Super Luxe Cars

In these days of financial belt-tightening and environmental concerns, the idea of buying a luxury car might be derided by many. Powerful cars use lots of petrol and cost large amounts of money. Can this really be justified any more? Many people are turning to smaller and more practical cars, which cost little to run and are easy to drive and park. The Smart Car, for example, released in 2008, was seen by many as the future of motoring: stripped down, small and practical.

So, does all this mean that the age of the luxury car is over? Not at all. While developments in ecologically friendly city cars are certainly welcome and may well be the future of mass-market motoring, the luxury end of the market stands apart. Luxury cars are about aspiration and dreams, about creating something that is as good as it can possibly be. Luxury cars push the boundaries of what is possible. To compare cars with air travel, the much loved Concorde was developed to be the fastest and most advanced plane in use. It never served the majority of consumers, who travelled on more practical, cheaper aircraft, but it was universally admired and seen as an important technological achievement. The same is true of luxury cars. It is part of being human to want to strive for the best.

So, what if you want to see some of these feats of human achievement for yourself? Most of us won’t be buying a luxury car to do the school run or go to the supermarket any time soon, however that doesn’t mean we’d pass up the chance to try a luxury drive once in while by hiring one. A road trip in a luxury car would make a perfect holiday for anyone interested in cars. A trip through the breathtaking scenery of the Alps or a road trip Los Angeles along the world-famous Route 66 might just fit the bill.

Fancy, top-of-the-line luxury cars, these diamonds on four wheels are the dreams of many and are usually a symbol of freedom, status and success. The majority of those people don’t necessarily have the excess cash to buy one of these vehicles without a second thought though. What do you do if you want (or need) one of these cars but are currently on a nickel-and-dime budget? Read on to find out.

Another day, another kit car for your toupee-tousling amusement. This is the Heynsdyk 2500SF from Holland: a bespoke body placed over the engine, electronics, and drivetrain of a Porsche 944. The substantially lighter body, in galvanized steel, takes weight down to 900 kilograms (1,980 pounds) while maintaining 50/50 weight distribution. There are six engine choices, from a basic 2.5-liter four-cylinder with 163 horsepower, to a 2.5-liter four-pot S-motor with a turbo. That one will get you 250 horsepower, and from 0 to 60 in six seconds. Top speed is limited to 250 kilometers per hour (155 miles per hour).

You can buy the car as a kit or a finished product, and prices start at €14,750 ($20,798 U.S.) for the kit, or €36,995 ($52,158 U.S.) for a ready runner. Like its countrymate Spyker, what the car might lack in beauty it makes up for in unique and arresting looks. Have a look for yourselves in the gallery of high-res photos below. Hat tip to Anton!

The Scorpion by Ronn Motors is a 450 horsepower hydrogen powered vehicle that drinks the water from your garden hose to create hydrogen on demand. It gets 40mpg, the hydrogen is mixed with 91-octane gasoline to improve the fuel economy and reduce the emissions of the car’s 3.5-liter internal combustion engine. It is priced at $150,000. More pictures after the break.

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According to Car and Driver, Infiniti is readying a direct-injection system for its 3.7-liter V6 and plans to implement it on the refreshed G37 coupe and sedan before the redesigned G arrives in the next three years. A variant of the twin-turbocharged, 3.7-liter direct-injected V6 originally shown in the Essence concept will likely appear in the redesigned M – due in 2010 – and will reportedly put out between 340 and 350 horsepower, but it will not be fitted with the duo of turbos.

While Infiniti recognizes that it could use a successor to the Q45 (the company’s slow-selling full-size sedan last roamed U.S. showrooms in 2006) to compete with the likes of Audi, BMW, Lexus and Mercedes-Benz, the project may be stifled by the floundering economy. Infiniti dealers were evidently shown a concept in Japan earlier this year, assumed to be the next Q, which was essentially a four-door version of the Essence concept that debuted at the Geneva Motor Show. At this point, its future is uncertain.

Larry Dominique, Infiniti’s veep of product planning in the U.S., wants to make sure that the automaker’s resources are focused on its core products – namely the G and M series – but admitted that a QX56 replacement is in the works and will likely debut after 2010 once the redesigned Armada is released.

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Mr.Bond’s new car has arrived, that’s the ultimate Aston Martin One-77. It powered by 7.3-liter V12, a carbon fiber chassis, a handcrafted aluminum body, and boost from 0-60 time at 3.5 seconds and achieving top speed of over 200 mph. It has a 20-inch wheels wrapped in specially made Pirelli P Zero Corsa tires. Get this ride at $1.4 million.

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A Nissan GT-R wagon? Not really, “it’s a conversion of the Japanese automaker’s M35 series Stagea wagon, a JDM load-lugger it produced from 2001 to 2007″. But Stagea has been called the GT-R Wagon by many people. The Stagea was spotted at Nagoya Auto Trend, the car is powered by a V6 and available in both rear and all-wheel-drive.

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This is the official pictures of the Lamborghini Murciélago LP 670-4 SuperVeloce. It is more powerful, faster and lighter than the already fast

LP-640. Its 6.5L V12 produces up to 670 hp and 487 lb-ft of torque, all was achieved by optimizing the engine’s valve timing and tweaking the air intake system. The LP 670-4 SuperVeloce is described by Lamborghini as “exceptionally purist”.

More pictures after the break.

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The Renault Megane Trophy concept is sexy, shown in the Paris Motor Show. It is powered by a Nissan-sourced 3.5-liter V6 mounted amidship found in the old Renaultsport Clio V6, churning out 360hp and mated with a six-speed sequential gearbox. I love its wide bodykit, they really did a nice work on the body. Unfortunately, it is still under concept but maybe you can get some idea from this for your own bodykit.

More pictures after the break.

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This looks great! It is the Pagani Zonda R, its price is a little expensive than Veyron or Reventon, that is $2.6-million. It is powered by 6.0-liter AMG V12 engine. Check out more shots after the break.

 
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