Luxury cars

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2015 Lexus ES 350: Perfect sedan for a 2,000-mile desert trek

What car enthusiast wouldn’t welcome the opportunity to drive across three sates, including long stretches in the desert, on wide, high-speed roads? And considering super cars to classics, what would be an ideal car to drive just under 700 miles from Sacramento, California to Logan, Utah? And after eight days in Utah, how satisfying would it be to make the return trip on the ninth day and in one day instead of the two-day departure journey? Performance freaks might select any number of rarities. Perhaps others would prefer a sports car or a gas-guzzling exotic. But what about a vehicle the public has readily available at an affordable price? I haven’t driven a sedan priced at the entry level luxury

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2015 Porsche Panamera Hybrid: The perfect cycling car?

The fledging Airgas-Safeway cycling team is still seeking competitive clout. But the squad has attracted major attention at the Tour of Utah — if only in the caravan of race vehicles. The first-year team and its exuberant owner, Chris Johnson, secured the use of two 2015 Porsche Panamera S Hybrids as team cars for the biggest race of the team’s short tenure. Subaru is a race sponsor and there’s the usual assortment of manufacturers represented among team vehicles, Kia to Volvo. But it’s a safe bet to assume $110,000 high-performance, four-door hybrid sports cars with 380 horsepower are a first in the sport. “I think cycling is a perfect type of audience; a lot of cyclists drive Porsches,” said Johnson,

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Driving the Tour of Utah in a 2015 Lexus ES 350, #1

Driving from Sacramento, California to Logan, Utah is doable in one day. It’s about a 685-mile trek and takes 12 hours with stops. I opted for the two-day version, and one reason was because of my ride, a 2015 Lexus ES 350. A logical approach to attend the Tour of Utah bike race was a first night’s stop in Elko, Nevada, a 415-mile effort east on Interstate 80 to Reno, Nev. It was then into the desert for several-hour effort into open range, past small towns, plenty of sage brush and where the 75-mph speed limit is barely a deterrent. The 2015 Lexus ES 350 is the upscale version of a Toyota Avalon. It’s a four-door, luxury sedan featuring a

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Ferrari has nine of top-10 most expensive auctioned cars

With Monterey Auto Week and its collection of high-end car auctions on the horizon in mid-August, it’s always interesting to see how much car enthusiasts will pay for rare automobiles. They’re often Ferrari models. What’s surprising is that some vintage cars attract little attention and sell for reasonable amounts. And, of course, there are cars that attract international investors willing to pay whatever amount it takes. The current highest amount paid at auction is for a 1962-63 Ferrari 250 GTO Berlinetta. It sold for $38.1 million in August 2014 to an investment group at Bonham’s Quail Lodge Auction in Carmel, California. As described in an article on thestreet.com, the 250 GTO has a unique history. Henri Oreiller, a retired Olympic

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Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao, pistachios and cars

The upcoming Floyd Mayweather versus Manny Pacquiao bout may be the most anticipated fight in boxing history. As such, exposure of both athletes has expanded beyond the boxing circles — and in far different ways. Pacquiao has a television commercial promoting pistachios. Mayweather is more flamboyant. He’s taken to social media to showcase his empire, including his vast collection of iconic cars. As a car collector, Mayweather isn’t in the same league as entertainers like Jay Leno and Jerry Seinfeld. But his choices are impressive, and certainly expensive, and easily attainable for anyone who happened to make $105 million in 2014. Mayweather likes to flaunt his cars and the other extravagant means of his life. In a recent Twitter image,

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2014 Porsche Panamera: Smooth, quick, luxurious

The 2014 Porsche Panamera 4S sedan seems perfect for those who want a Porsche sports car, but need more passenger and cargo room. I almost felt as if in a jet’s cockpit after settling into the Agate Grey leather beautifully finished interior of my test vehicles. It appropriately had Yachting Blue Metallic paint, which is a $790 option. The Panamera 4S I drove seemed to accelerate like a big jet, although Panamera models weigh 3,902-4,586 pounds. The aircraft look was largely provided by a no-nonsense dashboard and button-dominated center console. The buttons are well-labeled, and their functions are easy to quickly figure out. As a Porsche spokesman put it, “The buttons sure beat drilling down through menus that force a

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Lexus, Mazda shine in 2014 Best Family Car list

A family car once meant a station wagon or a lackluster, underpowered box-like sedan. No more. For 2014, U.S. News & World Report has selected performance cars and family oriented cars that are perfectly capable for single drivers. The magazine (and its corresponding online edition) has selected the best vehicles for families in 19 categories, compact cars to minivans, hatchback to luxury cars. The 2014 Mazda6, the Best Midsize Car for Families, and the 2014 Mazda3, the Best Compact Car for Families, both have performance that car reviewers love. That performance comes in addition to available high-tech safety features, like forward collision warning and lane departure warning, as well as spacious cabins most car critics agree feel upscale. The Honda

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Ferrari LaFerrari: Fastest Ferrari and it’s a hybrid

Unveiled at the Geneva International Motor Show in March, the LaFerrari is a limited production hybrid sports car built by Ferrari. The LaFerrari is the first hybrid from Ferrari, providing the highest power output of any Ferrari while decreasing fuel consumption by 40 percent. Only 499 units will be built and each will cost more than $1.6 million. LaFerrari’s mid rear mounted V12 Internal Combustion Engine has a 6.3 liter engine capable of 789 horsepower. But it’s supplemented by a 161 horsepower KERS unit (called HY-KERS). It provides short bursts of extra power. The new Ferrari also has a seven-speed, dual-clutch transmission and is rear-wheel drive. Top speed is 220 mph and with 0-60 mph in just under three seconds.

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Mercedes-Benz dubious honor: most stolen luxury car

The Mercedes-Benz brand has an enduring appeal among high-end car buyers. But the German automaker’s status also now has a dubious component. It’s the most stolen luxury car in the United States. According to a report by the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), Mercedes-Benz had three of the top 10 most-stolen luxury models. The C-Class is the most-often stolen with 485 thefts from Jan. 1, 2009, through Dec. 31, 2012. The NICB divided the luxury-vehicle segment into three subclasses — compact, midsize and premium. There were 4,384 thefts total in the three segments. By state, California has the most thefts (1,063), while South Dakota and Wyoming had the fewest with one each. According to the NICB report, luxury vehicles “.

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2013 BMW 750Li: Superior luxury, hefty price (video)

The 2013 BMW 750Li, my weekly driver, showcased BMW’s power, as in a 4.4-liter, 32-valve V8 with 445 horsepower and five-second, 0-60 mph prowess. The 7-Series is the BMW flagship, of course and it deserves the status. It’s a beast of a seat, a 4,600-pound cruiser best suited for long, open-road hauls. But the long (201 inches) sedan is also a standard bearer of engineering, technology and for audio enthusiasts, an over-the-top whirlwind of sound. There’s a lot to lot about the new BMW. It short, it’s opulent. And it’s got a hefty price to go along with all of the fine mechanics and superior workmanship. Videographer Bruce Aldrich, editor/publisher of www.tahoetruckoutdoor.com, and The Weekly Driver, review the top-line BMW

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Jerry Seinfeld, Seth Meyers get coffee in the perfect car, really?

Jerry Seinfeld’s latest comedic innovation, Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, will conclude its second season with Chris Rock as the guest of eighth episode finale. Like Seinfeld’s television show, Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee is based on the complexities and yet simple ways of natural comedy. It’s about cars and coffee, but not really. The Internet-only series premiered July 19, 2012 on digital network Crackle. In each episode, Seinfeld introduces a classic car. He calls a comedian and drives the car to pick up the guest. The duo then drives to a restaurant and has coffee (and sometimes lunch). There are deviations from the norm (as one would expect) like the poignancy of last season’s episode when comedian Michael Richards

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2013 Hyundai Genesis: World-class, less pricey luxury sedan

The South Korean 2013 Hyundai Genesis sedan shows it’s pretty hard, if not impossible, to come up with a one-to-one rival from such automakers as Mercedes, BMW or Infiniti. Especially when the Genesis costs appreciably less. But never mind. For a lower price, the rear-wheel-drive Genesis is a world-class luxury car from an automaker that built marginal cars in its bad old days. The Genesis possesses the high-class trappings of autos that cost considerably more. This rear-wheel-drive sedan comes as the base $34,200 3.8 model or the $46,800 5.0 R-Spec version. It has a 3.8-liter, 333-horsepower V-6 or 5-liter, 429-horsepower V-8. Both can run on regular-grade or premium gasoline. The 2013 Genesis has simplified model offerings and a new “ultimate

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2013 Lexus LS 600h L: Luxury hybrid satisfying

Maybe you can’t have it all in a full-size, fast, ultra-luxury sedan, but the 2013 Lexus LS 600h L hybrid sure makes it seem like you can. It should satisfy most spoiled—and some hard-to-please—luxury car buyers. Rivals to the LS 600h L are the Mercedes-Benz S400 Hybrid and BMW 7-Series ActiveHybrid. The Lexus LS 600h L is no sports sedan, nor is it supposed to be—not when it weighs a hefty 5,115 pounds—or 5,203 pounds with the costly, optional executive seating package that is popular in China. Big shots there like to be driven as they ride in the back, and the longer (205-inch) LS 600h L (compared to the normal 200-inch-length LS 460) gives them limo-style rear seating. However

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BMW 750Li, 2013: stylish, hi-tech, hefty price

The 7-Series is the BMW flagship and it deserves the status. It’s a beast of a sedan, a 4,600-pound cruiser best suited for long, open-road hauls. The 2013 BMW 750Li, my weekly driver, showcased BMW‘s power, as in a 4.4-liter, 32-valve V8 with 445 horsepower and five-second, 0-60 mph prowess. But the long (201 inches) sedan is also a standard bearer of engineering, technology and for audio enthusiasts, an over-the-top whirlwind of sound. The 750Li has a base price of $90,000 and that’s reflected in all that BMW represents -— superior handling and superior design as well as industry-best comfort and refinement. But the available option packages put the vehicle into a category of automotive overload combining plushness and hi-tech

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Bugatti honor: World’s fastest, most rare, most expensive car

The 1938 Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic recently won the Best of Show at Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este in Italy, and there’s plenty of reason. Only four production Atlantics were made and they were made with plain aluminum, featured flowing coupes lines and a pronounced dorsal seam running front to back. The body panels were riveted, creating the signature seam, and were retained for style based on the concept of the vehicle made three years early and built from magnesium alloy. The car that claimed the recent Best of Show is one of two Type 57S cars remaining and is from the collection of Ralph Lauren. The second Type 57S, when owned by Dr. Peter Williamson, won best of show at

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Top art deco cars from The Great Gatsby era, Buick to Corsair

GearPatrol.com is a compelling website with a compelling motto: “Spirt of Adventure, Passion For Gear.” One recent post, Ten Great Art Deco Cars, features stunning images and succinct, informative descriptions of cars long gone and some that only existed as concepts. Two of the cars featured in post, a 1948 Timbs Buick Streamliner and the Phantom Corsair, a concept, were particularly stunning were included in a timely connection with the current movie The Great Gatsby starring Leonardo DiCaprio. Describing the Buick Streamliner, the site writes in part: A mechanical engineer named Norman E. Timbs designed and built this sleek number with mostly aluminum on top of a steel chassis. At a cost of $10,000, the Streamliner took more than two

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