![The Smart, Quiet, Bizarre Future Of The Luxury Car The Smart, Quiet, Bizarre Future Of The Luxury Car](https://magarticles.magzter.com/articles/2107/411376/5e413bce6c0e9/Luxury-Car.jpeg)
For as long as anyone could remember, a car was a car was a car. And then, one day, it wasn’t. Which is to say the notion of an automobile going back 100 years – a multi-box design on four tyres, with a wheel and pedals, aimed by people and powered by orderly little explosions – has been upended by a maelstrom of globalisation, technological revolution, environmental reckoning and a wholesale assault on the ownership model. Such extreme disruption has unleashed a rapid evolution of the automotive species, with strange creatures now roaming the roads: Rolls-Royce SUVs and silent, battery-powered Croatian hypercars; Cybertrucks and fin-shaped hatchbacks with gull wings and brains big enough to take the wheel for a spell.
Take the luxury car. Not long ago the term meant something fairly specific: a large, imperious saloon with a respectably immoderate petrol-burning engine and a leathered and carpeted backseat with ample space for raising a family. Now it’s as formless and atomised as the rest of the sprawling luxury universe. Tesla’s austere, vegan-friendly robots are the must-have choice for the Silicon Valley set even as six-figure SUVs proliferate like 2,270kg bunnies in the exurbs. Meanwhile, a younger generation of buyers appreciates zero-emissions vehicles but would really rather the automobile had the good sense to go away entirely.
Yet there are signs the automotive industry is finally coalescing around an idea of what a car will be in the future – and down that road lies an interesting potential detour: the luxury car, instead of simply representing a pricier version of whatever the car du jour is, branches off into something else entirely. For the first time, a difference not just of degree but of kind, transformed by three interconnected forces: artificial intelligence (AI), the rise of niche manufacturing and increasing rarity.
Artificial Intelligence
This story is from the February 2020 edition of Robb Report Singapore.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the February 2020 edition of Robb Report Singapore.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
![Uniquely Martell Uniquely Martell](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/2107/1924036/hmxk_j8Ay1733915213853/UNIQUELY-MARTELL.jpg)
Uniquely Martell
The French house launches Les Fûts Uniques de Martell, the world's first cognac cask programme.
![Opulent Waters Opulent Waters](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/2107/1924036/atntBM6yp1733915128171/OPULENT-WATERS.jpg)
Opulent Waters
Embark on first-class cruises with Silversea, which has opened sales for its 2026 voyages.
![Palatial Presents Palatial Presents](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/2107/1924036/mvPvchJ491733914994214/PALATIAL-PRESENTS.jpg)
Palatial Presents
From royal gifts to bespoke objets d'art, Singapore's Royal Insignia is reviving the art of gifting.
![Back To The Land Back To The Land](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/2107/1924036/-dvqTEbbl1733914654519/BACK-TO-THE-LAND.jpg)
Back To The Land
Growing up in Beirut, Lina Ghotmeh pursued architecture as a means of building community in times of conflict. Her mission is more relevant today than ever.
![Care To Join? Care To Join?](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/2107/1924036/RsBJv_H9C1733913976705/CARE-TO-JOIN.jpg)
Care To Join?
Private clubs are proliferating. But keeping members happy might not be as easy as it seems.
![The Vanity Table The Vanity Table](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/2107/1924036/JfMBaxAYf1733913853287/THE-VANITY-TABLE.jpg)
The Vanity Table
The latest grooming products to know.
![Rekindle The Flames Rekindle The Flames](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/2107/1924036/QB6pY9ILJ1733913799088/REKINDLE-THE-FLAMES.jpg)
Rekindle The Flames
Byredo's Ancient Sand candle ignites the holiday spirit within.
![Off To The Races Off To The Races](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/2107/1924036/79cLCvAg41733913626752/OFF-TO-THE-RACES.jpg)
Off To The Races
Chanel leans into its sportswear roots with high jewellery inspired by the thrill of automotive competition.
![What Time Is It At Home? What Time Is It At Home?](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/2107/1924036/1bvqtssM61733913432294/WHAT-TIME-IS-IT-AT-HOME.jpg)
What Time Is It At Home?
Stay on top of your affairs when you are halfway across the world with these trusty and intelligent multi-time zone watches.
![Track Records Track Records](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/2107/1924036/5wjMXS46x1733913324126/TRACK-RECORDS.jpg)
Track Records
Brice Tchaplyguine, managing director of TAG Heuer Asia Pacific, dispenses insights on the iconic watch company at the opening of the brand's new boutique in Singapore.