Land Rover’s versatility is legendary, but its detractors claim that its vehicles’ utility has been sacrificed on the altar of luxury. Never willing to compromise, newly-acquired Land Rover has answered with the Freelander 2 Commercial.
An updated RX-8 will debut as a 2010 model in the first quarter of 2009. Although the basic layout and seating configuration will remain the same, a major update is expected. Besides cosmetics, improvements are likely to come in power, especially in cars equipped with a manual transmission. Although not yet confirmed, a convertible version of the RX-8 is possible for the 2011 or 2012 model year.
1. Ford F-Series
If you simply take a look at the vast array of models, cab styles, bed lengths and styles and powertrains available for Ford’s F-Series, you’ll understand why it’s been a bestseller for so long. The F-Series has a long-earned reputation for being a durable and long-lasting work truck.
One reason most luxury car manufacturers sell the cars at the volume they do is because they offer the latest cutting-edge technology. The Rolls Royce Drophead coupe is already sold out; Mercedes-Benz’s sales of the S-Class increase 93% in 2006 due the gadgets and gizmos offered with it; and the Lexus LS600h is one of the most technologically advanced hybrid vehicles on the market. Below is a list, by ForbesAuto, of the coolest high-tech cars, some of which are out now and some that will be coming to a dealership near you very soon.
Sexiest Car For Hip-Hop Moguls
Rolls-Royce Phantom sedan
Base Price: $333,000 (estimated)
Attitude, class, enough rear-seat room to house a small hot tub and a sticker price that makes the car unattainable to almost everyone–the Rolls-Royce Phantom has all of the above, which explains its following among status-conscious rappers.
Sexiest Car For Hollywood Agents
Lexus LS Hybrid sedan
Base Price: Not Yet Available
This soon-to-be-released Lexus hybrid–a version of the company’s $61,000 flagship LS sedan–is the ultimate L.A. vehicle: trendy, upscale and green. The Lexus badge will beget you credibility, and the gas/electric hybrid technology will make Charlize Theron want to ride to red-carpet events in the backseat.
Sexiest Car For Miami Beach Plastic Surgeons
Lamborghini Murcielago convertible
Base Price: $319,000 (estimated)
If you ask us, plastic surgeons are Lamborghini’s ideal customers. Insurance doesn’t pay for cosmetic surgery, so the cash-on-the-barrelhead business generates ludicrous fortunes. And just as plastic surgery can mean maximum garishness, Lamborghinis are the flashiest cars. Ahem, regular doctors can’t afford them.
Sexiest Car For Mobsters
Cadillac Escalade pickup and SUV
Base Price: $55,045
Ever notice how when the boss starts wearing a particular shoe or suit, the underlings start wearing the same? With Tony Soprano now driving an Escalade in the current season of The Sopranos, expect his henchmen to head for their local Cadillac dealers.
Sexiest Car For Newly Divorced Dads
Chevrolet Corvette convertible
Base Price: $53,335
Prince sung about it. Diddy has said the way to meet women is to put on a white T-shirt and drive around in one. The Corvette convertible is just the dose of self-esteem a newly divorced dad needs. And with its 400-horsepower, V-8 engine, it’s still one of the most fun cars to drive.
Sexiest Car For Newly Divorced Moms
Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG convertible
Base Price: $186,775
How to send a post-divorce message with your car? By driving the 604-horsepower SL65 AMG. It says, “I’m rich and powerful, and I roll like a racecar driver.” How hot is that?
Sexiest Car For Lobbyists
Cadillac CTS sedan
Base Price: $30,670
A tough call, because as a Washington lobbyist, you want something respectable but somewhat inconspicuous (keeping a low profile is key, post-Abramoff). You also want something American-built. Try the entry-level Cadillac, which is handsome and fun to drive, but comparatively modest-looking inside–or at least it will be until the swankier, more upscale, overhauled CTS arrives this fall.
Sexiest Car For Lawyers
Maserati Quattroporte sedan
Base Price: $110,000 (estimated)
Certain things epitomize Italians’ sense of style and design. Prada. Marcello Mastroianni in La Dolce Vita. And of course, the cars of Maserati. No vehicle on earth has a sexier design than the company’s flagship sedan, the Quattroporte. It may not have the most perfect driving dynamics or the most complete list of luxury amenities, but we defy you to show us a better-looking car.
Sexiest Car For NBA Players
Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano
Base Price: $260,000 (estimated)
NBA players love to make entrances in the hottest, newest cars, and the latest Ferrari does just that. The 599 can go over 205 mph, and in many cases, you have to know somebody–or be somebody–to get your hands on one.
Sexiest Car For Driving Purists
Aston Martin DB9 and Ferrari F430 (tie)
Base Prices: $165,000 (DB9, estimated); $168,000 (F430, estimated)
These are the two sports cars that most exhilarate us. Their combination of drop-dead, classy, old-school looks; sumptuous interior materials; authoritative exhaust notes (the Aston roars and the Ferrari screams); and pitch-perfect driving dynamics is all we could ask for. No need, in our opinion, to spend any more than this on a car.
Autocar reports that the Bentley Arnage will be replaced with a new model for the 2010 model year. Amid speculation that the Veyron-engined Arnage built recently and described by Bentley as a “prototype” is an indication of the next-generation Arnage’s powerplant – almost 1000 hp – the word is that the 2010 Arnage will have an aluminum spaceframe chassis produced by Audi, an aluminum body, and possibly a hybrid version of the current 6.75 liter V-8 using the transmission developed for the Audi Q7 hybrid or the hybrid transmission currently under development for the next Audi Quattro.
Honda’s Tokyo Show offerings include a compact-coupe concept which paves the way for a successor to the highly successful CR-X coupe which went out of production in 1997. The Compact Renaissance Zero, or simply CR-Z, should be considered as Honda’s second attempt to revive the CR-X concept, following the poorly received Remix prototype that premiered at last year’s L.A. Show. While the CR-Z is definitely much better looking than the Remix concept, we can’t say that we’re exactly thrilled with its appearance and especially with the rear end which looks, well, just hideous. In the teaser press release, Honda says that the CR-Z is equipped with a gas-electric hybrid system which achieves both clean performance and a high level of torque.
