Luxist

TAG Heuer Presents Limited-Edition Meridiist Automobili Lamborghini

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) — Nov 3rd 2009 8:02PM

Vertu has been hard at work cornering the niche automotive-inspired luxury phone market, but they're not going to have it all to themselves. Because TAG Heuer, creators of the Meridiist mobile, have strong ties running deep in the automotive industry that have included collaborations with Mercedes-Benz, Porsche and McLaren to name just a few. And have now teamed up with Lamborghini for an even more exclusive edition of the Meridiist.

The TAG Heuer Meridiist Automobili Lamborghini boasts a chassis made of stainless steel, coated in black titanium carbide and packed with all the bells and whistles you could expect. It'll only be made in a limited edition of 1963 examples, honoring the year which the Italian sportscar-maker started business, available exclusively from Lamborghini and TAG Heuer retailers.

Gallery: TAG Heuer Meridiist Automobili Lamborghini

Tags: Automobili Lamborghini, AutomobiliLamborghini, heuer, Meridiist, tag, tag heuer, TAG Heuer Meridiist, TAG Heuer Meridiist Lamborghini, TagHeuer, TagHeuerMeridiist, TagHeuerMeridiistLamborghini

Ferrari World Prepares for Grand Opening in Abu Dhabi Next Year

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) — Nov 3rd 2009 8:01AM

If you had the occasion to watch the inaugural Abu Dhabi Grand Prix which capped the end of the 2009 Formula One World Championship this past weekend, you may have gotten a glimpse of a giant red structure with a huge Ferrari emblem on the roof. What you're looking at is Ferrari World, the first Ferrari theme park, being built on the man-made Yas Island resort in Abu Dhabi.

The complex stands as the largest indoor park in the world, encompassing some 2 million square feet under a giant 150-foot-high red steel roof sporting the largest Ferrari logo in the world. Out of the top protrudes a 200-foot g-force drop tower, accompanying the world's fastest roller coaster, a flume ride simulating a Ferrari engine and kart tracks among its 20+ attractions. Of course there'll be plenty of restaurants and shopping opportunities that go along with any theme park as well. This one is set to open its doors some time next year as part of an ongoing initiative to turn the United Arab Emirates into a leading tourist destination.

Gallery: Ferrari World Abu Dhabi

Tags: abu dhabi, AbuDhabi, emirates, ferrari, ferrari world, FerrariWorld, theme park, ThemePark, uae, united arab emirates, UnitedArabEmirates, yas, yas island, YasIsland

Zagato and Ferrari Collaborate on Limited-Edition 550 GTZ

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) — Nov 3rd 2009 6:02AM

As far as convertible Ferraris go, it doesn't get much more exclusive than the 550 Barchetta Pininfarina. The limited edition is two generations old already, but only 448 examples were made. One studio seems to think that isn't exclusive enough, however, and has used it as the basis to make a special edition of its own.

Called the 550 GTZ, the custom coachbuilt convertible is the latest in a long line of rebodied Ferraris made by Zagato Milano, one of the oldest coachbuilders in Italy. Marking the 90th anniversary of their first collaboration – and what could very well be the last given new regulations – the 550 GTZ is being built in an extremely limited run of five examples, all of which have reportedly already been spoken for at the princely sum of $1.6 million each.

Gallery: Ferrari 550 GTZ by Zagato

Tags: carrozzeria, carrozzeria zagato milano, CarrozzeriaZagatoMilano, coacbuilder, ferrari, ferrari 550 barchetta, ferrari 550 barchetta pininfarina, ferrari 550 gtz, ferrari zagato, Ferrari550Barchetta, Ferrari550BarchettaPininfarina, Ferrari550Gtz, FerrariZagato, gtz, zagato, zagato 550 gtz, zagato ferrari, zagato ferrari 550 gtz, zagato milano, Zagato550Gtz, ZagatoFerrari, ZagatoFerrari550Gtz, ZagatoMilano

Acura Goes After its Own Niche with New Direction

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) — Nov 3rd 2009 2:02AM

Although Acura offers some very compelling premium vehicles, the luxury division from Honda has always appeared to be playing catch-up with its rivals. Acura was toying with the idea of creating a rear-wheel-drive platform and a V8 engine to compete with the likes of Lexus, Mercedes and Jaguar, but those plans have now been put on ice as the company struggles to find its niche.

Instead, its new direction will be to build technologically-advanced near-luxury vehicles with hybrid drivetrains and the latest state-of-the-art features. It will take the company a while to refocus, however, leaving its dealerships across North America – many of which have invested heavily in glitzy new showrooms in anticipation of exciting new products – to twiddle their proverbial thumbs and wait, or else find another product line to sell.

Tags: acura

Former F1 Driver David Coulthard gets a $33,000 Speeding Ticket

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) — Nov 2nd 2009 11:02PM

The truly wealthy never seem to care about tickets. They park where they want and drive how they want, because the penalties never mean much more than pocket change to them. Well they might want to give that a second thought as one extremely wealthy motorist has received an unpredecentedly large speeding ticket in Mumbai.

The fine was imposed on one David Coulthard, one of the most successful Formula One drivers never to win a world title. The Scotsman recently retired from active duty, but still performs from time to time for the Red Bull Racing team he helped form. On a recent demonstration run for 50,000 fans in India, Coulthard reportedly hit a top speed of 162 miles per hour... in a 30 zone. The result was that the local officials withheld the $33,000 deposit put down for the team for the event. Which has to be the biggest speeding ticket ever issued.

Gallery: Red Bull Racing demonstration in Mumbai

Tags: david coulthard, DavidCoulthard, formula one, FormulaOne, mumbai, speeding ticket, SpeedingTicket

Porsches Escape Taxes in Norway with Creative Specifications

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) — Nov 2nd 2009 9:01PM

Sometimes getting around oppressive tax laws requires a little bit of...shall we say, creativity. Which is exactly what the Norwegian importer for Porsche cars appears to be displaying with this latest loophole.

Although the Porsche Cayman and Boxster are built in neighboring Finland, next door in Norway they're subject to heavy tariffs due to their high horsepower outputs and carbon emissions. So what did the importer do? Cut the engine's output to below the threshold. The result is a coupe and convertible with 211 horsepower each – 44 and 34 hp less than what they leave the nearby factory with – which qualifies them for significant tax rebates: nearly $19,000 for the Cayman and over $15,000 for the Boxster. The kicker, though, is that according to the same spec sheet, the sportscars haven't suffered any performance degradation, leading us to wonder if the engines were really modified or if they just doctored the numbers.

Tags: norway, porsche, porsche boxster, porsche cayman, porsche norway, PorscheBoxster, PorscheCayman, PorscheNorway

Mercedes Reportedly Preparing Even More Exclusive SLS AMG Black Series

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) — Nov 2nd 2009 7:00PM

With 617 horsepower and a 208mph top speed, topping the Mercedes SLR McLaren was no mean feat. Mercedes nearly managed to pull it off with the new SLS AMG. The gull-winged supercar was unveiled at the recent international auto show in Frankfurt to rave reviews. But it still falls a shade short of its predecessor's bragging rights, so the German automaker is reportedly working on an even more exclusive, more powerful and more capable SLS AMG Black Series.

Following in the Black Series that has given us the SLK55, CLK63 and SL65, the SLS Black is expected to gain some extra power and lose some weight to optimize that vital power to weight ratio. Sources expect the 563hp and 479lb-ft of torque from the existing 6.2-liter V8 to get a boost past the 600hp/500lb-ft mark, coupled with a 50kg weight-shaving scheme to drop the "stock" SLS' 0-62 mph time down from 3.8 seconds – already faster than 99% of the cars out on the road – to below 3.5 seconds, and the top speed up from 195 mph to 208.

Of course the added exclusivity won't come cheap: insiders expect the price to jump by half to over $250,000 when the SLS AMG Black Series hits the market in 2013.

Gallery: Frankfurt 2009: Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG

Tags: amg, amg black series, AmgBlackSeries, black, black series, BlackSeries, mercedes, mercedes amg, mercedes sls, mercedes sls amg, mercedes-benz, mercedes-benz sls amg, mercedes-benz sls amg black series, Mercedes-benzSlsAmg, Mercedes-benzSlsAmgBlackSeries, MercedesAmg, MercedesSls, MercedesSlsAmg

Updated Nissan GT-R Brings The Fight Back to Porsche

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) — Oct 28th 2009 3:02AM

If you've been under the impression that the cold war is over, you haven't been watching the arms race unfolding between Japan and Germany. Fortunately we're not talking about World War III here, but an escalation in the performance wars between Nissan and Porsche. The former took aim square at the latter with the all-conquering GT-R, and Porsche has been responding in kind with ever faster versions of the 911. With the ball now in their proverbial court, Nissan unveiled a revised version of its all-wheel-drive supercar affectionately known as Godzilla at the Tokyo Motor Show this year.

Improving on the formula that already incorporates a 3.8-liter twin-turbo V6 driving 480 horsepower to all four wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, the revised GT-R has been fitted with an upgraded suspension, exhaust system, aerodynamics package, high-performance tires and info-tainment system to bring the fight back to Germany. Your turn, Porsche.

Gallery: 2010 Nissan GT-R

Tags: 2010 nissan gt-r, 2010NissanGt-r, godzilla, gt-r, gtr, nissan, nissan gt-r, nissan gtr, NissanGt-r, NissanGtr

$375,000 Lexus LFA Supercar Debuts at Tokyo Motor Show

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) — Oct 28th 2009 1:01AM

If you're in the market for a top-of-the-line exotic sportscar, it used to be that the European automakers (like Ferrari, Porsche and Aston Martin) were the only place to go. The Acura NSX held down the fort for the Japanese automakers for a long while, but since its departure it's been back to business as usual.

Japan's carmakers, however, are in the midst of a renaissance in the supercar arena. The Nissan GT-R, once kept exclusively in the Japanese Domestic Market, has been taking on all challengers, and now Lexus has stepped up with the highly-anticipated new LFA. With a 550-horsepower V10 engine, a 3.7-second sprint to 60, a top speed in excess of 200 miles per hour and a $375,000 price tag, the Lexus LFA is capable of dicing it with the best Europe has to offer and holding its own.

Despite the extraordinary price tag, sources suggest that parent company Toyota will actually take a loss on each one sold. Which could help explain why they'll only be making 500 examples, making this one very attractive and – for everyone involved – very expensive piece of window dressing.

Gallery: Lexus LFA

Tags: exotic, lexus, lexus lfa, lexus sports car, LexusLfa, LexusSportsCar, lfa, sports car, sports cars, SportsCar, SportsCars

X Marks the Spot: Toyota Unveils New Premium Sedan in Tokyo

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) — Oct 27th 2009 10:01PM

Names like Infiniti, Acura and Lexus have come to occupy central roles in the luxury automobile market. But for decades, these brands were only sold in North America. Lexus came home to roost just a few years ago, while Infiniti and Acura are still dedicated exclusively to the foreign market. So while it may seem counter-intuitive to see luxury sedans marketed under labels we'd consider decidedly ordinary here, in their domestic markets the practice is commonplace. Take for example the new Toyota Mark X.

This slick premium sedan is now in its second iteration, recently revealed under the bright lights of the semi-annual Tokyo Motor Show. Sold exclusively in Japan, it shares its platform with the Lexus GS, but comes wrapped in a sportier shell, with a choice of V6 engines in 2.5-liter/203hp and 3.5-liter/315hp guises driving through a six-speed automatic transmission and either rear- or all-wheel-drive. Not unlike the Hyundai Genesis sedan which comes to market conspicuously void of Hyundai badges, the Mark X bares its own grille ornament, giving the premium sedan an air of sophistication to slot somewhere in between Toyota's image and that of its upscale counterpart Lexus.

Gallery: Toyota Mark X

Tags: lexus, mark x, MarkX, toyota, toyota mark x, ToyotaMarkX

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