Luxury Cars

MORE GENEVA AUTO SHOW @ INSIDELINE.COM: www.edmunds.com Rolls-Royce has officially announced it will unveil a near-production-ready concept sedan at the 2009 Geneva Auto Show next month. Called the 200EX — a name that recalls some of the British carmaker’s early “experimental” prototypes — the luxuriously equipped four-door previews a new entry-level Rolls-Royce that will go on sale later this year. Known until now by its internal working code RR4, the new Rolls-Royce is expected to be priced to compete against upmarket sedans such as the Bentley Continental Flying Spur and the Mercedes-Benz S-Class. Holding firm to the strategy taken with its 100EX and 101EX concept cars — both of which have reached the showroom with little change, as the Phantom Drophead and Phantom Drophead Coupe, respectively — the 200EX is said to closely resemble the definitive production version of the RR4. “There will be some very minor difference, but what you see in Geneva is for all intents and purposes what we’ll be bringing to Frankfurt later in the year,” says Rolls-Royce’s newly installed CEO Tom Purves, referring to plans to show its new model at the 2009 Frankfurt Auto Show in September. As yet, there’s no word on what model name the 200EX will receive. However, Rolls-Royce says it plans to resurrect a name from its past lineup. Among those rumored to be under consideration are Shadow, Wraith, Seraph and Spirit. Rolls-Royce designers have adopted a far less formal look for the 200EX than …

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FOR SPY ARTICLE @ INSIDELINE.COM: www.edmunds.com Already announced for production at the 2009 Shanghai Auto Show, the 2010 Jaguar XJ Sedan is in the final stages of development before its official debut this summer. Our spy shooters caught up with a prototype as it lapped the Nürburgring test track in Germany. Extensive camouflage does a good job of covering up this test mule’s new shape. From what we can see, the new XJ will be wider and longer than the current model. It will also have a more streamlined shape, as the windshield has a more aggressive angle compared to the current model. A teaser Web site has been set up by Jaguar, but it doesn’t provide any additional detail. Jaguar has confirmed that the XJ will continue to use aluminum construction. Combined with the company’s new, more powerful 5.0-liter V8 engines, this XJ should fare well against the likes of BMW’s 7 Series and the upcoming 2010 Mercedes-Benz S-Class. An official debut is scheduled for July 9, with sales in Europe beginning late this year. US sales are expected to begin in early 2010.

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Brian records a gorgeous silver Aston Martin V8 Vantage Roadster with red interior which belongs to DRIV Luxury Car Club. The video shows in car footage, flybys, accelerations, revving, and more. Along with the Vantage, which is the highlight of the video, notice the beautiful Northern California roads…perfect for drives in this car. Be sure to turn up your speakers. This is just one of the exotic/luxury cars DRIV Luxury Car Club has to offer. Thanks again DRIV! Hope you enjoy my video Be sure to watch in High Quality Mode.

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FOR MORE ABOUT THE NEW LEXUS RX 350: www.edmunds.com You expect to see sports cars, sport sedans and even the occasional economy car on the Nürburgring, but now we’re to the point where even luxury crossovers are being tuned on the twisty test circuit in Germany. The 2010 Lexus RX 350 recently hit the ‘Ring, and thanks to a lack of camouflage the prototype gave us a good look at what’s in store for the upcoming midsize crossover. If you’re hoping for big changes you’ll be disappointed, as the next RX looks much like the current model in terms of its overall size and shape. There’s a slightly revised grille up front that’s more angular in appearance along with a reconfigured headlight cluster. In back, a new set of LED taillights is the most noticeable difference. There are a few minor changes to the shape of the rear fascia, but unless you put the 2010 model side by side with the current RX you would find it hard to see the difference between the two. The profile of this new RX is slightly more aggressive than before with a slightly lower roofline. A new design for the rear side windows eliminates one of the smaller quarter windows to give the overall shape a cleaner look. There won’t be big changes under the hood, either. A revised version of the current 3.5-liter V6 will provide the power with a six-speed automatic handling the gearchanges. A hybrid model will be available as well, most likely with the same powertrain as the current GS 450h. Although there have been …

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SEE MORE 2008 LAAS COVERAGE: www.edmunds.com The big story about the 2010 Lexus RX 350 is that there’s nothing big about it. Due to its wider track, it’s slightly broader across the shoulders than the 2009 RX 350, but otherwise it has the same overall footprint. Its 107.9-inch wheelbase is only an inch longer than before, but there’s still no third-row seat. RX owners, we’re told, still don’t want one. “Keeping the right size was something we heard a lot of, because we certainly studied whether we wanted to add a third row,” Ben Mitchell, an RX product planner, told us. “The majority of RX owners prioritize space in back, room for luggage.” To that end, the 2010 RX 350 has a more compact double-wishbone rear suspension, and after inspecting the cargo bay, we can attest that it intrudes less than the previous strut arrangement. The previous RX’s 3.5-liter V6 carries over but makes 275 horsepower this year (an increase of 5), and last year’s five-speed automatic gives way to Toyota’s six-speed unit with a manual-shift mode. The RX 350 gained some weight in the redesign (same basic platform architecture but more luxury gadgets), but we’re told 0-60 times won’t be affected much. Electric power steering assist is new this year, but based on our recent experience with the Toyota Venza, we don’t think this is a bad thing for the RX. “Owners asked for a little bit tighter response in the steering,” said Mitchell, and we think we’ve delivered that without compromising comfort …

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