REPOST: A Bentley Boom? Rising Sales for Luxury Automakers Like Bentley, Jaguar, Porsche

If car prices are any indication of the country's economy, then it looks like the good times are rolling in. This TIME article points out that luxury car sales have gone up in the last year and makes suggestions as to why.

So much for scaling back. The world’s rich and elite — or those who just want to appear so — have been cracking open their wallets in a big way lately, and luxury automakers are the beneficiaries.

Bentley Motors announced that sales in the first quarter of 2013 were up 26% globally compared to the same period last year. Sales in the Americas increased 35% for the same time frame. The automaker, which is known for high-price, high-end models like the new Flying Spur (MSRP from $200K), still has a very small portion of the auto market. Just 2,212 new Bentleys were delivered to customers worldwide during the first three months of 2013, compared to 1,759 the year before.

Even so, Bentley isn’t a mass-market type of operation, and the automaker is on pace for what it would consider a huge year. In 2011, for example, global sales hit 7,003, a 37% increase over the previous year. This year, Bentley should easily top that 2011 sales total.

More importantly, in terms of gauging the state of the global economy (and the willingness of the rich to drop big bucks on plush, pricey new toys), it’s noteworthy that Bentley is hardly the only luxury automaker doing brisk business lately. USA Today reported that Porsche just had its best January ever for sales, up 32% compared to January 2012. Once February and March sales totals were in, Porsche Cars North America announced it had experienced its best-ever first quarter, with 9,650 vehicles sold, a rise of 35% compared to the same period last year.

Audi also said that it just had the “strongest first quarter in its history” with 369,500 units sold, up around 7% from the January-March period in 2012. Jaguar Land Rover sales were up 17% in the first quarter, according to the Guardian.

Given the numbers, it’s unsurprising that expensive new luxury models have been flooding auto shows. A recent New York Times piece offered some explanation for the boom in luxury car sales:

The surge in the luxury market, analysts say, is a sign that wealthy consumers sense that the nation’s financial health is solidly improving in ways that reinforce a willingness to splurge on expensive new models.

“A lot of luxury customers were waiting to see how things would shake out in the economy and the stock market,” said Alec Gutierrez, an analyst at Kelley Blue Book. “But they are becoming more and more confident.”

Among the many trends in new cars today, one that’s undeniable is the rise in fuel economy. In March, the average car sold in the U.S. got a record-high 24.6 mpg, compared to an average of around 20 mpg five years ago. The trend is a reflection of automakers’ efforts to reach tough mileage goals set by the federal government, but it’s also obviously a signal that consumers are concerned about fuel costs and want better mileage for the buck. Automakers have even taken to bragging that their engines are getting smaller (and therefore more fuel efficient).

On the other hand, the Wall Street Journal described a trend for a certain breed of buyers to go in just the opposite direction. Rather than cutting weight and engine size to boost fuel economy, some luxury automakers are pushing models with gratuitous power. Think 500+ horsepower and 0 to 60 mph in under 4 seconds.

These vehicles, like the $90,000 BMW M5 sedan, unsurprisingly get poor mileage (mid teens). What’s more, the federal government levies special “gas-guzzler” taxes on such vehicles, which can add $1,000 to $7,700 to the cost of the car. Chances are, if you’re in the market for a high-performance luxury car, price and fuel economy probably aren’t top of mind. So why are buyers drawn to this elite market? Per the WSJ:

The appeal is a combination of exclusivity and the pride of owning a driving machine capable of scorching up a racecourse—even if it never does.

“It’s not, ‘I use it,’ it’s ‘I could if I wanted to,’ ” says Barry Hoch, general manager of product planning at Audi’s U.S. arm.

A&M Automotive is a leading automobile repair shop in Bellevue, WA. Stay updated on automotive industry news by following this Twitter account.

Car troubleshooting 101: Common tools to use for basic repair

Car trouble can happen anytime, but a repair station will not always be in sight when you need it. For this reason, learning how to fix common automobile problems should be a necessity. But most car repairs you can never do with your bare hands—you need to be equipped with the right tools. Here are some of the most common tools you will need to get your car up and running again in no time.

Image source: gizmodo.com

Adjustable wrench
This tool has a “jaw” which you can adjust to tighten or loosen various sizes of fastener heads such as nuts and bolts. In the UK, an adjustable wrench is also called an adjustable spanner.

Torque wrench
This tool is used to apply a measured amount of torque to a head fastener using special internal mechanisms. Invented by Conrad Bahr, the torque wrench is widely used to prevent overly tightening screws and bolts. It is also used for situations when the tightness of the screws are crucial to a machine’s function.

Socket and ratchet set
This is composed of sockets that are attached to a ratchet in order to loosen and tighten fastener heads. The ratchet was designed to twist nuts and bolts very quickly without the socket leaving the head fastener.

Image source: boxo-tools.com

Pliers
These are hand tools that can serve a variety of purposes. Depending on their type, pliers may be used to hold objects firmly, bend or compress objects, and cut hard objects like wires and cables.

Screwdrivers
These are hand tools that are used to turn screws in order to tighten or loosen them. A Phillips screwdriver has a cross-shaped tip, while a flat head screwdriver has a straight tip.

Jack
This is a device that allows you to lift very heavy objects using either a screw thread or a hydraulic cylinder. You can use this device to loft your car off the ground to access some of your car’s had-to-reach areas.

Needless to say, just having the tools does not make you an expert at repair. For more complicated repairs, you might have to undergo a higher level of training, or seek the help of certified auto repair experts. Technicians from repair shops like Steven & Francine’s Complete Automotive Repair in New York and A&M Auto Repair in Bellevue, WA will always be willing to help you.

Image source: merretcriston789.wordpress.com

This website will tell you more about car repair.

Real-life Batmobiles: Four cars that will make Batman proud

Image source: wikia.com

The Batmobile is Batman’s most trusted mode of transportation. It has high-tech features that help the caped crusader chase his enemies and save the day. After its first appearance on DC Comics in 1939, the Batmobile has become part of many people’s subconscious just as the superhero who rides it. And for this reason, many automobile companies have attempted to bring Batman’s car to life.

The first real-life Batmobile is a 1955 Lincoln Futura used in the 1960s Batman TV series. It “went through various iterations before it ended up with the famous gloss black finish with ‘fluorescent cerise’ stripes,” says TIME magazine.

Today, there are a number of automobiles that resemble the Batmobile:

1. Nissan DeltaWing Le Mans
This is an actual race car from the 2012 Le Mans race. The car is designed to reduce aerodynamic drag with its four-cylinder turbocharged direct injection engine and 300-brake horsepower capacity.


Image source: automobilemag.com

2. Peugeot EX1
This electric-powered two-seater automobile has two engines with a 340-horsepower and a lightweight body. Peugeot EX1 has already set six new world acceleration records for a vehicle weighing less than 1,000 kg.

3. BMW GINA
What's amazing about this concept future car is its stretchable water resistant translucent man-made fabric skin that changes shape according to speed, exterior conditions, and the driver's will.

4. Maybach Exelero
This is a two-seater, high performance luxury sports car with 700-brake horsepower, a twin turbo V12 engine, a 0-100 km time of 4.4 seconds, and a top speed of 350km/h. The supercar is one of a kind because the German manufacturer Maybach-Motorenbau GmbH only built one for Fulda Tires.

If Batman were real, he’d have a hard time choosing which of these vehicles to use.


Image source: blogcdn.com

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The auto industry this year: Expect higher prices on cars

As consumers are finalizing their budget for the rest of the year, economists and financial advisers warn that they may have to cut back their spending on some items or they may need to defer some of their major purchases for the year.

Image source: popularmechanics.com

Buying a car this year, for instance, may be a bad idea, and consumers looking into getting one of the newer models may want to wait for a better opportunity. Car prices are expected to rise every year but for 2013, some manufacturers have expressed intent to raise prices by $1,000 or more on the latest car models.

Image source: nissan.ie

Meanwhile, not all car types are going up in price. Electric cars may be entering into the practical price range this year. The older models of the Nissan Leaf were reported to be getting price drops. The 2013 model, likewise, is getting a drop in retail price by about $6,000. Still, these electric cars have been considered as an overpriced and impractical flop, and the significant price drops may not be enough for many consumers to give them a second look.

In any case, while consumers can expect higher prices on the latest models, they can also expect to find more features on the new cars than on previous models. For some, this may be an acceptable tradeoff.

Image source: yesexactly.net

While waiting for a better opportunity to purchase a newer car model, A&M Automotive in Bellevue, WA recommends keeping an older car properly maintained for longer usability and better fuel efficiency.

AMAutoFactoria.com provides more ideas on the costs and perks of regular car maintenance.

Repost: Will the EPA Change the Way It Measures M.P.G. Ratings? Maybe Just for Hybrids?

With the influx of hybrid models in the market, Brad Tuttle asks an important question on Time.com:

Drivers have good reason to be skeptical about m.p.g. claims posted on new-car windows. After complaints and new rounds of testing, the EPA recently had to lower m.p.g. ratings for several Kia and Hyundai models. It’s widely believed that the mileage ratings on many hybrid cars are inflated as well.

Ford, which has come under fire after Consumer Reports’ tests showed that the fuel efficiency of two of its hybrids was off by 20%, is now saying it may be time for the Environmental Protection Agency to change procedures for coming up with the numbers — at least for hybrid vehicles. “We continue to work closely with the EPA to determine whether the industry testing procedure needs changes for hybrid vehicle testing,” Raj Nair, Ford’s product-development chief, said, according to Bloomberg News.

The Kia-Hyundai miniscandal freshly brought to light the fact that for the most part, the EPA doesn’t measure how many miles per gallon each car model gets. Instead, the automakers themselves conduct tests, and the EPA winds up doing audits on about 15% of vehicle models in the hopes of keeping everyone honest. The federal agency also does its own tests after receiving an abundance of complaints from consumers or reports from independent testing organizations like Consumer Reports. This is how Kia and Hyundai models wound up being tested and how the m.p.g. ratings for several models wound up declining.

Now the EPA is taking a closer look at two Ford hybrids, the C-Max and the Fusion. Both were certified for 47 m.p.g., and both fell well short of that in CR’s tests (37 m.p.g. and 39 m.p.g., respectively). “These two vehicles have the largest discrepancy between our overall-mpg results and the estimates published by the EPA that we’ve seen among any current models,” CR reported at the time it released its test results.

The large discrepancies have left consumers not only confused but reluctant to trust the numbers listed on car-window stickers, prompting some to think it’s time for the EPA ratings and testing systems to change. The problem is especially pronounced with hybrids, the Detroit News reported:

Most vehicles’ real-world gas mileage is less than the EPA sticker number, and can often be 20 percent less than the sticker number depending on speed, temperature and other factors.

With hybrids, however, the gap is much wider — as high as a 30 percent drop, the EPA says. And as the fuel efficiency of hybrids continues to climb, the gap is growing wider between EPA figures and real-world fuel efficiency.

In particular, the fuel efficiency of hybrids is affected by temperature; Consumer Reports’ tests were conducted in Connecticut on fairly cold days, which explains in part why the cars’ m.p.g. averages were so poor. Even so, Edmunds explained why EPA procedures aren’t likely to change anytime soon:

It doesn’t have the budget, equipment or manpower to test the hundreds of individual models with unique engine and transmission combinations that automakers produce each year.

In other words, the “official” EPA rating is a rough estimate that may be far off the mark because of a wide range of factors, but it’s the best we’re going to get. Therefore, drivers really should take that “your mileage will vary” disclaimer on new-car stickers to heart.

It’s probably smart for consumers to consult other drivers for a better idea of real-world mileage. The EPA website has a shared m.p.g. estimates tool where everyday drivers are invited to track their fuel efficiency — and where the Ford C-Max Hybrid is shown to average 39 m.p.g., with various users reporting their vehicles getting anywhere from 31 to 56 m.p.g.

“Honestly assessing your specific situation is the only way to adjust the EPA ratings down — or up — to more accurately reflect the fuel economy you can expect to see once the car or truck is yours,” is the suggestion from Edmunds. “One way to do a reality check on a car’s EPA rating is to deduct 10 percent from it if you consider yourself an aggressive driver. This means someone who routinely exceeds speed limits and hurries away from stop signs and red lights.”

Since cold weather can seriously affect the mileage of hybrids, it could also make a big difference if you’re living in Minnesota or Florida.

A&M Automotive is a trusted auto repair shop in Bellevue, Washington. For more news about the automotive industry, visit this Facebook page.

Winter visibility and safety: Setting your GPS for cold temperatures

Global positioning system (GPS) devices used to be a thing of science fiction. Back then, nobody thought a device could accurately depict where you are located, and reveal a map of your destination before you even get there. But technology advanced, and what used to be myth became possible. Navigation became easier, and travelling to new locales became less of a hassle for motorists.

A&M Automotive Image Credit: blogspot.com

However, even the most advanced technologies bend to factors beyond human control—factors like climate. For an owner, a prominent concern is how a device will react to various weather conditions. After all, a good GPS device acts like your second pair of eyes that are not blinded by factors like smoke, dust, and fog, making it indispensable in environments with reduced visibility.

A&M Automotive Image Credit: coolest-gadgets.com

Depending on the type and the manufacturer, GPS devices demand a particular amount of care. This is typically not the case with built-in GPS systems, as these devices were designed and tested to work in extreme conditions. Other units, such as handheld and in-the-car receivers are best not exposed to low temperature, as this can cause their screens to momentarily cloud up. You may have to wait until the device warms up and the cloud dissolves before you can use it.

While unproven by most manufacturers, many users note that cold temperatures often cause the lithium ion batteries of their GPS units to run out faster. As a precaution, manufacturers advise users to take their GPS units out of the car when not being used.

A&M Automotive Image Credit: blogcdn.com

More importantly, you must remember to have your automobiles checked regularly. Auto repair shops like A&M Automotive in Bellevue, Washington, checks your car’s electronics to make sure that changes in climate do not cause insulations to wear off, among other things. Finely tuned electronic connections are integral to a fully operational GPS system.

For more information, visit AMAutofactoria.com.

Your car's color and the effects of white winter

It may not be the first thing they look at, but car owners mind their vehicle’s color. After all, no red convertible looks good with a faded paint job that lacks sheen. Unfortunately, car paint does not stay glossy forever, especially when exposed to temperature extremes. Winter, for one, poses many threats to car paint -- not good news to car owners who are hard-pressed to keep their rides looking as shiny as brand new.

From prestigeluxuryrentals.com

Weather has always affected the longevity of any material exposed to it. When in extreme cold, car paint usually suffers from thinned wax and weakened enamel. This exposes the car’s metal surface to the elements, potentially worsening the damage. Snow is not as delicate as it is often imagined to be, and, together with sleet, actually does a fine job of leaving scratches on a car’s paint job.

From blogspot.com

In very cold areas, snowfall can be very heavy, making the streets more slippery and hazardous. To remedy this, road salts are often used to de-ice streets. But while it reduces the risk brought about by slippery roads, it greatly causes the car’s paint to degrade and weaken. It can also act as a catalyst for rusting, something car owners would ever want to see in their vehicle.

From carcleaningguru.com

Experts suggest keeping cars in a garage to protect them from weather extremes. Depending on the car’s finish, owners can use products like paint sealants to enhance the longevity of their vehicle’s paint job. It is also best to have the car checked by experts. For example, technicians at A&M Automotive in Bellevue can recommend the proper steps to protect practically any finish in any automobile model.

For more updates, visit AMAutofactoria.com.