Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Cars To Watch In 2009

The past year has given us many great cars and while researching cars to be released in 2009 it would seem that the future is bright indeed. In this time of financial uncertainty we all have to take better care of our money; value for money has never been more important really.

Whether your car's service costs a fortune or maybe it’s time for a new car insurance policy, we all need to find ways to help save some money. Right, enough of all this shop talk, let's get down to three of the most anticipated cars of 2009.


Nissan 370Z

Its predecessor, the 350Z was and still is hugely popular because of its looks; interior and performance so the newbie has some rather large shoes to fill and on the surface it would appear that Nissan have done just that.

The new 370Z has power, 332 bhp to be precise, we know it will handle and drive well (because the 350Z did) and reliability has never been a problem for the Japanese manufacturer, so look out for a horde of 370Z’s at a local football club in the very near future.

Vauxhall Insignia Sports Tourer

Now the Insignia replaced the popular Vectra and it has made quite the impression on motoring journalists the world over (even the boys from Top Gear liked it a lot). The new incarnation of the Insignia is a sports tourer, a sort of family car built for the open road and long trips, sounds idyllic doesn’t it? I am reasonably sure that the sports tourer will be quite popular as it looks great and the drive is sure to be comfortable as well. One of the big bonuses of the Insignia is that it is a reasonably easy car to own with affordable services, fuel consumption and car insurance costs. Brilliant!

Audi S4

The S4 has become, dare I say it, the new “trendy, fast car”, mostly because of the astounding RS4, but make no mistake the S4 is very much a player on the same field as the BMW 3 Series and the Mercedes Benz C-Class. It is roomy, cheaper and maybe just a dash prettier than its German counterparts. So look out for the gorgeous new S4 to really make an impact on the market.

So there we have it, three of the most anticipated cars for 2009 and I am sure you will agree that they all have the potential to be brilliant, so now we can only wait and see.

Disclaimer:
Please note that Direct Line does not control and cannot guarantee the relevance, timeliness, or accuracy of the article above.

By: Arthor Pens

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Direct Line car insurance can benefit you in the New Year by offering great premiums and excellent coverage on your car of choice in 2009. Visit http//www.directline.com for a quote today.

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

All-new 2009 Mazda6: Sophisticated And Smart

The all-new 2009 Mazda6 was specifically designed to cater to the demands of the North American market. The car is visually different and bigger than Japanese and European counterparts and offers plenty of Mazda's characteristic Zoom-Zoom energy.

The 2009 Mazda6 gets bold new bodywork, a stylized grille flanked by jewel-like headlamps that flex into flared fenders with prominent wheels. A 4.5-inch stretched wheelbase, expanded width and dimensions, give it a more aggressive stance. The car’s sleek aerodynamic profile improves the co-efficient of drag by 10 percent. The Mazda6 comes in 7 trims: I SV, I Sport, I Touring, i Grand Touring, S Sport, S Touring, S Grand Touring.


Power comes from a 2.5L four-cylinder base engine (i models) mated to either a 6-speed manual or 5-speed automatic. The step-up 3.7L V6 powers the S Sport, S Touring and S Grand Touring. The only transmission option is a six-speed automatic with a manumatic sport shift feature. The North American Mazda6 is available only as a four-door sedan.

The 2009 Mazda6 i SV includes standard features such as AM/FM/CD/MP3 audio, power accessories, air conditioning and a tilt/telescoping steering column with multifunction steering wheel. Sport trims add cruise control and keyless remote; Touring features a power driver's seat, trip computer, and pushbutton start, while Grand Touring gets dual-zone A/C, full leather trim, dual power/heated buckets, Xenon headlamps and LED taillamps. Options include a navigation system and a Bose audio/moonroof group for the two top trim levels and a Convenience Package for the Touring.

The 2009 Mazda6 is of the style and scale that will attract enthusiast buyers in the C- and D-sedan segments. The midsize sedan segment is the most competitive and the Mazda6 will take on some of the most popular cars in the auto industry. This new entrant takes Mazda sophistication to new heights, adding new four-cylinder and V-6 powerplants with a punch that was lacking in its predecessors.

By: CARTALKINGSEM

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Cartalking is your premier source for new car prices, new car dealer quotes, new car reviews, and automotive performance.Get fast dealer quotes on all of the latest cars and trucks, absolutely free!

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Predictions For The 2009 F1 Championship

The 2008 Formula One season has just ended in what can only be called dramatic fashion. Lewis Hamilton rescued his championship by passing a slick shod Toyota in the rain in the last corner of the last lap of the season. It simply does not get any better or crazier than that.

We know that Hamilton has one the Driver’s Championship and Ferrari the Constructor’s Championship this year, but what about the 2009 season. Will it be more of the same or can we expect more changes such as the rise of BMW this year?


The answer is we can expect 2009 to be a very interesting year. Why? It comes down to a simple fact. To save money and make passing more plausible, the cars of the 2009 season will look nothing like those of the 2008 season. Many of the aero pieces used to create down force are going to be banned. The goal is to give drivers the ability to pass without being hurt by dirty air. Heck, we are even going back to slick tires.

This clean slate means the teams cannot just continue to develop the 2008 cars. They basically have to start from scratch and this raises some very interesting issues regarding who will be on pace next season and who will not.

My pick for the team to surprise is Renault. Fernando Alonso is many things good and bad, but he is undisputedly a great car developer. Look at how the 2008 Renault developed from a pathetic middle of the pack car to a race winner. Alonso looked particularly optimistic at the closing press conference for the Brazilian Grand Prix, which makes you think Renault could be a serious player again in 2009. BMW is also a team to watch, but their fall off at the end of 2008 cannot be dismissed without concern.

What team could be looking at a bit of a fall down the pecking order? The answer is McLaren. The team has gobs of money, but one has to look at the last five years to see the potential problem. Before Alonso arrived at McLaren for his one blustery year, the team was not competitive with Ferrari. In his one year, they became so and probably not because of the plans they allegedly stole from the company.

Now that Alonso is gone and a new car must be developed, can McLaren do it? The engineers are up to it, but the input of a quality driver is critical. Schumacher had his team at Ferrari. Alonso clearly has it at Renault. Lewis Hamilton can drive the wheels off a car, but the question now is can he develop one? If he can, he could go on a Schumacher like streak of winning. If he cannot, McLaren could fall back.

What about the other teams? The most interesting team is Honda. To say the team is a disaster would be an understatement. It is hard to imagine the powers that be at Honda will keep funding such an embarrassment for much longer. The golden ray of hope for the team is Ross Brawn, who did some magic at Ferrari. He has to have something to work with however, and the current Honda set up is just all wrong. Whether the company is willing to spend the money and time on two to four years of development is doubtful at best given the economic situation in the world. A betting man says Honda stays with it through 2009, but leaves F1 in 2010 unless a major breakthrough is made.

The distressing sign of the 2008 season will be the state of the Williams team. One of the great teams of Formula One, the fall has been long and hard over the last few years. The team simply cannot compete with the money being invested by manufacturers. With the economy going in the tank, it appears to be only a matter of time before Williams calls it a day. In fact, they team just lost a big sponsor in Royal Bank of Scotland, which has fallen in the banking crisis. Simply put, where is the Williams team going to get money? The day the great Frank Williams is out of Formula One will be a sad day indeed.

Indeed, Formula One stands at a key point in time. There have always been dominant teams and also rans, but the ability of the also rans to even form a team is now in question. The loss of Super Aguri this year was hardly a surprise, but more teams could be in trouble. While Force India will remain since it is the play thing of a billionaire, one of the Red Bull teams may be sold or liquidated. The ability of Williams to continue to take a financial beating is also very questionable.

If Formula One loses many of its privateers, the races will become a farce. A twelve car lineup of McLaren, Ferrari, Renault, BMW, Toyota and Honda would be a joke and it is doubtful many would tune in to watch the races. At the same time, F1 is all about technology, so standardizing the technology to save money seems a bit of a joke. Ferrari and other teams have already threatened to leave if a standardized engine is mandated. The issue of costs versus technology will continue to be a major issue over the next few years and one suspects F1 in 2011 will look nothing like it did in 2009.

So, what will 2009 ultimately produce? I’ll say Renault and BMW both give McLaren and Ferrari a run for their money. Alonso wins the Driver’s Championship, but a weak second driver for Renault results in Ferrari taking the Constructor’s title. Unfortunately, it will also be the last year for Williams in Formula One.

By: Dirke Gibson

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Dirk Gibson is with DCJAutoParts.com - where you can find car parts online 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Friday, December 12, 2008

What First Time Car Owners Must Remember

by: Charlie Angeles



The days when you had no other option but to hire an irport limo service company when you had to fetch or drive somebody to the airport are finally over—you are now a proud owner of a beautiful piece of automotive engineering miracle. Before you start shifting gears and channeling your inner Michael Schumacher however, remember that there are a variety of things--from automotive diagnostics to the real importance of getting car insurance-- you must know and remember.

First, always, always get car insurance. Not only is this a responsible and smart thing to do, in some countries, it is the lawful thing to do too as well. In the United States for example, failure to purchase an insurance policy for your car can lead to fines, license suspension and, in some cases, jail time. Now how are you supposed to enjoy being king of the road if you’re held up inside jail?

Remember too that when it comes to driving, safety always comes first. As a first time car owner, it is understandable that you would want to floor the pedal every chance you get. But remember that when you drive recklessly, you don’t just put yourself in danger, you risk the lives of the other people on the road with you too. So be careful on the road and try to suppress the urge to see if your Prius can roar like a Formula One car (just for the record, it can’t).

Also, regularly check your car’s safety devices and make sure they’re always working. Are your seat belts ok? Are the air bags functioning? And most especially, are your brakes working properly? Does your car slow down or stop the moment you step on the break pedals? If not, then better bring your vehicle to the shop for auto brake repair services now.

Another important thing you need to remember is that when it comes to cars, you must treat everything like a major problem. Things you shrug off and dismiss as “minor inconveniences” could snowball and cause major headaches for you. When you think your car is not running as smoothly as it did before or when a gallon of gas is now only good for a couple of miles, take it for an tune up before your engine gets any worse. A tune up (which can includes the adjusting the carburetor, replacing the air filter and inspecting the ignition system) will improve your car’s performance and efficiency.

When you are experiencing problems with your car’s performance but you or your mechanic is not sure what exactly is wrong, then better take your car to an automotive diagnostics center and let their specialists run tests on your vehicle and determine what is or isn’t wrong with it. This would give you more reliable and accurate information about your car and let you avoid paying for costly repairs and parts replacements that would later prove to be unnecessary and useless.

Owning your very first car comes with a tremendous feeling of pride, exhilaration and freedom. But it also comes with a trunk full of duties and responsibilities too.

Visit this site http://www.ridesmartsedan.com for more information about Phoenix airport transportation and Phoenix airport limo services.

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About The Author
Charlie Angeles is affiliated with an airport limo service company that offers Phoenix airport limo services. Visit their site http://www.ridesmartsedan.com for more information about Phoenix airport transportation service.

Saturday, December 6, 2008

Japanese Used Cars- Gaining Popularity In This Slowed Down Economy

With the downfall of economy, many people cannot afford to buy a new car. This is where people turn to the used car industry. However, there are some problems associated with buying used cars. First of all, the operating condition of most of the used cars will be worse. The first owner of the car will sell the vehicle after he has utilized it upto its maximum limit. However, things are very much different in the case of buying used cars from Japan. The Japanese used cars will be as good as the new ones and will be available at an affordable pricing. As the Japanese used cars come with lots of bundled accessories, you can make extra money savings too.

Japanese Used Cars- as good as new ones


When it comes to Japanese used cars, you can find thousands of good condition cars of renowned Japanese brands like Supra, Lexus, Mitsubishi etc. Unlike buying used cars from other parts of the world, Japanese used cars will be in excellent condition. One of the main reasons for the excellent condition of the used Japan cars is the classiness of the roads in Japan. Moreover, Japanese Government regulations are very strict when it comes to road safety. Hence all the used Japanese cars will be bundled with safety accessories. Apart from these, the Ministry of road services of Japan undergoes frequent checks in Japanese vehicles. The test process which is called ‘Shaken’ is done for brand new car after three years of use, to ensure the top condition of the car. The second shaken test will be given in next two years which includes a thorough checkup of the cars safety features. All these facts make the Japanese used cars as good as the new ones.

Where to buy Japanese used cars

Buying a Japanese used car is a breeze today. You can find lots of genuine used Japan car exporters listed in the Internet. Vehicle auction spots are also the best places to look for used Japan cars. There are many online used car auction sites available today for your convenience. You can choose, buy and import your dream Japan car by relaxing in your home. However there are many factors to be considered while importing cars online from Japan. One of the main factors is the genuineness of the company that you are dealing with. In most cases, there may be a picture of the car on the site but the actual car that gets delivered to you won’t look exactly the same as in the picture. So it’s always wise to buy used cars from trusted sources like ystrading3

By: Yoichiro Shiba

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

The author writes articles on Japanese automotive industry. He has also helped many people across the Globe to find the best Japanese car exporters. The helps them with ease because he knows the fact that finding used Japan cars is easy through ystrading3.com. He is one of the chief used Japanese cars consultants in Japan.

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Buying Used Cars Online - Tips and Tactics

by: Hamm Morgan



The advent of the World Wide Web, or more popularly known as the Internet, has opened up opportunities unheard of before for both buyers and sellers. Never has the word global market meant exactly what it was supposed to be as the Internet literally cracked opened the world boundaries of every state on earth and in the process making everyone a potential buyer and seller.

Starting with the ubiquitous text messaging, the Internet is now growing by leaps and bounds were data uploading and downloading is almost a second nature. Buyers using this platform to sell their items are limited only in the most physical sense of marketing the product and even the stated restriction might not apply, with techno-geeks coming out with torrents of application which even enables very accurate 3-dimension rendering possible.

One sector which has yet to embrace wholly the Internet is the auto industry. At least not in a big way, although car makers all around the world are starting to tap into the huge potentials provided by the virtual reality as a marketing tool. Selling a car is a slightly trickier proposition as opposed to, say, selling books and magazine on line to faceless customers armed with only an internet connection and a credit card account.

There are of course portals which pioneers the way forward, hoping to tap into the global auto enthusiasts market as Amazon.com did for literature fan and lovers did. Among others is eBay Motors from the well-know barter trade online expert who started a site enabling users all over the world to post their items to trade - either for cash or other items.

Trying to achieve the same level of success in marketing of automobiles, however, has not been able tom achieved the same level of success with several constraints, the biggest of which the car buyers need to be up close and personal to the car of their choice. This is true even for the latest model. An online portal may just introduce the new model to the public, but there is simply no other substitute for them but to flock the showroom to see the actual car.

The one sector of the automobile which has found its niche in the new marketing tool, however, is the second hand market. Used cars sale techniques are normally the same all over the world, that is, potential buyers would have to search around for a particular model selling at a particular price which is agreeable to them. This is where the Internet\'s vast reach has been able to make a breakthrough.

Used car sellers now have the luxury of posting their used autos online instead of waiting for a potential customer to show up at their sites. The American affinity towards certain legendary models such as the Mustang or the Ford GT40, to name just two of the many superb models that had been produced by the number of car makes in the States, means that there is a market worth tapping.

Car enthusiasts looking for a specific model could simply tap into the vast online network to find the exact dream car, right down to the year of make, the engine displacement, how many miles it had gone through and, with some luck, complete with a picture of how it looks like. Ebay motors, for example, incorporate all these specifics in its portal, enabling potential customers to choose from a list of sellers all throughout the United States.

Of course, there is no telling if the auto on sale is actually what is represented on the computer screen, but once customers find what they are looking for, it is the a matter of proceeding to the showroom to view the actual car. Nothing beats the excitement of seeing a car in the flesh; being able to run our fingers through its flank, trying out its seats and imagining how it would drive even prior to turning the keys where a drive test is given, this would be the point of sale, which came courtesy of the internet.

The list of models available in the market could be quite extensive, from American car makers Buick, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, Ford, GMC and Mercury to Japanese makes Honda, Isuzu, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Toyota, or European makes, Volkswagen, BMW, Audi and Mercedes Benz, all of which has been around for quite some time, and offering a vast range of automobiles from vintage to the latest, fuel sipping hybrids.

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About The Author
Hamm Morgan is a leading expert on the subject of used cars sales on the Internet.

Get more information regarding used cars for sale http://shoppingforproductsonline.com/car-shopper/used-cars-for-sale-finding-quality-used-autos-online.html