While some limousines are owned by wealthy individuals, many are owned by governments to transport senior politicians, by large companies to transport executives, or by broadcasters to transport guests. Most limousines, however, operate as livery vehicles, providing upmarket competition to taxicabs.
The word limousine is derived from the name of the French region Limousin, where the inhabitants wore a hood perceived to be similar to the profile of the car.
The Maybach nameplate has been around for a century, however ever since the brands rebirth under Mercedes Benz over a decade ago, their lineup of ultra exclusive luxury limousines have remained very much the same, with the exception of one over the top twin turbocharged V12 powered sports coupe, the Exelero concept. It doesn’t hurt that Maybach is the top dog as far as million dollar transportation is concerned, and the apparent lack of competition hasn’t pushed them to constantly update their vehicles.
Reaffirming that fact Mercedes CEO Dieter Zetsche announced at a conference in Abu Dhabi that the German automaker is still thinking about the posh luxury brand. According to Dr. Z, "the contribution of Maybach is not significant or relevant but there are only two players in this market and we are one of them. But there are no plans in the long run." What we do know is that in the short term Maybach owners will be greeted by some new faces and that as part of their product sharing strategy, both the 57 and 62 will receive numerous assistance and infotainment systems from the current Mercedes Benz S-Class. However Mercedes has not yet decided whether or not they will go as far as next generation versions for the two models.
Hyundai turned a few heads at the Miami Auto Show by displaying the all new
Equus luxury limousine on the turntable in the center of their booth. While this was actually a Korean spec
Equus, it still managed to impress the judges at the show. The new Hyundai is scheduled to go on sale sometime next year for close to $50,000; and while Hyundai only expects to sell 20,000 units per, after sitting in the passenger’s seat we think they shouldn’t have a problem. The car could get toned down for the U.S. Market, after all Korean’s are crazy for chrome, but we just hope the hood ornament stays. It looks like they cut they head off of one of Rolls Royce’s flying ladies and then streamlined her physique in order for it to guide Korean executives as they recline in comfort in the spacious back seat, catch up on some work with the wood tray table or simply relax by watching the fold out television monitor. The Equus is an elegant vehicle from Hyundai and is the next logical step for a company who has just enjoyed so much success with the current award winning
Genesis sedan.
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The luxury tuners Alpina have just unveiled the BMW ALPINA B7 BiTurbo Limousine at the 41st Tokyo Motor Show. The high end BMW specialists Alpina are responsible for taking care of the lack of an M inspired version of BMW’s larger limousine. Based on the BMW 7 Series, the Alpina B7 Biturbo combines exclusiveness, athleticism and comfort in perfect harmony to create a high performance luxury limousine. Committed to developing the best performing vehicles in the luxury market, BMW with ALPINA has created a special high performance version of BMW’s 7 Series luxury, the biturbo’s engine output has been raised to 507 HP thanks to the turbochargers. The suspension is electronically adjustable, ready for any situation and because it is an Alpina the vehicle rests on the signature 20 spoke 21 inch Alpina Classic wheel.
In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Topspeed is running down a list of the most attention-grabbing pink cars spotted anywhere in the world. We’ve already given you the pink Audi R8 and the Donut King Nissan GT-R, so the next one on our list is a limousine in the UK that we believe every young girl going to their prom should go in.
The novelty of vehicles being stretched into limousines is a concept that isn’t exactly ground-breaking. We’ve all seen them in the past and while most have captured our attention, the shock and awe nevertheless wanes as time goes by.
Every so often, a stretched out limo is so flamboyant that no amount of time can make us forget about it. Take this stretched-out Hummer for example. It looks like a doozy in its own right, but what takes it over the top is the fact that it’s colored – you guessed it – baby pink.
Tutti-fruttiness aside, the pink Hummer is as loaded as any limo you can ever find, and it’s all designed to fit all the needs and wants of a girl looking for a great night on the town. The pink Hummer limo has three TV’s, laser lights, strobe lights, 1800-watt sound system, star lights, optic lights, and a pink leather interior that makes you feel like you’re in your own private club. Speaking of private clubs, the pink Hummer limo also comes with its own mini bar to satisfy all your alcoholic cravings.
Not too shabby for a limousine that is considered as one of the most sought-after limos for hire in the UK.
The soon-to-be-released Hyundai Equus Stretch Edition is on its way to a number of countries in the world, although it looks like the US will not be one of them, at least that’s what Hyundai USA said. In a statement they released, Hyundai USA said that “we have no comment on plans for such an edition in the U.S.”
While the future of the Equus limousine in the US remains a point of debate, Hyundai has long confirmed that the standard Equus edition would make its way to the US where it is being positioned as a contender to the country’s luxury car market that has long been dominated by Lexus and BMW.
In the event that the Equus limousine does make it to America, it’s
interesting to note that the car will be priced significantly higher than that of the Lexus LS 460 and the BMW 750i. As it stands right now, the price for the Equus limo goes at around $110,000 as opposed to $75,000 for the LS 460 and $85,000 for the 750i.
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