CAR TREND: MERCEDES-BENZ DRIVING ACADEMY

Mercedes-Benz is a global leader in safety and innovation and it wants to make safe driving its priority. The luxury automotive company has now opened its first Teen Driving School in North America after great success in Europe.

The first driving school the company has opened is in Los Angeles: The Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy. It’s a driver’s education program and school that incorporates online, classroom, and behind-the-wheel training like no other school out there today.

This has now become the gold standard of driving schools and a brand new concept in brand recognition and leadership. Several auto manufacturers are currently offering teen driving programs but they mainly focus on crash avoidance and defensive driving exercises.

The goal of the Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy (MBDA) is to prepare students for today’s driving environment by going beyond basic car control skills and learning of traffic rules. The program is personalized, hands-on, and detailed. It truly is setting new standards in teaching. It also offers a distracted drivers class, which is vital in today’s texting world.

Carolyn Duchene, the Director of MBDA, says “We have a three-hour distracted driving range, where we put students through a coned course to demonstrate the effects of distractions on their driving. It is a topic that is covered in the curriculum of all driving schools, but we feel that giving them hands-on experience is really going to hit home and make a difference in making decisions about whether to drive with distractions or not.”

Academy instructor, Marc Hemsworth, a 30-year LAPD veteran and police department driving expert, says “The big difference is we’re developing lifetime habits, not just cramming for a test. We’re trying to develop habits that will carry people through the transition from a supervised driver to an independent driver on the road.”

This type of coaching, a learner-centered method, leads students out of the passive way of simply absorbing safety information into the role of actively producing safe driving results by making better decisions on the road.

For more, visit their website at mbdrivingacademy.com

CAR TRENDS: DETROIT AUTO SHOW 2012

Lots of new cars to tell you about! The Detroit Auto Show showcased brand new models including Acuras, Porsches, Mercedes-Benz’ and Bentleys. The automakers didn’t hold anything back this year at the biggest car show in North America!

Mercedez-Benz unveiled its new 2013 SL Roadster. This is a new addition to the model that has been around for 60 years! It’s lighter than last year’s model and will cost about $148,000. With 12% more horsepower than its previous model, it can go from zero to 60 mph in 4.6 seconds!

Bentley showcased its new 2013 Continental GT V8: a machine of 500-horsepower with a new curved and sleek design. It was presented in the new Dragon Red color and incorporated on the hood was the new red Bentley logo.

The 911 Porsche Carerra cabriolet was also showcased in a bright cherry red. The newest edition to the Porsche family features a 350-horsepower engine and can go from zero to 60 mph in 5 seconds.

The Audi also presented in an intense red its TT RS (with a touch of red on its rims) and its Q3 Vail edition SUV. The T RS has a 360-horsepower engine and goes from zero to 60 mph in 4.1 seconds whereas the SUV is designed for taking trips to mountains and ski resorts still managing to accelerate to 62 mph in 5.5 seconds.

BMW introduced its Electric i8 concept made famous by its cameo in Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol. It accelerates to 62 mph in less than five seconds and can travel up to 20 miles on its lithium-ion battery alone!

Acura displayed its new NSX concept car with a 600-horsepower engine. Acura is calling it a “sport hybrid, super handling, all-wheel drive” car. Instead of having two clutches to distribute torque left or right, the NSX has two electric motors for the assist. Not much else is known about the car because they haven’t completed the project yet.

All of the automakers have increased the quality of their cars by increasing speed and power but they each have great futuristic designs.

CAR TREND:
INCREASED SALES

When it comes to car trends, people are buying again! Car sales are up! Some brands are even hitting record numbers for new car sales. New 2012 model car sales specifically have gone up. Carmakers are giving fewer incentives as a result. However, there are many incentives for the big trucks and SUV's since they are not the hot thing right now. Smaller more fuel-efficient cars are popular as consumers still look to save money.

In the past, it was recommended not to choose last year’s model since they had an added year of depreciation on them but used car values have skyrocketed, which makes up for the depreciation.

Meanwhile, now that the SUV is a dying breed, the station wagon is making a comeback and Cadillac has one that you will truly be proud to drive. It’s the Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon. Great for carpooling and it’s posh and sporty. The other great wagons out now are the luxurious BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo and the retro-feeling Chevrolet HHR.

CAR TRENDS:
MASERATI GOES SUV

Exotic cars making SUVs is the trend. Maserati is now making one in North America. The new Maserati Kubang SUV is expected to be built in Detroit along with the Jeep Cherokee and Dodge Durango. This one will have an engine produced by Ferrari. It’s still officially a concept car unveiled this month at the Frankfurt Motor Show in Germany. Maserati is owned by Fiat, the Italian company that rescued Chrysler Group from bankruptcy. Chrysler Group makes Dodge and Jeep vehicles. Ferrari is also part of the Fiat group.

Maserati sites synergy with its sister brand Jeep. It’s a brand new idea and definitely trendsetting. Maseratis are usually powered by Ferrari-built engines, and the Kubang will continue that tradition using a 4.7-liter V8. The SUV will have an eight-speed transmission that the automaker said was developed by Maserati. The Grand Cherokee and Durango are also expected to have their own Chrysler-designed eight-speed  transmissions next year. Porsche and BMW have offered SUVs for years. They show that having an SUV helps a brands performance image.

GREEN TRENDS:
LEO’S NEW CAR

The latest green and environmental trend is hybrid luxury sports cars. Leonardo DiCaprio is following the trend. He's become one of the first few people in the world to buy a rare hybrid sports car, the 2012 Fisker Karma, one of the most highly-anticipated environmentally friendly vehicles on the market today. It cost him $100,000 but he can definitely afford it. He's the highest-paid actor in Hollywood who, according to Forbes, made $77 million over the past year.

CAR TREND:
TRUCKS BECOMING ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY

This year, even the big trucks, best known for their gas-guzzling and their environment-destroying are making the change. Auto-makers are forced to make changes non-stop this year to keep up with consumers’ new values. The redesigned Ford Explorer, for one, promises a 30 percent increase in gas mileage. They realize the smaller vehicle does not fit every lifestyle. HTR spoke with Serge Dubois, Canadian Product Specialist for Chevrolet.  He explained how trucks have changed this year. This year a new 6.6 litre diesel engine has been introduced in a lot of large trucks for those who need to pull heavy weights. These technologies with turbo charges and more fuel-efficient high pressure injectors and new technologies in the regeneration process makes these vehicles a lot more fuel efficient and also a lot more powerful. For example, the Chevy Silverado 3500HD has the potential of towing on a fifth wheel apparatus up to 21000 lbs. Economists say that even if these vehicles cost a lot, consumers are willing to open their wallets because of rising gas prices. These trends are so prevalent because we have the technology that allows it. Increased globalization allows us to integrate different technology from around the world.

Meantime, the Chevrolet Volt plug-in car earned a top five-star rating in the new, tougher crash test rating system. Now in the US, all vehicles are given a single rating of one to five stars encompassing front and side impact safety as well as resistance to rollovers. The Volt earned four stars for occupant protection in front-end crashes, five stars for side crash protection and five stars for resistance to rolling over. It can go about 35 miles on a charge, before needing to turn on its gasoline engine to generate power. The Volt and the Nissan Leaf electric car were both recently given Top Safety Pick Award by the privately funded Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in the US.

ROLLS ROYCE:
ELECTRIC MODEL

Electric cars are the new it thing. Everyone is getting in on the act including Rolls Royce – can you believe it?

They have a test model our right now, called the 102EX. They want to make sure it’s absolutely perfect so it to live up to its name and, of course, the price tag: $1.6 million! That makes it about four times as expensive as the normal Rolls. The 102EX has a 96cell li-ion battery that holds 71kWh which is only good enough for 125 miles of charge which means it will require regular charging.

Speaking of purchases, trendsetting actress Jennifer Aniston says her first major one was a car – but it was no 1.6 million dollar Rolls Royce. The first thing she bought was an antique Mercedes for $20,000. It didn’t work so well, it was a lemon.

Jennifer is set to star next in The Goree Girls. a musical film set in the 1940’s which tells the story of eight Goree Prison inmates who form a country western band.

NEW LUXURY CAR:
ROLL-ROYCE 'GHOST'

Rolls-Royce launched its new more affordable model: the Rolls-Royce Ghost. You know the luxury car market has changed when even Rolls-Royce decides to go this route.

The Ghost starts off at $246,500. It can go up to $320,000 depending on the specifications. Their original model, the Phantom, will cost you about $500,000. Adam Rumsey is product specialist with Rolls Royce North America.

The Ghost is a much less formal car than the original Phantom – a more everyday driving car. It is for the person who is looking for everything that a Rolls Royce has without making the statement that a Phantom makes. The Ghost was designed as more of an "everyday" Rolls – in comparison to the Rolls Royce Phantom. The Phantom is a more occasional car. You could compare the Phantom to a tuxedo and the Ghost to a well-dressed business suit that you could wear every single day without feeling out of place.

The car is the result of consumer demand and they wanted to introduce a new demographic to the Rolls brand. The demographic with the phantom is a lot older. With the Ghost they are targeting the 40-55 year old.
The four door sedan can seat five people and can accelerate from zero-60 mps (zero-160 kph) in just over 4.5 seconds.Top speed is 155 mph (248 kph)

The car has a tremendous amount of new technology. It has everything from night vision to active cruise control and every type of new navigation feature. It is very function on demand meaning if you want it, the technology is there for you, if you don’t it’s not.

CHEVY VOLT ELECTRIC CAR:
'RANGE ANXIETY'

Are you thinking about making the conversion to an electric car but suffer from something called range anxiety? The Chevy Volt has been making car headlines for 2011 and is one of those cars that is supposed to put those fears to rest. The new Volt, on the market in Canada next year and available now in some US states, is a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle displacing the Toyota Prius as the most fuel-efficient car sold in North America today. The Volt can travel 25 to 50 miles(40 to 80 km) solely on electrical power supplied by lithium-ion battery.  

How are they doing this?  Serge Dubois, Product Specialist for Chevrolet explains. Once you reach the range of the solely propelled vehicle with electricity, without any intervention of the driver there’s a gasoline engine that starts off and it is attached to a generator, which produces electricity. That is how you get the extended range. It is very transparent to the operator; you don’t feel or see anything all you do is hear the motor coming in.  It produces electricity for the electric motor, which continues to propel the vehicle.

Dubois says Chevy is just responding to its consumer needs. There is a lot of concern with the environment and there is a lot of concern with the depletion of fossil fuels. Not only are there environmental pressures but there are also competitive pressures and issues of price of energy.

The fact that this type of plug in vehicle can recharge overnight for under a dollar responds to the financial concern. This being newer technology, they’ve made it as transparent and as simple as possible. However, taking the anxiety away from recharging and from range they have achieved their goal with this vehicle.

The suggested retail price the 2011 Chevrolet Volt starts at US $40,280 excluding taxes or any incentives.

Meantime automakers are increasingly bringing the Internet into vehicles, including a slew of new smartphone apps that make it easier for people to manage their lives while in their cars or control their cars when they’re away from them. The automobile is no longer a communications dead zone that prohibits drivers from staying connected to friends and family. Sadly many drivers are willing to take the risk of an accident simply because they want to read or reply to a text message or check and update their preferred social media site.

That’s why companies including General Motors’ OnStar, Ford Motor and Mercedes-Benz are promoting new technologies that link drivers’ smartphones to their vehicles.

HOT NEW CAR:
RANGE ROVER “EVOQUE”

The Range Rover “ is a highly anticipated new Range Rover design coming from the Jaguar/Land Rover company and will be on the market summer 2011. This car from Range Rover was launched in LA because everyone here loves driving them. Their largest market in the world is California. It is the smallest, lightest, and most fuel efficient Range Rover yet. 

Unlike models in the current Range Rover lineup, there are both four-wheel-drive and two-wheel-drive available. It comes in two body styles:

-Coupé: a more compact version, a premium crossover
-5-Door

Stuart Schorr, is the Vice President of Communications for Jaguar/Land Rover North America.

It’s a new compact luxury SUV. He explains that they have never made a car this light and this fuel-efficient but it is as prestigious and luxurious as any Range Rover. It’s a smaller, sleeker version of Range Rovers currently out. It’s gorgeous. It’s got all the tech stuff you love like park assist, blind spot monitoring, surround camera system with digital cameras, TV, DVD and keyless entry. Victoria Beckham was involved with this one as the creative design executive; she worked on the interior design.

CAR TREND:
GOING GREEN ‘BIOPLASTICS’

A new environmentally friendly material is now being used in cars  - bioplastics. They contain materials such as corn, kelp, and soy. 

Bioplastics are not eatable - they are exactly that, plastic. They just contain less petroleum and result in a lower carbon footprint for automakers.  Currently, it's only being used in interiors because sunlight and moisture and degrade the plastic. Analysts expect it to replace exterior plastic components, like door panels, eventually. 

CAR TREND:
NISSAN LEAF

Now turning to eco trends…So you want an electric car? Well the Nissan Leaf is the most highly anticipated moderate price point car. It's the worlds first affordable, pure zero emission car, battery electric, no gas, no oil.

You never have to go to a gas station and you never have to do an oil change. There's not even a tail pipe.  It has 100 miles of range in a single charge.  It does 90 miles an hour top speed and it's as simple as plugging in right into your garage. It's really amazing.

 

What they are aiming to do is bring innovation for all – not just for the elite. Normally a car this innovative would cost $100,000 or it would be really exclusive.

I was curious. What’s different with Nissan’s electric car over other new ones on the market this year like the GM Chevy Volt?

They are the only company on a global scale, doing the volumes that they’re doing, and the affordability. Nobody has such a car at that their price point. Price tag: around $25,000 US.

What worried me was - what if I run out of power? Most people drive less than 100 miles a day. This car has 100 miles of range – so it’s really your daily use car. You really can’t run out of power. It lets you know in the car how much power you have left, and what distance you can cover. You wake up every morning with $100 in your tank, for less than three dollars.  

LUXURY CAR TREND:
CUSTOMIZATION

Now turning to car trends.

Customization remains big in Hollywood.


When it comes to customization in cars, there are two sides: the aesthetics and performance.

People are constantly looking to set themselves apart from others and are making personalized changes to their cars.

Avo Aboulian, President of TOYZ autoart custOmizes Montreal’s most luxurious cars.

 So what are the trends this fall when it comes to customization?

- Wheel changes

- Body kits that give the car a lower stance for aerodynamic improvements

- Engine upgrades

- Exhaust system replacements.

So what are the first things that people want to customize? Wheels!

Aesthetically to give a car a unique look and to change its appearance, the thing that changes it the most drastically is its wheels. Every wheel that is sold is customized color wise and fitting wise, to make the car stand out. Newer trends for wheel finishes for sports cars specifically are raw metal looks, which is the look of raw aluminum with a clear coat on it, whether it be a gloss clear or a matt clear.

One trend has been the smoked headlight and taillight covers. So are they in or out?

Taillights yes – headlights, not so much.

Smoking out headlights is done less commonly than the taillights. Once the car is completed with mag wheels, aerodynamic kits, body kits, etc., a tint coat is put on the taillight and corner light as a final touch. It gives the car a more aggressive look.

Two trends that were once in and now are out: Chrome trims and custom grills.

Engine upgrades are in and can actually increase the power of your motor by a lot!

There is the simple ECU upgrade. The ECU is basically the computer of the car. With new calibration, 10-20 more horsepower can be squeezed out. As something more elaborate, there are turbo upgrades and supercharger upgrades. These could improve the horsepower by 200-400 depending on the application of the vehicle.

 

Also used to increase performance is replacement of the exhaust system.

On high-end vehicles these are all usually made out of stainless steel or titanium. These give the car a very distinguished sound. We can see high horsepower gains just from adding an exhaust system and headers, which is a part of the exhaust system. 40-50 horsepower extra could be seen on certain applications.

That's Avo Aboulian, President of TOYZ autoart, customizing Montreal's most luxurious cars.

For more information or to see some of Avo’s work visit www.toyzautoart.com

ROLLS-ROYCE:
SALES ARE UP

Turning to a trend showing the upturn in our economy.

Luxury car update: Global sales at Rolls-Royce are soaring, doubling this year. 

The market for the luxury car has opened up in China and that’s keeping things rolling even more. 

From January through September of this year, BMW Group-owned Rolls-Royce has delivered a total 827 vehicles to customers - a gain of 42.8% over the previous year (579).  
Rolls-Royce sales are up 146 percent on popularity of the Ghost.

CAR TREND:
TOUCH SCREEN DASHBOARDS

Now turning to car trends and the evolution of user interfaces.

This year it’s all about the touch-screen dashboards
Carmakers are replacing more and more analog dials and controls with touch-screen displays. 

They were used in nearly every electric or hybrid vehicle unveiled at this year's Frankfurt Motor Show, such as Volkswagen’s E-Up! concept car and Citroen's Revolte - whose touch-sensitive screens find the nearest charging stations. 

The Range Rover also integrates more controls now into touch-screen than previous models.

Bottom line: knobs, buttons and hard controls are an endangered species .

LATEST TRENDS:
LUXURY CARS

When it comes to the high-end cars- consumers today expect a car to be environmentally ethical. 



Lotus, Ferrari and Porsche now all have hybrids with varying levels of technology, from fuel cells to plug-in engines.

The new BMW  7 Series will have better performance stats in the hybrid, than the traditional fuel-powered.

Rolls Royce is rumored to be conceiving an all electric model.

Porsche’s 918 Spyder concept marks a new phase of its racing design–one that combines electric technology with speed. 

However, for these companies one of the bigger design challenges is to handle the extra weight, multiple engines and heavy batteries can add hundreds of pounds. They have to maintain the performance that built their brands.

Ferrari has unveiled the 599. The 599, which could take up to five years before being produced for market, is said to get 25 mpg. It doesn’t sound like much compared to 50 common in the sedan market, but compare it to the low teens that “standard" Ferraris get. 

Over at Mercedes, a $100,000 hybrid plug-in on the market is out there but now it has upped its own creation with the F800. Technology is certainly driving the luxury brands to enter the hybrid space, but there’s another nagging influence too. The European Union is enacting stricter and stricter emissions standards, forcing these former bruiser engine companies to think green or pay the price

LUXURY CAR TREND:
'VEHICLE CUSTOMIZATION'

The latest in car trends: Vehicle Customization

This means made to measure cars, just the way you want it.

 

BMW is going strong with its Made-to-Order Cars. They can than build a car exactly the way you want it, and fast.  This gives them a competitive edge over Mercedes and Audi. Today 15% of people custom-order their cars. BMW hopes to get 40% of its buyers to do it by 2015.

 

Let’s say you want titanium silver with a 5-liter turbocharged V8 engine; multicontoured, heated seats; navigation system; and some odd ball color interior - then you can get it.

Vehicle customization has been around for a while, but it is only recently that people are picking up on it.

BMW is launching a marketing push to convince more consumers to order their car exactly the way they want it and have it delivered in two to six weeks. To entice you, BMW provides a video link of your car being "born" while you're waiting for delivery. 

A survey by J.D. Power & Associates found that customers whose cars are equipped exactly the way they want - are more satisfied with their purchase.

Another big trend continuing at BMW: the X model.
There is a $750 million expansion at the Spartanburg plant going on to make room for a second BMW SUV, the "redesigned" X3.

TRENDING:
BMW 'VEHICLE CUSTOMIZATION'


Now turning to the latest car trends..."Vehicle Customization"

Meaning made-to-measure cars, jusssst the way you want them BMW is going strong with its Made-to-Order Cars.

This gives them a competitive edge over Mercedes and Audi.

Today 15% of people custom-order their cars.

BMW hopes to get 40% of its buyers to do it by 2015.

So you if you want...let's say Titanium silver with a 5-liter turbocharged V8 engine; multi-contoured, navigation system; and some odd ball color interior - then you can get it.

Vehicle customization has been around for a bit - but now people are realllly using it.

BMW is launching a marketing push to convince more consumers to order their car exactly the way they want it and take delivery in two to six weeks.

To entice you - BMW provides a video link of your car being "born" while you're waiting for delivery.

The big trend continuing at BMW - that X model There is a $750 million expansion at the Spartanburg plant going on - to make room for a second BMW SUV, the "redesigned" X3.

A survey by J.D. Power & Associates found that customers whose cars are equipped exactly the way they want - are more "satisfied" with their purchase.

CAR TREND:
LUXURY HYBRIDS


The big trend remains the luxury hybrid. Porsche now has a fuel efficient vehicle - the Cayenne S sports utility car.

400 pounds lighter, sleeker and more Porsche-like in appearance, it has eight-speed automatic transmission. The Cayenne S and Cayenne Turbo go on sale in July 2010 as a 2011 model.

What makes the Cayenne S Hybrid unique is its ability to cruise at high speeds on electric power alone. The gasoline engine can be completely switched off and disengaged at speeds of up to 97 mph.

CAR TREND:
SELF-PARKING SYSTEMS


More manufacturers are rolling cars out with systems that guide you into parking spaces.

Ford, Lexus, Lincoln, and Mercury are now offering self-parking features on nine different 2010 models.

There are computer-controlled sensors that find open parking spaces based on their estimation of the proximity of other vehicles. Once an open space is detected, it directs the wheel to parallel park. The driver controls the speed with the gas and brake pedals but the maneuvering of the vehicle into the spaceis done by the car itself.

Car companies are trying to distinguish themselves from competitors and it's getting harder and harder to do that with traditional methods like increased safety and reliability.

Lexus has introduced the system to showcase its flagship LS as "one of the most technologically-advanced cars in the world." Lexus has found that those who buy luxury vehicles are more receptive to the feature.

About 10% to 15% of the top-of-the-line Lexus models are now being purchased with the option. Keep in mind, the option comes with a price tag, anywhere from $400 up to $4,000 US.

CAR TREND:
HOLISTIC DESIGN


Car designs are now going holistic. All of their components are being integrated seamlessly. The most significant trend is the way front and rear lamps bleed into the surrounding body panels, with its shape being defined more by the shapes of the surrounding elements. Also, some of its corners are bleeding into thin strands that reach out of the main light graphic. Another trend are body-types that are the alternative to the sedan. These new body types vary in shapes and sizes, and are simple additions to the fleet of luxury car brands. Brands such as BMW, Mercedes Benz, and Audi are following this trend.

CAR TRENDS:
TAG HEUER


Now turning to two major trendsetting companies that have announced a worldwide marketing partnership. Luxury Swiss watchmaker TAG Heuer and the high-end electric carmaker Tesla Motors - have teamed up as TAG celebrates its 150th anniversary. TAG Heuer has become one of the world's best-known luxury brands -- it makes avant-garde watches, eyewear and premium mobile phones for refined consumers around the globe. Their customers' and Tesla's customers match up quite well. Advertising Age magazine recently named Tesla one of America's "hottest brands." Owners of both companies' products are people who appreciate engineering excellence and prefer products that put a premium on efficiency and technological innovation. The Tesla Roadster has quickly become the must-have car among Hollywood celebrities, European royalty and socially responsible trendsetters worldwide. Tesla remains the only automaker selling highway-capable electric cars. The Tesla Roadster accelerates faster than nearly any other supercar yet is twice as energy efficient as a Toyota Prius On display at the recent Geneva Motor Show was the 2010 TAG Heuer Tesla Roadster. A one-of-a-kind collector's car with a unique interior that uses TAG Heuer's avant-garde design elements and a specially designed center console due to TAG Heuer's cutting edge concept watch. It also features a TAG Heuer mobile phone as well as a one-fifth second Heuer Limited Edition Stopwatch. Based in here in California, Tesla has delivered more than 1,000 cars to consumers in 21 countries. The newest addition to the TAG Heuer legacy is the Calibre 1887, an in-house, Swiss manufactured, integrated column-wheel chronograph movement that pays tribute to the original Heuer oscillating pinion of 1887, one of the brand's first patents and a major benchmark in modern watch making. If you're interested: Tesla sells cars online and from showrooms and galleries in South Florida, London, Munich, Monaco, California's Silicon Valley, Los Angeles, Colorado, New York, Seattle, and Chicago.

It's delivered more than 1,000 cars to customers in at least 21 countries worldwide.

TECH TRENDS:
TOUCH SCREEN DASHBOARDS


This year, one of the most revolutionary new additions to your car is a touch-screen dashboard. Carmakers are beginning to replace analog dials and controls with touch-screen displays. They were used in nearly every electric or hybrid vehicle unveiled at this year's Frankfurt Motor Show , such as Volkswagon's E-Up! and Citroen's REVOLTe, whose touch-sensitive screens locate the nearest charging stations. Previous electric vehicles, such as Chrysler's 200C EV Concept and the Tesla Model S, show off huge swaths of touch-sensitive real estate (the 200C has no analog console controls), while other vehicles feature smaller touch-screen innovations. The decidedly nonelectric 2010 Range Rover comes with a 12-inch "dual view" display, which lets the driver check GPS directions while the passenger watches a DVD, both peering at the same display. The Range Rover also integrates more controls into its touch-screen interface than previous models, further proof that knobs, buttons and other "hard" controls are an endangered interface.

CAR TREND: LUXURY DRIVING, THE SPYKER


If you want the wild Hollywood car today - the SPYKER is for you. It's a Dutch firm and it building exotic cars as fashion accessories. While Ferrari and Porsche have speed and performance - Spyker has cornered the market on style Hot today is the new SPYKER AILERON. It's powered by a 400 horsepower V8. These cars are not for racetrack - they're for getting attention.

If you want a sports car that is the real deal besides Porsche, Ferrari, Maserati and Corvette. In England it's Aston Martin. For almost 90 years, it's the sports car of royalty. The latest is the Aston Martin DBS. It's the flagship model. It's the car Bond drives in Quantum of Solace. Remember that 6 minute car chase scene in opening?

It's all about performance design and control. It's 22 pounds lighter and has a horsepower greater than the DB9. The company says it hits 60 miles per hour in just over 4 seconds, and it has a top speed of 191 miles per hour. Aston Martin now has Kuwati money and it's completely been remade by Ford.