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Luxury car buyers get kid-glove treatment from dealerships

Luxury vehicle buyers want service -- not just repairs done right, but the kind of pampering they get at high-end hotels, restaurants and boutiques. It's all about the extras. In response, luxury vehicle brands are stepping up their games, rolling out unprecedented customer service, training staff and reconfiguring showrooms to cater to these buyers.

Honda's future plans cut Acura TSX platform

The future of Acura's TSX appears uncertain as Honda Motor prepares to abandon the platform used for the compact sedan. Acura boss Jeff Conrad says the TSX will remain in the lineup "for the foreseeable future." But when Acura moved into the entry-luxury segment with the ILX last year it jammed up its sedan lineup -- both in terms of vehicle sizes and pricing ladders. The ILX and aging TSX are positioned close to each other, as are the TSX and mid-sized TL.

IED collaborates with McLaren to create the crossovers of 2020

Students from the Istituto Europeo di Design, Turin have collaborated with British super car manufacturer, McLaren Automotive, to design an off-road, hybrid two-seater for 2020. The 33, third-year post-diploma Transportation Design students were briefed by McLaren Automotive design director, Frank Stephenson, to create a car capable of 'combining sports excellence, driving thrills and the McLaren performance characteristics both off- and on-road'. "McLaren Automotive's plans are wholly based on two-seat, mid-engined performance cars," explained Stephenson.