Unique Auto

Archive for March, 2009

It is almost impossible to imagine the world without certain things in it. Try to imagine a world when the Rolling Stones aren’t embarking on another world tour despite having the combined age of the Methuselah Tree, or a year without a Simon Cowell produced talent show on television. It’s impossible isn’t it? Certain objects/people/events are ingrained on our national conscience and if you were to take them away, everything would just seem…well…unusual I guess. This is tantamount how I feel about the Volkswagen Golf.

I have a long history with the VW Golf, as my Grandfather owner one in my formative years and ferried me and my brother around in it quite a lot. I have very fond memories of this car which have remained with me right into my adulthood. On the surface though, the VW Golf isn’t exactly breathtaking, it’s boxy, cumbersome and not to mention quite a bit more expensive than most of its competition. So exactly where the does this abiding love affair with the VW Golf stem from and how has it endured for so long?  
It was over 35 years ago when the Volkswagen Golf first made its appearance and it has been a consistently popular seller ever since. The evolution of the VW Golf has been a joy to witness over the decades, as the car has gone from looking like it was designed by an artistically-challenged child, to the sleek, rounded and aesthetically pleasing models we see today. Its popularity stems from its honesty and it reserve; two traits the British public seem to lap up in their people and cars. The VW Golf doesn’t try to be flashy, or gimmick-ridden, but it does everything it’s supposed to with elegance and panache. Considering it is a German car, it is very British.
The Brand New Volkswagen Golf Mark VI comes with a choice of four petrol engines and three diesel engines. My personal pick of the bunch is the twin-charged 1.4Litre Petrol which produces 160Bhp which is unbelievably good for a car of this size. Driving this car is unlike the experience of the previous model Golf (the Mark V), as it adds an element that its predecessor was lacking slightly; joy. Other than the GTi models, the Golf has never been considered anything close to an exciting exciting drive. It has been described as safe, comfortable, economic and ecological but never exciting or exhilirating. The supercharged and turbocharged 1.4 litre engine feels raw, edgy and above all, powerful enough for the weight of the car. All of a sudden the VW Golf seems considerably less British after all.
Essentially, the Volkswagen Golf Mk VI has retained everything that the consuming public loved about the car since its initial inception, but they have been treated to a few added extras now. The Golf is still safe, comfortable, economical and ecological, but now it has the capability to force your head back into the headrest and leave you with a silly schoolboy grin on your face. Although the Golf has evolved into the consummate city car, if you take the new Golf out onto country lanes, you will see why I can say with confidence that this is the most impressive the Golf has ever been.

So what’s the cheapest new Ford money can buy?  Pat on the back if you answered Ford Ka, shake of the head if you didn’t (the answers even in the article title!)  Yes after a staggering 13 years, the Ka is still going strong, but now it’s had a makeover…

To coin a well ploughed phrase ‘if it ain’t broke don’t fix it’ and to be honest despite its advancing years the old Ka didn’t look dated and still drove the wheels off the competition.I used to drive the Ka when I didn’t fancy taking the bus and always found it a riot, with the 1.3 litre engine pulling a car that weighed as much as a bag of sugar along at a fair pace.  Even though it was bubble shaped it still handled well, even if the skinny tyres started to let go if you were overeager. 

It was a fashion accessory as much as a car, the type of item you’d find sticking its head out of a handbag rather than being topped up with oil.  It was a cheap Ford too with new ones starting from as little as £4,995.  Yes there was painted metal on the inside of the doors rather than sumptuous leather and ok the gear stick just stuck out of the floor like a van, with no attempted aesthetics, but it had charm.

So when I tell you the new Ka is a million miles away from this you’d be right to start worrying.  The first thing that strikes you is how grown up the new version is.  It’s still very funky but is essentially a Ford Fiesta that has been put in the wash on too hot a temperature.  This however is no bad thing as the new Fiesta is not only a great drive, but a brilliantly styled vehicle.  The Ka isn’t quite as pretty although without my glasses on I couldn’t tell the difference so it can’t be too bad.

To drive, the car is very similar to the new Fiat 500 – in fact it’s the same.  The reason for this is quite simple really; both the Ka and 500 are built in the same factory in Poland using the same parts.That’s right, the new Ford Ka isn’t a completely new design after all.  Don’t despair though as partnerships are not necessarily a bad thing, just look at Starsky and Hutch or Tango and Cash.  The 500 is a hoot to drive and therefore so is the Ka, with it feeling every bit as nippy and fun around the city as a small car should be.

The interior is a massive improvement on the outgoing car, including a space-age centre console finished in silver and matching art deco door handles.  Even the gear stick now looks good as it protrudes from the dashboard, falling easily to hand.  The seats are firm but hold you in place well and the driving position is good unless you’re over six foot.  When you consider the majority of Ka ownership is women I don’t think this will be an issue.

One thing that will be however are the headlights.  For all the good in the rest of the car, it must be pointed out that they are dimmer than an asbo child with a pea for a brain.  On normal beam I had to keep checking they were on, when I switched to full beam the situation got worse as oncoming traffic kept flashing and blinding me to say my lights were too bright, yet the switch to full beam made no discernable difference from the driving seat.I had a similar problem with my current car and bought some high powered (but legal) replacement bulbs that have improved things exponentially.  I suggest this is the first accessory you buy for the new Ka.

I feel I’ve put a dampener on the new Ka, but for it to remain a ‘cheap Ford’ in the current economic climate, GM had to be sensible and build it in collaboration with Fiat and unfortunately the headlights have slipped through the net.  No matter, the rest of the car is just as good (with a far superior interior) to the old Ka, just with a more grown up feel that does make the oldie look a tad dated when parked next to each other.  The 1.2 litre Zetec version costs £9,295 and returns an impressive 55.4mpg, resulting in a measly road tax cost of £35 for the year.

Just think with all that money you’ll save you can buy as many replacement bulbs as you like.

go karts for

The distinct aroma and lingering smell of gas and oil burning on the dirt track from a go kart engine is enough to excite any enthusiast, young or old. If you have ever watched a Formula One or NASCAR race in person or on television, then you know how exciting it can be. Can you imagine climbing into one of those off road or racing go karts yourself? The thrill is enormous. The internet is a great source of knowledge, so go online to www.extreme. go karts com for information on getting started.

In either off road or paved track racing, gokarts are geared toward beginners. They are easy to drive and steer, and if you do lose control, there is usually nothing serious to deal with. Young and old will admit that it’s just plain fun racing go karts. Like anything else, there are different levels that you can become involved in with go karting. Go online to www.family. go karts com to get an idea of where to begin.

The bottom line with karting is speed. Speed is where all the excitement comes from. Karts can reach speeds of up to 160 mph or more. While that is fast, don’t start getting nervous just yet. There are many opportunities for thrills and chills at every level. You don’t need to go 90 mph to experience a toe-curling ride. If you have ever thought about getting involved with go karts for driving and/or racing, then it is by no means ever too late and you are never too old.

Whether you are skimming around a blind curve, accelerating down a go kart track, or deftly maneuvering around another go kart, the experience of karting is like no other. To get started, go online and check out web sites like www.family. go karts com to get the latest information on karts and racing in your area. Whether you are a professional or just beginning, a go kart can give you quite a thrill!

The Vauxhall Corsa has seamlessly eased itself into the Great British consciousness by providing cost-effective, stylish and ecologically sound motoring. In the small hatchback market, the target demographic is not often considered to be looking for a high performance vehicle; they are more interested in the MPG ratios and how much CO2 is leaking out of the exhaust. The standard Corsa fills this niche admirably and has become a consistent and popular seller throughout the country. Vauxhall, however, have had a change of heart with the Corsa’s regulation blueprints and have released something of a caged beast.

The Vauxhall Corsa 1.6 16V VXR takes the tried and tested styling of the more common Corsa and puts fire and brimstone under the bonnet. This car seems to be squarely aimed at those amongst us who not only want to get away from the traffic lights first, but want to blow a hole in the space/time continuum whilst we do so.

I, like many people, learned to drive in a Vauxhall Corsa, so I was genuinely looking forward to revisiting the humble beginnings of my driving career and reminding myself of the Corsa's fun. The Corsa model I was presented with was an entirely different beast to the 1.3 CDTi I used to chug down the dual carriageway in. The Corsa VXR has been modelled to look sportier; the bodywork looks like a rally car, the seats hug your contours and the whole affair seems to have much more of a snarl about it.

I was used to the Diesel Corsa 0-60 capabilities of around 13 seconds, so was pleasantly surprised when I realised that the VXR model could manage it in less than half the time. When I say “pleasantly surprised”, I was actually burbling incomprehensibly.

The Vauxhall Corsa VXR may very well appeal to the rather unsavoury boy racers amongst us, but its appeal really deserves to be enjoyed by a wider audience. The price range puts it in direct competition with the higher spec Ford Fiestas like the Zetec and the zippy Vauxhall makes a very good case for itself.

If you are looking for a car that can slap a smile on your face, I doubt you will have to look much further than the Vauxhall Corsa 1.6 16V VXR.

Are you going to take a break and go on that long awaited holiday.  Planning in advance especially air fare, hotel, and car rentals will pay off.  For rental car comparisons there are a number of websites you can visit to help you make an informed decision on which type of car to rent.  Many will also give you discounts and also reservations.

There are a number of sites that help you to do your reserving, what you must do is match the sites that give you car rental services and you acquire the best deal. There are several things to consider while you rent a car. In addition, to enjoy better rates, you must have a clean driving record, and ideally, you should also be a frequent customer of the car rental company.  

In addition to being the quickest way to secure a car rental, it will enable you to find the best available deal.  Since rental car numbers are growing this will enable you to do comparison shopping in minutes.  If you book your car rental in advance you will be able to avoid the need to find last minute deals.

If there is a problem remember that you can claim against your credit card company in any dispute if the car hire company have over charged you and will not deal with the issue.   There are so many terms and conditions, “non-refundable, non-modifiable and non-cancellable” come to mind when dealing with sites like Hotwire and Priceline. Many times that renters can get cheaper rates by going through the car rental companies directly, if they have access to a car rental discount code or coupon.

There are also third party websites (such as online travel agencies ) which compare quotes from the major car rental agencies. Simply enter your travel dates and destination and they will provide you with the best price for car rentals available.  You will receive quotes from multiple sites on the best car rentals available.

Everyone desires to have the best possible rental car experience. Visiting car rental comparisons sites provides vacationers with access to hundreds of independent car rental agencies with thousands of locations throughout North America, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, India and Europe.

Some car brands or models are unjustly categorised into owner stereotypes. The Fiat 500 will forever be associated with young women’s first cars, the Mondeo will always nod toward the middle-of-the-road family man and the BMW Z3 will always belong to smug executives or hairdressers. There is one categorisation that has stuck in my mind and been noticeable during car journeys; the Honda Accord is a car for pensioners.

Anyone who is familiar with the British roads will have been stuck, frustrated, behind an elderly person in an Accord, who insists on doing 30mph in a national speed limit area with no sign of moving out of 3^rd gear. After about 10 miles of this, you can feel your anger welling up inside you like a volcano that’s about to blow and you make a risky manoeuvre to overtake which results in you either crashing headlong into an oncoming lorry, or careening off into a ditch . Either way the Honda Accord driver will tut and shake his head as he slowly drives past your lifeless corpse.

This maybe a slight exaggeration, but the Honda Accord has really built up a reputation for being the elderly’s car of choice, but why exactly? Let me make it obvious. It’s the multitude of gadgets Honda include that take away all choice and responsibility from the driver. In the top spec model there is an annoying beep if you accelerate over the speed limit, there is annoying beep if you change lanes on the motorway and there is an Adaptive Cruise Control system, which presumably involves some kind of annoying beep. All of these little beeps and blips seem to attract the elderly car buyer; they are obviously reassuring or potentially keep the driver awake as they are cruising at 26Mph on the dual carriageway.

Despite all the annoying warning noises, the Honda Accord is a pretty handy car. The two petrol and diesel options are all punchy, responsive and ecologically sound. If given choice between the i-CDTi Diesel and the i-VTEC petrol engines, the diesel makes the most sense. Its performance is very close to that of the petrol and the monetary returns you’ll get at the petrol pumps are worth the minor drop in performance.

The quality and reliability of Honda cars is renowned internationally and these factors are also going to appeal to the more sensible and prudential senior market. You can’t really picture a 61 year old man going out and buying a sporty, but famously unreliable Alfa Romeo can you? No, those amongst us of a more ‘advanced’ age always choose the safe options and there is little safer than a Honda Accord.

The Honda Accord’s current reputation is slightly undeserved though. At its core it is a perfectly serviceable car for anyone looking for a good performance saloon with low residuals. I’m sure Honda aren’t like to be overly concerned by their current ‘elderly’ consuming demographic, as long as they keep buying the car in droves, which I’m sure they will…which they surely will.

Having a hard time searching for a new car? You tired of relying on everyone else to take you somewhere because you don’t have a car? Sometimes you get extremely drained when trying to find  car at a nice price. Also, because you don’t have your own car right now it’s kind of hard trying to go look for cars, isn’t it? This is why you are trying to find a car quick in the first place.

Wonderfully, you don’t have to go out just to see whats available on market right now. Now, you just search the internet, find the car with the price you want, and go check that one or two out. It’s much better than traveling all over to all these different car places. You won’t be wasting any of your time at these different lots or sellers homes that you’re not really interested in buying anyway.

You could just be looking at Used Cars For Sale By Owner. This is fine too. You can find used cars for sale by owner easily on Car Sale Hub. You can find the vehicles that are for sale in your local area and around the area. Because you can find cars in the local area, you might not even need a ride to go look at them.

This site makes it much easier for you to get started with the search. It can get very exciting when searching for your car. When looking at cars for sale by owner you have a better chance at getting a better deal than you would if you were to get it from a lot.

No doubt in my mind that you’ll find several cars for sale by owners on Car Sale Hub. You can do all your searching right here. Don’t even have to look at other sites.

Car Sale Hub is here to help you. Whatever car you are looking for in your area they will show you. Start searching for the Used Cars For Sale By Owner on Car Sale Hub.

Thousands of jobs could potentially be spared at the van makers LDV if the government agree to a £5m bridging loan that would lead to further investment from overseas companies.

Although LDV and Citroen van leasing have been on the up recently, production at LDV has been put on hold since December last year as a result of reduced demand in the new van market. Workers there have also recently agreed to a pay cut of 10% and even a 3-day week in attempts to reduce outgoings at the plant. The originally request to the government from LDV was for £30m to keep production stable. This was not given buy the government initially but since LDV has reduced the amount they are asking for, the request is being reconsidered.

Over 800 jobs could be saved if the government decide to award the loan, as well as helping more than 6,000 workers are are affected along the supply chain. A number of investors from overseas are apparently looking to put money into the company if the government take action. These include one of the bidders who previously failed to secure Jaguar Land Rover, but also Mahindra and Mahindra, an Indian group who were in the running to purchase JLR and also a van leasing company a year ago but was eventually beaten by rival Asian conglomerate Tata.

Copies of the company accounts and business plans have been sent to the government and include a new concept for an ecological ‘green’ van. All the elements of the data will be looked into well by the government but the bosses at LDV seem optimistic. Erik Eberhardson, the chairman of LDV’s Russian owner Gaz, has already stated he is convinced the firm can be saved and a spokesman for LDV recently announced “This isn’t dead in the water. BERR has agreed to investigate all options, and the MBO team believe they have the best plan.”

ue to unstable oil price situation in the world market, many countries have been looking for alternative energy to substitute petroleum. Researches on the use of waste vegetable oils (WVO) as fuel substitutes in diesel engines have been done in many countries with much success.
Biofuel is diesel fuel that is made by reacting waste vegetable oil (WVO) with other common chemicals. Biofuel may be used in any diesel automotive engine in its pure form or blended with petroleum-based diesel.
Biodiesel is nontoxic and biodegradable, that it can help reduce dependence on foreign oil and cut down on greenhouse gas emissions. It’s an oxygenated fuel, so it burns more completely than other fossil-based products. Filling your car with biodiesel cuts down on emissions of unburned hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, sulfur and the nastiest of all diesel byproducts–particulate matter.
Cars built since 1994 that are already equipped with diesel engines can run even 100 percent biodiesel with little or no modification. Some work will be needed to run on pure vegetable oil, but you may be able to do it yourself.
The energy content of a given amount of waste vegetable oil is only a little less than that of diesel fuel, and is more than for gasoline. Therefore, power and fuel economy on WVO is almost the same as on diesel. Under most conditions, there is little or no perceptible difference to the driver between driving on diesel and driving on WVO.
WVO system reliability has improved greatly in a short period of time. The growing base of WVO users have contributed their knowledge to that gained in production and sale of systems.
Biodiesel is a natural fuel system lubricant. Independent studies by Stanadyne Automotive Corp. and Southwest Research Institute show biodiesel improves the wear or scarring of metal parts within the fuel system.
The flash point (the point at which fuel ignites) for biodiesel (B100) is a minimum of 300 degrees versus about 125 degrees Fahrenheit for regular petroleum diesel #2.
Biodiesel is also non-toxic and biodegradable. These factors make biodiesel one of the safest fuels to use, handle and store.

Every day we’re told the world is becoming more Americanised, but that, as all the best things are from America this is no bad thing.  Space travel, fast food, blues and jazz, theme parks, telephone numbers such as 0-8-0-0-F-U-N-T-I-M-E have all found their way over here.What’s wrong with using numbers on the telephone anyway, why use lthe alphabet?  No, for me the US of A has contributed more than enough for the time being and rather than our culture becoming further Americanised, I vote for us to become Japanised.  I mean that’s where the really cool stuff comes from: computer games, Manga cartoons, toilets that shoot water towards your…well you know, that cool robot from television (not available at your Honda dealer) and the most reliable cars on the planet.

Yep for cool stuff that 99 percent of the time will never be used in mainstream markets, Japan is the place to go.  It’s the one percent that really does work however that excites me the most.  The Sony PlayStation has been the market leader since its inception and the gaming industry as a whole is a multi, multi billion pound yearly business.  In fact Japan’s economy alone generated £120 billion through the sale of publishing, games, films and music in 2006 alone.  The cars are fast becoming market leaders too.  Gone are the days of reliable vehicles that looked like a baby had styled it – enter the simply stunning Nissan GTR or Honda’s most successful hot-hatch the Civic Type R (this unlike the robot is available at your Honda dealer).

The reason why the latest cars from Japan are so well styled whilst maintaining the build quality and reliability you’d expect from the country is that they’ve embraced their culture, which to Western society is, well, bonkers.  We’ve all seen the clip shows on TV that showcase the mad game shows Japan have as entertainment.  In the UK you answer a few questions correctly and you win some money.In Japan you answer a few questions correctly and then you only have to eat ten spiders, jump through rings of fire and have your leg chopped off to win the grand prize.

Then there’s the Bosozoku.Essentially they were a motorcycle gang that started sometime in the mid fifties, but thanks to Manga comics and Anime films such as Akira and Fat Don the Pirate, the image has been glamourised so the modern day Bosozoku are more style than actual gang fighting and.  They have also branched out to modifying cars with crazy features such as exhausts that reach skywards and end above the roofline.  Japanese culture is the perfect ying and yang – they work really hard, they play really, really hard.

You can see now why channelling all the above into a car such as the Nissan GTR is pretty exciting.  You have the reliability and build quality from the hard-working Japanese culture, the mad styling from the Manga culture and the incredible handling and on-board computer wizardry from the gaming culture.  You can see these elements filtering through to many Japanese car-makers and most notably across their range, Honda.

When judging a car brand, I like to see what their entry-level car is and if that’s good then it’s a good rule of thumb to assume this standard is maintained as the pound signs increase.  Using this logic and a trip to your Honda dealer will bring the Honda Jazz before you.  It’s a fun little hatchback from the styling to the way it drives around town.In fact it’s not entirely dissimilar to Doctor Who’s Tardis.Admittedly the Jazz doesn’t transcend time and space, but it’s far bigger on the inside than its exterior suggests.  The front and rear lights wrap around both ends and a simple arched line down the side completes the shape.  It is once again Japan in microcosm: small, functional and stylish.

There are two engines available, a 1.2 litre unit or a 1.4 VTEC litre version.The later is also available with a 6-speed i-SHIFT gearbox that is arather intuitive semi automatic.The funky features don’t end there, with the Jazz offering a panoramic glass roof, a refrigerated glove box and rather handy iPod connectivity.Crucially your sweating Honda dealer will take pride in declaring the Jazz emitting just 130g/km CO2 and returning a combined fuel consumption figure of 51.4mpg.  The Jazz is cheap to run then, but it’s reasonable to buy in the first place, with prices starting at £9,990 in the UK.

The verdict on the Jazz then is a glowing one.Obviously I’d deeply adore a Nissan GTR to embrace my love of all things Japanese, but to suit my wallet and I’m sure the vast majority of readers, nip to your Honda dealer for a small slice of Tokyo.