NEW YORK -- The stock market may be stuck in the sewer. A global recession may be about to enter its third year. And war may be draining what little life is left in the world economy.
But you'd never know it by visiting the super-luxury sections of the New York Auto Show.
Scattered throughout Manhattan's cavernous Jacob Javits convention center, posher-than-posh car makers are rolling out new six-figure-plus wagons -- each echoing Great Depression-era designs -- for their well-heeled customers.
The most over-the-top of these yachts-on-wheels: a 6.2-meter-long, custom-built, $360,000 Maybach 62, set to enter the garages of the mega-rich in late June. "As with luxury yachts, the badging denotes vehicle length in meters," a company brochure sniffs.
Only 80 or 100 of the cars -- think a lo-o-o-o-ng Cadillac -- will be made this year. Each comes with first-class-aircraft-style seats able to fit a pair of reclining 6-footers in the back; magnetic clamps, specifically designed for champagne flutes; a refrigerator to hold the bubbly; a set of sterling silver tumblers; and a 600-watt audio-visual system with 21 separate speakers. And let's not forget the hydraulic door-closing switches, "in case your chauffeur is not being attentive enough," said Wayne Killen, a Maybach brand manager.
The 3-ton car should be a hoot for Jeeves to drive, though: It goes from zero to 60 in 5.4 seconds and carries a 543-horsepower V12 twin-turbocharger engine.
The move toward greater vroom is a trend throughout the auto show this year. Every manufacturer -- from the highest-end to the most budget-conscious -- is rolling out cars with bigger and better engines.
"In this country, power sells," said Michael Geylin, a DaimlerChrysler spokesperson.
It's no surprise, then, that the mammoth Cadillac Sixteen is generating the most drool here. Looking like a low, elongated Batmobile from Cadillac's 1930s golden age, the hawk-nosed Sixteen carries a gigantic 1000-horsepower V-16 engine. While Cadillac claims this behemoth gets 20 miles per gallon, the other auto makers are tight-lipped about their gas-guzzling specifics.
But this concept car, for now, is only viewable at shows like these.
Strangely, the same is true for the Maybach 62. Although Maybach is setting up a few "stores within a store" at a handful of Mercedes dealerships -- the company is a division of the German automaker -- they won't actually be displaying one of the near-limos in the showrooms.
"We don't build cars for stock," Killen explained. "We commission (them) like a yacht or a private jet."
Instead, buyers are expected to commit to a purchase after being guided through a series of computer simulations of the Maybach.
Killen doesn't think the process -- or the worldwide economic morass -- will scare buyers away.
"Our customers are resilient to the business cycle," he said with a small grin.
Besides, he added, "Some of the greatest cars were built at the height of the Great Depression."
Bufori Motor Car Company president Gerry Khouri expressed similar sentiments. He's introducing his rococo, Hoover Era-styled two-seaters to the American market here at the auto show. And he said enthusiasm is riding high for his $110,000 MKIII La Joya roadsters -- the ones boasting 24-karat gold instrumentation on the dashboard. Even before the car's launch, 226 orders have already been placed.
Both cars come with bullet-resistant options. Bentley, however, has an entire division, called Mulliner, that will add custom armor plating to any of its cars. With an average net worth of $50 million, Bentley owners have more than a bit to protect.
Lincoln is trying to do one better by pushing an entire Ballistic Protection Series of its Town Car line. According to John Jraiche, a manager in Lincoln's Special Engineering Operations, the windshields of the $140,000 behemoth are made with ceramic composite armor and glass that'll take five rifle shots in an 8-inch square.
Good thing. In today's economy, it can be downright dangerous being a zillionaire.
