13 Julai 2011

Rollering in it

Posh car sales soar as most motors hit skids

£200,500 ... Rolls Royce Ghost Saloon, 0 to 60mph in 4.5 seconds
£200,500 ... Rolls Royce Ghost Saloon, 0 to 60mph in 4.5 seconds

SALES of luxury cars are soaring - as super-rich sports stars and celebrities ignore the economic slump to treat themselves to flash sets of wheels.

New figures show Rolls-Royce has had a record year so far, with sales zooming up by 64 per cent.

And Bentleys and Aston Martins are also being snapped up at showrooms across the UK.

Formula 1 giant McLaren has reported 1,000 orders for its new road-going 200mph MP4-12C, which costs £168,500.

£168,500 ... McLaren MP4-12C, 0 to 60 in 3.1 seconds
£168,500 ... McLaren MP4-12C, 0 to 60 in 3.1 seconds

The supercar surge comes as sales of more down-to-earth models have plummeted by a fifth overall - with 1.3million motorists said to have been forced off the road by high fuel costs.

Renault sales are 30 per cent down while Mazda, Honda, Fiat, Toyota and Kia have seen falls of more than 20 per cent. Ford is down nine per cent.

Roll-Royce's Marco Jahn said: "Our customers are people who buy a Rolls-Royce as a reward.

£125,000 ... Aston Martin DB9, 0 to 60 in 4.7 seconds
£125,000 ... Aston Martin DB9, 0 to 60 in 4.7 seconds

"They are successful sports people, young entrepreneurs and people who have built up a business over decades." Bentley's Mike Hawes said its sales are up 20 per cent - spurred by the popularity of the new Continental GT coupe costing £135,760. The convertible model is £182,100.

Mr Hawes said: "The thing that our customers have in common is that they are very wealthy individuals.

"They include successful businessmen, people in showbusiness and sports stars. Footballers are very well paid and they do seem to like our cars."

£135,760 ... Bentley Continental GT Coupe, 0 to 60 in 4.4 seconds
£135,760 ... Bentley Continental GT Coupe, 0 to 60 in 4.4 seconds

Recent Rolls-Royce buyers include Manchester City winger Shaun Wright-Phillips, who bought a £200,500 Ghost model.

That was a bargain compared with the Phantom saloons, coupes and convertibles that cost up to £336,700. Tennis ace Andy Murray is among those to snap up a £125,000 Aston Martin DB9, helping to fuel a nine per cent sales surge.

Aston Martin's Matthew Clarke said the firm has weathered the recession that saw sales plunge from 7,281 in 2007 to just under 4,000 in 2009.

£1.5million ... Bugatti Veyron Super Sport, 0 to 60 in 2.5 seconds
£1.5million ... Bugatti Veyron Super Sport, 0 to 60 in 2.5 seconds

He said wealthy car fans have been able to afford supercars regardless of the credit crunch. But they fought shy of making ostentatious purchases during the worst of the economic downturn.

Mr Clarke added: "It is not good to be seen spending on luxuries during a recession."

The best example of the thriving luxury market was the sale last month of the last of 300 Bugatti Veyron supercars. The Veyron, the world's fastest road-legal car with a top speed of 268mph, went for £1.48million.

At the other end of the scale, car firms are simply hoping for better news in coming months.

Paul Everitt, of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, said: "Slow but steady growth in the second half of the year should see volumes increase."

£100m summer show

RICH Arab playboys are clogging up London's streets this summer with £100million worth of supercars.

They have flown the gas-guzzlers over from the Middle East to cruise the capital and show off to "petrol head" fans.

Playthings ... £1m Koenigsegg Agera, top, and £380,000 Maybach
Playthings ... £1m Koenigsegg Agera, top, and £380,000 Maybach

The Sun found TEN of the world's dearest motors within a square mile in posh Mayfair.

The cars include the £1.6m Pagani Zonda, £1m Koenigsegg Agera, £380,000 Maybach and £300,000 McLaren SLR.

Rare ... £1.6m Pagani Zonda, top, and £300,000 McLaren SLR
Rare ... £1.6m Pagani Zonda, top, and £300,000 McLaren SLR

Harga pulau diturunkan dari RM6 juta kepada RM456,169


RUPA bentuk Pulau Sully (depan) di Cardiff, Britain yang menanti pembeli.


CARDIFF – Harga Pulau Sully yang terletak 3.21 kilometer dari sini, diturunkan dari £1.25 juta (RM6 juta) kepada hanya £95,000 (RM456,169), lapor beberapa buah akhbar semalam.

Pulau itu pernah dijadikan sebagai tempat persembunyian lanun pada abad ke-13 dan hanya 20 minit diperlukan untuk berjalan di sekelilingnya.

Ia tidak mempunyai kemudahan jalan raya dan satu-satunya akses untuk ke pulau itu adalah dengan menggunakan bot atau berjalan kaki semasa air laut surut.

Pulau itu pada mulanya mahu dijual pada Mei 2009 tetapi tiada pembeli yang berminat.

Menurut Chris Hyde yang mengendalikan jualan itu, pulau tersebut dilelong pada harga £150,000 (RM721,286) pada tahun lalu tetapi tiada pembida yang mahu membelinya. – Agensi

That's quite a snap!

Incredible jumping crocodile pic

Trigger snappy ... Brutus the crocodile jumps from river
Trigger snappy ... Brutus the crocodile jumps from river

A PHOTOGRAPHER got the snap of her life when this giant croc jumped out of the Adelaide River.

Brutus, a 5.5m long saltwater crocodile, launched himself from the water next to a boat full of tourists as he tucked into his regular buffalo meat meal.

Snapper Katrina Bridgeford, from Sydney, took the amazing photo on the Adelaide River Jumping Croc Cruises tour as a guide held out the snack.

She said: "I wasn't expecting anything like this. I couldn't believe how close it got to us. If you put your hand out, you would've touched it."

Brutus, who is missing his right front leg, is a favourite with tourists on the Northern Territory river cruise because of his incredible dinner show.

DUIT