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LONG ISLAND LIVING:  Targeting Tesla

3/7/2018

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PicturePhoto: Tesla
By David Fluhrer
Whether you’re a dedicated environmentalist or just an electric car freak, the new Tesla Model 3 sedan may be your holy grail. 
 
At $35,000 for starters, it’s a sinuous ride fit for the country club.  It hits 60 in 5.6 seconds, close to a Porsche Panamera, and goes 220 to 310 miles on a charge.  It can be stuffed with autonomous driving and other hot technologies.  But it’s trés cool, with around 400,000 buyers plunking down thousand-dollar deposits.  And it comes with a huge target on its trunk.
 
Coming for Tesla
You see, the major automakers, titans of a nearly $2 trillion global industry, have awakened.  They’re coming for Tesla to feed on its success in creating a viable market for battery electric cars, or BEVs.  Venerable luxury brands from Audi to Volvo are revealing BEV concepts and urgent plans for Tesla-targeted models that could amp up driving for Long Islanders in the next decade.  “General Motors believes in an all-electric future,” says VP Mark Reuss, a sentiment shared by many industry peers.
 
At GM, Cadillac contemplates a BEV while fielding a plug-in hybrid CT6 sedan with “Super Cruise,” a Tesla-competitive autonomous driving option.  BMW plans multiple BEVs: a 2019 MINI, a 2020 X3 SUV and an all-new “technology flagship,” the 2021 iNext, which the company says “will combine electro-mobility with autonomous driving and new interior connectivity options for the first time in a series-production model.” 
 
Lexus Skips Hybrids
Lexus may skip gas-electric hybrids and go straight to BEVs and hydrogen fuel-cell models.  Its recently unveiled LF-1 Limitless crossover concept is a futuristic, electron-laden baby that could reach Long Island garages before 2025.  “We haven’t announced which Lexus products will offer electric drivetrains,” says spokesman Ed Hellwig, “but the overall market is clearly moving away from sedans in favor of crossover vehicles.”
 
Mercedes-Benz’s BEV ambitions start with the 2019 EQ SUV, now in pre-production with a 300-mile range and autonomous driving.  Porsche’s Mission E also arrives next year, says spokesman Christian Koenig, and is prepped to go 300 miles and recharge up to 80 percent in 15 minutes.
 
Model 3's Minuses
Pressure on Tesla comes from the Model 3’s minuses as much as its benefits.  MSRP reaches up to $60,000 with the most desired options and anything beyond black paint.  It’s a sedan amid the market shift to SUVs and crossovers.  The interior, except for the tablet housing most driver controls, differs little from one in an upmarket Honda Accord.  And with 2017 output way below expectations (described by founder Elon Musk as “production hell”),  depositors have waited patiently a year or more as competitors boast of superior manufacturing and dealer capabilities.  Tesla declined to respond, with the company’s Kristina Skinner saying it “does not often accommodate requests for on-the-record interviews.”
 
But before you claw back your Model 3 money, be forewarned that you’ll lose a lot of style with the current mundane alternatives, such as BMW’s i3 (205-mile maximum range), Chevrolet’s Bolt (238) and the Nissan Leaf (150).   Later this year, Jaguar targets Tesla with its racier 2018 I-PACE SUV.  With a 220-mile range and an 80-percent recharge in 90 minutes, it will likely cost you twenty grand more a loaded Model 3.   “At its core, Jaguar is about sexy, sporty, well-performing cars,” says spokesman Nathan Hoyt.  “Our new I-PACE will have more than 500-lb. ft. of torque, be capable of 0-60-mile-per-hour times in the four-second area and with so much of its mass down low, courtesy of the batteries, will handle like our owners expect.”   
 
Overwhelming Choices
What you can also expect over the next 10 years is that you’ll have a good chance of cruising the LIE in all-electric style, with the choices overwhelming.  The only question to ask yourself today is how long you’re willing to wait.
 
This column first appeared in the Spring 2018 issue of Long Island Living magazine.  Read the published story here.

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LUXURY LIVING: Classic Car Auctions -- The Latest Sport

1/31/2018

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PicturePhoto: Mecum
By David Fluhrer
 
“SOLD! SOLD! SOLD!” yells the “ringman,” or bidder’s assistant, as the hammer drops and he wades from the audience, fist-pumping the air.  It’s just another day for Mecum, the world’s largest collector car auctioneer.
 
When the dust settles, Mecum Auction Company will have finished 2017 with over 15,000 vehicles crossing its block.  The auctions are big business and one of America’s newest spectator sports, thanks to robust classic car values and a flood of televised automotive programming.  “I like watching a car auction more than a football game or any other sport,” says Bay Shore attorney Stephen Siben, who’s bought most of his two dozen classics at auction.
 
Rock-'em, Sock-'em Entertainment
Beyond Mecum, powerhouses Barrett-Jackson Auction Company and Russo and Steele offer gobs of rock-‘em, sock-’em entertainment and  thousands of cool rides hammering from $5,000 to $5 million or more.  “We’re American tobacco-style auctions, so it’s very loud, very fast and very exciting,” says Mecum CEO Dave Magers.  Adds Barrett-Jackson CEO Craig Jackson: “It’s great fun.  Barrett-Jackson brings a festival, a party, and it’s a destination.”
 
To keep calm and bid on, your cup of tea might be the more reserved Bonhams, Gooding & Co. or RM Sotheby’s, where you’re greeted with aplomb and frequently a British accent.  “Auctions have a habit of bringing fresh, long-term-owned and special cars to the market, often providing buyers with unrepeatable opportunities,” says Bonhams vice president Rupert Banner.  One such opportunity: Bonhams’ 2014 sale of a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO for a record-shattering $38.1 million. 
 
In 2017, key U.S. auction venues in Arizona, California and Florida produced over $800 million in sales.  Barrett-Jackson drew 350,000 people in Arizona alone.  Other auctions, large and small, dot the country year-round.  While the northeast isn’t an auction hotbed, Jackson vows a 2018 return to Connecticut’s Mohegan Sun resort after two successful events there, thanks to location advice from Long Island auto dealer and collector John Staluppi. 
 
Experts Offer Advice
If you have assets for a rare classic, the experts have advice.  Do your homework on a model you love.  Observe your first auction without bidding.  Educate yourself through auction companies’ symposia, web sites or publications.  Have an expert vet your car, and even bid on your behalf.  Purchase for passion, not profit.  And bid only after most others quit.  “It never made any sense to me to bid early on a car because you’re just bidding against yourself,” says East Hills collector Howard Kroplick, who’s bid for four of five rare rides. 

“If you really don’t have the knowledge, hire the knowledge,” adds Connecticut dealer, consultant and restorer Wayne Carini, star of Velocity Channel’s popular “Chasing Classic Cars” TV series.  “And the worst thing to do is drink at an auction because you get real loose and your hand flies up in the air very easily.”  Veteran Smithtown appraiser Steve Linden recommends auctions if a car is unique or a discounted price allows for the inevitable surprise repairs. 
 
Today’s hottest rides include European exotics and vintage racers, such as a record-setting $22.55 million 1956 Aston Martin DBR1 roadster sold at Monterey.  Younger buyers, says Jackson, like 1970s-1990s cars and wildly popular “resto-mods” restored with classic looks and modified with newer technology.
 
New Demographics
With fewer younger car enthusiasts and the prospect of autonomous vehicles, the market’s adapting to new demographics and periodic bumps.  “You’ve got a whole generation that’s grown up watching us and you’re got to sort of pay attention to what they want, not what we think we want to give them,” says Jackson.  Carini’s take: “Art will always be there and classic cars are art. Everything’s going to be just fine.”

This column first appeared in the Winter 2017 issue of Luxury Living magazine.  Read the published column here.


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LUXURY LIVING: Preserving Automotive DNA

1/31/2018

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PicturePhoto: Bentley Motors Ltd.
By David Fluhrer

At BMW, Ferrari, Jaguar and other luxury brands, today’s designers and engineers work overtime to preserve legendary traits that made their cars famous.  Think of them as automotive geneticists pushing forward with historic design and performance DNA against a modern world rocked by shrinking engines, foreign ownership, and a shift to SUVs and electrification.  Add to that the rise of (gasp!) autonomous vehicles poised to cancel out the driving experience altogether.  It’s a tug-of-war between evolution and revolution, played out primarily by top European automakers in business for up to a century or more.  
 
Laser-Focused on Elegance
Rolls-Royce, now German-owned,  stays laser-focused on elegance and exclusivity as it preps for driverless cars. Bentley, also German, combines 1950s British grace with high-tech performance.  Ferrari and Lamborghini maximize Italian racing heritage even as they flirt with electric motors.  BMW strives for its historic ride-handling formula as its audience clamors for more luxury.  And in a hyper-competitive market, Mercedes-Benz still stands out for advanced technology, solidity and safety.  “Many pioneering technical innovations that are standard today made their debut in a Mercedes-Benz,” says spokesman Rob Moran. 
 
At age 95 and now owned by India’s Tata Motors, Jaguar still adheres to its founding creed even with plans to electrify all models by 2020.   “Historically speaking, Jaguar founder Sir William Lyons had a slogan that every Jaguar must have three things: grace, pace and space,” says spokesman Nathan Hoyt.  “That maxim is as true today as it was in the 1940s and ‘50s.  The DNA absolutely remains the same, but the product has evolved to meet modern safety and performance expectations.”
 
Jaguar customers have appreciated “a car that has a smooth and luxurious ride, while maintaining accurate, race-car-like handling,” says Tony Anton, involved with the brand since 1982 and now general manager of the Jaguar Great Neck and Jaguar Land Rover Freeport dealerships on New York's Long Island.  “If I drive a 1975, an ’85, or a 2005 or 2017 Jaguar, they all have the same characteristics and feel.”
 
DNA Reigns Supreme at Porsche
DNA also reigns supreme at Porsche, which fuels its 70-year sports car addiction with lucrative sales of racy SUVs, crossovers and sedans.   “The 911 itself is our iconic sports car,” says Sam Gadkar, certified brand ambassador at Porsche Roslyn in New York.  “The shape of the car is paramount.  We’ve had the same shape of the 911 since 1951.  These traditions are very important with Porsche, where form and design always follow function.”
 
Rolls-Royce’s futuristic VISION NEXT 100 “luxury mobility” plan combines its legacy of bespoke elegance and craftsmanship with anticipation of autonomous cars. Tension between new and old is evident in the company’s massive “Vision Vehicle” concept.  This galactic ride merges Batmobile looks with two longstanding Rolls traditions: a hushed interior (dubbed “The Grand Sanctuary”) and a presence that makes itself known immediately (“The Grand Arrival”).  In other nods to history, the concept’s traditional upright grille is topped by a Spirit of Ecstasy hood ornament first seen in 1911.
 
Bow to Tradition
With design so important to automotive evolution, you’ll see the same bow to tradition in other luxury brands.  Cadillac’s current taillights are grounded in the aircraft-style upright fins of its 1948 models.  BMW’s ubiquitous twin-kidney grilles date to the 1930s.  The Mercedes-Maybach Vision 6 Concept invokes the silhouette of a pre-World War II Mercedes touring car.   And Bentley’s new Continental GT bears a strong family resemblance to its elegant 1952 Mulliner R-Type Continental coupe. 
                                                                                                                                      
So, as the automotive world rocks and roils toward an unpredictable future, one thing is certain:  the luxury automakers won’t abandon their illustrious histories anytime soon.  As the French would say, "Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose."

This column first appeared in the Winter 2017 issue of Luxury Living magazine.  Read the published column here.


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LUXURY LIVING: Automotive Luxury Gets Highly Personal

1/31/2018

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PicturePhoto: Automobili Lamborghini
By David Fluhrer
 
“Never follow the crowd.”
                                                                 – Bernard Baruch
 
In a world where everything from the coffee you drink to the news you read is now a deeply personal choice, it was inevitable that auto makers would give you the chance to personalize your luxury car down to the smallest detail.  And why not? 
 
For years, critics have complained that modern rides look alike.  Country club valets scratch their heads among a sea of standard-issue luxury sedans that can only be told apart with the press of a key fob.  Well-heeled trendsetters yearn to satisfy a craving for self-expression in their automobiles, just as they’ve done in other facets of life.      
 
“Luxury is no longer just about high quality, performance and design, but is evolving towards the search for exclusivity, which is expressed by means of customization,” says Lamborghini CEO Stefano Domenicali. 
 
Manufacturers Happy to Oblige
And the manufacturers are happy to oblige.  Rolls-Royce sits at the pinnacle with its Bespoke and Black Label customization programs, as does Bentley’s Mulliner.  They’ll design a car that’s fit for a maharajah or a hip hop mogul.  Imagine a hand painted silk headliner, a custom fly-fishing compartment or even a unique gemstone or clock set in a dashboard fashioned of the rarest woods. 
 
The market broadens with the Exclusive programs from Audi and Porsche, Individual from BMW, Designo from Mercedes-Benz, and SVR from Jaguar Land Rover.  All will attempt to satisfy your every desire with the finest custom paints, leathers and interior finishes not found on standard models.  “We have had everything from matching the label color of a customer’s favorite single malt to matching a lipstick color,” says Audi of America’s Mark Dahncke.  “We have seen it all.”
 
5% Use BMW's Individual Program
General Sales Manager Gabe Haim at Rallye BMW in Roslyn, New York says about five percent of customers use its Individual program.  “The paint process is a much more in-depth paint process,” he says.  “The leather is a much higher-quality leather.  They’re gorgeous.”  Special-order buyers can even ask for their BMWs in colors from other manufacturers, such as Audi’s Nardo Grey, Ferrari’s Rosso Corsa and Lamborghini’s Grigio Telesto.
 
Bespoke offerings from supercar makers include Ferrari’s Atelier, Tailor-Made and One-Off, as well as Aston Martin’s Q and Lamborghini’s Ad Personam.  Choose a Lambo and you’ll whisk yourself to the company’s headquarters in Sant’Agata Bolognese, near the epicenter of sexy Italian sports cars and fine cuisine. After a factory tour, you’ll sit with studio designers to scope out your new Aventador or Huracán and perhaps some matching luggage or apparel. 
 
Americans Put Toe in the Water
Personalization is still a toe-in-the-water affair for American brands.  Lincoln’s Black Label helps you choose from several design packages after an in-home consultation on tastes and preferences.  Cadillac offers individual, “off-the-menu” touches, such as factory-sanctioned sport exhaust systems or special blacked-out trim, wheels and grilles.  “Maybe 10 to 15 percent of our customers ask for this, and that would be mostly on our flagship, which is the Escalade,” says Anthony Ciuffo, General Manager of North Bay Cadillac Buick GMC in Great Neck, New York.  But he cautions few of his buyers would wait extra weeks for anything more. 
 
Owners would often wait months or more for their cars back in the first golden age of customization in the early 20th century.  The wealthy and the Hollywood elite shipped factory engines and chassis to custom coachbuilders in the U.S. or Europe, where skilled artisans crafted elegant bodies and interiors.  The practice declined sharply in the Great Depression as Americans downplayed their wealth and designers either retreated or went belly-up.
 
Customizers Roaring Back
Today, top-end customizers are roaring back, this time in factory guise.     All you have to do is walk through the showroom doors and describe the car that is truly you.  For dealers and designers alike, your wish is their command. 

This column first appeared in the Fall 2017 issue of Luxury Living magazine.  View the published column here.


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NEWSDAY:  More than 600 Classic Car Columns since 2008

1/31/2018

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Picture
Since 2008,  Driveway Media LLC and David Fluhrer have produced over 600 weekly classic car columns for Newsday with lasting, universal appeal and always on deadline. 

All are currently available for licensing to your media outlet.

Newsday is one of the nation's largest daily newspapers, with a readership of over 900,000 daily. The newspaper uses these columns to attract thousands of readers to its weekly automotive advertising section, which is a prime revenue generator for the company.

We focus on a broad range of unusual cars, trucks, motorcycles and their owners.  See a sampling of recent columns here and learn more about their production here.

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LUXURY LIVING: Aston Martin Keeps Calm & Races On

6/28/2017

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PicturePhoto: Aston Martin Lagonda Ltd.
By David Fluhrer
When it comes to carmakers, Aston Martin is a study in contrasts. 
 
Its fantastic machines are a cross between “Downton Abbey” and “Need for Speed,” able to exude understated British elegance and handle a dangerous curve. 
 
Its prosperous buyers spend up to $310,000 per car before options with a manufacturer that’s been insolvent seven times since its 1913 founding.
 
Its winged badge, a global symbol, has only graced an average of 770 new cars a year, equivalent to Toyota’s output for 40 minutes.
 
CEO Boosts Production, Lifestyle Offerings
And now, CEO Andy Palmer is boosting production to a maximum 7,000 cars annually.  But he also wants you to share Aston Martin’s “lifestyle” of luxury yachts, travel and real estate, with car ownership optional.  “We’re a luxury brand; we’re not just a car company,” says Aston spokesman Matthew Clarke of the newer ventures.  “They expose our brand to a greater number of people, which is very important.”
 
So, with dreams of expansion, this quintessentially British enterprise keeps calm and races on, crafting some of the planet’s most desirable performance vehicles as its vaunted name hurtles into uncharted territory.   
 
Cars Still Front and Center
Yet the cars are still front and center.  “It’s beauty, styling, exclusivity,” says Aston Martin Sales Manager Cyndi Koppelman of Connecticut’s Miller Motorcars.  “It’s understated elegance.”
 
So coveted are Astons that 90% still exist.  Rusty examples can sell into the six figures.  Pristine ‘50s and ‘60s models routinely change hands in the millions. 
 
“It really created a brand of both luxury and speed and I think that’s transferred quite well” to the newer cars, says Connecticut Aston expert Kent Bain of Automotive Restorations, Inc. While newer versions retain vintage DNA, they yield not one meter to competitors in terms of craftsmanship and performance. 
 
‘Q’ Bespoke Creates Any Configuration
Imagine body lines of liquid aluminum and hyperkinetic paints in “Cinnabar Orange” or “Frosted Glass Blue.”  Appreciate the redolent leathers that appear to be poured over futuristic seats.  And if your imagination and wallet permit, you can summon Aston’s “Q” bespoke designers to create any configuration.  “’Q’ gives us the opportunity to never say no to a client,” says Koppelman.
 
There’s a new model planned every nine months through 2020, including a crossover and electric, but Astonistas currently drool over the DB11, a 600-horsepower V-12 coupe reaching 200 miles an hour.  AerobladeTM technology moves air through the body so the car stays planted firmly without a rear spoiler.  Exotic design themes range from the sprightly “Shanghai Fashionista” to the brooding “Mysterious Sport.”
 
James Bond to the Rescue
But there’s nothing mysterious about why Aston survives.  “It’s James Bond, man,” says marque expert Tom Papadopoulos of Long Island’s Autosport Designs.  The brand took off after fictional British agent Bond and his gadget-laden DB5 starred in the 1964 film, “Goldfinger.” Astons were featured in nine more Bond films through 2015. 
 
Credit also goes to the late Sir David Brown (the “DB” of current models), who rescued the company in 1947 with advanced style and engineering, and a successful racing program.  And it didn’t hurt when, in 2011, Britain’s Prince William and his new bride took a drive in his father’s DB6, powered by fuel made from “wine wastage.”
 
Owners Club Breaks Stereotype
But if you can’t join the royals, you can still hoist a pint with Aston Martin Owners Club members, whose North America East division numbers 400.  Last fall, Autosport’s Papadopoulos hosted several dozen for a Long Island foliage tour. “People are very friendly, very open,” says division chairman Bob Welch.  “It breaks the stereotype that these are posh people who are full of themselves.” 
 
In the meantime, Aston observers are having a chin wag as to whether the brand can be extended and still retain its connection to these legendary, hand-built cars.  “As long as the brand stays strong,” says Papadopoulos, “the heritage will never go away.”

This column first appeared in Luxury Living magazine's Spring 2017 issue.


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LUXURY LIVING: The Future is Electric

6/28/2017

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PicturePhoto: Rimac Automobili
By David Fluhrer
When Vermonter Thomas Davenport patented his electric motor in 1837, he never expected it to one day rocket his descendants down the road at 200 miles an hour . . . or more. 
 
Yet that’s one performance target for a new breed of all-electric or gas-electric hybrid luxury and sports cars to hit the market by the end of the decade.  They’re stylish, brash and, yes, still green when it comes to shrinking carbon emissions.  But they also promise lightning acceleration, blistering speed and precise handling to shock their fossil-powered cousins.  All of a sudden, going green is red-hot.
 
Fighting Climate Change
They’re coming to fight the evils of climate change, but they stand out for their amazing torque that pins you back in your seat.  Traditional gas-powered drivetrains need to spool up to highway speeds, while an electric motor makes the transformation almost instantaneous and the acceleration, well, electrifying. “Electric drive is a double blessing,” states Porsche.  “It will enable Porsche to meet stricter fuel consumption and emission standards in the future. At the same time, it improves vehicle performance considerably.”
 
With advancing battery technology, these rides aim to cruise 400 miles or more.  Yet they’ll be anything but nerdy.  They promise 22nd century styling and every variety of automotive posh. They could make even the current expanding crop of luxury hybrids and plug-in hybrids from Audi to Volvo look downright ancient by comparison.  
 
Slim Pickings for Electrics
While the luxury hybrid market grows, current pickings are still slim for high-end electrics.  So all eyes are on Tesla, whose Model S sedan and Model X crossover cruise up to 315 miles and cost $73,800 to $138,800 before options and tax incentives.  Motor Trend magazine goosed one Model S to 60 in 2.28 seconds, a world production car record.  If that’s not enough, founder Elon Musk promises an even more thrilling “next gen Roadster, which is a few years away.”
 
BMW says up to a quarter of its vehicles will be plug-in hybrid or all-electric by 2025.  “The drivetrain mix will ultimately be decided by the customer,” says spokesperson Rebecca Kiehne.  Mercedes-Benz plans a dedicated electric lineup and has previewed the Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6, an ultra-luxury coupe concept with a “360-degree lounge” interior and four electric motors pumping out 750 horsepower.  Jaguar launches the electric I-PACE SUV late next year.  Porsche plans the 600-horsepower Mission E sedan, requiring only a 15-minute charge to recoup 80% of its 300-mile range. 
 
Hybrid Hypercars
For now, hypercar marques, such as Bugatti, Ferrari, Lamborghini and McLaren, are sticking with gas-electric hybrids that won’t bat an eyelash at 1,000 horsepower or more.  “McLaren has announced that over 50% of the lineup will be hybrid by 2022,” says spokesman John Paolo Canton. “It is partially driven by emissions regulations and partially driven by performance possibilities.”  Ferrari is reportedly going all-hybrid by 2019, but is apparently shunning pure electrics.
 
At the fringes are names such as Faraday Future, Fisker, NIO and Rimac.  One ambitious Tesla-fighter is Silicon Valley’s Lucid Motors, whose Lucid Air futuristic sedan due in 2019 will start at $52,500, but reach six figures with the optional 1,000 horsepower and 400-mile range.  “It’s taking the electric car -- the car per se -- to a whole new level,” says Peter Rawlinson, Lucid’s chief technical officer as he touts the spacious “executive jet” interior. One cool feature: Lucid’s front headlight bar with 9,700 micro-lenses that mimic the eyes of a fly.
 
As politicians squabble over environmental policy and the upstarts check their bank accounts, it’s hard to say exactly what the green car landscape will look like in a few years.  Right now, automakers large and small remain optimistic.  For them, the future is electric.

​This column first appeared in Luxury Living magazine's Summer 2017 issue.  See the published column here.



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LUXURY LIVING:  Luxury SUVs can be Wonderful

6/28/2017

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PicturePhoto: Bentley Motors Ltd.
By David Fluhrer
When 20th century screen siren Mae West said “too much of a good thing can be wonderful,” she could have been talking about the white-hot market for luxury sport utility vehicles and crossovers. 
 
That’s because prosperous Americans are shedding their sport sedans and flocking to the
beefy, versatile rides known as SUVs and CUVs.  And 16 luxury brands – from Acura to Volvo -- are responding in kind with close to 200 different models, including first-time contenders from Bentley, Jaguar, Maserati and Tesla.
 
Record SUV/CUV Volumes
“We continue to see the SUV/CUV segment reaching record registration volumes in the U.S. market,” says Tom Libby of industry analysts IHS Automotive. Owners of full-sized luxury SUVs are the most loyal repeat buyers.  And IHS believes the trend won’t cool down, even with gas prices up.
 
Today’s buyer usually expects an SUV/crossover to seat 5 to 8 people with cargo, deliver off-road capability via power to all wheels, and ride higher than a car, even though it should drive like one.  The last two attributes are top priorities for well-off Long Islanders, says David Perricone, general sales manager of King O’Rourke Cadillac Buick GMC in Smithtown, New York.  “If you’re in a sedan or a coupe and you’re driving behind a sport utility, your visibility is limited,” he says.  “So a lot of women, in particular, want the height of an SUV.”  Adds Oliver Brodlieb, owner of East Hills Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram in Greenvale, New York: “People want the capabilities of an SUV and they don’t want to compromise on the way it sits, handles or drives.”
 
Added Prestige, Power, Handling
To meet those priorities, luxury models add more prestige, power and handling, as well as the latest safe-driver-assist and “infotainment” technology.  Oh, and let’s not forget the bling, of which there’s plenty.  Think supple leathers, exotic woods, metal trim that could pass for jewelry, and even an Orrefors crystal shift lever on Volvo’s XC90.  Entry to this elite group starts around $35,000 and maxes out with Bentley’s Bentayga nearing $300,000.
 
Britain’s Range Rover has been a benchmark for its cachet, elegance and strong off-road performance. But a host of serious European and Asian challengers, such as Mercedes-Benz and Lexus, are clawing their way up the summit from all directions.  And let’s not discount iconic American brands Cadillac, Jeep and Lincoln.  Perricone says Cadillac’s new XT5 is luring traditional import buyers, as are Jeep’s Grand Cherokee Limited and Summit models, according to Brodlieb. Both anticipate an expanded luxury SUV lineup.
 
Lovers of hot cars with a family to transport can take cool comfort in Porsche’s lower-slung Cayenne and Macan or the newer Jaguar F-Pace and Maserati Levante.   Jaguar calls the F-Pace “the ultimate practical Jaguar sports car,” a theme echoed by Tony Anton, general manager of Jaguar Great Neck in New York.  “It’s the only SUV that I’ve ever experienced that drives like a Jaguar,” he says.  The new Levante also trades on its sporting heritage and features an aromatic leather interior, plus a silk upholstery option by Ermenegildo Zegna.
 
Bentley Bentayga is Fastest
Volkwagen Group’s Bentley claims its 187-mile-per-hour Bentayga is “the fastest, most powerful, most luxurious and most exclusive SUV in the world.”  But if you need to get to your club a little quicker – and greener – you’ll opt for Tesla’s electric Model X, which hits 60 in as little as 3.2 seconds and cruises up to 257 miles on a single charge. Your golfing buddies will get a kick out of the upward-opening “Falcon Wing” doors.
 
In this engorged market, luxury brands differentiate themselves with bells and whistles that ultimately find their way to mass-market SUVs.  Audi’s Q7 “virtual cockpit” is an all-digital dashboard putting every key function directly in front of the driver.  The XT5 mounts a roof camera with a video feed through the rear-view mirror.  The Bentayga offers portable touch-screen tablets to control entertainment and other systems.
 
BMW touts Sports Activity Vehicles
BMW distinguishes itself by labeling its 23 “X” models as sports activity vehicles, or SAVs, because, it says, “the world is full of possibilities.”  And perhaps that’s what luxury SUVs and crossovers are all about.  You can use yours to haul the kids off to college, climb a mountain, or tailgate at Giants Stadium.  At the end of the day, you’ll slip into a gown or tux for a hushed cruise to the charity ball.  Whatever the function, these upscale rides can do it all and do it well.  They’ll take you anywhere you want to go in high style.

This column first appeared in Luxury Living magazine's Fall 2016 issue.



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LUXURY LIVING:  The Ragtop is Here to Stay

6/28/2017

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PicturePhoto: Bentley Motors Ltd.
By David Fluhrer
Forty years ago, they declared the convertible dead. 
 
News reports lamented the last American convertible as U.S. consumers chose the safety, security and comfort of closed cars.
 
But the exhilaration and prestige of top-down motoring were irresistible.  So fast-forward four decades and the convertible is alive and well.  Today’s “ragtop” buyers gravitate to luxury brands as mass-market customers seek more practical SUVs or crossovers.  And the Germans have taken the lead, with Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz offering affluent Long Islanders over three dozen convertible choices. 
 
All-Season Rides
Current luxury drop-tops are usually all-season rides, combining a wind-in-the-hair experience with the bells and whistles of sedans or coupes.  “You can get all the same features as the regular sedans,” says brand specialist Ed Lumer of Atlantic Audi West Islip in New York.  “But when people are looking for a convertible, they also want a fun car.”  Along with the fun, you get plenty of power, handling and crash protection, as well as folding metal roofs, all-wheel drive and the latest technology.  “It’s 2016 and everyone wants more,” says James McCarthy, general manager of Habberstad BMW in Huntington and Bay Shore, New York.  “Buyers want everything you can get in one car.”
 
Premium convertibles slot into three categories:  two-seat roadsters, exclusive and exotic models, or the luxury four-seaters often seen in valet parking lots of trendy area restaurants.  And like a good bowl of chili, you can order them mild, medium or hot.
 
Roadsters for Street or Track
Roadsters are often at home on the street or track.  Think Audi’s TT, BMW’s Z4, Chevrolet’s Corvette and Mercedes’ SL and SLC, along with serious contenders from Alfa Romeo, Jaguar and Porsche. Even the performance-oriented Corvette now features sumptuous interiors to lure buyers from competing brands, according to Mike Cortigino, sales consultant at Atlantic Chevrolet Cadillac in Bay Shore, New York. “I’ve pulled so many people out of Porsches that I’ve lost count,” he says.
 
Buyers wanting exclusive or exotic rides turn to Aston Martin, Bentley, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati and Rolls-Royce.   The entry fee usually starts around $150,000 and escalates swiftly from there.  Plunk down a cool half million on a Rolls Drophead and you’ll luxuriate on blemish-free leather hides from cattle raised high in the Bavarian Alps, far above nipping mosquitos.
 
Sweet Spot: the Four-Seater
But for many prosperous Long Islanders, the sweet spot is the four-seat convertible serving as prestigious family transportation to the country club or summer home.  German brands dominate this segment starting around $40,000, although industry observers expect Japan’s Infiniti and Lexus to return soon with new offerings. 
 
Audi hits the road with the entry-level A3 and up-market A5 and S5 – with features such as upgraded sound systems, torso-hugging sport seats and a sublime, multi-layer acoustic canvas top that rises in 17 seconds.   Atlantic Audi general manager Thabiti Lee says the A5/S5 attracts well-off buyers of all tastes.  “With the all-wheel drive,” he says, “it’s a car you can drive in winter.  And for other people, it’s just a summer car.” 
 
BMW offers a broad range of 17 models in three different series, with cloth or metal roofs and horsepower topping out at 560.  The 4 Series “is definitely the most popular convertible we sell,” says Habberstad’s McCarthy.  Ragtop buyers can also choose the smaller 2 Series or the larger 6 Series, a confident $84,000 autobahn cruiser that gives drivers a “king of the road” feel.
 
Mercedes adds Two New Models
For 2017, Mercedes complements its roadsters and E-class convertible with two new four-seaters.  The smaller C-class features a new nine-speed transmission, while the S-class is the brand’s first full-sized soft-top since 1971, adding all-wheel drive and up to 621 horsepower. “The C-class should be a great car for us to slot under the E convertible,” says Mercedes-Benz of Huntington’s owner-operator Jim Buzzetta.  “When a car is less expensive, it gives us a broader base to sell it to younger people.”  He’ll use the S to compete against the ultra-luxury Bentley Continental GT. 
 
What makes a top-down drive so alluring?  “The convertibles are kind of the style- and the image-makers,” says Buzzetta.  “They’re trend-setting . . . the iconic vehicles.”  For older Corvette buyers, “it’s rewarding their success,” says Atlantic’s Cortigino.
 
Perhaps it’s also the smell of new-mown grass on a breezy North Shore drive or the scent of ocean spray on a balmy Hamptons cruise.  Whatever the attraction, one thing is clear:  this time around, the luxury convertible is here to stay.

This column first appeared in Luxury Living magazine's Summer 2016 issue.



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LUXURY LIVING:  Alfa Romeo is Back!

6/28/2017

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PicturePhoto: Alfa Romeo
By David Fluhrer
From grand operas to Michelangelo’s David to a goblet of fine Brunello, nearly everything Italian stirs the human soul.  And that goes double for the cars, especially Alfa Romeo.  For over a century, this storied marque has thrilled drivers, riders and spectators on street and track with raw power, spirited handling and a motoring sensuality that’s hard to put into words.
 
Now, Long Island’s Alfisti are rejoicing con molto brio over the decision by FCA (Fiat Chrysler Automobiles) to return their beloved brand to America after an almost two-decade hiatus.  Two new Alfa dealerships in Patchogue and Westbury, and a third in Manhattan, are among just five in New York and over 100 throughout the U.S..  In limited numbers, they’re already meting out the newest models – the sinuous 4C Coupe and Spider – which start, well-optioned, at around $70,000.  Dealers anticipate this summer’s arrival of the Giulia sport sedan, a fluid and lusty BMW-killer boasting 505 horsepower in top-of-the-line Quadrifoglio trim.
 
Zeal for Things Italian
What makes Long Island ground zero for a fruitful Alfa Romeo launch?  High incomes, strong luxury car interest and a zeal for things Italian.  Plus, the dealers are already successful at selling  other FCA brands, including Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram and Fiat, so Alfa gives them a chance to move up-market. 
 
“We’re trying to capture the customers who are getting the Maseratis or the BMWs,” says Mike Mineo, general sales manager for Alfa Romeo Fiat of Westbury, New York.  “Alfa is an up-and-coming brand once again.  They have a huge lineup of cars in Italy and we’ll eventually see them come out here,” including an expected SUV and hatchback.
 
A BMW Alternative
“Whether it’s BMW, Audi, Mercedes, Infiniti or Lexus, those brands do very well on Long Island,” adds Gary Brown, owner of Brown’s Alfa Romeo Fiat in Patchogue, New York.  “I thought, ‘Why not have access to those customers  and also offer them an alternative?’” 
 
 “Alternative” is an apt description of the cars among Alfa buffs.  “It’s advanced engineering, beautiful design and just not being part of the pack,” says Dr. Dino Pappous, a Great Neck, New York prosthodontist and president of the New York Alfa Romeo Owners Club. 
 
Art Forms on Wheels
“Most of the Alfas are really art forms on wheels,” adds longtime Alfista and Stony Brook University professor emeritus Dr. Robert D. Cess, whose name graces the school’s annual Concorso d’Eleganza, Long Island’s most prominent Italian car show.  “Italians have a capacity for really designing a good-looking car.  They also typically handle very, very nicely.  Those things put together are what get most people turned on by Alfas: the visual effect and the handling effect.”
 
The 4C already draws rave reviews from auto writers and club members alike.  ““A lot of members feel that it is true to Alfa’s heritage of being a lightweight, small car that is fast and that handles,” says Pappous. At last year’s Alfa Club national convention in Rhode Island, Cess adds, “people were just drooling over the 4Cs.”
 
‘Mechanics of Emotion’
What’s everyone drooling about?  It’s likely the combination of modern technology and Alfa’s legendary driving DNA.  Alfa calls this la meccanica delle emozione, or “the mechanics of emotion.”
 
The 4C’s mass is limited to around 2,500 lbs. thanks to a strong, light carbon fiber frame unusual for cars at this price.  Aluminum mechanicals and a fiberglass body also keep weight down.   Thus, the Alfa’s 1.7-liter turbocharged engine -- smaller than the average Toyota Corolla’s – wrings out every one of its 237 horses to rocket the 4C to 60 miles an hour in just 4.1 seconds, faster than your basic Porsche 911. 
 
A Car that ‘Hugs the Turns’
Push past the speed limit and the precise steering, taut suspension and huge Brembo brakes will keep you planted firmly on the North Shore’s twisty back roads. “This is a car that hugs the turns and just wants to keep going,” says Brown.
 
The 4C’s modern package still overflows with gobs of Italian authenticity, including robust exhaust notes, aromatic leather seats and the signature shield grille and “side whiskers,” known as the Trilobo.  A single ride in the Spider will transport you back to Italy.  You may be cruising the Atlantic coast, but you’re thinking Amalfi Coast.  And that’s not Lake Ronkonkoma up ahead.  It’s Lake Como.
 
All you’ll need to complete your fantastic journey is a cool pair of shades and a dashing scarf.  In your new Alfa Romeo, la dolce vita awaits.

This column first appeared in Luxury Living magazine's Spring 2016 issue.



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