The demand for cars has increased in countries such as China because of the progression of its economy and the proliferation of wealthy citizens. The Asian market favors sport utility vehicles, so many luxury automakers are creating these more expensive cars.
While the majority of people cannot afford cars with a 6-figure price tag, automakers such as Chrysler have teamed up with luxury automakers. This not only enhanced the appearance the new cars’ appearance, but it has also enhanced the car’s appearance to the general public. The 2014 and 2015 years will be a big step for BMW.  The company plans to release their long awaited BMW i8 electric sports car. Bentley and Maserati also plan to as release their Sport utility vehicles.
If you happen to be receiving paychecks so large that the figures look more like phone numbers, some of the Chrysler cars may be perfect for you. However, I will also show you other 2014 and 2015 releases that will be more reasonably priced.
2015 Bentley SUV
The Bentley SUV is set to be released in 2014 and will be the first of its kind. The body structure and amenities offered by this SUV are similar to those of Porsche (Cayenne) and Land Rover (Range Rover). The engine used in the crossover will be identical to the Bentley Continental GT. The Continental GT is the first car to be mass-produced by the Volkswagen-AG group and uses a W12 engine (twelve cylinder piston internal combustion engine). The Bentley SUV will use the same twin-turbo W-12 engine and a 4.0-liter twin turbo V-8.
The eight-speed dual-clutch automatic along with the all-wheel-drive system will come standard on the car’s power train system. The projected price of the vehicle will be around $200,000. The only thing that would stop the SUV to flunk in sales would be a European financial crisis or restrictions of the vehicle in China. It is likely that the crossover will make successful debut. Hopefully you won’t crash this car like the blonde lady who crashed her Bentley into four super cars at Monaco’s Place du Casino back in 2011.
2015 BMW i8
The BMW i8 has been a concept for a while now, and will be the “first real sustainable sports car” ever produced. The vehicle is set to be released by 2014 and its average base price will be set at$120,000. The vehicle has a futuristic exterior, and the “i” in i8 means that the car will be both technologically advanced and environmentally friendly. The platform of the vehicle is relatively new to BMW because the company is now using a “Life Drive” architecture platform.
The “life” component includes the carbon-fiber passenger compartment, while the “drive” component includes the aluminum structure that supports the chassis and powertrain. The vehicle will run on a three-cylinder gas engine placed at the rear of the car and an electric motor in the front. The combined output will be 350 horsepower. The e-motor used in the BMW i8 will also be used in the smaller BMW electric car, the subcompact i3. Though the BMW i8 will not be the first electric sports car on the market–other environmentally friendly sport cars on the market include the Fisker Karma and Tesla Model S–many people have anticipated the BMW i8 since 2009, so the launch is projected to be quite successful. BMW should be financially safe with this launch as long as the electric battery does not incinerate like it did in the famous Tesla Model S.
2014 Chrysler TD by Maserati
Chrysler has teamed up with the luxury automaker company Maserati to create this compact folding-hardtop convertible. The vehicle shares a front grill similar to most Maserati’s currently on the market, but the rear of the car is very very compacted. The Chrysler TD will use the same platform as the Dodge Dart, which was developed from the Alfa Romeo Giulietta concept. The power displaced by the car is not that impressive for the sticker price of $35,000 because it comes with a 160 horsepower, 1.4 liter turbocharged engine. The vehicle features the same vehicle as the Fiat Abarth and will be the first in the United States to use the Fiat Twin Air 0.9 liter two cylinder engine. The Twin Air’s two cylinders give an 87 horsepower boost to the car. Although the pricing seems reasonable for a car that has features of Maserati, the car will most likely receive criticism from the general public similar to those directed at theout-of-production Chrysler TC by Maserati. The success of the car is debatable, so only time can tell whether the car will be a success. To the wealthy people who own real Maseratis, it seems like Chrysler is just decorating trash with glitter.
2014 Mercedes Benz MLC
No guide is complete without a feature from Daimler AG’s Mercedes Benz. The Mercedes MLC is set to be released in 2014 with a base price of $60,000. The segment crossover vehicle was likely made to compete with the BMW X6, which has gained global success with a total production of 23,000 units since 2013. The platform will use a combination of the Mercedes ML and Mercedes GL, using the ML’s suspension and GL’s air springs to allow for an astounding drivetrain. The MLC will come standard with a 3.5-liter twin-turbo V-6 that will displace roughly 335 horsepower while the MLC 550 with the AMG performance package will use a 5.5-liter twin turbo V-8 with 519 horsepower. The MLC 550 is definitely a gas-guzzler. The MLC will compete with the BMW X6 and Infiniti FX. If China bans monster SUVs, such as the MLC, the sales of this vehicle may be dreadful for Mercedes. The idea of the MLC is not as original as some of the other cars because it seems that Mercedes stole the concept straight from BMW.
2015 Acura NSX
To finish off this article, I want to throw in a Japanese engineered automobile. The $110,000 sports car is set to be sold in the 2015 year. Honda’s chief, Takanobu Ito, engineers the NSX. This so-called Japanese “supercar” is being developed and manufactured in Ohio, right her in the United States. The engine of the Acura will use a direct-injected V-6, which will be bolted to a dual-clutch, paddle-shifted automatic. The automatic system will use an electric motor similar to Honda’s hybrids, which does not seem very impressive for a “supercar.” Acura boasts that this NSX will lead as the best racecar on both the highways and racetracks and will surpass pureblooded sport cars such as the Maclaren MP4-12C and Ferrari 459 Italia. However, I must say that the NSX has a nice exterior and is relatively good for the price as opposed to the Lexus LFA, which costs a quarter of a million dollars. I am not a big fan of Japanese cars, but the NSX is likely to have good sales among Japanese racecar fanatics.
Although most cars in this article seem out of reach in price, it serves as a guide for what is to come from automobile industry for 2014 and 2015. All these cars are worth the wait and clearly impressive. Hopefully, this article has inspired you to, as the rapper Wiz Khalifa said, receive “checks that be looking like phone numbers, I’m talking millions.”
By MARTIN HUANG
Staff Writer