| es it take to make a luxury car desirable? Is it | | | | open on a rear hinge, allowing the passenger and |
| form, long contoured lines that flow together in a | | | | driver to simply open, swivel inside, and close the |
| sort of blissful metallic harmony? Is it the design | | | | door behind them [the doors close automatically |
| maybe; a shape unlike no other that can be both | | | | once safely inside]. Once inside though, sweeping |
| angular and perfectly round at once. Or is it the | | | | leather interiors and the finest cashmere trim |
| mechanics of the vehicle, all working in unison to | | | | greet you and your passenger. The Phantom is |
| produce a feeling of speed and control that defies | | | | effortless yet gratifying to drive, vitally important |
| logic? It is all of these factors and more that | | | | as most owners would proberably prefer to drive |
| make a luxury car something else-something truly | | | | the Phantom themselves. This car is no slouch in |
| desirable. | | | | the speed department either, reaching a top |
| Firstly, we have the Aston Martin DB9, which is | | | | speed of 240km/h without breaking a sweat. The |
| designed and manufactured in Europe. Aston has | | | | Phantom is truly a modern interpretation of a |
| always been the class leader when it comes to | | | | legend. |
| European car design, beating our BMW and | | | | No article about luxury cars can be complete |
| Mercedes for style and performance. The DB9 | | | | without mentioning the Porsche Carrera GT. |
| was made popular by the new James Bond | | | | Porsche is synonymous with ultra-luxury and the |
| movies. Apart from the beautifully designed | | | | Porsche Carrera GT is Porsche’s magnum |
| aluminium body frame, and the V12 Engine, The | | | | opus. A high speed of 330 km/h can be reached. |
| DB9 has a gear selection system unlike any other. | | | | But despite this ludicrous speed, the Porsche |
| Going beyond tiptronic levers, the DB9 uses a | | | | Carrera GT is perfectly suited for everyday |
| Touchtronic lever where the gear selection is | | | | driving. The engine of the GT was originally used |
| made by pressing on corresponding buttons at | | | | in the racing frame of the Porsche Le Mans racing |
| each side of the wheel- for a manual drive with | | | | cars. Porsche abandoned this concept quickly, but |
| an almost automatic feel. With a top speed of | | | | the engine did not go to waste; its 580hp |
| close to 300km/h per hour, the DB9 is one | | | | strength frame now resides in the silver styled |
| sophisticated ride that cannot be contained. | | | | body of the Carrera GT. The interior style is that |
| When it comes to luxury cars, European design | | | | of a functional ambience, not once compromising |
| seems to be prevalent. Our next entry is the | | | | its true styling- that of an all out F1 race car for |
| Rolls Royce Phantom. Only five years old, but | | | | the road. |
| already a classic that seems destined to impress | | | | Luxury is beyond necessity, and there are but a |
| for decades to come, the Phantom is every bit | | | | few of the cars that define this word. If you |
| the embodiment of the Rolls Royce brand. A | | | | have the means to purchase or drive one of |
| combination of luxury and unfettered design; the | | | | these dream cars, then make it so. Moments like |
| Phantom has all the options and gadgets a | | | | those only come once in a lifetime. |
| potential owner could want. Its coach style doors | | | | |