Welcome Back, American Muscle!

My main blog sponsor, American Muscle, has kindly agreed to renew for another year. American Muscle sells all kinds of Mustang parts. I'm not sure if they even sell anything besides Mustang parts. If you want to take a look, just click on the banner up top.

They recently sponsored a hilarious and disgusting contest called "Live in it to win it", where one of several contestants who could last the longest living in a red 2009 Mustang would win it. The winner lasted 11 days.

Why CARS (Cash For Clunkers) Won't Come Back

Mark Tapscott, over at the Examiner (http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-12977-Cars-Examiner~y2009m7d31-How-long-before-CashforClunkers-becomes-a-permanent-federal-entitlement) , predicts that the cash-for-clunkers program (CARS) will be extended indefinitely because it is popular, and gives the Obama administration another way to spend money.

I disagree.  I think that if Congress extends CARS (doubtful), it will be a one-time shot.  The main reason is that there are still fiscal conservatives in Congress--the Blue Dog Democrats and the Republicans will team up to end the program.  The  Greenies won't support an extension because the current program, being a compromise, watered down the original premise of forcing people to trade up only to high-mileage cars.

CARS was fun while it lasted, but I predict it will shortly be as dead as one of the engines in my previous post.

Video: Cash For Clunkers Engine Death

Here is a video from a CARS program engine disablement (sodium silicate solution instead of oil) of a Jeep Grand Cherokee. The engine fights long and hard, but dies in the end.



This Volvo S80 looks like a nice car, I'm amazed it qualified. Maybe it had major issues, like a bad transmission, or something. Still, what a waste. The engine sounds almost like it is sad to go.



This Oldsmobile looks more like a heap. The engine starts out sounding throaty, then dies with a mousy squeek.

Video: Kid Freaks Out (A Little)

A rich kid gets a surprise birthday present--a beat up pickup truck. He gets mad because he'll look like a "poor kid" if he drives it. He gets a baseball bat...



Now, I don't think he's 100% serious, because if you notice, he doesn't damage the glass or the front end. He just beats up on the bed side a little.

Mahindra Planning A CUV For U.S.?

I was looking at Mahindra's North America web site (http://www.mahindrana.com/indian-cars-and-trucks.html) , which advertises its two door and four door diesel pickups (planned for fall of 2009), and its SUV, promised for 2010. 

If you click on "future vehicle", you see an artsy picture of what looks like a minivan, or perhaps a crossover, called the MUC.   I suspect this is a version of the Xylo (see http://www.lnkr.net/archives/prem/technology/mahindra-xylo-more-images/2011 for photos) which is something like short minivan with swinging doors.

Mahindra is talking big, I wonder if they will deliver?

CARS: Watch The "Doc Fee" Trick!

Joe over at MyFordDreams2 was talking to a Mercury salesman about the CARS (aka cash for clunkers) program, and the guy tried to tell him that there was $50 documentation fee.

As I posted previously, (see here) and I'll do it again as a public service:

Dealers are not allowed to charge fees to customers to participate in the CARS program. If you dealer tries to do so, above and beyond their standard fees, they are trying to cheat you.

The proof is here, from www.cars.gov/faq:

Can dealers charge me a fee for buying or leasing a vehicle under the CARS program?

While dealers can charge their normal types of fees, the CARS Act specifically prohibits dealers from charging a fee for purchasing or leasing a vehicle under the program.

Why NUMMI Is Probably Closing

With GM out, Toyota has to decide if it wants to keep NUMMI going.  Here are a few reasons why they won't.

• NUMMI is the most expensive, labor-wise, of any of Toyota's plants in NA (Detroit Free Press)
• The Corolla is also built in Canada, at the TMMC plant
• The Tacoma is also built in Mexico, in Tijuana.

Cash For Clunkers Details

In addition to the already released rules, some additional details have been posted by NHTSA at the www.cars.gov web site:

• Only one voucher per customer.  You can't trade in 2 cars for 2 vouchers for 1 new car. 
• Leases may be purchased with the voucher, however, the least must be for at least 5 years.
• Dealers can not charge extra fees such as administrative fees for the CARS program.
• Customers may have to pay sales taxes on the voucher amount, depending on state law.
• The CARS voucher is on top of other incentives from the manufacturer (dealers can't keep the manufacturer incentives back)
• The CARS voucher is in addition to other government programs, such as the hybrid vehicle credit.

So, if your dealer tries to charge you an extra "doc fee" for CARS, call him out on it.

Cash For Clunkers: Engine Death

The NHTSA has released instructions for dealers on how they must destroy the trade-in car's engine.  Dealers are to replace the engine oil with about 2 quarts of sodium silicate solution, and run until the engine siezes. The sodium silicate in the oil path will heat up, and form a glass-like structure.

For some reason, the thought of thousands of engines running until they die is sort of sad to me.  It's like... euthanasia.

Appendix B to Part 599 - Engine Disablement Procedures for the CARS

 

Engine Disablement Procedures for the CARS Program

THIS PROCEDURE IS NOT TO BE USED BY THE VEHICLE OWNER

 

 

Perform the following procedure to disable the vehicle engine.

 

1.                  Obtain solution of 40% sodium silicate/60% water.  (The Sodium Silicate (SiO2/Na2O) must have a weight ratio of 3.0 or greater.)

2.                  Drain engine oil for environmentally appropriate disposal.

3.                  Install the oil drain plug.

4.                  Since the procedure is intended to render the engine inoperative, drive or move the vehicle to the desired area for disablement.

5.                  Pour enough solution in the engine through the oil fill for the oil pump to circulate the solution throughout the engine.  Start by adding 2 quarts of the solution, which should be sufficient in most cases.

            CAUTION:  Wear goggles and gloves. Appropriate protective clothing should be            worn to prevent silicate solution from coming into contact with the skin.

6.                  Replace the oil fill cap.

7.                  Start the engine.

8.                  Run engine at approximately 2000 rpm (for safety reasons do not operate at high rpm) until the engine stops.  (Typically the engine will operate for 3 to 7 minutes.  As the solution starts to affect engine operation, the operator will have to apply more throttle to keep the engine at 2000 rpm.)

9.                  Allow the engine to cool for at least 1 hour.

10.              With the battery at full charge or with auxiliary power to provide the power of a fully charged battery, attempt to start the engine.

11.              If the engine will not operate at idle, the procedure is complete.

12.              If the engine will operate at idle, repeat steps 7 through 11 until the engine will no longer idle.

13.              Attach a label to the engine that legibly states the following:

 

                  This engine is from a vehicle that is part of the Car Allowance Rebate System                             (CARS).  It has significant internal damage caused by operating the                                       engine with a sodium silicate solution (liquid glass) instead of oil.

 

14.              File this document in the file for the new vehicle purchase.

Car Insurance and Your Claims: They MUST Pay!

To further complicate matters, even if a loss is covered, the policy most likely includes a deductible as well as coverage limits. Depending on the nature of the loss, multiple insurance companies may be involved(one of which may be car insurance northern ireland). For example, if a storm strikes and you have both wind and flood damage, you may have to file a claim with your homeowners insurance for the wind damage and another with the national flood insurance program (if you have flood insurance) for the water damage.

Depending on where you live, your deductible may be higher under certain circumstances. For example, in Florida, your deductible for hurricane damage is much higher than if your home was burglarized. So, will your insurance company pay or won't they? Look at it this way, insurance companies DON'T want to pay. They are in business to generate profits and will need to be convinced BY YOU that the claim should be paid. The burden of proof lies on you, the homeowner. This means that you will need to prove your case and do it well. The better prepared and more organized you are, the better.

Start with documentation. You may need to take dozens of photos and provide your insurance agent with detailed estimates to counter against the insurance company's original settlement offer. You may need to demand to see how the agent depreciated your property and negotiate a more reasonable method. While your homeowner's insurance policy is a contract, the claims process does provide room for negotiations with auto insurance company (more information on best negotiation tactics in How to Contact with Auto Insurance Company? article).

Your best bet is to be prepared for a fight. Your tools in this battle include a detailed home inventory, digital photos and video documenting the damage, estimates from local contractors, and a willingness to demand a better offer. You don't have to do this alone. In fact, many contractors are willing to be present during the insurance adjuster's visit to help point out damage that the adjuster might have otherwise ignored. In addition, public insurance adjusters act as advocates for the homeowner and work on your behalf to negotiate a higher settlement offer.

Arm yourself with knowledge, documentation, and real-world estimates while also considering professional representation and you'll be better equipped to answer the question, "Will they pay for it?"

Learning SEO: Social Bookmarking For Your Site

Social bookmarking is an activity performed over a computer network that allows users to save and categorize a personal collection of bookmarks and share them with others. Users may also take bookmarks saved by others and add them to their own collection, as well as to subscribe to the lists of others. It's a tool for personal knowledge management (Wikipedia.org).

In other words, social bookmarking involves saving bookmarks (web addresses) to a public Web site so you can access these bookmarks from any computer connected to the web. Having your site bookmarked in a number of popular social bookmarking sites you drive more traffic to the content at your site. So if you create a piece of content and title it with the keyword phrase you need, you will get a free external link with the required anchor text.

If you wish to create your own social bookmarks, you must register with a social bookmarking site. The part that takes the longest is probably setting up an account for each site, which includes email confirmations. But remember, no pain, no gain, right?

What you need to continue:

- keyword-rich content that provides value at the page of your site
- an appealing title with selected keywords within the title
- time to monitor your accounts at social bookmarking sites
- regular analysis of how long each link pops up in search engines. At some point you will reach a place where you are no longer drawing significant traffic from your older bookmarks, but that’s OK.

Beware of spamming these sites and making your list of bookmarks appear unattractive or an obvious marketing ploy which will net you very little. The biggest problem with this method is time and the relative effectiveness of the links. You have to make sure the content is good and the title passes spam detection else it will simply be deleted. Don’t abuse this by submitting every page of your site, try to be judicious and think about what pages of your site may be helpful and of interest to other web surfers.

There is an opinion that social bookmarking has limited appeal for a SEO professional. The reason is that you cannot count on it to increase site rankings directly, but indirectly it can increase awareness which may eventually provide additional natural linking. Besides many social bookmarking sites do not allow crawlers to follow links, thus the links do not help the page rank. However social bookmarking is still one of the cheapest and the most effective ways to get sites deep crawled and indexed and attract more visitors.

Even if you are not going to base the SEO campaign for your site on this technique it should be in your SEO toolbox of tasks anyway. And don’t’ forget that having great page content accurate meta tags with a solid web design combined with quality links from other pages of similar content contribute best to the end users experience.

G8 Dead Again

After studying the issue, Bob Lutz says on GM Fastlane Blog that there isn't a business case for the G8 after all, sorry to get your hopes up.

That’s all still true. But I have to say that, with my new “marketing” hat on, upon further review and careful study, we simply cannot make a business case for such a program. Not in today’s market, in this economy, and with fuel regulations what they are and will be.

What was interesting to me was the hint dropped that GM might try to make it a police car. GM currently sells the Impala as a police vehicle, but it hasn't made a very large dent in Ford's Crown Victoria sales. A RWD Caprice might have really gotten some attention, but it was probably too expensive to pull off.

This leaves Ford as king of the police cruisers for now, but it is no secret that the Crown Victoria's days are numbered. According to rumors on the web (such as Blue Oval Forums), the plant that builds the Crown Vic will close in 2011, which means tha that the last cars would be built as 2011 or 2012 models.

Will Ford give up the police cruiser business to the Dodge Challenger, or the expensive and not-yet-existent Carbon? Currently, it is commonly thought that the police want a rear wheel drive vehicle. Ford won't have anything to sell after 2012. Will they perhaps put lights and pusher bars on the Taurus SHO?

Maximum Bob Rides Again

I love Bob Lutz.

From the recent web chat on GM's Fastlane Blog. Italics are my, er, interpretation.

2:13	[Comment From Guest ] What is your number one priority in your new role and please be as specific as possible?

2:14

Bob Lutz: Until I know more about the job I won't be as specific as possible because i might have to recant next month when i know what i'm doing. My top priority now is to enhance the ability of GM to let the public know about what great cars and trucks we build. For all the money spent in the past, this seemingly simple task has eluded us.

Our marketing has been weak. I'm going to fix that.

2:17

[Comment From Mike Ruby ] Bob, will we see in improvment in GM commercials now that you are in charge of them? The new Buick commercial is very embarassing. I've had many family members and friends comment on how dumb it is, plus some of the other poorly done commercials on the Traverse and the "Surprised" commercials that played for about a week over Christmas.

2:18	Bob Lutz: Let me put it this way: That Buick commercial tested very well, which is not the same as saying that it's an effective ad. I think you will very quickly see a drastic change in the tone and content of our advertising. And if you don't, it will mean that i have failed.

It sucked and we know it, but I wasn't asked 'cause I wasn't on duty yet

2:19	[Comment From Tom ] How can we get people as hyped up about small cars? Where's the Aveo SS or the Vibe GXP?

2:20

Bob Lutz: The best way to get people hyped for small cars is to 1) do great small cars instead of mediocre ones and 2) rasie the price of fuel. As long as Americans pay less than $3 /gall vs $7 in the rest of the world, it's a tough sell. Having said that, the Vibe is gone, and the Aveo will be replaced by an all-new and much more exciting vehicle.

Cheap gas will kill the mini-car, so Obama had better raise the price.

2:20	[Comment From Neighbor ] Did you sell your jet? We don't see you flying around anymore.

2:21	Bob Lutz: I sold the Alpha jet due to economic worries, and got a good price for it, but have retained the L39 Albatros so i'm still flying regularly. And if i've failed to entertain you recently you have to tell me where you live or work.

I needed to sell one plane so I could afford a Volt. I'm gonna buzz your house, smart-ass.

2:43	[Comment From Nate ] Does GM have any plans for diesel cars in the US? Or are they banking entirely the Volt and Converj platforms? There appears to be customer demand for diesels as well as the Volt technology. Is there room for low production diesels?

2:44

Bob Lutz: For diesels to meet US emissions (US regulations are six times more severe than European) we'd have to increase the diesel surcharge by another $2500 to $3000. The total would amount to about $6000. For that surcharge of $6K, the customer gets a 20% in mpg, but has the privilege of paying for fuel that is 20 cents per gallon more expensive. Show me where this makes sense. Several Europeans and both Toyota and Honda have canceled their US passenger car diesel plans, as have we.

I'm sick of people asking about diesels--there's no way to make money on them right now!

2:54	[Comment From Guest ] Any plans to either filter your comments or perhaps even support the green movement, since you've made such harsh comments against the concept of Global Warming, which upset a lot of people?

2:58

Bob Lutz: I obviously won't go out of my way to upset people but since i have a tendency to speak my mind i will occasionally unwittingly do so. I am totally dedicated to reducing petroleum usage, which is one of the reasons i championed the Chevy Volt. My personal opinion on global warming has nothing to do with my professional performance. By the way we just had the coldest June on record in the East, and are in the middle of the coldest July.

Yeah, sorry about that global warming is BS thing. Hey, is it cold in here?

3:01	[Comment From ETB ] Favorite TV shows? No doubt seen Top Gear. Would you consider going and taking on Jeremy Clarkson for us?

3:02	Bob Lutz: Why would i want to take on Jeremy Clarkson? He loves the CTS-V and has declared Corvette ZR1 to be the finest vehicle of all time. I love the guy.

The New Toyota Venza 2009

Whichever label you want to give it, the new Toyota Venza appears like a winner.

Think of the Venza as a station wagon and you'll probably get the point. Of course, it does not look precisely like any station wagon we've seen before. Unveiled at Detroit's North American International automobile show in Jan, Venza drew heaps of attention. Among vehicles currently available, it reminds us most of the Ford Edge crossover.

There's plenty of the Lexus RX350 in this Toyota, too, though the Venza is pressed down nearer to the ground, and sleeker. Its front end is taller, but definitely molded in the theme of Toyota's current Camry sedan. The Venza's rear glass has a nice, long rake, and its taillights wrap around the rear fenders onto the hatch. Its standard wheels measure 19 inches in diameter, whilst 20-inch spoked alloys are optional. In sum, the Venza is an example of the more hunky, engaging cars Toyota has launched in a little time.

A look at its dimensions brings the crossover label into proportion. At 109.3 inches and 189 inches, respectively, the Venza's wheelbase and overall length match both Bell Road Toyota's Camry sedan and Highlander sport-utility inside fragments of an in. Put simply, the Venza's footprint on the pavement matches both Camry and Highlander closely. Yet with an overall height of 63.4 inches, the Venza slots right in the middle of the Camry and Highlander. It's ride height falls somewhere in the middle, too.

The 2009 Venza seats 5, like the Camry, instead of 7 like the Highlander. Its rocker height, or the lip around the base of its passenger doorways, is low, making it simple to lift feet within, yet the hip point for seated occupants is higher than the typical sedan's. The mix should deliver a mix many buyers seek : straightforward ingress and egress, with a higher seating position for an enhanced view around tall cars on the road.

The 2009 Venza should reach showrooms with the traditional model year changeover in early fall 2008. It'll be built at Toyota's assembly plant in Georgetown, Kentucky.

If you find this article interesting, you should also check out thesupercars.org to read about some of the fastest & most expensive sports cars in the world, also visit Toyota Yaris used.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lowell_N_Winters

BMW X1 the Economical Sport-Utility Vehicle

BMW is leaving nothing to chance when it comes to its line of sport/utility vehicles. Unlike other manufacturers who are cutting back even abandoning this once popular and highly profitable vehicle segment, BMW is introducing its fourth line, the X1, an SUV that is smaller, lighter and much more fuel efficient than most SUVs in its class.

By adding a fourth line of SUVs, BMW is signaling that it believes that customers are still interested in a vehicle that can get the job done on the road and, if need be, be taken off the road. Based on the same platform underpinning its 1-series line of cars, the X1 will be powered by a standard 2.0L I4 gas engine paired with six-speed manual or automatic transmissions. That arrangement should help the X1 break the 30 mpg highway barrier, but it could be that a similar sized diesel engine will have the greatest appeal for customers as BMW estimates that its 2.0L diesel will achieve about 45 mpg on the highway.

Rear Or All Wheel Drive Available

Available in either rear or all-wheel-drive, the X1 seats five passengers and will take over the entry level SUV market currently occupied by the X3. For its part, the BMW X3 will be moved slightly upmarket with standard trim levels raised accordingly. The X5 and X6 round out BMW's sport utility vehicle line.

Inside, the X1 will be fully equipped with the most current navigation system offered as standard equipment along with a panoramic sun roof, leather seating treatments, first class audio system and all of the usual BMW safety features including brake assist; lane departure warning; front, side and side curtain airbags; dynamic brake control; and active head restraints. Priced from the upper 30s, a fully optioned BMW X1 will retail for about $50,000 which will be about the same price as the all new Audi Q3 its chief competitor, though slightly higher than the Volkswagen Tiguan.

Styling Shared With The X3 And X5

The exterior of the X1 borrows the same styling cues used in the X3 and X5 with the hallmark long BMW hood and unmistakable bimmer front end. Customers who have already been sold on the X3 will appreciate the X1's generous size doors as well as its huge liftgate and surprisingly abundant storage area. BMW hopes to not only to bolster its conquest sales of other brands, but encourage current bimmer devotees to consider its newest and most fuel efficient SUV line. With a diesel option being made available, the X1 will appeal to both to the customer who want the practical side of a sport utility vehicle as well as the fuel efficiency of a potent, yet economical engine.

By adding the X1 to its fleet, BMW expects that this move will help it hold off Mercedes for luxury brand supremacy while offering a good option to the Q3, which is fast gaining Audi's latest offering. Competition among the German luxury brands is fierce which means that customers win as each manufacturer seeks to outdo each other in building passenger vehicles customers really want.

Max Rossi writes for FCPgroton.com http://www.fcpgroton.com/ a worldwide foreign auto parts distributor. Get European car parts at affordable prices.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Max_Rossi

The Mitsubishi Outlander GT Prototype

Building on the success of the Mitsubishi Outlander, Mitsubishi Motors North America today conducted the World debut of a distinctive new model that takes the compact SUV to another new level of performance and sportiness - the Mitsubishi Outlander GT Prototype. The all-new design study is the centerpiece of the Mitsubishi Motors exhibit at the New York International Auto Show, which continues through April 19.

The Diamond white Outlander GT Prototype infuses performance and design inspiration from Mitsubishi's Lancer sport sedans and provides clear indicators of the future of Outlander.

"The Outlander GT Prototype is packed with technology, performance and premium features that are uncommon in the compact SUV class," commented John Koenig, executive vice president of Mitsubishi Motors North America. "Along with its faster heartbeat, we also wanted to quicken pulses by channeling the look of our sportiest cars."

A front grille design inspired by the Lancer Evolution's "jet fighter" look is clearly in play on the Outlander GT Prototype, which sports complementary new design elements, such as a reshaped front bumper, side mirrors, fenders and hood. Reshaped Bi-Xenon HID headlamps, a new rear bumper and side sills, plus a bold polished finish on the already standard aluminum roof panel accentuate the sporty appeal.

The Outlander GT Prototype also benefits from improvements to the all-aluminum 3.0-liter SOHC MIVEC V6 currently found in the Outlander XLS, including a reduction in intake restriction plus optimized camshaft timing and compression ratio. The engine changes raise maximum output by 10 horsepower, for a total of 230 horsepower, with an improved torque curve for more responsive city driving and enhanced fuel economy and emissions.

To further increase fuel economy, the Outlander GT Prototype features an upgraded shifting program and Idle Neutral Logic, which automatically, and smoothly, shifts into neutral during vehicle standstill. It reengages at the slightest lift of the foot off the brake pedal, thereby providing instantaneous response.

About the Author

For more information about Mitsubishi Motors and the new Outlander SUV then visit the website or contact the Senior Manager of Corporate Communications.

The Subaru Impreza

It costs a small fortune to get a garage to look at your subaru let alone tune it for you. What if there was a way to do it yourself, even if your a novice mechanic. Well now there is.

You will learn

The essential checks you can perform to reduce the garage costs on your car. Effective maintenance is essential for making sure that your lovely subaru continues to give long lasting and reliable service.

You will als learn about the subaru intake and exhaust systems - Look at how to improve the stock Subaru intake and exhaust and how an aftermarket exhaust and intake can help put back some of the aural character that is lacking on the standard WRX. Learn the four critical things you can do to improve the intake system on your Subaru.

Now i was no expert on car mechanics, sure i could change my oil and fit new spark plugs the whole thing about engines just seemed to complex for me. Don't get me wrong i'm not saying i'm a qualified mechanic after this course, but i can now get more power and speed from my subaru with a few simple steps.

When it comes to modifying your subaru impreza, I have not found a place online that comes even a close runner up to what you will find here. This information will take you right to the heart of tuning and modifications. Best of all you do it yourself without the hefty garage bill.

About the Author

If you want to get more out of your subaru check THIS out.

Audi: 100 years of Car Making History

Karl Freidrich Benz was the man who created the first true automobile, Henry Ford visualised and created the first assembly line for mass production of large numbers of automobiles, both men played a crucial part in auto making history, but we cannot talk about auto making history without mentioning Audi.

Audi was founded by August Horch in 1909, the year he was forced out of the company he founded in 1899. In the beginning, Horch continued to trade under the Horch brand, but after his partners sued him for trademark infringement, he was forced to come up with another name for his company; it was then that the Audi name came up.

During a meeting in Franz Fikentschers' apartment to come up with a new name for the company, Franz's son who was studying Latin at the time (common in those days), suggested that instead of Horch they used Audi which mean "Hark!" or "Horch" German for "hear" and the idea was accepted by everyone attending the meeting.

The first models produced by Audi were the 2,612 cc 2.6 litre 4 cylinder model, followed by a 3564 cc 3.6 litre model, as well as 4680 cc 4.7 L and 5720 cc 5.7L models. In 1921 Audi was the first German car manufacturer to build a left-hand drive production car, the Audi Type K.

Audi Models of the 1920's were luxurious and were becoming successful in the racing tracks, in the early 30's Audi merged with Horch, DKW and Wanderer to form Auto Union.

With the creation of Auto Union the four overlapping rings badge was created to represent the union of the four German car manufacturers. The Auto Union era is best known for its success in the racing tracks. The Silver Arrows dominated the GP car racing from 1934 onwards and established records that were only equalled in the early 80's by turbocharged F1 cars.

We'll skip the WW II and Post War periods, I jump all the way to early 80's when introduced the Quattro four wheel drive and the Audi Quattro, commonly know at the time as Ur-Quattro, a turbocharged coupé that dominated the rally tracks in the 80's and was the first German car to be produced in large scale featuring permanent all-wheel-drive (Quattro).

In 1985 Auto Union was officially dead and Audi shortened its name to Audi AG. Over the following years Audi introduced less successful models like the Audi 80 and the Audi 90.

Audi's big break happened in 1994 with the introduction of the Audi A4, a predecessor for the Audi 80, the Audi A4 gain recognition and sales went up which led Audi to develop more powerful and luxurious models like the Audi A6 and A8.

Two years later Audi released what became its most successful model to date, the Audi A3, built in conjunction with the Volkswagen Group using the same platform as the A4, the A3 was initially available only as a 3 door hatchback.

In 2000 Audi revolutionised sports car racing once again with the Audi R8 and dominated the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans, winning 5 of 7 years it competed.

After 20 years of research with diesel engines the results were paid off with another revolutionary racing car the Audi R10 TDI, which again dominated Le Mans' racing tracks for four consecutive years, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, till it was replaced the new Audi R15 TDI.

All technological advances made by Audi in the racing tracks are used in its models nowadays. With their high fuel efficiency and low emissions the TDI engines are a reference, the petrol engines have high fuel efficiency thanks to Audi's Valvelift technology, not to mention the Quattro four-wheel-drive and all the other technological advances Audi makes year after year.

Prove to that is the Audi R8 a state of the art sports car that was successful in the racing and in less than 2 years gained respect of sports cars enthusiast form all over the world.

Audi's success is the reflect of the company's tagline Vorsprung durch Technik, meaning "Advantage through Technology".

About the Author

SEO Consultant, blogger and social media expert working for THUK Media Online Marketing

Who Tried to Kill the Electric Car?

Even though the electric car is starting to grow in popularity around the world again, over the years there have been a number of attempts to block the development and production of such vehicles but who tried to kill the Electric car? Unfortunately there are a number of suspects with regards to blocking the development of the Electric vehicle market which include:-

General Motors
In the 1990s General Motors was involved in the production of an electric vehicle known as the EV1 which was the first mainstream electric vehicle to hit the market. The introduction of the vehicle was made possible by changes to various emission laws in California and with the backing of the Californian authorities it seemed set to change the marked forever. However, without notice GM withdrew the EV1 from the marketplace and despite spending over $1 billion on research and development the project was mothballed.

Oil-rich countries
One of the main losers as and when the electric vehicle market becomes main stream will be the various oil-rich countries around the world which earn billions and billions of dollars supplying the fuel to power traditional vehicles of today. There is a feeling that pressure has been put on various governments around the world, including the UK and US, to try and block the development of electric vehicles as long as possible.

Governments around the world
When you consider that countries such as the UK earn billions and billions of pounds from the taxation of petrol (with some suggestions at more than 70% of what you pay on the forecourt is paid to the government) the introduction of electric vehicles would reduce this income substantially. However the UK is not alone in potential loss of income as and when the electric vehicle market goes mass market and many governments around the world appear to have done their best to block the development of the electric car.

For further information and further discussions with regards to the development of the electric car market please visit the Electric Forum The latest electric vehicles, regulations for this new market and news of future developments are discussed in depth.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mark_Benson

The Best 2009 Hybrid Vehicles

It goes without saying that hybrid vehicles are the private transportation of the future. The reasons include the fact that we have a finite supply of crude oil, the rising cost of gas over which we have very little control, our dependence on unfriendly nations for our oil supply, and the negative effects of gasoline exhaust on the environment.

Saving, be it the environment or on gas, is the primary reason most people buy these types of vehicles. To this end, it is anticipated that 2009 will be a big year for makers of hybrids because consumers are trying to reduce their consumption in the current economic downturn. It is during times like these that high gas mileage trumps size and becomes a major deciding factor when buying personal transportation.

King of the Road
The king of high mileage per gallon of gas is none other than the Toyota Prius. One of the first alternative-fuel vehicles to appear on the US auto market, the Prius offers 45 city and 48 highway miles to the gallon. The 2009 model has a bigger engine; therefore, provides more horsepower and has been designed with a very light frame aimed at pushing the gas mileage as close to 50 as is possible by improving the length of time it can run gas-free.

Close Runner-Up
The Honda Civic hybrid is second and it offers 40 city and 45 highway miles per gallon. It costs a bit more than the Prius, but has a sleeker look. The 2009 model has better battery packs and its regenerative braking system is capable of eliminating almost all emission from the vehicle. It is, also, the best choice for consumers who consider safety a priority when choosing a vehicle.

Third in Line
The third most fuel efficient hybrid vehicle is the Smart For Two. The smart car burst onto the market in Europe and is slowly becoming popular in the U.S. It offers 33 city and 41 highway miles per gallon. The major drawback to the Smart For Two is its size. It is very small, light, and has comparatively low horsepower compared to the other hybrids. However, it can be considered cute, affordable, and is perfect for city dwellers who don't want to spend too much money on a car. The 2009 model comes with a transmission that can be changed between manual and automatic.

Another Good Choice
The BMW Mini Cooper is another great choice of hybrid because of its high gas mileage. It offers 28 city and 37 highway miles to the gallon. The 2009 model comes in automatic and manual. It is built with BMW's pure quality, has an updated suspension thus providing a smoother ride, and has enough horsepower to hold its own on any U.S. highway.

Hybrid vehicles can be more expensive than all-gas vehicles; however, in the long run they will save the consumer and have a positive impact on the environment. Furthermore, nothing says "I'm hip and aware!" as being behind the wheel of a 2009 fuel efficient hybrid vehicle.

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The BMW Hydrogen 7 Series

BMW is one of the world leading car manufacturers, this is due to all the years of experience, design, technology, and from some years till now, software that runs all over each car model, making it one of the most technological cars manufacturers too.

Each BMW has been using the usual fuel around the globe, but the global concerns, the climate change started years ago to make people start researching and developing other resources, the planet needs that, car manufacturers need to accomplish the transformation.

Hydrogen 7 is one of the BMW projects, the German car manufacturer has implemented all hydrogen technology inside is luxury vehicle, the BMW 7 Series, one of the most impressive cars not only because of the comfort, size, performance, but remember this car is also a heavyweight.

This means that in a world where hydrogen isn't available yet, at least as the usual car fuel, BMW couldn't send the car outside to the streets just using hydrogen, so this BMW Hydrogen 7 has also a combustion engine, nothing better for the driver than having that chance of deciding which fuel the car will burn, of course that the cheaper the better.

BMW Hydrogen 7 relies in a 7 Series with 12 cylinder, for those who care about speed the car will not reach all the speed that all that power car give has it's electronic limited to 230Km/h and it remains that way, whether the driver choses gasoline or hydrogen.

Fuel consumption is always a concern, this BMW can offer more than 200Km if the driver uses only hydrogen, that's probably not that much for most drivers around the globe but remember that this car must have place for a gasoline tank, which can deliver an additional 500Km, of regular driving of course.

Like the idea of driving a BMW Hydrogen car, maybe you do but the German car manufacturer isn't interested in the selling process, at least by now so this 7 Series model will not be available to the general public, BMW car will be leased to some costumers.

The Abarth Cars

Abarth Cars was founded by the Austrian born Karl Abarth, a designer who later became an Italian citizen and changed his first name to Carlo. Between nineteen twenty five and nineteen twenty seven Abarth worked as a motorbike designer for Castagna, whilst still only a teenager. Abarth was also a keen motorbike rider and raced in many races. Abarth went on to win the European Championship five times, but sadly had an accident in Austria which forced him to stop racing and instead focus his efforts towards engineering and designing a sidecar.

After moving to Italy permanently, Abarth set up Abarth and co in nineteen forty nine. The nineteen sixties saw successes for the company in regards to racing and hill climbing. Racing against Ferrari and Porsche, the cars commonly raced in the eight hundred and fifty and two thousand cc categories. As well as producing performance cars for racing, Abarth Cars also made exhaust pipes for racing and high performance cars. Tuning kits were also produced, and calibrations between Porsche and Abarth saw various racing cars produced.

In the summer of nineteen seventy one Fiat bought Abarth Cars, and the racing team was acquired by the Italian racing car manufactured, Osella. Abarth was used as a racing subsidiary of Fiat, helping with the Fiat rally cars. The Abarth marque was also used for some of the high performance cars produced by Fiat, such as the Ritmo Abarth 130 TC.

The Abarth brand was resurrected in two thousand and seven, with Fiat launching the Punto Abarth and Punto Abarth S2000.

Classic Cars For Sale has Abarth cars for sale. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andy_Webbed

The Nissan Navara

As a double cab, Nissan navara has an advantage over others when it comes to car size. And though, it is not always true that bigger is better, when it comes to vehicles specifically for loads, it definitely make sense. Because of that, it had been favored by many who are looking for vehicle that is truly apt for work.

Basically, it is built in Spain. It is of the same production line with Pathfinder, one of those to which it is being often compared with. As it is very important today to wisely pick the car that you will be having, it is being dubbed as the best that you can have as it is being claimed to combine both luxury and quality.

However, there would always be two sides in a story. If there are those who favor and appreciate it, naturally, there are also those who got negative things to say about it. That is just normal though as no car is really perfect. There would always be flaws and drawbacks that can be seen in different perspectives.

If you can live through the drawbacks of Nissan Navara though, it can be a very useful pick up to use. One of its strengths is the fact that it is a spacious car that can carry quite a load. It is very much suitable to businesses and other specific tasks as moving furniture and transferring products.

To know how great or not-so great of a ride is Nissan Navara is, it is important to check on its features and capabilities. There are three points that can be used as basis of the judgment.

• Load Space - As been mentioned earlier, it has a more space for loads than other double cabs. It even has an additional feature of self-locking cleats for securing loads. This keeps from rolling about from one to another which can possibly cause damages.

• Appearance and Features - Though Nissan Navara is one that can be considered as a workhorse of a vehicle, it has a nice exterior and interior design. It is of smooth silhouette with fog light, roof rail, automatic headlights and washer and even electric windows and mirrors. Inside, it had upholstered seats, CD player, bluetooth connectivity, remote central locking and even satellite navigation. And so it can basically provide the comfort and convenience other luxury cars can give.

• Engine - Generally, Nissan Navara is not really a quiet car. However, its engine is more powerful than other of its category. And though it runs in diesel, it can be pretty powerful.

As a summary, the Navara has both advantages and disadvantages but the former outweighs the latter. Though it is more of a car of functionality, it is able to provide luxury and comfort to its passengers. And with that, Nissan Navara makes quite an impressive ride.

Nissan Navara has an impressive record for a ride. Know more about it you can be sure that you are opting for a double cab of truly high quality.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Maurice_Manhattan

The Skoda Cars

Current hectic period requires rapid transfer from one place to another either for businesses or some other purposes. People generally prefer taking their own vehicles. Simultaneously with the increase of private vehicles on the roads increased the requirements for professional car sale, car repair and car rental shops providing their services at affordable prices most of all. A car is known and sold on the name of its manufacturer.

The model and year of manufacture give it an additional identity. Skoda Auto is the name of a Czech - based automaker. In early 90´s the Skoda company became a subsidiary of Volkswagen Group, one of the leading automobile manufacturer in Europe. Skoda cars are specially designed to suit the European roads and are equipped with the best available accessories. Vehicles of Skoda Auto company are constructed with utmost care to provide the right kind of protection to the people in the event of accidents.

KARIREAL SLOVAKIA - authorized dealer of Skoda cars in central Europe - offers a large fleet of Skoda vehicles such as Skoda Octavia, Skoda Fabia or Skoda Superb offering attractive design, safety features, comfortable interior, large luggage boot and affordable prices. You can learn more about Skoda vehicles from automobile magazines or go online and get more information about Skoda car sale on www.karireal.sk. If you rely upon your car to get to work, to pick up your children or to simply get around town, you know how important having the right vehicle really is.

It is also important to know that whatever happens with your car you have experts to help you. Experienced team of KARIREAL SLOVAKIA - authorized dealer of Skoda vehicles - can provide you the right kind of any motoring services at the right time. KARIREAL SLOVAKIA care about offering you quality car repair and tire repair service and satisfying your demands with great prices of its car rental. NON STOP assistance and NON STOP rescue service of KARIREAl SLOVAKIA is available in any case of emergency.

Car wash, roof box rental and storage of vehicles and tires are also included among the services of KARIREAL company. Visit www.karireal.sk to know more about car sale, car rental and car repair which will surely convince you to order and test the customer - oriented services of the KARIREAL SLOVAKIA company. Skoda car sale Skoda car service Skoda Fabia Skoda Octavia

Tragic Stupidity: Five Die In Canton, MI

Yesterday, a 19 year old idiot with a suspended drivers license tried to beat an Amtrak train, and lost big. His Ford Fusion was struck in the side as he tried to race through the crossing. The barriers were down, and the lights were flashing, and the train was moving at around 60mph. He had 4 others in the car with him, ranging from 14 to 21. Apparently dissatisfied with waiting for the train to come, he raced around a waiting car through the opposing lane, and didn't even slow down to check the crossing. His timing was perfect and lethal.

Detroit news story here.

This photo shows what is left of the Fusion. This is the whole car--it was smashed nearly flat from the side. I can only imagine what a mess it was for the fire and police departments to clean up.

This video was recorded from the security camera of a nearby business.

One of the wise-guys at AR15.com made this, in response to a Facebook memorial page:

It's mean, but I agree with the sentiment. Dan deserves a nomination for the Darwin award for 2009.

Acura TSX the Biggest Competitor of 2010 Honda Accord?

Acura TSX is the one of the trendiest cars designed by Acura/Honda in recent times. During the year 2003, it was available only in Canada and United States whereas the company plans to launch this car in Mexico this year. Honda also plans to replace this model with the previously made Acura RSX.

There are almost three places where this car is manufactured namely Saitama, Sayama and Japan. The basic design of this car is inspired from CL-series Accord. To cover the marketing in Japan, Europe and Australia, the interior design of this car has been changed. TSX has continued sales in North American market alongside the mid-sized Acura TL. The 2008 produced TSX model has a 6-speed manual transmission, four cylinder engine and front wheel drive. This car was launched for the first time in the year 2004.

Just after one year, in 2005 it got updated with various facilities including XM Satellite Radio, Steering Wheel Mounted Audio and four way power passenger seat along with Cruise Controls. There were also some changes made in the 2006 including standard integral Fog Lights, 5 hp power additions to the engine, standard side skirts, sporty looks and more stylist wheels etc. From its safety point of view, Multi-Information Display was added in the instrument panel. Some of the additional facilities include the Bluetooth compatibility and an advanced audio player.

But, looking at the current market, apparently the latest generation Acura TSX might actually turn out to be the biggest competitor of the Honda Accord in those market where both the Honda as well as Acura models are being marketed, especially the North American market.

Check out the latest Acura TSX Wallpapers and varieties of Acura Wallpapers here

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Geof_Ryan

The Mercedes GLK

The days of the huge, ponderous SUV are over. Not so much because people don't want a sport/utility vehicle, but the one that they are interested in purchasing offers many of the same capabilities in a smaller package.

The compact Mercedes GLK is the newest in a family of sport/utility vehicles that have changed the way people think about Mercedes-Benz. Sure, the safari-like GL remains popular with some buyers while the large ML continues to hold sway in a category where every luxury make has a presence. But the five passenger GLK shows that the same suspension, agility and design afforded to its larger brethren works quite well on a smaller scale.

Smaller Scale, Big Cabin

Although from the outside the Mercedes GLK looks much smaller than it actually is, it is on the inside where buyers learn just how much room is available to them. Head, shoulder and foot room is more than ample and, with two sunroofs, the interior seems even larger.

As expected, the seating in the GLK is at the top of its game. That shouldn't be a surprise to Mercedes devotees, but it is a refreshing change for a vehicle in this segment. Too often a compact SUV sacrifices some comfort in order to keep its price down, but the Mercedes GLK flies against that trend by delivering full luxury without compromise.

Robust Engine, Off Road Capability

Under the hood, the 3.5L V6 engine is paired with a seven-speed automatic transmission, offering the right amount of power and delivering a combined 18 mpg whether you choose the front wheel drive or all wheel drive model. Most customers seem to prefer the latter, giving them the best ride under all sorts of road conditions. And, a pair of off road packages allows drivers to take the Mercedes GLK where its bigger brethren roam, just the sort of option needed to win the mud season wars.

The brake system is yet another area where Mercedes shines, which means that the GLK has a wonderfully short braking distance. Traction control, brake assist and anti-lock brakes work to bring the GLK to a full stop while the SUV's independent front and rear suspension help to keep the Mercedes under the driver's complete control at all times.

Let's Take Out The Boat

In the GLK, Mercedes has also solved a problem that sportsmen have with most compact SUVs - they simply aren't designed with a large towing capacity. But Mercedes configured the GLK to not only perform well on and off road, but to do so while pulling as much as 4400 lbs of boat or camper behind it. Try to find that much towing capability in most compact luxury SUVs and you'll be hard pressed to come up with a comparable package without paying extra for it.

And as expected the Mercedes GLK comes fully equipped with all of the technological gizmos you expect from surround sound audio system, navigation unit, active front head restraints, antitheft alarm system and more - offering perhaps the best blend of safety, security, technology and drivability of any compact luxury sport/utility vehicle on the market.

Max Rossi writes for FCPgroton.com http://www.fcpgroton.com/ a worldwide foreign auto parts distributor. Get European car parts at affordable prices.

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UPDATED "Cash For Clunkers": Check If Your Car Qualifies

Updated: I re-did the table with the new data from Edmunds, after NHTSA updated some of their mileage numbers.

Use my handy applet below to look up your car to see if it might qualify for the CARS "cash for clunkers" voucher from the Uncle Sam. This is a list of cars from Edmunds that gets 18 MPG or less and has an expected fair market value of less than about $4,500. Edmunds was kind enough to post the raw data (here) and I massaged it a little and stuffed it into a Google Docs spreadsheet.

You may need to wait a little while for the data to load.

To use the applet, pick your car's age and make from the drop down list.

Update: Edmund's data only goes back to 1990, that's why that 1984 Saab isn't on there. Only cars younger than 25 years old are eligible, so the oldest model year that would qualify would be a 1984.

The 2010 Toyota Camry

The Toyota group revealed the 2010 Toyota Camry model at the North American International Auto Show in the year 2009. The visual changes to the vehicle include front fascia, LED tail lamps, larger head lamps and the new wheel cover designs.

Looking at the luxurious features, Sound system with the USB connectivity and a backup camera is incorporated to the navigation device as well. The newly designed engine 2.5 liter 2AR FE I4 replaces the 4-cylinder models in the non hybrid vehicles, which are now available as either 6-speed automatic transmission or the 6-speed manual transmission.

The powerful 133 kilo watts model and also the Smart key System are available to the Camry SE edition. The vehicle Stability Control is standard on all the Camry grade models. The production of the new 2010 Camry began in the month of January, 2009 and sales started from the month of March. The model was sold in the month of March, 2009 as the model vehicle for the year 2010.

As far as the safety features of the vehicle are concerned, the Camry is equipped with the dual frontal air bags, driver's knee air bag, rear and the front row side curtain air bags and the side torso air bags mounted at the front side. The other safety features in the vehicle include anti lock brakes, electronic brake force distribution, a system to monitor tire pressure and the brake assistance system.

The traction control system and the vehicle stability control are made common in all the 2010 Camry models. The safety of the Toyota Camry is improved by using the ultra high strength steel, which whould be hot stamped to the Camry's center and the front pillars, rocker structures and the roof. The Camry has also gained good rating in the overall impact crash test and the frontal offset safety tests conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Check out the latest Toyota Camry Pictures and take a tour of the other Toyota Car Pictures here

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Geof_Ryan

Hybrid the Environmentally Friendly Car

Not everyone is comfortable with a fuel efficient vehicle that only has two wheels like a moped or a motorcycle. There shouldn't be a push for a person who isn't confident in their ability to operate one to have to do so. This can result in a accident occurring and that isn't worth saving money on fuel costs.

For other people, those types of vehicles just aren't practical. You may have a family so you need to drop the baby at daycare and another child off at school. You can't do that without a regular vehicle.

You may live in an area where it is too cold for most of the year to get any real use out of those two wheeled options even though they are fuel efficient. There is no need to worry though as you do have some really good options.

One of them you have likely heard a great deal about: the hybrid car. This is a type of vehicle that operates using two different fuel sources. One of them is gasoline and the other is either solar power or electricity. With the solar power, there are cells that charge during the day. With the electricity there are batteries that have to be recharged on a regular basis.

Regardless of which one you choose, gasoline will be the back up fuel source. This means when you don't have any more solar power in the cells or any more electricity in the batteries you will switch over to the gasoline that is in your vehicle.

Once you have the opportunity to recharge the main energy source, it will switch back over. You don't have to do anything to get the vehicle to go from one power source to the next. It will be an automatic switch over and it can happen in the middle of your commute to work. You won't lose power in the vehicle so don't worry about the speed limit that you are driving.

A hybrid vehicle is designed to be able to save energy in ways that ordinary vehicles can't. Pushing on the brakes of your vehicle is a common practice. It helps you to slow down when you need to as well as to completely stop your vehicle. In a regular vehicle the braking process results in more fuel being used. This is because they car has to get back to a certain speed and it takes fuel to do so. Hybrids rely on a process known as regenerative braking. Instead of using more fuel you will actually create more energy each time you step on the brakes.

All hybrids also have an automatic shut off sensor. This means when you roll up to a stop sign the engine will completely stop. As soon as you step on the accelerator pedal, it will restart. As a result, the excess idling that adds up and wastes fuel is completely eliminated.

A smaller motor is used in hybrid vehicles so it takes less fuel to give them the necessary power. However, you don't have to worry about not having enough power to go the proper speed limit or anything like that. Some people have a fear that a hybrid car will be slow and that it will just leave them stranded due to not enough energy. This isn't a scenario that will ever become a reality for anyone with a hybrid vehicle.

They are very well made and for years they were researched before offered to the general public. In fact, hybrids were tested by companies all over the world including the various branches of the United States military.

For those individuals who want to continue driving larger sized vehicles, a hybrid can be the perfect solution. There are small vehicles but also the large ones including the Yukon by GMC and the Tahoe by Chevrolet. Both of these were added in 2008 to meet consumer demands. These hybrid vehicles are expensive though and that is what often prevents consumers from buying them.

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Best Audi Performance Parts

If you own an Audi vehicle you are already aware of how Audi performance parts will immediately improve the look and feel of your car. Audi's are some of the most fun cars to upgrade. They are favorite cars for car owners to upgrade and show off. There are many upgrades you can find online from many audi performance parts websites that will give you ideas of what you can purchase to increase the power of your car or simply change it's appearance.

It doesn't matter which Audi car you own, there are a wealth of performance features you can add. There are many auto parts websites on the internet that literally give customers the opportunity to browse through their catalog of performance parts. You may already have in mind the type of upgrade you want to make on your Audi but after viewing an entire online Audi performance parts catalog, I'm sure you will change your mind and buy something better because there are literally thousands of performance parts available for you to see.

It doesn't matter which year or make your Audi is, most online Audi performance parts will carry nearly any part that you're looking for. This is the major difference between online auto parts sites versus offline local parts stores. It is more convenient to find the exact part you need via the internet than visiting local stores in the neighborhood.

Many of these websites offer coupons and savings when you purchase parts from their website. Some websites include free shipping which is a benefit when ordering online. Waiting a few days for your favorite performance part to arrive is nothing when you are receiving a great deal. Many sites are always trying to satisfy customers by offering them the lowest pricing possible, especially compared to offline stores. The best places to purchase audi performance parts is definitely online, you will save time and money.

About the Author

Find Performance Parts For All Audi Models At Audi Performance Parts