Pamalicious
11-22-2005, 05:07 AM
Fantasizing about the ultimate gift? Super-luxury cars -- in your dreams
By KARL RITZLER
Published on: 11/21/05
If you want to set a loved one's heart aflutter this holiday season, what better present than a new car?
And not just any new car. How about a really expensive one?
Here are 11 vehicles for making a statement to that special person, all his or her relatives and the whole neighborhood soon won't forget.
It will cost you at least a $250,000 just to get in the game.
We picked real production cars that actually are or will be for sale in the United States. No custom jobs, no prototypes. Some are harder to get than others, but that's part of the sport, isn't it.
There are a couple of ultra-luxury sedans, but most of the picks are high-performance thoroughbreds equally at home on a racetrack as the street. They're all street-legal, but we can't guarantee you won't get stopped just for looking fast.
And not surprisingly, nearly all of them are European models, with a couple of American speedsters thrown in. Don't even ask about fuel economy.
There are other cars that easily can top our $250,000 minimum price tag, but these are listed by the manufacturer's suggested retail price, the base before options, if any. It usually includes delivery, if you must ask, but any customizing is up to you. (Prices are from company Web sites and edmunds.com.)
Here they are, from lowest to highest MSRP.
11. Panoz Esperante GTLM, $129,819.
OK, it's not a quarter-million-dollar car, but it's built up in Hoschton, near Road Atlanta, by Panoz Automotive. We gotta be homers sometime. The Esperante GTLM two-door coupe tops the model line at $129,819. It's powered by a supercharged 4.6-liter, eight-cylinder engine and six-speed manual transmission. Standard features include leather interior and a Rockford-Fosgate audio system. Topping the list of options are 18-inch polished alloy wheels at $4,694. Also available are custom-matched luggage and golf bags for a round at Chateau Elan.
10. Bentley Arnage RL, $250,985.
You want luxury, you get it in the Arnage RL, a long-wheelbase limousine version of the Arnage. For this price, you get the expected opulence. The 6.8-liter, eight-cylinder engine will move you out in powerful comfort, and the chauffeur gets his automatic transmission. The options list goes on for pages and includes necessities such as a lambswool rug for the luggage compartment and rear curtains. The top option, at $38,540 is a package that includes a telephone to the rear compartment, cocktail cabinet and a refrigerated bottle cooler.
9. Aston Martin V-12 Vanquish S, $260,850.
James Bond would drive one. There's just one body style, a two-door coupe, but it can be configured as a two-seater or 2+2 (for an extra $6,350). The small car can move with its 6.0-liter V-12 matched with a six-speed automatic transmission. To help Bond get out of trouble, there's an optional navigation system and fire extinguisher available.
8. Ferrari 612 Scaglietti F1, $265,255.
You just knew there would be a Ferrari on the list. The 612 Scaglietti F1 coupe comes with a 5.7-liter 12-cylinder engine and six-speed automatic transmission. Atop the options list is a six-piece leather luggage set at $6,661. But you'll probably need a trailer since you're driving a Ferrari.
7. Lamborghini Murcielago roadster, $328,150.
The two-door convertible is priced almost $30,000 higher than its coupe sibling. It comes with a removable canvas top and is loaded with the expected supercar equipment, starting with a 6.2-liter 12-cylinder engine mated to a six-speed manual transmission, but also including such mundane items as a CD player, power locks and a tilt and telescoping steering wheel. You can have pearlescent paint or a navigation system for a bit more.
6. Rolls-Royce Phantom, $332,750.
Like the lower-priced Bentley, the Rolls is an opulent four-door sedan that can be driven by you or the chauffeur. Topping the options list are individual seats at $7,700. For another $2,200, you can have your choice of five wood veneers surrounding you in the passenger compartment. It's powered by a 6.8-liter 12-cylinder engine and six-speed automatic transmission.
5. Maybach 62, $377,500.
Or, if you're on a budget, you can opt for the less expensive Maybach 57 at only $327,500. Don't expect to choose either one of these superluxury sedans off the showroom floor. Mercedes-Benz builds each Maybach to the buyer's taste with selections from a long list of options. You can even visit the factory in Sindelfingen, Germany, to get exactly what you want. The four-door sedan is powered by a 5.5-liter 12-cylinder engine with automatic transmission.
4. Porsche Carrera GT, $440,795.
The two-door convertible comes in only one trim level – fast. The mid-engine 5.7-liter 10-cylinder engine is mated to a six-speed manual transmission. Standard equipment includes a Bose stereo, leather seating and a navigation system. An optional luggage set is designed to fit in the limited storage space. For an additional $15,500, Porsche will paint the car any color you want.
3. Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren, $455,750.
Created by Mercedes-Benz in cooperation with its Formula 1 partner McLaren, the SLR McLaren is a high-tech two-seat sports car. The swing-wing doors and styling echo the company's race cars of the 1950s. The supercharged 5.5-liter V-8 produces 626 horsepower and is linked to a six-speed automatic transmission. The body is made from carbon fiber composites, and an adaptive spoiler increases its angle when the driver brakes heavily.
2. Saleen S7 Twin Turbo, $555,000.
The Saleen S7, created by sports car builder Steve Saleen's team, is not just another supercar. Its 7-liter V-8 can push the car from zero to 60 mph in less than three seconds and up to more than 200 mph. Saleen is a longtime partner with Ford and helps build that automaker's GT-40 supercar.
1. Bugatti Veyron 16.4, 1 million euros (about $1.2 million).
The only million-dollar car on the list is a Volkswagen. OK, it's a Bugatti, a legendary French nameplate which is owned by Volkswagen. Car nuts have been teased for years about the impending introduction of the 16-cylinder, 1,001-horsepower hand-built supercar. There will be very few of them built, perhaps just 300. They all have a unique stickless, clutchless transmission and a distinctive two-tone paint job. The factory opened in September, so if you hope to beat Jay Leno to one, get out the checkbook now.
By KARL RITZLER
Published on: 11/21/05
If you want to set a loved one's heart aflutter this holiday season, what better present than a new car?
And not just any new car. How about a really expensive one?
Here are 11 vehicles for making a statement to that special person, all his or her relatives and the whole neighborhood soon won't forget.
It will cost you at least a $250,000 just to get in the game.
We picked real production cars that actually are or will be for sale in the United States. No custom jobs, no prototypes. Some are harder to get than others, but that's part of the sport, isn't it.
There are a couple of ultra-luxury sedans, but most of the picks are high-performance thoroughbreds equally at home on a racetrack as the street. They're all street-legal, but we can't guarantee you won't get stopped just for looking fast.
And not surprisingly, nearly all of them are European models, with a couple of American speedsters thrown in. Don't even ask about fuel economy.
There are other cars that easily can top our $250,000 minimum price tag, but these are listed by the manufacturer's suggested retail price, the base before options, if any. It usually includes delivery, if you must ask, but any customizing is up to you. (Prices are from company Web sites and edmunds.com.)
Here they are, from lowest to highest MSRP.
11. Panoz Esperante GTLM, $129,819.
OK, it's not a quarter-million-dollar car, but it's built up in Hoschton, near Road Atlanta, by Panoz Automotive. We gotta be homers sometime. The Esperante GTLM two-door coupe tops the model line at $129,819. It's powered by a supercharged 4.6-liter, eight-cylinder engine and six-speed manual transmission. Standard features include leather interior and a Rockford-Fosgate audio system. Topping the list of options are 18-inch polished alloy wheels at $4,694. Also available are custom-matched luggage and golf bags for a round at Chateau Elan.
10. Bentley Arnage RL, $250,985.
You want luxury, you get it in the Arnage RL, a long-wheelbase limousine version of the Arnage. For this price, you get the expected opulence. The 6.8-liter, eight-cylinder engine will move you out in powerful comfort, and the chauffeur gets his automatic transmission. The options list goes on for pages and includes necessities such as a lambswool rug for the luggage compartment and rear curtains. The top option, at $38,540 is a package that includes a telephone to the rear compartment, cocktail cabinet and a refrigerated bottle cooler.
9. Aston Martin V-12 Vanquish S, $260,850.
James Bond would drive one. There's just one body style, a two-door coupe, but it can be configured as a two-seater or 2+2 (for an extra $6,350). The small car can move with its 6.0-liter V-12 matched with a six-speed automatic transmission. To help Bond get out of trouble, there's an optional navigation system and fire extinguisher available.
8. Ferrari 612 Scaglietti F1, $265,255.
You just knew there would be a Ferrari on the list. The 612 Scaglietti F1 coupe comes with a 5.7-liter 12-cylinder engine and six-speed automatic transmission. Atop the options list is a six-piece leather luggage set at $6,661. But you'll probably need a trailer since you're driving a Ferrari.
7. Lamborghini Murcielago roadster, $328,150.
The two-door convertible is priced almost $30,000 higher than its coupe sibling. It comes with a removable canvas top and is loaded with the expected supercar equipment, starting with a 6.2-liter 12-cylinder engine mated to a six-speed manual transmission, but also including such mundane items as a CD player, power locks and a tilt and telescoping steering wheel. You can have pearlescent paint or a navigation system for a bit more.
6. Rolls-Royce Phantom, $332,750.
Like the lower-priced Bentley, the Rolls is an opulent four-door sedan that can be driven by you or the chauffeur. Topping the options list are individual seats at $7,700. For another $2,200, you can have your choice of five wood veneers surrounding you in the passenger compartment. It's powered by a 6.8-liter 12-cylinder engine and six-speed automatic transmission.
5. Maybach 62, $377,500.
Or, if you're on a budget, you can opt for the less expensive Maybach 57 at only $327,500. Don't expect to choose either one of these superluxury sedans off the showroom floor. Mercedes-Benz builds each Maybach to the buyer's taste with selections from a long list of options. You can even visit the factory in Sindelfingen, Germany, to get exactly what you want. The four-door sedan is powered by a 5.5-liter 12-cylinder engine with automatic transmission.
4. Porsche Carrera GT, $440,795.
The two-door convertible comes in only one trim level – fast. The mid-engine 5.7-liter 10-cylinder engine is mated to a six-speed manual transmission. Standard equipment includes a Bose stereo, leather seating and a navigation system. An optional luggage set is designed to fit in the limited storage space. For an additional $15,500, Porsche will paint the car any color you want.
3. Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren, $455,750.
Created by Mercedes-Benz in cooperation with its Formula 1 partner McLaren, the SLR McLaren is a high-tech two-seat sports car. The swing-wing doors and styling echo the company's race cars of the 1950s. The supercharged 5.5-liter V-8 produces 626 horsepower and is linked to a six-speed automatic transmission. The body is made from carbon fiber composites, and an adaptive spoiler increases its angle when the driver brakes heavily.
2. Saleen S7 Twin Turbo, $555,000.
The Saleen S7, created by sports car builder Steve Saleen's team, is not just another supercar. Its 7-liter V-8 can push the car from zero to 60 mph in less than three seconds and up to more than 200 mph. Saleen is a longtime partner with Ford and helps build that automaker's GT-40 supercar.
1. Bugatti Veyron 16.4, 1 million euros (about $1.2 million).
The only million-dollar car on the list is a Volkswagen. OK, it's a Bugatti, a legendary French nameplate which is owned by Volkswagen. Car nuts have been teased for years about the impending introduction of the 16-cylinder, 1,001-horsepower hand-built supercar. There will be very few of them built, perhaps just 300. They all have a unique stickless, clutchless transmission and a distinctive two-tone paint job. The factory opened in September, so if you hope to beat Jay Leno to one, get out the checkbook now.