Car Spaces

Cars for Traders

admin — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 13:28:37 +0000

The best car for Stock Market traders are European cars like Mercedes, Audi and Volks. These are luxury cars that supports their luxurious living because they make a lot of money in the stocks exchange trading penny stocks and shares. Why would they need such cars when they spend almost the whole day inside NASDAQ and doesn’t go or drive around? Good question, well these rich people don’t really care, as long as they get what they want and spoil themselves, so they can stay happy and focus on what they do best, buy and sell penny stocks

A Car for the Winter and a Bike for the Summer

admin — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 08:35:20 +0000

I have always liked to treat myself when I can, and I feel like the time is coming again, where I need to dip my hand in my pocket and reward myself for all of my hard work! I have received two promotions this year, and all I have done with the extra money I have been earning is putting it in the bank for a rainy day. It occurred to me recently that the worst thing I could do is to save this money for a rainy day! I should be spending it in honour of a sunny day!

I had been driving a car for years, but I actually first took a test on a motorbike, and I had always meant to start riding again, but I never had the money in the past to buy a bike on top of my car. I realised that the time had come when I would be able to afford this, as long as I was careful. I found something pretty quickly on the internet which would be perfect for the summer months, but I wanted to check how much the insurance would cost me. It had been a long time since I had been out on a bike and I had absolutely no idea how much it would cost me to make me legal on the road on two wheels. I contacted a company called Carole Nash who provide specialist bike insurance. To my surprise, it was going to be very affordable indeed to get me up and running, and I delightedly went straight back to the site where I had seen vthe bike, and snapped it up without hesitation!

A Great Deal on a Used Car

admin — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 08:34:56 +0000

I recently ran into trouble with my old banger and I was told by my mechanic that it was going to cost about £100 to fix! I had a 1996 ford escort and as soon as he told me that, I knew that I needed to buy a new car. I was pretty convinced that I would be able to get a more modern car to replace the escort, with £1000!

I started to search online and I came across a great site which had a great used car which I really liked the look of. It was a Vauxhall Astra manufactured in 1999 and it had only done 97,000 miles! The car was being advertised for £750 or nearest offer so I knew that I had to go and see it. Fortunately the owner was happy for me to test drive the car, and they were only fifteen miles away from me.

As soon as I saw the car I knew that I would probably buy it. Just from looking at it it was clear that it was a far better car than my Escort. It was immaculate inside and out, save for a small scratch down the side of the passenger door. After a test drive I was even more convinced. The car drove perfectly and felt a million dollars compared to my old Escort. I bought the car there and then and happily towed my Escort to the scrap yard!

Audi TT 2.0 TDI Quattro

admin — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 23:37:33 +0000

The bastion has been razed: After luxury sedans and convertibles, Audi puts a diesel in a sports car, giving the hip TT a new 168-hp, 2.0-liter TDI engine.

Europeans will get the privilege of the low, sporty oil burner starting in June 2008, as the 2009 TT was on display at the 2008 Geneva auto show.

Road performance might not be classified as formidable, but the TT diesel is no slug. Audi says its 168 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque translate into a 0-to-62-mph time of 7.5 seconds (7.6 for the cabriolet) and a top speed of 140 mph (139 for the cabriolet). Rather more remarkable are the modest drinking habits: 44.3 mpg for the coupe and 42.8 mpg for the convertible in the Euro measuring cycle.

Despite the heavy diesel engine and standard all-wheel drive, the TT TDI coupe tips the scales at just over 3000 pounds, thanks to a hybrid aluminum structure used in all TTs where the front end is made of aluminum and the rear is conventional steel. It is cheaper than the fully aluminum structure of the A8 orR8, and it makes for better weight distribution.

This new common-rail four-cylinder diesel will eventually replace the current efficient—but noisy—unit-injector technology in all VW Group cars with four-cylinder diesels. It’s a sweet engine—we’ve sampled it in VW models—and it revs freely up to 5000 rpm, which is high for a diesel.

If you accept the loosely Rabbit-based TT as a sports car, then there is no vehicle class left without a diesel for Audi. Next up, we hope: the R8 V-12 TDI, which was unveiled as a concept at this year’s North American International Auto Show in Detroit. You can also find the world’s best cars and motorbike insurance in Detroit

Audi is not a cheap car to run, that is why most of the people you see with an audi works in the stocks exchange market, because they can afford to drive one. If you want to test drive one check your local audi dealer. Tell them you trade penny stocks and they may let you go

Cars are not the only vehicles that need insurance, motorbikes need it too! motorcycle insurance

Mercedes-Benz SL63 AMG

admin — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 23:33:53 +0000

At the Geneva auto show, Mercedes-Benz officials were stressing the company’s green aspirations ad nauseam—and then rolled out the latest AMG model, the 518-hp SL63 AMG. With a 6.2-liter V-8 engine underhood, this car is about as green as your average logging company.

The SL63 replaces the SL55 AMG, which was powered by a supercharged 5.4-liter V-8 that produced a mere 510 horsepower. The new car features face-lifted styling and interior revisions, plus a modified version of the company’s seven-speed transmission.

The SL63 certainly looks the part. The exterior changes that have been applied to all SL models make the car look more contemporary. The SL63 adds an aggressive front fascia and side skirts to signal its more sporting mien, plus standard 19-inch wheels and tires. Inside, there’s a special AMG steering wheel, gauge cluster, and shift lever to accompany other SL revisions that include an iPod interface and a Bluetooth phone hookup that both work pretty seamlessly.

Sophisticated Transmission

The most interesting feature of the car, however, is buried from view. Mercedes has decided to mate its conventional seven-speed planetary gearset with a multiplate wet clutch (instead of the usual torque converter) to make the closest thing Mercedes has to an automated manual gearbox. Whereas BMW and Audi have gone the twin-clutch, twin-shaft gearbox route, the AMG engineers cite weight as one reason for their solution. A twin-clutch gearbox that could handle the SL63’s 465 pound-feet of torque would weigh at least 44 more pounds. The fact that Mercedes already builds its own planetary gearsets must have factored in, too.

The transmission has five modes, selected by a rotary dial next to the shift lever: standard (comfort); sport; sport plus; manual; and a launch-control function. The sport and sport-plus modes produce progressively faster shifts and heavier doses of revs while downshifting. The manual setting is self-explanatory, allowing the driver control of the ratios via the shift lever or the steering-wheel-mounted paddles.

As with the previous SL55, Mercedes offers a Performance package that features more aggressive tuning of the active-body-control (ABC) suspension system; a torque-sensing limited-slip differential; and bigger front brake rotors, up in diameter from an already monstrous 14.2 inches to 15.4. The package will likely cost about $14,000 on top of a projected base price of $133,000.

Luxury Cruiser and Serious Sports Car

The upshot of all these changes is a pretty special automobile that is both luxury cruiser and serious sports car. Leave the transmission setting alone, the stability control on (there are three modes), and the ABC in its comfort mode, and the SL63 will eat up highway miles quite serenely. The only clue to its more aggressive demeanor is a truly spectacular V-8 engine note that wouldn’t disgrace a NASCAR event. The transmission isn’t quite as smooth as a conventional automatic in town, but it is way better than the sequential manual gearbox in the BMW M6.

Go aggressive on the ABC, transmission, and skid-control settings, and the SL63 is a fast, satisfying back-road car. Nicely weighted, faithful steering is allied to good body control and reasonably neutral chassis balance. On the track, you discover that 4350 pounds of automobile doesn’t respond well to attempts to brake and turn at the same time, when it will plow mightily, but it can be slid around like a much smaller sports car if one is patient on corner entry and uses the prodigious torque to unglue the 285/30 rear tires.

Fitted with the Performance package, the SL becomes something of a track star, thanks to better body control, sharper turn-in, and even more powerful brakes. Using the launch-control function, we predict a 0-to-60-mph sprint of about 4.2 seconds. Top speed is governed to 155 mph—the car gets there with alacrity and a soundtrack that is borderline illegal, along with whip-crack upshifts.

The SL63 isn’t as sporting as a Porsche 911 Turbo cabriolet, but it is a compelling alternative, and it makes one wonder why anyone needs to spend half a million dollars on an SLR McLaren roadster, unless the customer just wants to flaunt the amount of money he or she has. There are some cheap auto insurance around that an insure your Merc without damaging your pocket so subscribe now to our consumer mailing list for the monthly newsletter. When classes are resume, all students are required to finish their major projects for the last semester which includes writing custom essay.

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Pontiac G6

admin — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 23:32:16 +0000

The Pontiac G6 is one of the first General Motors products to be sold in the U.S. that shares a platform with European vehicles such as the Opel Vectra. Available initially in sedan and coupe form as a 2005 model, the G6 looks the part, but it hasn’t been the critical or sales success that GM would have liked. (In truth, the Saturn Aura and the Chevy Malibu are far-better-developed versions of the same basic underpinnings.)

The G6 comes in three body styles: sedan, coupe, and hardtop convertible. The sedan has a four-cylinder engine in base trim levels, with a 3.5-liter V-6 when sold as a GT model and a DOHC 3.6-liter V-6 engine making 252 horsepower in GXP guise. The coupe comes in GT and GXP forms; the convertible is available only in GT trim.

Verdict

The G6 is a decent vehicle but is solidly mid to back of the pack compared with more recent GM efforts and the best of the Japanese competition. We like the bold styling, especially on the coupe and hardtop convertible, but the ride and handling are only average, and the interior quality lags behind that of the class leaders. Still, the GXP models offer a lot of bang for the buck, and the convertible is one of the cheapest and most elegant four-place convertibles on the market.

Pontiac is almost as fast as Porsche, maybe because they also use Porsche Spare if I am not mistaken

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Mercedes-Benz SL550

admin — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 23:22:27 +0000

Mercedes-Benz chose Southern California for the worldwide first-drive program of its freshened 2009 SL-class roadster on account of, we thought, its friendly, relatively predictable March weather and access to fabulous roads. Although the blessed Left Coast location has both of those things, Mercedes attributed its choice of locations to something even more significant, asserting that it was bringing us to the roots of the SL-class. That’s right, Southern California is responsible for the very existence of the SL roadster itself.

Huh? According to Mercedes-Benz, in the SL’s not-so-humble beginnings—the storied 300SL Gullwing—there was little or no initial consideration for doing a roadster version. The butterfly doors on the coupe were designed to make the big two-seater accessible in tight European quarters, and without a roof, there would be no place to mount them. But according to the “legend,” California’s rich and famous—who didn’t share European space constraints, nor did they care much about Europeans, for that matter—clamored enough to make a case for a roadster version. The result was a beautifully proportioned instant classic.

Surprised? Just take a look around Los Angeles and you won’t be. There are more SLs on the road in Southern California, we’d guess, than anywhere else in the world. And so we set off feeling right at home as we got our first taste of the 2009 SL-class. The fact that it was a perfect sunny day in March and we were enjoying California’s trademark fabulous roads was icing on the cake.

Just as the Rich Get Richer, the Stylish Get More Stylish

Just as the wealthy always seem to find more money in their accounts after making withdrawals, style builds on style when it comes to their rides. The SL’s midcycle enhancement, then, brings with it a few effective styling changes, headlined by a new single-bar grille that evokes most of its SL forebears, flanked by L-shaped headlamps that evoke none of them. But they do tie the SL nicely to the CLS-classfour-door coupe-sedan thing and likely many sporting Mercedes-Benz models to come. To us, the lights look a bit discordant, primarily due to the rearmost edge having the same roundness as the previous SL’s now-dated peanut lights, no doubt to keep Mercedes from having to develop new fender stampings.

The fenders themselves on the SL550 and SL600 incorporate modified gill-type air outlets behind the front wheels and bracket a redesigned hood with two stupidly named “power domes,” which, in fact, are neither domes nor anything that gives the car more power (for the real power story in the SL lineup, look no further than our drive of the new SL63 AMG, with its naturally aspirated 518-hp, 6.2-liter V-8—and no power domes). Other modifications found on the SL lineup include larger side mirrors with curious arrow-shaped turn signals and, in the case of the SL550 and SL600, a faux air “diffuser” and trapezoidal exhaust tips at the rear.

In all, we’d say the changes are successful in adding presence and a sportier overall look to the car. Whether it’s more attractive is up to the beholder, we suppose. All we can say at this point is that, unlike the previous model, it now looks really good in red. More important, from Rodeo Drive to Indian Canyon Boulevard in Palm Springs, everyone seemed to notice that we were driving new Benzes.

New Steering Wheel, New Steering Sensations

A sporty new three-spoke steering wheel is the most dramatic change made to the SL’s interior. The only other changes of note are the mildly revised instrument cluster, a more logical COMAND infotainment system, and the newly available three-speed Airscarf system that blows warm air onto your neck. But it’s what you feel through the steering wheel, we’d say, that is more important.

The previous steering rack has been replaced by a new variable-ratio system that is a touch slow immediately off-center but gets really serious, really soon as the wheel turns toward 90 degrees. Seldom in our winding mountain driving experience—over the gorgeous Angeles Crest Highway toward Palmdale, back around Mount Waterman and down toward Palm Springs, with a stretch along the 6000-foot-high Rim-of-the-World Highway—did we have to feed the wheel from hand to hand in corners. Although feel and feedback are far from Porsche-like, both characteristics can be considered excellent and perfectly suitable for a sporting six-figure luxury-touring roadster.

Want a bit of oversteer? Simply stab the gas—particularly with the stability control (ESP) off—and the big roadster’s tail comes around quickly and predictably, making us feel perhaps a bit more confident on our drive than we should have given the narrow roads, often with steep drop-offs on one side and hungry-looking trees on the other. As ever, ABC (active body control) does a remarkable job of keeping body roll completely snuffed while soaking up all but the most torrid impacts; between the air springs and the solid construction inherent to all recent SLs, we noticed only a few jolts during our entire stint behind the wheels of both SL550 and SL600 models—impacts that probably would have caused much more of a disturbance to lesser cars and their occupants.

The SL’s brakes, however, felt a touch artificial as the hypersensitive anti-lock system constantly fiddled with the brake pressure at each wheel, especially when trail-braking into corners or on rough patches. This was most apparent in the SL550, whose 13.8-inch-front and 12.6-inch-rear rotors are each 0.4 inch smaller than those of the marginally heavier SL600. Still, both systems proved completely fade-resistant and more than capable of yanking the big two-seater abruptly down in speed.

Honda Civic

admin — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 23:00:05 +0000

Honda introduced a completely redesigned Civic in 2006, and little has changed since. Available as a four-door sedan or two-door coupe, the Civic boasts accurate steering, strong brakes, a roomy interior, and a willing suspension. The Civic’s styling—the large, fast windshield, minivan-like front end, and UFO-style two-tiered dashboard—incites a bit of controversy, as these are all love-them-or-hate-them elements.

Power is adequate with the base 140-hp, 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine, which is available with a slick-shifting five-speed manual or a five-speed automatic. Shoppers seeking more power might be interested in the Si model that offers a slightly larger and more powerful 2.0-liter four-cylinder with 197 horsepower. The Civic Si is only available with a six-speed manual transmission. For those seeking an uncompromised, near-sports-car-like experience, the Civic Si Mugen sedan keeps the powertrain of the Si but features a multitude of chassis and exterior tweaks.

Although all Civics boast excellent fuel economy, some buyers might want to stretch their fuel budget even further. For those who must have Toyota Prius –like fuel economy, Honda offers the Civic hybrid, which couples a small 93-hp, 1.3-liter four-cylinder engine with a 20-hp electric motor to boost fuel economy over 40 mpg. Honda also offers the Civic GX, which is powered by a natural-gas-burning, 113-hp version of the “normal” Civic’s 1.8-liter four-cylinder. The CNG Civic GX is the only production vehicle so equipped for sale in the United States today and is eligible for tax credits, although individuals can purchase one only in California and New York. The GX CNG is strictly available to fleet buyers in other states.

For 2008, Civic offers eight different trim levels (DX, LX, EX, EX-L, Si, Si Mugen, GX, and hybrid). Si Mugen, GX, and hybrid versions are only available as four-door Civic sedans.

Major competitors to the Civic lineup include the Chevrolet Cobalt, Ford Focus, Hyundai Elantra, Kia Spectra, Mazda 3, Nissan Sentra, Pontiac G5, Scion xB, Scion xD, Subaru Impreza, Suzuki SX4, Toyota Corolla, and Volkswagen Rabbit and GTI.

Verdict

The Civic distinguishes itself from the rest of its class by offering superb refinement and a somewhat sporty driving experience. Aside from its funky styling, the Civic is easy to love. From a gas-sipping hybrid to the track-ready Si versions, Honda builds a Civic for every lifestyle and budget.

Toyota Prius

admin — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 22:59:06 +0000

Few cars of the last decade have had the impact of the Toyota Prius hybrid. It wasn’t the first hybrid vehicle to enter the U.S. market, and the first-generation Prius had a quiet reception here, as it was too small, too slow and too conservatively styled to get much attention outside the hard-core environmentalist community. In contrast, the current-generation Prius, introduced in 2004, has attained celebrity status. It’s not just that it’s roomier, more fuel-efficient and cleaner-burning than the original, although these are all good reasons to consider buying one. It’s that this midsize hybrid hatchback looks like no other car on the market and thus allows its driver to make a personal and political statement. Add in the ability to drive a Prius solo in the carpool lane in California, its biggest market, and it’s clear the 2007 Toyota Prius will continue to sell in brisk numbers.The heart of the original Toyota hybrid car is a gas-electric drivetrain the company calls Hybrid Synergy Drive. In the Toyota Prius, the setup consists of a 1.5-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine paired with an electric-drive motor that draws power from a nickel-metal hydride battery pack (mounted under the car’s rear hatch area) — together they make 110 hp. A second electric motor functions solely as a generator, recharging the batteries. The primary electric-drive motor can also rejuice the batteries, using energy recaptured during braking. It sounds complicated, but a simplified continuously variable transmission (CVT) deftly shuffles power between the sources, providing smooth, seamless operation from the Prius driver’s point of view. The Prius’ claim to fame is its ability to operate under electric power alone at low speeds, which contributes to its low fuel consumption. With a combined EPA rating of 55 mpg, this is the most fuel-efficient car on sale in the U.S. for 2007.As technologically sophisticated as the Toyota Prius is, it’s a remarkably practical car to drive on a day-to-day basis. Its interior is spacious enough to accommodate a family of four in comfort, and a tight turning radius combined with light, electric-assist steering makes it extremely easy to maneuver in crowded urban areas. The one thing the Prius doesn’t offer is excitement, as its frugal drivetrain and modest handling capability make it one of the most tepid midsize cars on the road. This likely explains the introduction of the ‘07 Prius Touring model, which should provide slightly crisper handling along with a sportier look. If you’re shopping for a Prius, you should also consider the similarly priced Honda Civic Hybrid. Its acceleration is equally pokey but it has better road manners and more mainstream styling. For those who can spend a bit more, Toyota’s own Camry Hybrid offers a larger interior and all the comforts of a regular Camry. If you want to wear your green commitment on your sleeve, though, there’s no better choice for a hybrid car than the 2007 Toyota Prius.

Honda Accord Coupe EX-L V-6

admin — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 22:55:12 +0000

When Honda promises dramatic styling, there’s usually a collective groan from the Car and Driver nerve center. We’ve heard that line before, and the result is invariably as exciting as a meal of oatmeal and water.

But this time, the Accord coupe has the handsome design that’s needed in the coupe market. It’s not quite as slinky as the brand-new ’08 Altima coupe, but its svelte lines are arguably better balanced and offer more room—three more cubic feet of interior space (93 versus 90)—but the trunk is far bigger at 12 cubic feet (compared with the Altima’s 7).

Because of its superior sedan underpinnings, the Accord coupe is a better machine than the Altima. It’s certainly fast. The sonorous and smooth 3.5-liter V-6 engine makes a solid 268 horsepower and 248 pound-feet of torque, enough to motivate the car from 0 to 60 mph in 5.6 seconds, 0.2 second quicker than the Altima. The Accord reaches 100 mph from rest in 13.6 seconds, 2.1 seconds earlier than the Nissan. The six-speed manual transmission fitted to our tester was slick and easy to use.