Month: October 2021

When it comes to the world of sporty sedans on the road, there are a few that reign supreme: BMW M6 GC, the M5, the Mercedes-Benz C 63 AMG, the Porsche Panamera GTS, and the Cadillac CTS-V. However, there is another that should be on that list but often isn’t: the Audi RS7.

The RS7 was brought to production in 2013 with models rolling out onto dealership floors as a 2014 model year for everyone to enjoy.

Audi had strived for a long while building a range of usable and affordable luxury sedans of all shapes and sizes in the A-Class line, with sportier versions taking over in the S-Class line. However with the birth of the RS line came a beautiful blend of luxury, usability, and sport-based speed and handling.

The Audi RS7 came off the line with a modified version of the 4.0 twin-turbo V8 engine that already was housed in the S7 model, only tweaked to produce 553 horsepower and 516 pounds of torque. It can hit zero to 60 miles per hour in 3.9 seconds and is limited to a top speed of 155mph. That’s a lot of power from a four-door family sedan.

Its design carries over the majority of the base that the S7 is built on, longer, lower, and sleeker than the A7 for example, but the RS7 contains more of that “exotic car” design with angular headlights, boxier rear, and aggressive side views. Small changes like these help to set the three branches of the large Audi sedan family apart.

If you are considering getting yourself a daily driver, whether it is your one and only, or the newest edition to a packed garage, keep reading to see if the RS7 is right for you.

 

Driving Experience

Driving the RS7 is quite a lot of fun. It is usable for the everyday trek of work, errands, etc. It is not so dramatic looking on the outside where people will swerve into your lane to take a photo of you, but at the same time, it is enough to make someone take a second look when it passes them by on the main street or is sitting pretty in the gym parking lot.

Being the sportier version out of the Audi sedans the RS7 comes with a bit more fluff than its cousins. The RS7 has more spec-friendly options such as matte exterior paints, carbon fiber interior trims, power extending rear spoiler, adaptive air suspension, carbon-ceramic brakes, and options of three different designed 21-inch multi-spoke cast wheels. These options all help to give that more sporty feel for the driver and even the passengers when enjoying the RS7.

 

Audi RS7 Common Problems

It seems that overall Audi has made a reliable machine when it comes to the RS7, with the most common problems regarding the vehicle being related to user error and treating the vehicle poorly by not maintaining it correctly. However, there are currently two recalls present for the Audi RS7 which I have linked HERE. Please ensure before purchasing your RS7 that these recalls have been addressed by a licensed Audi dealership.

 

Audi RS7 Cost of Ownership/Maintenance

Audi’s, much like Mercedes or BMW’s are not as expensive as everyone believes they are to maintain. Are they more expensive than your average Kia or Dodge? Yes of course, but they are nowhere near as expensive as the Lamborghini’s or Ferrari’s of the world.

A lot of work on Audi’s can be done at trusted third-party mechanic shops, as their construction is rather simple if the shop is familiar with German cars.

Tires will be on the more expensive side, however, depending upon the brand you choose. For a performance model car such as the RS7 we always recommend Continental’s if you are looking on the less expensive side of the spectrum, Michelin in the middle, and Pirelli if you are looking to go all out. As you aren’t tracking the sedan every other weekend, you shouldn’t have to worry too much on the tire side if you got a PPI done beforehand and know how much tread is left on the tires of your RS7.

 

Audi RS7 Model Year Changes

2014-2016 The models remained pretty much the same aside from technological upgrades.

2017 The Performance model is introduced to the line-up, offering a more sporty feel to the luxury brand. Smartphone integration coming standard in 2017 and newer models.

2018 Sport exhaust becomes standard on all models of the RS7

2019-2020 The major facelift of the RS7 “Sportback”, sleeker more angular body style, LED taillight upgrade, front bumper/headlight upgrade, new interior designed, higher-end standard technology, up-tick in engine output and performance.

 

Audi RS7 Options

Though the options on the Audi RS7 aren’t endless like they would be on a Ferrari, there are still important options to note and with said options, the RS7 you inquire about could be better or worse for resale.

Matte or Nardo Grey paint is always favored, 21-inch wheels are also preferred, upgraded Bang & Olufsen sound system is a plus, as well as carbon fiber interior trim, heads-up display, and the dynamic package.

If you’d like to see a full list of the options as well as the dollar In which they add to the MSRP, check out this link.

 

Best Audi RS7 To Buy

With the current market, believe it or not, the RS7’s have been rather steady in the market, with no massive dips but rather trending level. For me, the 2015-2016 Prestige models are were it is going to be at in terms of hacking. The color scheme plays a great role in these cars, metallic paint, as well as matte/nardo, all do better for resale versus the basic whites or blacks. Any car with the aforementioned options in our last section will always do better for resale.

 

Conclusion

The Audi RS7 (first gen) is A LOT of car for the money, and owning one will truly give you a sporty feeling with that highly sought-after daily driver usability. The RS7 is one of those cars where if you can only have one in the garage, you get the best of both worlds in one clean, sleek, and beautiful German ride.

Conventional thinking (lead by manipulation from Car Dealers, Jewelers, & other luxury sellers) has lead people to believe that luxury items like cars and watches are liabilities that drain your wealth.

This forces most people to believe that they have to save up some insane amount of money to drive an exotic car, or achieve a salary level that’s simply out-of-reach in the near future.

That couldn’t be further from the truth.

In fact, it’s actually the mid-level luxuries and low-level consumables that drain your wealth. Things like lease payments, buying brand new cars, buying watches at MSRP (except Rolex), etc..

Today, I’m going to show you how these things can actually be assets that GROW your wealth, instead of liabilities that drain it, and how you can use the same compounding money over and over (recycling) to enjoy even better luxuries over time while your net worth grows.

Let’s run the numbers:

First, I want you to meet my friend, “Hypothetical Joe.”

Hypothetical Joe can have multiple personalities based on how he lives his life and spends his money.

He can be “Average Joe” (boring)…

Or he can be “Joe Exotic” (sexy, exciting, fun).

As a baseline, let’s assume Joe has $30,000 of savings in the bank and earns enough money to cover all his living expenses + $1500/mo to save or use on car payments & luxury spending.

He wants to get himself a sweet sports car with a budget of $1000/mo, and a luxury watch for no more than half of his savings.

Average Joe, who has never heard of Exotic Car Hacks or Watch Trading Academy, would do the following…

First, he decides to lease a new ride and finds an attractive offer for a Lexus RC-F. For $809/mo for 36 mos and $5,999 due at signing, his wheels are secure.

Then he hits up his local Hublot Boutique and for a cool $10,400 he buys a Classic Fusion Black Magic 45mm.

After one year, let’s look at the numbers for Average Joe:

Savings: $30,000 (starting) – $5,999 (downpayment) – $10,400 (watch) = $13,601

Cash in: $1,500* 12 = $18,000

Payments out: $809 * 12 = $9,708

Value of car if sold: $0 – since he is leasing the car there is no value being stored, and still $19,416 to be spent before the lease expires.

Residual value of watch: $5,000 (Source)

Net Wealth after 12 months: $26,893 (from $30,000)

On the other hand, what if he decides to invest in Watch Trading Academy and Exotic Car Hacks so he can learn how to enjoy his luxuries responsibly?

Enter Joe Exotic.

Joe Exotic realizes for his $1,000/mo payment he can afford a 2013 Nissan GTR. He finances the purchase price of $68,000 (after some negotiation) at 1.99% for 72 months for a payment of $1,003 per month. Let’s assume he has no trade-in credits and pays cash for taxes and tags at approx $4,500.

When he starts shopping for watches, he realized (thanks to Watch Trading Academy) that he should never buy a Hublot at retail. Instead of spending $10,300 for a watch worth $5,000, he pays $8,500 for a carbon fiber Hublot Big Bang that was once $21,500.

After year, let’s look at the numbers for Joe Exotic:

Savings: $30,000 (starting savings) – $4,500 (downpayment) – $8,500 (Hublot) = $17,000

Cash in: $1,500* 12 = $18,000

Payments out: $1,003 * 12 = $12,036

Still owed on car: ~$58,000

Value of car if sold: $70,000

Net wealth stored in car: $12,000

Residual value of watch: $9,000

Net Wealth after 12 months: $44,000 (from $30,000)

Difference between Average Joe and Joe Exotic: $17,107

Keep in mind this is also assuming Joe Exotic doesn’t trade a single watch for profit, which, if he was using the rest of his savings to trade part-time, could easily add another $20,000+ in a year.

Plus, Joe can rinse and repeat this process with more cars, using the same dollars over and over to drive whatever he wants.

Let’s say he wants to upgrade to a Lamborghini LP560.

No problem.

His $12,000 in GT-R equity goes with him and continues building in the Lambo.

Here’s what that looks like:

The GT-R sells for $70,000 and he gets $12k returned to him.

Then he buys an LP560 for $125,000 with $15k down and $3k in taxes (using a trade-in tax credit as taught in Exotic Car Hacks, he is exempt from paying the first $70,000).

His monthly payment on a $110k loan is $1,671 at 2.99% for 72 mos.

That’s higher than he’d like, BUT the LP560s are trending up, and in a year he can sell the car for $135,000 with 3k additional miles.

So his $18,000 (down payment & taxes) + $20,052 in payments ($1,671*12 mos) = $38,052 transferred into the asset.

His payoff is just under $93,000 accounting for interest, leaving him with $42,000 in equity.

So AFTER TAXES because he upgraded from a GT-R to a LP560, he’s up $4,000 and that’s before an ~$8,000 tax credit he can use on his next car.

When he upgrades to his Lambo, he also decides he’s tired of the Hublot and want to move into an Audemars Piguet.

So he trades it + $5,000 for a Royal Oak Offshore Rubberclad and after that same year, sells that for $16,000.

Here’s what his money looks like after year 2:

Savings: $35,000 ($17k start of year 1+ 6k year 1 savings, + $12k GT-R) – $18,000 (Lambo) – $5,000 (AP) = $12,000

Cash in: $1,500* 12 = $18,000

Payments out: $1,671 * 12 = $20,052

Loan balance on Lambo: $93,000

Lambo price: $135,000

Equity returned from car sale: $42,000

Value of AP sale: $16,000

Net Wealth after 24 months: $67,948 (from $30,000) WHILE driving awesome cars and wearing cool watches.

In the “Average Joe” example, his net worth at this time from staying in the Lexus and wearing the other Hublot would be less than half of that, at $31,185.

The money doesn’t go away. It transfers and it recycles.

My friends,

This is the difference between how wealthy people think about money and how poor people think about money.

Even people who have some money can still be poor: because all they do is spend their wealth instead of recycle it.

What you need to be doing is transferring your wealth into assets that don’t lose their value.

This way you can still enjoy the luxuries you want in life without the depreciation expenses that come with it.

I obviously use cars and watches but the same can apply to designer bags, sneakers, boats, real estate, etc.

There is a right way and a wrong way to upgrade your lifestyle.

Choose the right way.

Join the community at Exotic Car Hacks today and learn how to keep your money in your portfolio. Plus, enjoy lifetime access to our core training (updated annually) as well as our online community of exotic car owners who are constantly participating in market discussions, high-level networking, and more

As the 25th James Bond movie arrives in cinemas this week, we say goodbye to Daniel Craig as he retires from the 007 role. However, there is some good news for James Bond fans as “No Time To Die” features an extremely exciting car chase scene.

One of the most iconic aspects of James Bond movies is the various cars that make their way onto the silver screen. While fans everywhere would like to debate who the best Bond is, we’re wondering which Bond had the coolest car? 

• READ MORE: Tom Ford defines the Measure of A Man for James Bond and regular Joes

1. Aston Martin DB5 – Goldfinger (1964)

Arguably the most famous Bond car of all, Aston Martin’s DB5 made its first appearance with Sean Connery in “Goldfinger” — a movie that would catapult the James Bond franchise into its legendary status. 

It introduced audiences to the famous suite of gadgets: machine guns, tyre slashers, hydraulic rams, and the ejector seat. The DB5 was also launched only three months prior to filming the movie. 

2. Lotus Esprit S1 – The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)

Another car also made iconic by the film franchise, the Lotus Esprit first appeared in 1977’s “The Spy Who Loved Me” starring the late Sir Roger Moore. This car was especially unique as it was a fully functioning working submarine with anti-aircraft missiles.

The actual vehicle right now is owned by Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla.

3. Aston Martin V8 Vantage – The Living Daylights (1987)

Another Aston Martin, this time for Timothy Dalton in 1987. Gadgets included a control panel under the armrest for wheel lasers, missiles, pop-out spiked tyres, a rocket booster, and a police radio receiver. 

The car was also bulletproof. If all the gear were real, the car would weigh in at an estimated 800 million kilograms. 

• READ MORE: Bentley: Master Architect in the Field of Car-making

4. Tuk-tuk – Octopussy (1983)

Technically not really an actual “car”, this Bajaj RE, or tuktuk or autorickshaw was driven by Roger Moore for the 13th 007 film, “Octopussy”. 

The scene involved Bond winning a high-stakes backgammon game against an Afghan prince, and then hooking up with MI6 agent Vijay for a sharp exit. The duo is then pursued by said prince’s goon, wielding a shotgun in a similar-looking vehicle.

5. Renault 11 TXE – A View To A Kill (1985)

The car became famous for its ability to soldier on after suffering a mortifying injury: the roof being removed as Bond drives under a lorry, and the rear half of the car being cut off after being hit by another vehicle. Funnily enough, both halves of the car went on sale just a couple of years ago. Watch the iconic scene below:

6. Mercury Cougar XR7 – On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969)

This one isn’t technically a Bond car. It belonged to Tracy di Vicenzo (played by Diana Rigg), Bond’s (played by George Lazenby) wife. The Mercury Cougar was the brand’s take on the Ford Mustang, fitted with a ram air hood scoop, rally wheels, high-backed bucket seats, and a full gauge kit. 

7. Citroen 2CV – For Your Eyes Only (1981)

While it was lacking in gadgets, this car more than made up for it in boldness. While Roger Moore’s Bond escapes from villains in more powerful Peugeot 504s, the little yellow car manages to escape bullets and drive down the side of mountains without breaking. It also survives being inverted and then thrown back onto its wheels by helpful bystanders. 

For more car reads, click here.

The post 7 of the Best 007 Cars in the Bond Franchise appeared first on LUXUO.

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars announced today that it will be releasing its first fully electric car, the Spectre. The vehicle is an ode to its founding fathers, Charles Rolls and Sir Henry Royce who both wanted to create the best motorcar in the world. 

Rolls had prophesied an electric future for automobiles. In 1900, Rolls created an early version of an electric car called the Columbia and decided electric vehicles would be ideal.

“The electric car is perfectly noiseless and clean,” he said. “There is no smell or vibration, and they should become very useful when fixed charging stations can be arranged. But for now, I do not anticipate that they will be very serviceable – at least for many years to come.”

• READ MORE: Salon Privé 2021: Rolls-Royce Celebrates Bespoke Commissions

The Spectre is the answer to Rolls’ promise to himself. And CEO Torsten Müller-Ötvös has promised that Rolls-Royce will go electric starting this decade, expecting to be fully electric by 2030.

Müller-Ötvös described the car as “the first super-luxury car of its type”. 

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Rolls-Royce has been involved in electric automobiles since 2011, when it revealed the 102EX, an electric-battery operated Phantom. This was followed by the 103EX in 2016, its first entirely electric vehicle. The Spectre, however, is the real deal and is scheduled to hit the market in Q4 2024.

• READ MORE: Top Luxurious Electric Cars in 2021

It is also said that Rolls-Royce has conceived the most demanding testing programme in its history. It will push the car to its limits, covering 2.5 million kilometres, travelling the world to test them on road. It will be tested in all conditions and terrains. 

More information about the Spectre can be found on Rolls-Royce’s website.

Rolls-Royce isn’t the only automaker with exciting electric vehicle news. US-based Rivian is also set to launch its own line of electric trucks and SUVs, scheduled to be released later this year. Offering electric vehicles to those with an outdoorsy lifestyle. Its hoping to offer consumers what Tesla can’t, in terms of functionality and personality.

For more car reads, click here.

The post Rolls-Royce Announces Its First Fully Electric Vehicle, Spectre appeared first on LUXUO.

While Tesla is dominating the world of electric vehicles, some people might be put off by their lineup of vehicles, its eccentric CEO Elon Musk, or both. This could be a blessing for rival company Rivian.

The US automaker is focused on electric trucks and SUVs that are expected to go public later this year. A key part of Rivian’s appeal is how different it is from Tesla.

In an interview with CNN Business, drivers who have pre-ordered with Rivian say that the vehicles are better suited for an outdoorsy lifestyle, and have a more conventional, rugged appearance. Some have also said Rivian’s environmental focus seems more sincere and its mission more people-oriented compared to Tesla.

Electric vehicle enthusiasts have said their opinion of Musk had soured over the years. From his controversial tweets to calling a rescue worker in Thailand “pedo guy”, to mocking the Securities and Exchange Commission. The drivers interviewed said they preferred the low-profile Rivian CEO, RJ Scaringe.

• READ MORE: Top Luxurious Electric Cars in 2021

“Sometimes Musk can come across as a Bond villain or something, RJ does not give me those vibes,” said Stephen Henken, who has ordered a Rivian R1S.

Scaringe graduated with a PhD in mechanical engineering from MIT and founded Rivian in 2009. From then until now, the company has made sure to turn itself into a full-fledged automaker before ever selling a car.

Rivian purchased a former Mitsubishi manufacturing plant in 2017 and the company has raised US$10.5 billion since 2019 from various sources, including giants Amazon and Ford. The company markets itself as an adventure-focused brand. Its mission? To “inspire people to do more of the things they love, while minimizing our impact on the planet”.

Rivian also offers the option to purchase a tent that mounts atop its vehicles and sells specific mounts for bikes, snowboards, skis, kayaks, and surfboards. Other companies such as Ford and Subaru offer similar attachments, while Tesla does not.

Of course, there’s a risk that Rivian will overpromise and under-deliver. David Kirsch, a professor at the University of Maryland’s business school, said Rivian’s team, product, and investors all look promising, but there are no guarantees it will meet expectations.

“You see concept images of a car, you get excited. You see a facility to build it, you get excited. You see production versions and get more excited,” said Karl Brauer, executive analyst at iSeeCars.com. “But none of that means anything once the person buys the car.”

Also happening in car news, Audi Sport has been running tests on its Audi RS Q e-tron in Morrocco in preparation for the Dakar Rally next year in Saudi Arabia. The war was pushed to its extremes in the high temperatures of the desert, along with sandstorms hampering progress.

For more motoring reads, click here.

The post What Sets Rivian Apart From Tesla appeared first on LUXUO.