CarNerve

On Monday, Cadillac officially unveiled its new 2011 CTS Coupe. The car makes its in-person debut next week at the Los Angeles car show and you can be sure that enthusiasts will be crowding around to get a glimpse of this flashy new model.

The coupe is a two-door version of Cadillac’s popular CTS sedan. General Motors, which owns the Cadillac brand, was originally set to debut the CTS couple last year, but then got mired down as the company narrowly averted a financial crisis. The coupe was set to debut at last year’s Los Angeles show, then was pushed back to this January’s Detroit auto show before finally making its much anticipated appear at this year’s LA show.

Despite general shunning of large engined gas guzzlers, the concept version of the CTS Coupe garnered highly positive public reaction when it was first shown in 2008. Critics responded to the coupe’s aggressive, sharp lines.

Cadillac now promises that the CTS Coupe will arrive at dealerships next spring, but has not released a price tag yet. The base model will have a 3.6 liter V-6 engine that puts out 304 horsepower. The CTS Coupe will get 27 miles per gallon on the highway. There will also be a supercharged version of the coupe rated at 550-plus horses.

In addition to the two engines, the coupe will feature rear-wheel and all-wheel drive versions. A 6 speed manual transmission will be standard.

With the impending release of the CTS Coupe, it looks like Cadillac has a real head-turner on its hands that could attract more of the younger buyers that GM so desperately needs.

If you thought that everyone was turning to fuel efficient hybrids nowadays, that’s not quite accurate. While more and more automobiles are getting great mileage, there are still those gas guzzling stalwarts that well off consumers keep buying.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently released its list of the biggest gas guzzlers for the model year 2010 and it is dominated by exotic high-end sportscars from Italy, the U.K., and Germany. Familiar names like Lamborghini, Bugatti, Bentley, Ferrari, and Mercedes all make the list.

Topping the list is the Lamborghini Murcielago with manual transmission which gets a mind-bogglingly puny 8 mpg in city driving. The Murcielago boasts a 631-horsepower V12 engine and zooms from 0 to 62 mph in just 3.4 seconds. Yipes! Oh, and the Murcielago will set you back a cool $400,000. I guess you’re not too worried about gas mileage at that price.

Here’s the top 10 list of shame straight from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency:

1. Lamborghini Murcielago (manual) 8/13
2. Bugatti Veyron 8/14
3. Lamborghini Murcielago (automatic) 9/14
4. Bentley Azure Bentley Brooklands 9/15
5. Ferrari 612 Scaglietti (automatic) 10/17
6. Ferrari 612 Scaglietti (manual) 10/16
7. Maybach 57 10/15
8. Bentley Continental Flying Spur Bentley Continental GTC 10/17
9. Mercedes-Benz ML 63 AMG Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano 11/15
10. (tie) Aston Martin DB9 (manual) 11/17
    Aston Martin DBS (manual)
    BMW M5
    BMW M6
    BMW M6 Convertible
    Maserati Quattroporte (4.2 L)
    Mercedes-Benz CL 65 AMG
    Mercedes-Benz CL600
    Mercedes-Benz S600
    Mercedes-Benz S 65 AMG
    Porsche Cayenne GTS (manual)
    Porsche Cayenne TransSiberia

While the cars at the top of the list are hard to come by, many of the cars in the number 10 spot are familiar models you’re likely to see at your local country club.

Next time you see a Lamborghini or Ferrari cruise by, just keep this in mind. These sports cars burn an average of 34.3 barrels of oil a year. The fuel-efficient Prius burns just 6.9 barrels. Doesn’t that make you feel better?

Some cars are just meant to be gawked at. The 2009 Maybach Landaulet is just such a spectacle. It sports 20-inch wheels, a top-of-the-line V12 engine, and a pimped out top that rolls back to let in the sun. Oh, did we mention that it also costs $1.35 million dollars?

So what the heck is a landaulet? It’s a feature of the classic cars of yesteryear where only the chauffeur’s area is closed (you didn’t think you were going to drive the Maybach yourself did you?). The pampered passengers in the rear control an extra-large folding roof that leaves nothing between them and the blue sky above.

The Maybach Landaulet is so high-end, it’s not even called a car – it’s a “luxury chauffeured saloon”, according to the manufacturer. So unless you happen to be a billionaire, say hello (and goodbye) to the most awesome, pimped out car you will never own.

Do you love Aston Martins but don’t have $150,000 to blow on the luxury car? Now Aston Martin – the favored automobile of James Bond – will a car you can actually afford: the Cygnet. It might not look like a classy sportscar, but at least you can tell your friends that, yes, you drive a genuine Aston Martin.

The Aston Martin Cygnet is being marketed as a “luxury commuter concept car” and is expected to be available for less than $32,000. The upscale carmaker is working on the Cygnet to cope with a sharp fall in demand for its top-of-the-line sports cars due to the global recession.

The Cygnet will be manufactured by Toyota – the first time the Japanese carmaker will be producing a car for another automaker. Between 4,000 and 5,000 Cygnets are expected to be produced each year. No word yet on when the Cygnet will hit the market.

Unfortunately, reports are that Aston Martin will only offer the Cygnet to customers already owning either a DB9, DBS or Vantage.

According to Aston Martin, the Cygnet will retain the hallmarks of the carmaker’s “design philosophy” but will be inexpensive to operate, environmentally friendly, and safe. That may be all well and good, but will we see James Bond driving one anytime in the near future? Doubtful.

photo credit: Auto Express

The amazing looking Citroen GT was originally conceived to tie into the Gran Turismo 5 Playstation video game. But now the French car company has decided to actually produce 6 of these GT supercars at a whopping price of $1.8 million. And yes, that’s just for one car, not all six.

The enormous price tag makes the Citroen GT one of the most expensive production cars sold today. Company officials say the GT will be powered by either be a Ford or GM V8, with at least 500bhp, and possibly a paddle-shift manual gearbox.

The Citroen GT will have carbon-fiber construction and some odd touches like copper trim. The final version is expected to launch at the Frankfurt Motor Show this September. But here’s a sneak peak of the GT on the streets of London:

photo credit: AutoCar

If you can get over the carmaker’s name, Hyundai has the luxury car for you. Long synonymous with bargain basement vehicles, Hyundai is now competing with the likes of Mercedes and BMW with its new Genesis coupe and sedan.

The Genesis comes in at $36,000 and includes a 368-horsepower V-8 engine and the same sound system found in a Rolls-Royce Phantom. There’s also a base-level Genesis with a V-6 that starts at $30,000.

Hyundai has toned toned its branding on the Genesis. The company’s “flying H” logo appears on the trunk, but not on the hood. So if you squint real hard and view the car from across the street, you might just be fooled into thinking it’s not a Hyundai.

The Hyundai Genesis could be a great deal for those who care about value more than snob appeal. This comparable to a $60,000 sedan, but for half the price. Bargain hunters, your car is here.