10 Most Stolen Luxury Cars

Love luxury cars? Apparently so do car thieves!

Even though the Toyota Camry still ranks as the number 1 most stolen car, there were a number of luxury vehicles stolen, as well.

Autos.Yahoo.com recently summarized the statistics and the findings:

According to Karl Brauer, CEO of the online car review aggregator TotalCarScore.com, luxury cars are normally stolen for two reasons. “Luxury and premium models, such as those in this list, are typically stolen by professional car thieves for export, where they can fetch a premium over their domestic value,” he said in an e-mail. “If they’re not exported, then many are parted-out for sale on the black market.”

So what defines a luxury car? Three simple criteria, according to Alec Gutierrez, senior market analyst for the automotive information resource Kelley Blue Book. A luxury car is produced by a traditional luxury manufacturer, such as Audi, BMW or Mercedes-Benz; it retails for no less than $45,000; and it offers a smooth ride, even on bumpy roads.

Using data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, CNBC.com assembled a list of the most frequently stolen luxury cars in the U.S. Cars are ranked according to thefts per thousand cars produced. Also included are the insights of Brauer, who gave CNBC.com his take on why the cars on this list present irresistible opportunities for thieves, and represent painful losses to their owners.

Check out the complete article and the list of most stolen luxury vehicles here.