The North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) 2012, together with MGM Grand Detroit, will once again feature über-luxury and performance vehicles at The Gallery.  Now in its fifth year, this exclusive motoring event will be held at MGM Grand Detroit on Sunday, the 8th January, 2012.

The Gallery will feature some magnificent luxury vehicles from Aston Martin, Bentley, Corvette, Falcon, Ferrari, Jaguar, Lamborghini, Lexus, Lincoln, Lingenfelter, Maserati, Morgan, Porsche, Range Rover, Rolls-Royce, and some of the finest motorcycles. 

Many of the vehicles on display at The Gallery will not be shown at the NAIAS, for example the Aston Martin One-77, Lamborghini Aventador, Rolls Royce Ghost and Jaguar XKR-S will be on display exclusively at The Gallery.

A YouTube promotional video can be viewed at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZ19OgGWZK0&lr=1&feature=mhee).

Audi Q7 3.0 TDI 204PS

Audi has released the details of the new Audi Q7 3.0 V6 TDI 204PS lead-in model that offers you more luxury with more economy. The new Q7 3.0 TDI quattro 204PS model compliments the existing 3.0 TDI quattro 245PS versions and is available in Standard, SE, S line and new S line Plus spcification levels.

The new Audi Q7 3.0 TDI 204PS returns 39.2 combined mpg, has a CO2 emissions figure on 189g/km, reaches 0-62mph in 9.1 seconds and on to a top speed of 127mph where permitted. It combines seven-seat practicality with quattro four-wheel drive plus variable height adaptive air suspension for genuine off-road capability.

While there are four trim levels it is the S line Plus specification that gives you all that you would look for in a luxury 4X4 SUV.  Standard vehicle options on the S line Plus include metallic paint, 21-inch alloy wheels, Verano leather upholstery, privacy glass, hard disc-based navigation with Google Earth mapping, in-car Wi-Fi hotspot, iPod connection, powered tailgate and Audi Parking System Advanced with reversing camera and running boards.

The UK OTR prices are as follows;

• Audi 3.0 TDI 204PS eight-speed tiptronic Standard – £39,995  
• Audi 3.0 TDI 204PS eight-speed tiptronic SE – £42,960
• Audi 3.0 TDI 204PS eight-speed tiptronic S line – £44,620
• Audi 3.0 TDI 204PS eight-speed tiptronic S line Plus £49,120

New Lexus GS 250

Lexus has launched a further extension of its all-new luxury GS saloon car range with their new GS 250 which has just been showcased at the Guangzhou motor show in China. The GS 250 is powered by a 2.5-litre V6 petrol engine with D-4S direct port injection and Dual VVT-i intelligent valve timing. This luxury Lexus saloon car has a maximum 206bhp,  0-62mph time of 8.6 seconds, a top speed of 142mph (where permitted), CO2 emissions of 207g/km and the combined mpg figure is 31.7.

The engine is mated to a Super ECT-i close-ratio intelligent six speed automatic transmission, with a sequential manual shift function and also a Drive Mode Select option. This allows you to change the driving mode of the car to the road conditions, with Eco, Normal and Sport S modes available. If you opt for Adaptive Variable Suspension as an option you then get Sport S+ mode added to the drive mode functions.

The Lexus GS 250 is equipped with the same innovations and safety features as the new Lexus GS 450h and will be launched in the UK in June 2012 alongside its larger sibling. The safety provisions include Lexus’s advanced Pre-Crash Safety system, Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management, Lane Keep Assist, Blind Spot Monitoring and Lexus Night View. Further details and vehicle specifications of the new Lexus GS 250 will be released closer to the launch date.

Bentley Continental GTC

A Bentley Continental GTC was sold over the weekend for £240,000 at a star studded event at the Hilton Hotel in Manchester. The event featured stars like Gary Barlow, Chris Moyles and Sir Terry Wogan with the winning bidder also getting their car hand-delivered by Gary Barlow.

This unique, 195mph bespoke luxury car, will have the woods and leathers for the interior selected to the taste of the lucky bidders, who will also be attending the Bentley factory for a tour. As a finishing touch the Bentley craftsmen will add the signatures of several of the celebrities who attended the event, creating a unique, luxury car that no one else will have.   

Jon Crossley, Managing Director of Bentley Manchester, commented,”Nearly 400 people saw the auction unfold and, as the price kept on rising, the whole place fell silent. To reach £240,000, even for the very latest Bentley which is still making its debut at the Los Angeles Motor Show, just takes your breath away”,

Ultimate luxury

Range Rover will be unveiling the Range Rover Autobiography Ultimate Edition which will be launched to the public at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show in March. This is the most luxurious Range Rover ever built and only 500 models will be made and sold worldwide in over 20 countries.

Luxury interior

This new Range Rover takes levels of luxury for both driver and passengers to a new level with even the load space kitted out with a super yacht inspired teak floor, with metal and leather detailing.

The cabin of the vehicle uses handcrafted soft feel natural leathers and even the rear seats are electrically adjusted. The rear console offers a machined aluminium laptop table and drinks chiller and you get two Apple iPad as standard.

This car is offered in two unique colours, Roussillon Red or Otago Stone and both are available with body coloured door handles, dark atlas radiator grille and side vents. The Ultimate Edition is kitted out with new 20-inch multi-spoke diamond-turned alloy wheels plus you also have the option of an Exterior Pack.

The V8 Engine line-up consists of a superb new 4.4-litre LR-TDV8 Diesel with eight-speed transmission incorporating Drive Select and Paddle Shift as standard, which offers you 30.1 combined mpg and a 0-60 time of 7.5 seconds. Or there is the LR-V8 5.0-litre supercharged engine which takes you from 0-60 in only 5.9 seconds, which is pretty quick for a vehicle of this size. Finally, both models come with Land Rover’s award-winning Terrain Response system, with five different settings to suit different terrains, including new Hill Start Assist and Gradient Acceleration Control.

New car registrations fell by 11.5% in January to 128,811 units which was in line with the SMMT (Society of Motor Manufacturer’s and Traders) expectations. Interestingly the market share for cars with a CO2 figure of less than 100g/km increased again by 65% . Average new car CO2 emissions were 141.5g/km which compares favourably to the figure in 2010, which was 144.2g/km.

Paul Everitt, SMMT Chief Executive commented,”New car registrations fell by 11.5% in January. This is in line with SMMT forecasts and marks the beginning of a challenging year for the UK motor industry. Consumer confidence is low and it is important that government uses the March budget to help relieve some of the financial pressure on motorists by freezing fuel duty,while providing stability and certainty on motoring taxes. Despite the challenging conditions, the demand for low CO2 emitting and highly fuel efficient cars continues to grow”.

Some other interesting facts;

• In terms of market sector, Private Registrations were down by 20.8% to 51,570, Fleet (25+fleets) is down by 3.1% to 70,448 and the Business sector (under 25 fleets) fell by 11.1% to  6,793.
• Diesel new car registrations continued to grow with 65,079 vehicles registered, an increase of 8.3% year on year.
• Petrol cars fell by 25.9% (61,932 units) and AFVs (alternatively fuelled vehicles) by 2.4% (1,800 vehicles).
• The top selling car in the UK was the Ford Focus, followed by the Ford Fiesta and then the Vauxhall Astra.
• Demand for the mini and supermini segments fell (following the loss of the Scrappage Incentive Scheme) however demand for executive, luxury, MPV and dual purpose segments cars recovered strongly.

Further details can be found at the SMMT website.

Aston Martin Cygnet

The new Aston Martin Cygnet luxury city car is now on display at Harrods, the world famous department store, until the Saturday the 11th of December. The car has a prominent window display in the Brompton Road and this is an ideal spot to show of this luxury car.

The Aston Martin Cygnet will go into production in 2011 and it will be the eighth major production car that Aston Martin has introduced since 2004 at its state-of-the-art facility at Gaydon, in Warwickshire. The Cygnet is ideal for urban use and is light, compact and fuel efficient yet can still carry up to four people.

Infiniti M

Infiniti, the luxury Japanese car manufacturer, has announced the details of their Infiniti M line saloon. Powered by V6 petrol and diesel engines, plus a petrol/electric  V6 hybrid model later, this car is set to challenge BMW and Mercedes-Benz.

The rear-wheel drive saloon also offers a four-wheel active setting plus Blind Spot Intervention system, Active Noise Control, Infiniti Drive Selector with Eco and Sport mode options, standard seven-speed automatic transmission with Downshift Rev Matching ,”Forest Air” climate control and a Connectiviti+ infotainmemt system with Michelin Guide. The Infiniti M will be out next year in September 2010.

Kia Cadenza

Kia Motors Corporation has released the first image of its new stylish saloon,the Cadenza. This all-new luxury saloon will make its debut at motor shows across the Middle East towards the end of this year.

The Cadenza has a bold headlamp design with LED surrounds plus a prominent grille and attractive tail-lights. Luxury features include heated steering wheel, power extendable seat cushions, automated defogging of the windscreen and ventilated front seats to cool you down on a hot day.

Currently Kia has no plans to bring this car into the UK, but the model shows that Kia is developing its design-led philosophy across all parts of the globe. Next year Kia will be launching the Venga and all-new Sorento.

Infiniti M35 Hybrid

Infiniti, the luxury Japanese car manufacturer has confirmed they will be launching a new Hybrid vehicle as part of their M range of performance sedans.

The car will go on sale in the Spring of 2010, depending on the market, and the M35 Hybrid will be the cleanest and greenest car in its history. Deliveries will be in 2011 however.

Powered by a V6 engine, Infiniti is promising the CO2 emissions of the M35 Hybrid will be that of a much smaller car.