Hailed the world’s most expensive and precious car model by Guinness World Records, this creation is based on the Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4.

The car was crafted by Robert Gülpen — who has also created miniatures of the Mercedes Benz 500 SL and Aston Martin DB5 from precious metals and gems.

The Lamborghini is made from carbon fibre like the original and its shell was milled using computer modelling data handed over from the Italian car manufacturer.

Ferrari officially released today the first images, together with all the details and a video of the new open-top, Ferrari 458 Spider.

The top is made from aluminium, achieving a 25 kilogram weight reduction over the previous system, and Ferrari says it can be raised or lowered in 14 seconds.

Power is supplied by the same 4.5 liter V8 unit from the 458 Italia coupe which delivers 570 PS (425 kW / 563 bhp) and 540 Nm of torque (398 lb-ft).

Infiniti is to team up with a group of leading chefs to add extra elegance to a new concept set to be unveiled as part of the Monterey Auto Week in California.

The Japanese brand is working with Hearst Magazines to showcase the new Infiniti JX Concept, which will be revealed at the 61st Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.

As part of the reveal, chocolate, cheese and wine tasting sessions have been scheduled, as well as cooking demonstrations from US celebrity chefs including Tyler Florence, Marc Forgione, and Andrew Carmellini.

Bentley could add an SUV to its lineup. The automaker is said to have discussed plans for a sports-utility vehicle with Volkswagen, its parent company.

Such a model would satisfy appetite for luxury models, reports Automotive News.

An analyst suggested that an SUV bearing the famous Bentley badge may be able to fetch in excess of €120,000, such is the demand among drivers.

Bentley could well be eyeing a gap in the Chinese market, where the popularity of the brand’s handmade €154,000 Continental GT and €250,000 Mulsanne helped it to post a 20 percent rise in sales during the first half of this year.

Luxury cars are increasingly irresistible for many Vietnamese, say industry players who report rising sales even as daily life becomes harder for the majority struggling to cope with one of the world’s highest rates of inflation.

Audi’s A6, launched at the Vietnam Auto Expo last month, costs almost $142,000 — which would take the average Vietnamese worker 182 years to earn.

Yet Mercedes-Benz, Lexus, Audi and other high-end brands are increasingly common on the narrow streets of Hanoi, where they vie for space with the motorcycles which are standard transport for most people.

Luxury cars are in demand more than ever, according to statistics released this week by some of Germany’s top automakers.

Mercedes-Benz, one of the world’s best known luxury auto brands, has sold more vehicles around the world in the first half of 2011 than in any previous year, with 610,531 drivers splashing out on a car between January and June.

It says that by the end of this year, it has its sights on selling 1.3 million Mercedes-Benz passenger cars, setting an all-time sales record.