Friday, August 21, 2009

Geneva Brings Out the Big Guns - Sneak Previews of New Hong Kong Luxury Cars

The Geneva Auto Show doesn't try to upstage its big brother in Detroit - in fact, its slightly later date in the year is a kind of advantage, with manufacturers that are lagging behind often making Geneva the debut staging area for their cars. We saw some awesome displays of style and grunt at Geneva this year, as well as some exciting new technologies. Luxury car dealers in Hong Kong kept a close eye on what was hot and what was not at Geneva this year - we look at what the face of motoring in Hong Kong will look like for the next twelve months.
The Maybach Zeppelin would have to be one of the most impressive cars at the Geneva Auto Show - even if luxury car enthusiasts in Hong Kong will have to pre-order from their dealer. This ultra-luxury offering from Mercedes vehicles is just as exciting under the hood as it looks from its exterior (which has a definite jet-engine flavor!). It outputs a huge 632 hp, plenty more than the Rolls Phantom and Bentley Arnage. Maximum torque is limited to 738 pounds/feet - but that is only to protect the gearbox, which is a five speed auto. Hong Kong luxury car buyers will also get decadent extras like perfume systems that spray your favorite fragrance into the cabin and lambs wool carpets, as well as style statements like 20-inch wheels.
Mercedes also used the Geneva auto show to release details about the new model Gullwing - one of their first Hong Kong luxury sports cars since the split from McLaren. The 6.2L V8 that we have seen in so many other Mercedes models will be under the hood, providing 563 bhp at 6800rpm, and an optimal 479 pounds/feet of torque at 4750 rpm. The intake in magnesium and has eight separate velocity stacks, and the throttle plates that feed the intake are electronically controlled. Handling in this Hong Kong sports car is also superb, with a near 50-50 weight distribution between front and rear.
For those who can't go past the sex appeal of a convertible, Aston Martin also debuted their 2010 DB at Geneva. Hong Kong sports car buyers will love the petite frame that gives such an awesome power to weight ratio, with an amazing 6L V12 engine! It hardly matters that Aston Martin added 250 pounds to the weight, with those sort of figures. 0-60mph takes 4.3 seconds in this sports car - if Hong Kong has any place to utilize that (!), and the top speed is 191 mph. Carbon ceramic brakes, carbon fiber accents and stability control systems top it off.
Speed ruled at Geneva, and the other model creating a whole lot of buzz was the Ferrari 599GTB Fiorano HGTE ... or at least it was creating buzz, way back when people started trying to get that name out of their mouths! Very wealthy Hong Kong sports car buyers and current Ferrari owners will get a chance to experience this model, which will be sold by invitation only. The new Ferrari has 700hp at 9,000 rpm, with plenty of carbon fiber, including in the brakes. Improved aerodynamics have given this model 617 pounds of rear down force when travelling at 124mph. There will be six races worldwide next year for 599GTB owners.
About the Author
As one of the world's most exciting and prestigious brand,Mercedes Benz Hong Kong offers commercial vehicles extensive choice of Vito, Sprinter, Viano, Actros, Axor,Atego and luxury passenger cars in Hong Kong and Macau

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