In Geneva, Extreme Luxury Takes the Floor

I sent my wife the link to this article with the subject line, "Christmas is coming, hint, hint." Waiting for a reply... Waiting... Still waiting... Doesn't look good.

Years ago, when I was a grad student at Berkeley, I knew a guy with a Rolls. He complained that the transmission had a leak, but the dealer wanted a fortune to fix it. He was heading off to Europe for a few months, so I offered to fix the car for him. He gave me the keys and said he'd call when he got back. This left me with the car. The leak was a cinch to fix. (I put myself through engineering school at Cornell working on cars and motorcycles.) But driving the car was a hoot. Needless to say, my cohort didn't drive cars like this, so it was fun to be the driver when we went somewhere. (Gas contributions were happily accepted - the car was a guzzler.) I'd pick up hitchhikers and they'd be impressed. One of my male buddies really wanted to have a tryst in the back seat with some lady friend, but it didn't happen. Eventually, my Rolls-Royce-owning friend came home, and I was once again car-less. Haven't driven one since!

All cars have four wheels and they roll.

And no doubt these owners pay no more in taxes than I do, if they pay any taxes at all. Many of them may attend meetings were they gab about income inequality and then jump into their RR and give Bono a lift. This kind of luxury is offensive while children are dying of malnutrition and some of us can’t get health care. But never mind the important people are taken care of.

Mr. Voelk, please return to the Times with your wonderful car reviews. Please.

A lot of NYT readers here to tell us how much smarter, savvy and discerning of true value they are than the poor saps who buy these things. Just remember: While you're driving a RR, the guy in the BMW 7 wonders why you "overpaid." The next guy, in the Cadillac CT6, is laughing at the BMW. The guy down the line in the Audi A4 is laughing at the Caddy driver. The guy driving the new Accord is laughing at the Audi driver. The guy driving the beat up old Civic is laughing at the new Accord driver. And so on. And on.

missed you Tom. very much

I love my Camry and F-250 because these do not attract attention when I drive them, and I could very comfortably purchase a much more expensive Rolls or Bentley. There is a price to pay, I rather blend with the public, give money to help others who are in need which gives far more pleasure to me.

Welcome back, Tom. I really notice the difference in 'readability', clarity and directness in Tom's writing, its like his video tests.

Can you eat it?

But where are the picture?????? As some genius we know says - sad.

Glad to see Tom back with NYT. His well written articles are refreshing. Now when will you put the Driving Tests back, please.

An ugly car for insecure status seeking multi-millionaires. God, I wish I were one.

Sure, who wouldn’t want to try out one of these. I still think our A8 was the best car we owned. Now , Lannd Cruiser and Q5, pretty darn good also. But, more importantly, WELCOME BACK TOM VOELK! Please, NYT, bring Mr. Voelk back on a regular, frequent basis. I miss his work.

Having read though these comments I notice the ur-Lefties predictably wringing their collective hands over such displays of wealth as a purchase of a car costing more than THEY have decided is just too much. And the rhetorical question, "Why don't they donate to charity?" that is always asked with monotonous repetition. Please guys, don't read any books on the Gilded Age. You will go absolutely ballistic.

True customization would offer an all electric car with a Forward thinking design. Burning fuel is like sitting in front of a fire place having a Whiskey.....

I've had every marque under the sun. Neither of these brands do it for me. The Ghost is an overpriced 7 series and the Bentley an Audi in drag.

I trust that the buyers are giving a reasonable amount to their favoured charity when they make the purchase of their new ultra luxury vehicle.

Good to see Tom Voelk back in the NYT. We missed him.

I love me some luxury to be sure. But buying cars is stressful and annoying. Being brand loyal, I usually take the first black one with a black interior I see and call it a day. I can't even imagine going through all of these choices!

I love me some luxury to be sure. But buying cars is stressful and annoying. Being brand loyal, I usually take the first black one with a black interior I see and call it a day. I can't even imagine going through all of these choices! Spending that much time and energy on a CAR feels very nouveau-riche to me.

Nice last line. Cars you wait for dry days to drive...

Does the Rolls-Royce Wraith melt in the rain?

Why would anyone want to display whiskey bottles behind glass in the dashboard of their car? The art display thing is a bit over the top as well. Matching lipstick to paint color? Yes, the rich are different from you and me. Very much so.

Nice insights about what makes an extreme luxury car (true customization, which shares the same root as customer). The same is true, I believe, for extreme performance cars like Ferraris. For me, who buys cars the usual way, all of the choices would be almost overwhelming, like all the choices you have for tile and fixtures when you remodel your bathroom. Although I suppose I could learn to live with it. Good article.

I think I'm going to order one of each today. I'll be exhausted when I get home.

These cars are absurd. I briefly drove a Rolls (borrowed, in the sixties) and frankly it was like driving a fairly quiet truck. I'm sure that they have improved, but I've never forgotten Enzo Ferrari's crack about the Bentley -"the fastest truck in Europe". People who spend this kind of money on these things might at least pause before they write the check, and think about the good the money might do elsewhere - the local public library, the American Friends Service Committee, the Salvation Army? I have friends who actually could afford a Rolls, but they drive modest Japanese or American cars. Good for them.

Good thing we gave the 1% tax breaks so they can afford both a Bentley and a Rolls with leopard leather seats, dust from Mars embedded in the paint, and elephant ivory door handles.

"It is possible to Lyft to a Rolls showroom and drive off in a Wraith that’s in stock, but customization is what uber luxury is about." Did the author bet someone that he could work both ride-sharing companies into a story about luxury cars?