Top ten most anticipated 2008 luxury cars

What do all this models have in comun? Maybe that they are luxury cars, or maybe expensive. No, is not that. The only thing they have in comun is this: they are not on sale yet, but they have a very long waiting list.

These cars have a big impact on the brands they represent — more than likely, an impact out of proportion to the expected sales volumes — and most of them, like the high-performance, 2008 BMW M3, are new versions of an existing model name. This illustrates an age-old, auto industry balancing act: “new-and-improved” versus “tried-and-true.”

Of course the first one is Audi’s sports car R8 that was sold out for long time now. Next is the new M3. And why isn’t this a surprise?

Top 10 Most Anticipated 2008 Luxury Cars:

• Audi R8: $109,000
• BMW M3: Pricing unavailable
• Cadillac CTS: Low $30,000 range
• Infiniti G37: Close to outgoing model around $33,200
• Lexus LS 600h L: Pricing unavailable
• Maserati GranTurismo: Estimated around $125,000
• Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster: More than coupe; above $452,750
• Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet: $136,500
• Rolls-Royce Drophead Coupe: $412,000
• Volvo C30: Around $22,700