Category Archives: Luxury cars

More than simple transportation

The Bentley Continental GT V8, no longer a dinosaur after a diet

Posted on December 14, 2011 by Laurent J. Masson

Could you believe it’s still possible today to buy a new car that gets only 9-MPG? Believe it, it’s real. That’s what a Bentley Continental GT gets in the European city driving test with its W12 engine. This can’t last. … Continue reading →

Posted in IC Engines, Luxury cars | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Fisker Karma plug-in hybrid sedan got rated by the EPA

Posted on October 19, 2011 by Laurent J. Masson

The Fisker Karma, that beautiful plug-in hybrid sports sedan, finally got certified by the EPA. The car gets a 52 mpge rating in all electric mode, and a 20 mpg combined gas-electric fuel economy rating. The only other plug-in hybrid … Continue reading →

Posted in Luxury cars, Plug-in hybrids | Tagged , , | Comments Off

BMW ActiveHybrid 5, who will buy it?

Posted on October 3, 2011 by Laurent J. Masson

BMW is the undisputed world leader in sports sedans but it hasn’t been successful with its hybrid models yet. Its X6 hybrid has just been terminated because of slow sales, and its ActiveHybrid 7-series doesn’t find many buyers either. In … Continue reading →

Posted in Hybrids, Luxury cars | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

A large Jaguar XJ powered by a small diesel 4-cylinder? Get ready for the green limo

Posted on September 27, 2011 by Laurent J. Masson

Mercedes launched something big last year. An S-class, its biggest model, with a small 4-cylinder turbo-diesel engine. The S250 CDI. Some people laughed at it, but there’s a market for a car providing the best comfort and luxury available, yet … Continue reading →

Posted in Clean diesel, CO2 emissions, Luxury cars | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

The Infiniti M35h is not the world’s fastest accelerating hybrid

Posted on September 23, 2011 by Laurent J. Masson

Infiniti published a press release telling us that its M35h hybrid sports sedan is the fastest accelerating hybrid car in the world. Really? To back up this claim, one M35h had been tested at Santa Pod’s dragstrip, in the UK, … Continue reading →

Posted in Hybrids, Luxury cars | Tagged , | Comments Off

Could the Jaguar C-X16 be the first hybrid not meant to be green?

Posted on September 9, 2011 by Laurent J. Masson

We’ve been waiting for it for years, a more affordable Jaguar sports car. With the XK starting at $85K, there’s a large window of opportunity to go downmarket, and few doubt there wouldn’t be plenty of buyers. The Jaguar brand … Continue reading →

Posted in Concept-cars, Hybrids, Luxury cars, Sports car | Tagged , , , | Comments Off

Downsizing the upper-class, a turbocharged V8 to replace a V10 in the Audi S6, S7 and S8

Posted on September 1, 2011 by Laurent J. Masson

Past versions of the sportiest sedans from Audi had a screaming Lamborghini V10 engine. A very impressive and great sounding power unit, but also a thirsty one. This had to change, and Audi ‘s just about to do that. The … Continue reading →

Posted in IC Engines, Luxury cars | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

The Audi A8 hybrid, a green limo that could be a hit among green-minded executives

Posted on August 25, 2011 by Laurent J. Masson

At first, it’s a bit shocking. We’re all in favor of better efficiency with downsized engines and hybrid technology, but we’re not used to see a large luxury limousine like the Audi A8, powered by a smallish 2-liter 4-cylinder. That’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Hybrids, Luxury cars | Tagged , , | Comments Off

The biggest and fastest Porsche 911 is also the greenest

Posted on August 24, 2011 by Laurent J. Masson

Darwin invented the theory of evolution, and it applies to the Porsche 911. For nearly 50 years, the 911 has become better and more sophisticated, but the 2012′s going one step further: this is a new generation 911. The sixth … Continue reading →

Posted in Luxury cars, Sports car | Tagged , , | Comments Off

Luca di Montezemolo, the head of Ferrari, says no to electric cars for wrong reasons

Posted on August 21, 2011 by Laurent J. Masson

The head of Ferrari, Luca di Montezemolo, spoke to Engadget about an electric Ferrari, and he made it very clear that there won’t ever be an electric Ferrari. He explained why. Montezemolo thinks that electric cars aren’t a working solution … Continue reading →

Posted in Electric cars (EVs), Luxury cars, Sports car | Tagged , | 1 Comment