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 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 BMW7 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.
As other automakers are looking towards smaller more compact models to get through these tough economic times, the Korean car builder is rejoicing their recent success and are rewarding the world with the Hyundai Equus, an even better luxury bargain than last year’s Car of the Year Winning Genesis Sedan. The new to the U.S. Equus is well known as the automaker’s flagship sedan, being powered by a 366 HP V8 that gets as many as 28 MPG. The concept is similar to the Genesis, except the Equus has a bit more space inside.
Adding excess to success, Hyundai has just released the Equus Limousine. Pumping a little more volume into their flagship luxury sedan by stretching it to almost a foot longer than the competition, Hyundai has come up with an affordable, attractive and sensible alternative to their German and Japanese luxury car building cousins. The stretched Equus is distinguishable by its horizontal cross bar grill that is exclusive to Hyundai’s most expensive product. For the first time, the South Korean automaker will power on of their cars with the all new 5.0 Liter Tau V8 that makes as much as 400 HP, making the Equus Limousine more powerful than both the Lexus LS460L and Mercedes S500L.
Rest assured up and coming Korean hip hop super stars, Hyundai is also releasing a bullet proof version of the long wheelbase model. For those who aren’t so fortunate, but still want to ride in spacious luxury and comfort, Hyundai will offer an optional cost reducing 3.8 Liter V6 that will bring prices down closer to the $100,000 mark. Now going down to your Hyundai dealer and handing over a thousand Benjamins might be hard to fathom, but with being able to say that you are riding around in the same vehicle as the President of Korea might be worth it.
If you’re the type who has always wondered what kind of car the US president rides on, then you should head out to your local bookstore and buy ‘President’s Secret Service: Behind the Scenes with Agents in the Line of Fire and the Presidents They Protect’.
While the book doesn’t entirely dwell on cars, it does provide a detailed look at the official presidential ride: a 2009 Cadillac limousine.
Naturally, a car that had the president of the United States inside should be far from ordinary, and this particular Cadillac limousine is unlike any other. The car, which has been coined as ‘The Beast’, was built on top of a GMC truck chassis making it tougher and stronger than most limos out on the road these days.
The German Volkswagen tuners, PPI Design, have turned their attention to making a more striking Audi A8. By adding a few aggressive components they have created an exclusive sedan that still maintains the elegance that it came with from the factory. The restyling both refreshes and updates the complete look of the Audi A8, creating a truly unique vehicle. The A8 Executive is proof of PPI’s passion for Audi products; the tuners spared no expense to produce a luxury limousine with sports styling to match its level of luxury.
The aero kit consists of an aerodynamically proven front spoiler, redesigned rear diffuser and a raised rear spoiler for enhanced stability at high speeds. A set of 20 inch PPI Formula light-alloy wheels, a chrome delete of all exterior trim and exclusive “Executive” badging set this A8 apart from ordinary German luxury limousines.
However; the PPI didn’t spend all of their time on the exterior. A vehicle that looks this good needs to perform just as well. PPI offers a Stage 1 kit that increases the power of the 4.2 Liter FSI V8 with a reprogrammed computer; free flowing air filter and a PPI sport exhaust system. This setup is good for making the most of all 420 HP the Audi has on tap. PPI is currently working on a Stage 2 kit that will center around a twin screw supercharger that should net somewhere around 600 HP. The German tuners aren’t all about gasoline, all of these performance products are available for diesel powered Audis as well.
Cadillac has a very long history in delivering presidential limousine. It all started back in 1938 with the "Queen Mary" and "Queen Elizabeth" Cadillac Convertible. And in 2009 the company revealed the new presidential limousine for the president Barack Obama.
Inside and out, the Cadillac Presidential Limousine includes many of the brand’s signature design elements. Assertive, modern and elegant, the front of the car includes the intricate, dual-textured grille made famous by Cadillac’s most popular current models, the CTS sport sedan and Escalade. Vertical design elements, such as the car’s front and rear lighting, mirror those used on production models.
The car was designed, developed and tested by specialists who adhered to an extensive set of specifications. It was subjected to an extreme testing regimen to ensure performance that achieves precise functional requirements. In doing so, security provisions were undertaken at all times during development to ensure the car’s functional capabilities are preserved and confidential.
It looks like the next President will be receiving a new set of wheels. The Cadillac based vehicle will most likely replace the current limo President Bush has used since 2005.
It is believed that the limo is based on the 2500 truck line by General Motors. The photos show it riding on the same 19.5-inch Goodyear tires as the trucks. Details past what is seen in the photo’s are unknown. Neither GM nor the Secret Service want to divulge details, go figure. We’ll all just have to wait till January 20 to see what the next president arrives in.
Mercedes unveiled today the S 600 Pullman Guard, a limousine integrated Highest Protection. The car was unveiled to celebrate 80 years of manufacturing vehicles with factory-integrated special protection.
The technical basis for the new Pullman limousine is provided by the S 600 Guard, the top of the Mercedes-Benz Guard range. It is powered by a superbly smooth twelve-cylinder biturbo engine with a displacement of 5513 cubic centimetres and an output of 517 hp with an impressive 830 Nm of torque. As these figures suggest, the S 600 Guard Pullman can call on effortlessly superior power delivery, allowing it to get out of a danger zone rapidly, should the need arise.
The S 600 Pullman Guard offers most of the technical innovations which make the Mercedes-Benz S-Class the number-one trailblazer in passenger car development and the world’s best-selling luxury saloon. These include important developments such as the new COMAND APS system.
Mercedes-Benz’ night view assist system reduces the risk of accidents during the hours of darkness. This system is based on infrared light, which is invisible to the human eye and will therefore not dazzle oncoming traffic. Two infrared head-lamps illuminate the road, significantly extending the driver’s range of vision when on low beam. An infrared camera mounted on the inside of the windscreen picks up the reflected image of the road ahead and displays this in the instrument cluster.
The 2009 Landaulet was first launched as a concept version last year at the Dubai auto show, and earlier this year Maybach announced the production version. The convertiblelike four-door Landaulet will go on sale in USA starting December at a price of $1.35 million!
"The Landaulet is for a superrich individual who wants something that is extremely extraordinary and enjoys being driven in a car with acres of sky above them," Hans-Dieter Multhaupt, vice president of program management for Maybach said.
The Landaulet is designed as a chauffeur-driven limousine. The soft partial convertible top above rear-seat passengers opens from the B-pillar back so passengers in the rear seat can be seen and enjoy the sunshine.
The Maybach’s rear doors and side windows remain intact. The driver’s compartment is covered by a nonremovable hard top. Multhaupt said many of the Maybach Landaulets "will be fitted with a glass panel that separates the driver and the passenger, like the cars of the past."
