It's red, it's sleek, it's the Scorpion from the newly formed Ronn Motor Company. It's main features include the fact that it goes from 0-60 in 3.5 seconds and gets 40 mpg. So what's so special about that? How about the fact that it's also a hydrogen burning hybrid?
I'm no mechanic (couldn't be farther from it, actually) but the description on AutoblogGreen of how the engine works is really interesting. This car sounds like a really satisfying way to satisfy both a need for speed and an interest in preserving the planet (too bad it looks like a refurbished Viper).
The Scorpion will be manufactured in Texas and should be available to consumers this fall.
Over in the UK there's a new company in town called Liberty Electric Cars, and it's looking to turn the electric car industry on its head. Liberty Electric Cars has plans to take £30 million and use it to convert "tens of thousands" of luxury vehicles over to electric power. The world's first zero emission electrically powered Range Rover will be among their offerings, and depending on the model the Rovers will be priced at £95,000 - £125,000 (or about $187,000 - $246,000). Apparently the electric power technology they plan to use is cutting edge and will result in cars with more power and longer time between charges. Sounds cool but too good to be true? Guess we'll find out!
Do luxury markets really hold up better than others during an economic crunch? Many experts say no, and it would seem the steady decline in luxury auto sales is backing them up. Estimates say that automobile sales fell in March, which would mark the 5th straight month of decline and could result in the lowest numbers since 2005. Analysts speculate the drop in auto buyers has to do with several factors, including higher-end buyers holding onto their vehicles longer (waiting for the market to improve) and fewer entry-level lux auto owners being able to afford to buy right now due to increasing costs in other areas of their budget.
Iconic Motors is a company that's looking to redefine the luxury sports car market, and the car they're planning to start with is the Iconic GTR. Besides having all the usual supercar mechanics under the hood, the Iconic GTR boasts an interior loaded with jewelry-grade stainless steel accents along with synthetic sapphire actuators and gauge faces. It also has patents pending on its gas cap control system, door hinges, and shifter. No idea how much the Iconic GTR costs yet, but considering it looks like a modernized Batmobile I'm sure it won't be cheap!
So the economy has been taking a hit lately, but as a general rule the highest of high end products haven't really been affected -- apparently those with money up to their ears haven't been feeling the pinch, until now.
Numbers are streaming in from luxury car brands reporting serious sales drops this year from 2007 -- Jaguar sales fell by 52% (whoa!), BMW by 27%, Porsche by 13%, and Land Rover by 17%. Even Ferrari (surprisingly) reported a decline for this past January, although they claim the drop from last year was both planned and expected.
It will be interesting to see what the rest of 2008 brings for the luxury car market.
Tina Turner wasn't messing around when she went shopping for a vehicle. In true rock-and-roller style, she opted for a Lamborghini (a LM002 to be exact) and had it retro-fitted and personalized with a Mercedes E500 V8 automatic transmission, a 1500-Watt Blaupunkt stereo, and lots of other aesthetic touches. The big news here is not that Tina Turners owns this vehicle, but that she's selling it. It's currently on the market for Є179,000, and although I'm hardly an expert at appraising vehicles that seems like a pretty good deal.
Although the first thought that comes to mind when thinking "luxury vehicle" is probably not "bargain shopping," that doesn't mean that people with taste and money aren't also looking for a good deal. So besides the obvious value to be found in features like premium leather, a fast engine, a smooth ride, and fancy electronic gadgets, what makes a luxury car a good deal? Forbes recently compiled a list, taking into consideration things like initial cost, dealership service, the complete ownership experience over several years, and depreciate/maintenance costs over the life of the vehicle.
The winner? With its company's legendary service coupled with features that aren't always offered on entry-level luxury vehicles, the Lexus IS250 came out as the #1 best value. See the runners up below:
The oldest surviving Rolls Royce went up for auction this past Monday and sold for a record-breaking $7,275,000. Over 100 years old (built in 1904), the 10hp two-seater Rolls went to a private British collector who was obviously willing to pay more than twice the initial estimate for the vehicle -- after two phone bidders drove the price sky high. And it didn't only break the record for highest price paid for a Rolls Royce, but it also broke the record for highest price paid for any veteran (pre-1905) vehicle.
Koenigsegg has, due to popular demand, created limited edition versions of its CCX and CCXR cars. And they mean it when they say "limited," as there will be only 14 of the Koenigsegg Edition CCX and 6 of the Koenigsegg Edition CCXR built. Each Edition model gets a boost in performance over their standard counterparts (from 806hp to 888hp for the CCX) and both cars can go from 0-60mph in just 2.9 seconds. If you're seriously interested you better get moving since 2 of each limited edition model has already been sold, and get ready to shell out somewhere between 1,330,000 and 1,500,000 Euros.
Simon Cowell blew some serious cash on some serious wheels recently when he had some spare time on his hands (and apparently some spare cash) due to a week off work for the Rugby World Cup. He dropped over £1,000,000 in LA on two new cars: a £750,000 Bugatti Veyron and a £400,000 Rolls Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe.
Somehow this doesn't surprise me. Simon Cowell hardly seems to shy away from flash and attention, and although fast cars don't necessarily mean an ego problem (I would love to have a Veyron myself!) I think in his case they might!
The thing about collecting cars is that storage easily becomes an issue -- you can't leave a 1956 Mercedes-Benz sitting out on the street. But if you're regular garage is already full of other vehicles, what's to be done? Usually cars end up in storage garages or in public parking facilities, but obviously sitting an investment like that in a corner somewhere under a tarp collecting dust is hardly ideal.
Enter the Taj Garage (I can't help but smile at the name), and other companies like it springing up across the country. They will work with you to create a customized car-storage experience -- basically a beautiful, clean condo for your vehicle(s) to live in complete with bathroom, wet bar, 24 hour security, and maybe even a private rooftop club for socializing with your car-minded condo neighbors. Now it can't get much better than that.
The cliché "money can't buy everything" is true, and we're not just talking about love or happiness. Money may not be able to buy you the car you want either, depending on exactly which one it is. According to this list the most sought after and coveted car in the world is the Aston Marton DBS. Have one? Be proud, because if you don't not only will you have to dish out $265,000 but you'll also have to spend 28 months or more on the waiting list.
Remember when getting a CD player in your car meant an upgrade package? These days it's almost impossible to find a car that doesn't come with one standard. And extras that used to only be available on luxury cars, like heated leather seats and GPS, are now available for reasonable prices on much more economical car brands. So this leaves the luxury car companies hustling to come up with the latest and baddest technology to set their cars apart from the masses. So what are they coming up with? Some good stuff:
Night vision A small dashboard screen shows the driver thermal imaging of people, animals, and other heated objects in the area.
Broadcast TV, because regular 'ol DVDs just aren't good enough.
Brand name sound systems including names like Mark Levinson, Bang & Olufsen, and Bose.
Spa seating, which means cooled seats in the summer (and of course heated in the winter), seats that recline with pop-up footrests, and built-in shiatsu massagers.
HD Radio Suddenly your local radio stations can sound as crisp and clear as your CDs or your satellite radio favorites.
Smart warning systems, which include adaptive cruise control, lane departure warnings, blind spot warnings, and collision warnings.
BMW Welt, or BMW World in English, is located in Munich Germany and is designed to present new BMW owners with their vehicles in the best light possible -- literally. After purchasing a new BMW, owners will have the option of passing on picking up their car the boring way (at a local dealer) and can instead head over to get the full treatment at BMW Welt. Their car will be gleaming and glittering under a spotlight while spinning slowly on a turntable -- what better way to see your brand new purchase for the first time?
Of course there's a lot more going on at BMW Welt than just cars on turntables, although with 170 cars being delivered there daily come October there's got to be a lot of turning going on.
One of the biggest challenges when it comes to combining technology and luxury vehicles is doing it in a way that is user-friendly, because it's about convenience, fun, and safety -- not frustration. These luxury cars can do everything from play your mp3s and DVDs to adjust automatically to treacherous driving conditions and off-road terrain. And perhaps best of all, they look good doing it.
