hautexotics automobile dealer blog

If you answered “I am” to the question posed in this blog’s title, you’re in luck. Even though many luxury automakers have a reputation for being less fuel-efficient than other brands, that is quickly changing due to rising environmental concerns and gas prices. Luckily, you now have a choice of many fuel-efficient luxury cars at your local luxury car dealerships. Here are some of the most fuel-efficient choices so you can save money on gas while helping the planet at the same time.

Porsche Boxster/Cayman
With a 2.7-liter V6 engine, this luxury car runs best and farthest on premium fuel. On the highways, you can get nearly 30 mpg with this car. In the city, it gets about 19 mpg, giving it a combined fuel-economy rating of 22.36. The car’s small design and lightweight structure make it more efficient than most other cars in the same class. You can even choose the S-Series of these models for a more powerful engine.

Lexus IS 250
This luxury brand and model starts at a price just over $30,000 and offers great fuel economy for the environmentally-aware luxury car driver. It has a combined fuel-economy rating for 22.40, which is even better than some of the domestic cars that aren’t luxury brands. This is also the lowest price Lexus on the lot. The units with an automatic transmission are a little more expensive, but they offer a 15 percent increase in gas mileage over the units with manual transmissions.

Mercedes-Benz E320 Bluetec
The Bluetec innovations are the talk of the auto industry. These are typically more efficient diesel engines with fewer carbon emissions for the eco-friendly luxury car driver. The engines are even clean enough to pass California’s strict standards! These models start out at about $52,000 and they have a fuel rating for 26.33, which is higher than any other luxury car at this time. But don’t think the iconic automaker has sacrificed quality. Once you get inside and drive, you’ll definitely know you’re in a Benz.

Of course, there are even hybrid models of luxury cars these days, too. Check out the entire inventory at your local exotic car dealer to find the right one for you.

Still think you need to be a millionaire to own a luxury car? Think again. Luxury cars are becoming more and more affordable and many motorists are investing in them because of their quality and innovative features. But there are still some that are out of most people’s price range. If you want to afford a luxury car but simply don’t have the money to do so, here are some ideas to help you think like a millionaire and get that extra money you need.

Be Stingy
If you watch most millionaires or people with a lot of money, you’ll notice that most of them don’t spend their money on small indulgences. At $4 for a cup of coffee, Starbucks isn’t on their daily agenda. Other indulgences prevent people from saving as much money as they can. These expenses add up.

Get Disciplined
One of the things that keeps people from becoming millionaires is that they are not disciplined with their money. If this is you, stop! Create a written budget for your monthly income and expenses so you know where each dollar is going. Make adjustments based on how much you spend each month on things that are frivolous or unnecessary. You’ll be surprised how much money you can actually save once you see where it’s all going.

Explore Options
You might have a job that you’ve been at for years. Often, this makes people nervous about exploring other opportunities. But those other opportunities could be your ticket to increasing your income. Staying loyal to an employer is admirable, but you still need to do the things that are in your best interest. If that means leaving your job for one that pays better, why not give it a try?

These are just three simple things you can do to increase the amount of money you can save in any given month. These three ideas may not make you a millionaire any time soon, but it will certainly help you afford that luxury car of your dreams.

Did you know that most of the features you see in today’s economy cars were once the latest and greatest features on the most sophisticated luxury cars? That means if you want to know what will be in the average car a few years down the road, simply look at some of the more sophisticated car dealerships in your area.

Luxury cars are always ahead of the curve when it comes to innovative features and technologies. Concept cars are the beginning stages of the luxury vehicle, but they aren’t in production when the car companies show them at auto shows. Sometimes, these concept cars never make it to the production stage. But engineers who design concept cars are often creating something that won’t be available in cars for another 20 or 30 years.

Luxury automakers are constantly trying to keep up with what drivers want in their cars. BMW is one of the leaders in this area. The company is creating a car called a GINA, which stands for Geometry and Functions in ‘N’ Adaptations. This luxury convertible only resembles a car in that it has the basic parts, including wheels, a water-resistant aluminum frame and seats for the driver and passengers. But it also has another feature that allows the driver to reconfigure the car’s appearance and body. The driver can simply add a spoiler to the car by pushing a button! How’s that sound for futuristic?

Regardless of the company, the future of luxury cars is exciting. Engineers are really “thinking outside of the box” to bring the newest and most imaginative developments to vehicles for you. Check out your local luxury car authorized dealer today and see what innovations are already available.

As if gas wasn’t expensive enough, Prince Charles recently converted one of his many luxury cars so it would run on champagne.

In an effort to reduce his carbon footprint, the Prince of England is also trying to set an example for others in the region. Last year, he converted his Ranger Rover and Jaguar so they would run on the more eco-friendly biodiesel. But now he’s gone a step further and converted his Aston Martin so it would run on British wine distilled into ethanol.

The Prince’s Aston Martin is a classic at nearly 40 years old. It’s a DB6 Volante that gets just a tad bit more than eight miles to the gallon. Now, it’ll get less than that on the ethanol fuel, but it’ll be better for the environment. He only drives the car about 300 miles in a given year so it’s not going to make that much of a difference either way. But my hat’s off to him for at least becoming an example for people in his country. That’s more than we can say about many of the members of our Congress and even our local governments.

One of the best things about test driving luxury cars is that new car smell you get every time you take a breath. But do you know what that scent is made from?

The adhesives that the manufacturers use are the main thing you smell when you get into a new car. These adhesives are usually left unstable when they leave the production line so they are still releasing gasses into the air by the time you get to the car.

Scientists have also identified about 50 other organic compounds in the new car smell. Some of these come from sources like new carpeting, vinyl or leather treatments, exhaust fumes and cleaning products.

Over the course of a few weeks, though, the smell begins to dissolve. By the end of week three, only about 10 percent of the smell remains.

For years, researchers have warned against prolonged exposure to this scent because of their toxicity. But a recent article stated that the smell has no negative effect on a person unless they have allergy problems. A toxicologist at the Technical University of Munich in Germany investigated the odors and concluded that the smell is not toxic. It can, however, trigger an allergic reaction, not unlike the same reaction that one gets when working in a new building.

People have been buying cars straight from the factory for years. I haven’t heard of anybody dying from the new car smell yet. Have you? I suppose if you’re concerned about it, you can always consider a used luxury car from an authorized dealer. The choice is yours.

If you own a luxury car, you probably fit into one of two groups. There is the group that is virtually unaffected by the rising gas prices and then there is the group that has luxury cars that they can’t afford to drive because of gas prices. Everybody’s playing the “blame game” when it comes to gas prices, but who is really to blame?

The Oil Companies
Everybody wants to blame the oil companies for rising gas prices. After all, they are making a profit from selling this precious commodity. But are they to blame? Most oil companies have cut their profits in half in order to help keep prices low, yet more than 75 percent of Americans still want to blame them every time they pump a gallon of gasoline into their car.

The Government
Recently, George Bush lifted the ban on drilling along our coastlines for oil. That would bring prices down considerably. Although it’s a “quick fix,” it would ease the burden on consumers until more alternatives were available. However, Congress hasn’t agreed to lift the ban and they also have a list of things the oil companies cannot do in order to increase production. About 68 percent of Americans see this and blame Congress while about 64 percent also said the Bush administration is to blame.

Other Nations
China and India are planning on putting about 10 million more cars on their roads in the next year. That increases demand for oil which inevitably raises the price. Nearly 65 percent of Americans surveyed recognized this as partly to blame, too.

Gas Stations
Luckily, only about 20 percent of Americans thought gas stations were to blame for the oil prices. It’s true that some have their prices jacked up sometimes more than 20 cents than the station down the road, but most of them are still trying to be competitive and offer the best prices they can.

Who do you blame for the high gas prices? Is it one of these that I mentioned or do you blame somebody or something else?

You’ve probably heard about the major car manufacturers coming up with strategies to fight the rising gas prices. These days, luxury car makers are doing the same thing. Even with the utmost sportiness and luxury, it’s tough to sell consumers on luxury cars if they’re not fuel-efficient. That’s why many of them are focusing on this characteristic for new models.

Fuel efficiency has really been a major selling point for any type of car in the last year or so. Before then, some consumers would make their decision based on this, but it was just an afterthought for most car buyers. “For years, fuel economy was not a top concern among customers in [the] mass market when making a purchasing decision, though [it became] important when [they] got home,” said Kathleen Hamilton, the assistant VP of PR at a major automotive firm.

Luxury car owners haven’t had the reputation of caring about the type of mileage their car gets. But with the recent global warming and environmental hype, many of them are looking for something that’s more fuel-efficient so they don’t get “made fun of,” according to the president of JMPR, a company that represents luxury automakers like Ducati and Bentley. Manufacturers are listening now and there are several options that combine fuel efficiency and luxury on many authorized lots throughout the country.

Are you torn between enjoying the car of your dreams and saving the environment? Many luxury cars aren’t what you would call “eco-friendly” and that may stop some enthusiasts from enjoying this entire genre of automobiles. But there are several luxury cars that offer the best of both worlds – style, comfort and lavishness with environmentally-friendly features. Following is a list of the 10 luxury vehicles (named by Forbes Magazine) that you can enjoy without feeling that tinge of guilt.

10. Lexus IS-F
9. Infiniti M-35
8. Jaguar XF
7. Lexus LS 460
6. Mercedes-Benz GL Class
5. Lexus RX-400 Hybrid
4. Mercedes-Benz M Class
3. Mercedes Benz E320 Bluetec
2. Audi A6
1. BMW 5 Series

To arrive at this list, Forbes looked at vehicles that were priced between $40,000 and $90,000 when new. The researchers also used Kelly Blue Book values at the end of three years to see how much they would be worth then. If the residual value was above 50 percent after that time period, they considered it a luxury car. They then compared those cars with the EPA’s mpg estimates to arrive at this list of ten.

One common misconception about wealthy people is that they are self-centered and avaricious. But according to Milton Pedraza, CEO of the Luxury Institute, about 85 percent of the people who are worth at least $5 million got their money the hard way – they worked for it. As such, they tend to be very frugal with their spending habits. So eco-friendly and fuel-efficient luxury cars are ideal for them.

You know the economy isn’t going so well when makers of luxury cars need to come up with plans to keep their customers. That’s what the makers of Lamborghini and other exotic car makers are doing lately.

One of the latest plans is to offer a certified pre-owned vehicle program. This new program is available through more than 30 authorized dealers in the United States beginning this month. Two of the used models include the Mercielago and the Gallardo, but there are several others as well.

Pietro Fregerio, the Chief Operating Officer at Automobili Lamborghini America, is confident about the new program. He says customers are going to enjoy getting “the same high standards we demand of new Lamborghini vehicles.” That means more customers will be heading to luxury car lots for vehicles instead of trading them through brokers, private sellers and auctions.

In short, the current economy can be a great benefit for you. If you’re in the Dallas area, why not visit your local luxury car dealer and see what they have on their lot? With certified pre-owned luxury cars by some of the world’s top manufacturers, you’re certain to get the car of your dreams at an unbelievable price.

If you talk to a lot of luxury car owners, many of them will tell you that the Bugatti Royale is the pinnacle of the industry. Its rarity and specifications make it one of the most, if not THE most expensive luxury car in the world. But if you’re just a passive enthusiast of luxury cars, you may not know too much about this iconic vehicle. Following are some facts about it so you can discuss it with others if the topic ever comes up.

The full line of Bugatti Royale cars was built in 1927. Only a few of them were built, but nobody knows the exact number. Most agree that it was six or seven.

Before creating the Royale, Bugatti designed cars for manufacturers like Mathis Hermes, Deutz and Automobiles Peugeot, among others.

When World War I began, Bugatti was forced to take a break from car manufacturing. People weren’t buying cars and many of the factories were transformed to produce military machines. When hostilities ended in 1918, Bugatti became a citizen of the French Republic.

Bugatti wanted to outdo every single automobile when he designed his Royale. It was his masterpiece for which he wanted to be remembered.

The Royale’s hood was almost seven feet long and had a 14.7-liter 8-cylinder engine underneath. The engine was about five feet long and weighed about 850 pounds by itself. As such, it had about 300 horsepower. When in second gear, the car would go from zero to 93 miles an hour with top speeds at about 125 miles per hour.

If you’d like to read more about the man who created this awesome machine, you can read an article here. “And now,” as Paul Harvey would say, “you know the rest of the story.”