High End Luxury Cars

24696 messages, Last post on Nov 28, 2009 at 10:43 AM

You are in the Sedans Forum. Your Hosts are pat & karens

What is this discussion about? Audi A8, BMW 7 Series, Jaguar XJ-Series, Lexus LS 460, Mercedes-Benz S-Class, Volkswagen Phaeton, Maserati Quattroporte, Mercedes-Benz CL-Class, Sedan

Let's try to define this forum as being limited to luxury performance vehicles where the mainstream version in a typical configuration has an MSRP of at least $60k.

A luxury vehicle with a base price of $59k qualifies because it would typically be bought with some additional equipment, bringing the MSRP over $60k.

Vehicles like the E, 5, A6, M, or GS, even if available in certain versions over $60k, don't qualify because they are cars from companies that have higher end cars in their lineups.

Outline

Messages Page 1856 of 2471: 1; ...; 1853; 1854; 1855; 1856; 1857; 1858; 1859; ...; 2471; Prev; Next; Last

#18544 of 24696 The future models of the major European marques by tagman Aug 31, 2006 (8:29 pm)
This is fairly good look at the future model plans for major European marques . . . all in one handy chart. link title TagMan
#18545 of 24696 Re: HELM engines [tagman] by merc1 Aug 31, 2006 (8:31 pm)
Replying to: tagman (Aug 31, 2006 8:23 pm) Interesting, Mercedes preference for torque is clear there. I got the Oct issue of C&D today and their initial test put the LS460 at 6 seconds 0-60 mph. They said because the engine hits a flat spot and doesn't really give any real push until 3500 rpm. Different engine/tuning practices at work here between BMW, Lexus and Mercedes. I do expect that 6 sec time to improve though when they test the LS460 on U.S. soil. M Replies to this message: tagman (Aug 31, 2006 8:41 pm) merc1 (Aug 31, 2006 8:50 pm) houdini1 (Sep 01, 2006 5:05 am) hpowders (Sep 01, 2006 6:46 am) tagman (Sep 01, 2006 7:15 am)
#18546 of 24696 Re: HELM engines [merc1] by tagman Aug 31, 2006 (8:41 pm)
Replying to: merc1 (Aug 31, 2006 8:31 pm) I do expect that 6 sec time to improve though when they test the LS460 on U.S. soil. The word is getting clear that it's about 5.4 or 5.5 seconds 0-60, but we'll see if it really does that. The flat spot is unfortunate, however. Did they say if it's due to the way that tranny is so low geared in the first two gears and then has to ramp up from there? That would make sense to me. TagMan Replies to this message: merc1 (Aug 31, 2006 8:50 pm) houdini1 (Sep 01, 2006 5:05 am) hpowders (Sep 01, 2006 6:46 am) tagman (Sep 01, 2006 7:15 am)
#18547 of 24696 AMG turns up the heat! by tagman Aug 31, 2006 (8:48 pm)
For those interested in the Mercedes AMG performance variants, it looks like AMG is going to turn the performance dial up another notch. link title TagMan Replies to this message: merc1 (Aug 31, 2006 8:53 pm)
#18548 of 24696 Re: HELM engines [tagman] by merc1 Aug 31, 2006 (8:50 pm)
Replying to: tagman (Aug 31, 2006 8:41 pm) The flat spot is unfortunate, however. Did they say if it's due to the way that tranny is so low geared in the first two gears and then has to ramp up from there? That would make sense to me. They said something like the engine doesn't have any oomph until 3500 rpm and the first gear isn't short enough. Kinda surprising since C&D almost always beats manufacturer 0-60 times. M
#18549 of 24696 Re: AMG turns up the heat! [tagman] by merc1 Aug 31, 2006 (8:53 pm)
Replying to: tagman (Aug 31, 2006 8:48 pm) Oh AMG is going for all out sport now it seems when it comes to chassis dynamics. The Black Series version of the SLK55 is few pounds lighter than stock and has 400hp instead of 362hp, but the problem is the price for this track-day special, something over 100K. Limited production is an understatement. The packages you've linked were available on the outgoing E55, CLS55 and last year's SLK55 and SL55 too. This is what AMG should be doing, not making AMG versions of the R-Class, though Edmunds seems to love the R63 and R-Class in general if their long-term report on their R500 is anything to go by. M
#18550 of 24696 Re: Ford to sell off Aston, possibly Jag? [blkhemi] by nvbanker Aug 31, 2006 (9:14 pm)
Replying to: blkhemi (Aug 31, 2006 5:29 pm) "Jaguar, let's see: First off, take the X and S-Type's out back and put them out of their misery. DO NOT USE A FORD CLONE PRODUCT, as is the case with the X's Mondeo, and the S' Lincoln LS/Ford T-Bird." I hear this all the time, and I don't know why this misinfo continues to be proffered. The S, LS and T-Bird share a platform, but it's the best platform that was built in the day. The poor S-type gets denigrated because it lent its platform to a Lincoln and a Thunderbird coupe. Jag still built their engine differently than the Lincoln & Thunderbird, so that doesn't make the S-type a Ford. Jag built the engine for all of them, theirs is just better than the other two. The Mondeo is a great car. Europe loves it still. Making it an entry level Jag wasn't a big reach. If you drove it, you'd say, "Hey, this feels like a Jag, it drives like a Jag, and it smells like a Jag, for $30,000!" I've driven one. It's the cheap Jag for sure, but it's definitely a Jag. Could they do better? Not for that price. But people would be happier with it if it were all designed in Coventry from the ground up. But hey, I'm betting if they did, it wouldn't be as dependable as the X or the S is right now.... Ford has done good things for Jaguar, including keep it alive. It's sad they never made a buck on it. Replies to this message: merc1 (Aug 31, 2006 10:10 pm) nvbanker (Sep 01, 2006 3:29 pm) tagman (Sep 01, 2006 6:37 pm) and 2 more... merc1 (Sep 02, 2006 4:35 am) lexusguy (Sep 01, 2006 12:58 am) merc1 (Sep 01, 2006 1:05 am) lexusguy (Sep 01, 2006 1:16 am) and 1 more...
#18551 of 24696 Re: Ford to sell off Aston, possibly Jag? [nvbanker] by merc1 Aug 31, 2006 (10:10 pm)
Replying to: nvbanker (Aug 31, 2006 9:14 pm) Still got some Jaguar in your blood eh? M Replies to this message: nvbanker (Sep 01, 2006 3:29 pm) tagman (Sep 01, 2006 6:37 pm) nvbanker (Sep 01, 2006 7:36 pm) and 1 more... merc1 (Sep 02, 2006 4:35 am)
#18553 of 24696 Re: Ford to sell off Aston, possibly Jag? [nvbanker] by lexusguy Sep 01, 2006 (12:58 am)
Replying to: nvbanker (Aug 31, 2006 9:14 pm) but it's the best platform that was built in the day. The poor S-type gets denigrated because it lent its platform to a Lincoln and a Thunderbird coupe. When it was new DEW98 was average at best. If you are implying that it was a better platform than the '97 5 series, you're definitely mistaken. Perhaps sharing the AJ-V8 and platform with Lincoln was a mistake. The fact that its now being used on the Mustang certainly doesn't help its prestige. The Mondeo is a great car. Europe loves it still. Making it an entry level Jag wasn't a big reach. If you drove it, you'd say, "Hey, this feels like a Jag, it drives like a Jag, and it smells like a Jag, for $30,000!" I've driven one. It's the cheap Jag for sure, but it's definitely a Jag. Could they do better? Not for that price. Wrong wrong wrong. The Mondeo is a perfectly fine car, sure. It should never have been turned into a Jag, however. M-B could probably cut the build cost of a C-class in half if they used a Chrysler Sebring as a base. How do you think people would react to that? A Jaguar is not FWD. I've driven the X-type. No, it doesn't feel like a Jag. No, it doesn't drive like a Jag, and no, it doesn't even smell like a Jag. I've owned Jags with Connolly leather, I know what real Jags feel and smell like. Yes, they could've done a lot better, even for that price. The X-type was originally supposed to hit in 2004. Instead they opted on a sloppy rush job. Quality of the initial run of cars was absolutely horrid. The warmed over Duratec engines were absolutely no match for the European competition, and the AWD system is about as crude as they come. The $30-40K entry lux market is the toughest gun fight in the luxury biz. Jaguar brought a rusty butter knife, and they paid for it. Replies to this message: merc1 (Sep 01, 2006 1:05 am) lexusguy (Sep 01, 2006 1:16 am) merc1 (Sep 01, 2006 1:39 am)