An ailing auto market has had a major impact on the type of vehicle featured at the auto show this year.  While exotic cars like the Rolls-Royce Ghost, which retails for $245,000, still have a place at the show, the focus is obviously on small cars and minivans like the Toyota Sienna.

In fact, many high-end carmakers won’t even be preset at the L.A. Auto Show this year.  After a year of fierce competition and dismal sales, several exotic car manufacturers, including Maserati, Ferrari, Bentley, and Lamborghini, will be staying home to lick their wounds.

“We had no North American [product] launch, so we decided not to go,” Ferrari spokesman Matteo Sardi told the L.A. Times. “But we value the show, so we’ll definitely be back.”

In the case of this year’s L.A. Auto Show, the absence of the exotic car manufacturers gives regular car companies a chance to shine.  And according to reviews, the 2011 Toyota Sienna stands out from the rest.

As a nod toward the market’s current values of frugality and fuel economy, Toyota has designed the Sienna with a standard 2.7-liter, 4-cylinder engine.  The V-6 will remain an option for consumers, but this new 4-cylinder offers an improvement in fuel economy at 26 miles per gallon on the highway.

Debuting the redesigned Sienna at the L.A. Auto Show represents an aggressive marketing move for Toyota and draws admiration from some car enthusiasts.

“It’s a very straightforward way of doing things,” Dave Thomas, senior editor at  Cars.com, explained the L.A. Times. “A Toyota Sienna minivan? That’s not the type of thing you would normally debut at the L.A. Auto Show. It’s certainly not a sexy car, but it’s a big deal for Toyota.”

Some exotic car fans may be just a little disappointed at the absence of many of the big names.  Despite exotic car ownership hassles like getting an Azle TX insurance quote or finding secure car storage, we all fantasize about driving a Bentley.  Those who wish to indulge the fantasy can find an excellent exotic car rental directory at http://www.rentexoticcars.net.

Luckily, most exotic car manufacturers are not ruling out their attendance at next year’s auto show.

This year’s L.A. Auto Show runs from December 4 through December 13.

Kate Miller-Wilson is an SEO web writer and a professional freelance writer.  To view more of her work, please visit her website.

For the record, two time winner Helio Castroneves has the pole for this year’s Indy 500 race. This year’s Indy pace car will be a 2010 Chevy Camaro.

(Indy Pace Car Photo via Autoblog.)

If you’re not going to make it to the Indy 500 to be a part of the festivities, you can still get out on the open road and experience the best exotic car driving experience in Texas!

Where else can you unleash a 520 HP Lamborghini Gallardo on long stretches of gloriously deserted Texas roadway!

The half-day DFW Drive Your Dream tour will put you at the controls of this low slung Lamborghini Coupe, a Ferrari 360, a Dodge Viper SRT-10 and a bright red 2009 Audi R8…

Just like this one.

(Audi R8 photo by Josh Davis of Fort Worth-based Josh Davis Photography. All rights reserved.)

Just kidding fellas – actually it is this one!

If you’ve always wanted to check out the R8, why not drive it and five other performance cars as part of a 2000HP Supercar DrivingTour!

If you and Pops share an affinity for cars, do it together and save 20% on the second ticket. Tour dates are available in Dallas, Austin, Houston, and San Antonio. Tickets for the driving experience cost only $695.00.

It’s a DFW Father’s Day gift he’ll never forget and never stop talking about and thanking you for. Call 214.247.4700 make an exotic car driving tour reservation.

Post written by exotic car driving fan Eric Anderson. Eric’s recent projects have included content for a Tampa English Tutor blog and a Dallas TX supercar rental website a

Exotic car fans are closely watching the dealings of Chrysler, as rumors circulate about the American automaker’s alliance with Italian carmaker Fiat.  Fiat owns both Ferrari and Alfa Romeo.

For Chrysler, survival will likely take more than the deal with Fiat.  After filing for bankruptcy protection last Thursday, Chrysler has a lot to prove.  Automobile consumers are nervous about purchasing Chrysler products and concerned that failure of the company might mean bad things for warranties.

Newly designed ads for Chrysler cars stress that warranties are guaranteed by the United States government.  Sales incentives are designed to allay consumers’ fears and give the ailing corporation a shot in the arm.

The total savings for some cars could be as much as $6,000, and individual dealers are slashing profit margins to provide additional savings.  Dealers are desperate to keep the car maker viable and report that consumers are extremely concerned about the future of the company.

For many of our readers, the saddest news from Chrysler was the demise of the Dodge Viper. If you’re missing the Viper, why not rent a Viper in Dallas from DFW Elite Auto Rental.

For exotic car fans, it can make more sense to rent an exotic vehicle, rather than hassle with the many inconveniences and worries that come with ownership.  With exotic car rental, there’s no worrying about whether the automaker will honor warranties.

Exotic car sharing clubs are another great way to drive your dream car without shelling out the cash to buy it.  Besides the high initial purchase price of most exotic cars, there’s also the challenge of finding secure, climate-controlled exotic car storage, the expense of maintenance, and the high cost of insuring an exotic vehicle.

(Dallas Bentley Rental photo courtesy of DFW Elite Auto Rental, the premier exotic car rental agency in DFW. Photo by photographer Josh Davis.)

There’s also a lot less commitment when you rent an exotic car or join an exotic car sharing club.  You can rent a convertible for the weekend and don’t have to worry about owning it for the next several years.  For recession-conscious consumers, this lack of commitment can be of great value.

Consumers’ concern about committing to an auto purchase has made this a tough year for automakers.  Most people are rethinking the idea of taking out large auto loans and are focusing on finding fuel-efficient cars.  Chrysler is redesigning its product line to appeal to consumers who want smaller cars with good gas mileage.

The incentives may help.  In the past, incentives have been a helpful tool in increasing auto sales, and Chrysler hopes that significant savings will draw consumers in.

Kate Miller-Wilson is a professional freelance writer living in the Twin Cities. Visit her website or email her for information about her freelance writing services.

(Image of Versailles carriage created by Leo-Seta and licensed under Creative Commons Attribution Only. See more of Leo-Seta’s photos in his Flickr photostream.)

Versailles was the political power capital from 1682 until the French Revolution in 1789, and its grand luxury was part of the downfall of the French monarchy.  As the French people were trying to figure out where their next meal was coming from, the French royalty were devoting an entire elaborate room to their dogs.

The dogs weren’t the only ones who enjoyed a life of luxury at Versailles.  There were many luxurious chambers in the palace.  For instance, one room, called the “Hall of Mirrors,” is composed of 17 huge arched mirrors.  At the time of its construction, mirrors were one of the most expensive objects someone could possess.

And sumptuous living quarters were not the only luxury at Versailles.  French royalty were also transported in ornate carriages and coaches.  If they were alive today, the French monarchs might drive a Bentley or other exotic vehicle, but before the automobile, the carriage was luxury transportation.

The Grand Carriage Museum at Versailles includes many examples of ornate luxury transportation, including carriages used during the wedding of Napoleon.  Today’s wedding transportation usually involves renting a limo or driving an exotic vehicle.  Napoleon’s wedding transportation consisted of seven elaborately-painted ceremonial coaches.

Also at the Grand Carriage Museum at Versailles are six luxurious royal sleighs.  These sleighs were used during the winter months at Versailles when the royal family used them to race across the frozen grounds and along the Grand Canal.

Seeing the Palace at Versailles means a trip to France, but it’s possible to explore the history of transportation right here in Dallas.  Classic car rental or a trip to the DFW Elite Toy Museum can offer visitors a chance to see experience early automotive transportation.

The toy museum is devoted to displaying automotive toys, rather than carriages, but the experience is almost as exciting as a trip to Versailles.  It’s the perfect Dallas vacation activity for the whole family, and you don’t need to go to France to experience it!

Kate Miller-Wilson is a professional freelance writer living in the Twin Cities. Visit her website or email her for information about her freelance writing services.

As billions of dollars in bad loans are foreclosed upon, banks are apt to become much more conservative about lending money and even the well-to-do are going to see their access to credit restricted. It isn’t going to be nearly as easy to borrow to buy goods that depreciate, such as luxury or exotic automobiles.

“There is very little that is good news in the credit crisis and bailout,” said DFW Elite Car Club.com President Ron Sturgeon. 

“The only small consolation for the exotic car sharing clubs is that some people who would have been buyers of Lamborghinis and Ferraris will take a harder look at exotic car sharing clubs as an alternative to the high costs of exotic car ownership,” said the Texas entrepreneur and small business consultant.

“Few exotic car owners drive the cars they have invested six figures to acquire more than a day or two a month. Spread over a few driving days, the costs of depreciation, maintenance, secure storage, and insurance can make owning more expensive than first time buyers anticipate,” said Tom Warren, Director of DFW Elite Car Club.com.

Warren anticipates an uptick in interest in the DFW luxury car sharing club as an alternative to ownership. “Belonging to DFW Elite Car Club.com is a wonderful way to drive a Bentley GTC to chauffer a major account customer and a drive a Ferrari F430 F1 for a thrilling weekend in the same month,” noted Warren.

Membership in the DFW club is billed monthly and costs between $750 and $2000 a month. Members enjoy access to a dream garage of more than two dozen elite vehicles, detailed, fueled and ready to drive. To learn more about the Dallas-Fort Worth exotic car club, visit http://www.dfwelitecarclub.com. 

The luxury car sharing idea has caught on throughout the United States because it gives auto aficionados a smarter alternative to outright ownership of an exotic car.

For far less than the cost of owning a single exotic, members enjoy the experience of driving all of latest models. To locate a club where you live, visit a free online directory of car sharing clubs at http://www.exoticcarclubs.com.

Written by G.D. Gregory.  If you are interested in having me work for you as a web copywriter or in seeing my portfolio, please contact me at ggpsu@yahoo.com.

It’s expected to keep all the same specs as the coupe, meaning a 552-horsepower W12 under the hood and standard all-wheel drive. The convertible soft top will most likely add a few hundred pounds of additional weight, but as we have seen in the case of the Continental Flying Spur a little extra weight doesn’t hold the big 12-cylinder back much. Expect an official announcement of this Continental GT convertible from Bentley by the end of the year.

I heard Dfw Elite has one of these on order. I can’t wait to rent that one….

Mix five parts Bentley, one part Bugatti, one part Ferrari, and stir. Then dump your $356,000 exotic down the drain. What you see here is a Bentley Continental GT featuring a Bugatti hood and horseshoe grille shoved between Audi Q7 headlights, with Ferrari-like rear end grafted on for good measure. LEW’s 100-horsepower boost for the Conti’s W-12 can’t outrun this car’s ugliness. Unveiled at the Essen motor show, the car-called Big Bang-will cost European buyers 270,000 euro, or approximately $356,000