Not everyone is lucky enough to have a garage to keep their car in and even if you do you may be like me and have too much junk to be able to park your car there. Things like tree sap, especially from pine trees, hail, and exposure to the sun can ruin your car’s paint quickly. If you want to protect your car’s finish from the elements you may want to consider investing in a car cover, however there are some things you need to know before you do this.
A good quality car cover can go a long way in protecting your vehicle’s finish but the wrong cover can ruin it! You can find a good quality cover for your car for under a hundred dollars in most cases so price isn’t a big issue. If you can afford a car that you care about protecting you can afford to cover it.
If you haven’t taken the leap into the hybrid automobile market you aren’t alone but the owners of hybrid cars are jumping into the green market and leading the way for those of us still driving the regular gas-only engine cars.
Besides getting the tax breaks and other perks for buying hybrids these drivers still are seeking to improve fuel economy. A lot of hybrid owners have stated that even though their hybrids give them better mileage than their previous gas vehicles they are not really satisfied with the fuel economy because they thought the difference would be even more.
Well, not exactly. Porsche isn’t one of the oldest automakers in the world but they have certainly become on of the most prestigious and they have been for quite some time. So when did the company begin?
Some would say that the story begins when Max Hoffman started importing the Porsche to the United States, of course that would be an American point of view. I say the story of Porsche begins with the birth of its founder, Ferdinand Porsche who was born to a tinsmith in the village of Haffersdorf, Germany in 1875.
With the birth of the first Escalade in 1999, General Motors provided a luxury Sport Utility Vehicle through their popular Cadillac model. The interest in SUVs has increased since the late 90s with consumers searching for intriguing full size, higher end selections. The 2003 Cadillac Escalade came a long way from the basic model, successfully competing against rivals in the German and Japanese SUV market.
The growing concerns of an effected environment, as well as the gas guzzling nature of a sport utility vehicle makes some shy away from the thought of purchasing an Escalade. This has not stopped well known personalities from jumping on the band wagon. Not only can they afford the expensive cost to maintain and fix these SUVs, but use these vehicles to make a trendy fashion statement.
The beautiful 2006 Audi A4 Cabriolet is not just a topless sedan. In order to compensate the lack of a hard top it is remarkably stronger. This means some weight gain (350 pounds to be exact), but 3.0-liter V6 engine the A4 comes with can certainly handle it. The engine is turbocharged 170-hp 1.8-liter and is aided by Audi’s excellent continuously variable transmission. Perfectly tuned suspension smoothes all the bumps while keeping the ride firm.
The interior of the 2006 Audi A4 Cabriolet is clean smooth lines and shapes. You wouldn’t find a lot of strong angles there. It is yet another perfect example why Audi keeps proving right in being on top of the list for classy and comfortable cabins. Included with the convertibles are flood lights, power folding top, power outside mirrors with defog feature, brushed aluminum windshield and cabin surround trim. There is also an optional Sport package if you want stiffer shocks and more aggressive tires.
What do you think of when you hare the term exotic sports car? Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati, or maybe a McLaren. In the truest sense of the term it refers to limited production sports cars made outside of the United States, but built by some of the biggest names in the industry.
The McLaren F1 is one such car. Once the fastest car made at 0-60 in 3.1 seconds, it is also one of the most expensive selling for well over a million dollars. There were only 107 produced from 1994 -1998 and it is very rare that one ever finds its way to market.
If you are like most SUV owners you take a lot of pride in your vehicle and go to great lengths to keep it looking good, but sometimes no matter how safe and careful you are accidents occur. It is especially crucial to choose a quality body shop as an SUV owner just because of the value of the vehicle. If the repairs are not done right it can cost you thousands when you are ready to trade. It is necessary to find a body shop that can bring your vehicle back as close as possible to the condition it was in before the accident.
There are a few factors that can help you to avoid the rip-offs who aren’t much better than a drunk with a spray can, hey come to think of it some of them are drunks with a spray can. Anyway, here are some hints to help you find a good body shop.
Most of us think of John DeLorean as the guy behind the gull-wing stainless car from the Back to the Future movies nut the fact of the matter is that his contributions to the automotive world go much farther back than that. DeLorean was actually the creator of the muscle car revolution in the United States. Think of how different the sports car industry would be today if we hadn’t had that era of performance cars.
In 1964 DeLorean was with Pontiac and he made the decision to totally recreate the Tempest using a huge V8 high performance engine. The car became known as the GTO, also nicknamed the Goat by adoring fans and remains to this day one of the all-time favorite muscle cars. The GTO was a big hit for Pontiac sparking off huge sales volume and led other manufacturers to follow suit.
I am going to make a statement that is probably going to shock the car care world. You should never wax your car. Pay attention, wax is for candles and candles only! Wax is designed to melt and melted wax just traps dirt and other contaminates and holds them next to your car’s finish. If someone or something brushes against it you now have tiny scratches all over. This is by far not my only reason for not using wax on cars, read on.
Since January of 2005 when the United States and other governments announced a mandatory reduction in the use of volatile organic compounds or VOCs in manufacturing processes and consumable products there has been a move to look for other products and methods for protecting a car’s finish. Car care products may not be comprised of more than 15% VOC. This is seriously bad news for manufacturers that have built there businesses around Carnauba wax which by its very nature must use large amounts of solvents to make the naturally hard Carnauba soft and pliable so that it can be applied on a vehicle.
Virtually every car nut, okay enthusiast, that I know would love to own a 2005 Porsche Carrera GT. It is a street racer with an incredibly powerful V10 engine and a body made of carbon fiber which makes it so lightweight.
In 2004 Porsche brought out the Carrera GT and it was so perfect that only minor adjustments are present in the 2005 version. To make the car a bit more comfortable to drive the seat height is now adjustable and also includes thigh bolsters to help make the legs more secure. The look of the Carrera GT is unmistakable. The low profile, ultra-light racer is a sight to behold and the interior is just as flawless as the outside.
I have been in love with the Porsche 911 since I was a teenager. My love affair with the car intensified when I got to drive one with a friend who was taking me to the New Orleans airport from Pensacola Florida when I was going to live in Cancun, Mexico for a year. The trip normally would take over four hours we made it in less than three and needless to say, we enjoyed cruising the streets of New Orleans in the 911 before my flight left the next morning.
The German motorcar company, Porsche has done it again with the 2006 911 Turbo which premiered at the Geneva Motor Show in February of 2006. This 6th generation 911 is now available in German dealerships and just now beginning to appear in the United States at a cost of over 120k.
If you are thinking about buying a pre-owned sports car there are many things to be concerned about that you don’t have with a new one. A new sports car will come with warranties and guarantees, plus it has no history to have to worry about. Conversely with a used sports car you will typically get an “As Is” statement of no warranty and unless you use a service like car fax you will have no idea about its history and even then you don’t know everything.
Now don’t get me wrong new cars are great and I love some of the latest technological innovations. As a matter of fact, the new electric car from Tesla Motors may have to go on my “must have” list, but older sports cars have a unique character that you can seldom find in a new car. Here are some ways for you to find the car you are looking for without getting burned in the process.
Depending upon where you live the idea of a convertible may be one that is always on your mind or one that is never thought of. Living in Florida we have many days when a convertible is highly desirable, especially in the spring and fall when temperatures are really comfortable. On the other hand if you live in Alaska or Northern Maine you wouldn’t get a whole lot of use out of one, maybe a couple of months out of the year at best.
A convertible very image that we see in our mind when we think of sports cars, they just go together. Whether or not it is practical for us to own one is another question. There are a lot of factors to consider in order to be able to make a decision if you would be happy with a convertible besides the weather in your area. If your area has a lot of cold or otherwise inclement weather you have to weigh the additional costs of owning and maintaining a convertible over the fun of having a topless car.
There are many sports car lovers who are afraid that they will soon go the way of the dinosaur because of high fuel prices and the advances in performance technology that is enabling family sedans to compete with sports cars in quickness. While it does seem that there has been somewhat of a decline in sports cars along with increased sales of SUVs some of the current developments tell me that the vehicles we love are not going to be around in large numbers but they will still be around.
Back in the day, muscle cars ruled in the performance realm and regular sedans and trucks couldn’t keep up. SUVs didn’t even exist. Now with the innovations in design and engine performance and the light weight materials being used automakers are getting superior results out of smaller engines. In addition normal production vehicles now handle as good as a race car.
The Porsche Boxter was first released in 1996 and has been overwhelmingly popular since. By 1998 the demand was so great that production in Zuffenhusen was not keeping up so Porsche signed a contract with a Finnish factory called Valmet. The contract was to only be for two years since it was thought that by that time the plant in Zuffenhausen would be able to handle the workload, that hasn’t happened and as a matter of fact the majority of Boxters headed to North America are built in the Finnish plant.
It is now not even possible to guarantee that you get a Stuttgart built car because even the vehicles designated for Tourist Delivery are sometimes coming from Valmet.