Archive for March, 2010

There are several key Porsche buying tips that you should know. When you decide to purchase this must have vehicle, know the difference between leasing and buying. Although there are advantages to them both, you must be aware of the distinctive characteristics in order to appropriately make your final decision. Because each individual exhibit contracting habits and interests, it is necessary to be prepared when obtaining ownership of such nostalgic vehicles. For instance, if you are one that enjoys driving a new car every 2 to 3 years, it would probably benefit you more to lease. On the other hand, if you are one that enjoys creating your own customizations or accumulate excessive mileage, you may want to purchase the Porsche.

Certainly, leasing a Porsche will offer you freedom. You would have not made any long- term commitments. You are essentially renting, therefore the total cash expenditure is much less. Additionally, monthly lease payments are generally less than purchase payments. Subsequently, you are able to drive a more expensive vehicle, hence the stimulating Porsche. A vehicle that is usually $500- $600 monthly to buy, may costs $450 monthly to lease. If you decide to lease a Porsche, you will not be responsible for major repair and/or maintenance issues that inevitably occur as the car ages. When you lease the car, it will typically be under factory warranty for the duration of the lease. Furthermore, many lease contracts provide additional provisions that address routine maintenance, such as oil changes.

During the time that you are considering a Porsche, one of the key buying tips that you should know is satisfaction. You will gain the comfort of knowing that the car will be eventually paid for and the classic will be your free transportation. More so, once you own the vehicle, you would have built impressive value. The Porsche does depreciate through the years, yet it will always maintain some value which can be used as a trade- in or sold privately for the cars current value. Furthermore, if you purchase the Porsche, you will have full control over mileage. Contrarily, the leasing agreement specifies its limitations and also includes penalties for passing the limits. Buying your Porsche allows you to make any changes to fit your interests that may even increase the value. Coincidently, buying a Porsche can be beneficial with proper care for at least 8 to 10 years and 100,000- plus miles.

Test driving a Porsche is extremely imperative. Undoubtedly, you will be attracted by the combination of styling, features, price and image, but all that adds up to be is a potentially beneficial purchase. A Porsche buying tip is to also test drive the dealership. Be aware of the Porsche dealership reputation. Also, be intuitive to your immediate impression of the sales staff. Upon visiting the dealership, expect to spend at least 20 minutes with the vehicle that you are considering. When you physically test drive the car, include the freeway as well as rough surface streets. This test drive is important in that it will determine some major factors to assist with your final decision. Bottom line, trust your gut feeling. The more time you spend with the car of your dreams and making your decision, you are sure to bank on riding quality.

Financial options are actually available to you during this process. It is imperative that you are aware of your budget in order to receive affordable monthly payments. Most lenders require a 20% down payment which will assist with obtaining low monthly payments, however there are some lenders that dont require a down payment at all. Maintenance and repair costs may be kept at a minimum if you were to maintain regular service checkups as required by warranty. You may even obtain a vehicle service agreement with the Porsche dealer. Your goal, rather leasing or buying, new or used should be to obtain quality and personal satisfaction

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March-26-10

BMW On Pace to Outsell Mercedes

Posted by admin under New BMW News

It is a close race, one that likely will not result in deep price cutting to move models, but is certain nevertheless to be on the minds of executives employed by two automakers until the clock strikes midnight for the final time this year. What the race is all about is this: the perennial sales battle between two German automakers, BMW and Mercedes, with BMW expected to pass Mercedes in world sales totals for 2005. The ramifications are strong for each automaker and will set the tone for the way each company produces and markets vehicles from 2006 forward.

Mercedes finishing second to BMW is not a comfortable taste for DaimlerChrysler, parent of Mercedes and now owner of The Chrysler Group, maker of Jeeps, Dodges, and Chryslers. Only Volkswagen sells more cars than either make, but when it comes to a predominately luxury line up Mercedes and BMW battle alone amongst German makes with Audi a distant third.

Unlike American automakers, Mercedes is not likely to engage in deep price cuts to attract customers and steal sales that they would have made in 2006 for 2005 to stave off BMW. Still, purchasers of Mercedes vehicles should find an even friendlier showroom in which to shop when they negotiate the price on their C, E, or M Classes of vehicles.

So, exactly what has caused the shift in sales? Well, published reports indicate that Mercedes sales continue to rise, but slowly. On the other hand, BMW sales increases are in the double digit category which is what has pushed BMW ahead of Mercedes so far this year. Oddly, it isnt the luxury cars in each automakers’ fold that is spelling the difference. Unknown to many Americans, both BMW and Mercedes sell cars that are smaller and less luxurious than the cars that appear in the states. Cars that compete squarely against Volkswagens Golf and offerings from GM, Ford, several Japanese automakers, and others.

Yes, it is true. Not all BMW or Mercedes models are luxury cars. Unlike in the US where a Cadillac is exclusively a luxury car, both German brands produce cars for the rank and file driver too. It is these types of cars that have fueled both automakers growth and is likely behind BMW jumping ahead of Mercedes.

To counter BMWs surge, Mercedes does have an ace up its sleeve: the introduction of one or two smaller lines of cars to the U.S. market by 2007. If you havent figured it out yet, Mercedes has A and B Class cars that are smaller and less expensive than the current baby Mercedes, what we call the C Class. Mercedes hopes that the US market is ready for less pricey cars sporting the venerable Mercedes name and that these sales will propel Mercedes back into the lead.

Of course, what is good for Mercedes is good for BMW as the automaker explores bringing its 1 and 2 series cars to the US to compete for sales. Both lines of cars are positioned against Mercedes A and B class cars and are the same cars that have bumped BMWs sales figures up.

Now if only Mercedes would consider importing its SMART car to the US market

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March-26-10

Buying Luxury Imported Sports Cars

Posted by admin under Sports Cars

Imported luxury sports cars are longed for by many car buyers and collectors. The US is one of the many countries who love to import luxury vehicles like sports cars. There are new ones but there are also used luxury cars that are sold in the car market.

Brand new imported luxury cars are very expensive so many buyers are turning to used luxury sports cars as an alternative. Although pre-owned, many buyers still wish to buy them to be part of their collections. Others purchase these used imported luxury cars to lift their public images and add class and prestige when driving.

Here are some tips that need to be considered when buying used imported luxury sports cars:

1.The real cost of the imported luxury sports car should be determined. It is not advisable to buy the used car without having it appraised. Many car sellers price the imported cars very high because most buyers are not familiar with their true cost. It is important to determine the value before buying a car whether it is new or pre-owned.

2.Buyers of these cars should research the car before purchasing. It is important to remember that they are imported cars and you should be aware of, and informed about the cars capacity, gas mileage, speed, and engine performance.

Know the depreciation rate and how the cars are sold in the market. By so doing, the research will help the buyer obtain some tips to use when buying imported luxury sports cars. The way to research is to use the internet or seek the advice of other car owners/buyers who are familiar with these types of cars.

3.When shopping for a car, it is recommended that you enlist the assistance of an experienced car mechanic that is not employed by the dealer. The mechanic should be an expert in checking the engine and other parts of the used car. This is to ensure that the car is in good shape and that it will not make the dream of the buyer become a nightmare.

Take time to think about the purchase before making the final decision. The same applies when buying an imported luxury sports car. All things must be considered before buying so that you will not regret buying the used car.

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March-25-10

Ford vs Chevy: The Debate Goes On, Part 1

Posted by admin under New Ford News

We have all seen then the bumper stickers that say I would rather push a Ford than drive a Chevy. For many people, it is the truth. There is a great deal of consumer loyalty when it comes to Ford and Chevy. In fact, there is even a Playstation 2 game called Ford vs. Chevy. It may have to do with owning a particular vehicle that excelled so they stayed with that manufacturer. Maybe their family owned Fords or Chevys and they went with what was familiar.

Ford and Chevy continue to be stiff competitors out there. Ford does seem to excel though in many areas. If you want speed the Ford Mustang will out do the Chevy Corvette hands down. Chevy is in the process of making a come back with the Chevy Camaro but fans of the Camaro arent taking to the new design very well.

Ford Pickups are available in a variety of sizes from small trucks to large work trucks. The Ford F-150 is their basic full size truck, but they have smaller models, such as the Ranger, and larger models like the F-850 for super heavy duty hauling. Chevy has several of them as well. The safety ratings for Ford are slightly better though when several of the same style of pickups were compared to each other.

Mini vans are very popular these days as they look sporty and they offer plenty of room. The Ford Windstar and the Chevy Venture both offer plenty of room. Yet the Ford Windstar is more stylish and offers more features.

Ford also has the Ford Escape, which Chevy does not really have a good answer to. The Escape has good mpg, at about 24, but it still has the power to tow 3,500 pounds with the towing package. It’s a great vehicle for anyone who does need the extra room and towing power larger SUVs offer, because the Escape is great on gas, easy and fun to drive, and affordable.

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March-23-10

Luxury Sports Car of This Generation

Posted by admin under Sports Cars

Most of the luxury cars are modified with two doors and can perform with great speed on the road. These cars are expensive because of the limited versions of their kind. Car manufacturers many times have their own classifications of luxury sports cars that they sell in the car market industry for those drivers who look for pleasure and extravagance in a car. Here are some examples of luxury sports cars that you can compare and rate according to their prices and features.

1.One of the most extravagant and most expensive sports cars is the Ferrari F430 Spider. Ferrari has generated this car as the second fastest car in the world that reaches a speed up to 193 mph. This awesome speed has lived up to its expectations because Ferrari has always been consistent in promoting and endorsing top of the line models and designs for its cars. The Ferrari F430 priced at $180,000 is an all around sports car with a 486-hp engine and is considered as the companys best F-1 technology.

2.Another top of the line luxury sports car is the Jaguar XK. This car will be released early this year as their main attraction for the 2007 series of the Jaguar. This car is said to be the lightest of the Jaguar designs because of the bonded-aluminum platform that is used in its modernized features. It weighs lighter than the previous version, which is the DOHC 4.2-liter engine.

3.The Porsche Cayman can be considered as the most well rounded Porsche sports car that is released. Although it is not considered the fastest or most expensive design in the car market, many car enthusiasts are still fascinated with this car because of the accuracy of the steering wheels and mid-engine balance it gives the driver when it is on the road. The car is priced $59,985.

4.When car enthusiasts are looking for a fast car and would like to satisfy their need for speed, the Chevrolet Corvette ZO6 has it all. This car can blast up to 200 mph. To topple the Corvettes great speed you have to acquire the Ford GT and spend $150,000. Just like the Le Mans C6R Corvette racecar the ZO6 has a 7-liter and 505-hp engine. It also features carbon fiber front fenders and dry sump V8.

These are only a few of the certified luxury sports car that car drivers can find when wanting to make comparisons in the car market. Many sports cars can be one of the top-of-the-line cars when you talk about their classification for being a luxury sports car.

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March-21-10

New Technology With Hybrid Cars

Posted by admin under New Cars

Hybrid cars are gaining more and more popularity in recent months, with much positive publicity regarding their fuel efficiency and environmental friendliness. At a time when many folks are suffering from acute sticker shock every time they have to fill their gas tanks, a solution to this dilemma will be a welcome one indeed. Hybrid cars may indeed be the solution that everyone is searching for. But what are these new-fangled vehicles, and how do hybrid cars work? When you hear the answers to these questions, you may agree that this new creation may be the wave of the future.

The traditional automobile of today is powered by a gasoline engine. This means that the car requires regular gasoline in order for the motor to operate and the car to run. With gasoline becoming a rather expensive commodity today, other fuel sources are being sought to get us where we want to go. Electric power has long been thought to be the next trend in automobiles. However, an electric engine requires a battery source to run, and these batteries need to be recharged frequently to keep them operational. Not a convenient choice for the average car owner who needs regular transportation without a long and complex maintenance process.

Now there is a third solution. To learn how hybrid cars work, you must combine the power sources of a gasoline engine with the battery of an electric motor. The result is a hybrid car that uses less fuel and a rechargeable electric battery in tandem to produce a fuel efficient, environmentally friendly automobile. Here is how hybrid cars work. The electric motor is used to assist in the acceleration process of the car, saving on the fuel needed to make the car run. It can also automatically turn the engine off when the car stops, and turn it back on when the car starts up again. This process also saves on the amount of fuel required.

There are other ways in which the hybrid cars gain gas efficiency. First, the gasoline engine is designed for maximum fuel efficiency. The electric motor also slows the car and recharges the battery while the car is slowing down. These vehicles are also designed to be aerodynamic and lightweight, which also contributes to the fuel efficiency. Hybrid cars can get up to 20 or 30 miles a gallon more than the tradition gas engine car can. If you want to learn more about how hybrid cars work, talk to your Honda, Toyota, Lexus or Saturn dealer today about their choices in hybrid vehicles.

For information on buying and selling new and second hand cars and bikes visit http://www.bharathautomobiles.com/index.php

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The Chevrolet Corvette, a Sportscar legend and a Auto Classic for ever, has somehow survived inflated insurance rates; all types of inane and meaningless safety legislation and engine pollution add ons. The Chevrolet Corvette has been universally accepted as the measure of a high performance sports car. Cars come and go, new model of cars emerge and disappear and yet the Corvette lives on. No car has been able to cover as many aspects of the high performance sport as the Corvette. The versatility of this fantastic automobile has appealed to all age groups and has kept the ownership of a Corvette, a most prestigious thing.

The Corvette has gone through many changes in its lifetime, including every custom and hot rod trend going. It has a miracle that the Corvette has remained a true high performance sports car and did not mature into a two plus two sedan as did Fords Thunderbird. The Corvette was in the on the beginnings of the fast car era. In the mid 50s people wanted fast cars, and by 1957 the Corvette was leading the pack. Hot rodding owes a big debt to the Corvette; it was responsible for almost all of the higher performance parts ever to come from Chevrolet. Four speed transmissions, dual quad intake manifolds and hot solid lifter camshafts.

One of the big contributions to the Corvettes success story was the variety of options that were offered. Ever since 1956, there had been the choice of a standard of high performance automatic transmission. Each car could be tailored into a semi competitive race car of a good day to day commuter by just selecting the right options. The Corvette could play either role very well.

Performance was the trend in the late 1950s and early 1960s. One of the biggest controversies of the day was which was faster a Corvette with dual four barrel carbs or one with fuel injection.

Corvette owners were buying the high performance versions and putting them to good use at weekend drags and the novice road events. There were metallic brake and sway bar options for the sporty set. And although the suspensions system was a conglomeration of early passenger car parts, the low center of gravity and near equal weight distribution made these cars handle well. The 50/50 weight distribution did not hurt the drag racers one bit either, and they won more than their share.

When 1963 happened, it brought with it a real change in the Corvette. The new body style called the Sting Ray was unavailable in a fastback version commonly referred to as a coupe and in the traditional roadster version with a removable hardtop. The Sting Ray had much cleaner lines than its predecessors and even featured retractable headlights. With the change in body style, the suspension was vastly improved with a new independent rear suspension assembly and updated steering gear. It still had the performance of the older cars, including the Rochester fuel injected 327 cubic inch engine, rated at 360 horsepower.

The Chevrolet Corvette is certainly an American Sportscar Classic.

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March-20-10

Ford Vs Chevy: The Debate Goes On, Part 2

Posted by admin under New Ford News

Price is always a big concern when purchasing a new or used vehicle. The cost of used vehicles really depends on the quality of the vehicle and the amount of miles on it. New vehicles are pricey, but Ford and Chevy often compete to get business. I can almost guarantee that if you tell the Ford dealer how much Chevy quoted you for a similar vehicle of theirs, they would meet or match the price. If they won’t, you can go to another dealer, or ask for concessions to make the deal more attractive to you.

In many areas such as price, speed, and safety, Chevy appears to have some catching up to do. One problem they have is they always seem to be following in the footsteps of Ford rather than introducing something new to attract new customers. While the age old debate between Ford and Chevy owners will continue on, it is important to base that decision on some solid facts. Just because your grand-daddy said that Ford was the best doesn’t mean that they still are. And it certainly doesn’t mean that Ford is better for the particular type of vehicle you are buying.

You can find excellent information on Ford and Chevy comparisons in Consumer Reports, safety ratings, and various online resources. Make sure you look for unbiased information though or you will end up with nothing more than the opinion of the reader.

As you can well guess, most reviewers are biased in a review like this. Safety ratings, MPG ratings and other figures are good things to look at when comparing. Don’t forget though, that there can be a good deal of variation from model to model and from year to year. So it’s very important to compare apples to apples. Don’t try to compare a 2007 Ford Explorer to a 2003 Chevy Blazer.

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Ferdinand Porsche was around 72 years old when the first hand-made, hand-beaten Porsche 356 rolled down the road at Gmund. It was 1948 but Porsche had started his career before the turn of the century.

Just what was he doing for his first fifty years?

The one word answer is plenty. A slightly longer answer is designing some of the top motoring icons and fastest cars of the twentieth century. Or, getting all the experience, knowledge and skills needed to produce one of the hottest and most charismatic lines of sports cars in the world.

It all started in the late nineteenth century. Porsches father was a tinsmith, but young Ferdinand preferred the new-fangled electricity. He worked for an electrical equipment manufacturer before designing electric automobiles for Lohner. The Lohner-Porsche, with electric motors in the front wheel hubs, (one of the first front-wheel drives), was exhibited at the Paris exhibition in 1900 and won a Grand Prize for 25 year old Porsche.

Porsche kept developing the Lohner. Motors in all four hubs made it one of the earliest four-wheel drives and a petrol engine and generator instead of batteries made it one of the first mixed drive vehicles. Porsche himself raced one of the petrol-electric cars.

In 1905, Porsche moved from Lohner to Austro-Daimler where he became technical Director, and later Managing Director. His first petrol car there was developed into the sports model that won the 1910 Prince Henry Trial.

Cars werent the only mechanical designs of the self-taught automotive genius. In 1912 he designed a four-cylinder aero engine. Its layout was a flattened X, almost a flat four.

World War I had Porsche working for the military, designing gun tractors, motorized artillery pieces and an enormous road train carrying an 81-ton gun and pulling four trailers each with eight-wheel drive. Total weight was 150 tons! It used the Lohner-Porsche method of electric motors in the hubs with a 20 liter, 150 hp traction engine providing the power.

In 1917 he received an honorary doctorate from Vienna Technical University.

Porsche turned to small cars after WWI, designing the Sascha, which could hit 89 mph with a tiny 1100 cc engine. These cars came first and second in their class in the 1921 Targa Florio. However, differences of opinion with other directors of Austro-Daimler led to a move to Daimler in Stuttgart, as Technical Director with a seat on the board.

Here Porsche fixed the poor performance of Daimlers new two-liter supercharged race car, which went on to take the first three places in its class in the 1924 Targa Florio, including first place overall. Porsche was awarded another honorary doctorate, this time from Stuttgart University for his achievements.

At Daimler he designed one of the most famous cars of all time, the seven-liter six-cylinder supercharged Mercedes which progressed through the K and S series to the SS, SSK and SSKL. These cars dominated racing in 1928-30. As well, he worked on diesel engines for trucks and airplane engines.

Daimler merged with Benz in 1926, and the combined board rejected Porsches push for small and light Daimler-Benz cars. Porsche quit and moved to Steyr where he designed a large luxury car with a 5.3-liter straight-eight.

Steyr collapsed in the great depression though, and in 1930 Porsche was unemployed.

At the age of 55, when many people these days are taking early retirement, Porsche opened his own design bureau with a select group of engineers that he had previously worked with, including his own son Ferdinand Ferry Porsche.

His first job was the Wander W.17, a small medium-priced six-cylinder car. A small car for Zundapp followed. Named the Volksauto, it was an early ancestor of the Beetle, with a rear-mounted radial engine and fully independent suspension. It didnt go into production because of an upturn in Zundapps normal market of motorcycles.

In 1932 Russia offered Porsche the job of State Designer. It was an attractive offer, but he turned it down.

Another tilt at a small car came from NSU. The Zundapp was dusted of to give the basic ideas, but this time a flat-four air-cooled engine was used at the rear, along with torsion bar suspension and swing axles at the back. Three prototypes were built before the project was abandoned, but the VW Beetle was getting closer.

Hot racing cars were still on the drawing board, with the Porsche team building a real monster for Auto-Union. It had a 4.4 liter supercharged V16 mounted at the back. With the weight at the back, swing axles, skinny tires and tremendous power, (its reported they could spin the wheels at 100 mph) these cars were a handful to drive, but they won races!

Meanwhile, Hitler was also gaining tremendous power, and one of his ideas was for a peoples car. Porsche got the job of designing it, and all his previous experience went into the best selling car ever, the Volkswagen Beetle. Three Beetles were turned into lightweight sports coupes for the proposed 1939 Berlin-Rome road race.

The race never took place because the Second World War started.

During WWII the Beetle was turned into the Kubelwagen, the German equivalent of the Jeep. Porsche designed the Tiger, Ferdinand and Maus Tanks, which all used the mixed drive with an internal combustion engine driving hub-mounted electric motors.

The war ended and the French threw Professor Porsche, son Ferry, and son-in-law Anton Piech in prison as war criminals. (Totally unfounded). Ferry was released after a few months but the Professor was kept with France demanding 1 million Francs for his release.

Ferry and the design bureau took on new projects to pay the money. When the Professor was released, the design of the very first Porsche branded sports car was well under way. This car was the 356, the start of a line of exciting thoroughbreds which are some of the most desirable sports cars in the world today.

Ferdinand Porsche may have had a humble start in life but he was an automotive genius and for half a century he designed some of the most magnificent machinery ever. The Porsche cars of today continue his legacy.

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March-14-10

The Prestige of Italian Sports Cars

Posted by admin under Sports Cars

Sports cars are very famous not only to car racers but also to collectors and ordinary people. Though they are expensive, no one would like to miss owning at least one model of sports car. They are known to be stylish and fast. There are many sports cars that are made locally but there are also imported sports cars…

Italian sports cars are famous for car racing. They are known not only for their sleek appearance but are designed perfectly for car racing. They are stunning and known all world-wide. Italians are famous in designing sports cars that are not only perfect for car races but also are also suited for street driving.

One great creation that is an Italian sports car is the Enzo Ferrari. The car has great technology that not another car in the world can beat. Although it has been designed to work very well on racetracks, it has been sold throughout the world as a luxury car and does very well in the streets. The features are made with advanced technology and there are only about 350 cars of this model world-wide.

The molding of the Enzo Ferrari is wind tunneled, sculpting is made of carbon fiber and the engine performs well at high speeds. The magnificent car is the masterpiece of Italian masters. The car has made the dreams of its inventors come true – that was to place this race car in the publics hands.

Other Italian creations include Lamborghini, Maserati, Iso, Pagani Fiat, Alfa Romeo, and Italdesign. All these cars represent the grandeur of the creations of Italians and provide prestige in driving. They all have the grace in every curve, the interiors, and the structure. They look fast even when not in motion. They evolved from great ideas – to drawings and sketches until they became dreams that came true.

If someone would like to feel the ambiance of Formula1 and experience the speed enjoyed from GT Class, then Italian sports cars are the perfect way to attain your aspirations.

Italian sports cars will last and will reign supreme among all of the cars in the world. Sleek, stunning and extravagant is the only way to describe these Italian sports cars. They are expensive but the price is worth it!

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