3 American Performance Cars

Bear with me as I step back in time to formulate what I believe are three terrific American built performance cars: the Ford Mustang, the Dodge Challenger, and the Chevrolet Camaro. Currently, only the Mustang is in production with the Challenger coming back by 2009. GM hasn’t committed to building the Camaro just yet, but the company is likely to make a decision in favor of the car and its sibling, the Pontiac Firebird, by this summer. So, what is it about American performance cars that set them apart from the rest? In one word: muscle. Read on as I compare and contrast these three vehicles and share with you my feeble attempts to explain the culture behind the cars.

So, you think I forgot the Chevy Corvette and Dodge Viper when talking about performance cars? No, I did not. Both models are performance cars as well as race cars. On the other hand the Mustang, Challenger, and Camaro are mass produced performance cars with muscle. There is a difference in the way a typical race car handles, rides, and performs vs. a muscle car.

Typically, a muscle car was a coupe version of some of the larger cars that were pervasive on U.S. highways in the 1960s and 1970s. The Mustang and Camaro, however, were designed separately [although they both heavily borrowed parts from other models] and these “pony” cars were a category all to themselves. For comparison’s sake, they join the Dodge Challenger, a performance version of Mopar cars of its time. All three were compared by critics of that time and all three will once again be compared in a few years when production has been ramped up.

Ford Mustang -– Step back in time with me to April 1964 to an era when America was heavily involved in the space race, Lyndon Johnson was president, and General Motors ruled autodom. Ford, for its part, had been nipping at GM’s heels for years, but the failed Edsels of the late 1950s had cost the company dearly. Still, it was the time of the New York World’s Fair and Ford used the fair and television technology to promote its newest offering, the Mustang. A 2+2 coupe borrowing parts from the Fairlane and Falcon, the 1964 œ model was the first one sold and is widely credited with being the best introduction of a new vehicle ever. With a V6 engine standard and V8 optional, the all new Mustang quickly broke sales records and has been a hot seller ever since. Indeed, with the introduction of the “retro” look Mustang in 2005, the car once again has spawned interest in the muscle car segment as both DaimlerChrysler and General Motors craft competing models of their own.

Dodge Challenger -– After the success of earlier muscle cars including the Dodge Charger and Plymouth ‘Cuda, the Dodge Challenger was launched as a 1970 model. The car borrowed heavily from the ‘Cuda although the sheet metal was somewhat different and the wheelbase was stretched by a couple of inches. Because the muscle car era was in decline at the time of its introduction, the Challenger lasted only five model years before it was cancelled. The concept Challenger currently on display at many auto shows is based on the 1970 design and is the talk of message boards and blogs across the nation. Look for Hemi powered engines as being favored by many owners; the car is likely to share some technology with the current Magnum wagon and Charger sedan.

Chevrolet Camaro -- GM was asleep at the wheel when the Mustang came out. It took nearly three years before the company could respond and when it did the Camaro and Pontiac Firebird were the result. Although both cars sold well over the years, neither one could match the Mustang’s sales levels and by the time the last cars were sold in 2002, production dropped to a trickle. Still, the end of the Camaro after 35 years has stirred renewed interest in the name and thanks to the retro Mustang, the entire muscle car category is growing once again. Look for a 2010 Camaro to be the first Camaro since 2002; a ragtop version is also being considered.

So, just who can be expected to purchase a muscle car these days? People just like me: middle aged men who grew up with the original models. In addition, a whole new generation of younger drivers tired of the “me too” look of so many of the compact cars out there. Muscle cars of today are so much different from earlier era cars as they incorporate the look of the originals while harnessing today’s technology. Thus, fuel savings will be decent without sacrificing performance: a true win-win situation.

No, I cannot wait to see a Mustang, Challenger, and Camaro lined up at a traffic light waiting for the light to turn green. A new muscle car era is upon us and for that I am very excited.

3 Advantages Of Hybrid Cars Over Conventional Cars

Due to the rising cost of fuel and the environmental damage it causes to our planet, many car owners or buyers are looking for an alternative way to save money. Let's face it, fuel supply is finite and the prices of gas is only going to rise higher and higher. That is where a hybrid car has its advantages

Hybrid cars have been gaining in popularity in recent years. With lower cost of production and new hybrid car technology being developed, owning a hybrid car is becoming affordable to everyone.

Hybrid Cars Saves Gas

The obvious advantage of using hybrid cars is that it saves gas. Combining the cleaner energy of an electric motor with the long range capacity of a gasoline engine allows a hybrid car to save as much as 30 miles a gallon. One feature of hybrid cars is that the gasoline engine is shut off automatically when the car stops. This also helps in saving fuel. That is also the reason why hybrid cars are so quiet why it is stationary. The gasoline engine is automatically turned on when you step on the accelerator pedal.

Hybrid Cars Are Environment Friendly

Hybrid cars emit lower toxic emissions compared to conventional gasoline-powered cars due to less gasoline being burned. It is environmentally friendly, causes less pollution and releases less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. If you do not know, carbon dioxide is one of the primary reasons for rising global warming. For example, the Toyota Prius can reduce tailpipe emissions by up to ninety percent and the greenhouse gas emissions by as much as fifty percent.

Tax Incentives For Hybrid Cars

Due to world political pressures around the world to reduce greenhouse emissions, President Bush signed an agreement in 2005 to provide huge tax relief to hybrid car buyers. The tax incentive varies by model and are based on two factors

1. How fuel efficient the hybrid car is compared to a conventional car in 2002 with the same weight class.

2. How much gasoline the hybrid car can save in its lifetime compared with an equivalent conventional car

For example, a Honda Accord hybrid car have reduced tax credits of $600 while a Toyota Prius has a tax credit of $3150. Do note that the tax credits do expire after 2010 for most hybrid cars.

Hybrid car manufacturers are continually researching for more ways to reduce fuel consumption and better fuel efficiency. Also as more hybrid cars are being adopted, the cost of hybrid cars will reduce making it more affordable for everyone.

3 Tips To Buying The Right Radar Detector

There are many radar detectors on the market right now. Each one of them claims to have a single best feature. Some detect from the longest distance, while others claim to detect the most radar bands. Others claim to have the highest degree of accuracy and can tell the distance and direction of the radar gun.

With all these different features on the market, which one is right for you? What model of radar detector should you buy? How do you know it will actually work in your state? Is it legal in your state? These and other pressing questions are frequently asked. Here are 3 ways to know you are buying the right radar detector.

1. It detects the right bands for you state.

Some states use different types of radar guns, and unless your radar detector can pick up their signal, it isn't any use. There is a whole slew of different bands of radar guns, X, K, Ka, POP3 K, POP3 Ka, Laser, etc.

First you need to find out which bands that your states uses. Then you need to find a radar detector that can pick up those bands. Not every radar detector can pick up every band.

2. Find the model you want.

There are hundreds, if not thousands, of reviews for nearly ever radar detector ever made on the internet. Now that you know what bands you need to detect, you need to find the right mix of price and features. Some people don't mind paying $500 for a radar detector, some people want to pay under 100 bucks. Obiviously the more you spend, the more features you will get. And the amount you spend will usually determine the range that your radar detector can detect to.

There are many different websites that will allow you to compare different radar detector models. Once you have found the right model for your needs, find the right price. This usually involves going to a few comparison sites, and searching for that model of radar detector.

3. Make your purchase and install.

Some radar detector installations are as simple as plugging your radar detector into your cigarette lighter socket. Others are more complex and need to have wiring run throughout your car or truck. Depending on the complexity of the product, and your knowledge, you may or may not need to have your radar detector professionally installed. A great place to get a radar detector installed is a car audio store. These shops are experienced with running wire throughout cars, and have probably installed many radar detectors.

Keep in mind that radar detectors are illegal in some states, you should check with local law enforcement before purchasing and installing a radar detector.

A radar detector doesn't make you invincible to radar guns, and it doesnt't mean that you won't get a ticket. You should always obey the speed limit.

3 Exceptional European Automakers

When you think of exceptional cars that are built in Europe, does your mind run strictly to cars made by Rolls Royce, BMW, or Mercedes? Perhaps Jaguar and Lamborghini come to mind as well. Each of these makes deserve all the accolades given to them. Still, there are three makes that are, for various reasons, exceptional. Let’s take a look at Volvo, Volkswagen, and Audi, the three makes featured in this article.

For a country of just nine million to produce one automaker would be amazing enough. To lay claim to two automakers is simply phenomenal. Both Volvo and Saab are from this particular country which is Sweden. Now a part of Ford Motor Company, Volvo has greatly influenced the automobile industry over the years. Safety standards that had been universally low elsewhere are much more appreciated with Volvo. Front end crumple zones, reinforced roofs and specially designed interiors have all had their origin with Volvo. Out of these high safety standards have come a line of cars that are, indeed, some of the best built and safest cars on the road. Fortunately, through Volvo’s leadership, many automakers around the world have incorporated Volvo’s high safety standard. This is what makes Volvo exceptional in my eyes.

The company that brought to the world the first people’s car, the Beetle, is also exceptional. First designed in Germany during the 1930s, the Beetle survived World War II and was one of the most mass produced and loved cars in the world. From the 1950s forward the Beetle managed to make motorized transportation available to people who otherwise could not afford a car. From college students in the US to migrant workers in Mexico and from the gritty cities of Holland to the Irish farmlands, the Beetle made owning a car affordable the majority of the masses. Even after importation to the US ceased during the 1970s, the Beetle was produced for another generation and sold in Mexico.

Without drawing out the point too far, the term that best describes Audi’s quattro technology is “superior handling.” Perhaps that is an understatement but when Audi introduced quattro all wheel drive the company threw the gauntlet down and told the rest of the auto making world that quattro was the standard by which all luxury sedans would be judged. Audi's quattro technology has given the company such a huge advantage over competitors that over the years it has been banned from certain types of racing. Indeed, Audi’s quattro technology provides continuous traction long past when other road handling schematics have reached their threshold.

So, there you have it. Three truly exceptional automobiles from the European continent, exceptional in ways, perhaps, that should be labeled as extraordinary.