Luxury cars

Aston Martin Rapide gets Design of the Year honors

The Aston Martin Rapide has joined a diverse group, including the Fiat 500 and Chevrolet Camaro, and has been honored with the 2011 World Car Design of the Year award at the New York International Auto Show. “Like a race horse standing still, you can see its power and elegance, the shape of Rapide’s rear haunches are muscular conveying the power that lies beneath while its low stance produces a powerful look,” said Aston Martin’s Director of Design, Marek Reichman. “There is a real sense of proportion with this car, akin to a tailored suit; the new double grill gives more presence on the road while the iconic signature side strake has been lengthened through to the rear doors to

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Ferrari 458 Italia honored as Performance Car of the Year

The Ferrari 458 Italia, the replacement vehicle for the F430, has beaten out the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG and Porrsche 911 Turbo, and named as the 2011 World Performance Car at the New York International Auto Show. The World Car Awards jurors said about the Ferrari: “The replacement for the F430 Fiorano has been voted by nearly every possible ranking this past year as the best performer hands down. The WCA’s would love to break ranks with the crowd, but we also put the 458 Italia squarely among our top three world performance cars. “Whether on the track or on a loosely policed winding two-lane mountain road, the technology on board the 458 sets it and its 570 metric horsepower far

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Rodeo Drive Concours honors Italy and its legendary cars

The Rodeo Drive Concours d’Elegance will celebrate “The Art of Italian Motoring” on June 19, 2011 in Beverly Hills, California. The annual event will take place as the country of Italy marks the 150th anniversary of its unification. In celebration, Rodeo Drive will pay tribute to some of the most famous names in Italian design and lifestyle. “The annual Father’s Day event will highlight a WORLD CLASS combination of automobiles, motorcycles and designers featuring Italian makes and models,” said Bruce Meyer, event chairman. “We hope to curate the best selection of Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, Fiat, Lamborghini, Lancia and Maseratis from Southern California and the Western United States for this year’s tribute to Italy.” Legendary Italian motorcycles are also invited to

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Acura TSX 2011 car review

The Acura TSX (Touring Sportscar eXperimental) debuted in April 2003 as a 2004 model. It remains the smallest and entry level sedan of the luxury brand. As the replacement for the Integra, the TSX and its new sibling wagon edition are built in Sayama, Saitama, Japan. The Weekly Driver Test Drive It seems fewer sedans are readily available with manual transmissions, which is the dominating reason my weekly test drive of the Acura TSX was so enjoyable. The standard engine remains the 2.4-liter,  4-cylinder with 201 horsepower. But with the six-speed manual transmission rather than the  5-speed automatic, the TSX moves into the unique category of sports car sedan. With the smooth-shifting manual transmission, it’s hard to categorize the vehicle

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Has famed digital artist created World's Ugliest Ferrari?

There’s no more iconic color in the automotive world than Ferrari Red. Yellow, blue, white or any other color Ferrari is perfectly fine, too. Unless, it’s a Ferrari 430 Scuderia and it’s been turned into a canvas for one of Laurence  Gartel’s wild creations. Gartel, known as the “Father of Digital Art,” has had his work exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art, among other museums, in the permanent collection of the Smithsonian Institution’s Museum of American History. But Gartel, who has created artwork for many musicians, including Debbie Harry (Blondie), Sid Vicious (Sex Pistols) Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears, has taken the pure beauty of a Ferrari and turned it into a nightmare. The over-the-top video below is ripe

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Rolls-Royce unveils electric, nomadic 102 EX Phantom

Rolls Royce is calling it the first electric luxury car, but so far it’s only a “traveling global experiment.” At least that’s how the carmaker is describing the 102 EX Phantom concept unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show. Rolls-Royce CEO Torsten Müller-Ötvös discusses the 102 EX Phantom at the show in the video below. As Müller-Ötvös describes, the car will be showcased on a year-long world tour to “car owners, prospects, enthusiasts and members of the media.” The goal, said Müller-Ötvös, is to determine if the electric Phantom “provides all the qualities expected of a Rolls-Royce, without compromise.” The new Rolls Royce has 125-mile and can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph is less than eight seconds. James RaiaA sports,

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Academy Awards: Hyundai offers free iPad with Equus

Hyundai is arguably the current most talked about manufacturer in the auto industry, and now there’s another reason. The South Korean carmaker promoted during the Academy Awards commercials its unique top-of-the-line Equus feature — a free 16GB WiFi Apple iPad. Hyundai, the exclusive auto advertiser during the Oscars telecast, says in promotional copy for the new offer: “There’s nothing worse than buying a new luxury car only to sit down and have to learn about it through a boring owner’s manual.” “Thankfully, every Equus comes with a 16GB WiFi Apple iPad, and instead of the boring owner’s manual, the Equus Owner’s Experience app teaches you everything you need to know through demonstration videos, interactive product and safety demonstrations via a

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Geneva Motor Show: Rolls-Royce will debut electric Phantom

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars is developing the 102EX, a one-off, fully electric powered Phantom to debut at the Geneva Motor Show on March 1, 2011. The car will tour during 2011, serving as a test bed to gather a bank of research data which will be crucial in informing future decisions on alternative drive-trains for Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. “We have engineered the world’s first battery electric vehicle for the ultra-luxury segment,” said CEO Torsten Muller-Otvos, speaking from the company’s headquarters in Goodwood. “With this vehicle, we begin an exploration into alternative drive-trains, seeking clarity on which alternative technologies may be suitable to drive Rolls-Royce motor cars of the future.” With 102EX, also known as the Phantom Experimental Electric (EE), it’s the

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McLaren MP4-12C, 2012: world's best sports car?

Dan Neil, the long-time automotive columnist whose feature Rumble Seat appears in the Saturday edition of the Wall Street Journal, has something to say. He believes the 2012 McLaren MP4-12C is the best sports car in the world. The reason: “(It’s) an era-defining work of technical intelligence and jet-fighter performance that will — be warned — make you look look at the other cars in your garage like they were lawn mowers.” Neil bases his opinion on a variety of factors, most notably: the new McLaren accelerates from 0-60 mph in 3.0 seconds and can complete a quarter-mile in 10.9 seconds. The C12 has a 32-valve, 3.8-liter twin turbo V8 with 592 horsepower and a seven-speed dual clutch gearbox. Neil

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Porsche set to debut second hybrid, Panamera S

Porsche will unveil its second production hybrid model, the Panamera S Hybrid, later this year, adding another chapter to the carmaker’s Intelligent Performance development philosophy. The new Panamera model produces 380 horsepower is the most fuel efficient Porsche in history. Optional low-rolling-resistance tires developed for the Panamera helps hybrid performance sedan deliver its impressive NEDC fuel economy figure. But even with standard performance tires, the Panamera S Hybrid’s estimated mpg will be just under 27 mpg. (The official EPA fuel economy estimates will be available closer to the car’s on-sale date.) The Panamera S Hybrid sets new standards in terms of Porsche performance as well as hybrid efficiencies. It accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in 5.7 seconds and has

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Million Dollar Baby, Pagani Huayra, will be sold in U.S.

Pagani, the niche Italian carmaker founded about 20 years ago, will sell the Huarya, its new more than $1 million sports car, in the United States later this year through a dealer network. The Zonda, Pagani‘s current model, is a perennial favorite for enthusiasts interested in top-speed and brute-power. But it’s not available in the United States. Pagani, based in San Cesario sul Panaro, near Modena, Italy, builds about 40 cars per year, and hopes to sell five of its new Huayra model in the U.S. this year. Named after Huayra Tata, an ancient God of wind, the Huayra has a six-liter, 12-cylinder engine with two turbochargers built by Mercedes-Benz’s AMG. The engine breathes through a pair of air intakes

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Pagani Huayra 2012: New god-like, $1.4 million supercar

Named after an ancient Andean god of wind, the 2012 Pagani Huayra is the newest Italian supercar offered from by one of the smallest and most unheralded automakers. Unlike the company’s current car, the Zonda, the Huayra has been engineered to meet U.S. safety and emissions standards, and should be available — to a chosen few who can get one of the 20 made for about $1.4 million. Pagani describes the car as “a carbon-titanium monocoque chassis cradling a mid-mounted, 700 hp 6.0-liter twin-turbocharged V12 engine.” It was designed for Pagani by AMG, the performance division of Mercedes-Benz. The two-passenger cabin features leather and carbon fiber trim among other high-end gadgets and options. James RaiaA sports, travel and business journalist

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Ferrari set to debut FF 4×4 at Geneva Motor Show

Ferrari likes to outdo itself and it appears it may have with the FF. It’s the Italian manufacturer’s first four-wheel drive vehicle and its fastest four-seat car ever. With its designation as Ferrari‘s inaugural four-wheel drive car, the FF (an acronym for Ferrari Four) has a top speed of 208 mph. Its 6.2-liter V12 powertrain can propel the FF from 0 to 62 mph in 3.7 seconds. The new FF is expected to debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March. James RaiaA sports, travel and business journalist for more than 45 years, James has written the new car review column The Weekly Driver since 2004. In addition to founding this site in 2004, James writes a Sunday automotive column

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Lexus IS350, 2011 car review

The Lexus IS series was introduced in 1998 under the Toyota Altezza nameplate in Japan and in North America as the IS300 in 2000. Altezza mean “highness” in Japanese and the IS initials translate to Intelligent Sport. The IS models are designated as entry level luxury cars below the ES in the Lexus lineup. Since its debut, now 11 years ago, many varieties have joined the IS offerings The IS350 receives exterior and interior restyling for 2011 and offers several new options, including all-wheel drive and the “F Sport” package. The Weekly Driver Test Drive Beyond its bright blue (Ultrasonic Blue Mica) exterior, which attracted a lot of attention, the Lexus IS350 gained quick admiration from everyone who rode in

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Mercedes-Benz S400 hybrid 2011 car review

Mercedes-Benz gives some models in its S-Class flagship line a stupefying amount of horsepower for a dignified, prestigious sedan. Such power should be left to the automaker’s smaller, sportier models. However, the $91,000 S-Class S400 gas-electric Hybrid model I tested is a sensible, reasonably fuel-efficient alternative to the gas-guzzling hot rod S-Class versions. The S-Class once stood alone as the ultimate luxury car in America, far outdoing Cadillac. Caddy hasn’t offered an S-Class rival for a long time. But now rivals include the Audi A8, Jaguar XJ, BMW 7-Series and Porsche Panamera. All are excellent, but lack the formidable reputation of Mercedes. “After all,” Mercedes spokespersons are fond of saying, “we invented the car.” The standard 5.5-liter 382 horsepower gasoline

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Super Bowl XLV commercials: Audi touts A8 via kids' book

It’s no secret the automotive industry is back. The buzz around the current North America International Auto Show provides a prime example. And on Feb. 6, a more expensive example will be showcased in Super Bowl XLV. At last count, eight automakers —  Audi, BMW, Chrysler, General Motors, Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen — have purchased advertising time. Several other automotive-related companies have also purchased commercial time. According to a report in AdAge, several automotive advertisers have purchased multiple 30-second commercial slots, others will have one-minute spots — the most expensive ad rate in any communications medium. Super Bowl commercials are often as much of the anticipation of Super Bowl Sunday as the game. Automakers, like other advertisers, release commercials

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