High-End European Luxury Sedans

Comments

• anthonyp Member Posts: 1,860

  December 2005

  That was fffffffffffffffun....Tony

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• blckislandguy Member Posts: 1,150

  December 2005

  I think you've nailed it. But a guy interested in cars enough to have a Maybach would probably have some older stuff too. Like maybe a Mini, an old Jag E type or even an 190SL. A couple with the ability to drive a Mayback would also have several country homes with garages there to fill. So, what would they have at their ski home out West? An LR (of course) but also a pickup for just hacking around? What would the garage attached to their Nantucket house hold? Maybe a Defender 90 or a Jeep Grand Wagoneer, circa 1987?

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• merc1 Member Posts: 6,081

  December 2005

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  S65 AMG
  
  M

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• paldi Member Posts: 210

  January 2006

  Waiting for propper VW logo wheel caps. Everything fits!
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  This is how it looked before - with 18" wheels and smaller tires.
  
  
  As they say, wheels often make the car.

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• pat Member Posts: 10,421

  January 2006

  Again we have the width problem - please be sure your pictures are no wider than 500 pixels. Thanks.

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• bdr127 Member Posts: 950

  January 2006

  Yuck, I hate the rear-end on that MB... My two cents...

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• paldi Member Posts: 210

  January 2006

  I resised the photos and took a few more... The wheels are 19x9 inch Bentley Contintal GT wheels sporting 275 40 19 Pirelli PZero Ross tires."> :-)
  
  
  
  
  
  

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• pat Member Posts: 10,421

  January 2006

  Great, thanks so much!

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• merc1 Member Posts: 6,081

  January 2006

  
  
  
  
  
  
  The New S6
  
  In short: Save V10 from the S8, but with 420hp, down 30hp from the S8. Both sedan and Avant (wagon) bodystyles.
  
  M

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• paldi Member Posts: 210

  January 2006

  They got a V10 to fit? Do you have any under hood photos?

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• merc1 Member Posts: 6,081

  January 2006

  Yep it fits. This is a pretty good pic of the engine bay here. Another pic.
  
  M

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• tagman Member Posts: 8,441

  January 2006

  Good pic. Looking at the way that engine "fits", I'd have to say "Access denied".

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• bdr127 Member Posts: 950

  January 2006

  It is amazing they're able to fit that thing in... Holy crap!
  
  Anyone know what the front/rear weight ratio is? You gotta believe the car's really front-end-heavy...

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• markcincinnati Member Posts: 5,343

  January 2006

  First I really love this car (from reading the linked material) -- the content other than the drive train is also impressive.
  
  The question pertaining to nose heaviness stands, IMHO, as a key point.
  
  I know that Audi is, at the moment, eschewing bi-turbo applications going for the "no substitute for displacement" attitude.
  
  But, my read about the FSI engines (e.g., the 2.0T and the 3.2) leads me to wonder what could be brought to market (speaking weight wise) in terms of performance if the "T" treatment from the 2.0 engine were to be applied to the 3.2FSI engine.
  
  We go to a 450 pound V10 to achieve some impressive accelerative numbers and just having a V10 would be "instant tang!" to be sure. But, as noted the new S6 despite all its wonderfulness must WANT to understeer so badly it can taste it.
  
  Why not put the 2.7T Sline A6 turbo treatment on the 3.2 (which certainly would mean overall improvements that have happened since that engine underwent the turbo meister's touch)?
  
  My issue is there seems to be a missed opportunity to have a version of the A6, heck call it an AS6, with 295HP (to keep the number low enough to not threaten the 4.2) and 300+ ft pounds of torque from 1850 RPM on. . . .
  
  Put the high zoot suspension, wheels, brakes and up tuned tiptronic on it -- the fancier electronics, etc. And price it between the current models or just bag the 3.2 normally aspirated engine all together?
  
  I'd like to have a smidge more performance (at least 10% more HP and 20% more torque.) I like to have some "factory" bits that could be ordered to raise both the performance and or sizzle content AT MY OPTION.
  
  My "regret" with my A6 3.2 at $53,286 MSRP? "If I only had a brain. . .," I would have spent another $250 for the sport suspension since I already sprung (no pun intended) for the $1,000 18" wheel option.
  
  I'd love to be able to order the 19" S6 wheels as an option, perhaps a sport suspension without thousands of dollars worth of appearance items (although I do like the SLine's looks.)
  
  On the other hand, perhaps the 4.2 has been somehow made far less thirsty than my LAST 3 Audi 4.2's which certainly were the inspiration for Ross Perot's phrase "giant sucking sound" (as in gas sucking.) The 3.2, by contrast is adequately powered, sounds nearly like a V8 and sips gas -- a little goose in HP and torque and the availability of some stand alone sport options would punch up sales, at least here in River City.
  
  Why?
  
  Although I did appreciate and love my Audi 4.2 equipped cars (1 A8 and 2 A6's), I have become less concerned with bragging rights ("mine's got a V10) than I used to be. And, more to the point, I really miss my allroad's 2.7T engine mated to a 6spd manual.
  
  That unmodified engine (on the BPV's were non stock) had locomotive torque, fantastic acceleration and despite being thirstier than I would have liked, was less thirsty than the V8 and performed within .1 second.
  
  C5 A6's quickest model? The 2.7T Sline or 6spd manual (bye bye V8.)
  
  I am often wrong here, out of step with the market, but a V10 equipped A6 almost seems like the answer to a question no one asked. After all this isn't even the direct successor to the RS6, this is "just" an S6 for pity's sake.
  
  OK, OK, if not a 3.2T, why not at least offer a goosed up version of the A6 C6 4.2 -- goosed beyond being called SLine, which, although pretty and although it does contain some handling performance improvement bits, is really a heavily appearance based upgrade rather than a performance biased upgrade.
  
  Of course I read the new Automobile magazine review of the S8 and although it was generally quite positive, it also seemed to indicate that the performance, while impressive, was not "awe inspiring" as they had hoped.
  
  I'm probably the one who needs my head screwed on correctly, but this new S6 really seems like such a limited market product (at a premium but not a super premium price.)
  
  Why not come out with an AS6 based on the 3.2 powerplant that has a base price of $49,900, put a little bit of energy and money into advertising and stand back.
  
  It is hard for me to buy that the new V8 Q7 in totally stock form can be quite posh and be offered for under $50,000 but there is no "step" up A6 unless one is willing to make the step up a somewhat impressive 5 figure number to the left of the decimal point. :confuse:
  
  Clearly this is rocket surgery.

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• vchiu Member Posts: 564

  January 2006

  could be this car
  
  I like this kind of British driving style
  
  http://212.227.48.10/downloads/testberichte/en1091783395autocar_B7_0804.pdf

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• paldi Member Posts: 210

  February 2006

  That's very nice. If I could get a Phaeton with an Audi 4.2 V8 from the turbocharged S4 I'd be in nirvana.
  
  

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• Karen_S Member Posts: 5,092

  March 2006

  A national newspaper is looking to interview consumers who have had to replace a car key, which ended up costing over $200 or $300. Please send an e-mail to ctalati@edmunds.com no later than Monday, April 2, 2006 containing your daytime contact information, the cost to replace your key along with the make and model your vehicle.
  
  Thanks,
  Chintan Talati
  Corporate Communications
  Edmunds.com

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• cashcar Member Posts: 15

  April 2006

  You might like the Phaeton W12, normally aspirated. I have the factory USA auto show car with this engine and in the 4 seater configuration. It is utterly outstanding in every respect. Audio magazines have rated the Harold Levinson system in it the very best car sound
  in a production car sold in America. Unfortunately the W12 will probably not be available in the "Phaeton II", a 5 door fastback with totally different styling which will replace the
  Phaeton I after 2007. One can only surmise it will have a few less amenities and come in above the Passat closer to A6 territory rather compete with the A8 as did the earler Phaeton.
  Some used W12 VW's may be available at good prices.

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• cashcar Member Posts: 15

  April 2006

  paldi
  
  British car mags agree with you in that they refer to the new GT and Flying Spur as "a Phaeton in a hand made suit".

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• v_d Member Posts: 89

  September 2006

  Phaeton is a cheaper Flying Spur, if you look at them both, you'll notice that they look 99% the same!

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• paldi Member Posts: 210

  September 2006

  You are probably right!
  
  :P

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• paldi Member Posts: 210

  November 2006

  Sure is quiet around here. I installed a mesh grill for a change of pace but now the car is in having a new transmission installed under warranty.
  
  
  
  
  
  

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• esf Member Posts: 1,020

  November 2006

  Very nice! Now, all you need is a Bentley badge on the front grille... no one will notice...

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• Karen_S Member Posts: 5,092

  December 2006

  A reporter with a national newspaper is hoping to talk with consumers who have received or are giving a luxury car as a gift for Christmas. Please reply to ctalati@edmunds.com no later than Friday, December 8, 2006 with your daytime contact info.

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• eric312 Member Posts: 71

  February 2007

  I am thinking about leasing a used
  745i/S500/CLS500 and would like to find out what are the pros/cons of each car. :confuse:

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• esf Member Posts: 1,020

  March 2007

  Here you go. I can give you my own personal buyer's guide...
  
  745i-
  Pros: well-built, best-in-class handling, controversial styling
  Cons: anti-ergonomic controls (not just iDrive- check the seat controls), not the most powerful big sedan out there, controversial styling
  
  S500-
  Pros: elegant inside and out, good torque, prestige
  Cons: everyone has one, some materials on the inside are surprisingly cheap, and it was probably the least-powerful $90K car on the market back in 2005
  
  CLS500-
  Pros: gorgeous inside and out, S500's engine in a smaller package
  Cons: only comes with four seats, rear doors are terrible for entry/exit, overpriced for an E-Class reskin
  
  They're all nice cars, but it depends on your priorities. 7 Series is a bit more cold and business-like, but very competent. S-Class is more feminine and smooth, but could use a nicer interior (S550's interior is a huge improvement in every area). CLS is not practical by any means, but it sacrifices that for great style.
  
  If I were in your position, I'd add the Audi A8L to my short list. It has...
  
  Pros: standard AWD, best-in-class engine from '03-'05, class-leading interior design/space/materials, elegant exterior
  Cons: lacks S-Class's prestige, handling isn't quite as good as BMW's but better than S-Class
  
  Or, you could even consider a great deal on an '06 LS430 before Lexus dealers only have LS460s. If you don't care about performance.
  
  Just my two cents.
  
  '06 Audi A3 2.0T DSG • '05 Audi S4 Cabriolet • '04 Lexus RX330

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• murphdog1 Member Posts: 11

  May 2007

  Where did you get the grill and GT rims?
  
  My lease is up in the fall, any news from anyone who got VW to negotiate and move down on the residuals that were part of the 04 lease program when everything was subvented $10K. I am seeing $29K-$34K for 04's with under 35K miles. I love this car so much, I hope they wheel and deal so I can buy it outright, but the current residuals are north of $40K.
  
  BTW, my dealer today told me that they are going to start importing the short wheelbase Phaeton for 2008.

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