Why does this Mercedes cost $500,000?

2011 Maybach 62 S

 The Maybach isn't the most expensive car in the world, but it is the highest-price line of autos made by Mercedes-Benz. The 62S model of the Maybach — the automaker's answer to the Rolls-Royce and Bentley — costs 8 million Hong Kong dollars (about US$1 million). And that's without extras.But the biggest reason for its high price is the Hong Kong luxury tax, about 50% in this Chinese territory. In the U.S., the car costs about $459,000. Even so, we found that as luxury cars go, the Maybach doesn't offer much beyond what other cars in this category offer, save for a couple of features.

2011 Maybach 62 S

The Maybach received a facelift last year, and small changes were made to the exterior, including a larger chrome-radiator grille in front, more aerodynamic mirrors, new wheels — with 12-spoke 20-inch alloy hubcaps painted in a sterling silver color for the Maybach 52S and 62S — and daytime LED driving headlights (daytime driving lights are mandatory on cars sold in the European Union; but experts disagree on whether they cut down on the rate of traffic fatalities). Of all the Maybach models available in Hong Kong, the 62S has the most powerful engine. Oh, and the “S” stands for “special.”

The 62S was a popular Christmas gift among Hong Kongers, according to the dealership, and all 60 of its available models sold out in eight months. Now, there is an eight-month waiting list for the car.

At the Maybach dealership in Hong Kong — a decked-out space with a terrace overlooking Repulse Bay and an open bar — senior manager Karin Hoo explains why the car costs seven figures.

More colors: Buyers can choose from 18 different exterior colors, including the newest Maybach “New Bahamas Blue” (a dark sky blue). That’s four more than the standard number offered in Mercedes Benz models. Of course, as with all luxury cars, the Maybach can be painted any color under the rainbow for an extra fee.

2011 Maybach 62 S

Sheepskin interiors: High-grade nappa-leather interiors are standard and each seat is upholstered with a single piece of uncut hide. Buyers choose between two colors: black or white.

Back-seat recliner: Most Maybach owners rarely sit in the front seat of their car; they have chauffeurs. Fashioned after first-class airplane seating, the Maybach back seat reclines to a nearly flat position and comes with a leg rest and tray table on the side “That’s why they call the Maybach a ‘jet on wheels,’” Ms. Hoo says. The back seat has 84.5 centimeters of legroom.

Perfume atomizer: Forget about those paper air fresheners that hang on the rearview mirror. Each Maybach 62S is fitted with a perfume atomizer — built into the air-conditioning vent. That’s guaranteed not to stain the fine leather interior or your (no doubt) bespoke or haute couture clothing, of course. Swiss flavor and scent manufacturer Givaudan custom-blended two scents just for the Maybach: a citrus-y green tea and more-masculine agarwood.

An extra meter: Most Mercedes S-series models are roughly five meters long; the Maybach 62S — as its name denotes — is 6.2 meters. “We name the car in the same way boats are named after their length,” Ms. Hoo says.

A glass roof: With the press of a button, the glass roof changes from opaque to clear to let in more light (it’s made from a liquid-crystal membrane of conductive polymer plastic, and an electric current in the crystals changes the view). Another button triggers a cover to close over the glass roof completely.

Lighting: Turn on the side LED lights, along the edge of the window, for softer interior lighting. “The idea is to have just the right ambience the owner prefers,” Ms. Hoo says.

Engine: With a 12-cylinder, 630-horsepower engine, the Maybach 62S can hit 100 kilometers an hour in just five seconds (that’s a second faster than most luxury sports cars). It can hit a maximum speed of 250 kilometers an hour. The Maybach name, in fact, comes from engineer Wilhelm Maybach, who designed the engines of the first Mercedes.
Entertainment system: Two 9.5-inch flat-screen monitors are installed in the back of the front seats. The monitors can play DVDs or connect to the Internet through the car’s built-in WLAN wireless connection. Sound is surround: 21 speakers, designed by Bose, are strategically placed throughout the car for what Ms. Hoo calls “concert-hall quality.” And everything is controlled via a center console with a remote control in the back and front seats.

Customizable add-ons: “Each Maybach is meant to be bespoke, and personalized to the customer’s own preferences,” Ms. Hoo says. Ask and you shall receive, the dealership says, from adding your family crest to the seats to installing a minibar in the back. But there isn’t a list of “extras” from which to choose — it’s up to the customer to ask. Previous add-ons have included the family crests etched onto the glass, fax machines and cigar humidors.
Read More: Yahoo

Five Offbeat Cars Coming in 2011

Strange experiments are happening in the auto industry.
Companies are cross-pollinating different types of vehicles to create new breeds, and the results are sometimes perplexing.
For example, Nissan has turned its pudgy Murano into a convertible. Meanwhile, Range Rover is trying to show some concern for the environment by offering its smallest, most car-like SUV ever, the Evoque.
Both the Murano and Evoque are considered “crossovers,” which by definition are a mixed bag to begin with: They blend attributes of SUVs, wagons and minivans. So it seems these new variations represent the next level of crossing over.
The line between different kinds of cars is also getting hazier, driven in part by a focus on making smaller cars more appealing. Both Hyundai and Scion are launching compact cars that stray from the norm in terms of seating and overall packaging. The intention is to make them more practical and thus appeal to a wider audience.
Of the new vehicles coming in 2011, here are five that don’t quite fit typical moulds.

Ferrari FF

Ferrari FF

Graft the rear end of a station wagon onto a sports car and you get the Ferrari FF.
The FF is supposed to be Ferrari’s most practical model, a supercar the whole family can enjoy. It has four seats and a decently sized trunk, which is why the rear end is designed the way it is.


It will also be the first Ferrari ever to have all-wheel drive. The name “FF” is an acronym that stands for “four seats” and “four-wheel drive.” This car replaces the 612 Scaglietti, which until it ceased production at the end of 2010 was Ferrari’s largest model and the only one with a back seat.

The Ferrari FF’s V12 engine puts out 660 horespower and is good for 0 to 62 mph in 3.7 seconds, Ferrari says.

Actually, the FF’s body style is not without precedent — it’s just obscure. Lamborghini’s Espada from the late 1960s and ’70s had a roof that stretched back like a wagon’s to accommodate a rear seat and trunk. A more recent example is the BMW Z3 Coupe, which — unlike the Ferrari and Lambo — only had two seats.

Here’s a piece of trivia: This type of sporty, stubby wagon is called a “shooting brake” in Europe.

Hyundai Veloster

Hyundai Veloster
Hyundai wants this little hatchback to be as cool as a Mini Cooper but more affordable and practical.
While styling and cool factor are subjective, it does have a larger interior and trunk than the Mini.

What makes it odd is that it has one door on the driver side and two doors on the passenger side. The idea was to keep the shape of a sporty two-door, but to add a rear door on the passenger side for easier access to the back seat.

Hyundai used motorcycles as a design inspiration: The car’s wraparound windshield resembles a helmet visor, and the center console is in the shape of a motorcycle’s gas tank.

A 138-hp four-cylinder engine should make the lightweight Veloster pretty peppy. Hyundai expects it to get 40 mpg on the highway. The car goes on sale this summer.

Nissan Murano

Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet

This bulky convertible SUV-type thing comes across much better in person than in photos. It will appeal to yuppies who like drop-tops but don’t care for sports cars and the compromises they bring in comfort and convenience.
Nissan is setting modest sales targets for the Murano CrossCabriolet, which shows the company is being realistic about its potential.

Several of the journalists who saw the Murano CrossCabriolet on display at an event in December thought Nissan was crazy for creating it. One even said he wouldn’t be caught behind the wheel and so wouldn’t be test driving it. A Nissan rep at the same event said consumers have responded positively to it.

Say what you will of the design, in person the car looks and feels high end, with a well appointed interior and power-folding fabric top. The trunk and back seat had to be shrunk, and the rear doors are gone to accommodate the convertible roof. Other than that, the specs are similar to a regular Murano.

Range Rover Evoque Coupe

Range Rover Evoque Coupe

The Evoque is Range Rover’s first vehicle aimed at environmentally conscious young drivers; and for a company that has only ever built large, expensive, gas-guzzling SUVs with go-anywhere capability, it’s a huge deal.
In fact, the only reason (or at least the main reason) the Evoque isn’t a car, is because Range Rover refuses to build anything but SUVs for fear of tainting its image. Rightly so.

The Evoque is Range Rover’s smallest, lightest SUV ever. Depending on how it’s configured, it can weigh up to 728 pounds less than the U.S. version of the Land Rover LR2, currently the company’s smallest SUV. Plastic front fenders and an aluminum hood and roof help keep weight down. Opting for front-wheel drive — a first on a Range Rover, and something that would’ve been unthinkable five years ago — instead of the standard four-wheel drive saves 165 pounds.

Its silhouette and overall styling are intentionally car-like — particularly on the two-door model — and much sleeker than the company’s blocky SUVs. The Evoque has been tuned to drive like a sporty luxury sedan on the road. Its four-cylinder engine is small for a Range Rover, so it’s turbocharged to produce a lot of power for its size (240 hp).

Four-door and two-door versions of the Evoque go on sale this fall. Land Rover expects “well equipped” models to sell for around $45,000.

Scion IQ

Scion iQ


The Scion iQ is like a mash-up between a Scion xD and a Smart Fortwo.
From the outside, it appears to be a two seater, but there’s actually room in back for one adult and a child. Scion calls it “3 + 1” seating.

That’s because the rear seats aren’t symmetrical — the one on the right is larger than the one on the left. The idea is that the front occupant can move forward to make more room for an adult in back, while a truncated seat behind the driver can accommodate a kid.

It’s a creative use of space and the sort of thing we’re probably going to see more of as cars inevitably get smaller.

The Scion iQ is powered by a tiny four-cylinder engine that produces around 90 hp. As if to preempt any questions around safety, Scion is touting 10 airbags on the iQ, including one that covers the rear window, which the company says is a first.

Scion’s parent company Toyota already sells the iQ in other markets. It goes on sale in the United States this spring.
Read More: Yahoo

Luxury Trailor‏

 Cricket trailer is a compact trailer which you can bring to a camping and stay there with a comfort that a usual tent just can't provide. Cricket trailer has a shower, large bad and even a kitchen.