Look in the mirror and say "I deserve a car that costs more than most people's homes." If you can't, then you may want to read something else.
Yes, we know, spending obscene amounts of money on a car, especially one that burns gasoline like barbecues burn lighter fluid, is, well, obscene. Sort of. But we can live with ourselves because not only are we providing a livelihood for hundreds of talented engineers, designers, and craftsmen and their families in Stuttgart, Solihull, Modena, and Crewe, but also because we are keenly alive to the fact that an exceptionally well-made and strikingly beautiful car is no less a work of art than a fine painting.
It's also a heck of a lot of fun.
Now, of course, we know there are people out there who honestly don't care about what they drive. To these people, a car is a means of transportation. All they want is something that will get them from point A to point B. But these are also often people who plaster "Save the Rainforest" and "I Voted for Kerry" stickers all over their bumpers. You don't plaster anything all over a car that cost six-figures, no matter how compelling the message. It would be like mixing Hawaiian Punch with a 1982 Chateau Margaux.
Why So Much?
But for most whose hearts have ever leapt at the sight of the lines of a magnificent Italian sports car or whose veins have pulsed with excitement when sitting behind the wheel as the speedometer rapidly ticks over 100 mph, the only reason for not buying that Aston Martin, Lamborghini, or Maserati is pecuniary. No matter how much you might hunger to own a car capable of racing from 0 to 60 in five seconds or less, there's no getting past the sticker price. On top of that, with insurance, maintenance, and gas, keeping an exotic car on the road can cost around $80,000 a year.
For some lucky people, including a few readers, I hope, such an expenditure is of no concern. Maybe you've already got the kid's college tuition paid for, as well as the mortgage on your first and second homes, have a balanced portfolio, a great accountant, an understanding spouse, annually support several charities, and currently at least one practical car in the driveway. Why can't you blow some dough on your ultimate dream toy?
By this point, you may be wondering just what makes a luxury car so expensive. Is a $350,000 Rolls-Royce Phantom so superior to, say, a Toyota (TM) Camry that it should cost roughly 17 times as much? Well, that depends on your point of view, but as anyone who has ever driven, or been driven in, the Phantom can attest the two have about as much in common as a Savile Row suit and a pair of Dockers.
Parking Wizard
Only 1,000 Rolls are made each year at its relatively new, €100 million factory in Goodwood, Britain, whereas Toyota sold nearly 450,000 Camrys in the U.S. alone last year. Moreover, the Rolls is almost entirely handmade and can be built to the owner's specifications. It also features such state-of-the-art technology as an aluminum space frame body, aluminum panels, composite front fenders, and a modified 6.75 L, 48-valve BMW V12 engine capable of 453 horsepower and 531 ft. lb. of torque, which can accelerate from 0 to 60 in 5.7 seconds. (Not bad for a car that weighs 5,622 lbs.) Inside, the car is upholstered in 450 pieces of leather cut by a computer-guided knife, lamb's wool rugs, and perfectly matched exotic woods.
It might not be for everyone and, yes, is a bit on the pricey side. What if you fancy something a little more down to earth? For the 2007 model year, Lexus debuted a never-before-seen feature for its Lexus LS460 L: automatic parallel parking. The NP Navigation sensors detect the position of surrounding cars and the direction of the vehicle's wheels, while a control module power-steers the auto into tight spaces. The LS460 L's base MSRP is $71,000, and this feature is an option for only about $1,200 extra. The carmaker has patented the technology, but expect to see variations on automatic-parking systems appear in other super-luxuries in coming years
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