LifeStyle
It's no secret that Merlin Auto Group is a company that's passionate about what it does. We're not just passionate about every car that drives on and off our lot, or about cultivating new relationships with every customer that walks through our door, we share a passion for our industry in its entirety...for the lifestyle. We eat, sleep, and breath this industry, this lifestyle, and everything that comes with it. As a result, we've compiled features on some of the top-notch luxury brands (namely, Ferrari and Bentley), as well as compelling stories on the luxury exotic world as a whole.
Ferrari
Used Ferrari 360 Models Are More Affordable, But Not For Long
The launch of the Ferrari 360 in 1999 meant the introduction to sleeker, more subtle curve lines merged with an even faster engine, as one would only expect from Ferrari. Ferrari only made a total of roughly 16,000 of the Ferrari 360 in the Modena and Spider models for the 6 years they were in production until 2005...
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Cost of Ownership for a Used Ferrari
Owning a Ferrari is almost every car fanatic's dream, and it's no wonder why. The essence of luxury, elegance, speed, and power... this Italian manufacturer has dazzled us with his cars since 1940, enchanting car enthusiasts on the race track, on the highway, and in the valet parking lot. Few can fathom driving such a supercar, and fewer can imagine owning one... even fewer actually do...
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Kid-Friendly Ferraris
What Ferraris are kid friendly? Adam Merlin, President at Merlin Auto Group, confidently answers, "Every time I speak about Ferraris being kid friendly, people think I'm nuts. And for the most part, I am. After all, even Ferraris that do have back seats often require the rear passenger to sacrifice leg room, so you can imagine peoples' reactions when I allude to fitting car seats back there...
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How Can a Ferrari Appreciate?
This is a question that baffles so many people. Automobiles are rarely discussed as appreciating assets, but when you are purchasing a Ferrari, this may very well be the case...
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Used Ferrari 308: The Next in Collectability?
The Ferrari 308 is considered the most recognizable Ferrari ever produced, and quite possibly the most well-known car ever made. This iconic model was made famous by the popular 80s television series, "Magnum P.I.", where the series' lead...
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Ferrari Timing Belts: Servicing Your Exotic
Caring for an exotic vehicle is often a time-consuming and meticulous process. Especially for new collectors or luxury car owners, it's also a process that typically needs guidance and understanding, as they are not your typical cars; they are powerful, intricate machines that need...
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What to Consider When Buying an Older Ferrari
There are many things to consider when purchasing an exotic car, especially when purchasing a Ferrari...especially when purchasing an older, used Ferrari. There is the obvious to consider, of course, which is year and model--obvious, but important. Next you might consider something like, is...
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What's So Special about the Ferrari 599?
The Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano is an Italian sports car produced by Ferrari from 2006-2013, replacing the 575M Maranello in 2006 as a 2007 model, then was replaced by the F12 Berlinetta in 2013. The car takes its name from the...
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Ferraris: Manual Transmission or the F1?
This topic seems to spark a heated debate about whether a manual transmission or an F1 is better. After hearing numerous opinions and arguments on the subject, we have determined that it is all a matter...
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What Changed from the 360 to the F430?
The common misconception is that the F430 is pretty much the same as the 360 apart from a few styling changes, a slightly more powerful engine and an upgraded interior. While some of this may be true, it is important to look at each car as its own entity, celebrating their traits rather than attempting to prove one better than the other, as that is a matter of preference. Let's start by looking at some of the similarities and differences between the...
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Financing Your Dream Ferrari
When it comes to buying your dream Ferrari, what a lot of people don't realize is that there are numerous ways to pay for the car. It is often assumed that you must have a net worth of seven or eight figures, prepared to wire transfer the full amount in cash in order to make your dream of owning a Ferrari a reality. Thankfully, this assumption is not true. In today's world...
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The Ferrari F430 Scuderia
If you love the look of the Ferrari F430, but want to have something a little more special than everyone else, the F430 Scuderia is the car for you. Weighing a staggering 220 pounds less than a standard 430, this car is built for speed and performance. A bare-bones interior--no carpet, carbon fiber trim and alcantara seats instead...
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Ferraris from a Woman's Point of View
Ferrari, 308, true six-speed, clutch life these words used to be non existent in my life. That is, until I married a Ferrari-osessed man with a passion for these European exotics. Suddenly, my world became flooded with a wide variety of terms I didnt understand. A few years into my marriage, I decided to...
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What Do Ferrari Model Numbers Mean?
For most Ferrari-buffs, the answer to this question is elementary knowledge. To others, it may not be, as it is not a simple answer. Much like the English language, there are no real rules when it comes to Ferrari Model numbers--the moment you see a pattern or rhythym, it changes on you, goes...
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Are Hot Ferraris Getting Cold?
We've been hearing quite a few people say that the 3-pedal, true-manual Ferrari market is soft right now. So, what does that mean for values? Many of those who are trying to buy these cars make the argument that there are a lot them on the market, perhaps too many, and as a result, the values are going to plummet. That may be true...but we believe that is only true for a small percentage of the vehicles. The reason for this is because the majority of...
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Caffeine and Exotics
Caffeine and Exotics is more than just your typical car show. It is a gathering of the most luxurious and spectacular vehicles all in one place, drawing people from all over to see, in person, just how incredible these mechanical beasts really are. Caffeine and Exotics has quickly become a nationally recognized event dedicated to the passion and enthusiasm for exotic cars. There are typically over two hundred privately owned exotic cars on display, including Lamborghini, Ferrari, McLaren, Rolls-Royce, Aston Martin, Porsche, Lotus, Maserati, Bentley, Audi, GTR, Corvette, Viper, and much much more. Each show is...
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Bentley
Exotic car, 0- 60 in under 5 seconds, 12 cylinder engine, aerodynamic design... these are not the typical features on the car shopping list for a family with children. However, Bentley is one ultra luxury car manufacturer that has considered the family and they have created a vehicle that combines luxury, speed and family into perfection...
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Bentley State Limousine: Fit for a Queen
Bentley Motorcars is a brand associated with timeless luxury and everlasting elegance, so it should come as no surprise that the Queen of England, Queen Elizabeth II, prefers to be chariot-ed around in none other than a Bentley...
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The World of Bentley
When it comes to luxury in the automotive industry, there are certain manufacturers that come to mind. Only a handful of these companies, however, are known for setting the standard of excellence and opulence. The Bentley Motor Company is one of these prestigious brands that is now associated with the likes of Rolls-Royce, Aston Martin, Lamborghini and Ferrari...
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Luxury Cars
Rolls Royce: Ultra Luxury Defined
Rolls-Royce, a name synonymous with elegance and power, is perhaps the most well-known luxury brand of all time, coming into existence just over a century ago. Nothing makes the statement, "I have arrived," more than pulling up in a Rolls-Royce, especially when you're not the one driving it, you're the one riding in it...
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Concours d'Elegance, the Best of the Best
The Concours d'Elegance is a car show unlike any other, considered to be of the most prestigious events in the automotive world. French for 'competition of excellence,' the Concours d'Elegance features the rarest and most beautiful automobiles from all over the world...
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How to Navigate the Carfax
Buying a car is stressful, or rather, it can be a stressful process. There's a lot to consider when buying a car. Year, make, model, et cetera. Buying a used car unveils a whole 'nother level of stress because not only do you have the actual car to consider, you now have to...
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Car Collections: How and Why They Came to Be
A Collector, by definition, is a person who collects things of a specified type, professionally as a hobby. A Collection, by definition, is a group of objects or an amount of material accumulated in one location...
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What Has BMW Ownership Done for Rolls-Royce?
The Rolls-Royce brand is one synonymous with perfection, ever since it first came into existence in 1904. These cars have been identified with luxury, power and success, not only because they are of the most expensive cars in the world, but because of what they represent. A brand founded upon the pursuit of perfection, Rolls-Royce's...
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Aftermarket Modifications: A Do or a Don't?
As a company that specializes in pre-owned cars, this is a question that comes up a lot. We take in customer trades all the time and help them get into the car of their dreams, whether its a 1987 Ferrari Testarossa or a later model Ferrari California, our mission is to do whatever we can to make the car-buying (or car-selling) experience enjoyable and exciting. That being said, a lot goes into this process. Evaluating a...
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Hurricane Impact on the Used Car Market
The used car market is all about supply and demand--it is something we say over and over again about used cars in general, including the collectable car market. So, how will the recent hurricanes in Texas and in Florida affect the used car market? Two huge metropolitan markets have been severely devastated by the hurricanes, resulting in the loss of homes, possessions, and hundreds of thousands of automobiles. As it pertains to cars, the demand for new and used vehicles will sky-rocket, while the supply of used cars will go down. The new car manufacturers offer a plethora of cars, but Texas and Folrida are incredibly large used car markets--not only...
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