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Toyota Prius – A Review on the All New Hybrid Car

According to latest hybrid car reviews and environmentally-friendly car news, a lot of icons and regular individuals alike have publicized that the new Toyota Prius is just what the doctor ordered for Green car fanatics. This green car is seen as a considerable step towards controlling global warming and issues related to pollution. No wonders the car has very soon become an object of desire for folks around the world. Let us go through some car information in this car blog green, on how well the Toyota Prius shapes up as an ideal green car.

Firstly, Toyota has created a pioneering power train, which merges a (gasoline) internal combustion engine with the electric motor; thus improving fuel economy and lowering emissions to a big extent. According to natural car info sources, it is possible to swap between the car’s dual power sources; on occasion it runs on battery alone. The car’s braking system recycles the energy – which typically goes waste as heat – into electricity.

The Prius also has some unique features, like the space age type control panel and constantly variable transmission. Nickel-metal hydride battery is used – which prevents the need for disposing deadly toxins. Instead of cadmium, a hydrogen-absorbing alloy is used for the negative electrode, while the positive electrode is of nickel oxyhydroxide; this improves the battery capacity to three times that of a usual battery.

A major disadvantage in this car – apart from the high cost – is that most autonomous mechanics wouldn’t know how to service a hybrid. However, there are some benefits too. For example, you can avail tax exemptions and financial incentives for buying hybrid cars. Other advantages include super mileage (as with most electric cars), lesser pollution, and a less toxic battery. However, it would be much better if the cost is reduced by a good level. The engine too can be trimmed down in size; to make it more affordable for everyday consumers.

Porsche 977

A new Porsche 911 is always fascinating because it’s interesting to see how after more than 40 years of development the Porsche team still manages to bring changes and improvements to this icon model.

The new 997 bodyshell combines the sleek modern looks of the 996 series with the popular retro styling cues from older 911s. The front end is completed with round lights and separate parking/fog/indicator lights. This change, combined with wider hips echoes the last of the air-cooled 911s, the 993. Other changes in the bodyshell are the new door handles, wing mirrors and the stylish cut of the rear wings into the bumper/lights.

Even if the 997 looks a lot like the previous model, the 996, the new car is actually 38mm wider which creates a more aggressive appearance. With each new model introduced, Porsche has aimed to reduce the drag co-efficient helping the 911 slide through the air more effectively, and so aiding performance. The same thing has been done with the new car, and if we compare the 993 Cd of 0.34 to the 997`s 0.28 we can see how far the aerodynamic game has moved on. The latest body shell and rear wing combine with new underbody paneling to also offer increased levels of down force for this latest evolution of Porsche’s finest.

The latest Porsche model is the best handling 911 ever. Improving a car’s rigidity helps ensure the suspension can work more effectively and while not making such a quantum leap as the team did with the 996. Porsche improved torsional rigidity by 8% and added as much as 40% more flexural strength.

For the new car, Porsche wanted to improve crash safety so they added two new air bags located in the side of each front seat back-rest, designed to protect the thorax. They kept the previous two front and two side airbags, which means that now there are six in total. For the same reason, crash safety, the reinforced body shell features further protection such as a more extensive use of super high strength steel.

The latest model is also 50 kg heavier than the 996. The reason is that modern crash safety regulations kind of force the new cars to come with increased weight, despite the usage of a large range of weight saving measures, including an aluminum bonnet.

Aside from the crash safety improvements, much of the additional weight can be attributed to the higher standard specification of the new cars. Power to weight is similar with the latest car offering 233 bhp per tone against it’s predecessors 238 and the new models improved aerodynamics must help it post Porsches claimed performance figures, which are identical to the 996.

BMW 320D

I really did feel like a ten year old. It’s that time in your life when you do not bother about a Yana Gupta passing by but ogle at some of the cars zooming past. And the ogle gets complimented by a salivating mouth if that car reads BMW
on its bonnet. Days spent with the 320d were reminiscent of my childhood years. I was instantly smitten by the looks of this car. Oozing individuality, the BMW helps you make an impact where-ever you go in it. It makes you stand apart. Even in a fast-moving city like Mumbai, where nobody has time for anything, the BMW 320d turned more heads than I had anticipated. It felt good. Damn good.
First look and a person’s eye gets hooked, such is the aesthetic quotient of the BMW 320d. That characteristic kidney grille dominates the front end of the car which is helped by the double round headlamps to make it appear very in-yer-face. One Bangle adopted the bold and controversial design philosophy for which a lot of criticisms were raised. contribution to the design world? Terms like ‘flame surfacing’ and ‘opposing curves’. Then came along a bloke by the name of Adrian van Hooydonk. He took the stylus and did some critical changes to the original design. What resulted were lines and curves of a gorgeous looking machine which shouts “I AM MEAN” from all sides.

BMW 320d Side I wanted to absorb everything about her, so I parked the car, climbed out and walked around it. Noticed every curve, every line. Walked around it again. Then moved away from the car. Then I observed. The shape of the car is very coupe-like, which is a darn good thing! It is characterized by the long bonnet and the C pillar which merges with the small-looking boot. As is typical of BMWs, the short overhangs do their bit to add to the coupe-like styling. The shoulder-line and waist-line are pronounced and make the car look elegant and lustrous
The run-flat R16s are housed neatly in the wheel-arches and lend an aggressive look to the Bimmer with some help from the neat and massive five-spoked alloy wheels. The rear is as smart and taut as it can get. I even liked the outside rear-view mirror design. But, like the famous saying goes – nothing’s perfect – even the BMW 3 Series isn’t. That chrome bit on the hood above the grille looks a little odd and could have been better carried out. Perhaps could have been a bit more slender. Argh, now this is nitpicking really! The bottom line is, this is a damn good-looking example of an automobile.

So we know that the BMW 320d looks fine. Good that. And it is bloody solid too! The sheet metal exudes strength while the shut lines add to the feel of fit and finish. The doors shut with a reassuring ‘thud’ and the overall stance makes it look very balanced and sturdy.
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Koenigsegg CC

The CCX is the latest of the Koenigsegg CC family.CCX stands for Competition Coupe X. The CCX commemorates the 10th anniversary of the completion and test drive of the first CC maiden prototype, which rolled out from the R&D Department in 1996. The CCX – literally, Competition Coupe X (the X is for the 10th anniversary of Koenigsegg’s first test vehicle, the CC – features a 4.7 liter V8 based Ford’s popular modular V8, twin-supercharged Koenigsegg motor with a six-speed manual transmission.

The CCX can accelerate from 0–62 mph (100 km/h) in 3.2 seconds and from 0–124 mph (200 km/h) in 9.8 seconds. According to Koenigsegg it has a top speed of 259 mph (417 km/h), although this has not been officially verified. On 15th June 2008, a standard fully equipped CCX was independently timed by SportAuto in achieving a record 0-186-0 mph (0-300-0 km/h) in 29.2 seconds, beating SLR McLaren 722, Lamborghini Murcielago LP640, Porsche 997 GT2, Alpina B6 S, Corvette Z06.

Lightning GT

Lightning GT is an electric powered sports car from the Lightning Car Company based in united kingdom. The Lightning GT mixes British sports car styling with racing car technology and state of the art NanoSafe™ battery power and Hi-Pa Drive™ electric motors.
The stylish body is crafted from carbon fibre/Kevlar.

Advantages of electric vehicles is that they offer maximum available power to the wheels at any speed, unlike a petrol engine where maximum power is only obtained high up in the rev range. To help effectively deliver this power to the road the Lightning GT uses electronically controlled traction control which negates wheel spin and unbalance in the power being applied

2009 Ford FPV GS Falcon

ford fpv gs falcon

Not many of our readers will recall the old GS series Ford Falcon, those of you who don’t soon will as Ford have just released their new line up of Ford FPV (Ford Performance Vehicle) the latest addition to the line-up is the GS performance model (pictured above).

The latest FORD GS FPV is aimed at performance and it surely lives up to all the hype that’s been going around lately, the FPV GS has a new re-calibrated FPV 5.4 litre V8, using the famous GT engine from the FG model which contains a high 302kW, that can produce 551Nm of torque (Ford statement, no independent tests have been run yet) the FPV has a standard six speed manual transmission.

The FORD Falcon FPV GS sedan and also the new FORD Falcon FPV Ute gets a new chassis makeover awesome new GS graphics and designs, the latest model FORD also focuses on driver comfort ford have made a numerous amount of changes to improve driver comfort.

Quick Specs:

• 19-inch Graphite rims
• 302kW engine
• Six exterior colour/stripe combination’s
• Turbocharged F6 at 310kW / full GT-spec V8 at 315kW
• Leather seats
• Satellite  navigation

This was just a quick / brief look into Fords new line-up, we will be posting an in-depth article as soon as Ford respond to our requests for a full features/specs list. Again please bookmark our site and check back soon.

Be sure to swing by AmericanTrucks.com and check out their large selection of Ford F250 Tonneau Covers.

Lexus LF-Ch

Lexus LF-Ch

Well its seems things are a little quite in terms of new releases, so since we are a little bored today we are going to post some articles on concept cars today.

The Lexus LF-Ch would have to be one of the sexiest cars i think i have ever seen, this photo was leaked from an anonymous source and more photo’s should see the light of day after the Frankfurt Motor Show opens.

We don’t have a stat on this car whatsoever lol, but due to it’s incredible looks we felt it was more than worthy of posting, hopefully in the coming weeks we can get some more information on this little beauty. Well this was a rather useless post but if an average picture says a thousand words then this post must be worth at least ten thousand words. Soon as we get our hands on some useful information regarding the Lexus LF-Ch we will update our website immediately.

Mitsubishi PX-MiEV

Mitsubishi PX-MiEV

A new concept car is about to hit Tokyo’s motor show, Mitsubishi’s PX-MiEV is quite a head turner not only is this beast very pleasant on the eye it also packs quite a punch.

This 4WD is based on the award winning Mitsubishi Outlander SUV which sold tens of thousands of units and is still a popular choice amongst motoring / SUV enthusiasts.

The front and rear wheels are powered by a unique new system called “magnet synchronous” motors which means that the front and rear wheels are powered by two 60 kW motors. There is also a 1.6 litre MIVEC engine which is powered by petrol (some thought a diesel motor would have been a wise choice with the world pushing for more green friendly cars) not only does this engine drive the front axles but this also severs as a backup generator which effectively provides much better mileage.

Another idea implemented in this SUV is the handling control system from the Mitsubishi’s Evo-style S-AWC, this allows the SUV to automatically change between drive modes depending on how much power is left in the battery pack (Advanced lithium ion battery pack).

Some people in the know are suggesting this could hit the roads by 2012, depending on the amount of interest before hand, we were unable to get a full list of specs from Mitsubishi motors so we will update our site as soon as more news comes to hand, also you can keep your eye on the Tokyo Motor Show as this new SUV is going to be a crowd puller so one can suspect that Mitsubishi will feel some pressure to release a full list of features and specs. Please check back soon for more information on the Mitsubishi PX-MiEV.

Audi A5 2.0 TFSI Quattro released

Audi A5 2.0 TFSI Quattro

The debut of the Audi A5 2.0 TFSI Quattro has turned heads all over the world, many Audi dealers are stocking up on this model as it is 20k cheaper than its big brother “V6 FSI quattro” and weighs in just about on par with the FSI V6.

Pictured above is the latest release from Quattro from Audi, most people can justify the cheaper model and her is why 0-100 in 6.5 seconds, 7.5L/100km (way below world standards) not everyone is thinking green these days but you can rest assured while having power at the helm of your foot you are still complying with world standard liters to KM ratio of (10.8L to every 100km) while this car has been dubbed only an “Entry Level” A5 we feel this car is the pick of the crop when shopping with an $80,000 budget.

The Audi/VW 2.0 litre turbo comes equipped with Audi’s latest intercooler “air to air” and various other internal tweaks to the revised engine, this 4 cylinder turbo charged beast is set to hit dealerships across the world in the coming weeks, a large talking point is the new twin clutch system which helps with the smoothness of changing gears a seven-speed S tronic gearbox, more new technology comes in the way of shiftable front to rear power ratios, after hitting around 60km the power to the rear wheels will increase from 60% all the way up to 85% which allows for a more stable drive and fast and slow speeds.

Audi A5 2.0 TFSI Quattro Features:

• 1984cc 4cyl, dohc, 16v, turbo
• 155kW @ 4300-6000rpm
• 6.5sec (tested and proved)
• 350Nm @ 1500-4200rpm
• 7-speed twin clutch
• Impressive price tag of $79,000

Available now in most car dealers windows, Audi specialists as mentioned before have stocked up on this model if you wish to take one for a test drive please contact your local Audi car sales. The price of the Audi A5 2.0 TFSI Quattro should see huge numbers of this car hitting the streets in the next few weeks and into the new year, also i forgot to mention there is an optional sports kit upgrade available for $5750 “S Line package” which includes sports seats, sports suspension and very stylish 18inch wheels.

Lexus is250c

Lexus is250c convertible

What a stunner, i am talking about the Lexus is250c and not the lovely promotional woman. This was a nice surprise Lexus have been releasing new model cars each year and have basically strayed away from the convertible car market, The Lexus is250 convertible was released just this month and yet there was not so much as a whisper previous to the release.

This release comes 3 years after the second gen Lexus IS sedan, Pictured above is the official launch at the Paris Motor Show. Most convertibles receive loads of criticism when it comes to the time it takes to convert the hardtop, the Lexus hardtop retractable roof system is setting new standards as it can open and close in less than 20 seconds, the hardtop is manufactured from highest grade aluminum.

Besides the excellent styling, engine performance gains over the 2nd gen IS Lexus have been applied, this car has been exclusively modeled (other models will be out next year with higher power engines, but each new model will have its own unique style).

Contact your local Lexus dealer for a test drive, the Lexus is250c will be widely available across all countries, so keep an eye on the roads as these will become a very popular choice of car.

Lexus is250c Features:

• 2.5L V6 engine
• 205hp (153kW)
• Over head protection side airbags
• 5 star impact rating
• Mark Levinson 12-speaker sound system (New adaption technology for no noise once the rood is lowered)

UPDATE: We have been asked what is the price of the Lexus is250c and at this stage there has been no official price guide released to the media, again please contact a dealership that sells Lexus cars.