Wealthy buyers opt for more power in the face of fuel efficiency
Luxury car owners want more and what
they want is horsepower. 500 ponies is quickly (literally) becoming commonplace; 600 is the number that automakers are
striving for.Infiniti is developing the production version of the Skyline GT-R (prototype is pictured) and its 500-hp engine. At the North American International Auto Show in Detroit this year, Porshe showed off the Cayenne Turbo S with 520 ponies. And the new Mercedes S65 AMG? 612 horsepower.
And there’s both money and numbers to support such luxury vehicles. BMW, for example, sold over 1,700 vehicles last year costing $81,200 each. And depending on their reputation (e.g., Ferrari), automakers can sell 1,000 units a year at $100,000 each.
Though many of these vehicles have gas mileage in the teens, the only limits automakers truly have to deal with are performance, handling and safety to name a few of the major ones.
[Wall Street Journal via Naple News]
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