World Luxury Association Names Top 10 Car Brands

In a glitzy event held in Beijing, China, this month, the World Luxury Association (WLA), which is a non-profit research organization, named its Top 100 most valuable luxury brands of the year.

In the automotive field, the Top 10 premium car brands included some of the usual suspects such as Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Ferrari and Lamborghini along with some surprise entrants like Saab's former owner Spyker and Koenigsegg. Not that it matters any more, but Daimler's Maybach brand didn't make the cut.

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Video: Ferrari 458 Italia Challenges a Koenigsegg Agera R

When your ride packs a high-revving, 570HP V8 matched to a dual-clutch transmission for a 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) time in 3.4 seconds and a top speed of 320 km/h (200 mph) then you’re inclined to believe that you're the king of the road.

But as fast as your ride may be, there will always be something faster. And as the owner of a Ferrari 458 Italia found out, the Koenigsegg Agera R that was launched earlier this year at the Geneva Motor Show is one of them.

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China’s Super-Rich Find Veyron SS Expensive and the Pagani Huayra a Steal…

With the European economy in a downward spiral and the U.S. having its own financial troubles, where is a supercar maker supposed to go and sell its high-six- or even seven-figure products?

Well, China is probably their best bet right now. Its number of billionaires grew from 189 in 2010 to 271 in 2011, according to data from Hurun Report, and the communist (…) country now has close to 1 million millionaires - 960,000 to be precise or 85,000 more than in 2010. Overall, Asia has some 3.3 million millionaires, more than Europe and edging close to the North America region.

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Battle of the Beasts: Tuned Dodge Viper ACR vs Koenigsegg CCXR

The Dodge Viper ACR is one of the fastest production cars around packing an 8.4-liter V10 with 600HP and 560 lb/ft (760 Nm) of torque that allows it to accelerate from 0-60 mph (96km/h) in less than 4.0 seconds. It has also proved its mettle by breaking lap records in famous and difficult tracks such as Laguna Seca and the Nürburgring.

But it's one thing going against a Corvette and totally different story when you're challenged by the likes of Koenigsegg and its CCXR that boasts a twin-supercharged V8 delivering close to 1,100-horsepower.

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Koenigsegg Agera R Numbers Are Out: 0-100km/h in 2.9’, 0-200km/h in 7.5’

The Koenigsegg Agera R was one of the stars of the Geneva show grabbing many headlines with its unusual high-speed roof-box that was proposed as an accessory. However, there was plenty of information missing about this Swedish hypercar. Up until now, that is, as the exotic carmaker came out with all the juicy details.

Starting with the performance numbers, the Agera R lives up to the company's reputation. The sprint from 0 to 100 km/h [62mph] comes after just 2.9 seconds, while 0 to 200 km/h [124mph] takes only 7.5 seconds. Even more impressively, the 0-200-0 km/h [0-124mph-0] is covered in a mere 12.7 seconds, partially thanks to its ventilated carbon ceramic brakes.

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Geneva Preshow: New Koenigsegg Agera R gets 1,115 HP and...a Roof Box

Koenigsegg, the Swedish maker of exotic sports cars will bring its newest creation, the Agera R hypercar, along with the final production version of the Agera to this week's Geneva Salon. Building on the design of the 15-year-old CC, the Agera looks unmistakably "Koenigsegg".

The paint scheme of the car that will be displayed in Geneva is inspired by the legendary Speed Racer theme, as specified by the owner of the car. But as impressive as it might be, the design pales in comparison with the technology present beneath the car's carbon fiber skin.

The monocoque chassis weighs only 70 kg and the dry weight of the car is 1,330 kg, which makes it the lightest fully homologated hypercar in production, according to Koenigsegg. That's all the more remarkable given the fact that the 5.0-liter V8 bi-turbo engine is capable of 1,115 horsepower and 1,200 Nm when running on E85 ethanol biofuel (940 hp and 1,100 Nm on regular 95 octane gasoline).

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Forbes' Top 10 List of the Most Expensive Cars in the World

For most people a $50,000 car is well out of reach, while others happily spend double or triple of that amount on a ride. However, even those enthusiasts might not be so keen to whip out their checkbooks when confronted with the price tag of these vehicles featured in a special list compiled by Forbes.

These are the most expensive cars in the world, usually bought by the kind of people who don’t even break a sweat amidst the worst economic crisis. Forbes' list in not without its flaws as the publication added two vehicles (the Enzo's successor and the upcoming Pagani Zonda C9) that have yet to be revealed, let alone be priced. Nevertheless, you can check out the complete list of exclusive toys for the real tycoons after the jump.

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Koenigsegg CCXR Trevita, 2010

Koenigsegg CCXR Trevita, 2010

When sunlight hits the Koenigsegg CCXR Trevitas, it sparkles like millions of silvery white diamonds infused inside the visible carbon fiber weave bodywork.

Trevita is an abbreviation in Swedish and translates into - three whites. The Koenigsegg visible carbon weave body work is renowned around the globe for its perfection and uniqueness. However, so far it has only been possible to utilize the classic black carbonfibres.

As Koenigsegg always strives to create new unique technologies and solutions, we have now reached a new milestone - The Koenigsegg Proprietary Diamond Weave.

By utilising a new and unique method, Koenigsegg has managed to coat fibers with a diamond finish. The process was fully developed at Koenigsegg headquarters in Ängelholm Sweden, where the fiber treatment is conducted carefully in small quantities, prior to further processing the prepreg material.

Koenigsegg will only produce three Koenigsegg CCXR Trevitas in total, hence the name. This makes the Trevita one of the most rare versions in the Koenigsegg family cars.

The three cars are fully equipped with Koenigsegg Shimmering Diamond Weave bodywork, double carbon wing, paddle-shift, inconell exhaust system, carbon ceramic brakes with ABS, hydraulic lifting system, infotainment system, tyre monitoring system, chrono instrument cluster and airbags.

21yo Saudi Arabian Millionaire Takes Delivery of 33rd Supercar

Actress Bo Derek once quipped, "Whoever said money can't buy happiness simply didn't know where to go shopping." Someone who would most likely agree with her is 21-year-old Dhiaa Al-Essa, a Saudi Arabian Engineering student and millionaire playboy with a collection of over 30 exotic supercars worth more than £4.5 million (US$7.3 million).

Al-Essa has recently taken delivery of his thirty-third exotic, the first Ferrari 599 GTO worth £345,000 (US$557,000). In his own words:

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VIDEO: Fiat 500 Races Koenigsegg CCX in Swedish Webhost Ad

Here's a car race with a difference: an automotive remake of the classic Tortoise and the Hare story, starring a Fiat 500 as the tortoise and a Koenigsegg CCX as the hare. Well, not a real 500 and CCX; these are 1:24 scale models, and the whole thing is filmed in stop motion. It was made by Swedish filmmaker and photographer Robin Danehav as an advertisement for Binero, a Swedish webhosting service.

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Video Shootout: Corvette ZR1 vs Koenigsegg CCR, BMW X5M vs Range Rover Sport, Audi R8 vs Porsche 911 and More

Since we're suckers for speed, we jumped at the opportunity to show you these awesome videos from a sports car shootout, courtesy of the folks over at M5Board. If you haven't done so already, follow the jump to watch some mega power throwdowns including Switzer's Nissan GT-R P800 versus the Koenigsegg CCR Evo and BMW's M5 Touring going against its X5M SUV stable-mate.

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Geneva: The Action-Packed, Ageless Agera by Koenigsegg

Koenigsegg's Agera is a car of action. No, literally, "agera" is Swedish for "to act". It's name is also derived from the Greek "Ageratos", meaning "ageless". Being a Koenigsegg, the Agera puts out an insane amount of power (910 horses thanks to two turbos), oodles of torque (1,100 Nm / 811 lb-ft ), wears 6-egg-omelet-sized brakes (392mm discs in front and 380mm in back).

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REPORT: The End of the Road for SAAB?

In a similar scenario to the Saturn - Penske story which ended with GM's decision to wind down the brand, tiny super car maker Koenigsegg, backed by China's BAIC, pulled out of a deal to acquire GM's Swedish Saab unit only a week away before a November 30 deadline. And even though the Swedish government has some hopes that a new buyer might be found to save Saab, the future of the brand looks very dim.

"For every day that passes the challenge gets bigger and bigger," Swedish Enterprise Minister Maud Olofsson told reporters.

An insider told Bloomberg that General Motors' board will decide the future of Saab at its monthly meeting on December 1st. The person added that the automaker doesn't expect any other bidders to emerge and that a shutdown is imminent.

"They should just get rid of it," told the news site Tom Stallkamp, industrial partner at buyout firm Ripplewood Holdings LLC, which took part in an unsuccessful bid for GM's Opel division. "Saab really doesn't matter in terms of technology, and there is no synergy like there was with Opel."

Easy to say when you don't take into consideration the fact that behind the nameplate there are people with families as Saab employs around 3,500 workers in Trollhattan while thousands of other jobs are also linked to the firm. If you take a moment to think about that, it actually does matter...

Unfortunately though, the harsh reality is that if GM were to restart the sales process of Saab, it would be extremely difficult to find a willing buyer to complete the deal in a short time frame. If it were to take longer, the Detroit automaker would have to continue to fund Saab and that, doesn't seem to be a viable option for GM today.

Many like Stephen Pope, chief global strategist for Cantor Fitzgerald in London, seem to agree that Saab's days are numbered. "That's it, goodnight, goodbye," Pope told Bloomberg. "Saab has reached the end of the road, there's nothing left in the tank."

There have been reports that China's BAIC as well as Geely, might be interested in Saab. However, Geely is already in talks with Ford for its Volvo unit so we seriously doubt that they will turn their focus on Saab at this moment while in what concerns BAIC, analysts believe that the if the Chinese firm decides to show an interest, it will most likely be for Saab's assets and not the company as a whole.

Sources: Bloomberg & ANE

BREAKING NEWS: Koenigsegg Terminates Agreement to Buy SAAB from General Motors

General Motors has just announced that the proposed sale of its Saab unit to a consortium led by Swedish sports car maker Koenigsegg has been canceled. And this time, it's not because the Detroit automaker wanted to keep Saab as was the case with Opel, but because Koenigsegg backed out of the purchasing of the Swedish brand in the same way that Penske did with Saturn.

"We're obviously very disappointed with the decision to pull out of the Saab purchase," said GM President and CEO, Fritz Henderson.

"Many have worked tirelessly over the past several months to create a sustainable plan for the future of Saab by selling the brand and its manufacturing interests to Koenigsegg Group AB. Given the sudden change in direction, we will take the next several days to assess the situation and will advise on the next steps next week," Henderson added.

In September, Koenigsegg Group AB had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Beijing Automotive Industry Holdings Co. Ltd. (BAIC) to explore growth opportunities in the Chinese and international markets for the products of both SAAB and BAIC.

The Swedish sports car maker has yet to release an official statement on the matter.

Koenigsegg Quant Concept

The Swedish supercar marque Koenigsegg and NLV Solar AG, a pioneer in photovoltaics and accumulator technology, have joined forces to create the Koenigsegg Quant Concept. The brainchild of this marriage of power and energy is a four-seater solar electric car. A full-scale model is to be unveiled at the 2009 Geneva Salon, with the two companies currently working on running prototypes to scale up for series production.

Two companies, one vision
The project was born when NLV Solar AG commissioned the environmentally aware Swedish supercar manufacturer Koenigsegg to develop and design a "car of the future", incorporating NLV Solar's groundbreaking, proprietary technology in the felds of photovoltaics and accumulators.
In 2008, the two companies signed a co-operation agreement to create a test vehicle for a unique propulsion system which makes optimum use of the solar technologies developed by NLV Solar AG, allied with an innovative accumulator unit. The groundbreaking thin-flm solar-cell coating is being implemented in one of Koenigsegg's signature avant-garde designs.

Groundbreaking technology
The advances in electric power generation and storage, combined with the aerodynamic, futuristic Koenigsegg design and engineering, will enable the NLV Quant to charge the FAES (Flow Accumulator Energy Storage) to full capacity in 20 minutes and give the vehicle a range of 500 kilometres. The additional power input from the invisible, thin-flm photovoltaic coating that covers the body of the car, further increases the range potential.
The revolutionary solar and FAES systems enable the design of a fully electrical vehicle, rather than relying on more commonplace hybrid solutions. This also simplifes the drive train layout and packaging, as only one propulsion system is needed.
Given the size of the The NLV Quant, it has an unusually low frontal surface of around 2 m2. This, combined with a drag coeffcient of around CD 0.27 and the effciency of the FAES, will enable the car to cover long distances between charges.

The style and substance
The ingenious Koenigsegg design provides a unique blend of supercar looks and the space of a traditional luxury sedan. The car will carry four large adults in comfort and also feature a spacious boot at the rear.
The gull-wing doors set the NLV Quant apart from any other four-seaters on the market. As well as being a stylish feature, they also make entry to the car more ergonomic, thanks to the lack of B-pillars. They provide easy access to both the front and rear passenger seats. The unique split side-lite feature allows all passenger to open and close the front and rear side windows separately, despite the fact that there is only one door per side.

The unique features as standard
The NLV Quant is rear-wheel drive, with four-wheel brake regeneration, ABS and ESP. It is powered by two electrical AC induction electric motors with variable frequency drive and in-line planetary step down drive, one for each rear wheel. The twin-motor design eliminates the need for bevel gears or a differential, further simplifying the lay-out and giving constant and controlled power proportioning to the rear wheels, in both drive and coast mode.
The projected curb weight of 1780 kg is very light considering that it is a battery-powered, four-seater, luxury performance car. This is partly due to the two-motor installation which weighs in at only 140 kg - a remarkable achievement considering the power output of 512 hp and maximum torque of 715 nm which allows the Koenigsegg Quant Concept to deliver 0-100 km/h in 5.2 seconds and hit a top speed of 275 km/h. Another reason for the car's low weight is the utilisation of a carbon-fibre monotube backbone chassis, construction, which houses the FAES system safely inside the centreline of the car at the lowest possible position, bringing down the centre of gravity and central mass point. The FAES only weigh around 450 kg and contain no hazardous material or heavy metals.

The Features
* Range of up to 500 km thanks to the new FAES technology, with rapid charging and unlimited charging cycles
* Thin-flm photovoltaic coating of car body
* Asynchronous motor technology
* Minimised running and manufacturing costs thanks to new technology
* Optimised safety
* Carbon chassis and Aluminium/carbon body.
* Unique/functional design, vehicle comfort and loading capacity

Preliminary Specs
* Power: 512 bhp
* Torque: 715 Nm
* 0-100 km/h: 5.2 seconds
* Top speed: 275 km/h
* Curb weight: 1780 kg
* Wheelbase 3102 mm
* Track
o Front: 1730 mm
o Rear: 1729 mm
* Wheels/Tires
o Front: 245/35 - 22"
o Rear: 265/35 - 22"
o low friction tires by Michelin
* Width: 2016 mm incl rear-view mirrors
* Length: 4879 mm
* Height: 1335 mm
* Rear-wheel drive
* Four-wheel brake regeneration
* Minimum 6 smart airbags, ABS and ESP
* 3 infotainment panels(one in front, two for the rear)
* Adjustable rear seats
* 3 zone Climate Control system
* Large leg room in the rear
* LED front and rear lights
* Body covered in NLV photovoltaic thin flm solar coating
* NLV mobile redox Flow Accumulator Energy Storage system - FAES
* Space for 4 full grown individuals

Oops... New York Dealer Crashes Customer's Koenigsegg CCX

Of course, accidents can happen. But it's one thing getting into a fender bender with a Ford Taurus and another when you destroy a customer's $500,000+ supercar. According to the crash-addicted folks over at 'Wrecked Exotics', this accident happened when a New York dealer took his customer's 2008 Koenigsegg CCX for a joy ride only to end up crashing into a guardrail and then on a Porsche 911 GT2. We'd love to read the insurance claim on this one..

Via: Wrecked Exotics

China's Beijing Auto Wants to Buy Previous Saab 9-5 Tooling and Design Rights

As the saying goes, another man's trash, well you know the rest... Citing unnamed sources, UK's Autocar magazine is reporting that China's Beijing Automotive Industry Corporation (BAIC) is interested in buying the tooling and design rights to the outgoing Saab 9-5 that is to be replaced by an all-new model in 2010. The report does not clarify if BAIC wants to start production of the previous Saab 9-5 in China as is or if the company will perform a light makeover (another word for changing badges...) as was the case with China's SAIC and the Rover 75.

And if you're wondering what's the deal between state-run BAIC and Saab, the Chinese company recently took a minority stake in Swedish supercar maker Koenigsegg, which is planning to take over Saab from General Motors. The two involved parties have yet to finalize the deal.

Via: Autocar