My research tells me that the new "going rate" for a bargain hunter seeking the largest reduction on the Audi RS6 Avant, for example, is now £20,000. And identical discounts are available on the Jaguar XF 4.2 V8, Lexus SC430 and Lexus LS460 SE-L.
And just when you thought it couldn't get any better, it does. The Aston Martin DB9 comes with £22,000 off.
Will such colossal discounts on unused cars be offered the moment you step into official dealerships representing the above manufacturers? No.
But shop around and consider purchasing from a retailer outside the franchised network, because that's where the largest price cuts are often found, with cars being legitimately sourced from franchisees – who can't be seen to be heavily price-slashing in public.
* I've always found Mazda to be one the fairest, straightest car manufacturers. And my faith in the firm from Hiroshima was strengthened this week when it announced that it's now offering no-strings-attached discounts of between £1,000 and £5,000 across its model line-up.
The 2 supermini (World Car of the Year in 2008) gets £1,000 off, the Mazda3, 6 and MX-5 are cut by £2,000, the 5 by £3,000 and the RX-8 by £5,000.
And since all these cars are available to buy new, via the Government's scrappage programme, Mazda says you can knock a further £1,000 off each of them if you have a scrap car that qualifies under the scheme.
* The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders said last Tuesday that "From today [July 14] motorists can be confident of receiving fair and honest services from the automotive sector".
Which begs the question, did we receive unfair and dishonest services prior to July 14? You might get an answer to that by calling the SMMT's just launched consumer hotline, 0800 692 0825.
On a more serious note, keep that number in your little black book because a) the calls are free and b) this line is your instant route to registering complaints/praise/queries/suggestions with a professional working for the motor industry establishment.
* Kia has hit back at ACEA, the European motor industry's trade association, which claimed in this column last week that the South Koreans have an "unfair competitive advantage" over manufacturers who build in Europe.
Not unreasonably, Kia points out that the cars it exports from Seoul are subject to a 10 per cent levy which puts them at an obvious disadvantage when compared with European models that don't have the burden of the same punitive tax. So why the prejudice against South Korean motors? Your move, ACEA!
* The updated version of the Range Rover is available with a 5.0-litre, supercharged V8 engine. So far, so good. But then the figures begin to get ugly. Asking price £79,995, C02 emissions of 348g/km, an official town/motorway (Combined) figure of just 19mpg, typically giving the car a range of about 400 miles when fully brimmed, despite its 104.5-litre fuel tank. At today's prices this car will cost about £120 to refuel. Do that once a week and your annual bill for unleaded will be more than £6,000 – about the same price as some brand new city cars with a full tank of fuel thrown in.
To buy and run this new top-end Range Rover, buyers need to be rich, brave or daft – possibly all three. In these days of financial uncertainties and environmental awareness, I wonder if Land Rover might have been wiser launching a product that's a little more, er, appropriate?
Currently, the cheapest Range Rover Sport is the £38,250 2.7 TDV6. How about a stripped-out, considerably cheaper, slower, cleaner, more fuel-efficient version powered by Land Rover's tried and tested 2.2 diesel and with a price closer to £30,000? Yes, it would be sluggish. But I typically achieve average speeds of about 8mph when driving in London, so a slug of a passenger car/load-lugger/office on wheels/emergency motorhome with a high seating position and excellent all-round visibility might perfectly suit city drivers like me who only occasionally venture out of town.
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