Archive for the ‘luxury cars’ Category

Given the global economy, you might expect retailers to scale back this holiday season. And surely, some have -- but not Neiman Marcus. The upscale, Dallas-based department store has joined forces with Jaguar to present a very special, supercharged, Neiman Marcus edition of the 2010 Jaguar XJL. And the price? A very special, supercharged $105,000.

So what makes the Neiman Marcus edition stand out? Well, for starters, it's packing a five-piece set of Jaguar luggage, designed in navy blue leather. It also comes with an exclusive paint job in Celestial Black, paired with a navy and ivory leather interior, complemented by Zebrano (aka...

We've all heard of the Hemline Index, which asserts that women's skirts become more modest in tough economic times. Well, a parallel in the auto industry claims that notions of good taste force a drop in conspicuous consumerism during rough money days. Case in point: in 2005, the luxury car segment made up 21% of the total auto market, but the figure has now slipped to just 15.6%. That's bad news for automakers, since luxe models earn $10,000+ in profits, as opposed to the couple hundred bucks from more modest $20,000 rides. On the other hand, douchey types who dig diamond pavé key fobs probably won't be deterred by good taste. [...

Nearly everything is shrinking these days -- electronics, the economy, the globe (thanks, Facebook) -- but with few exceptions, luxury automakers have been reluctant to join the "less is more" crowd. Bucking that trend, Daimler has announced plans for an "Edition Highstyle" of the Smart fortwo. Its "exclusive" brown paint job isn't a huge selling point, but the leathery interior (seats, steering wheel, instrument panel) gives a posh feel, as does the panoramic roof. So far it's exclusive to Europe, but given Daimler's growing interest in the U.S., you might see one of these brown bombshells cruising the interstate before long. [...