2013 Aston Martin V8 Vantage S Roadster - Lightning Silver / Spicy Red - Manual on 2040-cars

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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.

Historic cars — and a Spitfire fighter plane — go on sale in Britain

An assortment of somewhat eccentric but ultimately appealing vintage collectors’ machinery, topped by a 1983 Lancia Rally “Evoluzione” and featuring Porsches, Bugattis and even a Spitfire fighter plane from World War II, will go to auction in Britain next month. The event, organized by the Bonham/Cars auction organization and scheduled for September 9-10, is formally called the “Revival Sale,” to be held on the grounds of Goodwood, site of the famous track southwest of London. Cutting to the chase, hereÂ’s a look at some of the highlights noted by BonhamÂ’s that are expected to attract substantial bidsÂ…plus thereÂ’s the airplane as the cherry on top. —1973 3-liter Martini Racing Works Team Porsche Carrera RSR 'R7' Endurance Racing Coupe (estimated bid, $4.7 million to $7.25 million.). ThatÂ’s quite a name for quite a race car and a veteran of the 24 Hours of LeMans in 1973. The carÂ’s background goes back to the previous year, when Porsche launched its new 911 Carrera model with engine capacity raised from 2.4 liters to 2.7. A batch of 500 lightweight-bodied 911s was built to achieve governing-body sporting acceptance (homologation) of the new variant. Three versions were offered – the RS (RennSport), RST (touring) and the ultimate racing RSR, of which this 'R7' is one of only four such works team cars to have survived. ItÂ’s also one of only a few cars to wear the classic Martini Racing livery with its dark-blue and red striping upon a German-silver background.  —1967 Toyota 2000 GT (estimate: $835,000-$1.1 million) in Pegasus White is believed to be first acquired by the owner of Toyota Mozambique and was one of only two cars imported to the East African country. Known for its precise engineering and impeccable quality, this Japanese halo car was one of only 351 built in 1967-1970. Over the years, the GT's exterior and interior have been preserved and an engine rebuild was undertaken. It was awarded "Best in Show" at the London Concours in 2022. — 1986 Aston Martin Virage Coupe Prototype (estimate: $315,000 - $440,000). This is a two-door prototype of the company's mainstream model of the 1990s, the Virage. In 1990, the vendor received factory approval to strip down the chassis and rebuild it to his 6Â’3” height.

2015 Aston Martin Vanquish [UPDATE]

There's something really special about an Aston Martin Vanquish. It's not my favorite model in the British automaker's range – I'm more of a Vantage guy, if I'm being choosy. But every time I drive one, I feel like I'm piloting something fit for royalty, $300,000 price tag and all. It's stunning to look at, even in the rather drab shade of gray pictured here. It makes an absolutely killer noise, the free-breathing V12 firing from beneath the hood and out the back with a truly intoxicating sound. And from behind the wheel, it feels like a truly proper grand tourer. Well, almost. The one major hiccup with the Vanquish I drove last year was its six-speed automatic transmission. In a word, it was awful. Really jarring shifts, delayed manual control through the paddles, and really, just a hugely misaligned piece of an otherwise excellent puzzle. So I was happy to hear that for 2015, Aston Martin had fitted a new, ZF-sourced, eight-speed unit – you know, the transmission being used by automakers like BMW, Jaguar, Audi, and many more. I normally have zero issues with this silky gearbox. But in the Vanquish, it wasn't smooth sailing like I expected – it feels like it still needs some final calibrations. But that doesn't make this car any less special. Drive Notes I love this engine. The 5.9-liter, naturally aspirated V12 makes 569 horsepower and 465 pound-feet of torque, and it absolutely loves to rev. That's a good thing, since the siren song of the Vanquish's V12 is most pronounced at higher engine speeds. In fact, it's not really all that audible right from the get-go. You have to work it up past 2,500-3,000 rpm before this thing really starts to sing. But when it's turned up to 11, it's one of the best-sounding engines I've ever heard. That said, getting the Vanquish going is kind of an awkward process. There's a surprising momentary lack of power delivery right at throttle tip-in, and then the Vanquish suddenly jolts forward. It's alarming – I found myself raising an eyebrow and yelling "GO!," especially when trying to quickly merge into the traffic flow. But it'll go, when it's ready, and hitting 60 miles per hour takes just 3.6 seconds. The transmission is still an issue here. When left to its own devices, it doesn't have a problem finding the right gear for the occasion, but the actual shifts don't fire off with the smoothness and quickness that I've come to expect from this tranny in other models.