Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Reader Spy: Hyundai Equus takes to U.S. streets]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/05/11/reader-spy-the-hyundai-equus-takes-to-u-s-streets/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/05/11/reader-spy-the-hyundai-equus-takes-to-u-s-streets/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/05/11/reader-spy-the-hyundai-equus-takes-to-u-s-streets/#commentsFiled under: , ,


2009 Hyundai Equus - Click above for a high-res gallery

This is the new Hyundai Equus in the steel and on U.S. roads, courtesy of Autoblog reader Alex. Depending on dealer reaction to the car, Hyundai could-maybe-possibly-might bring it to America. If so, we would then find out if Hyundai could do what Volkswagen was incapable of doing with its Phaeton: Charge top-tier money for a top-tier product wearing a lower to (now) mid-market badge.

As for the luxury sedan itself, being fans of the underdog, the Equus makes us go "Hooray, but hmmm..." We understand the need to lure unfamiliar buyers with familiar luxury themes, but we have to chide the Korean automaker for its reliance on Lexus' styling playbook. This is particularly true at the rear, where the taillight line jinks twice and runs to the wheel well, mimicking Lexus' L-Finesse language. Further, the rump wears a copy of Lexus' exhaust pipes and the car is badged the VS 460, which strikes us as a bit too close for comfort.

With Hyundai at least enjoying early signs of success with its upmarket Genesis sedan, perhaps there's room for an even more expensive offering, but early warnings point to a much higher sticker price than the automaker's reigning North American Car of the Year, and it's too soon to analyze the Genny's long-term prospects for success. What do you think... is Hyundai threatening to jump the gun, or is it headed in the right direction?

Gallery: More Hyundai Equus


[Source: Flickr]

Reader Spy: Hyundai Equus takes to U.S. streets originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 11 May 2009 09:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2010 hyundai equus2010HyundaiEquusequushyundaihyundai equusHyundaiEquusLexusluxury carluxury sedanLuxuryCarLuxurySedansaloonsedanMon, 11 May 2009 09:26:00 EST<![CDATA[The rich are affected: Luxury car sales declining]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/02/21/the-rich-are-affected-luxury-car-sales-declining/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/02/21/the-rich-are-affected-luxury-car-sales-declining/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/02/21/the-rich-are-affected-luxury-car-sales-declining/#commentsFiled under: ,



Luxury car sales are off by at least one-third compared to last year's numbers, and the end is probably not in sight. In past recessions, the wealthy have been insulated by their money, but not this time. Real estate and banking are responsible for a large amount of the financial pickle we're in, and as those sectors get walloped by reality, the luxury cars typically purchased by agents, brokers, and bankers are languishing.

Those that haven't lost their shirts are also either holding on to what they've got for now, or buying something less ostentatious. While you might miss out on a certain brand cachet by trading a Mercedes for a Prius, it's a different kind of status symbol, just the same. Besides, why bother paying so much for a premium car when a loaded "normal" vehicle can be had with features that were once the exclusive realm of luxury cars? A desire to be less flashy, a newfound concern about the environment, and a beat-down portfolio have converged to generate the perfect financial storm, killing momentum for luxury car sales. Things might turn around a bit as environmentally conscious premium cars become available. There are the new diesels, and Lexus will have its own dedicated hybrid when the HS250h goes on sale this fall. Before any of that happens, however, current inventory will have to be cleared, so now might just be the perfect time to pick up a luxury car at a steep discount.

[Source: Detroit News, Photo: Niello Porsche]

The rich are affected: Luxury car sales declining originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 21 Feb 2009 10:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>car salesCarSalesluxury autoluxury auto salesluxury automobileluxury automobilesluxury carluxury car salesluxury carsluxury salesLuxuryAutoLuxuryAutomobileLuxuryAutomobilesLuxuryAutoSalesLuxuryCarLuxuryCarsLuxuryCarSalesLuxurySalespremium auto salesPremiumAutoSalesrecession auto salesrecession car salesRecessionAutoSalesRecessionCarSalesSat, 21 Feb 2009 10:59:00 EST<![CDATA[New York considering 5% luxury tax on expensive cars]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/12/18/new-york-considering-5-luxury-tax-on-expensive-cars/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/12/18/new-york-considering-5-luxury-tax-on-expensive-cars/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/12/18/new-york-considering-5-luxury-tax-on-expensive-cars/#commentsFiled under: , ,



New York Governor David Paterson needs to close a $15.4-billion budget deficit, and has proposed 88 new fees and taxes to do it. One of them is aimed at New York car buyers: a 5% tax on all cars sold for $60,000 or more. Notice the phrasing "sold for," not "MSRP of". That means if you add $8,001 in options to a $52,000 car, then you can add 5% to the final price. Intriguingly, the proposed new luxury tax on yachts doesn't happen until a buyer crosses the $200,000 mark, and not until $500,000 for planes. The bill would need to be passed by the legislature, but we can imagine that luxury car dealers in Connecticut and New Jersey are watching this one closely.

[Source: Automobiles Deluxe]

New York considering 5% luxury tax on expensive cars originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 18 Dec 2008 17:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>car buyingCarBuyingdavid patersonDavidPatersonfeesluxury carluxury taxLuxuryCarLuxuryTaxnew yorkNewYorktaxtaxesThu, 18 Dec 2008 17:31:00 EST<![CDATA[Rendered Speculation: Kia's big VG]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/09/02/rendered-speculation-kias-big-vg/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/09/02/rendered-speculation-kias-big-vg/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/09/02/rendered-speculation-kias-big-vg/#commentsFiled under: , ,

So the Kia VG mule that has kept spy photographers busy the last few weeks has now been given a computer animated face and body. It's a nice looking ride, though has a surprising amount in common with the Hyundai Genesis... which means we also see, well, a lot of other cars in it. But that's not a bad thing, really, because the result is a tasty little creation, especially coming from Kia. The lines are a touch more forceful than those on the Genesis, which goes along with Kia being the sporting brand, or so they say. If the final version looks even close to this rendering, and they give it performance to match... well, then Kia will have taken a giant leap forward. Thanks for the tip, miha!

[Source: Kia World]

Rendered Speculation: Kia's big VG originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 02 Sep 2008 17:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>kiakia luxury sedankia vgKiaLuxurySedanKiaVgluxury carluxury carsluxury sedanLuxuryCarLuxuryCarsLuxurySedanrenderrenderingrenderingsrenderssedansedansTue, 02 Sep 2008 17:57:00 EST<![CDATA[Dubious pioneer: Russia's first stolen Maybach]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/11/21/dubious-pioneer-russias-first-stolen-maybach/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/11/21/dubious-pioneer-russias-first-stolen-maybach/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/11/21/dubious-pioneer-russias-first-stolen-maybach/#commentsFiled under: , , ,




Picture this, you're stuffing your face full of gourmet food, giving your gullet a real workout, and you look up from your plate just in time to see your Maybach speed by. That last bite sticks in your throat, refusing to budge. Whoever absconded with your über-uglified super S-Class boots your driver out the door while rounding a corner. Now would not be a good time to recall that your €530,000 car is insured for a mere €300,000. Whoops. Vikotor Markov was enjoying a meal at the De Marco café when thieves swiped his Maybach 57. While introducing Mr. Chauffeur to Mr. Chlorfoorm is itself a dicey undertaking, Markov's 'Bach is the first to be swiped in Russia. The band of thugs that ambushed the driver and made off with the car is believed to be responsible for multiple luxury car thefts, including a passel of Bentleys. Perhaps it would have been wiser to just take the Metro.

[Source: Luxist]

Dubious pioneer: Russia's first stolen Maybach originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 21 Nov 2007 09:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>57luxury carLuxuryCarmarkovmaybachmaybach 57Maybach57moscowrussiatheftvikotor markovVikotorMarkovWed, 21 Nov 2007 09:04:00 EST<![CDATA[Bentley Brooklands sells out]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/04/11/bentley-brooklands-sells-out/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/04/11/bentley-brooklands-sells-out/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/04/11/bentley-brooklands-sells-out/#commentsFiled under: ,


Click the image above to view our 47-image Brooklands gallery

If you have at least $330,000 to spend on your next new car, and you've got an eye on the new Bentley Brooklands, you'd better get your order in before they're all gone. The first 140 are already spoken for, which equates to the first year of production. Any new orders will have to wait two years before the order is filled.

Production of the 530hp ultraluxury vehicle will only hit 550 units during its three-year run, and the Brooklands will most certainly meet that quota. Bentley marketing director Stuart McCullough told BusinessWeek that the incredibly low production volume of the Brooklands is due in part to the hundreds of different options available for the mega-coupe. It should also be noted that the painstaking task of creating the car itself is time-consuming, yet another reason the overall production run will be a low number. Remember that each Brooklands begins life as one of Bentley's Azure convertibles, to which the hard roof is then hand-welded. In any case, the amazing degree to which the cars can be personalized (most Bentleys roll out of the factory with around $30,000 - $50,000 of customization...some with much, much more) will likely ensure that no two Brooklands will ever be alike. We're not experts, but we get the feeling these 550 Bentleys will probably never depreciate much, unless, of course, Eddie Griffin takes the wheel...

[Source: BusinessWeek via coolbrit.net]

Bentley Brooklands sells out originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 11 Apr 2007 09:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>AudibentleybrooklandsLuxury carLuxuryCarPorscheVWWed, 11 Apr 2007 09:08:00 EST<![CDATA[Lutz: Camaro could spawn big Caddy]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/02/26/lutz-camaro-could-spawn-big-caddy/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/02/26/lutz-camaro-could-spawn-big-caddy/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/02/26/lutz-camaro-could-spawn-big-caddy/#commentsFiled under: ,




The Car Connection spoke to GM vice chairman Bob Lutz at the Chicago Auto Show who told them a bigger, badder Cadillac built on the new Camaro chassis could be in the works. Lutz said the reason Camaro's expected on-sale date was delayed was so that the platform could be better integrated with future products.

While Lutz never utters the name "Sixteen" in the conversation, we just have to wonder if the ultra luxury Caddy is what GM has in mind. We reported back in December that GM had absolutely no plans for the Cadillacs of Cadillacs, but maybe, just maybe, Lutz has changed the beancounters' minds and the company will, after all, make real the Sixteen concept.

[Source: The Car Connection]

Lutz: Camaro could spawn big Caddy originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 26 Feb 2007 06:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bob lutzbob lutz cadillacbob lutz camaroBobLutzBobLutzCadillacBobLutzCamarocadillaccadillac sixteenCadillacSixteencamarocamaro cadillacCamaroCadillaclutzlutz cadillaclutz camaroLutzCadillacLutzCamaroluxuryluxury carluxury carsLuxuryCarLuxuryCarsMon, 26 Feb 2007 06:56:00 EST<![CDATA[World's First: Lexus LS460 gets loose]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2006/08/28/worlds-first-lexus-ls460-gets-loose/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/08/28/worlds-first-lexus-ls460-gets-loose/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/08/28/worlds-first-lexus-ls460-gets-loose/#commentsFiled under: , ,


click on image to enlarge

Upon perusing our October 2006 issue of Motor Trend, we ran across the mag's review of the new 2007 Lexus LS460 and a pair of pictures caught our eye. Before us on the printed page was a bright silver LS sedan doing a burnout and... (gulp) drifting! The Japanese luxury carmaker's relentless pursuit of perfection has always been so categorically opposed to having fun while driving that the images seemed from another world altogether.

But indeed they are not. You see, the 2007 Lexus LS460 is the first LS sedan ever that allows its stability-control system to completely turned off. Once the big lady lets her guard down, the 4.6-liter V8 producing 380 hp and 367 ft-lbs. is totally and utterly at the mercy of your right foot, which makes burn outs and drifting possible for the first time in a Lexus LS sedan. In fact, we'd venture to guess that Angus Mackenzie and company over at Motor Trend are the first to perform this feat in a Lexus LS sedan, if not the first to record it on film, though they certainly won't be the last. And to think, the even more powerful hybrid LS600h is still yet to arrive.

Special thanks to Motor Trend for furnishing us with these pics, and to photographer Mark Bramley for capturing the moment.

[Source: Motor Trend - Oct. 2006, subscribe here]

Continue reading World's First: Lexus LS460 gets loose

World's First: Lexus LS460 gets loose originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 28 Aug 2006 20:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>burn outburning outBurningOutBurnOutdriftdriftingLexusLSLS460luxury carLuxuryCarMotor TrendMotorTrendMon, 28 Aug 2006 20:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Spy Shot: 2008 Hyundai Equus]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2006/05/08/spy-shot-2008-hyundai-equus/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/05/08/spy-shot-2008-hyundai-equus/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/05/08/spy-shot-2008-hyundai-equus/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Before Hyundai brings its first V8 RWD luxury vehicle to market next year we hope the name changes. Equus? Why would you name a car after a genus of the family Equidae that comprises horses, asses and zebras? Regardless, The Car Connection reports the car's interior will live up to luxury car standards with the requisite wood trim and leather seating surfaces.

It's hard to tell what the Equus will look like with this prototype's extra outer layers of camo, but Hyundai's standard fare that includes six airbags, ABS, stability control and a low- to mid-$30,000 price tag could make any V8 RWD luxury car look good.

[Source: The Car Connection]

Spy Shot: 2008 Hyundai Equus originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 08 May 2006 08:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>azeraequusluxury carLuxuryCarrear wheel driveRearWheelDriveMon, 08 May 2006 08:03:00 EST<![CDATA[Lexus ES350 priced to move at $33k]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2006/05/05/lexus-es350-priced-to-move-at-33k/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/05/05/lexus-es350-priced-to-move-at-33k/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/05/05/lexus-es350-priced-to-move-at-33k/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Toyota's luxury division Lexus has announced that the all-new 2007 ES350 will arrive in showrooms with a base price of $33,170. A few Lexus shoppers probably already know this as the car went on sale April 21st. Having been excused from any sporting pretentions by the brand's IS sedans, the ES350 arrives softer and quieter than ever. Its 272-hp 3.5L V6 can move the sedan to 60 in 6.8 seconds, but the ES350's targeted demographic has already reached 60 if you know what we mean.

[Source: Toyota]

Lexus ES350 priced to move at $33k originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 05 May 2006 08:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>es350luxuryluxury carluxury sedanLuxuryCarLuxurySedanFri, 05 May 2006 08:08:00 EST