Is that a New Bugatti Sedan or an Audi A8 Hiding Under the Covers?

The sly crew over at Autogespot nabbed this picture of a sedan model covered under a black sheet at Bugatti's Geneva Motor Show stand, which they claim might be the new Galibier concept. However, while it is true that the new boss of Bugatti Automobiles, Wolfgang Duerheimer, has confirmed in a recent interview that the company will present a heavily reworked version of the Galibier sedan concept in the near future, we're not entirely convinced that this is the car he was talking about.
For starters, the high-beltline and the way it finishes at the rear bring to mind Audi's models and in particular, the A8 sedan, but more importantly, if you look at the motor show floor pan, you'll see that Audi's stand is adjacent to Bugatti's booth.
Guess we'll have to wait until tomorrow to find out.

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Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport "Bumblebee" at the Qatar Motor Show

General Motors isn't the only company pushing out a black and yellow themed edition of one of its cars as Bugatti is doing the same - fortunately without the toy-ish / kitsch Transformers decals... Whether you like the color combo or not, Bugatti has presented another one-off edition of its Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport, which is the open-top variant of the series, ahead of its world premiere at this week's 2012 Qatar Motor Show that runs from January 25 to 28.
The one-off Grand Sport has a horizontal color split with a bright yellow body encased in visible black carbon, including black-tinted wheels.
The same theme continues inside with the seats and the upper and lower sections of the door panels and dashboard finished in yellow-colored leather with black stitching. The center console comes in black carbon, while the middle sections of the dashboard, door panels, steering wheel and gearshift are made of black leather with yellow stitching.
This particular Grand Sport model carries a price of €1.58 million (about US$2.05 million) compared to the standard version that costs €1.4 million (~US$1.8 million), with both prices excluding taxes and delivery.
Bugatti says that production of the Grand Sport is limited to 150 units of which 45 have already been spoken for.

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World Luxury Association Names Top 10 Car Brands

In a glitzy event held in Beijing, China, this month, the World Luxury Association (WLA), which is a non-profit research organization, named its Top 100 most valuable luxury brands of the year. In the automotive field, the Top 10 premium car brands included some of the usual suspects such as Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Ferrari and Lamborghini along with some surprise entrants like Saab's former owner Spyker and Koenigsegg. Not that it matters any more, but Daimler's Maybach brand didn't make the cut.
The rest of the list includes brands from a variety of fields such as aircrafts, yachts, jewelry, watches, fashion and even liquor.
In addition to the Top 100, the World Luxury Association also released a report stating the China will become the world's largest consumer of luxury goods.
"With the phenomenon of RMB appreciation and depreciation of the Euro and the number of Chinese traveling to Europe in 2012, total consumption of luxury goods is expected to reach 59 billion Euros – a record high. The spending power of Chinese overseas will urge China to become the world's most powerful luxury consumer purchasing country," said the organization in its report.

World Luxury Association Top 100 List:
WLA - World's TOP10 Fashion:
Hermes
Chanel
Louis Vuitton
Christian Dior
Ferragamo
Versace
Prada
Fendi
Giorgio Armani
Ermenegildo Zegna
WLA - World's TOP10 Aircraft:
Gulfstream
Bombardier
Dassault
Embraer
Hawker Beech
Cessna
Cirrus
Eurocopter
Bellhelicopter
Sikorsky
WLA - World's TOP10 Yachts:
Azimut
Sunseeker
Ferretti
Lurssen
Riva
Wally
Princess
Pershing
Beneteau
Itama
WLA - World's TOP10 Cars:
Rolls-Royce
Bentley
Ferrari
Lamborghini
Maserati
Aston Martin
Bugatti
Spyker
Pagani
Koenigsegg
WLA - World ' s TOP10 Jewelry:
Cartier
Van Cleef & Arpels
Boucheron
Harry Winston
Chaumet
Kloybateri
Bvlgari
Montblanc
Tiffany&Co
Mikimoto
WLA - World's TOP10 Watches:
Patek Philippe
Vacheron Constantin
Piaget
Jaeger-Le Coultre
Audemars Piguet
Blancpain
Rolex
Breguet
IWC
Franck Muller
WLA World's TOP10 Cosmetics:
Chanel
Christian Dior
Guerlain
Givenchy
Helena Rubinstein
Sisley
La Prairie
La Mer
Lancome
Biotherm
WLA - World's TOP10 Liquors:
L'or De Jean Martell
Louis XIII
Richard Hennessy
Chateau Petrus Wine
Chateau Lafite Rothschild
Macallan
Meritage
Ron zacapa
Dom Perignon
Perrier Jouet
WLA - World's TOP10 Resorts:
Wakaya Club
North Island
Hotel Turtle Island
Fregate Island Private
Hotel Le Toiny
Burj Al-Arab
Le Sirenuse
Armani Hotel Dubai
W-Hotel-Puerto Rico
Amanruya
WLA - World's TOP10 Innovative Brands:
Harley Davidson
Bose
Vertu
Lotos
Steinway
Bluthner
Segway PT
Aurora
Sun Valley Icewine
ShangXia

The Year of the Sports Car at California's Mulholland Drive

As one of the most scenic roads in Los Angeles County, the Mulholland Highway is a popular destination for car drivers and motorcyclists alike. Over the past year, a camera crew recorded many sports cars that made their way pass the twisty roadways and strung together a video with some of the most eye-catching models.

The cars seen in the film range from the new McLaren MP4-12C to a classic Bugatti 57 SC Atlantic (we believe this is a replica owned by Jay Leno), and from an Atom Ariel to the Audi e-tron Spyder Concept.
Buckle up and head over the jump to enjoy the video.

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An Alternative Concept for a Bugatti Super Sedan by Dejan Hristov

We'll probably have to wait for a major international motor show to see what kind of "significant" design changes Bugatti has made to its original Galibier concept, as confirmed earlier this year by the brand's new CEO, Wolfgang Duerheimer, but in the meantime, here's a new design study for a Bugatti saloon that was sent to us by Dejan Hristov. While a little rough on the edges, Hristov's Bugatti Super Sedan design concept proposes a different look that draws closer to the firm's Veyron 16.4 coupe than the Galibier showcar.
In addition, instead of four traditional doors, the Super Sedan recomends a pair of large Gullwing-style doors that negate the need for a B pillar offering an easier access to the interior that can seat four passengers.

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Volkswagen to Reach Goal of World’s Largest Automaker Ahead of Schedule

 
The Volkswagen Group, which consists of Volkswagen, Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini and Porsche brands in America, are looking to become the number one seller of vehicles in the world by 2018. That’s a bold proclamation as they’re currently sitting in the number three position behind Toyota and General Motors.

As of last year, the VW Group was at 7.14-million vehicles sold while Toyota was at 8.42-million and GM was at 8.39-million. They’re currently aiming to be moving 10-million vehicles a year by 2018 and CEO Martin Winterkorn anticipates it’ll even happen before then.

Their plan will be to target the global market obviously, having already secured the European market. Their new plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee currently has the capacity to produce 150,000 vehicles a year, but VW is working on expanding it to 500,000, the majority of which will remain within the US market.

Even though VW has taken over European automotive sales with 2.9 vehicles sold in 2010, they still look to increase their market share with their new Up! model. But key to VW becoming the global leader in sales will be how they perform in other markets including Brazil, Russia, India and most importantly, China.

Tis the Time to Watch Out: Cool Timepieces for the Auto Enthusiast

A red and white McLaren and a bright yellow-helmeted driver behind the wheel storming down the track is one of the images that defined the 1980’s-era of Formula 1. The driver was, of course, the late Ayrton Senna. And the watch he wore was always a TAG Heuer, something that made many young fans of the most charismatic driver the world has ever seen yearn for one.
The Swiss brand continues its partnership with the Woking-based F1 team, making sure that Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button flash their timepieces at every opportunity.
On the other hand, the most famous, if not really the most exclusive or expensive watchmaker in the world, Rolex, has linked its name not only with the late actor, racing driver and Indycar team owner Paul Newman, but also sponsors and big names, many major events after its most coveted model, the Daytona chronograph.
Cars and timepieces share many characteristics. For one, they come in all shapes and sizes and their price range from cheap to “if you have to ask, you can’t afford it” category – and everything in between.
Furthermore, while some people simply view them as a mechanical device built to satisfy a need, transportation and telling the time respectively, and don’t care about the inner working parts, others have a totally different approach.
They appreciate the shape, the complex workings inside and the feel of both. There are also those who simply view them as a status symbol, a means of displaying their wealth.
Perhaps they just want a matching Jaeger LeCoultre to go with their Aston Martin or a Breitling to look at its knurled bezel and think about their Bentley’s controls when they are not driving it.
Watchmakers and car companies are very well aware of the connection between their products. Some carmakers have even tried to make their car’s instruments look like chronographs (Lexus with the IS200) or even sport a watch by a high-end manufacturer in the dashboard (Bentley).
This practice works the opposite way, too: TAG Heuer has developed the V4, a limited edition of square Monaco chronograph that was made famous by Steve McQueen in the 1971 Le Mans movie, inspired by cars’ belt driven engine parts.
Moreover, nearly a decade ago, it resurrected the Carrera name that alludes not to Porsche, as you might expect, but the Carrera Panamericana race of the 1950s that took place in Mexico. Many variations are currently available, with the Grand Carrera being the most distinctive piece.
Porsche, which offers a Chrono package in its models and has its own luxury items brand, Porsche Design, has also entered the timepiece market with the P6000 series.
The world’s most famous car brand could not be absent from our list. Ferrari, which has licensed its Prancing Horse logo to a range of items, from computers to shoes, has been one of the first to collaborate with high-end watch makers.
Girard-Perregaux was one of the first to make Ferrari-branded watches, and then Maranello decided to leave the Swiss company and collaborate with its compatriot Panerai, and currently has also returned to Switzerland too work with another high-end watchmaker, Hublot.
Perhaps the most unusual example, which makes even the Carrera V4 look ordinary by comparison, is another timepiece inspired by Ferrari: it is the Scuderia Ferrari One that is made by Geneva-based Cabestan.
It’s true that, if you’re used to normal watches you may find it difficult to tell the time by looking at its three engraved aluminum rotary bands. On the other hand, Cabestan’s creation, contrary to other manufacturers’ practice, lets you see its intricate innards from the front, and is quite a remarkable sight.
The same holds true for the Parmigiani-Flerieur Bugatti Super Sports. And even though we’ve so far avoided to name prices, which usually vary according to the country or even the retailer, the Bugatti watch certainly bears a price tag that befits a Veyron owner: US$259,000…

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