Conduct your due diligence on the 2008 crop of luxury sedans, and you might be stunned by what you find. They’re hardly your grandfather’s Packard Super Eight. Or your daddy’s Lincoln Town Car. Or your big brother’s Mercedes-Benz CL600, for that matter.
Indeed, thanks to the harmony of electrical, mechanical and hydraulic advances that constitute modern performance cars, next year’s “luxury sedans” are challenging the very notion of the term. Yes, they’re “luxury” items; the six-figure sticker prices attest to that. And, what with having four doors and all, they’re inarguably “sedans.” But when something legitimately goes fast enough to drive from Atlanta to Los Angeles in about half a day — and do so in leather-clad comfort — perhaps a new term might be in order.
Superluxuryhighperformancesedans, perhaps?
A bit clunky. (SuLuHiPerSeds? Maybe not.) Regardless, whatever you call 6,000-pound, 500-horsepower machines with the interior space of Madison Square Garden, the appointments of a Greenwich mansion and the 0–60 time of a cheetah — well, the most important thing is to call them yours.
Bentley Brooklands ($340,990)
Once Bentley’s flagship vehicle — it was discontinued in 1998 in favor of the Arnage — the Brooklands has been revived to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Brooklands racing track. (Mark it on your calendar!) Only 550 will be produced, and all 140 cars slated for 2008 have already been sold. Thus, if you’re looking to buy one, you’re in for a two-year wait. But you’re also in for a treat. The Crewe-built 530-bhp twin-turbocharged V8 is the most powerful V8 Bentley has ever built; somewhat similar to the Arnage’s power pack, it will propel the Brooklands to more than 180 mph and take you five seconds flat to get to 60 mph. Its look is sleek, muscular and decidedly British, and customers will have their choice of 42 exterior paints, 27 interior hides and three different veneers. Oh, and the rear cabin, based on the Arnage’s, is larger than that
of any coupe in the world. Bring your jogging shoes.
bentleymotors.com
Due Diligence
2008 BENTLEY BROOKLANDS
Base Price: $340,990
Engine: 6.75-liter twin-turbocharged V8
Power: 530 bhp at 4,000 rpm
Chassis: Body-on-frame, rear-wheel-drive vehicle, fully independent front and rear suspension
Transmission: ZF six-speed automatic gearbox with tiptronic feature
Brakes: Ventilated disks, front and rear, option of carbon/ceramic brakes
Weight: 5,853 pounds
Length: 17.7 feet
Top Speed: 184 mph
0–60: Five seconds
Fuel: Economy
10 city/20 highway
Maybach 62 S ($480,000)
The largest luxury vehicle and most powerful chauffeur-driven saloon in series production, the Maybach 62 S is arguably the world’s finest personal limo. Then again, what with that hand-assembled Mercedes-AMG engine — a twin-turbocharged 604-hp V12 — you might opt to drive it yourself and allocate your chauffeur’s salary toward your takeover bid of Santa’s Toy Factory. Can’t imagine the sensation
of a 20-foot-long car that weighs 6,000 pounds going 0–60 in just over five seconds? Well, thanks to the car’s acoustic insulation, velour carpeting and rear-window curtains, the sensation is . . . sort of nonexistent. Indeed, were it not for the speedometer mounted in the cavernous backseat, you might have no idea that you’re being driven at, say, the car’s top speed
of 172 mph. Or you might be too busy playing with its massaging seats, video screens, fridge and electro-transparent roof to even care.
maybachusa.com
Due Diligence
2008 MAYBACH 62 S
Base Price: $480,000
Engine: 5.5-liter Mercedes-AMG twin-turbo, intercooled V12
Power: 604 hp at 4,800–5,100 rpm
Chassis: Unitized body construction with airmatic dual-control air suspension
Transmission: Five-speed automatic
Brakes: Sensotronic brake-control electrohydraulic braking system, internally ventilated disc brakes, all-round, drum-type parking brake at rear, ABS, brake assist, ESP
Weight: 6,340 pounds
Length: 20 feet
Top Speed: 172 mph
0–60: 5.2 seconds
Fuel: Economy
10 city/16 highway
Maserati Quattroporte Sport GT S ($128,165)
The Quattroporte has always been a high-performance line, even back in 1963 with the inception of the Tipo 107 Quattroporte — which topped out at some 124 mph with a then-resounding 253 hp. (Indeed, the automotive line has literally defined the performance sedan; Quattroporte is Italian for four doors.) But this Quattroporte, the fifth generation of production, is
a quantum leap forward. Not only has it been fine-tuned, it’s also been lowered to look meaner than ever. Abandoning its automated sequential manual transmission for a German ZF-built six-speed automatic to harness gear changes at 7,200 rpm, the Sport GT S stables some 400 horses, delivering a 167-mph top speed and a mid-five-second-range 0–60 time. In an effort to ensure the return on your $128,000 investment, iron-and-aluminum Brembo brakes also make their debut on this year’s version.
maseratiusa.com
Due Diligence
2008 MASERATI QUATTROPORTE SPORT GT S
Base Price: $128,165
Engine: 4.2-liter V8
Power: 400 hp at 7,000 rpm
Chassis: Front and rear double-wishbone suspension with forged-aluminum arms and hubs
Transmission: ZF six-speed automatic
Brakes: Four dual-cast ventilating discs with composite casting technology
Weight: 4,387 pounds
Length: 16.5 feet
Top Speed: 167 mph
0–60: 5.6 seconds
Fuel: Economy
12 city/18 highway
Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupé ($407,000)
A seamless combination of masterful German engineering (from parent company BMW) and traditional British styling, the Drophead Coupé might well be proof that both nations have finally put that whole World War II thing behind them. Better yet, it might also be the car
of the year. More than 18 feet long and weighing better than 5,700 pounds, this yacht on wheels boasts a cashmere-finished soft-top, teak decking, automatic suicide doors, a baby’s-butt-smooth leather interior complete with detailed chrome finishing and a matrix of controls. That the boat tops out at 149 mph and goes 0–60 in under six seconds is a testament to
the 453-bhp, 6.75-liter V12 under the hood. And thanks to the rigidity provided by the advanced aluminum chassis and triangulated A-pillars, you might even forget you’re riding in a convertible. Or at least you will until your toupee flies off.
rolls-roycemotorcars.com
Due Diligence
2008 ROLLS-ROYCE PHANTOM DROPHEAD COUPÉ
Base Price: $407,000
Engine: 6.75-liter V12
Power: 453 bhp at 5,350 rpm
Chassis: Welded aluminum spaceframe
Transmission: ZF 6HP32
Brakes: Four-wheel disc, power
Weight: 5,776 pounds
Length: 18.3 feet
Top Speed: 149 mph (governed)
0–60: 5.7 seconds
Fuel: Economy
11 city/18 highway
Lexus LS 600h L ($104,000)
Ah, the sybaritic pleasures of social responsibility. How rare that one can drop six figures on a luxury indulgence and feel, you know, virtuous about it. But such is the joy of the LS 600h L hybrid, which couples Lexus’s largest-ever V8 engine with an electric motor (partly recharged by energy absorbed from the brakes). The result is V12-style performance (438 horses, 0–60 in 5.5 seconds) with the (let’s admit it, mediocre) mileage of a V6
(20 city, 22 highway). Also graced with their own battery are the car’s many electronic doodads, including the hugely hyped Advanced Parking Guidance System, which is designed to aid the driver in parallel parking (although, in our experience, it aids merely
in annoying the hell out of him). There’s even a pre-collision system with tiny cameras that detect obstructions and, if the computer deems a crash unavoidable, retracts the front seat belts and preps the brakes. And then, once it’s saved your life, it mercilessly scolds you for not paying attention.
lexus.com
Due Diligence
2008 LEXUS LS 600h L
Base Price: $104,000
Engine: Five-liter V8/permanenent-magnet electric motor with Lexus Hybrid Drive system
Total System Power: 438 hp
Gas Engine Horsepower: 389 hp at 6,400 rpm
Chassis: Steel unibody frame structure with multilink, double-joint suspension, front and rear
Transmission: Two-stage ECVT (electronically controlled, continuously variable transmission) with three-stage torque multiplication, normal, power and snow modes
Brakes: Four-channel ABS electronically controlled brakes
Weight: 5,049 pounds
Length: 16.9 feet
Top Speed: 130 mph
0–60: 5.5 seconds
Fuel: Economy
20 city/22 highway
