Uncategorized

33% boost in luxury car sales for Rolls Royce

Rolls Royce has seen a substantial rise in sales this year so far. Keeping in line with other luxury car manufacturers, Rolls Royce are surfing the waves of success in a tough economical climate.

A record 33% rise in their luxury car sales in the half year to June compared with last year.

Sales shifted up a gear to a total of 1,968 luxury cars worldwide, the company said.

Rolls-Royce cars can retail at around £350,000 for top-of-the-range a Phantom model.

Germany’s BMW, which owns Rolls-Royce, saw vehicles sales across the group rise almost 7% in the period.

“This is an excellent half-year result and demonstrates the continued confidence that our customers have in our company and our fine cars,” said Rolls-Royce Motor Cars chief executive Torsten Müller-Ötvös.

Sales were up in Europe by more than 60%, and up in Asia Pacific by almost 40%, the company said.

Rolls-Royce saw strong demand for its Wraith models, and said it had “significant orders” for its Ghost Series II, which is due out in autumn this year.

Rolls-Royce sales helped to push BMW to record in the first half of the year.

BMW group vehicle sales rose 6.9% on the same period last year, to a total of 1,020,211 vehicles.

However, not all of the group was on an upward trajectory. Mini sales fell 11.4% to 131,896.

Source http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-28209768

luxury car rental business set up by North Buffalo residents

The renting of luxury cars for all occasions has ben growing in popularity over the last few years. Where once, you would only hire a luxury car for very special occasions such as your wedding day, now people are hiring them out for a weekend trip down the coast or for a first date with someone.

Maybe you’re dreading arriving at your high school reunion in a minivan with an overworked odometer or you dream of impressing a date in a flashy sports car instead of your ho-hum sedan.

Or you want to arrive in style at a wedding in something other than the typical limo.

What to do? Roll up in a Porsche, a Corvette or a muscle car like a Dodge Challenger.

A couple of Buffalo guys, Gregory Straus and Matthew Bona, have these cars for rent, and they think there is a market for people who want to escape their everyday driving experience. They launched Redline Rentals of Buffalo with that idea.

Customers have already rented the cars for a day, several days, or even weeks at a time, for everything from cool road trips to wedding anniversaries and milestone birthdays. The customers get the thrill of driving — and being seen driving — expensive cars, and then turn in the keys and go back to their everyday transportation.

Robert P. Carr, president of Carr Marketing Communications, compares the concept to signing up for baseball fantasy camps to play alongside real major leaguers for a few days. “In some ways, it’s kind of like a Walter Mitty type of dream,” Carr said. “All of a sudden, the alarm clock goes off, and you’re back to reality.”

Charis Zaczek surprised her husband, Eric, with a 24-hour Corvette rental to celebrate their first wedding anniversary. When they stopped by Redline’s North Buffalo shop, Charis figured they would just see the car and pick up a gift certificate. But Eric was eager to rent the Corvette immediately, so they did, taking it to Grand Island to see what it could do.

“We had a lot of yells: ‘Nice car, nice car!’ ” Charis said. Later, the Kenmore couple drove to the Buffalo Chophouse for dinner.

Adam Hageman usually drives a tow truck with his business, Empire Towing and Recovery. The Challenger is Hageman’s “dream car,” but he can’t afford to buy one, so he rented one from Redline for a month.

Hageman drove the car to a wedding and took a friend to Gowanda to pick up a motorcycle. He also drove it for errands.

“I was at Lowe’s with my two daughters, and someone asked me if it was mine,” he said.

Tim O’Donnell drove the Corvette with his 19-year-old son to Chicago for a Blackhawks-Kings playoff game. They could have flown, but O’Donnell preferred father-son bonding time on a road trip. The head-turning car added an extra touch, O’Donnell said.

“The Hawks won in double overtime, which was awesome,” he said

These are exactly the types of stories that Straus, 27, and Bona, 28, hoped to hear when they started Redline. The North Buffalo residents went to St. Joseph’s Collegiate Institute and Canisius College together. While on assignment in New York City, they learned about the luxury car rental business.

When they returned to Buffalo, Straus and Bona talked about bringing the concept here. Both are lifelong car guys with an affinity for numbers: Straus has a degree in accounting, and Bona earned a degree in accounting and finance.

But they faced an obvious question: How can a business like Redline succeed in a place like Buffalo, where wintry weather spoils the fun for months?

“My response to that is, that’s exactly why it’s going to work, because it’s a shortened season,” said Bona, the chief operating officer. “People don’t want to buy these cars, they don’t have room to store them, they don’t have the time and ability to maintain them, because the average person probably only is going to drive them 1,000 to 2,000 miles per year.”

They found a bank willing to work with them and, after a long search, lined up insurance for the business. Then the co-owners set out to build a fleet.

Straus and Bona always had a Corvette and a Porsche in their game plan.

“What we were trying to do was think about that Ferrari-Lamborghini mind set without the price tag,” said Straus, Redline’s president.

They found a 2008 midnight blue Porsche 911 in Washington, D.C., that fit their criteria: full convertible, turbo engine and automatic transmission. Straus flew to Washington and drove the car home just in time to display it at one of the charity events Redline attends to promote its service.

Bona spotted a torch-red 2011 Corvette Grand Sport on a car lot one day.

“I drove by it and said, ‘Yep, that’s the car,’ and pulled a Uie in the parking lot.”

They rounded out the fleet with a 2012 Challenger with chrome rims, a custom exhaust and a thunderous rumble.

“It’s pure black,” Straus said. “It’s really an ode to muscle cars.”

Straus and Bona spent about$150,000 for all three vehicles, assembling a fleet with different levels of rental prices. The rates vary depending on what a customer signs up for, but the Porsche rents for about$700 for 24 hours on a weekend, compared with about$500 for the Corvette and about$300 for the Challenger. (A new Porsche comparable to Redline’s rental sells for more than$100,000.)

Like any rental cars, Redline’s come with rules. Customers must be at least 25 years old and have a clean driving record and proper insurance. They can’t eat in the cars, and they have to put down a$2,500 refundable security deposit. Straus and Bona show customers how to drive the cars safely.

If a car comes back damaged — for example, a fender hanging off from ramming a steep driveway — Redline will hold the deposit until the customer’s insurance company reimburses Redline. “By telling people that, they drive it as if it was their own,” Straus said. “They’re a lot more responsible.” And so far, customers have dropped off the cars in good condition.

Can a business like this succeed in a smaller market like Buffalo? Gotham Dream Cars, which inspired Redline’s founders, operates in big markets like New York City, Miami and Los Angeles. During his research, Straus talked to Rob Ferretti, Gotham’s chief operating officer.

Ferretti said he doesn’t believe Buffalo is large enough to sustain a luxury rental car business as more than a side gig. “It’s not an easy business to make work, and the (profit) margins are far what from people expect.”

And Ferretti said it’s not just about drawing customers from a pool of wealthy people in a market. “They are people who want to pretend to be rich, effectively.”

Gotham customers will rent exotic cars and head to traffic-jammed places like Times Square. “Everybody just drives places nice and slow to be seen,” Ferretti said.

Straus and Bona say they recognize the challenges ahead. They have full-time jobs at banks — they declined to name them — and operate their business from rented space in a former collision shop. Straus believes Redline can be profitable within five years. If it doesn’t succeed, they can always sell off the cars.

By August, they expect to know how their bookings are looking into autumn. They are deciding what to do about the winter months — just put the cars in storage or add a luxury SUV that can handle the snow to the fleet.

For now, Straus and Bona are enjoying the ride. And Straus notices something when a customer’s rental time with a car is up: “They don’t want to give it back.”

If you are looking to hire out a luxury car for a day or long term, then have a look at we have to offer on our website

Source http://insurancenewsnet.com/oarticle/2014/07/07/renting-the-dream-north-buffalo-residents-launch-luxury-car-rental-business-a-526985.html#.U70AlGdOV1s

 

Are you part of the 40% of luxury car drivers that would own an EV?

Would you own an electric car or a hybrid? More people are making the change and turning to EV or hybrids, but interestingly, we are seeing a higher percentage of luxury car owners coming round to the idea.

Almost 40 per cent of luxury car owners in the UK say they would buy, or seriously consider buying, an electric vehicle capable of driving 300 miles (483km) on a single charge from their brand.

UK website WeLoveAnyCar asked 24,227 Audi, BMW, Jaguar and Mercedes-Benz owners if they would consider an electric car with a 300-mile range, all other factors (including price, style, options and performance) being equal, and found that four in 10 responded positively.

BMW owners reacted the most favourably, with 17 per cent saying they would buy an EV that met those criteria. BMW has been among the most active of the luxury brands in the electric segment, having launched its i3 city car as well as the i8 plug-in hybrid sports car.

Between 12 and 14 per cent of Audi, Jaguar and Mercedes-Benz owners said they would also buy an electric car with a 300-mile range from their brand. Additionally, approximately one quarter of owners from each brand said they would give serious thought to such a vehicle.

Electric technology still faces an uphill battle, however, with many owners hesitant to make the switch to EV or completely opposed to the idea.

Seventeen per cent of Jaguar owners said they would never buy an electric Jag even if it matched the price, style and performance of an internal combustion engined model. Between 12 and 13 per cent of owners from the German trio said they would never purchase such a vehicle, while between 28 and 30 per cent of those surveyed responded ‘No, I don’t think so’.

The Tesla Model S is the only production EV in the world with a single-charge range in excess of 483km. The 85kWh Model S, which is priced from $111,807 in Australia, claims a range of 502km.

Source http://www.caradvice.com.au/295301/almost-40-per-cent-of-luxury-car-owners-would-consider-an-ev-study/

Luxury cars worth over £150,000 have been stolen from the same area

Living in a wealthy area has many perks, but one downside is that you could be targeted by thieves who want to take advantage of the whole area.

Luxury vehicles worth more than £150,000 have been stolen from properties in Lanarkshire.

Jaguar, Audi and BMW vehicles were among the ten stolen between Wednesday and Friday in the Lanarkshire area.

Many of the thefts were the result of thieves breaking into houses through back doors and windows and taking the car keys.

Vehicles included a Range Rover Sport, a Mini, an Audi Q7, a BMW Z4 and a Jaguar XF Sport.

The Range Rover was stolen from the car park of the Hilton Hotel, in Strathclyde Business Park, after thieves forced open a locker within the hotel and took the keys.

Police Scotland are appealing for information and witnesses and have launched an investigation into the thefts.

They say they are at the “early stages” of their inquiry but it is thought the thefts are linked.

Officers have urged people to take extra care not to leave their car keys on display and have also appealed for any car buyers or dealerships who may have been offered any of the vehicles for sale to contact them.

Properties targeted already have been in Dunellan Way and Dunellan Place in Moodiesburn, Lochearnhead Road in Stepps, Princess Gate in Bothwell, Oak Fern Drive in East Kilbride, Ettrick Street in Wishaw and Dunnock Place, Coatbridge.

Sergeant Ross Aitken said: “I would like to remind householders to be mindful as to where they keep both their house and car keys, particularly overnight.

“Please do not leave them near your front or back doors or windows where thieves can easily see them and reach them, please keep them hidden away – don’t give thieves a helping hand to steal your hard earned possessions.

“I’d also like to remind householders to ensure that they keep their home as secure as possible. If you have window locks, use them – particularly if you are leaving the property or retiring for the evening. The same goes for your car.”

Source http://news.stv.tv/west-central/281578-over-150000-worth-of-luxury-cars-stolen-by-thieves-in-lanarkshire/

BMW to invest $1 Billion in Mexico plant

A few weeks ago we told you about luxury car makers opening up show rooms in poorer countries. Rolls Royce have moved into Cambodia as the market for luxury cars grows. This week we are hearing that BMW have invested a vast amount of money in building a plant in Mexico.

BMW revealed a $1 billion Mexican plant investment on Thursday, becoming the latest major automaker to take advantage of the country’s growing industrial base and tariff-free access to the US market.

 
BMW outlined plans to build a factory in the central Mexican city of San Luis Potosi, reducing the German company’s dependence on higher-cost plants at home.
 
The plant will begin assembling models in 2019 with an initial workforce of 1,500 and annual production capacity of 150,000 vehicles, the company said.
 
“Mexico is an ideal location for the BMW Group,” production chief Harald Krueger said in a statement. “We are continuing our strategy of ‘production follows the market.'”
 
Germany’s luxury car makers – BMW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz – are expanding overseas as their domestic plants struggle to meet strong demand for new vehicle offerings in the United States and Asia.
 
“With this investment, Mexico is stepping up to premium-level production of global vehicles,” Mexican Economy Minister Ildefonso Guajardo said as the plant was announced.
 
BMW did not reveal what type of vehicle it will build, and a spokeswoman for the company said no decision had been made. But several Mexican and European officials at the presentation said they believed the plant would produce 3 Series cars.
 
“At some point I heard that they were talking about the 3 Series,” Guajardo told reporters after the event. “But I don’t have the official confirmation.”
 
Guajardo added that at least one other big auto investment would be announced this summer but did not elaborate. Reuters reported last month that Kia Motors Corp. plans to break ground soon on a new plant in Mexico.
 
Mexico’s auto sector is gaining critical mass as more global brands open production lines, boosting the supplier network.
 
BMW’s move comes days after Daimler announced new Mercedes production in Mexico with partner Nissan Motor Co. Ltd., which already operates two plants in the country where it had recently increased capacity.
 
“The premium brands are finally realizing that Mexico has the capacity to build signature vehicles,” IHS Automotive analyst Guido Vildozo said.
 
“We are going to see all these plants starting with one or two products at the very beginning, but they will gradually become critical pillars of profitability for the premium manufacturers,” he added.
 
Mexico benefits from tariff-free exports to the United States as well as Europe, while its factories are beyond the reach of the United Auto Workers union, which has been struggling to boost its influence in the US South.
 
BMW’s investment comes amid a domestic industrial cost review that has some German unions worried about their longer-term outlook, as the company reduces reliance on sluggish European markets that still account for 44 percent of sales.
 
The plant also increases BMW’s bet on the United States, which is the world’s largest luxury-car market along with China.
 
In March, BMW announced a $1 billion investment to expand capacity by 50 percent at its plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina, where it builds a range of sport utility vehicles.
Source http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/368671/economy/business/bmw-s-1-billion-plant-surfs-mexican-investment-wave

“Batmobile” Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren bought by Tyga

When one celebrity buys themselves an outrageously expensive and customised luxury car, you can be sure that another will desperately want it!

In the world of the famous and rich, super expensive and stunningly fast cars have become more of the routine than the shocking moments. It’s the case of this murdered-out black Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren, also nicknamed the “Batmobile” SLR, that was owned for a couple of months by Scott Disick only to be now bought by Tyga.

While normal people save-up for the every-day rides, celebrities keep switching their hundreds of dollars rides between each other and they don’t even realize it.

Reality television celebrity and businessman Scott Disick, better known as Kourtney Kardashian’s spouse, posted a couple of pictures with the black Mercedes-Benz SLR quoting he owns it, a couple of months ago. Soon after it turned out he decided to sell it and now it was just bought by rapper Tyga. Los Angeles-based Calabasas Luxury Motorcars auto shop, the place he bought it from, recently posted an image of the rapper sitting next to it.

After all, this on and off/selling and buying super expensive and luxurious cars it’s not even that rare among famous people. In fact, when you say Scott Disick you think of flamboyant class and exclusive car-collection, about the same words that pop-up when you talk about Tyga’s rides.

Well, it seems Justin Bieber’s close friend decided to buy the “Batmobile” SLR just because it’s sitting pretty in his driveway, right next to his Rolls Royce Ghost, Lambroghini Aventador, Maybach and his other Mercedes, the SLS.

Source http://www.autoevolution.com/news/tyga-gets-scott-disicks-batmobile-slr-83345.html

Early morning race across London Bridge by Formula E Cars

The FIA are hoping that fast cars which are eco friendly will be the next big thing in car racing.

To work up a hype, eight Formula One-style cars with a top speed of 150mph have raced in front of the Houses of Parliament to launch the forthcoming all-electric championship.

One car also performed a doughnut on the empty road across London’s Westminster Bridge.

In order to pull off the photo opportunity, organisers started setting up from dawn and had the bridge to themselves until 6am.

The video has been released as part of the official Global Launch for the new all-electric FIA Formula E Championship.

The well-funded racing series, backed by the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), will host 10 zero-emission races in 10 cities around the world.

Formula E cars line up to start a trial on Westminster Bridge
The electric cars line up on Westminster bridge

As part of the launch, Battersea Park in South London was revealed as the London race venue.

The race around the park will be the season finale and is scheduled for June 27, 2015.

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: “Fast, fun and no doubt furious, the FIA Formula E Championship race in London is set to provide an awesome addition to the capital’s sporting calendar.

“The atmosphere will quite literally be electric and Battersea, which is already booming with the buzz of regeneration, will be alive with the excitement that this new, world-class event will no doubt spark.”

Mahindra Racing's Karun Chandhok doing a donut
Mahindra Racing’s Karun Chandhok doing a donut

The sport was set up with the aim of sparking interest in electric cars and boosting innovation in the technology used to run them.

The idea for the championship has been criticised in the past and was dubbed “the milk float challenge”, but as the first race draws nearer, it has become a highly anticipated format for motorsport fans.

Actor Leonardo DiCaprio, businessman Sir Richard Branson and Formula One legend Alain Prost have all set up teams ahead of the inaugural racing series.

Source http://news.sky.com/story/1292549/formula-e-cars-race-across-london-bridge

Which luxury cars are best and worst for value for money?

Luxury cars typically cost a lot to buy, but they needn’t break the bank in running costs – provided you choose carefully. 

You wouldn’t expect a luxury car to be cheap, but you might expect a lot of car for your money. Our best-value luxury car truly lived up to its billing with nearly all owners raving about its superb comfort levels. And while it may be a luxury model, it still scored above average for value overall in the Which? Car Survey.

The worst value luxury car, however, is within striking distance of the bottom of the survey. Owners complained about its hearty appetite for fuel and oil. A number of drivers also described it as being both uncomfortable and difficult to get into – not good attributes for a luxury machine.

Highest rated luxury car for value for money

If there’s one thing owners of the Saab 9-5 (1997-2010) all agree about, it’s just how comfortable their car is. As a result, 9-5 drivers keep coming back for more; one owner is now on their third 9-5 and another is on their 11th Saab.

Thanks to Saab owners’ satisfaction with their cars, the 9-5 chalked up a strong value-for-money score of 84.5%. A large number of owners described the 9-5 as ‘very comfortable’, with one adding: ‘for the price, nothing else gives the same amount of space, comfort or performance’.

Another Saab owner said, ‘I love the fact that I have a reliable, solid, quality car, loaded with extras, without having had to pay the steep prices associated with German makes.’ The car makes an ‘excellent long-distance car with a massive boot’ and is ‘safe, reliable, easy to drive, with excellent in-car entertainment’.

Lowest rated luxury car for value for money

Way down at the other end of the luxury car table is the Audi A5 Sportback (2009-) with a score of 67.3%. Unlike the Saab, many Audi owners criticised their car for being uncomfortable due to its firm ride. The A5 Sportback is also hard to drive smoothly, according to several drivers.

Contributing to the poor value money score, the A5 ‘uses a great deal of oil – needing approximately one litre every other month’, the ‘petrol consumption is some 10mpg worse than advertised’ and the ‘highly expensive’ built-in satnav is ‘a disaster’ and ‘doesn’t take full postcodes’.

The A5 Sportback is ‘uncomfortable on motorways and A roads’ and ‘the 19-inch wheels give a hard ride’, jeopardising its billing as a luxury car. Other owners have criticised the S-Tronic automatic gearbox for being ‘jerky’ with the ‘random jerkiness of the accelerator’ meaning that ‘you cannot “creep” forward’. ‘The brakes are occasionally very sharp, causing me and any passenger to lurch forward’.

Beyond these failings, owners also complained that ‘access is difficult for large or older people’, ‘rain water enters the boot area when opened’ and ‘it feels like a large car, so parking can sometimes be a challenge’.

Source http://www.which.co.uk/news/2014/06/best-and-worst-luxury-cars-for-value-for-money-369668/

Ex-Lomond boss Hugh McMahon buys dealership in Edinburgh

Motor industry entrepreneur Hugh McMahon has bought Murray Motor Group’s Rolls Royce and Aston Martin business in Edinburgh.

Partnered by son Chris, the former Lomond Audi owner has taken over the luxury car dealership in a buy-out worth more than of £3 million. The deal was funded by Barclays’ Scottish corporate banking team.

Hugh McMahon has spent a lifetime in the motor trade starting out as a technician at the age of 16 before moving into sales – then management. He sold the Lomond Audi business in July 2012 and has been looking for a suitable enterprise since.

The Sighthill outlet is the sole authorised dealership for the luxury car brands in Scotland. The business currently turns over £20 million annually and the father-and-son team have plans to grow this to £30 million in the medium term.

Hugh McMahon said: ‘There is a strong opportunity to grow sales of both brands which are moving into an exciting stage of their development – Rolls Royce is celebrating 10 years under the ownership of the BMW Group and Aston Martin has been rejuvenated by new investment.’

Working with son Chris, who is operations director for the business and Brian Ritchie, finance director, Hugh also has plans to expand the dealership’s offering of luxury and performance used cars.

He added: ‘Our first priority, however, is to consolidate our existing position. We have taken over a good business but I want to make it a great business – for customers and employees.’

Source http://cardealermagazine.co.uk/publish/luxury-car-dealership-changes-hands-3m-buyout/82750

The most popular pre-owned luxury cars

We can’t all afford to drive a luxury car off the forecourt, but buying second hand luxury cars is becoming more popular than ever
Used luxury cars offer a fantastic driving experience at an unbeatable price. Cartrade.com’s Vinay Sanghi picks out the hottest pre-owned models in the market.
Mercedes-Benz C-Class
The German car brand has always ranked high in terms of premium car comfort. The Mercedes-Benz C-Class offers an efficient engine that delivers impressive performance.
Diesel engines from Mercedes are also known to be low on emissions and great on technology, thereby making them strong contenders among the German cars. On the other hand, the petrol trims illustrate great dynamics without being heavy on the pocket.
Many drivers also feel nostalgic about the brand since it was the first premium brand to enter India in a commercial way.
Audi A4
Audi’s entry-level sedan, the A4, has made a strong impact in the premium D segment of sedans being sold in the country. The ‘‘design meets performance” theme has been successful in luring many customers towards it. It is the strongest selling car in its segment.
The A4 wins hearts with its sharp German design that flows across the body and blends with mesmerizing interiors that are loaded with the latest in gadgetry. Audi offers a range of petrol and diesel options on the A4.
The company claims that these engines can withstand any sort of driving conditions and yet deliver efficient mileage—reasons that have worked greatly in favour of the A4.
BMW 3 Series
photo

The other two German car makers have always concentrated on making cars that feel nice, but it was BMW that managed to introduce real performance in the segment. BMW brought excitement in this class. It is often perceived a Beemer is the serious enthusiast’s car.

Shark-eyed looks with compact dimensions make the 3 Series a killer proposition. The 3 Series is bound to impress people of all ages with its performance. It is the quickest to ride and offers the most precise driving conditions. Apart from being high on performance, BMW also ensures that these cars are equally safe with amazing driver aid options available in the 3 Series.
Jaguar XF
The only British player in an otherwise all-German battle, Jaguar is all about the flamboyant individual. The gorgeous styling and uber-luxurious interiors make even casual drivers go weak in the knees.
More than a point A to point B commute, Jaguars are all about making a style statement. If the German cars exude performance, the Jaguars reflect an art and culture aesthetic.
Jaguars are not just meant to impress with their beauty though—the exhilarating performance is paired with a smooth, addictive power train that keeps drivers hooked.
Who is buying these cars?
The upwardly mobile Indian middle class is increasingly exploring the ‘‘affordable” pre-owned luxury four-wheeler.
These are typically business-class people who already own a new Rs.15-20 lakh car and are now looking to buy a luxury car for status. It has aspirational value.
The average price of a new entry-level luxury car ranges anywhere between Rs.30 lakh and Rs.50 lakh, while the same used cars command a price of around Rs.17-25 lakh. Which is quite affordable for this new set of emerging buyers who want to enjoy these cars but don’t want to spend as much.
Source http://www.livemint.com/Leisure/tzniAgWR2mk5A4AcUsDRwL/The-hottest-preowned-luxury-cars.html