Saturday, July 30, 2011

A Brief History Of Audi


In 1899 a gentleman named August Hoch founded a company called Horch & Co. In 1901 he invented his first vehicle with the help of 15 workers. By 1909 August left this company because of major problems on the commercial management side of things. Mr Hoch then founded a new company called Audi; the name was derived from the Latin translation of the word Hoch. August chose this name because he wanted to build cars under his own name. In 1910 the brand Audi Automobile were GmbH. Production of vehicles by Audi continued until the First World War.

During the war Audi was forced to help produce vehicles for the war effort, and then following the war there was a recession which almost saw the end of the brand itself. Horch left the management in 1920, leaving the management of the firm to battle through the hard times from 1927 through 1930. In 1931 the management decided that the only way to keep the company afloat would be to merge with other vehicle manufacturers. This saw the creation of what was called the Auto Union. This union between manufacturers had great success until the Second World War. During the war every factory in Germany was destroyed by American bombers. After the war, there were many military vehicles that required spare parts and maintenance; this was the main reason for the manufacturers to have a new start in Ingolstadt, Germany.

Daimler-Benz took an 87% holding into the Auto Union Company in 1958 which increased to 100% in 1959. They then decided to dispose of the Auto Union Company brand based on its lack of profitability in 1960. Coincidentally the closing of this company allowed the brand name of Audi to be rediscovered by opening the newly closed factory which had already drawn up a near production ready modern four stroke engine.

Volkswagen acquired a 50% holding in the new Audi firm in 1964, 18 months later it bought the rest of the controlling stock and by 1966 Volkswagen was using the Audi plant to assemble an extra sixty thousand beetles per year. By 1970 Volkswagen introduced the Audi brand in the US. At this time the Audi image was conservative. With models like the Audi 50, Audi 100 and the Audi 80. The 1986 Audi 80 was considered to have an image of someone's grandfather's vehicle. Then in 1987 Audi produced a new and elegant for its time, Audi 90. The Audi 90 had a set of standard features that surpassed anything Audi had released previously.

During the early 1990's Audi began to shift its selling demographic and target a younger consumer base. Body styles were reworked to be more aerodynamic and pleasing to the eye while new engines were developed to offer more performance on the road coupled with suspension modifications which made the vehicle more responsive and fun to drive.

From 2000 onwards Audi's sales have continued to grow. Audi now has six different manufacturing plants around the world in order to keep up with the demand for its vehicles. For a company that basically disappeared in its early years it has to be noted as one of the most successful recoveries of a brand in the history of the automotive business.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6268051

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

BMW history. The BMW 3.0 CSI.


The BMW 3.0 CSI has been built between 1971 and 1975. It is a powerful car with 200 horsepower.

Star Tech European in Vacaville specializes in working on BMW's. The auto repair business doesn't have the best reputation, so we go the extra mile to build trust. That includes taking extra time to really explain what your car needs and why. Our goal is to give professional, friendly, honest service without the stress and hassle of going to the dealer. We will never sell you something you don't need.
707-455-8870

Friday, July 22, 2011

Fifty Years Of The Jaguar E-Type


It seems incredible that fifty years have elapsed since the launch of the Jaguar E-Type at the Geneva Motor Show in 1961. That's half a century! And like so many other developments of the 1960s - manned space flight - supersonic passenger transport - it still seems so far ahead of its time. Clearly technology has continued to progress in so many areas in the last fifty years but the sixties was a phenomenal decade for big headline breakthroughs.

There were of course other high performance contemporaries of the Jaguar. Aston Martin's DB4, Chevrolet's Corvette and the Ferrari 250GT. But these were all cars with price tags between two and three times that of the E-Type. Jaguar's new sports car brought superlative speed and acceleration within the reach of, well, perhaps not the masses, but certainly a vastly increased number of motoring enthusiasts. It is perhaps the styling which was the biggest contributor to its iconic status. While each of its competitors has their admirers, no other car seems to have such universal appeal. Each curve flows into the next in a beautiful seamless whole. Even the great Enzo Ferrari had to admit it was "the most beautiful car ever made". Perhaps the greatest tribute to the beauty of the E-Type is its exhibition in the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Now, fifty years on, even those who are not car enthusiasts have heard of the Jaguar E-Type and are able to appreciate its beauty.

The E-Type came to market on the back of Jaguar's most successful decade in motor sport. The Jaguar team won no less than five Le Mans throughout the 1950s with their C-Type and D-Type competition cars. Much of the styling of the E-Type was already apparent in the D-Type and the competition successes undoubtedly contributed to the immense interest enjoyed by the E-Type at its launch.

Today, the E-Type remains an influence in the styling of cars made by Jaguar. In 2000 a concept for a Jaguar F-Type was presented to the public however plans to build the car were shelved. Recently, the current owner of Jaguar, Tata, announced that development of a new F-Type is to proceed although no launch date has been given. If it is to have the impact its predecessor had 50 years ago, it will need to be an astonishing car indeed.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5942823

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Visit The Porsche Museum In Stuttgart



About 80 vehicles and many small exhibits are on display at the Porsche Museum in a unique ambience. In addition to world-famous, iconic vehicles such as the 356, 550, 911, and 917, the exhibits include some of the outstanding technical achievements of Professor Ferdinand Porsche.


Star Tech European in Vacaville specializes in working on Porsche. The auto repair business doesn't have the best reputation, so we go the extra mile to build trust. That includes taking extra time to really explain what your car needs and why. Our goal is to give professional, friendly, honest service without the stress and hassle of going to the dealer. We will never sell you something you don't need.
707-455-8870

Thursday, July 14, 2011

How Often Should I Get An Oil Change?


Both drivers and technicians each have ideas about just how long your vehicle can or should go between oil changes, and there is no shortage of rumor on the subject. Although cost is a factor to consider, just how many miles should you put on your engine before getting that oil changed? Will more frequent oil changes positively affect your vehicle's performance? The truth is, there is no set limit, the frequency of oil changes depends entirely on the type of vehicle you drive, how you drive, and the requirements of the engine powering it.

Typically, the factory recommended oil change interval for most vehicles is once a year or every 5,000 to 7,000 miles (whichever comes first). There are some manufacturers who even recommend a lengthy interval of up to 10,000 miles. The generally accepted interval is every 3,000 miles or six months, whichever comes first.

The documentation which accompanies every vehicle normally states somewhere in the fine print that the recommended service interval is for vehicle operation under "ideal operating conditions", but just what are those conditions? As far as driving habits go, what most people would consider normal operation is actually very hard on your engine's oil. Rapid and repeated acceleration is engine oil's worst nightmare, yet generally that is how most cars and trucks are driven today. This is sometimes referred to as severe service driving.

Severe service driving includes, but is not limited to, the following characteristics:

* Sustaining interstate highway speeds during hot weather

* Frequent, short trips of 1-10 miles, particularly during extremely cold or hot weather

* Stop-and-go urban traffic

* Dusty conditions such as dirt and gravel roads, driveways, etc.

From the list above, it can be safely assumed that most of us operate our vehicle in one or more of those conditions, in which case a maximum recommended oil change interval is every 3,000 miles. Many drivers take a more preventative approach and have their oil changed every 3k miles or 6 months regardless of driving habits or vehicle usage. In some cases, however, this can be considered excessive, as newer low-mileage engines normally do not require a new supply of oil that often, especially if it is being driven for 10 miles or more one way and operated mainly on the highway.

Some owners opt for the opposite side of the spectrum and have their oil changed every 7k miles or even more. Some manufacturers which previously recommended more lengthy service intervals have run into problems with sludging, which can lead to very costly repairs. As the mileage of a vehicle's engine increases, the rate of blow-by also increases. Blow-by is the leakage of gases from the combustion cylinder of an engine between the piston and cylinder wall into the crankcase. This phenomenon, over time, will dilute the oil with unburned fuel leading to sludge and acids, and if the oil is not changed often enough it could result in untimely engine failure due to accelerated wear. For vehicles with older engines, and those with high miles, it is recommended that the oil be changed once every 3,000 miles.

Engines using high quality synthetic oil can generally run longer on each oil change, however using synthetic does not necessarily mean that your interval should be drastically lengthened, and the engine manufacturer requirements may vary. High performance engines in many European imports such as BMW and Mercedes using synthetic oil still require a regular oil change every 3,000 to 5,000 miles, and these fine-tuned engines can suffer even greater from delayed service.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/4871076

Saturday, July 9, 2011

Jaguar E-Type sculpture at Goodwood 2011


A striking iteration of the Jaguar E-type, which celebrates its 50th birthday this year, will be the centrepiece at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Made out of steel tubes, the distinctive shape of the world's most-loved sports car is captured in a truly jaw-dropping manner -- the result soars 28 metres into the air in front of the beautiful backdrop of Goodwood House.

Thursday, July 7, 2011

BMW Engines and Accolades


BMW offers customers an exceptional choice of powerful and remarkably fuel efficient engines across the BMW model range, winning numerous awards year after year, making it the Ultimate Driving Machine. http://bmwusa.com/

Monday, July 4, 2011

Journal For A Cause


Star Tech European has a selection of handcrafted journals available as a fundraiser for a good cause in the person Alan (Hardy) Anderson. He is a 24-year old who has been battling two kinds of cancers for two years now. Alan has been consistently in and out of the hospital and soon will go for a bone marrow transplant surgery.

Alan Anderson is a wonderful young man who is always happy, no matter what. He is the most thoughtful and caring individual that I know. He is always willing to lend a hand to anyone in need. Before his illness, he volunteered regularly at church. He helped coordinate and lead the games every Wednesday evening with children from 1st to 6th grade. This is just a couple of the many things that Alan has done to help others and share his enthusiasm and joy for life.

Alan can no longer drive, but cannot wait until he can drive his car again. His immediate dream is to walk in his brothers wedding.

Alan's Mom, Janelle Bogue, is a friend and unfortunately because of her sons illness, expenses are piling up. She and her husband have depleted their savings with bigger expenses on the horizon as Alan makes trips to Stanford for preparation for the bone marrow transplant.

Don's daughter, Ashley Holton-Westhaver has made these wonderful handcrafted journals and is offering them at Star Tech European for a $20 donation as a fundraiser to help out. The journals measure 10"x7.5"

We appreciate your help.

Sunday, July 3, 2011

Mercedes-Benz.tv: GT5 Meets the Real World


15 gamers have qualified for a unique event: A two-day competition on an actual race track. The winner will receive a real SLS AMG. Follow the action on: www.facebook.com/Mercedes-Benz

Friday, July 1, 2011

Mercedes-Benz.tv: 'Transformers 3' Film Premiere in Berlin


In the third part of 'Transformers', Mercedes-Benz has a starring appearing with the SLS AMG. Here are the highlights from the film premiere in Berlin.