As far as luxury sports cars go, Aston Martin’s up there with the likes of Ferrari and Lamborghini. While their “standard” models will run up to hundreds of thousands of dollars, this limited-edition Aston Martin One-77 can cost two million greenbacks.

The car’s powered by a massive 7.3L V8 that can generate over 700 horsepower. The engine’s mated to a 6-speed automatic gearbox allowing it to go from 0 to 60 mph in just 3.5 seconds while tests have indicated that the car’s capable of going up to 220 mph.

Only 77 of these cars will ever be made making it quite a rare machine. The cost even fits the name with a rumored $1.77 million price tag.

The Salon Privé, Europe’s finest and largest dedicated display of supercars, exotics, classics and luxury goods set up English garden party style, will return to the refined lawns of London‘s famed

Salon Prive' to take place in late July 2010.

Hurlingham Club on 21st – 23rd July 2010.

An exclusive selection of jewelry, watches, boats and more will be on offer alongside a seven-category Concours d’ Elégance, to be sponsored by Chubb Insurance. Organizers say 2010 promises to be Salon Privé’s most popular year yet and a motoring and social occasion unlike any other.

Entry to the event is by advance ticket purchase only. Individual tickets as well as private hospitality marquees are available to reserve now; visit www.salonprivelondon.com for more info.

The Brabus GLK V12 is a modified Mercedes-Benz billed as the world’s fastest street-legal SUV and just made its world debut at the Dubai Motor Show.

Brabus GLK is world's fastest street legal SUV.

With a whopping 750 hp 12-cylinder twin turbo engine, the vehicle set a new speed record of 200.3 mph at Italy’s Nardo test track in October and can do 0 – 62 mph in 4.2 seconds.

Other upgrades include air intakes, carbon fiber spoiler lip on the front apron, a four-pipe sports exhaust system, fender flares, a rear roof spoiler. The interior is done in full leather interior with Alcantara elements, an ergonomically shaped sport steering wheel and wood or carbon fiber trim for the dashboard, doors and center console.

Custom consoles for the backs of the vehicles front seats contain multimedia devices in case the passengers get bored between neck-snapping accelerations.

Oh yes, and the price will set you back a cool $570,000.

Aston Martin is legendary for having an advanced driving program showing how to get the absolute most out of their

Aston Martin opens up driving program to paying public.

vehicles; however, they only way to access it is to be an AM owner.  Now, the British company is opening up the program to the paying public.

Similar to the courses which Aston runs in Belgium and in England, the American program has been running for four years at the Michigan Proving Grounds in Romeo, which it rents out from former parent company Ford on a periodical basis. The $2,500 program takes place over the course of a full day of one-on-one instruction with a qualified expert who can demonstrate for pupils just what a modern Aston is capable of.

Since opening the program to the public, it’s already been booked pretty solid with 20 customers a month. In the winter months, however, Aston reportedly plans to take the program down south to various facilities in warmer climates.

I took one look at the photo.  One glance at the stats of 562 horsepower and 202 mph top speed.  I breathed out a soft “Hello, lover“.   Some girls may get soft eyed at infants but this girl loves the sexy lines of a sleek machine.   The sensual feeling of sliding down into the leather seats, shutting the door, and feeling that sensation of the car enveloping you.   The wide wheel base, fat tires, and low center of gravity and I’m in heaven.

Ferrari F458 Italia.

So Ferrari has brought us the 458 Italia. It’s the first all-new mid-engined production Ferrari in a decade, replacing the F430 which itself was based on the 360 Modena. It’s set to debut at the Frankfurt auto show in a couple of weeks, but Ferrari’s already given a sneak peek at this gorgeous beast.

The 458 Italia represents a significant step forward from the already blindingly fast F430, adopting the latest lessons gleaned from Ferrari’s campaigning in the Formula One world championship. Under its curvaceous bodywork lies an all-aluminum chassis, powered by a new 4.5-liter V8 with direct injection, producing 562 horsepower and 398 lb-ft of torque, revving all the way up to 9000 rpm and driving the rear wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.

This is enough power to accelerate from 0-60 in under 3.4 seconds en route to a top speed of 202 mph. Inside the all-new interior features controls centralized on the steering wheel, from which the driver can control everything, and a warning system that alerts the driver when his ride is ready to roll.

~ Raine Devries

Alfa Romeo 8C Spider.

Typically Alfa Romeo positions their models to be competitively priced and the company has a good reputation as it’s owned by the same parent company as Ferrari and Maserati.  However, the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione had a limited production number of just 500 and they literally sped out of the dealerships.

Word is that there are 500 more to come that could be even more posh.

The second run will be convertible 8C Spiders.  If you are in the U.S., we wish you luck in acquiring one because only 35 are destined for these shores — oh yes, at a price of $299,000 each.

But in the age old story of supply/demand, we know that they will be gone at the snap of your fingers.

Exotic cars are much like computers:  Wait 6 months and something more powerful and dynamic will be on the market.

Ferrari has revised the 599 HGTE which was upgraded from the existing 599 GTB Fiorano.  The HGTE packages was first shown at Geneva and showcased improvements in the performance, handling, and styling.  Yet, rather than dangling this prize like a carrot before the noses of existing Ferrari owners, the manufacturer is making the HGTE package available to them and their luxury V12′s.

First launched in the U.K., the packages can be had for £17,213 and has a completely revised suspension, tires with better grips, and new exhaust system.

For owners of models equipped with the F1-derived sequential gearbox, you will need to budget an additional £2490 to handle the upgrades to the transmission shift times and throttle response.

Oh, and don’t plan on this being a weekend adventure for you and your daring garage monkey friends.  The kit should be installed by a certified Ferrari dealer!

You’re such a mover and shaker that you put Gordon Gekko to shame.  You dash around the world with a beefy security detail shadowing your every move but you’re one weakness is in the car.

Alas, Bentley has arrived on the scene to ensure your a@@ is covered when the action goes down and your arch nemesis pulls out his AK-47.   That’s right, for a mere investment of $500,000, you can pick up a bulletproof Bentley Continental Flying Spur from Germany courtesy of global luxury marketplace JamesList.

Sporting military grade B6-level protection, this car will keep you as safe as a baby in mama’s arms as you dash through Baghdad or Beirut.

From an outside appearance, the car looks like a standard Bentley and the modifications have little effect on the 552-hp engine’s performance but the changes are there:

• Ballistic steel in the doors, pillars and sides of the vehicle
• Bulletproof glass
• Run flat tires
• Explosion proof gas tank
• Kevlar flooring

Other optional features include:

• Self-contained oxygen supply system in case of poison gas attack
• Exploding hinge bolts that blast open the doors should a race for the border exit is needed.

According to Tesla CEO Elon Musk, the long-anticipated right-hand-drive Roadster is coming in the first quarter of 2010 and will be available in both standard and Sport guise. The first market that’s slated for electrification is, as you would expect, the United Kingdom, and Tesla’s first European showroom has already opened up in Knightsbridge.

In addition to Great Britain, Musk has also indicated that Japan, Australia and India are seen as important right-hand-drive markets for the automaker to pursue in short order. The switch from LHD to RHD is surely made easier by the fact that the Lotus Elise, which shares a large portion of its chassis with the Roadster, was initially designed as a right-hand vehicle.

Interestingly, there’s already a lone Tesla Roadster in Australia, but that left-hand-drive car was imported by a man named Simon Hackett for his own personal use at a cost of about $200,000 Australian dollars – nearly twice what a Roadster costs in the States.

Those impressed by the slick new Volvo XC60 but who were looking for a slightly more aggressive profile will be pleased to see the Swedish premium automaker’s announcement of a new R-Design package for the crossover. Following on similar packages already available on the C30, S40, V50, S80, V70 and XC90 models – so, pretty much the whole range – the XC60 R-Design gets a host of changes to it mechanically and its appearance to offer a slightly more sporting experience than the ordinary version.

The R-Design XC60 is identifiable by lower body panels painted the same color as the upper body (instead of the contrasting black on the standard model), matte silk metal trim, skid plates, chrome exhaust tips and 18″ alloys with 20″ wheels also available. Aluminum trim compliments the interior, but underneath the bodywork Volvo has tightened up the suspension and steering to improve handling. While the R-Design package doesn’t quite make the XC60 a high-performance vehicle, it’s a bit more than a standard trim package.