Renting luxury cars is on the uprise as an increasing number of people realise the benefits and flexibility of part-time car ownership. Even once-off customers, like tourists and commuting business people now look for those little extras when shopping around for executive car hire.

In the past economists and market analysers were purely interested in identifying the factors that affect consumers’ buying behaviour and would develop various vehicle models to estimate the market share. They did not, however, consider their consumer group’s travel attitude and personality as factors that might affect their vehicle choice.

In recent years however, it has become very apparent that in order for suppliers to market their vehicles, and most importantly – their brand – to potential buyers they would need to get inside their heads and figure out what makes them tick. As the leading American publishing and media company, Forbes took an ardent interest and did some research. Here follows a little taster of what they found.

Aston Martin DB9 (two door): Consumers who lean towards this vehicle are generally self-made and although they spend quite a bit of money on their cars they are not showy at all. Aston owners, the research revealed, are not very extroverted where their wealth is concerned. These are the sort of people who prefer to wear their designer brand on the inside label rather than splashed across the front of their vest.

Chevrolet Corvette (two door): Owners of these spunky little numbers are aggressive and seek control. They appreciate style in everything they choose to surround themselves with, whether it be cars, homes or furniture. They are successful, crave adventure and may have a fanatic streak (an estimated 95 000 people in the United States alone belong to Corvette clubs).

Honda Civic (coupe and sedan): This consumer group’s favourite leisure activities are reading, domestic travel, conversation with like-minded people and going to the movies. Their biggest emotional desires include feeling secure, feeling in control of their life and ‘destiny’, having fun and enjoying a measure of freedom.

Volkswagen Jetta (sedan): In comparison with the rest of society people who purchase this car are 40% less likely to be separated from their partner, 37% more likely to use sunscreen, 65% more likely to enjoy having their car catch people’s attention and 30% more likely to recycle. They also probably take their music really seriously, partake in snowboarding and drive a little faster than allowed.

Lexus LS (sedan): The owners of this model vehicle enjoy travelling to exotic locations, exercising, reading extensively and developing themselves by taking various classes. They are most probably married, family-orientated and quite wealthy – nearing retirement. Intelligence and politeness are of extreme importance in their life and they expect others to adhere as strictly to these principles as they do.

Nissan 350Z (two door): In comparison with owners of similar sports cars this consumer group is generally younger with a smaller chance of being married. The group consists largely of black or Hispanic people who are seeking improved confidence. The safety aspect is of more importance to them than having a sleek ride and they are also quite likely to own a pet.

So, now you know. Next time you sign up for that car rental luxury package remember you may be giving away more of yourself than simply your choice of luxury car rental. Big Brother is watching and waiting to sort you neatly into a consumer statistic box.

Like the varied geographical locations in the world, people are also varied and so is their preference, their outlook, their perceptions and their lifestyles. And today’s world is all set to complement these varied preferences. Even though people are different in various aspects, there are some things that are common and the one thing that tops the list is indulging in the best. One such indulgence in the best is an Infiniti car. A grand brand name, the Infiniti car possesses and also talks about luxury, beauty, attraction, perfection. In fact an Infiniti car is the perfect blend of style and technology. Nissan, the manufacturer of the Infiniti car, designed the Infiniti car in such a manner that it turned heads and ruled the roads.

An Infiniti car is a complete blend of style, suaveness, great and outstanding features and high end performance. The Infiniti car is meant is to surprise you and never disappoint you. The Infiniti car for sale is complete with all the facilities like comfort, automatic window control system, highly effective air conditioner and a power packed music system and various other features and services. An Infiniti car is the best possible gift that you can gift yourself so that you can indulge in the best.

Some of the really well known models of Infiniti car are the Infiniti G35 Coupe, G35 Sedan, FX 35, Q45, M35 and M45. Each of the Infiniti cars is a pleasure to own and drive on the roads. An Infiniti car will be available in rich and exotic colors like Red, cherry, black, bronze, white, silver, metallic blue and the list does not end here. To own an Infiniti car is not every one’s cup of tea. You need to be very well calculated when you plan to buy an Infiniti car. And if you think you want to indulge in an Infiniti car but your funds are limited, you can always go in for an Infiniti car loan that you get easily get from any Infiniti car dealer. These loans can be repaid through easy installments and with this car loan you can always indulge in buying your favorite Infiniti car. When you decide to buy an Infiniti car, you should decide to buy it from the vest Infiniti car dealer. Going in for the best Infiniti car dealer will help to get many facilities and moreover once you become a customer with the best Infiniti car dealer you get a friend for your entire life.

Today’s fast paced world demands the use of a car but at times we tend to have the best car to fulfill our desires of indulging in the best and feeling elated. While you drive an Infiniti car you are bound to feel ecstatic and euphoric and feel like the king of the roads. This luxury car for sale is absolute pleasure to drive and feel ecstatic. In fact an Infiniti car is a pleasure to see, a pleasure to sit in and while you drive an Infiniti car you are bound to make heads turn and steal a glance.

India has an age old history in automobile industry. Since the first car was launched in the country, it has witnessed many advancements and innovations that have continuously changed the overall appearance of the industry in the global car market.

In the present scenario, Indian automobile landscape is showcasing a number of cars and other vehicles with a combination of technology and consumer-friendly price tags. It displays a variety of cars in different price segments ranging from a small car of Rs 1 lakh to a high-end luxury car worth Rs 5 crore. These cars with such a huge difference in price tags cater to different sections of the society.

The first and perhaps the most noteworthy example of the growing Indian car industry is the soon-to-be-launched Tata Nano. This homegrown frugal car is simply a small wonder. After the unique engine technology and price tag of Tata Nano, global car manufacturers have their eye on Indian engineers and technology. The car expected to hit in the festive season is a big threat to the small car segment in the global market.

Other than Nano, there are many other small wonders soon to be seen on Indian roads. First in line is the car manufacturing leader, Maruti Suzuki, who is all set to roll out its small car, Maruti-Suzuki A-Star. Then there is a car codenamed as ULC (ultra-low cost), proposed to be designed and produced by a joint venture between Bajaj Auto and the Renault-Nissan. Following the trend, Honda, Seil India, Hyundai Motors, Czech Skoda India, General Motors and even Toyota is planning to design an exclusive small car in the Indian car market. The trend of producing small cars with upmarket and innovative technology has itself paved a path for global car manufacturers to reach India.

The unique combination of innovations and technologies in Indian small cars has also redefined the concept of luxury cars in the country. As new technologies are banking on small cars, the differentiation line between small and luxury cars seems to fade away except the size and price. This compelled luxury car manufacturers to re-define the structure, body lines and interiors of all their car models so that a broad differentiation line always stay in between. The redefined luxury car segment is another aspect of the growing Indian car market.

Luxury car manufacturers like BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, and Rolls Royce have introduced a number of luxury cars for sale in the Indian car market. They are still in process of rolling out more cars with better engine technology and futuristic features. With the increasing number of people showing their interest in luxury cars, these manufacturers are earning good revenues, compelling them to strengthen their footprints in India.

For those looking for sheer luxury on wheels a slew of launches will hit the Indian market. BMW will drive in its new 7 Series and its sportier M3, M5 and M6 followed by the sports utility range the BMW X6. Rolls Royce will roll out more number of Rolls Royce Phantom cars for sale whereas Porsche is ready to hit India with its exciting Porsche Cayenne GTS and the Porsche 911 new GT2. Few new Volkswagen cars, Mitsubishi cars, and Toyota cars are also on their way to India.

Experts believe that a wide assortment of options is available in India to suit different sections of people. The market is even more promising with low-cost production, highly skilled engineers and easy availability of car loans. All these factors along with the increasing number of cars on Indian roads, has become a strong reason for global car manufacturers to savour India.

In 1938 the German automaker Volkswagen released their version of the economy car called the Volkswagen Type 1, or more commonly referred to as the Volkswagen Beetle. The names “Bug” and “Beetle” were adopted by the public, but it was not until late 1967 that Volkswagen began using the name “Beetle” in their marketing. It was previously known as only the “Type 1″ or the 1200, 1300, or 1500, which were the names it had been marketed under in Europe prior to 1967. The numbers indicated the size of the vehicle’s engine in cubic centimeters.

The 1967 model of the Volkswagen car underwent a few changes, the car itself didn’t get bigger, but many of the mechanical systems and components did. Some changes to the Bug included a larger engine. Output of the electrical generator had been increased from 180 watts to 360, and also had been upgraded from the old 6-volt system to the 12-volt system. The clutch disk was also made larger and changes had been made to the braking system, the flywheel, and rear axles.

Although the VW Bug has been widely despised for its styling, rough ride, weak power, along with high noise levels, it was also the longest and most produced vehicle for a single design.

The “Beetle” or “Bug” whichever you wish to call it also played a roll in the military. In 1935 prototypes of the Kdf-Wagen appeared. Produced by Daimlet-Benz in Stuttgart, Germany the first prototypes were born. With its already peculiar round shape, and the rear-mounted, air-cooled engine. The factory only produced a small number of the cars for sale by the time war began in 1939. The first mass-produced version of the Beetle were used for military vehicles, like the Schwimmwagen and the Kubelwagen.

The military bug was created to be as simple as possible, so that little could go wrong. The 985cc air-cooled motor proved to be effective with German Afrika Korps in Africa’s desert heat with The built in oil cooler and the superb performance of the flat four, or “pancake” engine configuration. The suspension was equipped with compact torsion beams in place of the more commonly used coil or leaf spring suspensions.

Once World War II was over, the shortage of jobs led to the reopening of the factory in Wolfsburg by Allied forces. The production of the Beetle from then on recommenced. The production increased massively over the next decade, with the one millionth car rolling off of the assembly line in 1955. The Bug’s performance was far superior compared to other automobiles in its category with a top speed of 72 mph. The production was surpassing 16 million in 1972, and by the 23rd of June in 1992 the company had sold over 21 million of the cars.

The Volkswagen Beetle is the world’s best selling design with the same name. This luxury car outlasted most all of the other vehicles who had copied the rear-mounted air-cooled engine layout like those by Subaru, and General Motors.

The Beetle began to phase-out in 2003. The annual production ad reduced to 30,000 from its peak of 1.3 million in 1971. As the last Beetle rolled off of the assembly line, it was shipped off to the Volkswagen company museum in Wolfsburg, Germany.

In 1998 Volkswagen introduced the Volkswagen New Beetle Car for sale which was designed to look a lot like the classic Beetle. The new Beetle was designed with a water cooled engine being placed in the front of the car. The new VW Beetle has turned out to be a very popular car and has become a pop culture icon and been featured in many movies.

Whether you buy the 2005 Hummer H2 as a status symbol or for its truly powerful off-roading capability, owner say you won’t be disappointed.  This year, the “smaller-size” version of the original Hummer adds a pick-up like trim to its lineup — the SUT.  This features an uncovered 3-foot long bed, hardly big enough to be of any use, but a Midgate wall can be removed and a rear window powered into the bed to expand the capacity to six feet long (with the rear seats folded down).  Unlike the cargo area in the SUV, the SUT bed has tie-downs and drain holes and can be hosed out.  Also new on both the base and SUT is 9 extra horsepower, boosting the 6.0-liter V8 to 325-hp and 365 lb-ft of torque.

Because of the rear cargo bed, the SUT seats five, compared to the SUV’s five-passenger seating.  A third row is optional in the SUV car.  The 2005 Hummer H2 car for sale not only stands out for its size, but for its full-time AWD power with low-range gearing.  It is able to tackle any off-roading situation as if it were driving down a smooth blacktop.  Standard skid plates, 10-inch ground clearance, and a driver-selected rear differential also help in this regard, and all 2005 Hummer H2s come with dual front airbags, traction control, and 4-wheel ABS brakes.  A self-leveling suspension is optional.  Towing capacity is nearly 7000 pounds.

For those less interested in rugged road power and more interested in entertaining friends, the Hummer H2 is also a luxury car inside, with heated leather seats, full power features, a CD player, and OnStar.  Drivers love its style, AWD performance, solid power, and say they feel safe in the oversized military vehicle.  With the size comes less city maneuverability, and the ride height makes it difficult to get into.  Other downsides are blind spots, lack of cargo room, and some engine noise on acceleration.  Pitiful gas mileage is expected and doesn’t come into play when deciding whether or not to buy a 2005 Hummer H2.

The Honda Fit is a five-door hatchback car produced by Honda. It made its debut in America in 2006 at the North America International Auto Show and immediately became a big hit. It is known as Fit in Japan and Jazz in Europe and some parts of Asia.

The 2008 Honda Fit Car is a 4-door, 5-passenger family sedan, or sports sedan, available in 4 trims, ranging from the 5-Spd MT to the Sport 5-Spd AT. It is a carryover from 2007 model. “The 5-Spd MT is equipped with a standard 1.5-liter, I4, 109-horsepower engine that achieves 28-mpg in the city and 34-mpg on the highway. A 5-speed manual transmission with overdrive is standard. The Sport 5-Spd AT is equipped with a standard 1.5-liter, I4, 109-horsepower engine that achieves 27-mpg in the city and 33-mpg on the highway. A 5-speed automatic transmission with overdrive is standard.” With these engine specifications, many reviewers are pleased with the 2008 Honda Fit’s performance capabilities.

Honda Fit’s exterior design exhibits a very functional styling in harmony with fashion. As from Justin Timberlake’s song, Honda Fit actually is bringing sexy back. The compact front and rear suspensions were both designed to allow for a large passenger cabin with a low floor. The base Fit comes with the standard of auto parts like 14-inch steel wheels while the Fit Sport trim offers 15-inch alloy wheels, fog lights, and underbody and rear spoilers.

The Honda Fits cabin displays quality and decent standard features. The Fit is easy to get in and out of for both front and rear occupants. The combination of a low floor and tall roofline makes enough headroom for occupants. This luxury car features the exclusive Magic Seat design; this feature exhibits four main seating configurations that can be used to match different cargo or passenger needs.” The ‘Refresh’ mode allows the right rear passenger to ‘put their feet up’

Standard features include a premium 200-watt, AM/FM/CD audio system with six speakers, MP3/WMA playback capability, a five-mode equalizer, and an auxiliary audio jack for input from a portable music player

“The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration gives the 2008 Fit five out of five stars in front crashes, five stars in front seat occupants’ protection in side crashes, and three out of five stars in rear seat occupants’ protection in side crashes.” Standard safety features include front airbags, front side airbags, side-curtain airbags, four-wheel ABS and electronic brake-force distribution. The cargo area has a low, wide opening and is decently sized for a small car.

Your long wait for the merging of a sports car and a sedan car is over. With the Nissan Maxima, the speed of a sports car and the functionality of a sedan had combined. The redesigned and updated version of the Nissan Maxima had made all these possible. The very thin line between sensible sedans and sporty cars has been crossed. The car of your dreams had just become a reality.

Nissan Maxima can even pass as a luxury car with its sleek design and impressive body form. But even if it looks that way, this car is not priced as much. People on a budget who would like to get the best car their money can buy would surely fall for this new Nissan to hit the market.

The only thing that you can point against the latest Maxima is the fact that it requires no less than premium gasoline to run. Its lavish form is matched with an equally impressive engine that works best only with the highest quality gasoline in the market. Anything less and the car’s performance would be affected.

Nissan Maxima is actually the 7th generation of its kind. It is practically a sports car, only it has four doors instead of just two. While it is very much like the Altima, the Maxima maintain its reign as company’s flag bearer when it comes to mid-sized cars. The Altima is the more economical version of the Maxima.

The aggressive power of the Maxima is what makes it the best car of its time. It is one of the few cars in the market that is stylish but is very athletic. The new car is also made wider, but is relatively shorter by four inches. There are a lot of other improvements on the car, as far as its appearance is concerned. It has a more pronounced grille, an edgier front, and a more angular wrap around headlight. The hood is also much better in form. And Nissan calls it the catamaran-shaped hood.

The inside of the car is as lovely as its exterior. While traditional leather seats look elegant, Nissan uses the heated type to impress more. The interiors use either faux carbon fiber or wood grain. The steering wheel is covered with the same type of leather used for the seats and there are sunshades on the rears as well.

As for engine, this latest Nissan car runs on 290 hp on a 3.5 liter V6 engine. On a highway, the car would run on 26 long miles on a full tank. Mileage is exactly what you get for using the best gasoline on this car.

At the Beijing Auto Show organizers assigned 4,000 square meters of space for luxury cars, where top brands are displaying their new models.

Competition among luxury car brands in China is becoming more and more intense, with the latest indication of exciting times being the launching of Porsche AG’s new showroom in Shanghai last week. Even though the European luxury brands spread over different price ranges, they all have the climbing number of affluent Chinese customers in their sights.

On the second day of the show, a Rolls-Royce Phantom on display was bought for 6.6 million yuan (US$838,681) and a Bentley Arnage Mulliner sold for 6.48 million yuan.Statistics reveal that Land Rover, Jaguar and BMW also went through surging sales in China.

Analysts say that every year leading brands sell 20% of their output in Asia, with mainland China being the most lucrative market.

Some luxury-auto makers, including DaimlerChrysler, BMW, Audi and Volvo, have formed assembly lines in the country to benefit from lower production costs.

Sale of luxury sports cars in China is booming, and the country is anticipated to be Ferrari’s fifth- or sixth-largest market in three to five years. It is estimated that only 5% of Chinese can currently afford private cars, but that translates into 65 million people considering the huge population.

Vehicle sales are predicted to arrive at 7 million, including 4 million sedans and 320,000 luxury vehicles. The markets for luxury cars in China and luxury sports cars in China promise to be among the hottest.

The retail price of Hyundai Motor Co.’s new Genesis luxury sedan will be higher than that of BMW AG’s 3-Series in the United States, an executive of the South Korean carmaker said Monday. Last week, Hyundai Motor launched the Genesis in South Korea, its first foray in the high-end segment to compete with BMW’s 5-Series, Daimler AG’s Mercedes-Benz E-Class and Toyota Motor Corp.’s Lexus GS.

Hyundai Motor hasn’t yet set a price range for the new model, which will be available for sale in the U.S. in June.

In South Korea, the Genesis is selling at a price of between 40.5 million won (US$43,150) and 53.8 million won, depending on accessories and engine types.

“The prices will be set around April, but they will be higher than those of BMW’s 3-Series,” said Lee Hyun-soon, president of Hyundai Motor’s R&D division, on the sidelines of an auto industry fair here.

The Genesis with a 4.6-liter engine will retail at a price higher than that of BMW’s 5-Series, Lee said.

The Genesis is Hyundai Motor’s first luxury model, aimed at shaking off its image as a producer of cheap first cars.

Launching the new model in South Korea, Hyundai Motor said it expects to sell 55,000 of the vehicles this year, 35,000 at home and 20,000 overseas in the U.S.

Some analysts, however, remain skeptical over Hyundai Motor’s move into the luxury market, citing an expected decline in U.S. auto sales this year because of sluggish demand on the back of higher oil prices and rising defaults on subprime mortgage loans.