Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!
Popular New Cars
Popular Used Sedans
Popular Used SUVs
Popular Used Pickup Trucks
Popular Used Hatchbacks
Popular Used Minivans
Popular Used Coupes
Popular Used Wagons
Comments
Grand High Poobah
The Fraternal Order of Procrastinators
M
Bentley is also bringing out a new lower priced coupe and sedan to compete with BMW, Jaguar, and Mercedes-Benz. It should increase Bentley's yearly sales by 600%! It is not going to debut at an autoshow, but rather at a surprise location; most insiders believe it will make an appearance at a future Le Mans race.
Jaguars are appearing in the new James Bond film along with their cousin, the Aston Martin Vanquish. Driven by 007's arch-enemy in this film is the new face-lifted Jaguar XKR convertible. The lustrous green paint it is bathed in is a mixture of a shade of Jaguar's own green paint and pure gold! That exotic mix cost over $2,500 per litre used on the car. And all Jaguar's feature 11 coats of paint, with up to six color coats = lots of $$$ for paint! During some chase scenes, they fitted the new XKR's body onto that of a Ford Explorer's shortened platform because they did not wish to damage an actual XKR if the ice were to break and it handled ice better. The chase scene is on a frozen lake in Iceland. Over $1.7 million was spent on this XKR and its sometimes-used Explorer platform for the movie. Equipment seen on this car that will not be found in Jaguar showrooms is a rather large machine gun fitted to the rear of the car that fires over the windshield, and stylish rollover bars like those seen on many roadsters. An insider stated, the face-lift included "lightly revised air intakes, neater light clusters and new alloys. Under the hood, the new car will be given a 4.2-liter version of the company's V-8 engine coupled to a six-speed gearbox and, in the flagship XKR model, a supercharger." Other Jaguar models will also be included in the film.
The Vanqish with new XKR in background:
<http://www.thecarconnection.com/images/gallery/5822_image.jpg>
The new XKR:
<http://www.thecarconnection.com/images/gallery/5823_image.jpg>
One a different note. There has never been a better time to be a rich car nut. I can't believe all the high-end products that are being turned out. Between the new BMW RR01 Rolls-Royce, Maybach, new Bentleys, Bugatti and the usual players, Ferrari and Aston Martin....what is a rich person to do! None of these cars are under 200K in price!!!!!!!
M
M
If so, and if you're willing to talk about it with a major daily newspaper, please send your vehicle and contact info to jfallon@edmunds.com no later than Friday, July 31. Thanks!
MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR
Need help navigating? kirstie_h@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name.
Share your vehicle reviews
Since being back in the Chicago area for the summer, I have seen a large amount of new 7's on the road, and I have to say they are beautiful. They have a very aggressive look to them.
A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to take a new 745i out for a lengthy drive and came away mostly impressed. The car I drove was a silver/black car with the ventilated comfort seats and expensive stereo package.
The I-drive, although overwhelming at first, is a simple concept, but it seems as if BMW complicated it by adding useless functions to it. I figured out how to use it within the first 20 minutes and was comfortable by the end of my drive. But that doesn't say that I was extremely frustrated during that time, and I would probably would be in the future. I still much prefer the old knob or button to get things done.
I found the performance to be breathtaking. The car is so quiet and smooth, sometimes you catch yourself going much faster than you thought. Brakes were outstanding, as was the handling. There really is NO body roll! It handled great but was not that much fun to drive, probably because it was so isolated from the road.
Interior was very comfortable, loved the matte finished wood trim. Hated the metallic looking plastic trim, however. Interior was very comfortible.
Overall, I was impressed. Unfortunately, my impressions changed as soon as I drove a 540i. Much faster, more fun to drive, and it had buttons and knobs!!!!
But I must say it's the most impressive car I've seen in quite some time, well I guess since 1999 when the S-Class came out. I just love the way BMW and Mercedes leapfrog each other with each re-design of their top sedans.......it sets the stage for all the rest to follow.
Have you had a chance to read about the new A8 yet?
M
Don't get me wrong, the car is impressive, but it didn't completely blow me away as I had expected it to. It was just boring to drive, more like a Lexus than a BMW. Plus, the i-drive is just too over the top to handle on a daily basis.
So far the A8 looks nice, I just wish Audi would have taken the styling a notch further, especially since it has the conservatively styled Phaeton. As it is now, the car looks too conservative, I would of thought it would look much more Avantissimo-like. This should be the car that sets the design of Audis for years to come, not look like a bigger A4.
The interior seems interesting though. Time will tell if Audi improved on the i-drive like system they have for controlling the functions of the car.
Overall, I don't think that the new A8 will have any more success in the marketplace than the older one.
the older one. "
For some reason I think that will be true...at least in the U.S. The new car is handsome, but you're right it is very conservative. The Phaeton looks better, and will probably outsell the A8 in this country. Wouldn't that be something!
But hey things are going to change with the 2004 A6, which "goes all radical" according to the European press. They are saying the new A6 will have a huge upright grille along with "fender haunches" unlike any other current Audi. Gawd I hope its not ugly!
M
http://www.vwvortex.com/news/index_bentley_GTcoupe1.html
This is the first official picture of the new Bently GT Coupe...which will probably be called the Continental when it comes out. It shares the same platform as the Phaeton, including the engine, suspension, and transmission. But the Bently has a twin-turbo W12 making 500+ HP, and it's made in Crewe alongside the car.
But weren't Bently owners upset with the original Arnage because it had too many BMW influences? Isn't this new Bently much more VW than the Arnage was BMW? Nice machine though...
I thought the new A8 was on a different platform than the Phaeton...doesn't the A8 have an aluminum spaceframe?
That's it.
Todd
whatup,
Yes the A8 and big V-Dub use the same platform, though in very different guise.
The Bentley coupe is supposed to be around 135K at which point it's going to hurt the current CL600. Mercedes recognizes this, thus the CL600 gets a power boost and other changes for 2003. Bentley is saying they want to sell 3000 of these in the U.S., a truly unobtainable figure.
M
I just went to Germancarfans.com and looked at the photos of both. Subtle differences (other than the grill and tail), but hardly very different,IMO.
Grand High Poobah
The Fraternal Order of Procrastinators
Thanks.
Pat
Sedans Host
The Audi is much more aluminum intensive compared to the Phaeton. The VW is over 5K pounds, the Audi should be much lighter.
M
Grand High Poobah
The Fraternal Order of Procrastinators
M
www.germancarfans.com
The three factors that will spell it's fate are:
The buying experience. How will it change from the other VM purchases?
The Price. Will it be more than a well-equipped LS ($60k)? More than a new 7 (High $60's)?
The advertising. Will they get a Lexus ad campaign (Perfect), or an Infiniti ad campaign (lost)?
It's so heavy, however, that the base V6 (at least the V6 in Europe) only propels the car to 60mph in 9.0 seconds. A bit slow.
The First W8 commercial, with the kid riding his bike was corny! That wasn't a good ad! To introduce a new level of power and luxury to a car company!
The W8 and Pheaton need their own marketing arm, dealership location, and slogan/motto/tagline. Time to step up into the major leagues!
M
M
engine for the coupe the smoother one for the sedan. I guess the new SL600 will get the
same 5.5L bi-turbo V12 too huh?
M
M
Called the Lexus LS500, with a 5.0L V8, it'll have 360HP! More than the next A8, 745i, or S500!
It'll be available "next summer".
whotheman
What's preventing Mercedes or BMW from uprating their engines?
And the A8 will have a W12 (if not here in the US) which will have 400hp.
Where is the sport in a full sized luxury sedan anyway? I can see fast, but I would imagine they all handle like whales.
You better have very deep pockets to compete in this space!
BTW, $ 70-75K seems like a lot for the LX. Will the replacement model add enough sophistication to justify the jump from the MSRP of the current model? And will there still be a Toyota Land Cruiser in the U.S. market? If so, it'll need to move up market a bunch or else the gap between the two "sister" vehicles may be too much for buyers to stomach.
Man the hp race is on now....!
M
The Sequioa will replace the LandCruiser platford (in Lexus' lineup) around 2005. So the new design will obviously bigger. A 5.5L V8 is rumored here for the Sequioa, and Tundra in the future.
The impending redesign of the GS also corroberates the 5.0L V8 rumor, as the next GS will probably see the customary 10% HP increase.
whotheman
Pretty good stuff. Still don't remember who started the Benz S350 V6 rumor! I'll find out today.
whotheman
And also it seems Lexus has no interest in sharpening the SC's edge, as far as the handling dynamics of the car are concerned.
Hopefully, this will change. Say a prayer for better seats and suspension (for a handling).
whotheman