Auto Trends

Land Rover

Who would have ever thought that a Land Rover could be quick… but it can! We are talking 0-60 in 6 seconds for the 2007 Range Rover Supercharged, selling at $93,000. The really sad thing, is that for $20,000 less, you can have the Range Rover Sport, which is just 0.1 seconds slower with 390 horsepower instead of the 400 hp. $20,000 for 10 horsepower… come on!

Lexus

Classy, quality built, and some nice 0-60 times available for a few of these models… but you are going to pay for it. The fastest Lexus available is the projected 2009 Lexus LF-A, that will go for $100,000, produce 500 horsepower and travel from 0-60 in 4 seconds.

For the money however, $35,000 will get you a lexus IS 350 with 306 horsepower (Ford Mustang GT territory), a 3.5 liter V-6, and 0-60 in a cool 5.3 seconds.

Lincoln

We certainly don’t hear the word Lincoln and fast pronounced in the same sentence very often, and there is good reason for that. About the fastest you can do in a 2007 Lincoln MKZ is just under 7 seconds in a 0-60 run. Its 263 horsepower V-6 engine is just not enough to lug it through a stoplight much faster than that. But they still look good!

Mercedes

There are more quick Mercedes to choose from today than hamburgers from the menu at McD’s. But you aren’t going to get much faster than the 2007 SLR McLaren 722 Edition, with its V-8 supercharged 5.4 liter engine, pumping out a very respectable 641 horsepower and the capability of 0-60 in just 3.5 seconds. It will cost you close to 500 large though, that’s a 5 and five more zeros.

For your hard earned dollar, the 2007 Mercedes CLK550 Coupe can pull you through 60 at just over 5 seconds, which isn’t too bad. It will cost you around $55,000 to get there however. Price comes with speed for Mercedes. If you want to do a little bit better than the CLK550, then the 2007 Mercedes SLK55 AMG can get you there in 0.2 seconds quicker… but you will also be another 10K poorer.

Mini

You can’t forget about the infamous Mini capable of 0-60 in 6.3 seconds using the John Cooper Works package for the 2007 Cooper S Mini. The Works package boosts the compact Mini up to 218 horsepower from its normal 172. This car actually feels like you are going faster than you are at times… but than can be a good thing!

The 2008 Maybach 62 S is said to be the Most Powerful “Chauffeur-Driven” Sedan in production today and not to mention, one of the most luxurious. Not to be confused with just the Matbach 62, the “S” model stands for a lot more than some nifty cool letter on the fender or trunk, or an extra large exhaust opening…

The “S” stands for big bucks ($480,000 to be exact), a twin-turbocharged 612-horsepower V12 (the same 6-liter engine offered in the Mercedes-Benz CL65, S65 and SL65), 738 pound-feet of torque at 2,000 rpm (which means you can blow away most everything on the road… including the infamous Rolls-Royce Phantom).

The Mayback 62 S is able to haul its 6,281 pounds and 20 stretched feet of luxurious surroundings from zero to 60 mph in under 5.2 seconds… which is amazing! The Maybach even has an extra speedometer hanging from the suede headliner in the passenger compartment to help you count those brisk seconds pass, while you are basking in the spotlight of rock star status.

On the interior side there is also dials for time of day, outside temperature, side curtains, and a 600-watt sound system including a DVD-player, six CD-changer. The stereo is about the only loud noise that a passenger would ever be subjected to, as the Maybach 62 S has sheet after sheet of acoustic insulation, followed by intricate molded seals around the windows and doors. The glass itself is even specially laminated for noise insulation.

The interior has of course its own cooler with an electric compressor, to keep well stocked in refreshments for your excursions. The 62 S also has an intelligent system which holds glasses, goblets and champagne bottles safely in position. It also has the feature of an intelligent glass partition (between the driver and passenger) that can be faded black at the touch of a button for more privacy.

The 62 S has a host of other upgrades from the standard 62, including a different front grille and redesigned rear apron. On the inside passenger seating area, the décor is of black piano lacquer and carbon fiber.

The 2008 Maybach 62 S is destined to put some extra “kewl” back into being filthy rich!

Just when you thought that a Mercedes-Benz SL55 AMG was just about as good as German engineering could get, Henrik Fisker and Bernhard Koehler build one of the world’s greatest hand-crafted two seat, open air, car designs around. It is called the Tramonto and it is built by Fisker Coachbuild.

Fisker and Koehler did not happen by this automotive wonder by accident. They are both design veterans to some of the most renowned car companies around, like BMW, Ford, and Aston Martin.

While the Tramonto keeps some of its finer Mercedes points, such as the power-retractable hardtop and Active Body Control (ABC), it receives just enough upgrades to give it a name all of its very own. One of its finest features of the Tramonto is its upgraded engine.

 Combining a potent supercharger from Kleeman (the world’s leader in supercharger technology) with a 5.5 liter V8; 0-60 mph in just 3.6 seconds becomes the obvious result. The performance goes beyond just the supercharger and includes a custom-made ECU program, redesigned pulley wheel, Super Sport Camshafts, stainless steel exhaust headers, down pipes, and a dual exhaust.

Just how much horsepower is this beast putting down you ask? -Try over 650 lb-ft of torque and 610 horsepower

But the Tremonto is so much more than performance; it is also style. Here is a list of some of its outstanding exterior features:

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  • Fog lights inset with carbon fiber bezels in the lower front spoiler

  • LED indicator integrated into the wire mesh grille design

  • 1,500-degree heat shield on the polished carbon fiber hood surface

  • 3-Dimensional milled aluminum hand painted badges

  • Existing door handles integrated into body design to retain the retractable hard top mechanism

  • Carbon fiber rear diffuser

Interior features:

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  • Hand-stitched leather four-spoke steering wheel

  • Fisker-enhanced shift paddle design

  • Enhanced graphics on instrument panels

  • Contoured sports seats covered in soft quality leather both front and seat back

  • Single piece milled aluminum center console with unique numbering sequence

What is all this going to cost you? -Let’s just say, I wouldn’t even bother to entertain the thoughts of such a car without at least $250,000 in the bank… and if you’re married, make that $500,000…