The Midnight Rambler // Alfred Spellman

All five of Bugatti’s 1.95 million-euro ($2.7 million) World Record, the globe’s fastest serial-production car, have been reserved. Chief Executive Officer Franz-Josef Paefgen showed the car, which has a top speed of 415 kilometers (258 miles) per hour, at the Paris Auto Show this week.

Bayerische Motoren Werke AG and Daimler AG’s Mercedes-Benz, the world’s two biggest luxury-car makers, are both targeting 10 percent sales increases this year as the economic recovery sparks a return of flashy purchases. BMW shares have surged 59 percent, Volkswagen has gained 37 percent and Daimler has advanced 25 percent this year.