Luxury Cars Bingo
Owning an expensive car is the ultimate status symbol of success. If you’re driving around in a vehicle which costs as much as some houses or more than your average person earns in a year; you’re telling everybody that you’ve “made it”. But what compels us to indulge in such extravagance? Luxury cars are packed with individual features which provide the whole package of elegance, class and style.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/blackplastic/5893350657/sizes/m/in/photostream/
Gullwing Doors
First popularised in the 1950s, gullwing doors are car doors which are hinged on the roof rather than on the side of the chassis. The Mercedes-Benz 300SL was the maiden voyage of the gullwing, and they were first seen on the road in the public version of the popular race car in 1954. Named after a seagull, these doors were introduced mainly for an aesthetic and design pedigree, rather than any practical sense.
This fits the bill with sports cars, as utilitarianism is often lacking on their list of priorities. Gullwings evoke a sense of the speed and flight aviation, having found their way into the automotive from the Cessna planes. Butterfly doors are another luxury, though more reserved for the high performance super cars such as the Porsche GT range and the McLaren F1 series. Butterfly wings pivot on their axis, rather than rise, but are still hinged to the roof.
Spinning Alloys
Hubcaps, wheel trims and alloys are all decoration to cover the unattractive tire rim beneath them. Luxury car makers and accessory suppliers began to exploit these areas of design with more decorative covers, the most famous of which perhaps the spinning wheel. A spinner turns independently of the wheel, and continues to spin after the vehicle has come to a halt.
Spinners were an explosive trend amongst the Hip-Hop culture of the United States, being most popular on large SUV and 4x4s like the Cadillac Escalade and the Range Rover. Spinners can be very expensive and the new phenomenon is laser spinners which can display messages, logos or designs through LED lights when they spin.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ejcallow/5985036577/sizes/m/in/photostream/
Alternative Interiors
Your average car’s interior is fashioned from mundane, drab grey plastic. Designed with a utilitarian prospect in mind, it’s often a deal breaker when it comes to hitting the finer points of luxury. The most expensive cars offer their finishes in alternative, finer, materials. Often coming as standard, these can include:
• Carbon Fibre
• Brushed Aluminium
• Walnut or Mahogany
Walnut is probably the most famous of the luxury interiors, giving a warm and solid feeling to any interior. Prevalent in the early years of car manufacturers, particularly amongst British companies like Jaguar, walnut is making an expensive return to the elegance market and can now be seen on most expensive models of car. British manufacturers still lead the way in this market, with most Bentley, Rolls Royce and Jaguar cars being offered in a walnut or equivalent wooden finish.
This car bingo article is brought to you by the team at Chat Mag Bingo.