LAHORE – The past two or three years have hit the global economy hard. Corporate giants all over the world have been forced to tighten their belts in a worldwide economic recession. The Pakistani economy has been hard hit as well, resulting in steady inflation, a devaluation of the rupee and a widening gap between the revenue of the government and the government’s expenditures, leading to a decline in the purchasing power of the average Pakistani.
Rising unemployment combined with the effects of a global recession one would least expect to see Rs 30 million exotic cars being imported to the streets of Lahore but brand new super cars have been a common sight. I will discuss the top five super cars in my opinion that have been imported in the past few years by the wealthy Lahorites.
First, the Rolls Royce Phantom…
The Phantom is a pure bred 6700cc twelve cylinder beast that offers the ultimate in luxury and power. The Phantom oozes class and exclusivity. The hand stitched leatherwork in a Phantom takes more than two weeks to complete – from selecting and preparing the hides to adding the finishing touches. Each interior requires eleven hides from the same batch of animals that are carefully prepared to ensure consistency of colour throughout.
Every millimetre of the 55 metres of soft full-grain leather is inspected by eye to make sure there are no imperfections. When you order a Phantom you are given a choice to choose from 44000 hues of colour. Let it be a shade of a lipstick your girl friend wears, if you wish, the people at Rolls Royce will paint your Phantom to match that. The wood on the dashboard of a Phantom is taken from a single tree to make sure everything is seamless. The people at Rolls Royce say “you just don’t buy a Rolls Royce: you commission it like a fine piece of art”.
Secondly, the Bentley Continental GT…
The Bentley Continental GT is the perfect fusion of super car performance and handcrafted luxury. The Bentley is powered by the world’s most compact 12 cylinder engine which produces a staggering 567 bhp and 700 N-m torque. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the terms bhp and N-m lets just say that the Bentley produces more power than four 1800cc Civics combined and has more torque than a Bedford truck.
This sea of power results in a top speed of 318 km/h. The Bentley has a state of the art intelligent suspension which constantly monitors the cars attitude and poise and makes hundreds of adjustments to the suspension to ensure ultimate comfort and amazing control.
Third, the Ferrari 599…
The Ferrari 360 spider and the Ferrari F 430 have also been seen on the roads of Lahore but the 599 has made my top 5 list. Multiply the name of this car by 10 and you get its V 12 engine’s displacement which is 5990 cc. This car is one of the latest offerings from Ferrari. It has a top speed in excess of 330 km/h.
The gearbox in the 599 has been directly derived from Ferrari’s F1 car. Its engine is based on the engine of the Enzo. It revs up to 8400 rpm, which is the highest ever achieved by an engine of such a large displacement ,and produces a mind blowing 620 bhp. The people at Ferrari have designed this car taking help from thousand of kilometers of track testing and racing. They have created the ultimate performance machine.
Fourth, the Lamborghini Gallardo…
This 5200 cc V 10 powered super car needs no introduction. Its engine produces 560 bhp, this launches the Lamborghini from a standstill to 200 km/h in just 11.2 seconds. The Lamborghini offers true super car pedigree and performance. Its signature good looks turn heads even in the most posh places of the world.
And the Porsche Panamera Turbo…
On the Porsche website for Pakistan this car has a list price of Rs.42,257,806. Just a fun fact – you can buy 91 brand new Suzuki Mehrans for the price of buying one Porsche Panamera. The Panamera turbo combines Porsche’s famous super car performance with the comfort of a four door luxury sedan.
The Panemara has a mighty turbo charged V8 which produces 500 bhp and accelerates this fourdoor sedan to more than 300 km/h. These five cars collectively cost close to Rs 200,000,000. Makes you question the economic distribution in these times of recession doesn’t it?
