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".

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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.

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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.

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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