Monday, May 30, 2011

1967 Pontiac GTO Commercial


A commercial for one of the most popular American muscle cars ever made, the 1967 Pontiac GTO. "The Great One" is here.

Thursday, May 26, 2011

American Beauties - Muscle Cars


If there is one type of car that has captured the hearts and imaginations of Americans all over, both young and old, rich and poor, it's the American muscle car. These fine cars have been the quintessential image of the American automobile industry, and have become popular icons in modern culture, appearing as the vehicles of choice for fictional protagonists, the rich and successful, and those with free spirits yearning for the open road.

Muscle cars were born in the years between the mid 60s to the mid 70s. The typical model for sale back then was equipped with a very powerful engine, and sold at an affordable price. These cars were made for the average American who wanted to quench their thirst for speed and to satisfy their love for driving. With the many different styles and models coming from many manufacturers, there's a muscle car that can fit anyone's style and taste.

The muscle became weak and almost died, however, when fuel prices skyrocketed and the economy began to falter, forcing many Americans to trade their muscle cars for smaller, lighter, and less powerful cars. And for a while, this trend continued.

Soon, the love for the muscle returned, and the beauties of old began to be resold, by dealers who collect and restore old cars, or owners who saved their muscle cars in near mint condition.

American muscle automobiles for sale today vary in price, quality, engineering, and performance. Restored muscle cars are ones that have been saved from junkyards and old garages, and restored to perfect condition. They can be restored to near original form, with very minimal modifications, or can be modified to have modern technology.

Then there are originals, which are cars that have not been restored or modified. They are usually in tip-top shape, with the original engine, paint, interior, tires, and wheels, making them rare collectibles and fetching very high prices. These cars are usually sought after by car collectors who are passionate about the rich history of the vehicles.

Whether restored or original, one can be sure that one of these vehicles carries with it the heritage and legacy of the American automotive industry. And owning one is certainly both a privilege, and a pleasure.






Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/4721401

Monday, May 23, 2011

Top Gear - Nitrous Jaguar


The Top Gear team get excited about this tweaked Jaguar, now going superfast! With the help of Nitrous Oxide, the Jag is well on its way to beating the ferrari in a drag street race. From the BBC.

Friday, May 20, 2011

A Brief History Of The Jaguar Collection


They say that everything moves in circles and if that is true then a popular car manufacturer might be about to head back to the big time. Jaguar who has just released the highly successful XF are currently experiencing a sharp upturn in popularity after years of sitting around mid-table obscurity within the car industry.

Back in the 1990's the Jaguar collection ruled the roads over the BMW and Mercedes brands, with many sales representatives cruising up and down the highways and roads of the United Kingdom. It was the car to own if you were a top sales rep and you could have expected to get some extra bonus points or credit if you turned up at a sales meeting in a Jaguar. Car are often looked upon as status symbols and companies back in the late eighties and nineties would rightly or wrongly assume that you were doing well as a company if your employee turned up in a nice new flashy Jaguar.

As well as the prestige of the road cars the dominance of the Jaguar collection extended onto the race track as the firm entered and then dominated the Le Man 24 hour endurance event with their XJR-9 and Jaguar XJR-12 cars that became iconic symbols for motorsport fans around the world as they took away from the dominance of the Porsche car's that had controlled the series. You can still see pictures of the Silk Cut liveried cars at Le Mans today.

In the late nineties the brand suffered a bit of a downturn in sales, whether it was because the company lost their way with styling or whether the build quality of the cars suffered is not for sure. BMW and Mercedes managed to overhaul their rival and took a large stake in the market. Everyone seems to have their own opinion on why the Jaguar collection from the late 90's struggled to live up to the company's predecessors, but what we do know is that the company managed to find its feet again when the company worked in association with Aston Martin in the early stages of the new millennium. Aston Martin manufactured the DB7 which was revolutionary. It provided the market with something new and fresh, but ultimately it was expensive. Because of this Jaguar developed the XK8 which was modeled closely to the principles that had been set out in the Aston Martin.

The company is now thriving under new ownership from the Tata Motors Ltd, who has managed to install the prestige back into the Jaguar collection and their range of products and if the new XF is anything to go by then the future for Jaguar is looking very bright.




Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/3988675

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Highlights Auto Shanghai 2011


Innovative, dynamic and digitally connected: the Concept A-CLASS premiered at the Auto Shanghai 2011, and is a sneak peak at future models. Visually, the concept car is characterized by a long hood and a flat silhouette, pure dynamism. The drive train is innovative with a two-liter four-cylinder engine with 155 kW of power, which is coupled to a new dual-clutch transmission.

Friday, May 13, 2011

Interesting Facts About Mercedes-Benz


 Mercedes-Benz is actually a German manufacturer for high-end cars, buses, trucks and coaches. Ever since the organization was founded in 1886, it's been a division of the parent company, Daimler AG. Mercedes-Benz is well known because of their quality and sturdiness of their automobiles. The amount of technological and security features that Mercedes brought to the industry is immeasurable and has become a necessary feature in almost all other vehicles. Listed here are some interesting facts about Mercedes-Benz.

Mercedes-Benz automobiles were first seen in market in 1901 by Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft, a German company. The very first vehicles which bore the Mercedes brand name were produced commercially in 1926 following the merging of two of the largest automobile manufacturers of that time, Karl Benz and also Gottlieb Daimler to create the Daimler Benz Company. Before 1894, Mercedes vehicles took part in the earliest automobile race located in Paris but has completely withdrawn ever since the late 1930 following the Le Mans incident in which a Mercedes vehicle killed around 80 people in the collision. Mercedes returned to the motor sport scene later by taking part in the various racing events including Le Mans, DTM and F1 races with Sauber.

A Mercedes-Benz manufactured car won't ever rattle nor squeak regardless of age. The reason being Mercedes cars are welded in 10000 places which don't allow any space for the loosening of bolts and nuts. Their engines are also something to marvel at. Their engines include overhead camshafts that deliver smooth, silent, safe driving even at high speeds. The engines are put through rigorous testing by the engineers and they are hand signed by them before put into an automobile to guarantee the quality of the engine. Even their steering system includes a built-in shock absorber to provide the passengers with a far more comfortable ride.

The coat of paint on a Mercedes car is smooth and glossy as a result of amount of effort placed into it. There are actually four coats of paint sprayed on the car before being hand polished. The last coat of paint is salt resistant and is also done manually for that smooth, glossy touch you see on all Mercedes-Benz cars. Even the tires used are of superior quality and it is capable of carrying an entire load of passengers smoothly even during high speeds.

All Mercedes models include fully synchronized manual and automatic transmissions as standard features. Higher series models however only incorporate automatic transmission. Mercedes-Benz automobiles are made to provide you with an unique driving experience like no other. The seats inside their cars are designed after consultation with an orthopedic physician and offer the kidney, back and knee-join areas with support to prevent backaches along with other complications during driving and with all that being said, there's no question about Mercedes-Benz being the leader in the automobile industry.







Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6137355

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

BMW At The 2011 Auto Shanghai


Have a look at the BMW stand at the Auto Shanghai. Among the highlights of this year are the world premiere of the BMW 6 Series Coupe and the word premiere of the BMW Concept M5.

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Insist On OEM Auto Body Parts

One of the easiest ways to get ripped off in the automotive world is by having a body shop use cheap, third-party auto body parts on your car repair. Like all auto parts, body parts have a tremendous markup, and if you don't know what you are doing, it can be easy to be taken advantage of by unscrupulous repair centers. Insisting on using OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) parts will secure that your repair job comes off perfectly, and you wind up with a vehicle that is "as good as new."

Unfortunately, fender-benders and accidents can happen, and at these times car owners can become understandably flustered and confused. The entire process of dealing with insurance companies, filing police reports, and seeking estimates from body shops can be a bit overwhelming. It's not surprising then, that many people just want to put the entire experience behind them, and they rush through the process of having their auto repaired.

But this can be a big mistake in several ways. For example, unless you specify the type of parts you would like to use on your repair, and are prepared to oversee the repair to make sure it is to your satisfaction, many body shops will use cheap, third world quality replacement auto body parts, lowering the value of your vehicle.

Why would a body shop knowingly do this? As usual, the answer comes down to money. If your insurance company reimburses the auto shop $2000 for the job, and they can buy a cheap "knock off" auto body parts for one third the cost of standard quality parts, this results in a great deal of profit to the body shop!

But while this may be wonderful for the body shop's bottom line, it is terrible for the car owner. You can easily wind up with substandard auto body parts on your car, or even parts that do not fit perfectly.

Of course, the best way to avoid all this is to use OEM car parts. You never have to concern yourself about either the quality or the fit of your auto body parts if you insist upon OEM. And if a body shop mechanic should attempt to talk you out of using OEM body parts, you should be very skeptical. The odds are, they are simply trying to lower their expenses in order to increase profits. Don't fall for it!

Other times, body shop mechanics will ensure you that they only use OEM body parts, but you still need to be diligent and examine the final work. Unfortunately, somebody shops will claim to use only OEM parts, but in reality they are substituting cheaper "knock offs" that wind up on your car. Besides being unethical and disreputable, this is also illegal and it is called fraud. If you discover a body shop misrepresenting the parts they are selling you, it is recommended that you contact both the police and the Better Business Bureau.

In general though, most body shops will gladly use OEM parts when requested. If you have any doubt about the reputation of the body shop, be sure to also get it in writing. That way you will have documentation if it should be needed to prove fraud or other wrongdoing in the future.

Insisting upon OEM auto body parts for your car repair will ensure your vehicle is returned to you in "factory new" condition.




Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/791443

Monday, May 2, 2011

2013 Porsche 918 Spyder Goes Into Production


The star of the 2010 Geneva Auto Show, the Porsche 918 Spyder gets the green light to go into production. The delivery date of the $850,000 supercar hybrid will be November of 2013 and will be available in America. Screw the electric bill this car screams.