Brake on Sales? Not for Rolls Royce!

The Associated Press reported that there is at least one sector of the automaker industry that is bucking the downward trend - and that is in the high-end car market.

Here are some interesting figures and facts from the AP article:



Rolls Royce Phantom

It would seem that the last thing anyone would need is a US$400,000 Rolls Royce Phantom, but many actually do!

Sales of the luxury marques are either flat or down modestly. Ferrari's US sales, for instance, dipped just 3 percent for the first 10 months of the year, while Rolls Royce cruised ahead with a 32 percent growth.

Said a top aito analyst from a consulting firm: You are dealing with the ultra rich, who, even if they take a hit, a car purchase for them is a very fractional piece of their net worth.

A few bright sparks also remain for the cheap and cheerful range as well.

There has been a steady rise in global sales for low-cost cars, despite the current economic crisis.

For example, Renault's low-cost, boxy-looking Logan has become one of the company's most profitable vehicles even as profits from its other models slow to a weak 3 percent.

Renault Logan

Carmakers Grinding to a Halt

Cars in Low Gear: Cut in production and staff across the globe as sales plummet

List of the troubled carmakers.

General Motors (US)
Worldwide sales fell 11.4 percent between July and September.
Says it needs up to US$12 billion in bailouts, and could collapse in weeks.
Shutting down Thai plant for two months, affecting 2000 workers.

Peugeot Citroen (France)
Sales dropped 16 percent last month.
Axing 3550 workers across France, from workforce of 114000 last year.
Cuts comes after 3000 departures in February and 10000 last year,
from France and Europe.

Honda (Japan)
Cutting production by 40000 vehicles in Japan, 21000 in Britain
and 18000 units in North America.
Will temporarily close a factory in Britain next February and March,
and at the Saitama plant near Tokyo.

Toyota (Japan)
Sales fell 21 percent last month compared to a year ago.
Cutting half of 6000 temporary jobs at domestic plants,
and planning production cuts at Thailand plant.
Forecasts 68 percent drop in full-year net income.

Ford (US)
Seeking US$7 billion in bailouts.
Posted net losses of US$8.7 billion in the second quarter this year.

Mercedes-Benz (Germany)
Parent company Daimler reported 66 percent drop
in operating profits last month.
Cutting car production by over 80000 units.
Production cuts and extended time off for workers.

Audi TTS Roadster 2.0 Quattro

Audi's latest convertible two-seater is a delicious detour from the norm...

The TT Roadster is a compact car, and is sufficiently braced for most occasions, including the unlikely event of a rollover.

Extra metal struts have contributed to a 60kg weight penalty. Hence the car is 0.2 seconds slower to the century mark than the TTS Coupe. Still a 5.4 second sprint is pretty quick (6.5 seconds for the garden variety TT Roadster). And more importantly, the car is as agile as the TTS Coupe.

In fact, the TTS Roadster has something that helps neutralise a common bigbear of topless cars: a rock-hard ride on account of the additional weight. It has Audi Magnetic Ride, an adaptive suspension system that should really be renamed Audi Magical Ride.

There are other more fundamental elements that separate the TTS Roadster from the basic TT Roadster. Maximum power goes from a paltry 200bhp to 272bhp and peak torque from 280Nm to a highly respectable 350Nm.

The car handles the leap in output so effortlessly that you would be tempted to chip it to raise the bar further.

Audi has fitted the car with a conventional autobox (with paddle shifters) instead of the delicious double-clutch job in the TT Roadster. But because the topless TTS has so much juice on tap, it seems to be no poorer for it. More often than not, leaving the gearbox in Drive mode is more than enough.

The car has a trigger throttle and you are never left wanting when overtaking or picking up the slack in everyday stop-start traffic.

Everything about the car feels just right, from its turn-in response to its steering weighting. Its brakes are truly powerful and confidence-inspiring, yet friendly to use at low speeds.

The TTS Roadster's roadholding prowess is phenomenal. Nothing short of driving it with a concussion will unsettle it. That of course is a function of another big difference between this Roadster and the less expensive version: all-wheel drive. Or as Adui says: quattro.

Like the TTS Coupe, the car sounds wonderful. Its soulful, bassy exhaust note is punctuated ever so often with deep-throated throttle-blipping when the car downshifts. It is almost unbelievable that a four-cylinder machine can sound so good.

And guess what? Flipping the canvas canopy brings the music so much closer to you. That, as well as the wind in your hair, is why the TTS Roadster is more engaging than the Coupe.

Its automatic roof is a one-touch affair and goes up and down in 12 seconds flat. More impressively, it operates smoothly and noiselessly.

The other nice thing about the Roadster is its upholstery. The tan nappa leather with saddle seam pattern goes well with the fabric roof and the outdoorsy feel of the car.

Audi TTS Roadster 2.0 Ouattro Facts:

Engine: 1,984cc 16-valve inline-4 turbo
Transmission: Six-speed automatic with paddle shift
Power: 272bhp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 350Nm at 2,500-5,000rpm
0-100kmh: 5.4 seconds
Top speed: 250kmh (electronically limited)
Fuel consumption: 8 litres/100km (city-highway)

Interior pictures of Audi TTS Roadster 2.0 Quattro

The New Audi RS6 Avant

The New 5-Litre Audi RS6 Avant is a Muscular Station Wagon

This is a car perfect for a working mother! It is extremely quick, so the mother can rush to meet her work deadlines, and perform household chores in between. It is also big enough for five family members and their weekend gear. It is imposing enough to keep road chauvinists at bay. Yet despite its large utility, it looks elegant enough to be parked at the executive parking lots.

This is the most powerful car Audi has made, and certainly it is the fastest station wagon one can buy on the market.

But it does consume large fuel quantities, slightly more than an Audi Q7 seven-seater SUV. This is due to its enormous 5-litre engine and part-steel body, resulting in a curb weight of just over 2000kg.

For people who want a sports car in a wagon form, the Audi RS6 is what they'd want, but they'd have to contend with its heft form. It measures 5m tip to tip.

The car is endowed with a pretty long wheelbase and wide tracks, and is has quattro permanent all-wheel-drive and electronic stability program.

The Avant serves well as a station wagon. Its stowage area is wide, deep and flat. Even without folding the rear seats, it will swallow most flat-pack furniture you can pick up at Ikea. Its motorised tailgate is a real boon too,

As mentioned, the Audi RS6 Avant strikes quite a pose. It is both elegant and menancing. And check out those cross-drilled brake discs, the ones in front practically fill up the space in the 20-inch wheels.

Incidentally, those brakes work like a charm, even when the 2000kg beast is going like a runaway freight train. Only thing is, they tend to squeak when wet.

On the whole, the car's build and material qualities are beyond reproach. However, the pleasure of ownership will cost you. This is one expensive vehicle!

Audi RS6 Avant Facts
Engine: 4.991cc; 40-valve V10 bi-turbo
Transmission: Six-speed Tiptronic
Power: 580 bhp at 6,250 rpm
Torque: 650Nm at 1,500-6,250 rpm
0-100kmh: 4.6 seconds
Top speed: 250kmh (electronically limited)
Fuel consumption: 19.9 litres/100 km (city)

Audi RS6 Avant Interior Pictures

Electric Minis To be Made

500 Electric Minis

BMW will be making 500 battery-powered Minis to be tested in California. The Mini E is the first step in a medium-term plan to offer electric models.

The Mini E's electric drivetrain produces a peak torque of 220Nm and power is delivered to the front wheels via a single-stage helical gearbox. This unique engine and transmission arrangement powers the emission-free card to 100kmh in 8.5 seconds and up to an electronically limited top speed of 152kmh.

The car will be a two-seater, as space is taken up by its lithium-ion battery pack, which will have a maximum capacity of 35 kilowatt-hour, which translates to a range of about 300km. It can be plugged into all power outlets and recharging from flat is expected to take just 2.5 hours.



Mini Cooper Interior Pictures