Proper car care can save you thousands of dollars a year. If you stick to the right maintenance routine and quick do-it-yourself check ups, you can prevent breakdowns and make your car last longer – or even resell it at a good amount when the time comes.
The key to prolonging the useful life of your car is prevention – plug the leaks and replace parts that need to be replaced even before they break down. Identifying and quickly fixing a problem while it is small keeps it from being overwhelming and saves you a lot of money in the long run.
Change your oil every three months (or every 3,000 miles). This is the general rule unless you car manufacturer says otherwise. Do not neglect this seemingly trivial maintenance task. Keep in mind that failure to change your oil will increase the wear and tear on your engine, leading to other problems.
Regularly check your transmission fluid, your brake fluid, your power steering fluid, and your coolant. These fluids make up the lifeblood of your car, and checking them frequently can help nip small problems in the bud, saving you from breakdowns and expensive repairs. Different cars require different kinds and amounts of fluid. Read your manufacturer’s handbook to find out more.
Keep your batteries new. Your battery is your most important power source – if it fails you, you will get stranded. This is why it is important to always check it with every oil change. Keep your battery clean with a mixture of baking soda and water. Make sure that the cables are corrosion-free and are securely attached. Remember that most disposable batteries last for only over a year – after that span of time, you should replace your battery.
A car is like a patient – it needs a good doctor. If you are not very handy with cars, have one official mechanic service your car regularly. The mechanic will be able to develop a familiarity with your car and be able to recommend the correct preventive and diagnostic care it needs. What’s more, you can probably get a lot of discounts from mechanics if you are a repeat customer!
The history of Bayerische Motoren Werke, shortened to BMW, can be taken back over 90 years to 1916. Originally manufacturers solely of aeroplane engines, BMW were forced to stop the manufacture of these after World War 1 and the Versailles Armistice Treaty. Due to this reason, BMW began production of motorbikes in 1923, shortly after the end of World War 1, and then onto cars five years later in 1928.
Production of BMW motorbikes became a large part of BMW’s overall workload, which led the company to set up a subsidiary to look after the motorbike production only, entitled BMW Motorrad. With the focus to produce high quality bikes for both road and racing purposes, BMW employed the finest workers to ensure that their high expectations were met.
Designed, created and manufactured in the BMW Headquarters in Munich, Germany where all production still takes place, BMW’s first bike was the R32. Showcasing BMW’s classic motorbike engine, the flat twin boxer, the R32 is widely acclaimed as a fantastic first mass produced motorbike from an as then new motorbike company.
BMW began to enter several motorbike races soon after their production of motorbikes and over the years have won a variety of coveted motorbike titles around the world. With various accolades under their belt, BMW’s most famous title and record is definitely their Isle of Man TT status – BMW were the first winners of the desirable Isle of Man TT race who were not British. Winning this in 1939, the same year that World War II broke out, there was some minor controversy over this win – a German team to beat a British team was frowned upon by some.
Further to this, BMW also race motorbikes regularly in the famous Dakar Rally, a mixed vehicle race in which cars, trucks and motorbikes take part in, starting in Europe and ending Africa. A fierce competitor in the race, BMW have taken this popular title a highly respected six times. And just to add an extra shine to their trophies, they employ celebrity rider Charley Boorman to race for them.
Whilst BMW compete in a variety of motorbikes races, they also produce a highly popular range of touring motorbikes. Their most popular touring motorbike is the multi award-winning R1200 RT. Respected as one of the most comfortable and powerful touring bikes ever produced, it is second in terms of quality only to its sister bike, the K1200 LT, which is reputed to be the most luxurious motorbikes available today. Massively popular in the United States of America, these touring bikes are the ideal vehicle for riding along the wide, open roads of America – beautiful scenery on a beautiful bike.
BMW are a company whose values are clear. High quality vehicles, be them motorbikes or cars, which are both reliable and cost effective and can, in one way or another, be enjoyed by the masses. This has been the vision of the company from the start to the current day and they never disappoint. BMW bike owners should play it safe by obtaining insurance coverage. They should do adequate research to find the BMW Bike Insurance policy that suits their coverage needs.
The Classic is the fundamental model, while the LT is an improvement with windshield, backrest and soft bags. The Nomad is an improvement on the LT as it has passenger floorboards, hard bags, cruise control and a deluxe backrest. The Voyager boasts of being the best of the four, with a frame-mounted fairing and impressive bags.
2009 will see another top model from Kawasaki, namely the Ninja 650R. This model boasts of modernised styling and advanced suspension. The Ninja has DOHC 649 cc 8-valve parallel twin engines, which are fuel injected and liquid cooled. These engines use fresh fluid injection that enables the bike to have faster revs, uninterrupted low-mid rpm response and bottom-end torque. The Ninja exhumes cleaner with the help of a modernised exhaust, and the rider receives negligible fumes due to rubber-coated footpegs and rubber upper engine mounts. The 2009 Ninja 650R boasts of revised instrumentation, as well as integrated turn signals, dual headlights, a wider windscreen and a sharper tail cowl.
The Kawasaki ZX-6R is another top 2009 model that will lose weight, gain on torque and undergo some chassis modifications. A modernised fork and an improved fairing design are ready to dazzle the sportbike lovers. This model has the frame toughened at the rear engine mounts and swing-arm pivots. The engine is fitted at a steep angle to increase the center of gravity. Kawasaki introduces a mid-mount muffler in this model. The muffler helps in reducing weight and balancing the central mass. The engine covers, made of magnesium, contribute to the reduced weight. The camshafts are lighter than the older models and the ram-air ducts are bigger. The engine has been modified to improve mid-range performance and to better throttle control.
Other top models of Kawasaki that the year 2009 is going to see are the Super Sherpa and the 250 cc KLX250S. The Sherpa is a low-priced vehicle, which also offers low-maintenance. The KLX250S is a lightweight dual-purpose bike, which is slim and thoroughly styled. Its braking techniques have been improved and the rider can be at ease both on urban pavements and on adventures.
The best part about Kawasaki is that a buyer does not need to fall prey to switching, deceptive bait, push-sales or any hidden fee. Kawasaki promises to provide every customer with one-on-one customer service, which makes the buy worth the price. After you have purchased the Kawasaki that fits your budget and your taste, your next visit should be to an insurer that can provide you Kawasaki Bike Insurance.
In a surprising move, German sports car maker Porsche has just taken over the largest European car manufacturer, Volkswagen. After purchasing more than 50 percent of VW’s shares, Porsche is now in the driver’s seat of a massive conglomeration controlled by its shareholders and unions.
This isn’t the first time that Porsche has attempted to overtake Volkswagen. In 2005 the automaker made a failed attempt to acquire more than 50 percent of VW due to unstable market speculation, which had sent VW shares as high as $1,350 per share. With such growth, VW claimed in August to have overtaken Ford to become the third largest automaker in the world, behind GM and Toyota.
Reports claim that Porsche intends to increase its stake to 75 percent this year, gaining complete control of the auto group. At dealers such as Volkswagen Saint Louis, the relationship between VW and Porsche has already been apparent. Vehicles such as the VW Touareg and Porsche Cayenne already share many components with each other. VW and Porsche have much to benefit from each other strategically observes Mercedes Benz Pittsburgh dealers.
Trade unions are powerful at VW, and reports also indicate that Porsche control may upset the balance currently established. While Porsche claims to be a long-term investor, job cuts at VW plants could ultimately result. At the retail end, Dartmouth Volkswagen expects plenty of long-term changes and exciting new products, perhaps further blending components and design across the likes of Porsche, Volkswagen, and Audi.
One of the most excellent sports car brands all over the world is Ferrari. In 1947, the company was founded by Enzo Ferrari in Italy. It was former known as Scuderia Ferrari. Ferrari supported and sponsored a number of race drivers as well as manufactured racecars, before venturing into the production of legal vehicles in 1947.
"1947 125 Sport" was the earliest road car of Ferrari. In order to finance Scuderia Ferrari, Enzo came up with the idea of producing and selling road cars. Although the period was highly profitable, Enzo was still hesitant with the idea he came up with. For him, people purchase his produced cars for prestige rather than the car's performance.
As time passed by, Ferrari came out as the top racecar producer and a leading race team. The company became successful without knowing that there are hidden tensions among its senior managers. Because of misunderstanding and conflict of ideas, Giralamo Gardini, sales manager of the company who had troubles with the intrusion of Enzo's wife, finally has decided to end his work with the company. Many other people even came along with the resignation of Gardini. They have decided to come up with a fresh and new company that will become Ferraris' competitor. With the many resignations the company had, there was a great loss.
Before a number of resignations, Ferrari was working on a project called "250GTO". This was handled by Mauro Gorghieri and Sergio Scaglietti. The purpose of the project was to improve things. Dino road cars and models such as "F275" and "Daytona" were considered best sellers in the market.
The company had a lot of rising competitors in the early 60s when Shelby Cobra, a V8 engine powered came out. Ford attempted to buy the company but unfortunately, they were unsuccessful in their motives. Ferrari also experienced great challenges with Porsche. This was because of the "Porsche908" model. However, it was still Ferrari 312PB models that conquered the World Sports Championship that took place in 1972.
1988 was the year of Enzo's death. Ferrari saw an enormous increase in old car values and even the sales of fresh new models. It was a comeback for Ferrari f1 team when Michael Schumacher made up his mind to sign up for Ferrari. From 2004 up to the present, Ferrari is still controlled by Fiat Group. The Fiat Group owns a 56% stake in the company. The rest, they say, is history. Ferrari history that is.
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Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, in English, Bavarian Motor Works, like Mercedes-Benz is a German automobile manufacturer. The man behind this was Karl Friedrich Rapp. This started in the year 1913. It was not known to everyone that BMW was then a manufacturer of aircraft engines. Rapp established "Rapp-Motorenwerke" in Munich. He started to manufacture his own aircraft engines. Unfortunately, they suffered from problems with vibrations.
Rapp Motoren Werke experienced different problems with the reliability of the aircraft engines. Due to financial problems, Rapp decided to resign from the company in the year 1916. Two Austrians then took over. They were Franz-Josef Popp and Max Fritz. They were able to convince Gustav Otto to merge with them. The merging of the "Gustav Flugmaschinefabrik" and "Bavarian Aircraft Works" gave birth to Bayerische Flugzeug-Werke. The company was then renamed to BMW and in 1918 became BMW AG.
The very first aircraft engine of BMW, Type Illa, was produced during the year 1917. It features a unique "high-altitude carburetor" developed by Fritz that allows it to develop full power at altitude.
After a year, the said aircraft engine powered a biplane to 5,000 meters altitude in just 29 minutes. During those days, it was already a very impressive performance. It then led to the strong demand for BMW engines.
The successor of Type Illa was born in the year 1919. It was named Type IV. With this new engine, Franz Zeno Diemer was able to set an altitude record of 9, 760 meters.
The present logo of BMW seen in the cars today was introduced in the early 1920s. It was based on the circular design of an aircraft propeller.
The company thought of other products and so they started to build engines for motorcycles. They designed the M2 B 15 for the "Victoria" motorcycle. This was the first BMW motorcycle engine and was produced from 1920 to 1922. The first motorized bicycle named "Flink" paved its way in the year 1921. It was powered by a Kurier two stroke engine. In 1922, the first BMW factory was built.
The year 1928 marked the beginning of the BMW car. The company bought the car factory at Eisenach/Thuringia and with it the license to build a small car called the Dixi 3/15. the Dixi was the counterpart of Austin 7. The German version of Dixi was BMW Dixi DA/1. This period was the best for BMW since it was beginning of all the success it is experiencing until now.
Don't the cool guys seem to always pick some of the fastest and sleekest designed cars? Well, then it should be no surprise that James Bond will be sporting a serious and speedy vehicle, namely the 2009 Aston Martin DBS in the upcoming film "Quantum of Solace". The V12 exotic sports car has a 6.0 liter engine with an exquisite interior hand finished that is attractive to common and rich folk alike. The aerodynamic design makes it even better suited for espionage.
The Aston Martin DBS zooms from zero to sixty in just 4.2 seconds. Underneath the hood, it puts out up to 510 hp. At only 3737 pounds of weight this exotic feline will hit the roads a blazing and top out at 191 mph according to reliable testing sources.
The 2009 DBS provides an optional six-speed automatic transaxle, 2+2 seats, 20-inch wheels and an audio by Bang & Olufsen. The design and layout is the same as the DB9 with a bit more sleekness. The body is made of aluminum and carbon fiber. One of the new colors for this model is aptly named Quantum Silver.
For 2009, the Aston Martin DBS comes equipped with new vented carbon ceramic brake discs which are a first for an off-track Aston Martin. These are custom designed to align with the double wishbone alloy suspension that features damper control which utilizes two separate valves to set the damper for five different positions. This feature is an important trait if you want to possess instant adjustment of the car's handling characteristics and out maneuver the thumbs up road warriors trying to beat you to the club or international airport.
Gentlemen, if you are considering getting one, not as a spy, what could possibly stop you when you can rent one first to get a feel of the superior handling and awesome design before using a fraction of available funds to acquire it for a cool $265,000.
