Don’t look now but Lamborghini is planning to invade the luxury car industry or as reports would have it. The funny thing is that I have always looked up to the Lambo as a luxury car in itself, though on a different level. And if the Italian car manufacturer’s intent is for real, expect the big leap to give Porsche and Aston Martin to be in for some good competition for their concept luxury cars.

What will the luxury Lambo have to offer? Well here are some of the things to watch out. The luxury model will be equipped with an all wheel-drive transmission and a V10 engine. It will come in a four-door sedan based on the Estoque concept. On whether the rumor is for real or not, the idea is not far-fetched.

(Source) Auto Spies

Tags: car industry, car manufacturer, drive transmission, funny thing, italian car, lambo, Lamborghini, leap, luxury car, luxury cars, luxury model, Porsche, wheel, wheel drive

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I suppose it might come as a surprise, if you haven’t read a newspaper or watched any TV in the last six months or so, that the luxury car market is collapsing.  But what’ll really surprise you is the depth to which it’s falling.  For instance, the total sales for luxury car sales this year has fallen fully one third from this time last year.

A third of the market, just gone.  That’s bad enough for anybody, but he luxury car makers aren’t taking this lying down, no sir or ma’am as the case may be.

A recent BMW marketing push, for example, pointed out that its diesel sedans were the most fuel-efficient in their class.  And Bentley offered up incredible financing rates on its catastrophically priced car that was almost the same deal as a GM pickup’s rate.

I’m not really surprised that luxury car makers are finding things tough in the new economy–when pundits bust out lines like “frugal is the new black”, you really have to wonder about the whole mess.  But this may be a sign of much more systemic weakness in the overall economy, and that’s something we’ll all have to watch for.

Tags: Bentley, BMW, fuel effciiency, GM, luxury car, luxury car market

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It seems that new cars are coming out with new features as well. And as far as the Lexus is concerned, it is making sure that one of the popular handsets in use today doesn’t go unnoticed. In fact, they have come up with a concept headrest for the iPhone, an iPhone dock that should come in handy for people who have to embark on long journeys on a luxury car such as the Lexus LF-Ch.

Now this may be a concept but it certainly does make sense. Now if you don’t have an iPhone yet, surely you can afford one if you can own a high-end luxury car as a Lexus right?

(Source) Ubergizmo

Tags: handsets, iPhone, journeys, Lexus, lexus lf, luxury car, new cars, new features

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Make room for another luxury car in the market as the 2010 Jaguar XJ has been revealed. Similar to the tradition that Jaguar has brought to the world of luxury cars, the 2010 Jaguar XJ offers a mix of seductive look and performance stemming from the light weight aluminum body that it now comes in.

The 2010 Jaguar XJ will be available starting December for $72,500.

The complete lineup:

• 5.0-liter naturally aspirated XJ and XJL (385hp) with a $72,500 and 79,500 MSRP, respectively
• 5.0-liter XJ and XJL Supercharged (470hp) with a $87,500 and $90,500 MSRP, respectively
• 5.0-liter XJ and XJL Supersport (510hp) with a $112,000 and $115,000 MSRP, respectively

(Source) Press

Tags: aluminum body, aspirated, jaguar, jaguar xj, light weight aluminum, liter, luxury car, luxury cars, tradition

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Tata Motors kicks off one leg of its new found business, launching the Jaguar and the Land Rover in India. The re-branding prowess of Tata Motors starts by unveiling the two luxury car brands in Indian waters, launching three models of each brand.

Jaguar will be unveiling the XF, XFR and the XKR sedans while Land Rover will start its business with Discovery 3, Range Rover Sport and Range Rover sport utility vehicles. Being fully imported models, all the six cars carry a heavy price tag starting Rs 63 lakh and going up to Rs 92 lakh.

“The launch of Jaguar and Land Rover is something that is quite memorable in the context of our history and heritage of Tata Motors. This is a company that belongs to us and we are proud of it.”

While the economy is still in turmoil for most parts of the world, no sales forecasts were unveiled by Tata Motors just yet. Right now, all they can do is stay optimistic, similar to what most business are banking on today.

(Source) Business Standard

Tags: car brands, debut, discovery 3, history and heritage, indian waters, jaguar, Land Rover, launch, luxury car, price tag, prowess, Range Rover, range rover sport, sedans, source business, sport utility vehicles, tata motors, turmoil

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One would think that due to recession, people would be turning towards domestic manufactured cars to save a buck. Surprisingly, that is not the case. Luxury car manufacturers such as Mercedes and BMW are still in demand and have likewise focused on producing small to midsized cars to make sure that they cover the middle-sized income earners.

According to a report released Thursday by Korea Automobile Importers and Distributors Association, Benz sold 761 cars, up by a staggering 25.8 percent from March. BMW recorded the third-highest monthly sales of 939 units, up 17.5 percent. 376 BMW 5-series mid-size sedans and 243 Mercedes-Benz E Class mid-size sedans were sold.

Domestic car manufacturers, like GM Daewoo, meanwhile, sold only 87 units of large sedan Veritas, while Ssangyong Motor sold 337 units of Chairman W, and Kia sold 748 units of Opirus. Volkswagen sold 656 cars and Audi sold 527 cars.

(Source) The Chosen Ilbo

Tags: bmw 5 series, distributors association, domestic car, GM, gm daewoo, KIA, luxury car, luxury cars, mercedes benz e class, Mercedes-Benz, mid size sedans, ssangyong motor, volkswagen

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While the entry of plug-in hybrid vehicles has been hailed as the ultimate solution to the growing problems of gas consuming cars as well as remedying the carbon emissions issue, not all motorists seem to be comfortable with the change in transport choices.

While improved fuel economy is the top reason cited for considering a plug-in hybrid, lower operating costs and positive environmental impact also contribute to interest. “With gasoline hovering around $2.00 per gallon, there is no real economic case for plug-in hybrids right now,” said Bryan Krulikowski, Morpace Vice President. “Those interested in plug-ins are also considering the non-economic benefits provided by the technology.”

Given the technology’s high up-front purchase cost, Krulikowski added, it’s not surprising that consideration is strongest among luxury car owners. However, those driving mid-size cars and minivans also tend to be more interested in plug-in hybrids.

The technology faces hurdles beyond purchase price. Among those not interested in plug-in hybrids, the primary concern is limited driving range during all-electric operation. “Consumers expect to drive more than 40 miles using only the electric motor,” Krulikowski said. “Further, the lack of infrastructure to support re-charging these vehicles weighs on consumers’ minds.”

Being able to re-charge the vehicle at home is important to 90 percent of consumers. Among all study respondents, 67 percent indicate having access to an outlet at the location where they park overnight. “That leaves a significant number of consumers who must rely on re-charging locations other than home,” Krulikowski pointed out. On average, consumers say they will pay $5.70 per hour to re-charge a plug-in hybrid at a public location.

(Source) Press

Tags: car owners, carbon emissions, driving range, economic benefits, economic case, environmental impact, fuel economy, hurdles, hybrid vehicles, luxury car, mid size cars, minivans, motorists, plug in hybrids, plug ins, public location, transport choices

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Toyota is not exempted from the declining car buying market as they found that out through figures on sales for their $64,000 Lexus LS sedan and $67,000 Lexus SC Coupe. Demand for the best-selling luxury car brand in the U.S. dropped 37 percent in the first quarter, led a 43 percent plunge in sales of the costliest car models. The company has sacrificed profit margins to stanch the decline.

Toyota had its first annual loss in six decades as the global recession decimates auto sales. Surging incentives at other luxury brands including Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, Daimler AG and Audi AG has forced the Toyota City, Japan-based carmaker to more than quadruple discounts on Lexus models in the last two years, according to Edmunds.com.

U.S. Lexus sales shrank 27 percent in Toyota’s fiscal year that ended March 31, versus a combined 23 percent drop for Toyota and Scion models. While the premium line accounts for 12 percent of Toyota’s overall U.S. volume, analysts estimate it has generated a much larger portion of profit.

(Source) Bloomberg

Tags: audi ag, bayerische motoren werke, bayerische motoren werke ag, car brand, car models, carmaker, daimler ag, down economy, edmunds, global recession, lexus ls, lexus models, lexus sc, line accounts, luxury brands, luxury car, profit margins, toyota city, toyota lexus

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The Audi seems to have aligned itself with a great team to boost its brand building practices as it has reportedly come to terms with the New York Yankees. The new relationship also includes the naming of the Audi Yankees Club, an exclusive viewing location and membership restaurant, located on the H&R Block Suite Level in left field. The sponsorship begins with the opening of Yankee Stadium and extends through the 2011 season.

The Audi Yankees Club will be a branded space with the Audi logo displayed on the glass entrance doors and on a glass partition at the entrance. The Club will provide guests a luxurious location to view the game in true Audi style.

Additionally, the Audi logo will be prominently located on the exterior facade of the H&R Block Suite Level and the Audi brand will be featured on napkins, brochures and televisions within the space.

(Source) Press

Tags: audi logo, brochures, glass partition, luxury car, new york yankees, relationship, sponsorship, televisions, yankee stadium

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Another luxury car line has been bitten by the economic downturn bug. Lamborghini, which drew in fantastic sales last year, has announced that they are halting production for two weeks between February and March in light of the weakening economy.

Lamborghini’s production slowdown will affect around 300 members of its 1000-plus workforce, but it has already agreed the move with unions.

“We have established a decade of sales and profit increases, including another record year for deliveries in 2008, but we cannot maintain the previous levels of production during the downturn,” said Lamborghini president and CEO Stephan Winkelmann.

(Source) Autocar

Tags: economic downturn, Lamborghini, luxury car, production slowdown, workforce

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General Motors is busy working out a potential scheme that will allow them to reinvent the 2010 Buick LaCrosse in China. Apparently, China has a large demand for luxury cars, opening opportunities that can perhaps entice an aggressive approach towards matching actual car demands for the said auto line.

Buicks in China are often used to carry company executives, hence the attention to detail in the backseat in terms of comfort and accessories. Options on the LaCrosse include a rear-window power sunshade and two seatback display screens connected to a DVD system.

Supported with the proper figures, this development can be a big break for the embattled Detroit-based car manufacturer. If all goes well, then perhaps it can look forward to better days to improve their car sales.

(Source) MSNBC

Tags: auto line, car manufacturer, china, General Motors, lacrosse, luxury car, rear window

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Other than being a known brand in the market, Mercedes Benz has been known to deliver classic cars that put luxury car tags with attitude. If you think the SL series were something, wait until you get to see the 2009 CL series. They are bound to captivate your eyes and with the new features covering outer and inner portions, it is no doubt that Mercedes Benz is continuing its tradition of trying to outdo itself by continuous improvement of its own models in the market.

New bodies, sporty looks, quality leather seats and upholstery and a dash of new technology through its night vision instrumental panel system, you will just be awed at the new Mercedes-Benz CL550. Apart from the sybaritic interior, the Mercedes-Benz CL550 has a 5.5-liter double overhead cam V-8 tucked under that sleek hood.

Source

Tags: cl series, classic cars, luxury car, mercedes benz cl550, Mercedes-Benz, new mercedes, sleek hood

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