{"id":19937,"date":"2017-01-13T13:45:40","date_gmt":"2017-01-13T17:45:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/henrypayne.com\/?p=19937"},"modified":"2017-01-13T13:45:40","modified_gmt":"2017-01-13T17:45:40","slug":"auto-show-luxury-cars-eye-candy-sweet-less-plentiful","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/2017\/01\/auto-show-luxury-cars-eye-candy-sweet-less-plentiful","title":{"rendered":"Auto show luxury cars: Eye candy sweet, less plentiful"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"audi_s5_cabriolet\"<\/p>\n<\/div>

A lot of money can be made in luxury goods, so it\u2019s no wonder more automakers are parking in the premium space. Genesis, Alfa Romeo and Tesla (not in Detroit this year) have all come to market recently, and now Kia is exploring luxe territory with its pretty Stinger sedan coupe. European luxury makers, however, have been scarce at the Detroit show in recent years, as the bulk of their customers are on the coasts. This year Porsche, Jaguar, Land Rover, Ferrari, Maserati, Bentley, Rolls-Royce and Lotus are no-shows. Still, showgoers will find plenty of eye candy with BMW and Audi unveiling world premieres at Cobo. None of the Detroit luxe-makers showed a new car this year, but the 30-way seat Lincoln Continental and the gorgeous Caddy Escala concept are worth second looks.<\/p>\n

Audi A5\/S5 Cabriolet<\/strong><\/p>\n

What it is:<\/strong> Audi\u2019s lovely A5 coupe drops its top. With the pull of a button, the top will fold away in just 15 seconds at speeds up to 31 mph. With its bonnet in boot, the Cab still promises 13 cubic feet for storage. The A5 comes with a 255-horse turbo A5 for pleasant cruising. Or you can upgrade to an S5 convertible and set the hills on fire with a 364 horse-369 torques blown V-6.<\/p>\n

Payne\u2019s take:<\/strong> The A5 is a head turner, beautifully sculpted from stem to stern. Opt for the available Virtual Cockpit display, and you\u2019ll be showing off the interior as much as the exterior. VC uses Google Earth to put your route right in the full color display before you. It\u2019s tech-tastic.<\/p>\n

BMW 5-series<\/strong><\/p>\n

What it is:<\/strong> Bimmer\u2019s seventh-gen 5-series gets its debut in Detroit with the 540i. The new gen sports a lighter chassis using magnesium, aluminum and unobtranium (kidding about that last one) that saves 137 pounds. The AWD-base car gets a 3.0-liter, 335-horse inline-6; a BMW M550i xDrive runs on a V-8 belting out 456 horsepower and a hybrid-electric BMW 530e iPerformance delivers up to 15 miles in pure electric mode. Gesture control, voice recognition, self-parking and other toys are available.<\/p>\n

\"bmw_5_series_2\"<\/p>\n<\/div>

Payne\u2019s take:<\/strong> The 5-series has long set the standard for midsize luxe style. Now, with a hybrid and M-trims, it satisfies every customer\u2019s demand for drive-line capability.<\/p>\n

BMW M760i Xdrive<\/strong><\/p>\n

What it is:<\/strong> No, this isn\u2019t the long-awaited M7, but with a V-12 under the hood, it\u2019s hard to imagine better performance than this. The Bavarian maker has been using the M trim to give its cars a sporty vibe while stopping short of going full-moon, werewolf track animal. But with the 601-horse, twin-turbo V-12 driving all four wheels, the AWD M760i is one special thoroughbred. Climb into the M-highlighted interior, bark a destination at the excellent voice recognition system and the road is yours.<\/p>\n

\"bmw_760i\"<\/p>\n<\/div>

Payne\u2019s take:<\/strong> Apparently the Alpina B7\u2019s 600-horse, twin-turbo V-8 just isn\u2019t enough. Plunk down 155-grand and the V-12 is the best aural symphony this side of a mighty Wurlitzer in the back seat. The M760i does beg the question of what will power the ultimate M7. A solid-fuel rocket perhaps?<\/p>\n

Lexus LS<\/strong><\/p>\n

What it is:<\/strong> The fifth-generation Lexus flagship gets leaner, wider and lower. The chassis \u2014 shared with its sibling LC 500 sport coupe \u2014 sheds 200 pounds while the 386-horsepower V-8 boat anchor up front gets mothballed for a more powerful, blown 415-horse V-6 mated to a new 10-speed tranny.<\/p>\n

\"lexus_ls_500\"<\/p>\n<\/div>

Payne\u2019s take:<\/strong> Back in 1989, the Lexus brand debuted with the LS in Motown and the rest is history. It has since taken its place among the best-selling luxury brands in America, but the success of SUV sales (the RX is Lexus\u2019 most popular model now) has pressured the LS to be more daring. With its Darth Vader-like grille and racy lines, Lexus is no vanilla wallflower.<\/p>\n

Mercedes E-Class Coupe<\/strong><\/p>\n

What it is:<\/strong> The coupe is a reminder that the once conservative German brand is the sexiest stylist in luxury today. And with a 4.4-inch-longer wheelbase and more power under the hood, the pretty lady has even more to brag about. The coupe eschews the E-class sedan\u2019s base 4-cylinder for a 329-horse, twin-turbo six. The two-door is offered in AWD and will ultimately get a V-8 option with its fire-breathing AMG performance trim..<\/p>\n

\"mercedesEclass\"<\/p>\n<\/div>

Payne\u2019s take:<\/strong> In addition to its more youthful styling, the E-class coupe is a showcase for the latest in tech, too. A 12.3-inch COMMAND instrument screen headlines interior features that include Apple Carplay and Android Auto connectivity and an inductive pad for smartphone charging. This isn\u2019t your granddad\u2019s Merc.<\/p>\n

Volvo V90<\/strong><\/p>\n

What it is:<\/strong> Volvo continues its China-financed product renewal with the elegant V90 wagon. Like the XC90 ute and S90 sedan before it, the V90 gets a signature interior of Scandinavian wood trim, large tablet-like infotainment screen, 4-cylinder engine option (including a powerful turbo-and-supercharged variant) and those distinctive \u201cThor\u2019s hammer\u201d headlights.<\/p>\n

\"volvo_v90\"<\/p>\n<\/div>

Payne\u2019s take:<\/strong> The V90 is the most gorgeous wagon I\u2019ve ever laid eyes on, but U.S. dealers will get only the raised (by 2.5 inches) Cross Country version. That\u2019s in deference to Americans\u2019 preference for riding high. If you covet the lower-slung wagon, you\u2019ll need to special order it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A lot of money can be made in luxury goods, so it\u2019s no wonder more automakers are parking in the premium space. Genesis, Alfa Romeo and Tesla (not in Detroit this year) have all come to market recently, and now Kia is exploring luxe territory with its pretty Stinger sedan coupe. European luxury makers, however, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19937"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19937"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19937\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19938,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19937\/revisions\/19938"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19937"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19937"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19937"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}