car repair

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

The BMW 7 Series

The BMW 7 Series is one of best designs from BMW offering superb performance with better economy. It does win sales because of its looks as well. The 7 Series buyer is always proud to own it and rarely has got anything to complain about this car. It is well equipped and engineered as per 21st century driver's needs.

The BMW 7 Series is a superb car to drive thanks to its steering abilities. It features new system Integral Active Steering which sees the rear wheels turn in and out to assist the steering at lower speeds and reduce the car's turning circle.

The 7 Series is a top quality car constructed from sturdy materials. The attention to detail is to a high standard: subtle lights highlighting the door handles, the elegant flipping of the boot at the click of a button.

BMW offers a choice of four petrol engines but most buyers are expected to opt for the 231bhp 3-litre diesel engine we tested. It powers the car from 0-62mph in 7.8 seconds through the six-speed automatic gearbox and can achieve a top speed of 149mph.

Acceleration is very responsive. The gear changes smoothly and power is available quickly whenever required. The petrol engines range from the 3-litre 258bhp 730i which adds 5mph to the top speed to the range-topping 6-litre 445bhp 760i which covers the 0-62mph sprint in just 5.5 seconds and boasts a top speed of 155mph.

Each model comes with a three year warranty. The Reliability Index indicates issues with the BMW 7 Series tended to crop up after around six years and would usually concern the axle, suspension and the cooling system.

The changes to the latest 7 Series include a pair of distinctive new rear lights, and the BMW's trademark kidney grilles are larger. There is a greater attention paid to making the car look huge and appear sporty rather.

Overall, BMW efforts seem to have been successful with the 7 Series.

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

Cheaper and Faster than a Porsche?

I am afraid I have to take issue with some of the comments that have been flying about regarding Honda's reputation in this country. A rather sizeable group of people have been referring to the Honda range as 'transport for the elderly' and other such comments which really fail to do the Honda designers and engineers any kind of justice at all. In fact, I have gone out of my way to prove that this paradigm is simply not the case by discovering one of the most exciting and reasonably priced sports cars available on the market; the Honda S2000.

The new Honda S2000 has already been critically lauded as a cheaper and quicker alternative to the nearest priced Porsche model. It is also just as nimble and sturdy as the Porsche in the corners, so other than the badge on the front of the bonnet, the S2000 is clearly a superior choice to the Porsche. I'm sure that has got the attention of any of the recent Honda naysayers.

As for the ever important looks department, the Honda S2000 is really no slouch at all. The elongated front gives a very commanding look to this sports car and gives a marvellous feeling of a retro Formula 1 car from certain angles. In terms of design, the S2000 seems to be the perfect amalgamation of past and present design, optimised for performance in all counts.

I would recommend the brand new Honda S2000 as the affordable choice for anyone looking to buy a sports car. It certainly has more flair and power than the Mazda MX-5 or the Mazda RX-8 (the nearest competitors in terms of price. It appears Honda have done everything in their power to extinguish the fuddy duddy image of their brand and reinvigorate it with the only way they know how; a rip-roaring Honda S2000 sports car.

Pete Ridgard is a writer and a car enthusiast. Here he talks about his passion for the Honda S2000.

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

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Tesla?!

Why would the Department of Energy give half a billion dollars to Tesla?

I understand Ford. Ford has many projects, such as GTDI and electrification, that can be filed under CAFE compliance.

Nissan was moneyed to show that there is no favoritism to domestic brands, and to spread some joy down south, to soften the stance of the anti-union and anti-Detroit politicans.

But Tesla is puny, until recently a financial disaster. And what it is building now is a toy for the very rich. The Model S is projected to sell for a price around $57,000, which is certainly cheaper than the Tesla Roadster, but hardly affordable for the average person. Call it a toy for the slightly rich.

What Tesla has accomplished with the Roadster is impressive, but it is not revolutionary. Battery packaging, charging control, DC motors, these have been understood for a long time. What Tesla accomplished was to do a nice job integrating an electric powertrain into an already mature vehicle platform, the Lotus Elise. Chrysler can come along and replicate the achievement fairly quickly with their Dodge Circuit, using A123 battery systems. Magna can do the same with the hoary old NA Ford Focus.

With the Model S, Tesla is trying to step into the world of the big boys, developing a new mid-size vehicle platform. They will be responsible for tooling and assembly process, crash worthiness, NVH, durability, and the thousands of other requirements that go into building a car. It's a huge learning curve. The DOE would be better off giving the money to someone who already knows how to do it.

I suspect the real reason Tesla was given a loan was to throw some Obama love to California, with its rabidly green congress members.

I predict the taxpayers are going to get cleaned out on this particular deal.

The Cadillac Escalade

There is nothing like driving a smooth automobile feeling safe, knowing it is well built and ready to travel. Anymore many vehicles are not up to the same specifications as you would expect. So for the true driving experience try a Cadillac Escalade. Now how did they get to be? General Motors first step into the SUV market in 1999 after the other automakers began their debuted SUV's in 1998. In 1999, it started out to look more like the Yukon Denali then came the EXT version which was built like the Avalanche pickup truck.

The escalade, a full-size luxury sport utility vehicle through 2000 - 2001; production was limited and halted for the 2002 year. The second generation was built more in line with the Chevrolet Suburban - the Escalade was redesigned to look more like the Cadillac design theme that is the more popular model and sold between 2002 - 2006. Now we are in the third generation and do they look good. The Escalade is still the best-selling full size luxury SUV with more chrome, better handling, better performing motor and better quality of material also more refined . The current models are the Escalade, Escalade Hybrid EXV and EXT.

The current Escalade 6.2L Vortec V8 VVT (with E85 Capability) is a Hydra-matic , heavy duty 6 Speed and auto transmission it comes with rear wheel or all wheel drive both with 403 horsepower engine. That is get up and go power when you need it. The Escalade goes through the snow when needed with all wheel drive. Some other facts for the car enthusiast are: Wheel base (in) 116.0 Length (in) 202.5 Height (in)79.5 Width in) 79 curb weight auto trans (Lbs) 5691.

The Cadillac Escalade ESV comes in 2 wheel or all wheel drive, seats seven to eight people who can enjoy the ride. That is a comfort level the large family or on the go traveler needs. Pulling power is 403 HP Wheelbase (in130) Length (in) 222.9 Height (in)75.5 Width (in) 79.1 Curb Weight Auto Trans (lbs) 5943 Fuel Tank 31 Gal (approx).

The Cadillac Escalade EXT is still like your truck and with the comfort of the Cadillac Escalade is lots of room you would love. The EXT offers features such as: Seating - 5 Passenger Curb Weight (Lbs) 5990 Fuel Tank 31 gal. (Approx). Bed height 25" Bed Length with midgate up 63" check load specs. midgate down 97.6" check load specs. Bed with 50" get comfort with the ability to carry stuff.

The Hybrid comes in rear -wheel drive or four wheel drive. The 2 mode system has two types of power 6.0L gas motor and electric motors with 300 V energy storage system. The Escalade Hybrid has the ability depending on the stops, open road, hills whatever terrain, it can run on electric , battery backup , 8 cylinders or 4 cylinders depends on vehicle speed or loading on the motor. Overall the EPA Estimated MPG 20 city or 21 MPG highway (RWD) gas tank (approx.) 26 Gal is great mileage. What a break-through . If you need more information or parts for your Cadillac Escalade please visit my website.

Carl Carroll an Escalade Enthusiast over the last several years, now getting more involved in the parts and accessories that help increase performance and enhance the look and style of the Cadillac Escalade.

Escalade Accessory Specalizes in Cadillac Escalade Accessories, Escalade parts, Body Kits, Grilles, Fenders, Brakes, Dash kits, Floor Mats and much more.

For more great information visit us at http://www.escaladeaccessory.com

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

The New Era of Muscle Cars?

Muscle cars have evolved a lot over the years. The days of ground pounding monsters getting 6 or 8 mpg are gone, and a new age of muscle cars, and muscle car performance parts has arrived. The muscle cars nowadays are more powerful, more reliable, and get much better fuel economy. And the ones that are modded, now that's a different story.

Back in the day, if you had a hopped up muscle car, the power was incredible, but it wasn't very streetable. Nowadays you can make some minor modifications that will boost power noticeably and give you that little bit of extra power, without making it less streetable. Of course there's tons of things today that can be done to the modern muscle cars that will boost power significantly and make them run rough. The difference today is that there are options. On most of the muscle cars today, a simple cold air intake, tuner, and exhaust system will go a long way. a minimum of 60 additional horsepower without running rough, and several more miles per gallon on fuel economy. Which means you can actually drive it.

I recently met up with a turbo charger company here locally that has a unique set up for their turbo chargers. The company is STS Turbo. The are called remote mount turbo chargers. Also referred to as rear mount turbo chargers. The car that I experienced this system on was a 2003 corvette Z06. The turbos went in place of the mufflers, and the air filters mounted back by the rear tires. You then have charger pipes that carry the air back up to the intake of the engine. This corvette, running a moderate boost level was achieving 580 hp at the rear wheels. that was on a stock motor, no other modifications had been made to make it hold the extra power.

This corvette picked up tons of power, and if the motor were to be built to hold the extra power, the boost could be turned up higher and the car could have achieved about 750 horse power at the rear tires, and that's with the base turbos that came with the kit. One of the other astonishing things though was that the twin turbo set up added a significant amount of fuel economy when it was driven conservatively. Some of the people running the sts twin turbo kits are getting mid to high 30's in the miles per gallon. A muscle car that gets awesome gas mileage and has crazy power. STS makes their remote mount turbo kits for the Mustangs, Corvettes, Camaros, and all the hemi cars, as well as many other vehicle applications. Times really have changed.

The Mustang Performance Parts & Corvette Performance Parts have been the big changers in the muscle car aftermarket- Dan

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