A Crazy Year For the Automotive Industry

Automotive Industry

2009 has not only been a crazy year for the banking industry - which as we all know has seen many ups and downs... It has also been quite turbulent for the automotive sector too!

The Scrappage Scheme has made both the new and used car marketplace have many ups and downs. First and foremost it has boosted new car sales - which was its main intention, alongside reducing the amount of old cars on the road, but it also sent the used car market into chaos too.

The success of the Scrappage Scheme has meant that used car dealers have had a fantastic 2009. The fact that thousands of motorists sent their used cars to be scrapped meant that there was a severe shortage of used cars available...so the ones which were available were in high demand.

Automotive Industry

Automotive Industry

This was fantastic news for used car dealers as used car prices actually rose by 30% - a record figure. Bartering over the price of a used car was almost unheard of as dealers remained adamant that they would get the asking price they wanted. The only problem for dealers was actually being able to keep their forecourts full of cars.

It is only now in November that automotive experts have suggested that the price of used cars is starting to return to normal in what they call the 'correction in prices'.

 The Scrappage Scheme will start to run out of funds early next year which will have yet another effect on the automotive industry. It's likely that new car sales will decrease as there won't be as big an incentive to car buyers. This will also impact on the used car market as more used cars will become available which will mean that prices should see a slight decrease.

Automotive Industry

Automotive Industry

 It's not only the Scrappage Scheme that has caused used car prices to increase, it's also the recession. People who may have previously looked to buy a brand new car may turn to the used car market to save a couple of thousand - creating a higher 

car automotiv

car automotiv

Specialists recommending open auto shipping usually point out that it is considerably easier to load and unload open carriers. As many as 33 carriers can be fully loaded in a matter of 2 hours. It may take as long to load only a single car into a container and then to hoist the container onto the container carrier. The loading-unloading process is entirely different, requiring heavy-duty specialized equipment to be present on pick-up and destination sites. Existing container terminals are not adapted for handling cars and special areas have to be separately provided for the process and for the storage of relevant hardware. Separate and remote areas are also required to ensure the safety of client property. Container carriers manage about half of the number of cars an open carrier does.

car automotiv

The vehicle must be professionally handled and secured inside the container to ensure its safety. It is this careful handling and thorough familiarity of the special equipment used in the process that the security of the vehicle relies on. The container used should be specifically designed not only for a car, but in some cases, even to the model of the car. If it is not, securing it inside the container becomes a very complicated affair. No matter, it still requires careful maneuvering to secure the vehicle within the container. This initial process of loading is where most of the damage to the vehicle will occur, discovered only upon unloading at its destination.

On the other hand, in an open carrier damage results from unauthorized access to the cars, easier with open carriers. Vandalism is not an implausible outcome and with open carriers perpetrators do not have to get near the platforms: in some peculiar cases cars have been known to suffer from hunting-rifle fire - sometimes a sport accident, sometimes unsportsmanlike sport. Unauthorized access to closed container interiors is possible but is more difficult.

car automotivhttp://auto-carmagazine.blogspot.com/

What Trans-Rack does is enable the carrier to increase its load of vehicles within closed containers while reducing the cost of transportation by around 25%. It also offers safer loading and unloading to guard against damage to the vehicles. The cars utilizing the Trans-Rack system have a much greater chance of arriving intact and undamaged. Severe experiments have been undertaken which included dropping a loaded container from heights of 5 meters causing harm to the containers but not the interior cargo. Trans-Rack is much easier to load and unload, thereby less time is required in the process. A full container can be loaded in 30 minutes. The system also comes with standardized systems of securing the vehicles which not only makes them safer but helps keeps the cost of transportation down.

Automotive - The Wave Car Care And Detail

Automotive - The Wave Car Care And Detail

It's always nice when you use a service and actually have a good customer service experience. Perhaps this is because it's a rarity in these days where the customer seems to be more of an interruption to business than what they really are - which is the asset.

Most often, when you visit a car wash, you're left holding your breath until the car comes out so that you can assess the damage that may be being done to your trusty automobile. After all, besides a home, this is usually the biggest purchase that people will make in their lives. Taking care of it is a tedious expense, but a necessary one if you want your vehicle to uphold its value.

It's always nice when you use a service and actually have a good customer service experience. Perhaps this is because it's a rarity in these days where the customer seems to be more of an interruption to business than what they really are - which is the asset.

Automotive - The Wave Car Care And Detail

Most often, when you visit a car wash, you're left holding your breath until the car comes out so that you can assess the damage that may be being done to your trusty automobile. After all, besides a home, this is usually the biggest purchase that people will make in their lives. Taking care of it is a tedious expense, but a necessary one if you want your vehicle to uphold its value.

The usual result of the car coming out the other side of its bath is usually more than what you sent it in for. More than a shine, it seems like it's been in a fight somewhere along the way and come out with something more like a shiner. Dents, scratches, scrapes, and just overall dulling of the paint is not unusual, which leaves the customer wondering why they thought this time would be any different at all. Worse yet, the workers, the guys who are actually supposed to be doing the job and helping you protect your car, are most often less than gentle with your major asset and not the kindest people at that.

However, recently I've had a good experience with a car care service in Westminster, CO that left me leaving the place with a smile on my face rather than a frown and nervous departure, where I wonder what damage I'm going to find when I get home.

Automotive - The Wave Car Care And Detail

The service that we had performed on our vehicles was a complete exterior and interior detail on a Cadillac Escalade and a Mercedes C320. Now naturally these are the types of cars that we take great pride in owning and are truly grateful for being able to own, therefore we like to take great care of them. Well, the employees at The Wave Car Care Center did exactly that, making the vehicles come out seeming as if we had just brought them off of the showroom floor.

When you get a full exterior and interior detail at The Wave, what you're doing basically is spoiling your car; and by spoiling I don't mean "ruining" I mean spoiling like you would your child. The Wave goes through and cleans every little nook and cranny, and gets into places that I didn't even know existed on a vehicle. Here's a bit of what they do: Complete shampoo, clean and scrub all the vinyl & rubber, actually Q-tip clean the vents, clean the headliner, give you an interior condition, make the interior windows shiny and spotless, and clean door jams where dirt and grime are nearly always present. It was amazing but that's just the interior.

Automotive - The Wave Car Care And Detailhttp://auto-carmagazine.blogspot.com/

On the exterior they buff-n-wax, give your exterior a conditioning, clean your wheels and hubcaps, and black out the wheel wells. Basically they do all the stuff that I wouldn't want to, or probably attempt to do on my own at home. But that's actually a good thing, because surprisingly according to a study at the University of Texas on car washing - washing your vehicle at home does more damage to your car than washing at a car wash, and especially one as unique as The Wave Car Care Center.

In the race to be a superpower, India is making frequent and astounding advancements in all fields. From power generation to constructing modern roads, every sector has a huge impetus. Rising above all in a very distinct and appreciable way is the Automobile Sector of India. The automobile sector forms one of the fastest growing sectors in the Indian economy and so is the popularity of automobiles in India. A number of cars and other automobiles are imported and exported every year. Indian Automobile market witnesses a large scale manufacturing of cars, bikes, vans, buses and tractors.

Indian automobile industry is the tenth largest in the world. Every year new and advanced model of cars, bikes and other vehicles are launched by various leading manufacturers suiting the consumer needs. Occupied by various major automobile manufacturers like Tata Motors, Ford Motors, Volkswagen, Maruti Udyog, Hero Honda, Bajaj Auto, Yamaha Motor etc, Indian Autombile industry has become a battlefield of technology, performance and styling. Automobile industry in India is one of the fastest growing automobile industries and has made its position in the world market.

Lotus-Evora-610

Lotus-Evora-610

Lotus-Evora-610

Italdesign to debut the World’s Fastest Hybrid Car

Italdesign will unveil its new concept at the Geneva Auto Show - 2009 which has been termed as “The Fastest Hybrid in the world”.

The previewed teaser sketch, the giugiaro Frazer Nash exhibits the dramatic, angular lines that the design house is known for. The sketch shows a deep A-pillar dip and glass that extends into the roof, both styling cues that marked the mustang by Giugiaro which influenced the redisgned 2010 Ford Mustang.

Giugario claims a 186mph top-speed and emissions of just 50grams CO2/km of the green sports car.

For the full details of this Hybrid Fastest car, wait until Geneva Auto show - 2009.

Saleen S7 Twin Turbo Test Drive

The Saleen S7 two-seat sports car was introduced five years ago as America ’s first world-class super car powered by a 7.0 liter. V8 engine generating 580hp. Today that is not enough power to qualify as a true, world-class super car. So Steve Saleen decided to add a twin-turbo charging system to the V8 engine that boosts horsepower to 750 enabling the S7 twin-turbo to accelerate to 60mph from a standstill in just 2.8sec., and blistering the 1/4mi. in 10.5sec. at 145mph. That’s fast! Very, very fast!

The race-tuned S7R has been on the pole and has set fastest race lap more than fifty times. The S7R has won more than forty races around the world and has captured eight different professional championships.

Power on board is only part of the supercar equation as the S7 twin-turbo looks like a supercar, handles like a supercar, yet is refined and luxurious on the inside.

The Saleen S7 twin-turbo is hand assembled at the Saleen factory in Irvine , California , and takes about 4-weeks to complete. Over the past five years, Saleen has delivered about 80 S7s to owners throughout the world.

The S7’s long, sleek, and sexy lines scream super car and all of those air-intakes can mean only one thing-a big, very powerful engine lies just behind the cabin..

Up front are angular cat’s-eye headlamp clusters, large air-intakes for engine cooling, to cool the front brakes, and to ventilate the passenger cabin. A deep air-dam with an integrated splitter increases downforce, and a centered, roof mounted intake channels air directly to the engine.

From the side are large gill-slits to further channel air to cool the engine, and to cool the rear brakes. At the rear is a wide flat spoiler to increase downforce, two large openings at the sides to exit the heat buildup from the brakes, round taillamps, a wide lower diffuser in the middle to more smoothly channel the air under the car, and four, 4in. round exhaust pipes surrounding the license plate, two per side.

The S7 rides on giant, 9.5X19in. front, and 12X20in. rear, Saleen forged alloy wheels with center locking wheel nuts with automatic safety locks. These lightweight wheels are wrapped with high performance Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 tires, 275/30ZR19in. up front, and 335/30ZR20in. tires in the rear. These tires make easy work of keeping the power down on the pavement. Ground clearance is a racecar low 4in.

The stiff and torsional chassis is made of 4130 lightweight steel space frame with honeycomb composite panels to keep weight as low as possible. The S7 twin-turbo weighs 2,950lbs. giving it super car acceleration and super car handling.

Generating 750hp at 6,300rpm, and 700lb.ft. of toque at 4,800rpm, is the Saleen designed, 7 liter (427cu.in.) all-aluminum, 2-valve pushrod, V8 engine with a 4.125X4.00in. bore and stroke (104.8X101.6mm). The compression ratio is set a 11.0:1.

The pistons are forged aluminum, the connecting rods are 4340 forged billet steel as is the crankshaft. As air enters the center roof intake, it passes through a 90mm mass air sensor, feeding a carbon fiber plenum, from the plenum, air is routed to twin-ball-bearing turbos, then passes through an oval bore-throttle body into an aluminum intake manifold with eight individual runners. The cylinder heads are CNC machined, all-aluminum, Saleen high-flow. The valves are stainless steel with titanium retainers with intake set at 2.125in. (54mm) and the exhaust set at 1.625in. (41.3mm), and using Beryllium exhaust seats.

The unique quad-exhaust system features stainless steel high-flow with a merge collector incorporating dual catalysts per cylinder bank and an EGR system, including two twin-ball-bearing turbos with 44mm wastegates. The sound heard outside of the S7 when the mighty 427 V8 engine starts up is a growling sensation and your pulse quickly rises as you anticipate the hard thrust of the torque on you seatback.

The front engine accessory drive system features a compact drive system with a side-mounted waterpump. Fuel is delivered to the 8-cylinders via a high-capacity returnless electronic system with 42lbs./hr. injectors. The oil system is a high-vacuum dry sump configuration with a 12.6-quart capacity. The cooling system features a carbon fiber front intake feeding twin front-mounted aluminum water radiators with ECU controlled electric cooling fans and an oil-to-water exchanger.

All of the electronics are taken care of by a Saleen PowerFlash control system computer with an integrated coil-on-plug ignition system.

Power and torque is transferred to the rear wheels via a longitudinal mounted 6-speed all- synchromesh transmission designed by Saleen, and featuring a limited slip differential, light-weight inboard and outboard tri-pod joints with high-torque steel half-shafts. The clutch is an organic/metallic 8in. twin disc with hydraulic actuation. It is firm enough to transfer the monstrous amounts of torque yet non-fatiguing to operate.

Power comes on instantly, increasing as you quickly reach redline, to rocket you out to 60mph in less than 3sec., and all the way up to the 210mph terminal velocity. Wow! That’s fast, very, very fast!

The unique, fully independent suspension enables the S7 twin-turbo to pull 1.1g’s on the skidpan and blast through a 600ft. slalom at 73mph. This race-bred suspension system features unequal-length double wishbones, lightweight aluminum dampers with coil-over springs, a stabilizer bars and CNC machined billet aluminum flow-through uprights up front and in the rear.

Reaction time and change of direction is almost instantaneous as just a slight move of right foot, or your wrist on the racecar-styled, leather wrapped/tilt/telescope steering wheel changes the direction of the S7. Dialed in for a neutral feel you’ll quickly learn how to control your speed and direction as the miles quickly add up. The sport-tuned suspension is firm, yet does a good job of evening out the bumps when traveling over poorly paved roads.

The S7 twin-turbo is a thrill to drive but you must keep all of your concentration at the task at hand keeping control of one of the fastest street-legal super sports cars in the world.

Quickly slowing the S7 down from high-speeds are huge 15in. front vented, and 14in. rear vented rotors. These rotors are clamped by Saleen-engineered/Brembo-supplied, lightweight aluminum, six-piston monoblock calipers using lightweight aluminum disc mounting bells at each wheel.

All of this world-class power and performance wouldn’t be worth much if you weren’t sitting in a cockpit that is comfortable, luxurious and safe. Ease of entry and exit is through the easy-to-operate scissor-style doors. Inside are multi-tone leather/suede custom fitted bucket seats that are very comfortable and very supportive. The interior also features aluminum and color accents, plus the entire headliner and windshield pillars are wrapped with alcantara leather that gives the interior a very special luxury look and feel. To keep the mighty roar of the engine from reaching the cabin is a full array of acoustic and sound deadening materials.

Standard comfort and convenience features include a high-volume flow-through ventilation system with AC, a rearview video camera with an interior LCD display, a 240mph speedometer and central-mounted 8,000rpm tachometer, power windows, power door locks with central locking system, keyless remote for door and front and rear trunks, push-button engine start/stop, thick-cut signature S7 floor mats, variable-speed intermittent wipers/washers, electric heated front windshield, remote engine hatch/fuel-filler door releases, AM/FM/DVD/TV systems, and acoustic sound deadening material surrounding the cabin. The front and rear trunks feature custom built and fitted 3-piece luggage set from Mulholland Brothers.

The only options are polished wheels and a navigation system.

If 750hp is not enough for you Saleen has two aftermarket upgrades-an 850hp and 1,000hp that negate the street-legal status and are for ‘on track’ use only.

Exterior features not mentioned above include dual, power side door mirrors, projector beam headlamps, heat-rejecting tinted glass, and autoclave carbon fiber body panels.

The advanced wind-tunnel-developed aerodynamics include integrated split-channel airflow throughout the car as well as full underside aerodynamics with an advanced design front tray, side skirts, and an integrated full-body-width rear spoiler.

Keeping you safe in the event of a front, side or rear impact is an integrated roll protection system, aluminum honeycomb impact absorbing body panels, 3-point seat belts with automatic seatbelt pretensioners, carbon fiber rocker panels and doors, and an aluminum honeycomb front crush structure that is integrated with rear crumple zones. The 19 gallon gas tank is positioned in the center and the fuel-filler door is on the passenger side.

The S7 twin-turbo is designed to compete with the fastest, quickest, best handling, most luxurious grand touring sports cars in the world, while providing a distinctly American driving experience for the fortunate few who will own one. The Saleen S7 twin-turbo doesn’t disappoint!

The price, $580,000.00 is steep but worth every dollar to enjoy a world-class, thrill-of-a-lifetime, sports car ride, while wrapped in a cabin featuring the latest in comfort, convenience and safety. Saleen gives you a 2-year, unlimited warranty.

These cars are a rare sight on the road, and to be behind the wheel of one is something that only a few will ever experience.