When it comes to cars, Americans in particular practice extreme brand loyalty. Those who are financially successful often want a car befitting their success; a brand that reflects their appreciation for the finer things in life. When it comes to luxury cars such as this, nothing comes close to the BMW Car.

The BMW car had its beginnings in Munich, Germany in the year 1913. The Bavarian Motors Works company (BMW) was the brainchild of Karl Friedrich Rapp who wanted to build a solid, luxury vehicle that was unsurpassed in performance. As each year passed, the BMW experienced a bevy of design changes; but the principles fundamental to the company’s reputation remained the same –superlative craftsmanship and high quality materials.

Thought of in the same class as such fine vehicles as Mercedes Benz, Porsche, and Jaguar, the BMW car speaks volumes about luxury, elegance, and comfort. It’s no wonder that its place in the industry has lasted nearly 95 years. The modern BMW car continues to project the same high-quality image and, even today, nearly a century after its inception, BMW continues to be the pinnacle of car ownership for many people.

But the BMW car is not exclusive to those with limitless budgets; with a number of designs on the market at varying prices, owning a BMW car is well within the realm of possibility for many buyers.

Today’s BMW car offers a full line of vehicles that vary in features and price – everything from the compact I series and the classic 3 series, to the luxurious 5, 6, and 7 series. The modern BMW design has even been incorporated into an SUV model – bringing convenience and comfort along with the luxury and elegance BMW customers have comes to expect.

There are some things that never go out of style. The BMW car has a classic quality that transcends time; chances are that even far off in the future the BMW car will still be one of the most desired vehicles on the road.

The Volvo s70 was introduced in 1997 as an executive luxury car. The T5 was a model that offered a 5-speed transmission, which made the car a lot more fun to drive. The Volvo v70 was the station wagon version of the s70. The Volvo v70 R featured a better engine and offered 300bhp for the driver that was somewhat demanding on the car.

The Volvos s70 T5 is still sought today by many Volvo enthusiasts. Many of these seekers love the fact that the Volvo s70 T5 features explosive power and power that the standard s70 didn’t possess. The car is also fun to drive with its manual transmission. The 5-speed transmission shifts smoothly and the all wheel drive kicks in the minute you shift into gear. The car features an excellent and luxurious ride over highway and a little fun off the main roads. The Volvo s70 T5 is also considered one of the quickest cars in Volvo’s line. Plus, it has all the safety features that you would expect from Volvo. From the looks of this car you see traditional Volvo written all over it, but that’s just because they were trying to hide the sports car that lives within. Buyer beware, it could be very easy to get a ticket in this car!

Volvo has introduced a reworked and upgraded car in the Volvo v70 R. These cars featured an upgraded engine in 2004 along with more luxury accessories. The car was made to look sport inside and out, despite being a station wagon. The cars also featured better handling with a new braking performance system that works in a well-balanced fashion. The R line Volvos also come with standard all-wheel drive, monitor traction by Haldex and an aggressive new chassis. As Motor Trend puts it, these cars feature both sport and utility.

Either car has the power you want and desire as well as the safety features you want for your family. These cars are excellent whether you are traveling down the highway or picking your kids up from soccer practice. If you are looking for something fun and feisty, go with the Volvo s70 T5. If you want something with a little get up and go but still room for four kids and the family dog, then the Volvo v70 R is for you. Either way you won’t be disappointed.

When it comes to buying a Volvo, you know you are getting a safe car with a million great safety features. You also know that even if you are looking a pre-owned Volvo, you are still going to be driving one of the safest cars on the road.

The Volvo s70 was considered a compact executive car. These cars were produced from 1997 to 2000. The car represented a new style in cars and featured a revised suspension system. There were five basic body styles available in these cars including the Base, SE, GL, GLT and the T5. The exterior featured new headlamps as well as a stylish rounded hood at the time. The Volvo s70 featured an optional TRACS traction control system that applied to the front brakes to limit wheel slippage.

The Volvo v70 was the station wagon version of the s70. The car featured the same revised suspension system as well as the newer rounded hood design and headlamps. Both vehicles possessed the new electron brake modulation system that increased performance in normal stops. The benefit of a v70 was in the space for a large family. You were able to pick up the kids from school and fit all of your groceries in the back.

Both models were among the first US cars to feature side airbags as an option. They also featured disc brakes and an anti-lock braking system. Some versions were also available with four-wheel drive. In 2000, the cars were fitted with modified side air bags to improve the protection of the head and chest in case of impact. The dashboard airbags were also improved with additional sensors that would match the deployment force to road speed and seatbelt use. A unique system also automatically unlocked the doors when the airbags were employed. The WHIPS system was designed to prevent whiplash injuries in rear end collisions. This may very well be a feature that many US cars still do not have today. These cars were all around some of the safest cars to be driven in this country.

The Volvo s70 R was a version that was not released in North America. This vehicle was designed more as a sports car and featured all wheel drive with higher performance.

Whether you choose the sportier Volvo s70 or the family style Volvo v70, you are going to be driving one safe car. These are cars that, despite their age, are going to remain some of the safest cars on the road.

Over time, the media has elevated the popularity of various vehicles by highlighting some of the fictional rides that have graced the pages of novels, the lyrics of songs, the 30-minute TV show, and the silver screen. Whether Fred and Wilma are peddling around in their signature rockmobile, James Bond gets away with his gadget cars or the Beach Boys bring life to the Little Deuce Coupe, it’s sometimes hard to forget that many of these fictional cars really don’t exist. Below are a few examples that have gained fame throughout the years.

Batmobile

In both the Batman television shows and movies, the superhero-on-the-go often hopped into a sleek, customized vehicle that provided protection for his Bruce Wayne alter ego. Equipped with heavy armor plating and a high performance engine, the evolution of the Batman series displayed increasing levels of gadgets. To reach increased speeds, the Batmobile sometimes offered rocket boosts, while additional weapons and a computerized assistance helped to keep villains at a distance.

KITT

The talking car that aided David Hasselhoff’s character, Michael Knight, navigate through a sea of enemies and bad guys was a Pontiac Trans Am. The television series focused on a high-tech approach to entertain the audience. Numerous fans watched the show just to see what KITT would do or say next. The popularity of the show even helped to boost Pontiac car sales as the verbal wonder could drive without a passenger and even displayed its own set of entertaining stunts.

Christine

Stephen King has produced numerous novels that have become popular movies; the same is true with the 1958 Plymouth Fury that seemed to have a mind of its own. Christine was the name given to the car that appeared in the horror novel (with the same name) published in 1983. Driven by supernatural forces, the antique auto created havoc in both the novel and the movie.

Herbie

Several Disney movies and cartoons have focused on Herbie the Lovebug, which was a Volkswagon Beetle that made its first appearance in 1969. Just like Christine, the red, white, and blue striped car with a “53” on its side could also drive without assistance and had a reputation for acting on its own. Most of the time, the car was featured in some sort of racing competition.

General Lee

The television series and movie named the Dukes of Hazzard showed main characters, Bo and Luke Duke soaring through the air, causing mischief with their get-rich schemes. Their vehicle of choice was a colorful Dodge Charger that allowed the cousins to complete high jumps in almost every episode. The car is also known for its controversial Confederate flag decoration.

Hyundai Sonata Review

It’s difficult to imagine, but Hyundai worries that even if it has one of the highest customer faithfullness ratings in the industry, attracting new purchasers into the showroom has been a real challenge. The new Sonata slogan is: “A Hyundai you’ve never seen before” and it is true that the Sonata which was redesigned has more power, more space and better fit and finish than it has ever had previously.

Its Advantages are:

- Acceleration - The possibility to avoid accidents - Comfort and convenience - Gas mileage

There are two acceptable disadvantages:

- Suspension noise - Handling

Reliability and Maintenance

The Sonata is easy to take care of, with very little in the way of programmed maintenance until 100,000 miles is reached, unlike oil changes at regular intervals.

It is backed by one of the longest powertrainn warranties in the automotive industry at 10 years or 100,000 miles.

Performance and Handling

The new Sonata is adequately equipped with a standard 4-cylinder which offers 162HP. The 3.3-liter V6 with 234HP is smooth but responsive and reaches average speed with little effort.

Acceleration is brisk in the four-cylinder and it is surprising in the V6. Hyundai officials say the V6 will turn 0-60 miles per hour times of about 7.5 seconds, with a maximum speed of 130 mph. Shifts are executed easily with the five-speed manual, and the front tires are chirped even more easily. Kicking down for passing with minimal hesitation, the Shiftronic automatic transmission moves between gears smoothly. When the engine bumps up against redline, and it declines to downshift at all, leaving that to the driver’s preferences,in manual mode, the Shiftronic will upshift automatically.

It provides more room and power than previous years. However, there is a least favourite feature, cheap interior look with fewer features, and new external redesign. But let’s see the positive aspects of Hyundai sonata.

Even if the interior seems cheap and bare compared to 2002-2005 models, seats are comfortable and the general aspect is all right for those who prefer simplicity. The on road performance and handling of this car is very good.

The Hyundai Sonata’s new interior marks a major step up the quality ladder. You can notice some rough edges on a few plastic molds and a less-than-lustrous finish on some dash panels. But the overall look is highly competitive with most in the class and better than some.

Three round dials in the hooded instrument cluster communicate the necessities of operational data to the driver, with the largest the speedometer which is positioned inside a polished circle. To its left is the tachometer, and to its right conjoined water temperature and fuel gauges. In the lower dash to the left of the steering column are a bank of five switch plugs, one of them is the dash-light rheostat, and there also can be seen a flip-down storage bin. The ignition key slides into a slot placed properly, in the dash to the right of the steering column instead of on the steering column itself.

Weight is one of the most important issues to consider when building a fast car for road or track. Putting a car on a serious diet is pretty much free horsepower, as any attempt to lighten a car improves the power to weight ratio, this seriously improves acceleration.

The gains on a lightening a car are huge and not just limited to gains in acceleration either. Once you have lightened a fast car you will find the car performs better in the corners and under braking, parts such as brakes and tires will last longer on the car also.

The potential gains are huge but it must be done correctly, you would not want to lighten a rear wheel drive car too much on the rear or you may find traction a problem particularly with a high power output.

The truth is your fast car could be made a great deal faster cheaply and easily just by shaving a few pounds off the body.

How do we remove weight from the fast car?

This bit is as easy as you want it to be, but as with most forms of car modification it depends on how far you want to go. I know a guy who races a BMW and he decided to go all out on weight saving, he even scraped every bit of under-seal from the floors of the car, extreme perhaps but he managed to remove nearly 2 stone of under-seal, not a bad effort.

The obvious place to start saving weight on your fast car is by removing the interior, and anything else that you do not need, the front seats can be replaced with light weight racing items, the unused wiring removed, carpets and sound deadening, pretty much all of the unnecessary parts, my car has just a driver seat and a cage with much of the unnecessary wiring removed. This makes for a car with very impressive performance.

Many other components can be replaced with lighter parts, gear box casings, axle covers etc. It is worth noting that a stainless steel exhaust is lighter than the same in mild steel, so this constitutes a worthwhile investment.

It is also important to reduce the unsprung weight on the car also, by this I mean wheels, brakes and anything else before the suspension mounts, this provides a very good increase in the handling of the car.

Chrysler may be feeling some pain in the USA, but overseas they are realizing some excellent results. According to a Chrysler spokesperson, international sales are up 14 percent through August of 2006 with 15 straight months of month-to-month increases. The news is even better in Western Europe. Chrysler reported an increase of 35.6% in August 2006 compared with the performance from a year ago, and a sales increase of 15.5% for the year-to-date through August 2006. According to JATO Dynamics, a market information company, Jeep sales were up 25% in Europe through August compared to 2005, much of the increase due to the excellent performances of the new Grand Cherokee and Commander. These impressive sales results have made Chrysler the second fastest growing automotive group in Europe, second only to Fiat, and Chrysler predicts that international sales will account for 9% of total sales by 2007.

Looking at the sales numbers it’s easy to see why the folks at Chrysler were excited about the unveiling of their production version of the two-door Jeep Wrangler and four-door Jeep Wrangler Unlimited for the first time in Europe at the recently held Paris Motor Show. The Paris Motor Show is a major event that is held every two years. It is a trend-setting showcase for the automotive industry around the world and it attracts participants from all corners of the globe. The newly demo’ed Wrangler and Wrangler Unlimited models are powered by a new 2.8 liter diesel engine and feature a broad array of new off-road features. They will hit European dealer showrooms around April of 2006, and Chrysler feels they’ll be a big hit. Why shouldn’t we believe them? They seem to have an excellent grasp on the European market at the moment.

It is good that Chrysler, an American car manufacturer, and Jeep are making themselves known around the world and realizing some excellent results. Now if only we could get our hands on those diesel powered Wranglers here in the good ole’ USA. Then we all might be happy!

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Modern Formula One cars are mid-engined open cockpit, open wheel single-seaters. The chassis is made largely of carbon fibre composites, rendering it light but extremely stiff and strong. The whole car, including engine, fluids and driver weighs only 605 kg. In fact this is the minimum weight set by the regulations – the cars are so light that they often have to be ballasted up to this minimum weight.

The cornering speed of Formula One cars is largely determined by the aerodynamic downforce that they generate, which pushes the car down onto the track. This is provided by ‘wings’ mounted at the front and rear of the vehicle, and by ground effect created by the movement of air under the flat bottom of the car.

A significant difference in the design of the latest breeds of F1 cars is that they make far greater use of vortex “lift,” or in this case, downforce. Since a vortex is a rotating fluid that creates a low pressure zone at its center, creating vortices lowers the overall local pressure of the air.

Since low pressure is what is desired under the car, allowing normal atmospheric pressure to press the car down from the top, by creating vortices, downforce can be augmented while still staying within the rules.

The aerodynamic design of the cars is very heavily constrained to limit performance and the current generation of cars sport a large number of small winglets, “barge boards” and turning vanes designed to closely control the flow of the air over, under and around the car. The “barge boards” in particular are designed, shaped, configured, adjusted and positioned not to create downforce directly, as with a conventional wing or underbody venturi. They are designed so that air spillage from their edges will create these vortices.

The other major factor controlling the cornering speed of the cars is the design of the tyres. Tyres in Formula One are not ’slicks’ (tyres with no tread pattern) as in most other circuit racing series. Each tyre has four large circumferential grooves on its surface designed to further limit the cornering speed of the cars. Suspension is double wishbone or multilink all round with pushrod operated springs and dampers on the chassis. Carbon-Carbon disc brakes are used for reduced weight and increased frictional performance. These provide a very high level of braking performance and are usually the element which provokes the greatest reaction from drivers new to the formula.

Engines are mandated as 2.4 litre normally aspirated V8s, with many other constraints on their design and the materials that may be used. The 2006 generation of engines rev close to 20,000 rpm and produce up to 740 bhp (552 kW).[10] The previous generation of 3-litre V10 engines are also allowed, albeit with their revs limited and with an air restrictor to limit performance.

Engines run on unleaded fuel closely resembling publicly available petrol. The oil which lubricates and protects the engine from overheating is very similar in viscosity to water. For 2007 the V8 engines will be restricted to 19,000 rpm with limited development areas allowed, following the engine specification freeze from the end of 2006. As outright speed and power are effectively being capped it is widely believed that teams will work on improving reliability, and the torque range of the engine to improve driveability.

A wide variety of technologies – including active suspension, ground effect aerodynamics and turbochargers – are banned under the current regulations. Despite this the 2006 generation of cars can reach speeds of up to 350 km/h (around 220 mph) at some circuits (Monza).A Honda Formula One car, running with minimum downforce on a runway in the Mojave desert achieved a top speed of 415 km/h (258 mph) in 2006. According to Honda, the car fully met the FIA Formula One regulations.

Even with the limitations on aerodynamics, at 160 km/h, aerodynamically generated downforce is equal to the weight of the car and the often repeated claim that Formula One cars are capable of ‘driving on the ceiling’ remains true in principle, although it has never been put to the test. At full speed downforce of 2.5 times the car’s weight can be achieved.

The downforce means that the cars can achieve a lateral force of around four and a half times the force of gravity (4.5 g) in cornering - a high-performance road car might achieve around 1 g. Consequently in corners the driver’s head is pulled sideways with a force equivalent to 25 kilograms. Such high lateral forces are enough to make breathing difficult and the drivers need supreme concentration to maintain their focus for the 1 to 2 hours that it takes to cover 305 kilometres.

One thing the hybrid cars promise users is the most, is their ability to save gas by consuming less, as well as reduction in atmospheric pollution. For that reason more people prefer to own hybrid vehicles these days. Hybrid cars run on both fuel and engines that are powered by battery. This means that, they consume less oil and emit less gas when compared to gasoline powered vehicles. Hybrid car, no doubt is a possible solution to the sporadic hike in fuel price in the oil market.

Because of the benefits or advantages accrued from using or owning hybrid cars, the US government had welcomed and supported the manufacturing of this model of car. It has also allowed importation as well as encouraging automobile company in the country like Ford and General Motors to manufacture hybrid cars.

Some of the advantages derived from hybrid cars include the following:

(a) Savings on low gas usage:

Hybrid car combines both electric power and gasoline powered engine. Hence each function all by itself, and combines together depending on which is weaker or stronger when running. The regenerative braking feature enables the engine to compliment each other

(b) Consistent performance:

Unlike the traditional gas powered engine, hybrid cars do not require transmissions to make their engines work at full capacity even at reduced speeds. Hybrid cars function normal and on a consistent basis at any motor speed.

(c) Environmentally friendly:

Hybrid cars, because of their combination of electric powered and gasoline – powered engines, emit significantly less gas into the environment. The effect of this in the long-run will be a clean population free environment around the globe.

(d) Convenience:

Less amount is expended on gasoline for hybrid cars. This is because of the battery powered engine used by hybrid cars. This is in perfect contrast to owners of the convention gas powered cars who cannot help but feel the scourge of the soaring fuel pump price. Also, most hybrid cars are easy to maneuver on the road because of its light weight. The designs are also something to behold and they come in style.

Some are of the opinion that buying or owning a hybrid car is not ideal for now because of its expensive nature. Notwithstanding its cost, the advantages to be derived from owning this type of vehicle in the long run is worth it. It will be better if more people demand for hybrid cars because this will induce the manufacturers to manufacture more and the price will eventually fall in no time at all.

With the introduction of the first Grand Cherokee, Jeep defined and created the luxury sport utility vehicle (SUV) market, but in spite of this grand tradition the model is currently experiencing some difficulties. Jeep not only defined what an SUV was, it was the SUV market in the USA with the inception of the Cherokee and later on Grand Cherokee. This is no longer the case. The growing list of strong competition has intensified, and along with high fuel prices, this has lead to some serious challenges to Chrysler in spite of Jeep’s combination of legendary 4×4 capabilities, on and off-road refinements, and technological innovations.

The Jeep Grand Cherokee was one of the pioneering SUVs that ushered in the modern SUV market in the early 1990s. When it debuted, the Grand Cherokee represented a bigger and more refined version of Jeep’s smaller but popular Cherokee. The company’s designers wanted the Grand Cherokee it to be maneuverable enough for city driving, roomy enough for the whole family, stylish enough to take out on the town and rugged enough to reach those remote camping areas. The Grand Cherokee certainly met all of these requirements and, we feel that Jeep continues with this tradition in its current Grand Cherokee version.

The 2005/2006 version of the Grand Cherokee, which is the model’s 3rd generation, is one of the best SUVs made, and as one critic put it “arguably the most desirable”. With some of the outstanding available features of full-time four-wheel drive, independent front suspension, rack and pinion steering, a five-speed transmission, and an available 5.7-Liter HEMI V-8 with MDS, which deactivates up to 8 cylinders when not needed for better gas mileage performance, the Grand Cherokee is featured packed. Safety features include Electronic Stability Program, SmartBeam ™ headlamps that automatically and quickly adjust high-beam brightness and intensity, All-Speed Traction Control System, and advanced multi-stage air bags with an Occupant Classification System. The look and feel of the body was also updated to give it an edgy angular look, which looks new and contemporary while retaining that Grand Cherokee style with the famous 7-slot Jeep grille. Chrysler also gave the Grand Cherokee an updated suspension system that delivers better corning turning performance and a tighter turning radius.

In spite of these top-of-the-line features, Grand Cherokee sales in the USA for 2006 (ending December 31, 2006) were 139,148 units, which were down from 213,584 in 2005. This represents a decline of 35%. Jeep’s smaller SUV, the Liberty, also saw its numbers drop dramatically in 2006 with unit sales of 133,557 versus unit sales of 166,883 for 2005, a 20% decline. While it doesn’t necessarily make Chrysler feel any better, they were not alone in decreased sales in the SUV segment. Other USA car manufacturers also experienced declines. Ford experienced a 25% drop in its SUV sales for the USA, while GM’s truck sales were down 9.6% (2,499,269 for 2006 versus 2,765,809) (detailed performance reports for GM’s SUVs was not available). The decline in SUV sales, especially mid-range models, was affected by the dramatic price increases in gasoline during 2006. This along with luxury SUV models by BMW, Lexus, Mercedes, and Porshe, and mid-priced SUVs by Mitsubishi, Toyota and others experiencing a surge in popularity is creating a sizable challenge to Chrysler. With its outstanding features, Jeep tradition, and the Daimler-Chrysler technology behind it, we look for the Grand Cherokee to make a strong return in the future.