Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Chrysler ME Four-Twelve specs

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The Chrysler ME Four Twelve supercar is considered the most advanced concept car to have come out of Chrysler. It has the perfect combination of high power engine, to-die-for looks, and great performance. Let´s get into the details first.To begin with, something has to be said about the looks. To say that this sports car looks great would be simply an understatement. If you are a supercar lover and have a fantasy for stylish sports cars, this one will definitely make your jaw drop out of awe. The supercar body is simply stunning. The ME Four-Twelve is made of carbon fiber to make it very light-weight. In fact, carbon fiber and aluminum and other light-weight materials were the ones mostly used to build this concept sports car. It is said that it took less than one year for Chrysler to come up with this beauty. If that is true, then those guys need to be awarded for their super fast creative brains. The supercar body is complete with chrome-moly sub frames and stylish aluminum crush structures and which not only add to the style quotient, but also complies with the federal impact regulations. Overall, the sports car is sturdy and yet at the same time looks extremely stylish thanks to the tons of work that went into the conceptualization.

Hydrogen engine conversionto save on gas

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Hydrogen Engine Conversion to Save on Gasby Arthur MaxwellHave you always questioned your friends who are able to successfully save money on gas? Well, using Hydrogen engine conversion to save on gas is no secret to many car owners today. Checking out forums or surfing the internet to learn about cars and the latest technology available with give you news and updates on this system. So do not be surprise when you hear stories of people saving hundreds or even thousands of dollars through the use this system. It is true, using a hydrogen engine conversion allows you to save on gas and make large savings as a result. This system enables you to run your car on water and improve its fuel efficiency by more than 40% each time. This engine conversion acts as a supplement to your car's existing engine and can be easily removed or re-attached. In other words, you will not need to worry about warranty issues as no major modifications are made to your car's system. This technology was developed by a researcher named Dennis Klein, who found that sufficient energy can be generated for the car to move by this installation. Chemical processes taking place in the hydrogen engine conversion system helps to improve gas efficiency as well as allow car owners to enjoy higher car mileage. Using this system, you will be replacing expensive petroleum with the cheaper alternative of water and successfully save money on gas. Water used is extracted for HHO, a stable gas that later undergoes combustion to produce energy, water and oxygen. In addition, the water present acts as a cooling agent that ensures that the temperature of the engine and surrounding parts do not get overheated. It simultaneously helps to remove unwanted dirt from parts are connected to the hydrogen engine conversion system. As such, not only will you be able to save money on gas as you use more water than petrol or diesel, you can also reduce the occurrence of engine faults and save trips to the car mechanic's work shop. Installing a hydrogen engine conversion is a quick and hassle free process. All you need to do is pick a day and drop by your local hardware store to pick up the tools and materials needed. They should be short listed in the conversion kit that you have invested in, and following the simple guidelines provided, you should complete the installation in less than half a day. The good thing is that you can be a mechanical idiot and still succeed in the process. Unlike purchasing Hybrid cars which require you to pay tens of thousands for built in and top quality systems, a hydrogen engine conversion system will be the cheaper alternative that can also give you sufficiently good results. As such, installing a hydrogen engine conversion system is a pretty simple procedure that does not cost much. The multiple benefits that it promises also make it sufficiently clear why it has become a popular choice among car owners who wish to make savings amidst the rising fuel prices today.

GM Europe and Spain's Iberdrola agree to study plug-in EV recharging network

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GENERAL Motors Europe and Spanish energy company Iberdrola last week signed an agreement to begin a feasibility study that will analyse the recharging infrastructure for plug-in electric vehicles.To be conducted in Spain and the UK, the study will “analyse the requirements for the location of plug sockets in private homes and offices, and public or private parking, and for the installation of electricity meters






Farari

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2008 Ferrari 599 Sports CarPerformance & Efficiency: 5,999 cc 6.0 liters V 12 front engine with 92.0 mm bore, 75.2 mm stroke, 11.2 compression ratio, double overhead cam
2008 Ferrari 599 Sports Car Performance & Efficiency Standard Features- 5,999 cc 6.0 liters V 12 front engine with 92.0 mm bore, 75.2 mm stroke, 11.2 compression ratio, double overhead cam, variable valve timing/camshaft and four valves per cylinder- Premium unleaded fuel- Multi-point injection fuel system- 27.7 gallon main premium unleaded fuel tank 23.1- Power: 462 kW , 620 HP SAE @ 7,600 rpm; 448 ft lb , 607 Nm @ 5,600 rpm

Mini milano

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Keeping up with the Joneses gets tougher in September, when the 480-hp 911 TurboCabriolet goes on sale. The seats are covered with hand-stitched leather, and high-tech features borrowed from racing include a rear spoiler that automatically extends at speeds over 75 mph. The Cabriolet has the same 3.6-liter, six-cylinder, twin-turbocharged boxer engine found in the 911 Turbo Coupe. The manual transmission version goes from 0 to 60 mph in a blistering 3.8 seconds; top speed is 193 mph.

Volvo xc60

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Volvo’s new XC60 could repeat the success of its big brother, the XC90. The first thing you want to do in a Volvo XC60 T6 is to try and crash it. Because you know it is not going to happen, not at 50kmh or slower, anyway. The car is quipped with Volvo’s newest and coolest gadget: City Safety.
The infrared based system brakes the car when it detests that the driver will not react in time to prevent colliding with the vehicle in front.
The feature is meant only for city driving, as it cancels out when the car’s speed exceeds 50kmh. Which means you can probably use it on the Central Expressway during peak hours too

maybach 62 s

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The Maybach brand from Mercedes-Benz broke the $300,000 barrier four years ago. To own a 62S today means parting with $400,000. The 62S gets a bigger urbocharged V12 than the "ordinary" 62 model, and about 50 extra horses, at 604 hp. It also gets upgraded upholstery that Maybach calls "Grand Nappa" leather, with color- contrasting piping, carbon fiber trim, different woods and exclusive paints.The Maybach brand from Mercedes-Benz broke the $300,000 barrier four years ago. To own a 62S today means parting with $400,000. The 62S gets a bigger urbocharged V12 than the "ordinary" 62 model, and about 50 extra horses, at 604 hp. It also gets upgraded upholstery that Maybach calls "Grand Nappa" leather, with color- contrasting piping, carbon fiber trim, different woods and exclusive paints.

Saab Director Praveen batish

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“Sydney is… a very fickle market. It very much goes with the newest, the trends, and so on. But I think our customers have a little bit of unrest in terms of the dealer network over the last few years, and that doesn’t help because they don’t feel as confident.“Premium customers like to see familiar faces, they like to feel as though they’re important et cetera, which is quite right, really. Unfortunately, when you have a change of hands, it takes a bit of time for staff to understand the different customers.“When you’re used to selling a volume brand and all of a sudden you’re dealing with a premium brand, in terms of customers it’s a different feel. The time it takes for a premium customer to make a decision in terms of buying a car is that much longer. They’re not instantly turned on by whatever is being advertised as far as a tactical message is concerned.”Mr Batish said he believed sales would pick up in the second half of this year – “we’re hoping to be at least on a similar level to where we were last year” – and that Saab, on an international level, remained secure as a brand of General Motors.“I think Saab is very secure. If you look at the new product we showed in Detroit and in Geneva, you can see that there is investment in future products. And at the end of the day, future products is the lifeline of any brand,” he said.“For Saab, we’ve had the 9-5 for too long. And with the 9-3 you could argue that 90 per cent of the bodywork was changed, but we’ve had that probably longer than most people (competitors) would do in their cycle. And also, at the moment we don’t have the proliferation of products in terms of the range that our competitors do.”Saab will get AWD variants into its regular 9-3 range later this year, while the long-overdue new-generation 9-5 sedan has been pushed back to next year.The 9-4X SUV was shown at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January (with a 221kW/400Nm version of the 2.0-litre BioPower engine), while the 9-X BioHybrid unveiled at the Geneva motor show in March was the first official look at the forthcoming 9-1 compact car. An all-new 9-3 is also overdue.

Lack of traction in NSW, among fleets, is hurting Saab at the sales counter

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SAAB Australia director Parveen Batish has blamed dealer issues in Sydney and a lack of fleet sales nationwide as the primary reasons behind the Swedish brand’s poor sales performance this year.Saab sales volume is down across all model lines and a massive 28.9 per cent for the marque as a whole in the first half of 2008, following just 214 sales in June - down 36.3 per cent on the June 2007 tally.With just 806 new buyers and a 0.1 per cent market share this year, Saab could sell fewer than 1500 cars for the entire year, down from around 1850 in 2007.“We’re suffering in the Sydney market – we’re not getting the sales from that area as much as we should do,” Mr Batish told GoAuto last week. “We had a change of dealerships in Sydney and it always takes a while for dealers to understand a premium brand and to get going.“The second thing is that we’re getting good traction with retail customers but we haven’t got good traction with fleet. We expected to have more of an input from fleet in terms of our overall sales.“If you take those two in combination, when you’re only selling 100 to 150 cars a month, having your biggest market in the country (Sydney) not performing, it has a big impact.”Mr Batish was unequivocal in his belief that Saab’s slow sales were due to its retail performance rather than marketing and advertising activities or the product itself.“If I was to show you our leads and test-drive enquiries for this year compared to the last three or four years – they’re up. We know we’re getting more people interested. We know we’re getting more people interested in a test drive, and we still have a very good conversion rate… it’s just getting them there,” he said.“(The problem) mainly seems to be Sydney. We’re really pleased with the performance that we’re getting in Perth, in Adelaide, in Canberra, and in fact in Melbourne. We don’t have a very large network – we only have 25 (dealers) – and of those 14 are in metro areas.“If we could get every one of those 14 dealers up and running, that 25 to 27 per cent negative (sales) would be 25 to 27 per cent positive.

Hyndai push to mandate

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HYUNDAI is campaigning for electronic stability control to be fitted on all new cars sold in Australia and, to kick-start the campaign, is fitting the potentially life-saving technology on three of its models as standard for a limited time – including the Getz 1.6 SX at $14,990 driveaway.Until June 30, ESC is also being fitted free on the $19,990 Elantra 2.0 SX and the $24,990 Tucson City 2.0 SX, while the company’s cheapest car, the Getz 1.4 S at $13,990 driveaway, gets free ABS.“Our vision is to see ESP mandated across all new vehicles in Australia,” said Hyundai Australia sales and marketing director Kevin McCann

Thursday, November 5, 2009

volvo xc70

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The Volvo XC70 is the go-anywhere toughened up version of the V70, with all the V70's practicalities, married to a slightly raised ground clearance, four wheel drive, hill descent control and a meaty looking off road body kit. Despite these additions the car is not a full 4x4 off roader, so don't expect mountain climbing ability, but a rugged farm track, or towing a trailer through a muddy field should be all in a days work.the XC70 sells in limited numbers, but has a cult following, and very few natural competitors - only the Audi Allroad (based on the A6) and the Subaru Forester can count themselves as true rivals, with most customers either opting for a traditional estate or a 'proper' 4x4. To match the limited numbers, Volvo only produces the XC70 with 2 different engines - either the evergreen 2.4 D5 diesel with 185bhp or the new 3.2 litre 6 cylinder petrol model. The D5 is a solid engine with decent power, but is starting to show its age, and can be a little gruff, but will still be the most popular choice due to the 40 mpg+ fuel consumption.

Volvo xc90

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The XC90 is Volvo's Flagship model, and a semi-premium 4x4 offering to compete against the likes of the BMW X5 and Mercedes M Class off roaders. Available with a range of 3 engines, a 3.2 litre 6 cylinder petrol thats powerful and smooth, likes to rev but is thirsty with it, an even more powerful 4.4 petrol V8, primarily built for the American market, and the ever popular 2.4 D5 diesel with 185 bhp, which is available in all volvo carson sale in the UK today. In this application, the performance of the motor is gruff, and only just enough to pull the weight of the rather heavy XC90, but compared to the other powerplants, is vastly more frugal, averaging low 30's mpg.

Styling wise the Volvo xc90 comes across as graceful, without some of the overdone aggression built in to many 4x4's, suggesting rightly, along with the 7 seats that this is to be a family car, with a high proportion of female drivers. The cabin is built solidly and to a high quality, if maybe lacking a little of the style of some of its German rivals. It's spacious, with plenty of head and legroom in the first two rows of seats, however the back two seats are best left for kids, with limited legroom.

New Jaguar XF Station Wagon to appear in September Show?

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More rumours are circulating on the net regarding Jaguar possibly launching a station wagon (or Estate as the UK like to call it) version of the fantastic XF model.

The Image above is a photoshop job unfortunately but it's a very good effort, ans shows just how an XF station wagon could look. The image is taken from Auto Express magazine who have a varying reputation for their "scoops" -some extremely accurate, some less so - but we like this one so we thought we'd show it - you can find a link to the original article below.

It runs along the lines that the only other station wagon version of a Jaguar ever launched - the X-Type, was more of a lifestyle car rather than a true load lugger, and it's expected that the XF would follow the same thinking, and have similar space to say a BMW 5 series rather than the more spacious Audi A6 Avant.

Rumours suggest Jaguar could show this car at the Frankfurt motor show in Germany in September, but with the new Jaguar XJ so close to launch, it may be doubtful that Jaguar would show 2 new products at the same show, so the XF Station Wagon may have to wait until next year. With sales of big SUV's dropping in the US, this has prompted many buyers back into station wagon models, which may be what has prompted Jaguar to look again at this model.

new jaguar xj teaser

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Jaguar has started the countdown to the launch of the all new aluminium XJ model, by releasing this teaser shot of the car - see above. Jaguar is expected to bring us a few more pictures from obscure angles before the car is revealed properly in London on the 9th July.

From the picture, we can see that the XJ will abandon many of its current 60's styling cues and go for a look much closer to the incredibly successful XF model. It should have a much wider grille than the current XF and the headlights will be much sleeker units more akin to those seen on the C-XF concept.

The roofline will be a flowing curvy affair, with the option of a full length panoramic glass sunroof letting plenty of light into what will be a very advanced interior, again taking XF styling and stretching it further, and the rear c-pillars look to be very narrow, with the majority of the metal hidden behind blacked out glass.

new york auto show

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Well, the 2009 Auto Show is on and we went, sat, talked, ate, oggled at Jill and honestly came back less than impressed. It makes total sense that the 2009 NY Auto Show be somewhat low-key, but come on! While we could go on about this, we did find some bits to get excited about

time to make new category

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Not that we care all that much for Trucks* but what the hell is Chrysler thinking? A brand just around the RAM trucks? It's not like these things have been selling like hotcakes... so WTF?

Is Chrysler going to spin off the Challenger, too? Oh, look, the Challenger brand is up 100% (when they sell their second car).

Seriously, we almost started the WTF category when Penske was going to buy Saturn but we scrapped it when Penske scrapped their plans. We decided we'll move ahead with the WTF category if Konenenishooterglavenberg makes the Saab purchase official, but now we're wondering if we should do it now.

Mini milano

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Keeping up with the Joneses gets tougher in September, when the 480-hp 911 TurboCabriolet goes on sale. The seats are covered with hand-stitched leather, and high-tech features borrowed from racing include a rear spoiler that automatically extends at speeds over 75 mph. The Cabriolet has the same 3.6-liter, six-cylinder, twin-turbocharged boxer engine found in the 911 Turbo Coupe. The manual transmission version goes from 0 to 60 mph in a blistering 3.8 seconds; top speed is 193 mph.

2011 Mercedes SLK

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It may be the right time for Mercedes Benz to give SLK its well deserved next sibling. The roadster was born in 2004 and even with the midlife facelift, the looks and the works can just be a bit tiring. A new SLK is taking form and has been testing the asphalt in Germany.

Auto industry spies report that the proportions of the new Mercedes Benz SLK cannot be appreciated yet due to the thick slabs used to camouflage it. The LED daylight which has been the recent trend for the Benz fleet is evidentThe hood seems to be longer than its older sibling and the seats look a bit pushed back. The side mirrors are also attached to the doors with thinner bars.the angle between the rear deck and hard top is a tinge of the SLC 2010. The lines of the front end of the new SLK also hints which design forms are being shared with other member of the Mercedes Benz fleet. Good thing though that the front provides a fresher look compared to the older generation Benz.the SLK will have under its hood a 2.2L diesel power train derived from the C250 CDI. It can produce 204hp which is more like the output of the C-Class and GLK. Some say that the SLK may have a so-so performance if this diesel powerplant rolls in the U.S. market. The engine may just fall short of the sporty experience expected from an SLK

Mercedes-Benz adds E-CELL PLUS technology to BlueZERO September 27th, 2009 During the Detroit Auto Show back in January, Mercedes-Benz wowed the pub

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Automakers around the world spend money and effort to come up with vehicles that will answer the needs of the market today, in terms of style, efficiency, and parts. Mercedes Benz which is set to release the new ML-Class SUV by 2011 may derive the concepts from the next gen of R-Class and G-Class or other future power trains.the new breed of ML may have a smaller body compared to the current version of the ML. The wheelbase though appears to be the same.there are also reports that Mercedes Benz is working on a hybrid M-Class that can run on both electric power and diesel. A hybrid petrol variant is already due to roll out before the end of this year. The car manufacturer may also come up with a plug-in hybrid ML running on an 80hp electric power train coupled with a V6 3.5L twin turbocharged engine

If we’re talking about modified cars, Mercedez Benz models are not new to this arena. In fact, in the past few years, it has become one of the tuners

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If we’re talking about modified cars, Mercedez Benz models are not new to this arena. In fact, in the past few years, it has become one of the tuners’ favorite models to prep not just for showcase purposes but also for professional races.

However, modified cars look just about the same: flashy wheels with enough bling to make the blind see, kick-ass body kits, and last but not definitely not the least, more power. Tuning company Lorinser adapts this age-old formula for almost allthe cars it modifies, and, ironically, comes up with models not too far from their original state.

Monday, October 12, 2009

Collector pay top dollars for rare chevron cars

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Certain Chevron Cars are selling for top dollar at online auction sites, with select individual cars listed for up to $80-$100 each.
The most valuable cars are some of the Special Edition or Limited Edition cars that are no longer available except at online auction sites such as eBay — particularly Hope 2001 or Davey Driver, for example.
The Hope 2001 car was made in October 2001 as a Special Edition car to commemorate breast cancer awareness. Hope was only sold in service stations at the time.
Davey Driver is a green Limited Edition car (not to be confused with his purple regular-edition sister, Danni Driver), and was available both in service stations and online. Davey was made in June, 1998 and sold out around the Summer of 2004. No more Davey Driver cars will ever be made. Davey sells for about $50 at auction.
Other cars are also in high demand, like the recently released Faith breast cancer awareness car (October, 2004), as there were fewer of these cars made than some of the other models. Though Faith is no longer available at the Chevron toy cars website, the car is still reasonably priced at online auction sites. You should be able to find Faith at an online auction site as well

Hyundai push to mandate esc

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HYUNDAI is campaigning for electronic stability control to be fitted on all new cars sold in Australia and, to kick-start the campaign, is fitting the potentially life-saving technology on three of its models as standard for a limited time – including the Getz 1.6 SX at $14,990 driveaway.Until June 30, ESC is also being fitted free on the $19,990 Elantra 2.0 SX and the $24,990 Tucson City 2.0 SX, while the company’s cheapest car, the Getz 1.4 S at $13,990 driveaway, gets free ABS.“Our vision is to see ESP mandated across all new vehicles in Australia,” said Hyundai Australia sales and marketing director Kevin McCann.

Ford release specs on new fpv falcons

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Ford is getting ready for a battle in Australia for the hearts and minds of performance enthusiasts. Its new FPV Falcons will go head to head with what HSV offers from Holden, and today the Blue Oval from Down Under released officials specs for its souped up, gnarly-looking rear-wheel-drive sedans. First we have the F6, which is powered by the familiar turbocharged 4.0L straight-six engine now producing 416 horsepower and 417 pound-feet of torque at just 1,950 rpm. That's a 54-horsepower increase over the prior straight six, and matches up surprisingly well with Ford's other engine offering, the 5.4L Boss V8 producing 422 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque at a loftier 4,750 rpm. The Boss motor can be had in the GT E, GT-P and GT sedans, as well as the Super Pursuit and Pursuit Ute. The exceptional straight-six meanwhile, is only offered in the F6 sedan and ute.Let's compare what Ford revealed today with the offerings from Holden's HSV. Currently the Clubsport R8 is HSV's most high-performance sedan, and it's powered by an LS3 6.2L V8 producing 425 horsepower and 405 pound-feet of torque. Ford has pretty much matched HSV in the motor department then, and the new Falcon looks like it might weigh less to boot. But HSV dropped a bomb at the Melbourne Motor Shownamed the HSV W427, which is a version of the Clubsport R8 powered by GM's LS7 V8 producing 496 horses and 472 pound feet of torque. Hopefully Ford Australia has an answer for that up its sleeves, too.Click below to view FPV's new performance vehicles and check out Ford's official press release after the jump

Global cars on agenda for bejing show

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AUSTRALIAN attention will be trained on the Beijing auto show next week after GoAuto revealed exclusively last month that Chery would begin selling cars in this country in the first quarter of 2009, and that Geely was also preparing for a tilt at the Australian market in 2009/10.Details are sketchy at this stage, but both manufacturers have committed to unveiling a host of new models, some of which will be aimed at export destinations.Among the Chery cars expected to be shown will be the second generation of its QQ compact hatch, dubbed the QQ2 and featuring unique styling (rather than a design that was allegedly borrowed from the Daewoo Matiz) and powerplants ranging from 800cc to 1.3 litres.Over at Geely, the independent car-maker is tipped to show no fewer than 18 new models, including an evocative GT (or Geely Tiger) sports sedan and a new compact car known as the Panda (or LC-1) that will rival Chery’s QQ2, and a mini-MPV codenamed FC-1.As previously reported, General Motors will also use the Beijing show to unveil the next iteration of its future design direction for Buick. After the Riveria concept received widespread acclaim at the Shanghai auto show last year, the brand will take the wraps off the Invicta luxury car concept.OzFree Online Cars offers free Registration as Individual or Dealer,classifieds car Classifieds cars classifieds services and cars for sale services-

world most expensive master piece car

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These are the world most expensive and master piece car ... every one would love to have either one or more than one ... really ... you can fall in love with these cars ... just take a look into these cars ...The Veyron 16.4 is reported to be the only production car with more than 1,000 horsepower, at 1001 hp. Unless someone is building one in a secret lab somewhere, it’s also the only one that costs more than $1 million. It has a 16-cylinder engine that forms a "W" out of two Vs .

Mini milano

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Keeping up with the Joneses gets tougher in September, when the 480-hp 911 TurboCabriolet goes on sale. The seats are covered with hand-stitched leather, and high-tech features borrowed from racing include a rear spoiler that automatically extends at speeds over 75 mph. The Cabriolet has the same 3.6-liter, six-cylinder, twin-turbocharged boxer engine found in the 911 Turbo Coupe. The manual transmission version goes from 0 to 60 mph in a blistering 3.8 seconds; top speed is 193 mph.

Hydrogen engine conversion save on gas

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Hydrogen Engine Conversion to Save on Gasby Arthur MaxwellHave you always questioned your friends who are able to successfully save money on gas? Well, using Hydrogen engine conversion to save on gas is no secret to many car owners today. Checking out forums or surfing the internet to learn about cars and the latest technology available with give you news and updates on this system. So do not be surprise when you hear stories of people saving hundreds or even thousands of dollars through the use this system. It is true, using a hydrogen engine conversion allows you to save on gas and make large savings as a result. This system enables you to run your car on water and improve its fuel efficiency by more than 40% each time. This engine conversion acts as a supplement to your car's existing engine and can be easily removed or re-attached. In other words, you will not need to worry about warranty issues as no major modifications are made to your car's system. This technology was developed by a researcher named Dennis Klein, who found that sufficient energy can be generated for the car to move by this installation. Chemical processes taking place in the hydrogen engine conversion system helps to improve gas efficiency as well as allow car owners to enjoy higher car mileage. Using this system, you will be replacing expensive petroleum with the cheaper alternative of water and successfully save money on gas. Water used is extracted for HHO, a stable gas that later undergoes combustion to produce energy, water and oxygen. In addition, the water present acts as a cooling agent that ensures that the temperature of the engine and surrounding parts do not get overheated. It simultaneously helps to remove unwanted dirt from parts are connected to the hydrogen engine conversion system. As such, not only will you be able to save money on gas as you use more water than petrol or diesel, you can also reduce the occurrence of engine faults and save trips to the car mechanic's work shop. Installing a hydrogen engine conversion is a quick and hassle free process. All you need to do is pick a day and drop by your local hardware store to pick up the tools and materials needed. They should be short listed in the conversion kit that you have invested in, and following the simple guidelines provided, you should complete the installation in less than half a day. The good thing is that you can be a mechanical idiot and still succeed in the process. Unlike purchasing Hybrid cars which require you to pay tens of thousands for built in and top quality systems, a hydrogen engine conversion system will be the cheaper alternative that can also give you sufficiently good results. As such, installing a hydrogen engine conversion system is a pretty simple procedure that does not cost much. The multiple benefits that it promises also make it sufficiently clear why it has become a popular choice among car owners who wish to make savings amidst the rising fuel prices today

Volvo new cars reviews

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onverting your car into a water powered hybrid may be worth considering due to the drastic increase in gas prices around the world. Hybrid cars are expensive to buy off the lot, so you may not save enough to make it worth it, however converting your current vehicle to a water hybrid is a very inexpensive option with similar results! How would you like to save 30%-60% on gas? I'll tell you how! Hybrid simply means you can run your car on something else, along with gas, in the case of the water hybrid, that something is water. Using electrolysis, water is charged electrically, producing a surge of energy. When this power surge is mixed with regular fuel, it makes what is known as "brown gas", a fuel that is often 3 times more powerful than standard gasoline or diesel. These systems are often known as hydrogen generators, water car systems, or HHO. To build your own system is simple. You simply need a set of plans, an hour or two of time, and about $25 or $50 worth of household parts that you may already own. Saving gas is not the only benefit of HHO or water hybrid cars. Several readers and most users have reported smoother shifting, a smoother and quieter engine, increased pickup, and much lower emissions! Save money and the environment! This technology has been around for several decades, but has been mostly kept under wraps by the big oil companies as well as car companies hoping to maintain the value of their overpriced hybrids! To begin your water car / HHO conversion, we recommend reading the free Run Your Car on Water Guide Blog. It's also worth signing up for their free water car conversion newsletter

A new ford

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The new Ford's here! The new Ford's here! And is he more qualified than ever or what?
Anybody who can keep junior high school kids not only in their seats but focused on a lesson plan can deal with any supplier issue, boardroom dispute or labor-contract negotiations he's ever likely to encounter.Yeah, that's for su... What? This has been the secret all along? Not years in the industry but a couple of years teaching readin', writin' and 'rithmetic? Jesus.
Look out Mulally, Krabappel is comin' fer ya

Honda falls

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How did Honda fall so far so fast? With the release of the photos of the Crosstour, one has to wonder who quit in the last few years since the original Acura TL was released.
Seriously, how many ugly vehicles does Honda (we're including Acura) make now?
Accord
Crosstour
Pilot
Insight
Element (which we sorta like, but it's not a pretty thing to look at)
Acura TL
Acura RL
Acura TSX
They don't make too many more vehicles that those... All we know is that it's time to bring back the NSX. Yeah, the one from 1991. That was damn near

Honda falls so far

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How did Honda fall so far so fast? With the release of the photos of the Crosstour, one has to wonder who quit in the last few years since the original Acura TL was released.
Seriously, how many ugly vehicles does Honda (we're including Acura) make now?
Accord
Crosstour
Pilot
Insight
Element (which we sorta like, but it's not a pretty thing to look at)
Acura TL
Acura RL
Acura TSX
They don't make too many more vehicles that those... All we know is that it's time to bring back the NSX. Yeah, the one from 1991. That was damn near

Time to make new catagarory in

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Not that we care all that much for Trucks* but what the hell is Chrysler thinking? A brand just around the RAM trucks? It's not like these things have been selling like hotcakes... so WTF?
Is Chrysler going to spin off the Challenger, too? Oh, look, the Challenger brand is up 100% (when they sell their second car).
Seriously, we almost started the WTF category when Penske was going to buy Saturn but we scrapped it when Penske scrapped their plans. We decided we'll move ahead with the WTF category if Konenenishooterglavenberg makes the Saab purchase official, but now we're wondering if we should do it now.

Nissan cars

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April, 2009 , Franklin, TN — Nissan North America, Inc. announced a Destination & Handling (D&H) increase of $25 on 2009 Nissan cars, excluding GT-R, effective today. New D&H charges for Nissan vehicles are $720 for Versa, Sentra, cube, Altima, Maxima and Z Coupe and Roadster. D&H chargse remain at $780 for Frontier, Xterra, Pathfinder, Murano, Quest, Rogue, Armada and Titan and $1,000 for the Nissan GT-R.

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

VOLVO,S XC60

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VOLVO,S new XC60 could repeat the success of its big brother, the XC90. The first thing you want to do in a Volvo XC60 T6 is to try and crash it. Because you know it is not going to happen, not at 50kmh or slower, anyway. The car is quipped with Volvo’s newest and coolest gadget: City Safety.The infrared based system brakes the car when it detests that the driver will not react in time to prevent colliding with the vehicle in front.The feature is meant only for city driving, as it cancels out when the car’s speed exceeds 50kmh. Which means you can probably use it on the Central Expressway during peak hours too

Friday, September 4, 2009

small town trust

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As of noon PST today, the inaugural Goin' for Broken 24 Hours of LeMons race at Reno-Fernley has been one of the cleanest events to date. Car-to-car contact has been kept to a minimum, penalties are normally for small infractions and the competitors haven't have been nearly as bitchy as in previous years. So after voting ended, there wasn't a clear winner/loser for People's Curse. Entries ranged from LeMons' founder Jay Lamm's Volvo wagon to... nobody. So the consensus was there was no consensus. With that, hit the jump to watch a video to see which iconic LeMons vehicle met its demise in the Nevada desert and check out our Twitter feed of the proceedings from the penalty box

cars to cars

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As of noon PST today, the inaugural Goin' for Broken 24 Hours of LeMons race at Reno-Fernley has been one of the cleanest events to date. Car-to-car contact has been kept to a minimum, penalties are normally for small infractions and the competitors haven't have been nearly as bitchy as in previous years. So after voting ended, there wasn't a clear winner/loser for People's Curse. Entries ranged from LeMons' founder Jay Lamm's Volvo wagon to... nobody. So the consensus was there was no consensus. With that, hit the jump to watch a video to see which iconic LeMons vehicle met its demise in the Nevada desert and check out our Twitter feed of the proceedings from the penalty box

ANBURNS HILLS

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Auburn Hills, Mich., April, 2009 — The all-new 2009 Dodge Ram earned a place on Ward’s distinguished list of winners, taking home the “2009 Interior of the Year” award in the popular-priced truck category. The all-new 2009 Dodge Ram has won 15 awards since its introduction.

ford

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New Economy Initiative for Southeast Michigan and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation are expected to announce Monday afternoon that they have formed a partnership to be based at TechTown to help spur entrepreneurship and create 400 new companies each year in Southeast Michigan.On Thursday, the board of directors at the NEI, made up of 10 private, mostly Michigan-based foundations, approved the initiative and more than $9 million in funding to begin several economic development programs...Launched in 2007, the New Economy Initiative is funded by contributions from 10 local and national foundations: Detroit-based Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan, Southfield-based Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Foundation, New York-based Ford Foundation, Detroit-based Hudson-Webber Foundation, Battle Creek-based W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Miami-based John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Troy-based Kresge Foundation, McGregor Fund in Detroit, Flint-based Charles Stewart Mott Foundation and Skillman Foundation in Detroit.

थे compact sedan

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See it coming, like an arrow. Striking good looks, cutting-edge design, sharply focused tension. See it shoot straight ahead. What is it? Discover the compact sedan breakthrough with strength to open a new era and outlast fleeting trends. Sleek styling and strong performance, with swift, gutsy response to the driver's pedal action. Class-leading* spaciousness and relaxing ride for outstanding comfort. Imagine the pride of driving and owning this distinctive new-generation standard. Get ahead in the new City. People will be watching. *1.3-liter compact sedan classEuipments & Specifications may vary in some cases

Nove up to the new status of sedan

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Witness the debut of the astonishing new Honda Accord: the outcome of our all-out pursuit of sedan excellence, successfully uniting all contradictory elements. A bold exterior presence with a luxury air, yet a sporty youthful feeling. An expansive upper-class cabin with comfortable travel space for five adults and panoramic visibility. A larger body with sportier performance than ever before, and powerful i-VTEC engines designed for high fuel economy. A renowned global car with all advanced Honda technologies for driving command, plus eco-performance for increased recyclability. And, Honda's world-leading safety protection, which even extends to pedestrians and those in other vehicles. Experience its overall quality, riding comfort, and details for yourself, and you'll know why the new Accord represents a distinct "status upgrade" for the sedan.

ग्लोबल कार्स ओं एजेंडा फॉर बेजिंग शो

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AUSTRALIAN attention will be trained on the Beijing auto show next week after GoAuto revealed exclusively last month that Chery would begin selling cars in this country in the first quarter of 2009, and that Geely was also preparing for a tilt at the Australian market in 2009/10.Details are sketchy at this stage, but both manufacturers have committed to unveiling a host of new models, some of which will be aimed at export destinations.Among the Chery cars expected to be shown will be the second generation of its QQ compact hatch, dubbed the QQ2 and featuring unique styling (rather than a design that was allegedly borrowed from the Daewoo Matiz) and powerplants ranging from 800cc to 1.3 litres.Over at Geely, the independent car-maker is tipped to show no fewer than 18 new models, including an evocative GT (or Geely Tiger) sports sedan and a new compact car known as the Panda (or LC-1) that will rival Chery’s QQ2, and a mini-MPV codenamed FC-1.As previously reported, General Motors will also use the Beijing show to unveil the next iteration of its future design direction for Buick. After the Riveria concept received widespread acclaim at the Shanghai auto show last year, the brand will take the wraps off the Invicta luxury car concept.OzFree Online Cars offers free Registration as Individual or Dealer,classifieds car Classifieds cars classifieds services and cars for sale services

वर्ल्ड मोस्ट एक्स्पेंसिवे एंड मास्टर पीस कार

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These are the world most expensive and master piece car ... every one would love to have either one or more than one ... really ... you can fall in love with these cars ... just take a look into these cars ...The Veyron 16.4 is reported to be the only production car with more than 1,000 horsepower, at 1001 hp. Unless someone is building one in a secret lab somewhere, it’s also the only one that costs more than $1 million. It has a 16-cylinder engine that forms a "W" out of two Vs .

माय बचे ६२स

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The Maybach brand from Mercedes-Benz broke the $300,000 barrier four years ago. To own a 62S today means parting with $400,000. The 62S gets a bigger urbocharged V12 than the "ordinary" 62 model, and about 50 extra horses, at 604 hp. It also gets upgraded upholstery that Maybach calls "Grand Nappa" leather, with color- contrasting piping, carbon fiber trim, different woods and exclusive paints.The Maybach brand from Mercedes-Benz broke the $300,000 barrier four years ago. To own a 62S today means parting with $400,000. The 62S gets a bigger urbocharged V12 than the "ordinary" 62 model, and about 50 extra horses, at 604 hp. It also gets upgraded upholstery that Maybach calls "Grand Nappa" leather, with color- contrasting piping, carbon fiber trim, different woods and exclusive paints

वोल्वो न्यू कार रेविएस

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onverting your car into a water powered hybrid may be worth considering due to the drastic increase in gas prices around the world. Hybrid cars are expensive to buy off the lot, so you may not save enough to make it worth it, however converting your current vehicle to a water hybrid is a very inexpensive option with similar results! How would you like to save 30%-60% on gas? I'll tell you how! Hybrid simply means you can run your car on something else, along with gas, in the case of the water hybrid, that something is water. Using electrolysis, water is charged electrically, producing a surge of energy. When this power surge is mixed with regular fuel, it makes what is known as "brown gas", a fuel that is often 3 times more powerful than standard gasoline or diesel. These systems are often known as hydrogen generators, water car systems, or HHO. To build your own system is simple. You simply need a set of plans, an hour or two of time, and about $25 or $50 worth of household parts that you may already own. Saving gas is not the only benefit of HHO or water hybrid cars. Several readers and most users have reported smoother shifting, a smoother and quieter engine, increased pickup, and much lower emissions! Save money and the environment! This technology has been around for several decades, but has been mostly kept under wraps by the big oil companies as well as car companies hoping to maintain the value of their overpriced hybrids! To begin your water car / HHO conversion,

मिनी मिलानो

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Keeping up with the Joneses gets tougher in September, when the 480-hp 911 TurboCabriolet goes on sale. The seats are covered with hand-stitched leather, and high-tech features borrowed from racing include a rear spoiler that automatically extends at speeds over 75 mph. The Cabriolet has the same 3.6-liter, six-cylinder, twin-turbocharged boxer engine found in the 911 Turbo Coupe. The manual transmission version goes from 0 to 60 mph in a blistering 3.8 seconds; top speed is 193 mph.

How exactly do car loans work?

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I am looking to get a new car and I don't have any credit at all which I know is the same as having bad credit, but I read on some other people's questions on here that it is actually not that difficult getting financed right now. So how exactly does that work? I can afford the payments each month, but I don't have anything as a down payment so is that what I would use the loan for? Please explainthanks, but ok how does leasing a car work

Auto Loan Hampton

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The possession of a vehicle requires some tasks cannot one not do without. One of them is always a motor vehicle insurance must that in case of of unforeseeable circumstances like e.g. To cover roads breakdowns or accidents. Into the acquisition of the best, but low costs insurance one should examine to find one by car a insurance ratio of several enterprises, those the union to the most competitive quotation mark. With several insurance offers can be able to save auto loan Hampton auto loan Hampton auto loan Hampton auto loan Hampton you for money, if select more possibilities, over from. Label: House and living

Auto Loan Longboat Key

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I like the tail of each place, me around several car insurance of offers in a place. That, people, is exactly the reason, why American Car Quotes exists to find thereby the happy buyers the best offer and the appropriate reporting. Beyond that the side has a few special sections of full information, which needs you. What is with autoinsurance for humans with bad driving data records? What is with autoinsurance for students? These topics and much more besides are auto loan Longboat Key auto loan Longboat Key auto loan Longboat Key there over there. I estimate the tail out, there give it a multiplicity of Internet sites, those get cheap offers for you, but, how much information, those actually helps you founded purchase

What is my credit score, and do I qualify for any car loans?

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am a UC student, and need a car. I have four credit cards for about a year, and also am on some student loans. I have never missed a payment, but I don’t have a job. I want to get a car so that I can get a job somewhere. What are my chances of getting an auto loan, with a co-signer that does not have credit but has a steady job? And is there some way to estimate what my credit score is?

How exactly do car loans work?

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am looking to get a new car and I don't have any credit at all which I know is the same as having bad credit, but I read on some other people's questions on here that it is actually not that difficult getting financed right now. So how exactly does that work? I can afford the payments each month, but I don't have anything as a down payment so is that what I would use the loan for? Please explainthanks, but ok how does leasing a car work? lol

Need Knowledge About auto insurance quotes - Find them Here

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There are a lot of people who think that it is enough to buy an expensive auto insurance and they can forget about any problems connected with the car accident. They are sure that in such a case there is no need to worry as money they spend on their coverage will secure them from any troubles. It is a highly mistaken view. It is not a guarantee to buy an expensive auto insurance. There is a constant risk that you will have to worry a lot because of different unpredicted situations. I do not want to amaze you but there are people who have cheap auto insurance and are secured not worse than those who spend a fortune on their auto insurance. In order to obtain such coverage all you have to do is to make auto insurance quote comparison.
With the help of this method you are able to find the best rates for insurance. First of all it is very important to carry out an in-depth research. You need to generate as much information about various insurance companies as possible. I would like to tell you that the market of insurances is constantly developing and new companies all the time appear. Due to severe competition they make wonderful offers. Although these new companies are not reliable they make old companies lower their rates. One of the ways to get cheaper auto insurance is to apply for the online insurance. It is more convenient that to go from one office to the other in order to get all the documents and receive your coverage. However at first you have to compare offers from various companies. Only in such a way you will be able to get the best deal.

This Is What All Parents Should Be Aware About Young Drivers

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Getting a driver’s license can be one of the most electrifying experiences for teens becoming young adults. It is also a very dangerous time of their life. In Britain it is estimated that more than 3000 car drivers under the age of 25 are killed or severely injured in an accident. Becoming aware of the facts will help you establish limits with your own children to prevent them to coming to harm on the roads.
18 years olds are 3 times more likely then 45 year old drivers to get into an accident. This is because at such a young age young drivers simply don’t have the experience to think clearly in hazardous situations. Even if they drive safely it does not mean that others on the road are being just as cautious. A major part of becoming a better driver is not only watching out for yourself but others on the road - which is nigh impossible for young drivers!

Need help on our 1st home loan application! (FHA) 10pts

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am under so much stress right now, I just can’t think clearly.. I feel I could just break down and cry at any moment. Thats why I’m turning to y/a lol. I’m sitting here, filling out my fiance’ and my home loan application (we’re getting married next month).
These are probably very simply questions to answers.. I’m just so over-loaded right now, with paying off the car loan getting this done, taking care of my sick mother paying her medical bills and the list goes on and on..
Anyways:
Under "Assets" it asks "cash deposit toward purchase held by:" than wants me to put an amount under "cash or market value" — Are they talking about our down payment, or something else? I’d call the loan officer, but the office is closed.. if I don’t get an answer here, I’ll just call in the morning.
My other question is.. do I have to list our car loan under "Liabilities" if we plan on paying it off before we buy our new home? There is only 00 left to be paid off.. and that can be easily paid off in 1 paycheck
Thanks for all the help guys.. I really need it right now!

The drive show

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The Drive Show is a free weekly podcast covering the news and current affairs covering everything automotive. Hosted by John Cadogan and his team of experts, The Drive Show brings you the news and current affairs each week

Quick guarented payday loans

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In recent recession, every body must plan to reduce their expenses, particularly for proving fund to cover unexpected expenses such as for paying monthly bills, car repairs or whenever you get unhealthy condition, you must need medical care that it...

car loans are easy to get but watch out

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Taking a car loan is one of the easiest things to do… For this reason we must watch out and not just settle a deal with the first lender we come across. Besides the excellent conditions offered by some car loan dealers, they will also help you...

hyundai sold '65458

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In the first quarter of fiscal year, Hyundai sold 65,458 cars in Russia and became the second best selling brand in the fast growing market. Sales so far, has risen 108% compared to the same period of last year, but Hyundai is not stopping here

Sunday, August 30, 2009

HYUNDAI MAKES NICE TI UPPER

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Think of Hyundai’s Veracruz as the “blue light special.” The nickname doesn’t mean the crossover carries Kmart pricing. In fact, this model may be the best test of Hyundai’s strength in the market’s upper end.But in its most luxurious form, the Veracruz greets passengers with elegant blue-lit scuff

CANADIAN 2009

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Hyundai Genesis sedan. Seems like Hyundai really has a terrific vehicle on its hands right now. Their Genesis sedan has only been on the market for about six month, and it has already acquired a series of most important North American awards.Today, Hyundai Genesis sedan has been named the 2009 Canadian Car of the ye

MINI CELEBRATE BIG 5.0

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On August 26, 1959, the world caught a glimpse of a Mini for the first time. Little did company founders know that the Mini would later be named the second most influential vehicle of the 20th century, on its way to a half century of success. To celebrate its 50th anniversary, Mini has been touring the world celebrating its big birthday with its dedicated fanbase. The massive party brought owners of all generations of the diminutive icon together from different walks of life, and the Mini crew recorded the events for posterity, and a music video as well.

BMW REVEAL VISION

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After several months of speculation and official teases for the past week, we now finally have all the details on the Vision EfficientDynamics Concept that BMW will show at the Frankfurt Motor Show in a couple of weeks. The speculation about the concept's powertrain has gone in several directions, almost all of which were correct. The new concept is a plug-in hybrid with a three-cylinder turbo-diesel engine. Conceived with the idea of melding the performance of a M3 with exceptionally low fuel consumption, BMW claims a 0-62 mph time of 4.8 seconds while scoring 62.6 mpg (U.S.) on the E.U. combined test cycle. There has been considerable speculation that future BMWs will go to smaller engines including a three-cylinder. The concept uses a 1.5-liter turbodiesel that is essentially half of the fabulous 3.0-liter found in the 335d. The triple is rated at a hefty 163 hp with peak torque of 214 lb-ft. The engine is paired with a six-speed DCT derived from the unit used in the M3 and Z4. Adding fuel to recent reports that BMW would not continue developing the two-mode hybrid system that will debut soon in the X6, the concept uses a new strong hybrid system. The new system is a further development of the mild hybrid that is debuting in the ActiveHybrid 7. As in the 7, a more powerful 33-hp electric motor is sandwiched between the engine and transmission. A second 80-hp motor provides drive to the front axle. The total net output of the drive system is 356 hp and 590 lb-ft of torque. Continue reading more after the jump.

We found some fresh spy shots of the upcoming Audi RS5, awaited for the Frankfurt Motor Show.

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The RS5 will be restrained but muscular and the only aspect that is hidden is the box arches that hark back to the original Quattro and recent RS6.The RS5 is likely to get the 4.2-litre V8 motor from the recent RS4, retuned to give more power with lower emissions.The Audi RS5 will use a quattro drivetrain with Audi’s double-clutch S-tronic transmission, the first time an Audi RS product has featured twin-clutch technology.The RS5 employs what Audi calls active aerodynamics, including a deployable rear spoiler. It will also be fitted with uprated drilled-disc brakes.

Very nice review here of the Lamborghini Gallardo LP550-2 Valentino Balboni.

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Forget all that and remember the power-to-weight ratio. Where it counts, on the road, the Balboni is every bit as rapid as the 560, whatever the performance figures and oddly muted exhaust note suggests. Compared with the Murcielago’s V12, the direct-injection V10 is buttery smooth and was perfectly matched in our test car to an old fashioned six-speed manual gearbox. Don’t be intimidated by the open metal gate – the change is slick and the clutch no heavier than a family car’s.

BUGTI VERYION GRAND SPORT SANG BLUE

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Street word has it that the Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Sang Bleu might be the last special edition of the Bugatti Veyron.
After taking the wraps off the Sang Noir, Pur Sang, Fbg by Hermes, Grand Sport, Bleu Centenaire and the quartet of individual Centenaire tribute editions, to say nothing of the individual specials in between, Auto Motor und Sport says that the Sang Bleu edition of the Grand Sport which Bugatti unveiled at this past weekend's Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance will be the last special edition Veyron that Molsheim will build. With a reported 250 out of the 300 Veyrons initially earmarked for production now built and sold, Bugatti's moving on to its next project, tentatively dubbed Bordeaux.

PORCSE 911

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Hilarious and interesting efficiency drive video here of the Porsche 911 against the Toyota Prius. The winner? Have a look.
We can think of a few natural competitors to the reigning hybrid champ, the Toyota Prius, when it comes to a fuel efficiency test. For instance, the Honda Insight is a logical choice, as are other midsize hybrid offerings like the Ford Fusion. Still others compare the mileage possibilities offered by the Volkswagen Jetta TDI with the Prius in both city and highway fuel mileage contests. All that's been done to death, though, so Channel 4 in the UK went a totally different route: comparing the fuel mileage of a Porsche 911 with Toyota's hybrid hatchback

HYUNDAI SONATA

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The interior of the all-new Sonata has been kept under wraps until a few months ago, when we brought to you the very first interior spy shot, that revealed the 2010 Sonata will feature a very modern interior lay-out. After giving you one of the best interior shots so far, we’ve now gotten our hands on another sweet spy shot of the Sonata interior.The interior lay-out of new Sonata seems to follow general trends that Hyundai has exhibited in some of its latest concept cars, and shares many similarities with the all-new Hyundai Genesis Coupe.What we can see from our latest spy image is the two-tone center console that features a large LCD display a top of it and a plethora of audio and climate buttons positioned below. The interior might look a bit plain, but this is due to the fact that this is a pre-production model with low-quality materials applied. When the new Sonata goes on sale, it will feature a higher grade interior materials comparable to those found on latest Volkswagen Passat CC and Audi A4.Scheduled to hit Hyundai dealerships in South Korea in September, the 2010 Hyundai Sonata is intended to do the battle with competitors such as Honda Accord, Toyota Camry and VW Passat.

कार लोंस

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In the years past, credit was usually solely used for a very major investment, such as, that of a house or building for a business. Most families accumulated their cash until they finally had enough to pay in full for what they wish for, which they went shopping for it. After they discovered what they wished to purchase they paid the cash they had in hand for the item. This included buying even average-priced items such as a new or pre-owned automobile. Beginning in the 1970s and 1980s, this trend shifted to a new way of doing things. Especially in the later 80s and beyond, credit became accessible and people started obtaining it to buy items to fill both their daily needs and wants. Having credit became the expected method people purchased their vehicles and charge cards became normal theme in most everyone’s

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

New Jaguar XJ Teaser

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Jaguar has started the countdown to the launch of the all new aluminium XJ model, by releasing this teaser shot of the car - see above. Jaguar is expected to bring us a few more pictures from obscure angles before the car is revealed properly in London on the 9th July. From the picture, we can see that the XJ will abandon many of its current 60's styling cues and go for a look much closer to the incredibly successful XF model. It should have a much wider grille than the current XF and the headlights will be much sleeker units more akin to those seen on the C-XF concept. The roofline will be a flowing curvy affair, with the option of a full length panoramic glass sunroof letting plenty of light into what will be a very advanced interior, again taking XF styling and stretching it further, and the rear c-pillars look to be very narrow, with the majority of the metal hidden behind blacked out glass. The XJ may even be a lift back rather than a saloon car - we will have to wait and see!Jaguar is running their own teaser website which you can keep up to date with the new XJ, and your first chance to sit in the car will be at the Frankfurt motorshow in September.
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When your prized possession is on the road, you surely want the best performance. One of the simplest ways of ensuring that is to make sure that your automobile’s performance parts are always up to the mark.
Be it the clutch, the brake, the spark plug, the boost gauge, the voltmeter, the fog light, the exhaust, the oil gauge, the air filter or the shock absorbers, it’s imperative to keep a check on the functioning of your auto parts. Regular use would obviously result in wear and tear and it thus becomes important to repair, change or upgrade the performance auto parts from time to time.
Performance parts play an important role in the functioning of your vehicle. Any good machine would give optimum performance only when its machinery is in top condition. With upgrades hitting the market everyday, one has a wide variety of auto parts to choose from.
When you believe that your car is the best, it is only fair to give it the best. Besides the basic kits, you can choose from a wide variety of performance parts and accessories that’ll enhance the working of your vehicle, giving you a stellar street performance. Be well informed when purchasing performance auto parts and you’ll breathe easy and so will your car. If you aren’t sure about which part would be the best for your car or whether what you intend buying is as good as it sounds, head for a dealer whom you know. If you don’t have a known dealer, ask your friends and try to find someone reliable.
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Many insurance companies offer discounts for various things. Low mileage discounts are one example. If you put fewer than a specific amount of mileage you your car each year then your insurance company may offer you a discount, as long as you can prove the amount of mileage put on the car each year. You can also usually get discounts for having safety features such as anti-lock brakes, airbags, and alarms.
Some other discounts that may be available to you include having more than one car insured with the same insurance company, having more than one type of policy with the same insurance company (such as your car and your home), not having been in an accident for the past three years, not having gotten any ticketsbeing 50 or more years of age, and taking driver training and/or driver safety classes.

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Save on Your Car Insurance by Manipulating Parts of Your Insurance Policy

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When you first took out your car insurance policy you might have decided to go for low deductibles. That might have seemed like a good idea to you at the time, but you might not have known that by choosing higher deductibles you can actually save money on your car insurance premiums. Change your deductible to the highest you can possibly afford and your insurance premiums will go down.
Make sure that you keep an amount of money saved that is equal to or higher than your deductible so that you will be assured the money is available if you ever need it. If you own an older car that isn’t worth very much then you can save money by dropping your collision and comprehensive coverages.

Auto Loan Programs - Embracing All The Lesser of Evils

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In the years past, credit was usually solely used for a very major investment, such as, that of a house or building for a business. Most families accumulated their cash until they finally had enough to pay in full for what they wish for, which they went shopping for it. After they discovered what they wished to purchase they paid the cash they had in hand for the item. This included buying even average-priced items such as a new or pre-owned automobile. Beginning in the 1970s and 1980s, this trend shifted to a new way of doing things. Especially in the later 80s and beyond, credit became accessible and people started obtaining it to buy items to fill both their daily needs and wants. Having credit became the expected method people purchased their vehicles and charge cards became normal theme in most everyone’s

New Jaguar XJ

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Jaguar XJ model, with a fantastically detailed piece from CAR Magazine, that is well worth reading. CAR have produced several rendered images, based on a combination of both the recent spyshots of the new XJ running around in disguise, and the top down shot that Jaguar had already officially released, and we have to say there images are easily the best we've seen so far, and likely to be very close to the finished product.To see the full article we would suggest you pay a visit to CAR magazine yourself by following this link: CAR Magazine ArticleThe new XJ, codename X351 is due to be released on 9th July at a reveal in London, and we are expecting several more snippets and teasers to be released by Jaguar UK before this time to whet our appetites for what will be one of the years most anticipated new cars.

Nathan's Car Ideas!

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Two new and very cool car ideas were sent in from Nathan in Southern California. One drawing for "National Nate" very cleverly incorporates the car's name with the colors on the car creating a very patriotic and colorful automobile. The second car named "Magic Morgan" is a female car with a beautiful pink and yellow color and a nice big smile

Frankie's Paul Prius

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One of our most active and imaginative new car idea contributors, Frankie, is "once again in the house!" His new car drawing is for a very timely vehicle indeed. He calls it Paul Prius, and it illustrates a hybrid car. A hybrid uses both gasoline and electricity for power. These cars are becoming popular as the public's interest in environmental issues grows.
Why Paul? According to Frankie, it was first to be called Perry Prius, "but since I have Paul McCartney's LIVE 2002 concert coming soon, I changed the name." Sorry Perry, but Sir Paul is one up on you!

Lamborghini Gallardo LP560 GT3

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Based on the Gallardo LP560-4, the Reiter LP560 GT3 is a lightweight road-course rocket. The 5.2-liter V10 has been revised to GT3 specifications, while lightweight aluminum chassis components draped in carbon fiber bodywork keeps weight down to just 2,624 pounds. Downforce has been optimized, shift times have been halved and weight distribution has been balanced. But one of the most intriguing elements of the LP560's design is that it can be easily upgraded to compete in the higher level GT2 class, giving privateer teams a wider variety of titles to contest. Reiter will sell your team a turn-key GT3-spec model for 265,000 euros (about $375k), and upgrade it to GT2 spec for another 30,000 euros ($43k).

NEW COMPACT SEDAN

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In case you were wondering why Volkswagen is putting $1 billion into their Mexico plant we now have the answer for you.They will build the new "compact sedan" over there as a world car which will also find its way to the US and which is slated to be the successor of the VW Jetta in Europe.Expect to see the car in 2010 already.

The Grand Bentley has been caught testing.

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Expected to be at least 30cm longer than the current model, redesigned parts also include the front bumper, rear end and tailpipes.Called Project Kimberley internally, the new car will use the next generation of Bentley's petrol-fuelled 6.75-liter V8 engine, which will produce over 550 horsepower and up to 1000Nm of torque. This should allow the all-wheel drive limo to reach a top speed of about 200mph.

Audi will not launch a green brand in Australia.

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Audi will not launch a green brand in Australia.
"What we are currently not looking at in Australia is launching a sub-brand of 'e' at the moment, definitely not," confirmed Audi Australia marketing manager Immo Buschmann. "We feel that the products we currently offer are adequate and good for the market and are exactly what the customers are looking for."Buschmann said that the concept of paying a price premium for fuel saving technology featured on 'e' models - start-stop, energy recuperation, taller gear ratios, low rolling resistance tyres and tweaked aerodynamics - worked against it at the moment."The 'e' concept has a lot of technological elements within it that the customer has to pay more money for and at the moment I don't think we are at the point where everyone thinks they have to have an 'e' model."However, he confirmed the situation was being monitored and could change."As soon as we see that the demand for this 'e' strategy allows us to bring in the A4 TDIe and A6 TDIe we will have them in the market."

Saturday, June 27, 2009

Hyundai i30

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Hyundai i30 BlueLow emission and low-polluting Hyundai vehicles will from now on be labeled under the “Blue” brand. First Hyundai vehicle wearing the “Blue” label to enter mass production will be the European-made i30 hatchback, which is slated to go on sale in Europe within the next few months.

hyundai makes nice moves ti upper end

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Think of Hyundai’s Veracruz as the “blue light special.” The nickname doesn’t mean the crossover carries Kmart pricing. In fact, this model may be the best test of Hyundai’s strength in the market’s upper end.But in its most luxurious form, the Veracruz greets passengers with elegant blue-lit scuff

Moscow auto show

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In the first quarter of fiscal year, Hyundai sold 65,458 cars in Russia and became the second best selling brand in the fast growing market. Sales so far, has risen 108% compared to the same period of last year, but Hyundai is not stopping here

Hyundai superbowl xlli

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Thanks to the world wide web we got used to see concept cars and production car models making their unofficial (early) debuts quite oftenly in the past few years. Automakers strive to keep their new models in complete secrecy until the day of their official launch

Canadian 2009 car of the year

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Hyundai Genesis sedan. Seems like Hyundai really has a terrific vehicle on its hands right now. Their Genesis sedan has only been on the market for about six month, and it has already acquired a series of most important North American awards.Today, Hyundai Genesis sedan has been named the 2009 Canadian Car of the ye

America top40 cars

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Hyundai Genesis luxury sedan and midsize Hyundai Sonata sedan have both been selected as “America’s Top 40 New Cars” by renowned Motor Trend magazine.In addition to that, the “not-yet-on-sale” Genesis Coupe has made it to the “Five Worth Waiting For” list of this years highly anticipated (car) arrivals. The list included a legendary Chevrolet Camaro […]

The 2010 genesis sedan

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The 2010 Genesis sedan, Hyundais flagship in the US market, has been named the “Best New Model” by Kiplinger’s Personal Finance. The editors of a renowned US magazine selected best new vehicles in 11 categories and the put the Hyundai Genesis sedan on top of the the “$30.000 - $45.000 sedan” category ahead of the Nissan Maxima, Audi A4 and Acura TL.

The scrappage scheme in uk

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UK government’s scrappage scheme has helped Hyundai to turbocharge its new car sales and overtake some of its main rivals in the UK car market, including Renault and Fiat. To help the auto industry, which has been hit hard by worldwide recession, the UK goverment introduced a 300 million-pound “Scrappage Scheme” that encourages car owners to trade in their more than 10 years old cars for a 2,000 pound subsidy to buy a new vehicle.

The Scrappage Scheme has been introduced to the UK motorists in late April and has resulted in 60.000 new car orders with Hyundai taking the lion share of the new car sales. Since April 22nd to June 7th Hyundai received 8.246 orders for their compact and sub-compact cars. With 7.300 new car orders Kia Motors -a Hyundai affiliate- also received a high number of new car orders. Kia

Elanta lbi

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Hyundai Motor Company today announced it will start receiving pre-launch orders for it first mass produced hybrid car called Elantra LPI hybrid electric car. Hyundai will be taking pre-orders from today until July 7th, a day before the company officially introduces its hybrid vehicle to the Korean public.

The Elantra LPI hybrid electric vehicle is a mild hybrid car similar to just recently launched Honda Insight. However, there are two main features applied to the vehicle that distinguish the Elantra hybrid from its Japanese counterpart and makes it a very unique hybrid car.

First, the Elantra LPI hybrid car is recognized as the worlds first hybrid car to be propelled by Liquefied Petroleum Injected engine running on Liquefied Petroleum Gas and second, Elantra LPI hybrid adopts the Lithium Ion Polymer battery pack - also seen for the first time in a hybrid electric car.

hyundai santa fe

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Hyundai Santa Fe “Style”. Two days later and we get some more, thanks to Hyundai Motor Company that published a few additional Santa Fe shots at their official webpage.

According to Hyundai, the revamped 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe is scheduled to go on sale in South Korea on July 1st, while its US sales is expected to commence in December this year. Once Santa Fe goes on sale in all the continents, Hyundai hopes it can finally pass the 2.000.000 units sales, a milestone achieved only by best of the best SUVs so far.

The 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe “Style” hosts a vast number of improvements. Exterior design has seen some “minor” tweaks, such as new three-bar grille and more aggressive front bumper. Other exterior updates include revised tail-lamps, redesigned side mirrors with turn signals and a set of new alloy wheels.

Santa Fes interior has also undergo some mid-cycle updates and now features a redesigned leather-wrapped steering wheel with mounted audio controls, slightly redesigned center stack and updated instrument clusters.

hyundai sonata

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The interior of the all-new Sonata has been kept under wraps until a few months ago, when we brought to you the very first interior spy shot, that revealed the 2010 Sonata will feature a very modern interior lay-out. After giving you one of the best interior shots so far, we’ve now gotten our hands on another sweet spy shot of the Sonata interior.
The interior lay-out of new Sonata seems to follow general trends that Hyundai has exhibited in some of its latest concept cars, and shares many similarities with the all-new Hyundai Genesis Coupe.
What we can see from our latest spy image is the two-tone center console that features a large LCD display a top of it and a plethora of audio and climate buttons positioned below. The interior might look a bit plain, but this is due to the fact that this is a pre-production model with low-quality materials applied. When the new Sonata goes on sale, it will feature a higher grade interior materials comparable to those found on latest Volkswagen Passat CC and Audi A4.
Scheduled to hit Hyundai dealerships in South Korea in September, the 2010 Hyundai Sonata is intended to do the battle with competitors such as Honda Accord, Toyota Camry and VW Passat.

Saturday, May 30, 2009

Nove up to the new status of sedan

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Witness the debut of the astonishing new Honda Accord: the outcome of our all-out pursuit of sedan excellence, successfully uniting all contradictory elements. A bold exterior presence with a luxury air, yet a sporty youthful feeling. An expansive upper-class cabin with comfortable travel space for five adults and panoramic visibility. A larger body with sportier performance than ever before, and powerful i-VTEC engines designed for high fuel economy. A renowned global car with all advanced Honda technologies for driving command, plus eco-performance for increased recyclability. And, Honda's world-leading safety protection, which even extends to pedestrians and those in other vehicles. Experience its overall quality, riding comfort, and details for yourself, and you'll know why the new Accord represents a distinct "status upgrade" for the sedan.

The compact sedan

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See it coming, like an arrow. Striking good looks, cutting-edge design, sharply focused tension. See it shoot straight ahead. What is it? Discover the compact sedan breakthrough with strength to open a new era and outlast fleeting trends. Sleek styling and strong performance, with swift, gutsy response to the driver's pedal action. Class-leading* spaciousness and relaxing ride for outstanding comfort. Imagine the pride of driving and owning this distinctive new-generation standard. Get ahead in the new City. People will be watching. *1.3-liter compact sedan class
Euipments & Specifications may vary in some cases.

ford

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The New Economy Initiative for Southeast Michigan and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation are expected to announce Monday afternoon that they have formed a partnership to be based at TechTown to help spur entrepreneurship and create 400 new companies each year in Southeast Michigan.
On Thursday, the board of directors at the NEI, made up of 10 private, mostly Michigan-based foundations, approved the initiative and more than $9 million in funding to begin several economic development programs...
Launched in 2007, the New Economy Initiative is funded by contributions from 10 local and national foundations: Detroit-based Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan, Southfield-based Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Foundation, New York-based Ford Foundation, Detroit-based Hudson-Webber Foundation, Battle Creek-based W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Miami-based John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Troy-based Kresge Foundation, McGregor Fund in Detroit, Flint-based Charles Stewart Mott Foundation and Skillman Foundation in Detroit.

Anburns hills

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Auburn Hills, Mich., April, 2009 — The all-new 2009 Dodge Ram earned a place on Ward’s distinguished list of winners, taking home the “2009 Interior of the Year” award in the popular-priced truck category. The all-new 2009 Dodge Ram has won 15 awards since its introduction.
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April, 2009 , Franklin, TN — Nissan North America, Inc. announced a Destination & Handling (D&H) increase of $25 on 2009 Nissan cars, excluding GT-R, effective today. New D&H charges for Nissan vehicles are $720 for Versa, Sentra, cube, Altima, Maxima and Z Coupe and Roadster. D&H chargse remain at $780 for Frontier, Xterra, Pathfinder, Murano, Quest, Rogue, Armada and Titan and $1,000 for the Nissan GT-R.

Car-to-car

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As of noon PST today, the inaugural Goin' for Broken 24 Hours of LeMons race at Reno-Fernley has been one of the cleanest events to date. Car-to-car contact has been kept to a minimum, penalties are normally for small infractions and the competitors haven't have been nearly as bitchy as in previous years. So after voting ended, there wasn't a clear winner/loser for People's Curse. Entries ranged from LeMons' founder Jay Lamm's Volvo wagon to... nobody. So the consensus was there was no consensus. With that, hit the jump to watch a video to see which iconic LeMons vehicle met its demise in the Nevada desert and check out our Twitter feed of the proceedings from the penalty box.

MERcedies hosting New vehicles

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April, 09 NEW YORK, NY – Mercedes-Benz is hosting the global debut of three new vehicles at the New York International Auto Show, open to the public April 10-19, 2009 at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in Manhattan. The New York Show also represents the first appearance of the 2010 model year E-Class Sedan and Coupe in North America. Read more

MERcedies hosting New vehicles

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April, 09 NEW YORK, NY – Mercedes-Benz is hosting the global debut of three new vehicles at the New York International Auto Show, open to the public April 10-19, 2009 at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in Manhattan. The New York Show also represents the first appearance of the 2010 model year E-Class Sedan and Coupe in North America.

Small town trust

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Buying a used vehicle can be frightening at times. Reading the car classifieds and surfing the internet can leave your mind numb. So then, just do you trust? If you live in a small town, your local car dealer is usually the best place to start if you’re trying to find used cars for sale.



This little company that starts out with a good mechanic and his friend or brother has a good business head. They start small, working out of their own garage, often after working another day job. They buy a car and fix it up. They re-sell it and use the profit to by another one. Soon they might have enough to buy or rent a little shop with a hoist. They open up small, offering a wide variety of services, including repairs and maintenance. All the while, they continue to buy used cars and fix them up.

Soon they have too many cars to keep around the shop, so they buy or rent a little space next door or down the street. The mechanic always has work to do. Soon they might even need to hire an apprentice, and chances are, it will be someone from the same town, maybe even a relative.

These small-time car dealers are easy to spot. They don’t sell new cars like 2009 Honda Accords or 2009 Honda Civics, and they sport names like Jack’s Auto Sales, or Joe and Macs Auto. They are very easy to separate from the big auto dealers with brand names and bijavascript:void(0)
Publish Postg advertising budgets. They’ll have a small sign that they change regularly to advertise what is available. One day you might go by and see “used Honda Civic for sale”, and the next day it might read, “Used Jimmy 4x4 for sale”.

You can trust these people because they live in the same small town. If they weren’t completely honest and gave good value and quality, they would soon be out of business. The people they deal with most are their neighbors and friends. Sometimes, they even get a recommendation from the local auto insurance broker. They know most of the people in the town.

It becomes easy to see why these homegrown businesses can be trusted. They have put many thousand of hours building goodwill into their business; they are not going to throw that all away to make a few thousand dollars.
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Under the bonnet beats the same 2.0-liter TSI engine that powers the Scirocco, but VW has managed to squeeze another 7.4kW from it to up the maximum power to 155kW. Torque remains the same at 280Nm though. It takes the GTI 6.9 seconds to sprint to 100km/h (marginally quicker than the Scirocco and GTI Mk5’s 7.2 seconds) but in real life it feels even faster than the stats would have you believe.It doesn’t tear up the tarmac, that is true, but what the GTI lacks in eye-popping acceleration it makes up for with the accessibility of its power. Push it hard and you can still get the tyres to spin on take-off, but it will never respond with the torque steer and rabid handling of a hardcore hatch like the Focus RS. In general, the GTI approaches performance with significantly more civility – much like the Mk5, only smoother and more refined.The new engine is more eager from low down in the rev range than before and also feels much punchier than its predecessor. VW has also managed to shave some off the fuel consumption (now 7.3 liter/100km compared to 8.0 liter/100km on the outgoing model) and CO2 emissions (170g/km compared to 189g/km) while pushing the top speed up by 5km/h to make this the fastest GTI ever.
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Audi has officially canned the rumors about an electric Audi R8 at the Frankfurt Motor Show.
An Audi representative dismissed widespread speculation that started in the European press that the company would display a battery-powered R8 at the upcoming Frankfurt show.

Friday, April 10, 2009

Volvo new cars rewies

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onverting your car into a water powered hybrid may be worth considering due to the drastic increase in gas prices around the world. Hybrid cars are expensive to buy off the lot, so you may not save enough to make it worth it, however converting your current vehicle to a water hybrid is a very inexpensive option with similar results! How would you like to save 30%-60% on gas? I'll tell you how! Hybrid simply means you can run your car on something else, along with gas, in the case of the water hybrid, that something is water. Using electrolysis, water is charged electrically, producing a surge of energy. When this power surge is mixed with regular fuel, it makes what is known as "brown gas", a fuel that is often 3 times more powerful than standard gasoline or diesel. These systems are often known as hydrogen generators, water car systems, or HHO. To build your own system is simple. You simply need a set of plans, an hour or two of time, and about $25 or $50 worth of household parts that you may already own. Saving gas is not the only benefit of HHO or water hybrid cars. Several readers and most users have reported smoother shifting, a smoother and quieter engine, increased pickup, and much lower emissions! Save money and the environment! This technology has been around for several decades, but has been mostly kept under wraps by the big oil companies as well as car companies hoping to maintain the value of their overpriced hybrids! To begin your water car / HHO conversion, we recommend reading the free Run Your Car on Water Guide Blog. It's also worth signing up for their free water car conversion newsletter!(site:http://run-your-car-on-water-guide.blogspot.com)

Maybache 62 s

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The Maybach brand from Mercedes-Benz broke the $300,000 barrier four years ago. To own a 62S today means parting with $400,000. The 62S gets a bigger urbocharged V12 than the "ordinary" 62 model, and about 50 extra horses, at 604 hp. It also gets upgraded upholstery that Maybach calls "Grand Nappa" leather, with color- contrasting piping, carbon fiber trim, different woods and exclusive paints.The Maybach brand from Mercedes-Benz broke the $300,000 barrier four years ago. To own a 62S today means parting with $400,000. The 62S gets a bigger urbocharged V12 than the "ordinary" 62 model, and about 50 extra horses, at 604 hp. It also gets upgraded upholstery that Maybach calls "Grand Nappa" leather, with color- contrasting piping, carbon fiber trim, different woods and exclusive paints.

World most expensive and master piece car

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These are the world most expensive and master piece car ... every one would love to have either one or more than one ... really ... you can fall in love with these cars ... just take a look into these cars ...The Veyron 16.4 is reported to be the only production car with more than 1,000 horsepower, at 1001 hp. Unless someone is building one in a secret lab somewhere, it’s also the only one that costs more than $1 million. It has a 16-cylinder engine that forms a "W" out of two Vs .

Ford release specs on new fpv falcons

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Ford is getting ready for a battle in Australia for the hearts and minds of performance enthusiasts. Its new FPV Falcons will go head to head with what HSV offers from Holden, and today the Blue Oval from Down Under released officials specs for its souped up, gnarly-looking rear-wheel-drive sedans. First we have the F6, which is powered by the familiar turbocharged 4.0L straight-six engine now producing 416 horsepower and 417 pound-feet of torque at just 1,950 rpm. That's a 54-horsepower increase over the prior straight six, and matches up surprisingly well with Ford's other engine offering, the 5.4L Boss V8 producing 422 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque at a loftier 4,750 rpm. The Boss motor can be had in the GT E, GT-P and GT sedans, as well as the Super Pursuit and Pursuit Ute. The exceptional straight-six meanwhile, is only offered in the F6 sedan and ute.Let's compare what Ford revealed today with the offerings from Holden's HSV. Currently the Clubsport R8 is HSV's most high-performance sedan, and it's powered by an LS3 6.2L V8 producing 425 horsepower and 405 pound-feet of torque. Ford has pretty much matched HSV in the motor department then, and the new Falcon looks like it might weigh less to boot. But HSV dropped a bomb at the Melbourne Motor Show named the HSV W427, which is a version of the Clubsport R8 powered by GM's LS7 V8 producing 496 horses and 472 pound feet of torque. Hopefully Ford Australia has an answer for that up its sleeves, too.Click below to view FPV's new performance vehicles and check out Ford's official press release after the jump.

Left:The general manager of VCA Australia, Howard Danielson.

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He noted that Toyota’s TRD performance car division said they would not use VCA until the company established an Australian office.Apart from the costs involved in sending cars and engineers overseas, Mr Danielson said that VCA’s fee for certification would now be at least 50 per cent lower for a program that lasts more than four days.It should also save a great deal of time because he can attend an urgent test almost immediately.The VCA was established by the UK department of transport in the 1970s to help British car-makers with their exports and now has 10 offices around the globe.VCA CEO Paul Markwick, who travelled from London for the formal Melbourne opening this month, said he hoped the Australian office would become “an enabling force” that helps the local automotive industry meet the global challenges and opportunities.“The Australian automotive industry is a very important part of the overall economy and has become increasingly export focussed,” said Mr Markwick.“I very much hope our presence in the region will help support industry in its drive to access European markets.”He described Mr Danielson as one of the company’s most experienced expert engineers who had been responsible for the success of other overseas offices in the US, Japan and Malaysia.Mr Danielson said that Australia has all of the test facilities required for full certification – including the Australian Automotive Research Centre at Angelsea in Victoria, EMC Technologies in Melbourne and Crash Labs in Sydney, as well as the car companies’ own facilities.

Ford is awaiting petrol and auto availability before committing to the Kuga SUV

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FORD says it is being very cautious with the decision to bring the Kuga into Australia.The Focus-based compact SUV is being eyed as a potential replacement for the ageing Escape, which has been on sale in Australia since early 2001.However, the Kuga has been held back until now due to the lack of a suitable powertrain combination for Australia.Until this month, the German-built Ford has only been available with a 100kW 2.0-litre TDCi turbo-diesel variant mated to a six-speed manual gearbox.And although rave reviews have been heaped upon the Kuga in this configuration, it is clear to Ford that Australians must have a petrol-powered and/or automatic gearbox in the model mix.In fact, from December 1, Ford of Europe announced the addition of a Volvo-sourced 2.5-litre in-line five-cylinder petrol engine for Continental Kugas in six-speed manual and five-speed automatic guises, as well as a front-wheel drive TDCi model to complement the existing all-wheel drive versions.It seems certain that Ford is awaiting the introduction of a four-cylinder model with automatic gearbox availability - be it the TDCi with the new Powershift dual-clutch sequential manual gearbox, or an engine such as the 2.3-litre petrol unit with a six-speed automatic, as fitted to the MA Mondeo.

Lexus LF-A Coupe; Lexus LF-A Roadster; Lexus LF-A Roadster interior.

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In what could well be a reciprocal slap in their corporate faces at the biennial German show, the LF-A’s Tokyo unveiling will be made in the absence of Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Volkswagen, which - like General Motors, Ford, Chrysler, Renault, Lamborghini and all Chinese and Korean makers - will not have a presence in Tokyo.Suzuki’s first mid-size sedan, the Kizashi, is almost certain to makes its worldwide production debut at the 41st Tokyo show, which the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA) this week confirmed would end four days earlier than usual, on November 4.Organisers of the British motor show last week cancelled the next scheduled running of the UK event in 2010.In what could become a mostly-Toyota benefit, the 2009 Tokyo show is also likely to host the premiere of the yet-to-be-named Impreza-based sports coupe co-developed with Subaru, which could revive the Celica nameplate.JAMA considered cancelling the 2009 Tokyo show, but instead chose to downsize the exhibition space from its traditional four halls to possibly just two at the Makuhari Messe in Chiba prefecture east of Tokyo.

Shortened Tokyo show to counter mass exodus via global debut of production supercar

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HOT on the heels of news that this year’s biennial Tokyo motor show will not play host to some of the globe’s biggest and most high-profile car-makers comes news from the US that Lexus will unveil the production version of its long-anticipated supercar there.Mercedes-AMG recently confirmed year-long speculation that it will build a successor for the McLaren SLR in the first ‘gullwing’ Benz since the 1950s, and now it seems Toyota’s luxury division will do the same at Japan’s highest-profile auto extravaganza come October.Lexus has produced a series of LF-A supercar concepts over a number of years, including the convertible LF-A roadster that made its Australian debut at the Melbourne motor show earlier this month. But now it seems the world’s largest car-maker will indeed throw caution to the wind by committing itself to its first full-blown supercar despite the global economic slow-down.If respected US automotive website Edmunds.com and its source are correct, expect the production version of the 400kW-plus V10-powered super-coupe to make its long-awaited global production debut in Tokyo on October 23 – rather than at the same month’s Frankfurt motor show a month earlier.

2009 Corvette line-up

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Corvette C6 Coupe and ConvertibleThe introduction of the larger, more powerful, 6.2 litre LS3 V8 engine at the start of 2008 has boosted both the performance and the popularity of the Corvette C6. The small-block V8 is rated at 325 kW (437 hp) and 586 Nm of torque, giving a top speed of 306 km/h and is available in both the Corvette Coupe and Convertible with the choice of six-speed manual and six-speed paddle shift automatic transmission.It has ensured that the sixth-generation Corvette is the most successful ever sold in Europe.Since the C6 model made its European debut at the 2004 Geneva Motor Show, around 6000 have been sold by Corvette Europe distributors. A series of detail enhancements are set to ensure that the success story continues.The Corvette principles of a performance car that is agile, ‘placeable’ and responsive in spirited driving, while at the same time luxurious and comfortable in daily driving are further enhanced for 2009 model Corvettes with speed-sensitive, variable ratio power steering, which reduces sensitivity around the straight ahead position, enhancing high-speed stability while at the same time aiding steering response at higher cornering angles. Additional refinements include changes to the ABS and traction control software, and active handling hardware.The Corvette Coupe also features as an option an one-piece transparent removable roof panel, complementing the body shape which ensures that the Coupe, at 0.28 coefficient of drag, remains the most aerodynamic Corvette built. The body shape features racing-developed anti-lift characteristics that improve high-speed stability.The Corvette Convertible features a power-operated soft top, utilising a single-button control to complete the opening or closing cycle in just 18 seconds. The Corvette’s structure, including an aluminum windshield frame, was designed using extensive computer airflow models to improve top-down quietness – especially for noise frequencies in the range of passenger conversations.The Luxury package, optional on the C6 Coupe and standard on the Convertible includes a memory package for the heated seats and power telescoping steering column, a head-up display including G-force meter, a Bose® 7-speaker audio system and light-sensitive, auto dimming rear view mirrors. New colours include Cyber Gray and the option of Competition Gray alloy wheels to further enhance the Corvette’s exterior appearance.