Luxury Cars

The 4 door Aston Martin Rapide has had one of the longest gestation periods of any car in recent memory. It first came upon the scene almost four years after its concept debuted at the 2006 Detroit Auto Show. The initial reaction of everyone who saw it was a simple “Build it now!!!”

The Rapide will be completed with Aston Martin’s hand built 6.0-liter V12 engine that puts out 477HP at 6,000 rpm and 443 lbft of peak torque at 5000 rpm.

All that power and torque goes to the tarmac via rear wheels through Aston’s six-speed ‘Touchtronic 2? automatic transmission. Although a slush-box it does allow the driver to change gears automatically or manually via the steering column-mounted paddles made of magnesium. There’s no performance stats yet, but the word from Frankfurt is that 0-100km/h should happen in a little over 5,0 seconds. The Aston Martin Rapide features what the company terms four ’swan wing’ doors that open slightly upwards. Read more…

It became popular since introduced in 2005 as a 2006 model. A lot of complain received  about the Range Rover Sport’s sub-par interior materials and lackluster power trains – even in Supercharged-guise – but this 2010 will make a difference.
Like the other 2010 models, the 2010 Range Rover Sport isn’t all-new for this model year, but the Sport’s mid-cycle updated makes it seem miles apart from the outgoing model. Almost every aspect of the Range Rover Sport has been redone for the 2010 model year, resulting in a high-performance SUV that is just at home on a winding back road as it is on a two-track mountain pass. Read more…

After many months of speculation and anticipation, the reincarnated Chevy Camaro makes its debut for 2010.

“Compromised visibility, a few ergonomic gaffes, marginal interior materials quality.”

It is not only lives up to the hype but also redefines what a muscle car can be. The traditional stereotype goes something like this — the affordable base model looks fast but goes slow due to a lumpy V6, while the V8-powered model will do apocalyptic burnouts in the high school parking lot but can’t corner to save its (or your) life. The latest Dodge Challenger comes uncomfortably close to this archetype, and the Ford Mustang is at least guilty on the V6 front. But this new Camaro, well, it’s an altogether different beast.

It is an excellent performance-car value whether it’s equipped with the base direct-injected V6 or the optional V8. The V6-powered base Camaro can sprint to 60 mph in 6.0 seconds, thanks to 300 horsepower, yet it costs the same as competitors like the considerably slower Hyundai Genesis Coupe 2.0T. Heck, even the V6′s fuel economy is impressive compared to its competition. The V8-powered Camaro SS with the manual transmission dispenses with 60 mph in a blistering 5.0 seconds — 426 hp will do that for you — yet it’s considerably cheaper than cars like the BMW 135i and Challenger SRT8 and outperforms the slightly more affordable Mustang GT. The Camaro handles smartly, too, with even the base car surpassing the rarefied 68 mph mark on our slalom course.

“Extraordinary acceleration with either engine, capable handling, excellent value, head-turning looks, unique interior design, good fuel economy.” Read more…

The 2009 Toyota Venza is an exception to the crossover vehicle rules. The name combines “venture” and “Monza,” an Italian racetrack.

Venza can be considered as the big, bloated Highlander seven-seater and the sportier five-seat RAV4. It’s like the combination of all Toyotas; part Camry, part Highlander, partly its own creation. Venza looks tightly integrated and pretty interesting from some angles, particularly the side view. It’s a boxy crossover, yes—but the multibar grille and fast silhouette make it far more attractive than the plainer Ford Edge and less controversial than the Nissan Murano. The Venza’s interior takes a middle path as well, with an unconventionally shaped center stack of controls dividing driver and front passenger. Big, clear gauges and optional mahogany-grained trim dress it up better than its competition.

The Toyota parts bin also donates most of the Venza’s running gear. Engines include a 182-horsepower 2.7-liter four-cylinder, teamed to a six-speed automatic and an optional all-wheel-drive system that splits power between front and rear wheels. This base Venza strains a bit to provide uphill and passing performance, but putters anonymously in most other conditions, though with a bit more engine noise than expected. The 268-horsepower, 3.5-liter V-6 is substantially smoother and more powerful, but comes with its own slight penalty: Fuel economy in front-drive V-6 Venzas is 19/26 mpg, compared to the 21/29 mpg delivered by the four-cylinder version.

Read more…

Reventon is inspired by the F-22 Raptor fighter jet. It is a true super car by all standards. There are only 20 Reventons will be available and 11 of it are U.S.-bound.

It costs at $1.6 million –and expecting a high deposit on that..

The engine hood is made of glass laminate with open ventilation slits offering a glimpse at the large 6.5-liter V12 engine. The Reventon delivers 650 horsepower and 487 pound-feet of torque.

The exterior of the Reventon is formed by CFC which is renowned for being both incredibly light and strong. The exterior components are attached with glue. Read more…