Automotive Websites of the Month

Maserati Maserati officially launched early in 1926 when the Bologna, Italy, brothers who had formerly worked for Diatto creating race cars determined that after Diatto stopped making race cars, they would make their own.

They proceeded to create a race car that won the 1926 Targa Florio race. This race was held in the mountains of Palermo, Sicily and was both- dangerous, as well as treacherous as it included hairpin turns and vast temperature differences due to the elevation variations throughout the race. Because this was a tricky circuit to tackle, winning the race came with a great deal of prestige for the brothers. Enough that it sent them down the path of manufacturing race cars. Brother Mario created the logo that is known across the world and together they (brothers) began creating four, six, eight, and sixteen cylinder race cars.

Sadly, the brother Alfieri who won the first race that Maserati entered, passed away in 1932. With his passing, the other brothers continued for five years, eventually selling their parts of the company to Adolfo Orsi in 1937. However, these brothers stayed an active part of the car designing and took on engineering roles with the new company when it relocated to Modena . . . .
Car #2 The high performance Lamborghini sports car is largely popular for its aggressive look and impressive speed. Undoubtedly, Lamborghini produces the world’s best and most exciting sports cars. Some of the best known Lamborghini models are the Diablo, the Countach, the Gallardo and the Murcielago.

Murcielago R-GT’s Le Mans edition is thought to be the fastest Lamborghini with 370 km/h speeds . The Murcielago LP640 is considered as the fastest street model from Lamborghini with 340 km/h speeds. Both these Lamborghini models have V12 engines and are above 6000 cc. The older models of the Lamborghini like the Diablo, the Countach and now the present model Murcielago have the familiar scissor doors rotating forward and up on hinges near the front door. Till 1989 all the Lamborghini models were produced with a V8 engine. Most of the Lamborghini models have the renowned V12 engine, the new model Gallardos have V10 engines.

The low stance of the Lamborghini car has amplified aerodynamic qualities with big tires digging into the tarmac. The characteristics of Lamborghini make it a perfect performance car. Being in the driver seat of a Lamborghini is like driving an F-1 race car and that too without special training . . .
Car #4 When Enzo Ferrari initially created his company Scuderia Ferrari in France in 1929, his intention was to sponsor amateur race automobile drivers and invent racing cars, and it would take him over 15 years after which Ferrari began to produce their own road cars in 1947.

Ferrari is still committed to the manufacture of racing cars and high performance sports cars and do not even look at designing other types of cars. Scuderia Ferrari is still the well known name for Gestione Sportiva, the part of the Ferrari Company that works with racing. Scuderia is a spanish word and means "stable", but Scuderia Ferrari is sometime also loosely translated as Team Ferrari.

Ferrari created its first on road automobile in 1947. The 1947 125 S Ferrari had a 1.5 L V12 engine and the whole vehicle was considered incredibly beautiful and superbly designed. Enzo Ferrari was still focused in race cars and the Ferrari road cars were merely a way for him to finance his work with Scuderia Ferrari.

In 1961, after a dispute that had a large number of the employees leave . . .
Car #3 For a number of years, the Mclaren F1 was the fastest road car in the world, but drastic changes have been made over the last few years. The hottest challenge to this top spot is the Bugatti Veyron. Crafted by Volkswagen, this is probably the best driving experience from a road car you will ever get.

Ferdinand Piech, the head of VW came up with the idea of manufacturing a car with 1000 horsepower that could do over 200mph, for those to whom money was no object. The outrageous price tag of £700,000 or roughly $1,100,000, is only reinforced by the fact it costs significantly more to produce. Yes, VW will be missing out on millions of dollars to sell this car, which is why the general opinion is that no other manufacturer would put together a road car you could buy, that would contest this performance and style.

Here are a few figures then; 1001, Horsepower! 14 radiators, Yeah 14!! Tires specially developed by . . .
Car #5 The British are back, and are soaring high with the Aston Martin DB9 in their royal fleet. The DB9 is lightweight only on the scale, weighing in nearly 1,500 pounds lighter than the terrifying Bentley Continental GT. On the other hand, when it comes to the crucial performance/decadence ratio demands of drivers in this GT fraternity, the DB9 shows off numbers that merit its champion level status. The overseer of the 911 Turbo, Dr. Ulhrich Bev, Aston Martin's CEO, delivers exceedingly well with a horde of facilities that make the DB9 threateningly lip smacking.

The DB9's frame is a ground breaking VH (vertical/horizontal) aluminum bonded platform, which offers maximum rigidity, minimal excess weight, and a perfect 50/50 weight balance. Combine that with a double-wishbone suspension and a 450 horsepower, 6.0-liter V 12 engine; the DB9 has no reservations in going from zero to 60 mph in less than five seconds. This roadster ramps out at top speed of 186 mph shortly thereafter. The six-speed, auto-manual transmission functions smoothly with magnesium paddle shifters that infuse the fluid feel of a true manual transmission. And the low-RPM sensitivity is nothing short of splendid . . .
Car #6 Reputation has perpetually been Bentley's well deserved repute for creating automobiles with unparalleled creature comforts and unmatched style. Even though the company changed ownership, and saw extraordinary design changes, Bentley's style departments and comfort departments remain committed. But you may need slow motion to see those aspects found in Bentley's Continental GT. This sports coupe-with its W 12, 6-liter turbocharged, 500 horsepower engine-is no poser. It's the real deal.

Bentley's regular four-door sedans apparently have enough cabin space to comfortably contain a classical quartet; but this two door sports coupe, in comparison, is sleek and trim. The GT's comforts are nonetheless bountiful as the Continental's interior comes in nine exotic natural wood finishes. The healthy entertainment center comes standard with a six disc CD changer, GPS navigational aid, telephone pre-wiring, and voice-activated controls for the same. The seats are luxurious with supple leather, offering 14 separate modifications, as well as lumbar support and power memory.

To maintain handling capabilities, the Continental GT rides on five-spoke, 19-inch, painted alloy wheels. The glide in the ride stems from an adaptive (variable) suspension with automatic load leveling . . .
Maserati Lamborghini Ferrari Bugatti Aston Martin Bentely

The Ford Mustang

ford mustangOne of the best known the world over and one of the easiest vehicles to recognize on the road today is the Ford Mustang. Every body, no matter where they may live, can immediately recognize the sporty chrome pony emblazoned on the shiny paint job of a Ford Mustang.


I can bet that even though you are the best at spotting a For Mustang, you have no clue about its history. Well, let’s trace back to 1964. March 9th, 1964 to be more specific.

 

This was the day that the first ever Ford Mustang rolled off the assembly line. It had red interiors, and white exteriors. It was a convertible. Within Eighteen months, Ford sold over a whopping one million Mustangs! It truly created a nationwide sensation!

 

Only a few months after its launch, Ford started to introduce alterations for the 1965 Mustang. These included reverse lights, an AC alternator, and even a bigger engine.

 

The Mustang broke all previous sales records, impressed the public, and left its contenders in dust within just two years of production. Readmore>>

How to : Find Classic Car parts

classic car partsA major obstacle that classic car owners have to pass is locating the correct sort of automobile part, or replacement part for their particular vehicle. This happens largely because of the fact that auto parts stores in the current times offer auto parts solely for the latest cars in the market. This is because these are the most popular cars as well. The simple fact that people still run old cars seems to slip their mind, which sends such people in a frenzy to source these parts.

 

So how do you find that mysterious auto part for your classic car?

 

Hunt for them online

Take the whole benefit of the capabilities of the Internet. During your search, you can fatigue all search engines for auction sites or online bulletin boards. A number of shops or sources of auto parts replacements for classic and/or old cars now advertise their items online. Put these sites in your bookmarks folder so that you are able to visit them on a regular basis and check them for updates. Alternatively you can also contact these places yourself and ask them if they can source the auto part that you desire. Readmore>>

Auto Accessories : The choice is endless

endless auto accessoriesThere is a huge car market out there. And now… there is a huge auto accessories market. Purely attributed to the growth of the new vehicle models all over America; for over fifty years now, consumers have been benefiting from this unrelenting growth. The sheer choice that is available to the consumer today is breath taking. 

 

By definition auto accessories are those items, or parts that do not come standard with your vehicle. Sure, that in some cases you can purchase a fully accessorized vehicle, but for the sake of clarity I am going to defining auto accessories as aftermarket acquisitions only. 

 

Depending on the type of car that you drive, the accessories obtainable for it will vary. The more popular the model, the more probable that someone somewhere is making a custom fitted accessory for it. America’s most popular vehicle – Ford’s full size pick up trucks have more than 500 different types of interior and exterior accessories made especially for them. These accessories come in an assortment of colours, of sizes, and of shapes, and actually number in multiples of thousands of different items when counted separately. Readmore>>

Counterfeit Auto Parts

counterfeit auto partsThe distribution and the manufacturing of counterfeit car parts is a multi billion dollar a year business. The growth of this black market has caused problems for manufacturers, suppliers, motorists, and even governments the world over. Whether a person owns a Golf, or a Geo, a Camaro, or a Kia, anyone is at risk of being presented with a fake part. To save your self from being one of the people swindled, read on!

 

Start by Reading the labels. Fake parts sources are getting very shrewd in copying logos and other significant information off product packaging. Check for obvious typographical errors or other odd sounding wording on the boxes. In general, counterfeiters are smart when it comes to setting up the crime, but rather stupid when it comes to understanding the proper use of English terms, grammar, and spelling. For example, off beat brand names spelled wrong such as Monrow for Monroe. Another important point is; packaging may be ‘correct’ but the sized wrong; be wary of any part sold to you in a package that is not sized appropriately to the product it holds.

 

Be sure to check the part. If the feel of a part seems out of the ordinary, it could very well be a fake. For example, a Hella headlight may not be what it is supposed to be especially if the component inside looks cheap or broken, or if an excess of plastic was used in the development of the casing. Readmore>>