Kamis, 30 April 2009

Bentley Continental GT Speed

The Bentley Continental GT is the worlds fastest, 4 seater car every part of the car is beautifully crafted. The Bentley Continental GT is one of the most desirable cars in the world today, appreciated for both the sumptuous luxury it provides and the levels of performance it can deliver. As such the tyres for this car have been specially designed to provide excellent comfort and stability when cruising and high levels of grip when enjoying the driving experience that the Bentley has to offer.

The Bentley Continental GT has been praised not just for style and luxury but also for its performance and road holding. The Kistler RoaDyn system was used measure real life loads on the suspension components and assemblies to allow minimum un-sprung mass to be combined with durability. The Bentley Continental GT 6.0 is immensely comfortable like driving in an Armani suit, and is rocket fast with breathtaking acceleration. It has quietly understated good looks, a real wolf in sheep's clothing!

The Bentley Continental GT Speed one of the the fastest Bentley cars ever produced for the road. The engine ratings on the standard Continental GT still remain, though. The laws of physics were drawn up to prevent things as massive as the 2009 Bentley Continental GT Speed from traveling so quickly. With 600 hp being dropped onto the pavement through all four tyres, this 5,200-pound Bentley manages to counteract gravity by accelerating with tremendous thrust. And still people try and improve it as does Bavarian exotic auto tuners Mansory, designers of the $2.5 million Vincero Bugatti Veyron, have unveiled their latest creation , a killer matte black Bentley Continental GT Speed. Mansory specializes in souped-up supercars, and the GT Speed is no exception with its 6.0L W12 boosted by 75 hp for a total of 685 hp plus an additional 111 lb-ft of torque allowing it to hit a new top speed of about 216 mph.

Minggu, 26 April 2009

History of the Mercedes


We associate the name of Mercedes with wealth or car quality. What many of us don’t know is that the car itself dates back to over a hundred years.

To tell the story of Mercedes brand cars, you first must know the characters involved with the company. Those characters are Gottlieb Daimler and Carl Benz. Both men were born only 60 miles apart in southern Germany. Daimler was born March 17, 1834. A decade later, on November 25, Carl Benz was born. Although they grew up with little in common, machines from an early age fascinated both boys. Because their approach to building cars was quite different, it is doubtful, though, that they met or even knew what the other was doing.

In 1886, Carl Benz built a motorized tricycle. His first four-wheeler, the Victoria, was built in 1893. The first production car was the 1894 Benz Velo, which participated in the first recorded car race, the Paris-Rouen race. In 1895, Benz built his first truck.

In 1886, Gottlieb Daimler literally built a horseless carriage. Although we think of the car as being German, its history dates far back into America as well. In 1888 Daimler made a business deal with William Steinway (of piano fame) to produce Daimler's products in the US. From 1904 until a fire in 1907, Steinway produced Mercedes passenger cars, Daimler's light trucks, and his engines on Long Island.

Ironically, history says Daimler, generally considered to be the father of modern automobiles, never liked to drive. On March 6, 1990, Daimler died, leaving control of his company to his chief engineer Wilhelm Mayback. By November 22 of that year, Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschat had produced a special car for Emil Jellinek. Jellinek named the car after his ten-year-old daughter Mercedes. This car was lighter and smaller than the standard car of its day and because of this was able to reach a top speed of 55 miles per hour.

Up until 1908, Daimler had overshadowed Benz in racing endeavors. At the 1908 French Grand Prix, Benz took second and third place behind Lautenschlager driving a Mercedes.

At the beginning of the First World War, both factories were converted into production sites for war materials, although both resumed producing cars after the war. Social unrest and a falling economy characterized post-war Germany. Little or no fuel for cars and a 15% luxury tax made automobile production increasingly disastrous.

The German economy continued to worse and a new Benz automobile eventually cost 25 million marks. Although nearly 15 million cars were registered in the world in 1923, over 80% of them were registered in the US and over 1/2 were Fords. The Mercedes was too expensive.

In 1924, from sheer economic necessity, Benz and DMG signed an "Agreement of Mutual Interest." Although both companies retained their identities, the agreement was valid until the year 2000. The two companies merged with relative ease on June 28, 1926.

A new insignia was needed to represent the merger. The design was a three-pointed star wreathed with laurel. The word "Mercedes" was at the top and the word "Benz" was at the bottom. The merger did the new company well. Production of Mercedes-Benz rose to 7,918 Mercedes-Benz automobiles in 1927. The Mercedes-Benz diesel truck was put into production in 1927, also.

The first two automobiles to sport the Mercedes-Benz name were the Stuttgart and the Mannheim. Then in 1928 the Mercedes SS was introduced by Mercedes-Benz. This graceful body was made possible by a hood line that barely cleared the engine.

Mercedes-Benz launched their biggest and most prestigious car to date in 1930. The 770 Grosser was powered by an 8 cylinder, 7.6 liter engine. A car for the truly wealthy of the world, it was quite an automobile for showing off in a world economy still reeling from the Wall Street Crash of 1929.

The cars of the 1930s produced great racing success for Mercedes-Benz. The silver metal bodywork gave rise to the name Silver Arrows when the W25 racer (of Rudolph Caracciola fame) had the white paint removed to lower its weight.

W125 (200 mph top speed) won seven out of thirteen races in 1937 followed by the successful W154. In 1939 Mercedes-Benz built a small V8 races specifically to win the Tripoli GP. It did win!

The Mercedes-Benz 170V gave Mercedes the capability of surviving and then recovering from WW II.

Today the Mercedes of course is still being built and is still revered as a car of quality.

Improvements Made On The Aston Martin DB9

Aston Martin is one of the strongest makers in the auto market. They are well notable for creating cars that contain speed, performance, and luxury combined into one perfect bundle. They have made lots of models - but none is more popular to us than the DB9.

This is a supercar that has been produced with many of the good things in mind and no holes blocked. It is no wonder that everyone endeavors to get their hands on one of these beauties. For the 2009 model year Aston Martin out performed themselves and managed to develop a supercar that was much better then the year earlier - if that is feasible.

The 2009 DB9 is offered as a convertible and a 2+2 coupe. The convertible was dubbed the Volante - which is interpreted as ‘flying’ in Italian. This is a perfect name for something that is outfitted with a tremendous measure of power. The wheels practically lift themselves from the street when you start to test its limits. Leastways they feel that way.

Each model are given a 6.0 liter V12 engine that has the ability to push out 470 horsepower and 443 pound feet of torque. Fused with this engine is a six speed manual or a six speed automatic. Both of these transmissions are settled at the rear transaxle to provide better weight dispersion and are made with paddle shifters.

The only way that you can have the right supercar is if you are able to to settle on how to embellish it yourself. Aston Martin lets you to pick out the color combinations that will fit your style. You can find the soft top for the Volante in seven unique colors that include leather.

Every models come standard with xenon headlamps, 19” allow wheels, navigation system, a full leather trim interior, Bluetooth connectivity, iPod interface, satellite radio, and a premium audio system that will out perform itself each time.

The 2009 Aston Martin DB9 is one of the best supercars on the market that has the ability to cover all the bases. It is no wonder that it has a price tag of over $100,000. But with this kind of luxury and power it is worth every penny.

Senin, 20 April 2009

Racing Motorcycle - Fast And Friendly

In the competitive world of racing motorcycles, most companies tend to bank on their racing teams to promote their street bikes. Heavy duty motorcycles with obscene amounts of power inside the chassis run across the tracks, and motorcycle racing fans find that they can own a little piece of the excitement by buying themselves civilian versions of the racers that their favorite bikers are running.

More often than not, this marketing approach has led most motorcycle manufacturing companies to come up with barely street legal specs for their civilian bikes, and the results are machines that are grossly expensive, difficult to maintain, and wind up causing accidents in the hands of bikers who don't possess the necessary skill level to handle such high performance bikes.

Honda has taken a different approach from it's competitors in this department, and has instead taken a people-friendly focus in their motorcycles. Their teams still continue to run - and win a lot - in motor sports events, but their civilian bikes aren't simply powered-down versions of their racers. They customize their civilian bike designs with the average person in mind.

One of the things that shows this approach is the price of a Honda motorcycle. Their price ranges both for the bikes and parts are considerably more affordable for people who just might want to ride a fast bike for fun without the need to cleave along the highway like a bullet.

Their parts are also much easier to find than most of their competitors, especially their european counterparts, and likewise are much cheaper while maintaining a high standard of quality. To add to the customer oriented approach, these same parts are also easier to install, replace, and yes, modify for those who want to push the specs of their crotch rockets a little higher. Honda service center personnel are highly trained under rigid standards to ensure they do their jobs on the bikes right.

Lastly, Honda also offers comprehensive packages as an added bonus, like extended warranties, insurance, and prepaid maintenance plans for their customers to make sure that they get the best deal available for their money. For Honda, service doesn't end right after the sale is made.

So, while Honda racing bikes perform on a par with their competition on the professional race tracks, their civilian bikes are made for the people who just want to ride for fun without the headaches involved with owning something just one step below formula specs.

The Bugatti Veyron: The World's Ultimate Supercar


In 1998 Volkswagen decided to resurrect the famous Bugatti name, and announced that their first new car, called the Veyron, would be the fastest production road car ever with a top speed that would eclipse the mighty Mclaren F1. To achieve that aim took over seven years of testing and development, and resulted in a critically acclaimed car that would cost over one million dollars.

The Veyron is named after a French Bugatti racing driver from the 1930's who went on to win the 1939 Le Mans in a 57C Bugatti. However, whilst the name of the car was set firmly in the past, Bugatti would have to push the limits and boundaries of automotive technology to achieve their aims.

In order to reach its 253mph top speed the Veyron is powered by a 8.3 litre W16 engine, the W configuration is achieved by joining two separate V8's together at the crankshaft. The resulting engine has a quoted power output of 1001PS or 987bhp, although it is an open secret that the real output is more likely to be around 1035bhp.

To contain the 1250NM of torque that the engine produced, Bugatti turned to the specialised gearbox manufacturer Ricardo in Great Britain, who came up with a seven speed, twin clutch direct shift gearbox controlled by paddles behind the steering wheel. The seamless shift system allows the Veyron to reach sixty in just 2.4 seconds.

Having designed an engine and gearbox that could take them to their planned top speed Bugatti needed to make sure the Veyron had suitable brakes and tyres to cope with extraordinary forces it could produce. Michelin produced the run-flat road tyres capable of surviving the 253 mph top speed, whilst silicon carbide reinforced carbon brakes and a huge rear spoiler, which acts as an airbrake above 124 mph, ensured that the Veyron could reach a standstill from 249 mph in just 10 seconds.

Inside the Veyron it is easy to see why this supercar weighs over 1.8 tons. It contains all the refinement you would expect in a luxury saloon, including exquisite leather trim for the seats and surrounds and bespoke aluminium controls for the car lights and sound system. The owner also a receives a special top speed key, which retracts the rear spoiler, closes the front air vents and lowers the ride height to 6.5 cm in preparation for a high speed run.

Externally the Veyron looks very similar to the early concept car, however much of its shape and form has been driven by the need to achieve high speed stability and cooling. In fact the Veyron has an incredible 10 radiators, which provide cooling for everything from the engine and transmission through to the hydraulic fluid that is used to raise the rear spoiler.

In every way the Veyron sets new standards for the ultimate supercar, and in these tough economic times it may be quite a while until will see those performance figures bettered.

Senin, 13 April 2009

The Wonderful World of Motorcycles

Motorbikes are considered heartthrobs in the automotive world. Bikes are conventional and normal bikes are used by ordinary, middleclass people who can not afford to buy themselves a car. It would not be an over statement that 90 percent of people who step into their professional lives and start earning buy a motor bike as a means of transportation. They can take their feet off the ground and flutter away on their vehicles.

These motorcycles are economical in many ways. Some third world countries have stared producing their local scooters and bikes so that almost any person who manages to save a little amount of money can afford a scooter easily.

This goes for countries that are on their way towards development. Motor bikes are not hard to assemble and there are people who have managed to build their very own bikes.

It does not consume as much fuel as cars do and they can easily adjust themselves between cars in the parking lot!

It is hard to categorize bikes because now the ordinary Yamahas are beginning to come in the markets with the same features as those of trail or heavy bikes. Not exactly the same but a lot of features are being installed in all kinds of bikes. They are now more comfortable and smooth to ride on.

Bikes are of numerous types. An ATV drift has become dominant over the past few years. In ATV there is a raptor 700R GYTR edition it's key features are much more advanced. It is appealing for bike lovers as it has special graphics system, all new skid plates and more powerful engine that can make this bike race in all sorts of riding environments. It is capable of riding smoothly in deserts, dunes and even thick woods. It is basically a sports bike and it is used in bike racing and over the years it has earned the reputation of the best racer in the world.

Such bikes are expensive and belong to the sporting world. They used to be rather plain featured as we have seen the trail bikes that come with extra shocks and special wheels. The latest bikes have no comparison; they are a complete package. Their bodies are light weight; they have bigger, smoother, comfortable cushion seats. And their over all performance is much more satisfying than people could imagine. Motorbikes are a joy to ride.

Body kits and beyond


If you have just bought yourself a new car then you are poised to enjoy personalizing it. You can personalize it to reflect your choice of colors and your taste in style. You can also make it suitable for your comfort related preferences. Finally if you are a performance car buff there are many products you can add to boost its performance.

The first aftermarket products many people consider are body kits. You will find a wide range of body kits are available and you will surely be able to find one that you like.

Even with body kits you have a choice of a basic body kit with front and rear bumpers or more elaborate ones with side skirting, spoilers and other surfaces that can be added to the exterior of your car.

However if you want to enhance the looks of your car you don’t have to stop with body kits. You can add a hood scoop, window louvers, car mirror, new stylish headlights, great looking tail lights and a host of other products. Quite a few of these products will enhance the look and also improve the performance. For example projector headlights look great and they also make your night driving safe by really lighting up the road brightly.

For performance there are a whole range of products for you to consider. Such as cold air intakes, racing seats, engine pulleys, racing pedal pads, coilovers cat-back exhaust, lowering springs and many more. Some of these products improve the performance significantly and some give a small boost. However if you are into high performance driving every little bit counts and you should consider all products in depth to decide how best to spend your budget. You can find more information on car aftermarket products at www.ilovebodykits.com.

The internet is a good place to gather information on the various products that are available. You can read the details and see pictures. And when you are making the final decision to buy you can compare prices.

Your car is a lot like your home. Once you have the basics in place you can enjoy doing it up to match your style and improve your comfort.

Minggu, 12 April 2009

BMW 650i Pros And Cons


The BMW 6 series was relaunched in 2004 with the BMW 645i. This car was a two door, four passenger luxury sports car. This car is ideal for a sports car enthusiast who would prefer a larger, more practical car compared to the 650's 2 passenger, lighter peers. In 2006, BMW upgraded the 645i to a 650i by increasing the engine a little. When including options and taxes, the 650i tends to run at about $80,000, so it's not exactly cheap. Here are the pros and cons of the car:

Pros

Amazing handling: The car is amazing to drive. When you drive the car, you feel as if you have total control over the vehicle. A car such as the Mercedes CLS (also priced near $80k) just cannot match this car's handling. The BMW 650i definitely has the handling one would expect from a German-made luxury sports car.

Gadgets: The BMW 650i comes with BMW's Idrive, an all-encompassing electronic system. The Idrive controls the navigation system, music, air conditioning, as well as communication system. The Idrive also has voice command, making it easy to use when driving. Some believe the Idrive is a bit difficult to operate. That's hogwash. Within two weeks of owning the car, anyone competent enough to use a computer or a DVD should be able to operate the Idrive flawlessly. The Idrive is the gadget-lover's ultimate car toy.

Interior: The interior of the 650i is beautiful. It has modern, classy feel to it. Your taller passengers will certainly appreciate being seated in the front though, as the back is not exactly spacious.

Acceleration: With a V8 and 360 hp, the car isn't exactly going to be outrun by a Civic. The acceleration and amazing breaks can also help you get out of accidents that other cars wouldn't be able to avoid.

Cons

Reliability: Expect to make stops at the service center every now and then. While it is a wonderful car, it is prone to electronic and tire issues.

Price: At about $80,000, it's not exactly in the everyman's budget. But if you are willing to spend this much money on a car, the 650i is definitely a good one to check out.

Senin, 06 April 2009

Subaru Impreza Versus the Mitsubishi Evo. Are They Starting to Show Their Age?



The first Mitsubishi Evo arrived in 1992 and the Subaru Impreza quickly followed it one year later. From that moment on, these two cars became arch rivals who would frequently lock horns both on the tough stages of the World Rally Championship, and in the pub bragging stakes as the debate raged over which was better, the Impreza or the Evo.

On paper both these cars seemed identical, both had 2 litre turbo charged engines, both had permanent four wheel drive and through the many variations that followed both grew increasingly more conspicuous wings, spoilers and flared wheel arches.

No matter which one of these Japanese road rockets you eventually favoured, the general consensus of opinion was that for a single lap of the race track the edgy Mitsubishi Evo was considerably more fun. However for the drive to and from the track you would stick with the more comfortable, but just as capable Subaru Impreza.

Sadly whilst both the Impreza and Evo were born to compete on the demanding gravel, tarmac and mud strewn roads of the word rally stage, both manufacturers have now withdrawn from the competition, and the kudos and respect that it once drew has been lost. After all, where else could you see your favourite car win a round of the world rally championship at the weekend, and then use the very same version for your Monday morning commute.

As their rallying glory days start to slip in to the past, Mitsubishi and Subaru have now released new versions of their fabled road cars in the shape of the Evo X, and the Subaru Sti. However, is the era of the four door supercar eater starting to pass? Especially now as the front wheel drive hot hatch seems to be making such a resurgence.

Whilst Mitsubishi has continued with the four door saloon theme, Subaru has bravely branched out and made the new Impreza a hatchback. Time will tell whether this has been a wise move, however from their powerful xenon headlight bulbs at the front to their high winged spoiler at the back, both cars still look ready to take on a rally stage, and more importantly both cars have the performance and handling to humble more exotic machinery.

Sadly the motoring press has not been too kind to either of these new versions, with many believing that previous generations of both the Evo and Impreza offered more involvement and driver enjoyment. This problem has been compounded by the new range of hot hatches from Ford, Vauxhall and Renault, which offer similar levels of performance for a lot less fuss.

The latest Subaru Impreza and Mitsubishi Evo are still incredible cars, however they no longer have the field to themselves and as car manufactures seek to economise further on their production, we may start to see these niche models disappearing.

Automatic Cars are the Latest Trend of Indian Car Market

The Indian car industry always offers something new to the people. They come up with the innovative technologies and creative designs that will enhance the drivability. Car with automatic transmission are very common abroad but in India it is recently gaining its popularity. Many car manufacturers are launching either new variants or new models equipped with automatic gear box. Now a day’s car with automatic transmission is experiencing good sales. Automatic cars are very popular among women drivers. They feel it easy to drive and this is the very reason for automatic car sales go high. With the growing demand of such cars and targeting the women driver many car manufacturers are launching the automatic versions of their models.

In 2008, Hyundai had rolled out the automatic version of Santro on women’s day as a limited edition. This clearly reveals their target audience. Some of the models enabled with automatic transmission are Hyundai's i20, Chevrolet Captiva (AT version), Fiat's Linea, Honda City, Mitsubishi Outlander, Mahindra Scorpio, Mitsubishi Outlander and the lists just goes on and on. Unlike before, the car manufacturers are offering five to six speed automatic transmission systems which result in better fuel-efficiency clubbed with improved pick up and performance.

One of the most popular and hot-selling cars with automatic transmission premium hatchback car-i10, which is sells more than 1,600 automatic transmission variants per month. This is an impressive figure which is more than the company initial expectations. The company received an overpowering response from woman drivers and the growing jamming in city is pushing up demand. Other than i10, Verna from the sedan segment too offers an automatic transmission. The car manufacturer is also thinking of bringing a variant exclusively for the physically challenged.

The Indian car manufacturer, Mahindra & Mahindra also launched the automatic version of Scorpio in 2008. Scorpio AT sports a complete 6-speed automatic gearbox and the powerful 2.2 litre mHawk engine. M&M’s flagship model Scorpio gets the credit of being the first Indian car brand and also the first SUV to be equipped with a 6-speed automatic transmission.

The trend of automatic cars is growing rapidly and every car manufacturer is trying to join the race. Honda, the Japanese car manufacturer already has variants with automatic transmissions like Civic, Accord, City, CR-V. As aforesaid it is one of the best features that a women driver looks for beside high-end features.

Another quick selling car with automatic transmission is Chevrolet Captiva. Normally Captiva has captured good sales in the Indian car market and now with the automatic versions the sales are gone still higher.

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