Which Make Makes the Best Luxury Car? March 2011 Poll

Well, you guys have voted, and the results are in.  The Poll for March 2011, "Which make makes the best luxury car?" you guys have voted Mercedes. Yay! for Mercedes.

Mercedes Brabus SV12-R Made for Apple Fans

A car made for Apple fans, the Mercedes Brabus SV12-R. Feautures a Mac Mini, two ipads with apple keyboards, that can be used for work and controls the whole cars operating system, everything from climate control to navigation system.

With 750 horsepower and almost 1000-lb/feet of torque on tap, the huge car can reach 211mph, and goes from 0-60-mph in four seconds. That's fast enough to embarrass just about any exotic sports car, and this one can carry four passengers with their luggage.

Porsche Panamera Tuned by 9ff and Russian firm's Top Car and Cardi

Our Russian friends over at Cardesign have sent us a new set of sketches depicting one of the first tuning proposals for the just revealed Porsche Panamera sports sedan. Although it was initially believed that 9ff was the only one company working on the Panamera, turns out that the German tuner has also joined forces with two Russian companies, called "Top-Car" and "Cardi". The role of each firm in the tuning project is defined as "Top Car" who will handle the design, Cardi the production of the bodykit parts and 9ff, the performance upgrades.

This isn't the first time that the three tuning firms have collaborated on a Porsche project as last year they introduced the Cayenne-based Vantage GTR.

According to the folks at Cardesign, Top Car has designed two distinctive bodykits for the Panamera. The complete kit replaces every external body panel aside from the rooftop while the second package adds new front and rear bumpers, side skirts and a restyled bonnet. In both cases, the visual upgrades are rounded off with a set of newly designed alloy wheels. 9ff has not disclosed any details about the mechanical upgrades it is preparing for the Panamera.

It remains unclear whether or not the Panamera project will be offered exclusively by Top-Car and/or by 9ff.

Detroit Preview: Fisker Karma

Just one short year after Fisker showed us its plug-in hybrid Karma show car at the "Detroit Auto Show", the house that Henrik built will be returning to the Motor City to debut the production version of its ambitious project. Fisker says the production model, which is shown in the post just-released official pic, will only vary slightly in design from the show car, including a different upper grille that's a bit larger towards the outer edges and a larger lower air intake. The exhaust pipe from the internal combustion engine will also exit from an odd place: behind the front wheels. We'll also get our first view of the Karma's production interior in Detroit next month.

Fisker announced last month that it had chosen General Motors' turbocharged, direct-inject 2.0L four-cylinder as its power source of choice, and after sampling the engine in the Chevy Cobalt SS Turbo, we're very eager to see what it will do in a hybrid set-up designed to make one very large luxury saloon move like the wind. Combined with the hybrid system's 22.6 kWh electric motor, the drivetrain as a whole is said to produce 408 horsepower and propel the car to 60 mph in 5.8 seconds and onto to a top speed of 125 mph. What sounded like vaporware 365 days ago is starting to take form, and we'll be on hand in Detroit next month to bring you more.

ASI's 800hp Tetsu GTR Bentley Continental GT

What does SEMA mean to you? For most of us, it's a place for the country's top tuners to show their wares to a power-hungry public. But the dark side of SEMA never ceases to rear its ugly head, and further proof will be available at the Toyo booth where the Tetsu GTR Bentley Continental GT will be displayed.

The unholy brainchild of Japanese tuner ASI features a custom carbon fiber wide-body kit that makes ASMA's unfortunate creations look demure in comparison. The two-tone paint scheme... uhhh... compliments the massive haunches, deep side skirts and GT-style wing, while 22-inch blingalicious rollers prove that chrome is still in high demand... unfortunately.

According to Modified Luxury and Exotics, only 29 Tetsu GTRs will be produced, each putting out over 800 hp. We'll be on hand to provide live shots of the other five vehicles featured at the Toyo stand, assuming our camera lens doesn't crack when we zoom in on the GTR's gaudy fascia.

Source: Luxury Exotics

Rolls Royce Silver... Bullitt with 1040 Hp Hemi V8

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that this kitschy Silver Shadow isn’t your typical chauffeur driven Rolls Royce. The custom made limo is equipped with a 592 Hemi V8 that with the help of a dual stage nitrous system pumps out a mouthwatering 1040Hp. Leaving aside the pimp-my-Impala steering wheel, another interesting detail is the roll cage that’s wrapped around with leather and contrast stitching.

British Luxury: The Bentley Azure

The Azure name is most notable for being convertible versions of already present Bentley sedans. Chopping the top, changing the visual look and making the sedan into a two door coupe are what the changes basically represent. From 1995 to 2003, the Bentley Azure was a convertible version of the Continental sedan. In 2006, the name was resurrected for a convertible version of the Arnage sedan. Both cars had 6.7L V-8 engines but with different outputs. The Old Azure made 400 horsepower except the T edition which made 420; the Azure that it currently being produced makes 450 horsepower.

Project Kahn Bentley Continental GTS ‘Black Edition’

Project Kahn is proud to announce the launch of the new Bentley Continental GTS ‘Black Edition’.

The ‘Black Edition’ has an eight-piece body consisting of a three piece rear valance, two side skirts, a two piece front valance and a rear boot spoiler. This kit has been developed by our Project Kahn design team and has undergone many hours of testing not only to ensure safety but also to ensure that a perfect fit is achieved for each car.

The ‘Black Edition’ package contains a full interior styling program which includes a bespoke Project Kahn Luxury Leather upgrade and high gloss piano black interior fascia panels with the optional extras of either a high gloss piano black steering or a carbon fibre finish steering wheel. Each car comes with privacy tinted glass perfectly matched to compliment the cars exterior. To complete the ‘low to the road’ aggressive stance the ‘black edition’ is fitted with a Project Kahn electronic lowering module. As standard the suspension is lowered by 20mm but this can be adjusted according to the customers’ requirements.
Each ‘Black Edition’ is fitted with the Project Kahn GTS sports exhaust system which provides a slight increase in performance whilst accelerating but more importantly emits a unique sound emanating from the car as a deep rumble.

However the most unique feature of the ‘Black Edition’ is the addition of the new ‘Silver Mist’ alloy wheel.

Source: Tuning News

Jaguar XKR-S: Car Review

Quick quiz time- What's the fastest Jaguar ever, not counting the XJ220? Answer: you're looking at it. This new XKR-S has been de-restricted, so the standard XK-R's limited top speed of 155mph does not apply. Good.

This baby will run all the way to 174mph, which seems a lot more Jaguarish to me than a computerised restrictor. Here's a thought - remove the restrictors from all Jaguars. Just a thought.

Few owners will ever hit this car's maximum, but it's nice to know it's there. And the S is an improvement over the standard car in many other ways, all of which add up to a full and proper justification for the extra £9,000 on the list price.

Not least of the improvements is the superb body kit. This is instantly recognisable as the ultimate Jaguar XK, and a good many buyers will wear the extra cost for that reason alone. Lower front, side and rear skirts are subtle yet still striking, and work beautifully on the XK's fundamentally gorgeous shape - to such an extent that a couple of people asked me what the car was.

The rear diffuser combined with the larger rear wing really transforms this car's back end - the haunches look a lot more muscular and the bespoke wheels are absolutely perfect. Once again, this is a Jag that cocks a finger in the direction of Aston Martin, and I don't think there's an Aston to touch it, really.

Then there's the suspension upgrades. Jaguar's chassis gurus are surely the greatest in the business this side of Lotus. They've done some of their best work with the XKR-S, which is significantly harder all round for better response through corners, yet somehow maintains its cosseting ride.

If there's any GT car in the world with a better ride and handling compromise than this XKR-S, I haven't driven it.

The engine remains the same - a 4.2-litre supercharged V8 with 420bhp and 413lb ft - and so does the transmission, the six-speed auto by ZF - and I guess these are the only two areas that need updating. New, more efficient engines are on the way later this year, but there isn't a lot wrong with the drivetrain now. I'd like to see more controllability built into the auto 'box, though, like in the XF - it's an improvement Jaguar should make straightaway.

That's nit-picking, though. The way this car goes, stops and steers makes it the best Jaguar on sale, and probably the best GT too.

By Bill Thomas from Top Gear

New 2009 Nissan Maxima

The latest Nissan out of the gate - the sixth model to wear the "Maxima" designation - gets a significant redesign for 2009. Launched in 1985, the first Maxima was a praised departure from its predecessor, the rear-wheel-drive Datsun 810. Reconfigured as front-wheel-drive, the newly-named sedan foreshadowed the arrival of Nissan's "4-Door Sports Car" or "4DSC", a name aptly-coined for the 1989 model. While each subsequent generation seemed to soften (much to the lament of enthusiasts), the automaker claims this ground-up remake once-again earns the 4DSC moniker.

2008 Aznom Clubman Chateau Mini

Pleasure, Emotion, Pragmatism, Elegance. These are the basic items of the new interpretation of the Mini Clubman signed Aznom. So the new Mini Chateaux is born, a Mini that, thanks to its name evokes the elegance of the world of the Grands Chateaux; for this reason in its car trunk has found place a 6 bottles (and chalices) wine-cellar completely caulked and shock absorbent built up with the same wood and leather selected for the car.

Concerning the inner features, the match of aged / gaucho leather and alcantara creates a warm vintage atmosphere that embraces the passengers in a special trip of elegance, emotion and tradition. In order to make this car version really special, we chose to couple a more “classic” style leather with an unconventional/eccentric old-looking one.

Regarding the car body , the exterior paint pearly-changeable brown has been matched with a sandy/gold metallic paint selected for the top, for part of bumpers and other details shaping up the whole car style creating an ideally separation between top and body, mostly thanks to the wide side windows that lightens the top part of the car.

The really distinguishing element is the precious wood used internally and externally. Inside (glossy finished) for some details of dashboard and doors. Outside (mat and weather resistant finished) for the top part of back bumper, head lamps frame, underlining so the back doors, emblmatic element, typical of the Mini Clubman version.

So, we wish in this way to dedicate to the legendary Mini Clubman a really brand-new interpretation, worthy of being its modern heiress.

The chose alloy wheels TSW “Pace” are elegant and sporty same time, and thanks to the generous dimensions of 18” equipped with 205/40 tyres Yokohama S-Drive has been put a stress on the peculiar dynamic vocation that all along distinguishes the Mini style.

The Mini Chateaux will be realized in a limited edition of sole 12 really exclusive samples characterized by numbered labels completed with the name of the lucky owners.

2009 Rolls Royce Phantom Coupe

As if we didn't have enough already with the four door Roll Royce Phantom. This 2 door coupe is more than enough to satisfy the needs of the rich and not so famous. Superior styling as always and a superior V12 engine pulling out 453 horsepower and 531 lb-ft torque going from 0-60 in 5.6 seconds. The Rolls Royce phantom is for those young professional people who don't have a family yet but want to roll in luxury. Or for the man who wants to go on a special trip with his wife alone on the weekend.

Engine

Power bhp: 453

Torque lb-ft: 531

Type: V12

Performance

Acceleration 0-60 mph: 5.6 Seconds

Top Speed: 155 (electronically limited)

Base Price for 2009 Rolls Royce Phantom Coupe: $412,000

Gran Turismo 5 Prologue Review

This ain’t no Amateur Stick. This here is a Pro-logue.

“Classy” and “video game” usually go together about as well as bottle of Pétrus and pre-sliced American cheese. But every couple of years, the folks at Polyphony Digital pull out their giant, oversized syringe, full of style and affluence, and inject it right into the gaming world’s giant, oversized ass. And for a little while, we all get to feel like we’re living out our virtual caviar dreams.

I like to think of the Gran Turismo games as the tuxedo shirts of the gaming world. They fit in with the black-tie set just as well as they do the beer-and-pretzels set. Playing the GT series gets everyone to feel like the prince of a small Mediterranean country, a prince who also keeps an old Camaro out back on cinder blocks.

Gran Turismo 5: Prologue Spec II follows the release of Gran Turismo HD: Concept on their slow way toward the final Gran Turismo 5 product. Apparently, Polyphony Digital doesn’t believe in calling their preliminary games “demos.” They’ve got too much class and pretension to stoop so low. No, they’ve got “concepts” and “prologues”. I guess I should stop using my “front door” and start using my “grand entrance” instead.

Admittedly, HD Concept was more filled out than your everyday demo, since it had leaderboards, user videos, and tuning features. But it was only limited to one course and just a handful of cars, and the physics engine wasn't all that different from what it was in GT4. It was a free tease, but it was mostly just a graphical showcase with no real changes to the gameplay in prior installments.

But Gran Turismo 5: Prologue presents us with a set of much more challenging philosophical conundrums: Is it a game? Is it a demo? Is it shameless consumer abuse? Figuring out exactly “what it is” can feel like an exercise in existential phenomenology. However, I can assure you, this is a full game, complete unto itself. Only when compared to other Gran Turismo games might this title seem lacking in content. It’s got more vehicle and course selections than Motorstorm, more robust online features than DIRT, and more variability in its physics models than Forza 2.

If HD Concept was a sign of where the series was heading visually, Prologue shows us where the series is heading in terms of gameplay and presentation. The driving physics, play modes, online features, carmaker tie-ins, menu screens, and load times have all been massively retooled. If I were to lambaste this game for what it isn’t or what features it doesn’t have, I may as well also criticize it for not cooking me breakfast or for letting a game like Survivor see the light of day. It is what it is - a damn fine racing sim. That it’s just a “prologue” of what’s to come is utterly mind-blowing.

This isn’t to say it’s perfect. The in-game race music sounds like something from a bad football highlights collection. But you can adjust the music levels for menus, replays, and racing independently of one another, something rarely seen in a game. So just turn off the racing music and don’t give it another thought. The music in the menus and replays retains the outstanding light jazz tunage of prior games in the series, allowing your inner middle-aged white man to shake his groove thang.

And there are a couple of other small issues. Racing purists might be bothered by the fact that they can’t turn off the gear-shift indicator, and I also found it a little annoying that I couldn’t organize my garage by drivetrain. The game also doesn’t remember your preferred camera position; each time you restart the game it defaults to the bumper camera. While it’s true that most people probably use this view, Polyphony put so much effort into creating a beautiful cockpit view (the best I’ve ever seen) that this seems like a strange oversight.

But what Prologue does do, it does almost flawlessly. The game includes online races, an arcade mode for single-player customized races, a local two-player mode, carmaker-specific races, and single-player events. The single-player events come in a series of four classes: C, B, A, and S. You have to complete each of the ten events in one class to move on to the next by placing in the top three, making for a total of 40 events. Most events are straightforward races against up to 15 other cars. Other events include time trial events and single-lap, single-model races. The latter of these event types, where you have one lap to pass all 15 of your competitors using a pre-determined car, are the most challenging.

Unlike prior GT games, you can’t rely on simply earning enough money to buy better aftermarket parts to improve your vehicle to ensure victory. This time around, you’re stuck with stock parts, and most races strictly limit the type of cars you can use, which helps to keep things challenging and prevents money-grinding your way to a win. Only after you’ve finished the first three classes can you then begin tuning your cars, but even then, you’re limited by an overall power rating. It’s a fantastic improvement over one of the fundamental flaws in the series. It remains to be seen whether GT5 will find a similar way to prevent grinding for parts.

But the real gem of the new settings is the toggle between the “standard” and “professional” physics models. As far as I can tell, “standard” feels pretty much identical to the physics model used in GT4. The “professional” setting, however, brings the game to a whole new level of realism, challenge, and driving feel. Polyphony Digital has always had to balance accessibility and realism in its games. Make a game too real, and it becomes prohibitively difficult. Make it too accessible, and it gets labeled “arcadey.” Adding a toggle between the two physics models gives you the option of choosing a setting between the two. In certain online and S-class races, you will be limited to using only professional physics, so there’s plenty of challenge here for the well-versed and plenty of room to grow for the inexperienced.

However, for all that this game does well, the online modes could still use work. Getting online is a smooth experience, and the races themselves run beautifully. Unfortunately, there is no way to race against people on your friends list, and consequently there is no way to set up private races. Supposedly, both of these things are due to be added in the future, but as it stands, these features are sorely missed.

There is also a huge assortment of leaderboards for both time trial and drifting modes. Each of the 70+ vehicles and each of the twelve courses has its corresponding leaderboard for both types of play. The leaderboard portion of the game is far more polished than the multiplayer online racing modes. The menus are clearly organized and easy to navigate, and watching movies of the best players flying through these courses is a racing fan’s heaven.

Technically, Gran Turismo 5: Prologue is tailor-made for people with high-end home theaters. Not only can this game render at 1080p, but it also runs at an unshakable 60 fps with nary a hitch or screen tear in sight. Load times are faster than they’ve ever been. The game also includes a crystal clear 7.1 LPCM audio track for those with the gear to enjoy it. To take advantage of all of this means having a serious theater system, and as if to rub this in, the game also includes audio settings for “living room”, “small theater”, and “large theater”. (All of you with an in-home “large theater” can go to hell, bee-tee-double-you.)

Even without a top-of-the-line home theater, this game makes you believe that you are living the high life. It exudes elitism, class, and affluence at every turn. It’s a game every bit as precise and refined as the cars it replicates. But it also doesn’t forget that it’s still a game made for the grease monkey in all of us. Gran Turismo 5: Prologue shits roses and presents them to us as the first course in what promises to be one of the tastiest racing meals ever served.

A-
+ Unrivaled recreations of cars and physics
+ New "professional" physics mode
+ Robust leaderboards
+ As beautiful to watch as it is to play
+ Adjustable difficulty
+ Does away with grinding for aftermarket parts
- Can't play with friends online

Source: Game Revolution author - Jesse Costantino

2009 Bentley Continental Flying Spur Speed

The new Bentley Continental Flying Spur is more comfortable, more refined, and more opportunities for customer personalization. It is the most powerful four door saloon in the world with a V12 twin turbo engine. Which produces 600 hp and 553 lb-ft torque. It goes from 0-60 mph in 4.9 seconds and has top speed of 195 mph. Which is really not the purpose of this car. The purpose of the car is to ride in style and let everyone know you have money to buy something like. Instead of buying a Ferrari you buy this because you have kids and a wife, meaning you need a car that has more than 2 seats. This car is more than expected when you find out what kind of features the British manufacturer Bentley offers you. Park distance control system with new graphics on infotainment screen, new, follow-to-stop precision radar-based Adaptive Cruise Control with five time-gap settings, new optional full width rear seat with electrically adjustable outboard positions and fixed central seat, and there is just too much to list.

Engine
Power bhp: 600
Torque lb-ft: 553
Type: V12 Twin-Turbo 6.0L

Performance
Acceleration 0-60 mph: 4.9 Seconds
Top Speed: 195

Base Price For Bentley Continental Flying Spur: $176,285

Mercedes S-Class Eagle, Asma Design - Wallpaper

High Quality Wallpapers of Mercedes S-Class Eagle I Asma Design.

BMW's Hydrogen Car Cleans The Air As You Drive

What if your car consumed carbon monoxide instead of spewing it out? Just such a vehicle was unveiled at last month’s SAE Congress in Detroit, which showcased some exciting green trends in the automotive industry. BMW stole the spotlight with its hydrogen-powered 7-series sedan that emits less carbon monoxide than is present in its environment. The car’s engine breaks down and converts carbon monoxide, essentially cleaning the air as it is driven.

BMW’s carbon cutting sedan features a six-liter hydrogen combustion engine that delivers performance on par with its gas-guzzling counterpart. The vehicle takes a step beyond BMW’s efforts to create a hydrogen/gasoline hybrid with astonishing results: tests conducted by Argonne Laboratories show that the car’s emissions are so low that they are undetectable by standard emissions tests.

It’s certainly true that Hydrogen fueled cars have some critical hurdles to overcome, but developments like this infuse the industry with an uplifting breath of fresh air. BMW currently has no plans for production, but the sedan marks sure signs of future-forward thinking.

2001 BMW 740il

The 2001 BMW 740il is a perfect example of a pure BMW. The 7 series has always fascinated me, as it never seems to get old. The style the power is up to modern expectations. If you need performance the e38(740il) has it, if you need style the e38 has it. E38 is the chassis name, mainly used by BMW enthusiasts and is the proper name for the 7 series. The e38 comes in many different packages, a sport edition, a luxury edition, both exceed to great expectations. The 740il carries a V8 engine which produces 282 hp, and 324 torque. The car mainly known for it's luxurious style, but BMW puts in all it's might and makes it a mean, fighting machine. The handling of the car is superb, talking from experience, and gets up to top speed in a glance. Overall the 2001 BMW 740il is just a perfect car, one of the most reliable BMW's ever produced.

Engine

Power bhp: 282

Torque lb-ft: 324

Type: V8

Performance

Acceleration 0-60 mph: 6.8 seconds

Jaguar Goes Into a New Direction

Jaguar's business has not been going well for the past 10 years, so they have decided to go into a new direction. The 2009 Jaguar XF a 4 seated luxury sports car, the exterior is a sporty, muscular and dynamic which was inspired by the XK. The interior maximizes the feeling of space, at same time making it a sports car. The new XF is a dramatic expression of a bold new Jaguar design language, with a driving experience that exceeds expectations created by the striking appearance: relaxed and confident, with outstanding ability and control. I believe the XF will help Jaguar's to grow in a better direction.

Engine
Power bhp: 420

Torque lb-ft: 413

Type: supercharged V8

Performance

Acceleration 0-60 mph: 5.1

Top Speed: 155 (electronically limited)

Base Price: 2009 Jaguar XF $49,975

2007 Maybach 57 S

The Maybach is dynamic luxury, with effortless performance. Is style and elegance, with an individual design crafted to perfection. The philosophy of Maybach designers is that the car has to feel like home. When purchasing you can choose an array of colors for the exterior, leather, wood grain. Each car is unique, with an individual design for a specific owner.
Engine
Power bhp: 612
Torque lb-ft: 738
Type:V12 Bi-Turbo

Performance
Acceleration 0-60 mph: 5.0 seconds
Top Speed: 170 (electronically limited)

My Rating: *****/*****

Base Price: 2007 Maybach 57 S - $377,000