Rare 2002 Aston Martin Vanquish Mansory Package, Brand New Hre Wheels, No Reserv on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Weekly Recap: Geneva's splendor reflects growing demand for ultra-luxury cars

Geneva is one of the most glittering auto shows in the world, but the list of high-powered and bespoke luxury cars was decadent this year even by the rich standards of the Swiss exhibition. It's great for enthusiasts to revel in the flame-throwing Aston Martin Vulcan, the racing-inspired elegance of the Bentley EXP 10 Speed 6 concept and the insane performance of the Lamborghini Aventador LP 750-4 Superveloce, but there's a reason for all of this opulence: the luxury market is big business. And it's growing. IHS Automotive forecasts that so-called ultra-premium sales will nearly triple this decade from 123,000 to 353,000 units around the world. The estimate includes brands like Aston Martin, Bentley, Ferrari and Rolls-Royce, but doesn't count BMW, Mercedes and Audi, which offer less expensive models in addition to their high-end flagships. Though IHS includes Porsche and its relatively large volume in the study, the ultra-premium segment is still set grow at about the same rate, even without the German automaker's figures. So what is propelling all of this growth in the most expensive segment of the auto industry? Put simply, there's more rich people. IHS Automotive principal analyst Tim Urquhart pointed to economic expansion in China, market recovery in the United States and a surge in the lucrative technology sector as contributing factors. This dovetails with a research report by UK-based Oxfam, an international relief organization, which found the world's richest one-percent owned 48 percent of global wealth in 2014, and it's expected to increase to more than 50 percent by 2016. View 17 Photos Carmakers are moving quickly to capitalize with new products, expanding their portfolios with low-volume speedsters like the 800-hp V12 Vulcan at Geneva, and plans to enter new segments, like Rolls-Royce's strategy to make an SUV. "Ultra-premium carmakers are looking to explore ways of growing their product offerings, and thus their bottom lines, in this most potentially profitable of segments," Urquhart wrote in a report on the Geneva show. In a nutshell, there are more choices for people with more money. It's a good time to have expensive taste. Other News & Notes 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata production launches It won't be long now. The 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata arrives later this year, and it's officially in production. Mazda announced this week that the roadster began rolling off the assembly line at its Ujina factory in Hiroshima, Japan.

Aston Martin shows electric Rapide, production possible in two years

Aston Martin is working with investment firm ChinaEquity to bring an all-electric version of the Rapide to production by the end of 2017. Aston received 50 million British pounds ($77 million) from ChinaEquity for development, according to Automotive News Europe. The model could have as much as 1,000 horsepower, which makes sense because its powertrain will be developed by an affiliate of the Williams Formula One team. Aston Martin also says an electric variant of its DBX SUV may be in the works by 2019. The electric Rapide could also have a 200-mile single-charge range, though the car may be priced at as much as $250,000. Aston Martin first announced plans to build the model earlier this year. The automaker launched the Rapide in 2010. Related Video: The video meant to be presented here is no longer available. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Aston Martin DBX Luggage Test | Is there actually U in Aston's SUV?

Does it really matter how much stuff can fit in the cargo area of an Aston Martin? Yes! The brand has forever been known as the purveyor of GT cars, those intended specifically for grand touring over some significant distance where bringing along some stuff is likely. Two suitcases at the minimum, I'd say, with a decent amount of space inside for odds, ends, purses and/or little dogs. Good luck doing that in an Audi R8.  The Aston Martin DBX is an extension of that concept, admittedly to an extreme degree. Your tour is going to be so grand that you'll need even more stuff or have a bigger dog or need to bring the kids along or need to travel some distance over a rugged road. I like to think of it as a family GT car.  So, how family friendly is it? Well, the vast wheelbase provides a stunning amount of back seat space. I could easily fit my son's enormous Britax Boulevard rear-facing car seat and still have more than enough room for all 6-foot-3 of me to sit comfortably in the front passenger seat. I didn't even need to put it that far forward. That's rare. I've had to move up minivan front seats. Does the Aston Martin DBX have space for a rear-facing car seat? pic.twitter.com/RRYNN4O0li — Autoblog (@therealautoblog) February 13, 2022 But I'm here to talk cargo capacity, which is officially listed at 22.3 cubic-feet behind the back seat. I can tell you right now that's deceptive — there's far more than that would imply. Aston Martin, much like Mercedes-Benz, Porsche and perhaps Land Rover, must be using a different measurement than most in the industry. A capacity of 22.3 cubic-feet would be in the midcompact SUV range, in between a Mazda CX-30 and Kia Seltos. I can definitively say it has more space than those. In fact, it has more space than compact luxury SUVs like the Genesis GV70, which is listed at 28.9. I would not be surprised if it would be in the low 30s if Aston Martin used a different measurement. You're not going to find may cargo areas with nicer carpet than this thing. Having a rubberized floor covering to keep in the garage would be a good idea. Now, like most SUVs, the DBX includes a cargo cover. It certainly isn't normal, though. It's a rigid piece, which is common among hatchbacks and crossover-coupes that have low rooflines that don't really afford much usable space between the cargo cover line and roof. That's not quite the case here.