European Luxury Brands Reinvent Themselves For A New Age

Europe's premium top-of-the-range car manufacturers are defying logic as they pick themselves up and dust themselves down after the great slump of 2009.

You would think that the days of these massive, gas guzzling, hugely expensive behemoths - like the Mercedes S class, BMW 7 Series, Audi A8 and Jaguar XJ - would be numbered. After all, the days of conspicuous consumption are surely over for a while at least. And new regulations in the European Union and United States will soon start forcing car manufacturers to drastically cut fuel consumption.

When these carbon dioxide (CO2) emission rules were being discussed in Brussels and Washington it appeared that there was no way luxury cars would be able to meet them. But the car manufacturers used their lobbying power to some effect, and a new regime emerged which will allow these massive motors to thrive for a while yet.

Analysts even expect the sector to start growing again.

pepito66 - 5/19/2010 12:37:06 PM

0 Boost

Great great keep goingbut hide because Japanese and Korean are just waiting to copying a small little movement lol...

Agent009 - 5/19/2010 1:35:06 PM

+1 Boost

Don't ever count out those crafty Germans. They will innovate themselves out of most any situation. Then the copycats will follow twist it and brand it as their own.

dlin - 5/19/2010 10:11:29 PM

+2 Boost

Premium top-of-the-range car manufacturers? You mean those who sell A, 1, and A1, and also make A1 sauce?

How about Ferrari, Lambo, and Aston Martin? Elite out-of-the-range? :)