangle hints, it's higher off the ground but is every bit a sports car as, say, the M3.

Though it's "technically" a concept in this form, we expect to see this in production form as a 2008 model. It is also expected to be BMW's first production hybrid vehicle, upping efficiency by 20% over the gasoline-powered model.

[Via Autoblog]

BMW recently gave Placido Domingo something to sing about -- his very own Hydrogen 7. As part of BMW's Hydrogen 7 Pioneer program, Domingo will use the 7 for his everyday use, serving to educate and inform the masses about hydrogen as an alternative source of energy. Domingo joins many others, including public, entertainment and governmental figures, in the Hydrogen 7 Pioneer program.

The Hydrogen 7 is the world's first production model hydrogen-powered luxury sedan, emitting nothing but water vapor when running in hydrogen mode.

[Source: PRNewswire]

Check out BMW's full press release after the jump.

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Now that's a paint job. If a Lamborghini itself isn't enough a work of art for you, there's always tattooing it beyond almost all recognition. The Gallardo you see before you is an intricate work of art, with drawings of everything from the planets and stars to attack birds and angular patterns.

Of course, at a 0-60 time of 3.8 seconds thanks to the massive V10 under the hood, the only time one can truly admire it is while parked.

In the category of "oh no he dih-ehhhnt," we offer for your enjoyment a stretch Ferrari limo, complete with round tail lights, ceramic brakes and nine-foot gullwing doors. We're not sure if the doors quite warrant the brooming of the mini-bar, but to each his own.

The beauty in question was commissioned by by Style Limousines of Manchester and involved almost $400,000 in mods, not the least of which was welding in the massive middle that makes the pony stretch so. The extra girth isn't enough to slow this Ferrari down much, however -- 0-60 in under six seconds and a top speed of 170 ain't too shabby.

[Source: CNet]

Why fantasize about being James Bond when you can get a few steps closer to being 007? Aston Martin is offering a limited-edition Jaeger LeCoultre with the purchase of Bond's newest ride, the Aston Martin DBS.

At $332,000, one would think they would throw in the watch for free, but not so much. The watch is available only to purchasers of the DBS for a pretty $35,000, and is truly Bond-worthy at that -- not only does the watch look good, it also unlocks and starts the car. That will at least get you a second date, eh?

At the moment, buyers can choose between grade 5 titanium and rose-gold, but Jaeger's Jerome Lambert hints that a higher-end watch may be on its way.

[Source: Cleveland Leader]

Auto Trader UK, admittedly not always the most reliable source of information, is batting about the news that BMW plans to revive its Z8 roadster.

At a mere 3,300 lbs., the vehicle would be about 550 lbs. lighter than the competing Mercedes SL, and have BMW handling and high-performance engines to boot. Motor options include BMW's 300 hp 3.0L V6, 400 hp 4.4L V8, 500 hp 5.0L V10 and 600 hp 6.3L V12, the latter two of which could end up in an M version of the roadster.

The last Z8, designed by prolific auto designer Henrik Fisker, was Pierce Brosnan's steed in the 007 movie The World is Not Enough and was ultimately killed off in 2003.