There is just something cool about a vehicle that can take you to your local mall one minute, then across your cities local waterway the next. This is the Splashtours bus, an amphibious vehicle that has the capability to motor you around via land or sea. Located in the city of Rotterdam in the Netherlands the amphi-bus provides up to 43 people a new and exciting way to see the city. Now granted you will have to make some compromises if you choose to go this route. For instance, there is no toilet aboard this bus, nor is it handicap accessible. However if you have a strong bladder and all your limbs are working properly then this is a floating experience that is sure to provide you with a good time.

Source: Splashtours.com

Image: Maybach

The richest man in the world is Mexico’s Carlos Slim Helu, who made his estimated $74 billion in telecommunications. I’m not sure where Mr. Helu lives, but I know this: sooner or later, he has to exit his secure compound and head out with the unwashed masses. When he does so, he’s now got a new choice of armored transportation befitting his net worth: Maybach has announced an armored version of their 62, called the Maybach Guard. Like the Maybach 62, the Maybach Guard offers a near-endless level of customization to suit an owners tastes. Unlike other armored limousines, the Maybach Guard isn’t a heavy, waddling pig at speed. In fact, Maybach is quick to point out that the specially developed armor plating adds just 893 pounds to the car and has no effect on handling. Even acceleration remains impressive, with 62 miles per hour coming up from a standing start in just 5.7 seconds. It’s the world’s fastest armored limo, too, with an electronically limited top speed of 155 miles per hour.

Now THAT'S a plush safe room. Image: Maybach

Maybach doesn’t provide the same level of detail on the Maybach Guard’s armoring, so we can’t tell you what it will stop and what it won’t. Since the car is really aimed at heads of state, that may be deliberate on Maybach’s part, but I think it’s safe to say that the car will withstand anything an armored BMW 7 Series or an armored Audi A 8 will, and then some. As you’d expect, pricing isn’t mentioned, because if you’re concerned about it you’re probably not a serious buyer.

Source: Autoblog

Autoblog reports that boutique supercar builder Spyker is in dialogue to sell their luxury sports car business to an English coachbuilder based in Coventry. Per a memorandum of understanding between the two companies, CPP Global Holdings will buy the Spyker luxury sports car business (which includes the C8 Aileron and “all future models”) for 32 million Euros, the bulk of which is to be paid over the next six years. The sale does not include Saab, which was purchased by Spyker last year, and both parties see the MOU as having substantial long term benefits.

CPP has produced chassis and body panels for Spyker since 2000, and signed an agreement with the Dutch company in 2009 to build complete C8 Aileron models. CPP’s Coventry plant has already been expanded to produce the Spyker vehicles, and they employ some 250 designers, technicians and skilled workers. The company is in an excellent position to build the C8, as well as to expand the product range and grow Spyker’s product portfolio. The Dutch Spyker, meanwhile, is now free to focus on restoring Saab to financial health. New Saabs in the pipeline may be enough to bring Saabophiles back to dealerships, which have been among the loneliest places in the automotive world in recent years.

I have two theories about human behavior: the first is that everyone, no matter how much integrity they have, has their price. The second is that life has grown too cumbersome for most of us, and we’d be happier, healthier and more productive if we were living in a cabin in the woods. This ad seems to take both into consideration, proving my first theory while completely negating my second one. On the other hand, maybe you haven’t achieved Zen if you’re willing to flush a pastoral lifestyle of hunting, gathering and solitary reflection in favor of the daily grind and a $74,000 sedan. Hit the video below and decide for yourself.

The 2012 Buick Verano. Photo: © GM Corp.

Buick is set to show their third new model in two years at the upcoming Detroit Auto Show. The Verano is Buick’s entry into the compact luxury segment (although I have a hard time writing “Buick” and “compact” in the same sentence), and will slot into their product line below the recently launched Regal sedan. John Schwegman, Buick’s VP of marketing, sums up their reason for launching a compact sedan as follows: “Verano expands our lineup, continues Buick’s momentum and gives us a great opportunity to attract a new generation of customers with a product that delivers on their expectations for design, performance and technology. It is a smart choice that delivers unexpected luxury in a compact sedan – and it will compete head-to-head with competitors from Audi and Lexus.”

The Verano’s exterior styling carries over design themes penned for the LaCrosse and the Regal, and the interior is chock full of comfort as you’d expect from Buick. Buick emphasizes the interior’s “Quiet Tuning”, so think of this as an isolation chamber on wheels, just like its bigger brothers. I’d expect the suspension to be tuned fro a plush ride and not for handling, but that’s what Buick buyers expect. Power will come from a 2.4 liter Ecotec four cylinder engine (the same used in the Regal and the LaCrosse), but the Verano’s smaller size will be a better fit for the 177 horsepower. Buick says the Verano will hit 60 miles per hour in eight seconds, but I doubt many buyers will ever test Buick’s claim. A 2.0 liter turbo version will be offered sometime after the cars launch in the last quarter of 2011.

Source: GM Corp.

Audi's best seller, the Q5. Image: Audi of America

Despite the fact that many of us are feeling the pinch of unemployment, underemployment or questionable job security, there’s clearly a segment of the population unconcerned over personal financial issues. While car sales were up in 2010 after a disastrous 2009, luxury car sales are way up. BMW sold 220,113 vehicles last year, an increase of 12% over 2009. Mercedes Benz sold 225,007 vehicles in the U.S. last year, an increase of 18%. Audi, on the other hand had a record year in 2010, with sales of 101,629 vehicles and growth of 23% compared to 2009. Audi’s sales even grew 10% beyond their previous best year, 2007, when the company sold 93,506 vehicles.

An expanded lineup, now up to 10 models and some 20 variants, helped fuel sales. The redesigned Audi A8, launched in November of 2010, brought luxury buyers into Audi showrooms and experienced a 378% sales growth in December compared to 2009. Sales of Audi’s best seller, the Q5 crossover, increased by over 70% in 2010.

Audi has previously stated their intention to be the number one luxury brand by 2015, and they’re certainly taking steps in the right direction to accomplish this. Audi will offer more diesel variants in the U.S. over the next two years, which will give car buyers an alternative to small displacement, turbocharged gas engines or parallel hybrid vehicles. Audi’s even generated interest among enthusiasts with the announcement of the TT-RS, the RS3 and a potentially new RS4. We know we’ll get the TT-RS and it’s safe to assume we’ll get the RS4, but the RS3 remains an unknown; I say bring it in, but only if it can be priced competitively. At the RS3’s domestic market price of €49,900, or roughly $68,000, I don’t see much demand on this side of the pond.

Thumbs Up: V8 power, V6 fuel economy; great interior

Thumbs Down: Front end styling is an acquired taste

Buy This Car If: You want a domestic luxury sedan with V8 power and V6 fuel economy

Ford’s on a roll these days, and it seem like each new product they launch is somehow better than their other recent introductions. For any manufacturer, that’s a good problem to have, and Ford has racked up their share of product awards over the past few years. There’s been some confusion with the blue oval brand as well, since they’ve decided to kill off mid-range brand Mercury to focus on products from Ford and Lincoln. Lincoln, however, has a demographic similar to Buick; when it comes time to shop for a car or SUV, Lincoln dealers aren’t exactly pulling in the “under 40” crowd.

There are plans in the works to change all that, including hiring a new design head away from Cadillac. Lincoln wants to reinvent themselves as a legitimate luxury brand, much the same way as Toyota has Lexus and Nissan has Infiniti. Certainly their products have improved dramatically over the past few years, but have they improved enough to attract the younger luxury buyer? Do they offer the same bells and whistles as the competition, and most importantly, will the automotive consumer shop the brand against competitors from Germany?

If the 2011 Lincoln MKS is any indication of what we can expect from Lincoln in the near future, the answer to most of the above questions is “yes”. Controversial front-end styling aside, this is a nice car by any measure. The interior is one of my favorites from an American manufacturer, and it includes such amenities as heated rear seats and a THX certified sound system. If technology is your thing, the MKS has that too, offering Ford’s automatic park assist, adaptive cruise control and collision avoidance, motion compensating headlights and the Lincoln version of Ford’s “Synch” voice command system. Even the exterior styling tends to grow on you after a while; like the Cadillac CTS, it’s definitely polarizing, but more likely to appeal to a broader array of customers.

The current Lincoln MKS was introduced in 2009, and it shares a platform with it’s Ford sibling, the Taurus. That’s good news for several reasons, since it means an interior large enough to carry five adults in relative comfort and a variety of available drivetrains. The base model MKS comes in front wheel drive with a 3.7 liter V6; you can also get this engine in an AWD version, but the car you really want is the EcoBoost V6, which only comes with AWD. The Ecoboost is a great engine (more on that later), and really does drive like a V8. On the plus side, it doesn’t gulp down gas like a V8, even if you’re heavy with your right foot.

Inside, the MKS has one of the best interiors you’ll find in an American car. My tester had two-toned leather seating, done up in brown and black. It was an odd color combination for a red car, but the quality of materials and the overall comfort was outstanding. The seats are bolstered enough to keep you in place while cornering, but soft enough to be comfortable for long hours behind the wheel. The front seats are 12-way power adjustable, and both driver and passenger get inflatable lumbar support. As you’d expect from a luxury car in this price point, the front seats are both heated and cooled.

The back seat gets the same two-toned leather as the front and the rear seats are also heated (but not cooled). Rear seat passengers get their own 12v power supply and HVAC ducts, so long trips with rear seat passengers shouldn’t cause any serious drama.

The steering wheel is leather wrapped and includes buttons for the cruise control, infotainment system and Bluetooth phone. The dash is a a blend of leather-look, stitched vinyl (on the top surfaces), soft touch vinyl and aluminum colored trim. My tester included Lincoln’s textured metal dash trim, which resembles woven steel mesh. I’m not a big fan of wood (which has been done to death) or faux carbon fiber (especially in a luxury car), so the textured metal trim works for me, and I think it helps the MKS’ interior stand out. The top of the center stack is taken up by a touch screen nav and infotainment system, and there are redundant controls for audio and HVAC below. Ford opts to place their driver information display controls on the center console instead of the steering column or dash; this isn’t a big deal, but you’ll spend some time looking for them if you’re used to driving other brands.

Instruments are brightly lit and easy to read, and are trimmed with distinctive black chrome rings. A speedometer and vehicle information display sits front and center, and is flanked by the tachometer on the left and a combination fuel gauge, gear indicator and temp gauge on the right. The instruments are set back in a hooded pod, which ensures they remain easily seen in all lighting conditions.

Under the hood, my tester came with the 3.5 liter, twin turbo EcoBoost V6 mated to a six speed SelectShift automatic transmission, and I was suitably impressed with this engine and transmission combination. The EcoBoost V6 makes 355 horsepower and 350 ft pounds of torque, which is enough to give the MKS “more than adequate” acceleration, even if you let the car do the shifting for you (it also comes with steering wheel mounted paddle shifters). I didn’t time a zero to sixty run, but I’d be willing to bet it comes up in under seven seconds; despite this, the MKS returned nearly 18 MPG is around-town driving, better than the projected EPA estimate of 17 MPG. The EPA rates the EcoBoost equipped MKS at 25 MPG highway, and my own highway fuel economy confirmed this.

On the road, the MKS is more luxury sedan than sport sedan, but is much more capable than the full size Lincolns of old. A sudden avoidance maneuver at 45 miles per hour (courtesy of a cell-phone-impaired minivan driver) yielded zero drama and utterly predictable handling, which is exactly what I want in a luxury sedan. Steering feel is very good at all speeds, and the car communicated its intentions well enough despite a suspension tuned for comfort over handling. When pressed hard in corners, the MKS exhibited predictable understeer, with the car feeling more like a FWD sedan than an AWD sedan. In fact, there was a surprising amount of torque steer under heavy acceleration, something that caught me by surprise the first time I floored the gas. It’s not a big deal if you’re expecting it, but it’s likely to catch you off-guard the first time you experience it. Lincoln is building this car for a particular demographic, and that crowd won’t be autocrossing or strafing canyons on a Sunday afternoon. If your tastes run to handling over comfort, the MKS won’t be to your liking. On the other hand, there’s a lot to like about a car that parallel parks itself (when equipped with Active Park Assist) and gives you a functional, not paranoid, collision warning system and adaptive cruise control.

My 2011 Lincoln MKS EcoBoost AWD had a base price of $48,985, including a $825 destination charge. Options add up quickly, and my car came equipped with the $3,500 Rapid Spec 201A Package (Voice Activated Nav, THX Certified Audio with Dolby 5.1 Surround, Rear View Camera, Dual Panel Moonroof), the $495 Red Candy Metallic paint, the $2,995 EcoBoost Appearance Package (20” Polished Aluminum Wheels, Floor Mats, Interior Metallic Package, 245/45-20 Tires, Leather Steering Wheel), the $535 Active Park Assist and the $1,295 Adaptive Cruise Control / Collision Warning system. The options alone totaled $8,820, which pushed the price of my MKS tester to $57,805. By comparison, a similarly equipped BMW 550i xDrive would sticker at $72,400, a comparably equipped Audi A6 would sticker at $60,475 and a comparably equipped Mercedes-Benz E550 4Matic would sticker at $72,825.

Some would argue that you can buy a loaded Buick LaCrosse for less money, but the Buick only comes with a V6 and you lose features like the Park Assist, collision warning and adaptive cruise control. A Cadillac CTS sedan, in AWD, would also sticker for less but doesn’t include V8 horsepower or the techno-gadgetry of the Lincoln. When it comes to that amount of horsepower and that amount of technology, the playing field narrows quickly until you’re left with very few choices, all of which are more expensive than the Lincoln. Unless you need a sedan that’s built in Germany, the Lincoln is certainly worth a test drive.

Rick Case Hyundai, a dealership in Weston, Florida, has become the first Hyundai dealership in the U.S. to sell a 2011 Hyundai Equus, their new flagship sedan. More significant, the car sold on the very day it was delivered to the dealership, answering the question, “will people buy luxury cars from Hyndai?” Well appointed, solidly built and stylish, the Equus sells for thousands to tens of thousands less than competitive products from Lexus or Mercedes Benz. The Equus Signature, what amounts to their base model, sells for $58,000 while the Equus Ultimate stickers for $64,500.

The difference between the two cars is less about content than it is about intent. If you drive yourself to work, the Equus Signature is the model you want. If Jeeves drives you to work, then you’ll want to write the check for the Equus Ultimate, which includes rear-passenger upgrades such as a reclining and massaging seat, rear DVD system and rear refrigerator. The rear cooler isn’t big enough for a magnum of Cristal, but it will keep you glasses chilled while the champagne cools in an ice bucket.

Both the Signature and Ultimate models come with a Lexicon audio system, a premium leather interior (including a leather dash), acoustically laminated glass, electro-pneumatic suspension, smart cruise control, lane departure warning system and an optional forward view cornering camera. Buyers can schedule a sales call at their home or office, at a time of their choosing. Service for Equus models is included for five years or 60,000 miles, and includes valet pick up and drop off of your car, along with a Genesis sedan or an Equus sedan as a loaner.

Photo: Audi AG

Audi has their sights set on Mercedes Benz and BMW, and has publicly declared that they intend to be the number one luxury brand by 2015. Their mid-range A6 is key to achieving that goal, so Audi took the redesign of their executive sedan very seriously. The previous generation, launched in 2004 and refreshed in 2008, became one of Audi’s best sellers; the successor had to maintain Audi’s reputation for style and performance, but still draw new buyers away from other luxury brands.

Photo: Audi AG

Judging from the images recently released by Audi, I’d say they hit the nail on the head. The new A6 is a stunning car, and it has much more presence than the outgoing model. The previous A6 was good at blending into the crowd, while the new A6 excels at standing out from the crowd. Buyers of luxury sedans don’t exactly crave anonymity, so I’d say that the A6 will sell quite well on looks alone.

Photo: Audi AG

Looks won’t be enough for those of us who like to drive, and Audi will offer the A6 with a wide range of engines, including both diesel and gasoline options. The A6 will be available in front wheel drive or all wheel drive, utilizing Audi’s legendary quattro AWD system. Audi will even offer the A6 in a hybrid variant, which will offer 256 combined horsepower, but yield fuel economy approaching 38 mpg.

Photo: Audi AG

The 2012 Audi A6 is expected to hit dealer showrooms in mid-year 2011. You can expect a base price of roughly $48,000 for the sedan and roughly $54,000 for the wagon, with hybrid pricing coming closer to the model launch. I’ll give you a full review of the car once I’ve had a chance to drive it.

We’ve already told you all there is to know about the Range Rover Evoque (here and here), which won’t be on the streets for another ten months or so. That didn’t stop Range Rover from creating the above video, which appears to show a virtual Evoque being virtually driven through virtual streets, by ghosts. You do get a good sense of what the Evoque looks like on the road, and you also get a decent look at the Evoque’s well appointed interior and panoramic roof.

This may be blasphemy to the Range Rover faithful, but the four door Evoque looks a lot like the new Ford Explorer, especially on the road. That’s a good thing for Ford, but I can’t imagine Evoque owners will be too happy getting asked, “How do you like your new Ford Explorer” all the time. Don’t get me wrong; it’s still a good looking crossover, but it’s just not as distinctive as the concept was, and I can’t help wonder if that will have an impact on sales.

Source: Carscoop