The world's recession-hit marques continue to woo the mainland's rich, but they are not forgetting their more long-standing - and arguably, trendsetting - customers in booming Hong Kong. Flushed with cash and cheap credit, Hongkongers bought 29,002 new private cars up to the end of November last year, compared with 23,783 in the whole of 2009, according to the Transport Department, and local dealers are confident that the showroom splurge will continue.
The marques promise to wheel in some of the most beautiful and sophisticated cars, but competition for business could be intense in the showrooms of Gloucester Road.
In the first of a two-part series we highlight a British dealer that says it sells Abarths direct to Hong Kong and the impressive fuel efficiency of the hybrid Lexus CT 200h saloon. The main emphasis is on power and speed, with Bentley's new Continental GT arriving here soon after the marque's flagship Mulsanne. Maserati will introduce its souped-up GranTurismo MC Stradale as Porsche releases its racy Cayman R and Lamborghini fans hush for the successor to the Murcielago.
There are whispers of a new Ferrari, too, as Richburg readies for the arrival of the Nissan GTR facelift. And then there is the stunning new supercar, the McLaren MP4-12C. No wonder the government is upgrading its nearly ubiquitous speed cameras on our 2,050-odd kilometres of road.
Abarth
