Is it bling or understated craftsmanship that makes a luxury car?
What buyers want from a luxury car is changing, according to new research rolled out by Ford's upmarket Lincoln arm at the Detroit motor show today.
Lincoln's survey says that, as austerity continues to bite, buyers want luxury cars that are less show-off and which feature less technological trinkets. Luxury is now about personal satisfaction and low-key bespoke craftsmanship, rather than shouting to the neighbours that you've made it, the research reveals.
Yet you have to counter that assertion against some of the sales figures emerging from the likes of Porsche, Bentley, Lamborghini, Audi et al, all of whom seem to be doing very nicely off the back of making cars that are, how shall I put it, increasingly eye-catching, be it for LED displays, chrome detailing, being faster, harder edged or just plain expensive.
Truth is, there's probably two kinds if customer, and Lincoln knows that if it must gatecrash the mainstream luxury market then it needs to offer something different.
But it also raises the question of what you consider to be luxury car qualities. Any thoughts?