Motoring News

“Batmobile” Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren bought by Tyga

When one celebrity buys themselves an outrageously expensive and customised luxury car, you can be sure that another will desperately want it!

In the world of the famous and rich, super expensive and stunningly fast cars have become more of the routine than the shocking moments. It’s the case of this murdered-out black Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren, also nicknamed the “Batmobile” SLR, that was owned for a couple of months by Scott Disick only to be now bought by Tyga.

While normal people save-up for the every-day rides, celebrities keep switching their hundreds of dollars rides between each other and they don’t even realize it.

Reality television celebrity and businessman Scott Disick, better known as Kourtney Kardashian’s spouse, posted a couple of pictures with the black Mercedes-Benz SLR quoting he owns it, a couple of months ago. Soon after it turned out he decided to sell it and now it was just bought by rapper Tyga. Los Angeles-based Calabasas Luxury Motorcars auto shop, the place he bought it from, recently posted an image of the rapper sitting next to it.

After all, this on and off/selling and buying super expensive and luxurious cars it’s not even that rare among famous people. In fact, when you say Scott Disick you think of flamboyant class and exclusive car-collection, about the same words that pop-up when you talk about Tyga’s rides.

Well, it seems Justin Bieber’s close friend decided to buy the “Batmobile” SLR just because it’s sitting pretty in his driveway, right next to his Rolls Royce Ghost, Lambroghini Aventador, Maybach and his other Mercedes, the SLS.

Source http://www.autoevolution.com/news/tyga-gets-scott-disicks-batmobile-slr-83345.html

Early morning race across London Bridge by Formula E Cars

The FIA are hoping that fast cars which are eco friendly will be the next big thing in car racing.

To work up a hype, eight Formula One-style cars with a top speed of 150mph have raced in front of the Houses of Parliament to launch the forthcoming all-electric championship.

One car also performed a doughnut on the empty road across London’s Westminster Bridge.

In order to pull off the photo opportunity, organisers started setting up from dawn and had the bridge to themselves until 6am.

The video has been released as part of the official Global Launch for the new all-electric FIA Formula E Championship.

The well-funded racing series, backed by the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), will host 10 zero-emission races in 10 cities around the world.

Formula E cars line up to start a trial on Westminster Bridge
The electric cars line up on Westminster bridge

As part of the launch, Battersea Park in South London was revealed as the London race venue.

The race around the park will be the season finale and is scheduled for June 27, 2015.

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: “Fast, fun and no doubt furious, the FIA Formula E Championship race in London is set to provide an awesome addition to the capital’s sporting calendar.

“The atmosphere will quite literally be electric and Battersea, which is already booming with the buzz of regeneration, will be alive with the excitement that this new, world-class event will no doubt spark.”

Mahindra Racing's Karun Chandhok doing a donut
Mahindra Racing’s Karun Chandhok doing a donut

The sport was set up with the aim of sparking interest in electric cars and boosting innovation in the technology used to run them.

The idea for the championship has been criticised in the past and was dubbed “the milk float challenge”, but as the first race draws nearer, it has become a highly anticipated format for motorsport fans.

Actor Leonardo DiCaprio, businessman Sir Richard Branson and Formula One legend Alain Prost have all set up teams ahead of the inaugural racing series.

Source http://news.sky.com/story/1292549/formula-e-cars-race-across-london-bridge

Which luxury cars are best and worst for value for money?

Luxury cars typically cost a lot to buy, but they needn’t break the bank in running costs – provided you choose carefully. 

You wouldn’t expect a luxury car to be cheap, but you might expect a lot of car for your money. Our best-value luxury car truly lived up to its billing with nearly all owners raving about its superb comfort levels. And while it may be a luxury model, it still scored above average for value overall in the Which? Car Survey.

The worst value luxury car, however, is within striking distance of the bottom of the survey. Owners complained about its hearty appetite for fuel and oil. A number of drivers also described it as being both uncomfortable and difficult to get into – not good attributes for a luxury machine.

Highest rated luxury car for value for money

If there’s one thing owners of the Saab 9-5 (1997-2010) all agree about, it’s just how comfortable their car is. As a result, 9-5 drivers keep coming back for more; one owner is now on their third 9-5 and another is on their 11th Saab.

Thanks to Saab owners’ satisfaction with their cars, the 9-5 chalked up a strong value-for-money score of 84.5%. A large number of owners described the 9-5 as ‘very comfortable’, with one adding: ‘for the price, nothing else gives the same amount of space, comfort or performance’.

Another Saab owner said, ‘I love the fact that I have a reliable, solid, quality car, loaded with extras, without having had to pay the steep prices associated with German makes.’ The car makes an ‘excellent long-distance car with a massive boot’ and is ‘safe, reliable, easy to drive, with excellent in-car entertainment’.

Lowest rated luxury car for value for money

Way down at the other end of the luxury car table is the Audi A5 Sportback (2009-) with a score of 67.3%. Unlike the Saab, many Audi owners criticised their car for being uncomfortable due to its firm ride. The A5 Sportback is also hard to drive smoothly, according to several drivers.

Contributing to the poor value money score, the A5 ‘uses a great deal of oil – needing approximately one litre every other month’, the ‘petrol consumption is some 10mpg worse than advertised’ and the ‘highly expensive’ built-in satnav is ‘a disaster’ and ‘doesn’t take full postcodes’.

The A5 Sportback is ‘uncomfortable on motorways and A roads’ and ‘the 19-inch wheels give a hard ride’, jeopardising its billing as a luxury car. Other owners have criticised the S-Tronic automatic gearbox for being ‘jerky’ with the ‘random jerkiness of the accelerator’ meaning that ‘you cannot “creep” forward’. ‘The brakes are occasionally very sharp, causing me and any passenger to lurch forward’.

Beyond these failings, owners also complained that ‘access is difficult for large or older people’, ‘rain water enters the boot area when opened’ and ‘it feels like a large car, so parking can sometimes be a challenge’.

Source http://www.which.co.uk/news/2014/06/best-and-worst-luxury-cars-for-value-for-money-369668/

Ex-Lomond boss Hugh McMahon buys dealership in Edinburgh

Motor industry entrepreneur Hugh McMahon has bought Murray Motor Group’s Rolls Royce and Aston Martin business in Edinburgh.

Partnered by son Chris, the former Lomond Audi owner has taken over the luxury car dealership in a buy-out worth more than of £3 million. The deal was funded by Barclays’ Scottish corporate banking team.

Hugh McMahon has spent a lifetime in the motor trade starting out as a technician at the age of 16 before moving into sales – then management. He sold the Lomond Audi business in July 2012 and has been looking for a suitable enterprise since.

The Sighthill outlet is the sole authorised dealership for the luxury car brands in Scotland. The business currently turns over £20 million annually and the father-and-son team have plans to grow this to £30 million in the medium term.

Hugh McMahon said: ‘There is a strong opportunity to grow sales of both brands which are moving into an exciting stage of their development – Rolls Royce is celebrating 10 years under the ownership of the BMW Group and Aston Martin has been rejuvenated by new investment.’

Working with son Chris, who is operations director for the business and Brian Ritchie, finance director, Hugh also has plans to expand the dealership’s offering of luxury and performance used cars.

He added: ‘Our first priority, however, is to consolidate our existing position. We have taken over a good business but I want to make it a great business – for customers and employees.’

Source http://cardealermagazine.co.uk/publish/luxury-car-dealership-changes-hands-3m-buyout/82750

The most popular pre-owned luxury cars

We can’t all afford to drive a luxury car off the forecourt, but buying second hand luxury cars is becoming more popular than ever
Used luxury cars offer a fantastic driving experience at an unbeatable price. Cartrade.com’s Vinay Sanghi picks out the hottest pre-owned models in the market.
Mercedes-Benz C-Class
The German car brand has always ranked high in terms of premium car comfort. The Mercedes-Benz C-Class offers an efficient engine that delivers impressive performance.
Diesel engines from Mercedes are also known to be low on emissions and great on technology, thereby making them strong contenders among the German cars. On the other hand, the petrol trims illustrate great dynamics without being heavy on the pocket.
Many drivers also feel nostalgic about the brand since it was the first premium brand to enter India in a commercial way.
Audi A4
Audi’s entry-level sedan, the A4, has made a strong impact in the premium D segment of sedans being sold in the country. The ‘‘design meets performance” theme has been successful in luring many customers towards it. It is the strongest selling car in its segment.
The A4 wins hearts with its sharp German design that flows across the body and blends with mesmerizing interiors that are loaded with the latest in gadgetry. Audi offers a range of petrol and diesel options on the A4.
The company claims that these engines can withstand any sort of driving conditions and yet deliver efficient mileage—reasons that have worked greatly in favour of the A4.
BMW 3 Series
photo

The other two German car makers have always concentrated on making cars that feel nice, but it was BMW that managed to introduce real performance in the segment. BMW brought excitement in this class. It is often perceived a Beemer is the serious enthusiast’s car.

Shark-eyed looks with compact dimensions make the 3 Series a killer proposition. The 3 Series is bound to impress people of all ages with its performance. It is the quickest to ride and offers the most precise driving conditions. Apart from being high on performance, BMW also ensures that these cars are equally safe with amazing driver aid options available in the 3 Series.
Jaguar XF
The only British player in an otherwise all-German battle, Jaguar is all about the flamboyant individual. The gorgeous styling and uber-luxurious interiors make even casual drivers go weak in the knees.
More than a point A to point B commute, Jaguars are all about making a style statement. If the German cars exude performance, the Jaguars reflect an art and culture aesthetic.
Jaguars are not just meant to impress with their beauty though—the exhilarating performance is paired with a smooth, addictive power train that keeps drivers hooked.
Who is buying these cars?
The upwardly mobile Indian middle class is increasingly exploring the ‘‘affordable” pre-owned luxury four-wheeler.
These are typically business-class people who already own a new Rs.15-20 lakh car and are now looking to buy a luxury car for status. It has aspirational value.
The average price of a new entry-level luxury car ranges anywhere between Rs.30 lakh and Rs.50 lakh, while the same used cars command a price of around Rs.17-25 lakh. Which is quite affordable for this new set of emerging buyers who want to enjoy these cars but don’t want to spend as much.
Source http://www.livemint.com/Leisure/tzniAgWR2mk5A4AcUsDRwL/The-hottest-preowned-luxury-cars.html

Luxury cars are looking to overtake pickups in the American market

Buyers in America are more likely to purchase luxury cars over other more traditional brands of choice. Drivers are clamouring for BMWs , Audis, and Infinitis this year, buying plush vehicles at a far faster pace than other cars or even the traditional favourite Ford F-150.

In the first five months of the year, luxury automakers sold almost 66,000 more vehicles in the U.S. than they did a year earlier, an 11 percent increase. Lincoln and Lexus in particular were stomping on the sales pedal. Sales of midsize cars such as the Honda Accord—the biggest segment of the U.S. market—slipped 3.6 percent, while truck sales—another huge chunk of the market—were up 4.6 percent.

Why are so many U.S. buyers springing for an opulent car? A relatively robust stock market helps, as does an improving overall economy. But there’s something far more interesting going on. A lot of Americans aren’t really buying new BMWs and Benzes after all; they’re renting them—or leasing, to be specific.

Leasing now accounts for a bigger share of auto sales than ever, according to Bloomberg Industries analyst Kevin Tynan. Consumers are feeling fairly flush but are still spooked about taking on large amounts of debt, Tynan says. What’s more, resale values are up, so companies are offering better leasing terms, confident that the vehicle will still be worth a tidy sum when the agreement runs its course.

Luxury drivers are more likely to lease than those to choose less pricey vehicles. About half of the Mercedes  sedans rolling off of lots these days are leased, compared with 13 percent of big trucks like the Chevy  Silverado.

For those who want to buy, it’s gotten easier to be a luxury car owner. Mercedes is now selling its CLA for about $30,000. (It doesn’t have the company’s famed rear-wheel drive, but it does have the logo on the hood.) Audi is making a similar play with its new A3, and BMW is shifting down-market as well with its 2 Series. Not surprisingly, aggregate sticker prices for the luxury segment aren’t nearly as high as they were last year.

So the car-buying process now includes a socioeconomic strategy question. Namely, is a starter Mercedes or a run-of-the-mill Lincoln more luxurious than a Mazda  or a Ford Fusion with all the extras? That’s for drivers (and their neighbours) to decide.

Source http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-06-23/bmws-and-other-luxury-cars-leave-pickups-in-the-dust

Goodwood Festival of Speed McLaren debut

The annual Goodwood Festival of Speed starts on Thursday this week and we are hearing lots of rumours about what is going to debut and be seen by the massive festival crowd.

McLaren has announced a global premiere for the 2014 Goodwood Festival of Speed and has released this teaser image to whet our appetite. The global premiere will be a new track-focused version of one of McLaren’s supercars, developed by the automaker’s McLaren GT motorsport offshoot.

Rather than the highly-anticipated P1 GTR that was recently confirmed by McLaren, the global premiere is more likely to be a new 650S-based race car to replace the 12C GT3 or possibly a track-focused version of the 650S similar to the previous 12C GT Sprint. If you look carefully at the teaser, the design of the side intakes is more like the one on the 650S than on the P1.

The new car will be revealed on June 27 at the 2014 Goodwood Festival of Speed, where McLaren Formula One driver Jenson Button will drive it up the event’s famous hill climb.

McLaren will also have its full collection of cars on show as well as some race cars from its past, including an M7C F1 race car driven by McLaren founder Bruce McLaren. In addition to this, there will be a 650S unveiled that has been worked over by the men and women at the McLaren Special Operations personalization department.

This year’s festival is once again taking place on the grounds of Goodwood House in the UK, and runs from June 26-29.

Source: http://www.motorauthority.com/news/1092828_new-track-focused-mclaren-to-debut-at-goodwood-festival-of-speed

Does model reveal 2015 Porsche 911?

A Porsche always looks good, and the joke gift when someone says they want one is the model. If someone you know is interested in the new Porsche 911, you may actually be best to pick up the scale model for a design insight.

Porsche was meant to reveal its new 911 GT3 RS this summer but decided to delay its arrival following the discovery of a fault with the 3.8-liter flat-six engine in the 911 GT3 that the 911 GT3 RS was to share, albeit in uprated form. The German automaker is yet to announce when we might finally see the covers come off, but has the car already been revealed… in scale model form?

This photo of a 911 scale model was posted on the website 4WheelsNews and may potentially depict the new 911 GT3 RS. The scale model is clearly based on the latest 991-series 911 GT3, but some unique elements suggest that it is actually representing the more extreme RS variant.

Those elements include wheels styled like those fitted to prototypes for the new 911 GT3 RS, an oversized rear wing also like the one on previous prototypes, and some new vents on the front fenders not seen on the regular 911 GT3.

Hopefully we’ll find out soon, because it seems that with each passing month more and more rumors concerning the new 911 GT3 RS start to emerge. These include the possibility that the car will be turbocharged, and that it may also end up replacing the 911 GT2 as the most extreme 911 variant. We’ve also heard that it will come with Porsche’s PDK dual-clutch transmission only, as well as the automaker’s new rear-wheel-steering system.

Source: http://www.motorauthority.com/news/1028807_2015-porsche-911-gt3-rs-revealed-in-scale-model-form

Gran Turismo in real-life

Is your luxury car ownership confined to the walls of a video game? If you like Gran Turismo and have always wanted to own the car in real-life, now could be your chance.

Volkswagen’s new concept GTI Roadster, Vision Gran Turismo is meant to blur the line between “virtual and real worlds,” having originally been created for the Sony Playstation 3 Gran Turismo 6 video game.

The Golf GTI automobile is a two-seat convertible with a 3.0-liter V6 twin-turbocharged engine that gives 503hp and 413 lb-ft of torque, propelling the luxury car 0-60mph in 3.5 seconds to a top track speed of 192mph.

Sony asked the car brand to create a real version of the virtual GTI to mark the Gran Turismo’s 15th anniversary. An in-house competition was launched, asking young Volkswagen designers to submit designs to be judged by Klaus Bischoff (Head of Design) and Kazunori Yamauchi (Director of Polyphony Digital and Vice-President of Sony Computer Entertainment and the inventor of the Gran Turismo series).

“The Vision GT project offered a wonderful opportunity to sketch out extreme ideas and design elements of the GTI that are portrayed as vibrantly, dynamically and emotionally as possible,” says Bischoff. “Further development of an unmistakable design and a love for detail reflect the high standards shared by the Volkswagen GTI and the Gran Turismo by Sony PlayStation product brands.”

Source: http://www.justluxe.com/lifestyle/luxury-cars/feature-1955398.php

Seizing supercars

It seems odd that there are many people who can afford a supercar, but then cannot or will not pay for insurance. London’s police are getting serious with these offenders.

Police have seized some of world’s fastest and most desirable supercars in a crackdown on uninsured drivers, including a classic Bentley, a Tron-style Lamborghini – and also a £1million crane.

Scotland Yard has impounded 100,000 uninsured vehicles in London since October 2011, among them valuable McLarens, Bentleys and BMWs.

In November 2013, a six-litre Bentley Continental GTC was seized in Bromley after the driver was found to be uninsured, and in October last year, a £400,000 customised Lamborghini Aventador was taken off the road when the motorist’s insurance policy was found to not cover such an expensive vehicle.

Other supercars seized in the last year include a Lamborghini Gallardo, Porsche Boxsters and a Lamborghini Spyder.

Uninsured drivers face six penalty points and a £300, and they could also see their cars either sold at auction or crushed if they fail to reclaim them in time.

A police spokesperson said: ‘It needs to be stressed that the MPS does not just focus on high value cars but any vehicle that is not being driven in accordance with the law.

‘High value cars are not automatically sent to be crushed. If the owner doesn’t come and collect them within a designated time, they will be auctioned off.

‘Uninsured drivers are five times more likely to be involved in a road collision, and many are more likely to be involved in criminal activity.’

Since Operation Cubo began, the Met has raised more than £5.5 million at auction by selling seized vehicles, including selling a bright orange Aventador for £218,000.

MPS Commander Stephen Watson said: ‘Operation Cubo is strong, visible action that demonstrates the MPS’ commitment and determination to serving the public and making London’s streets safer.

‘Working alongside our partners we have achieved significant results through large scale seizures of uninsured and un-roadworthy vehicles.’

He added: ‘While in addition making numerous arrests of suspects wanted in connection to a variety of offences, some of which impact negatively on our communities such as drugs and firearms related.

‘We are targeting criminals by denying them the use of the roads so it’s much harder for them to commit crime.

‘We have arrested robbers, burglars and rapists as a result of Operation Cubo and will continue to arrest these people as they attempt to travel around the capital.

‘We’re also helping to make London’s roads safer for all that use them and will continue our efforts.’

Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2656122/Crackdown-uninsured-drivers-sees-100-000-vehicles-seized-London-3-years.html