A limousine is a luxury sedan with a stretched wheelbase and is usually driven by a chauffeur. It is probably the most expensive type of automobile land transportation. While it is regularly used and rented for special events, like weddings and proms, limousines are also commonly used by the extremely wealthy or powerful.
Aside from the rich, politicians and high government officials also often use limousines. It is often purchased and modified by a third party company before it is sold to limousine companies. The industry is worth over $4 billion a year in the United States alone. It is not an insignificant sector of the economy as there are probably more than 4,000 limousine companies around that employ over 42,000 people.
What are the priciest limousines on the market? Excluding those made by third party companies, here are the 10 most expensive limousines in the world.
10. Great Wall Hover Pi – $33,750
Great Wall Motors is a company based in China that has the distinction of being the first Chinese automobile manufacturer to export cars in significant quantities to the western world. This happened in 2006 when the company exported 30,000 units of their car model to Italy. The company also has a limousine version called the Great Wall Hover Pi. The very first unit of this limousine was given as a gift to Cuban leader Fidel Castro. It has a 2.4-liter petrol engine. The limousine’s length is 6.9 meters.
9. Cadillac XTS Limousine – $48,635
The Cadillac XTS limousine is a long wheelbase version of the XTS sedan. It entered the market in 2012. It has a 3.6-liter V6 gasoline engine turbocharged to up to 410 hp. It has a six-speed automatic transmission and torque of 369 lb-ft. The car has a front engine layout with all wheel drive capability. It is mostly assembled in either Ontario in Canada or Shanghai in China.
8. Lincoln MKS Limousine – $49,800
The Lincoln MKS limousine is a product of Ford Motor Company. The car is assembled in Chicago and features a 3.5-liter V6 DOHC engine capable of 355 hp at 5,700 rpm. It is based on the Ford D3 platform and comes in both front wheel and all wheel drive layouts. The car has a six-speed 6F55 automatic transmission system.
7. SsangYong Chairman W Limousine – $103,000
The Chairman W is the flagship brand of SsangYong Motor of South Korea. It is the first sedan from Korea that comes in a four-wheel drive that is usually found in European vehicles. It has a 5-liter V8 eight-cylinder petrol engine with displacement of 4,966 cc. It has a maximum power of 302 hp at 5,600 rpm. The vehicle can travel 7.3 kilometers for every liter of gasoline. It has a seven-speed automatic transmission, with top speed at 250 kilometers per hour.
6. Mitsubishi Dignity Limousine – $105,500
The Mitsubishi Dignity limousine was originally produced from 1999 to 2001. It was reintroduced back into the market by Mitsubishi in 2012. The car has a front engine, front wheel drive layout and boasts of a 4.5-liter V8 engine. It has an INVECS II five-speed automatic transmission system. It has a length of 5.33 meters.
5. Hyundai Equus Limousine – $113,000
The Hyundai Equus limousine is the long wheelbase version of the Equus. It is currently only available in South Korea. Aside from the length, the Equus limousine also has a horizontal cross bar radiator grill, power driven footrest, rear seat leg support and even a massage system. Its Tau five-liter premium fuel engine is capable of 395 hp at 3,500 rpm. There is also a 5.5-liter armored version of the vehicle that is being used by the South Korean Presidential Security Service.
4. Chrysler 300 Limousine – $140,000
The Chrysler 300 limousine is the long wheelbase version of Chrysler’s luxury family car. Manufactured mainly in Ontario in Canada, the car is based on the Chrysler LX platform and boasts of a 6.4-liter HEMI V8 engine with eight-speed 8HP45 automatic transmission system. The car is also the first model to make use of the new Chrysler winged emblem that replaced the blue ribbon logo that has been used since the 1930′s.
3. Mercedes Benz S Class Limousine – $154,000
The Mercedes Benz S Class has been the flagship model of the German giant since 1954. It has served as the launching pad for many of the company’s innovations in drivetrain technologies, safety systems and interior styling. The car has a front engine, rear wheel drive layout and comes in a six-liter AMG V12 engine capable of producing up to 621 hp. The car has a seven-speed automatic transmission system. It has received several motoring awards from Automobile Magazine, Car and Driver magazine and Motor Trend magazine.
2. Cadillac One – $300,000
The Cadillac One is a government limousine specially produced by General Motors for use by the president of the United States. While it is based on the Cadillac DTS, its chassis and driveline were actually taken from Chevrolet’s commercial truck called Kodiak. Its headlights, side mirrors and door handles were lifted from the Cadillac Escalade, while the tail lights and back up lights were inspired by the CTS sedan of the company. It is also referred to as the Limo One.
1. Toyota Century Royal – $534,135
The Toyota Century Royal is a four-door limousine from the Japanese car giant and is produced exclusively for the Emperor of Japan. Only four units have been built since 2006. The car has an FR layout and is based on the Toyota Century limousine. It boasts of a 5-liter 1GZ-FE V12 engine capable of producing up to 276 hp. It has a six-speed automatic transmission system that Toyota calls the 6 Super ECT. Its total length is 6.155 meters. It comes in wool cloth upholstery, leather compartment and internal granite entry steps. Security measures were also specially built into the vehicle for the protection of the Japanese royal family.
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