Luxury Cars Flunk Damage Tests

Luxury car maker amps up prestige with R8 supercar

(NEWSER) - Prestigious Audi seeks to turn its nose even higher and “outsnob Mercedes” by 2015, Esquire reports—not in sales, but in swanky elements, including:

1. Over-the-top bells and whistles: A Bang & Olufsen stereo system has tweeters popping out of the dash, which aim to silence the nearest BMW.

Mercedes, BMW, Audi get big bump from the dragon

(NEWSER) - The hottest new market for luxury cars is China, where Mercedes, Audi, and BMW all reported huge increases in sales in November. Mercedes delivered 8,700 cars to China last month, the company said, “nearly three times the number sold in November 2008.” Audi sales more than doubled to 16,503 cars, and the company expects China to pass Germany as its largest market within two or three years. And BMW moved some 8,470 cars, a 40% pop. More»

Mercedes takes top four spots on Forbes list

(NEWSER) - Gas prices may be sinking, but the owners of luxury and high-performance vehicles wouldn't know it. Factoring in $4-plus premium gas, depreciation, insurance, fees, and sales tax, some top cars cost double over a 5-year stretch what owners first paid. Forbes wheels out the priciest (including 5-year pricetag): More»

Gizmos proliferate amid concerns on distracted driving

(NEWSER) - Imagine cruising down the highway at 65mph while checking tweets, buying movie tickets online, or booking reservations at a restaurant. This scenario is the not-too-distant future of driving, reports the Wall Street Journal , as auto manufacturers seek to design an innovative "connected car" full of Internet-accessible gadgetry. The push for a tech-infused car comes as a national push for rules banning phones in cars seems to be fizzling out and automakers look to entice the youth demographic. More»

BMW edges out Mercedes-Benz for crown

(NEWSER) - The Beamers win: BMW has earned the honor of being the top-selling luxury brand of car in the US for 2011, reports the Wall Street Journal . It takes the title from Toyota's Lexus, which had dominated for a decade but never quite recovered from the March earthquake and tsunami in Japan. This year it came down to BMW and Mercedes-Benz, and the crown was so coveted that neither side wanted to report first, notes Bloomberg . Finally, Mercedes announced sales this morning of 245,192. BMW followed a few hours later and beat the total by about 2,700 vehicles. More»