A Fleet Manager’s Opus: One Rough Week of Driving at NextAutos

2454 Views
Seyth Miersma on Fri, 08/01/2008 - 09:16
Filed Under: Manufacturers, Maserati, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Audi, Driving & Motorsports, Performance Cars, Automakers
Leave a Comment (1)
Thumbs Up (+1)

Some weeks are just better than others.

The NextAutos staff is lucky enough to have access to a rotating weekly fleet of press vehicles that run the gamut from entry-level budget wheels, to hyper-expensive exotic sports cars. And while on most weeks there are a few cars whose keys could cause a scuffle, every now and again the fates align to make us truly spoiled for choice.

We were stupendously excited with our options over the last few days, finding ourselves the short-term guardians of some truly spectacular machinery. Porsche’s latest Cayenne, the GTS, rubbed shoulders with the luxurious Mercedes-Benz CLS550, as well as the hard(er)core SL63 AMG. There was also a pair of handsome Italians from Maserati beautifying our parking spaces, a Quattroporte sedan and an undeniably sexy GranTurismo. Audi’s European spec A4 with the brilliant 3.0-liter TDI (loaned to us by Bosch), may not have the massive price tag to keep up in this company, but that hasn’t stopped us from falling quite utterly in love with it (it’s a looker too).

We’ve got plans to bring you in-depth fleet reviews and impressions about each of these phenomenal machines, but we couldn’t let the moment pass without having a little fun with our super-lux horde. Below you’ll find a few back of the napkin calculations about the total prowess and expense of our big six, as well as the fleet specs averaged out below it. Then make sure to browse our impromptu photo shoot of the group in the gallery above.

2008 (Last week of July) NextAutos Fleet
Totals Spec Sheet

Engine: Turbocharged 46-cylinder, 28.0-liters 184v
Output: 2346 hp/2272 lb-ft
Transmission: 38-speed manual-automatic
0-60 MPH: NA
Top Speed: 934 mph (electronically limited)
Fuel Economy, city/hwy: NA
Base price: $535,500
Total Options: $44,490
Destination: $5070
Price as tested: $585,060

2008 (Last week of July) NextAutos Fleet
Averages Spec Sheet

Engine: Turbocharged 7.6-cylinder, 4.7-liters 30.6v
Output: 391 hp/377 lb-ft
Transmission: 6.3-speed manual-automatic
0-60 MPH: 5.38 seconds
Top Speed: 156 mph (electronically limited)
Fuel Economy, city/hwy: 15/23
Base price: $89,250
Total Options: $7415
Destination: $845
Price as tested: $97,510