2009 Dream Car Preview
2009 Dream Car Preview
These days, we can’t seem to get away from the financial turmoil in our markets. Everywhere we turn we are hearing about bailouts, recoveries and mergers. Some of us have taken a hit in the wallet by seeing our 401K lose value, while many of us are pulling back the strings to make ends meet.
But what if we were in better times? What if we had all the money we wanted and dollars were no object. What would we do with the extra cash? Many of us would answer this question the same way. “I would buy my dream car.”
It’s time to imagine and take a look at some luxury vehicles that are available here in Bakersfield. From the Jag Convertible to the Corvette Z06, your childhood fantasy continues as Bakersfield Life profiles the Top Dream Cars of 2009.
2009 Jaguar XKR Convertible
Available at Jim Burke Jaguar
4.2-liter V8 engine
420 hsp
15 mpg city/23 highway
$94,475 and up
Garrett Ming, vice president/general manager for Jim Burke Lincoln Mercury/Jaguar said the Jaguar XKR Convertible is “one of the most beautiful cars on the road.”
The Portfolio Edition Jaguar for 2009, which includes special appointments in the interior and exterior, has a limited number of cars that will be built, making it even more unique. The Portfolio Edition manufacturer’s list price is $104,000.
Ming said styling makes the difference.
“If somebody wants a truly beautifully styled car, they are going to look at Jaguar and be impressed. The great thing about Jaguar today is that it has the customer satisfaction ratings to back up the beauty,” he said, adding that the 2007-08 Jaguar received the highest ratings from J.D. Power and Associates on the customer satisfaction index.
The XKR, clocked at 0-60 mph in 4.9 seconds, attracts a different buyer than a Ferrari or Maserati, he said.
“It’s a beauty that you can drive everyday,” he said. “Jaguars appeal to people who have a love for beautiful things and believe their car is an extension of themselves.”
Ming says the design of the XKR is its strongest selling point.
“Once you get inside, the layout of the car and the way the designers and engineers set up the car, you see that it has a really unique, English feel to it,” he said. “All the navigation and computer systems flow into the dash and it kind of has a minimalistic luxury to it. It’s not overdone. Everything is in the right place.”
2009 Corvette Z06
Available at Three-Way Chevrolet
7.0 liter V8 engine
505 hsp
24 city/26 mpg highway
Starts at $72,125
What always comes to mind with the Z06 is that it’s the car for those with “champagne taste and beer budget,” said Brian McClure, sales manager for Three-Way Automotive Group – although it’s not cheap beer.
Starting at around $72,000, the Z06’s signature race car technology, refinement and performance are equal to a high-end European sports car but at a fraction of the price.
“It’s a piece of American heritage,” he said.
Many customers have grown up with the Corvette brand and have either owned one all their life or dreamt about it.
“Nothing is greater than seeing them take delivery and how enthralled they are with the notion of driving this car,” McClure said.
The 2009 Z06 is the high-end, performance-rated Corvette. Racing from 0-60 in just more than three seconds, the car is “race ready.”
“Basically we like to say it’s a car that would compete, in terms of speed and performance, with the likes of a vehicle that cost two or three times as much,” he said, such as a Lamborghini.
“The car can pull 1.8 Gs on a turn ... this thing will move,” said McClure.
Luxury features are also included but with a design that keeps the car as lightweight as possible. The Z06 has a navigation system, heads-up display on the windshield, ergonomic seating and many other luxury car features.
Predictably, McClure said the car attracts a larger portion of male buyers, but surprisingly, many females have a secret desire to own a Corvette.
2009 Audi R8
Available at Bakersfield Audi
4.2 liter V-8 engine
420 hsp
15 mpg city/23 hwy
Starts at $112,097
This is a street legal fast car, said Cherif Guirguis, sales manager at Bakersfield Audi and Family Porsche.
Audi, long known for its racing car technology and all wheel drive, has had a dealership in Bakersfield for less than a year.
“Their (Audi) philosophy is that on a straight line there will be faster cars, but ... whoever handles the corners better will win the race. Audi is the leader in all-wheel drive vehicles,” said Guirguis.
With an acceleration rate of 0-60 in 4.4 seconds and a top speed of 189 mph, the R8 has generated a lot of curiosity, especially since an ad during the Super Bowl helped pique consumer interest in the car.
“A lot of people are trying to get to know Audi so we find ourselves educating people about Audi more than anything at this point,” he said.
The car can also include a navigation system and Bang & Olufsen sound system, satellite radio and Bluetooth technology.
“It’s definitely unique,” Guirguis said.
Mercedes CL600 Coupe
Available at Mercedes-Benz of Bakersfield
Base $147,400
5.5 L V-12 engine
510 hsp
11 mpg city/17 highway
Delivery specialist James Whelden at Mercedes-Benz of Bakersfield said the CL600 is a “true coupe” and that there are very few of those around.
But the new 2009 CL600 coupe has a roofline totally unique to other Mercedes, putting it right in line with other classic Mercedes coupes and comes complete with that “Mercedes mystique.”
“If you have a Mercedes coupe from the 1960s ... and it’s clean and polished, you can still park it in front of any restaurant. They never go out of style. That’s hard to say about most cars,” he said.
The CL600 has almost no options and just about everything is standard. The car has night vision with infrared lights and a camera in the windshield, giving a display in the dash of up to 700 feet away at night. Whelden said this gives the driver the ability to see reflective objects in the fog.
The car also has features that allow a driver to set cruise control to automatically stay a specified distance away from the car ahead – no need to stop and start. It can even brake itself if a car pulls out in front.
“People generally don’t come looking for these features but they’re really delighted to find that this car has them,” he said.
The car even gently adjusts the passenger seats in case of a possible accident, putting them upright and into a safer position if necessary.
“Safety is really big with this car,” he said.
While the majority of Mercedes are leased, Whelden said this car draws a different buyer.
“These are established professionals. They don’t lease. They just write a check for it,” he said. “These are more popular to be purchased and when you get into this price range you either have it or you don’t.”
Lexus 460L
Available at Motor City Lexus
4.6L V-8
357 hsp
16 mpg city/22 hwy
Base MSRP $73,585
“It’s amazingly smooth and comfortable with a ton of power,” says Mark Schmitt, general sales manager at Motor City Lexus of Bakersfield, of the 2009 Lexus 460L. The most popular sedan in the Lexus line-up comes standard with a great assortment of bells and whistles and has many options that will simply make this car sing.
This V-8 is built on quality and comes standard with an adjustable rear seat and four-zone climate control. “The ‘L’ gives this car five more inches in the back seat, bringing more comfort to the rear passengers,” Schmitt continues. Additionally, the 460L comes standard with a rear sunshade to help keep the warmth off your clients on warm days
Schmitt said the interior is like riding in a “very quiet cabin that is kind of like a private jet,” and includes a dashboard with hand-stitched leather.
The car seems to attract well-established adults as buyers, some retired and some working professionals.
“If you need to get on it and go, this car up and runs,” he said.
“I think they are buying the full package,” he said, adding that the safety features in the car are also a major selling point. And with full service offered at Motor City, the luxury of the 460L goes way beyond just owning this car.
BMW 750 Li
Available at BMW of Bakersfield
Not yet priced
4.4 liter V-8 twin turbo engine
400 Hsp
Fuel ratings not yet available
Lavish is one word Ali Douglas, general sales manager for BMW of Bakersfield uses to describe the new 750 Li. The car, the fifth generation of BMW’s 7 Series, is so new that it won’t be available until late February and has not even been priced yet. But Douglas said it’s going to be the flagship for BMW AG.
“This is by far one of the most technologically advanced vehicles in the world,” he said, emphasizing the twin turbo V-8 engine.
BMW does not make changes in cars often, he said, so any change reflects years of careful research. The 7 series was last revised in 2002 and before that in 1995.
The 750 Li features a newly designed suspension system, adaptive light control, heads-up display, cruise control and a host of other luxury must-haves. But Douglas said the wow factor comes in its hefty horsepower – at 400 hsp.
One major nicety also standard on all 7 series vehicles is the free maintenance package which covers everything except new tires and gas for the first four years or 50,000 miles.
Douglas has a waiting list of about seven people who want to purchase the car already.
“They are typically previous BMW customers who want to drive this because of all the other new features, the horsepower, the sports feel to it,” he said. One customer is particularly interested in the blind spot detection features that alert the driver to objects in blind spots.
Douglas said customers of the 7 series, including the 2009 Li, run the gamut of age, gender and occupation. From 70-year-old retirees to real estate and mortgage upstarts in their 20s, he said the car has universal appeal for those who can afford it.