Chose a Safe Sports Car

The first step is to choose a safe sports car. Check whether it is safe for your family and child in addition to its sporty and robust features. Check inside and outside safety.

Verify Safety Features of Sports Car

Verify all the safety features such as anti-lock brakes, stability control and traction control work. These systems stabilize the car in emergency situations. In the chance of collision, these features balance the car and give you more control over your sports car. They also help prevent skidding of the sports car, even on rainy and hilly terrains.

Visibility is the top priority as you can cruise freely and without worry when there is more visibility. The muscular and fascinating rooflines and thick rear pillars gives a charm to your sports car but at the same time blocks your view. While driving at dangerous and rushy roads and taking sharp turns, the blind spots makes the view less visible. It is often difficult to see other vehicles in the side lanes.

Air Bag Systems and child protection seat are some other features which should be kept in mind while buying a sports car. Many auto manufacturers have introduced features that assist driver during driving, thus ensuring your safety. e.g Ford Mustang has added blind spot mirrors to enhance visibility. Audi TT and BMW Z4 have rear-parking system facility which helps the driver in parking in the urban areas by giving him warning. Nissan 370Z has a backup camera that allows you to drive on curvy and hilly roads with safety.

Check Crash Test Rating of Sports Cars

Always check the Check Crash Test Rating of Sports Cars to make sure that car is safe to drive. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) checks the sports cars safety by conducting crash tests for the federal government. The safety ratings, front and side crash-test scores, and rollover ratings are provided by NHTSA. Verify if the vehicle has got 4- 5 stars then it has a good safety ratings and it is safe for your family to freely enjoy the sports ride.

Cruise the Sports car safely

Lastly when you have personalized a sports car, cruise it safely. It can be fun to race at high speeds and get most out of your sports car driving experience but don’t go beyond limits. The higher power-to-weight ratio and lower posture of the sports car gives you more control over the car and you can drive it at greater speed but at high speeds traction can be lost which can be dangerous in terms of safety.

The sturdy suspension components and muscular tires help the car to cruise smoothly on dry and windy roads. However, driving can be a bit risky in rain, snow or ice and speed limits should be kept in mind to stay protected. As once the control is lost over the sports car it is very difficult to regain it and results can be terrible. So, drive your sports car with passion but with care as safety is in your hands.

The Mustang is back, after achieving a fantastic career in the auto markets the Ford Mustang became the dream of sports car’s lovers, the latest models of Ford Mustang was a highly anticiapted one in the auto industry and finally the company has shown the 2012 model of this car.

Photo By Ozan

On Friday at Laguna Seca, where Parnelli Jones won the 1970 Trans-Am season opener in a Boss 302, the new dashing model got revealed, the Ford Mustang has rocked the roads in the 60’s and 70’s and now with the same spirit its is announced for the auto industry.

According to the specifications, this new model will be based on 5.0 liter V8 engine that will give 440hp that ia almost 28hp more than the previous model of GT. This car is titled as the Boss and the torque rating for this Boss is reported to be 380lb-ft which is also nice.

The top speed of this model is reported to be 155mph and another excitement brought for the new model is that it is paired with close-ratio six speed manual gearbox. According to Mustang chief engineer Dave Pericak “Boss is a hallowed word around here, and we couldn’t put that name on a new Mustang until we were sure everything was in place to make this car a worthy successor.”

Whether you call it a king or a boss, every such name suits this model just because of its terrific past career and we can expect that Ford will mainatin its status in the future as well.

This is a highly efficient and also ultra fast car. It is a concept car that comes with a plug in hybrid. The car was introduced by Dr. Ing Porsche of Stuttgart.

Photo by alratag twice again

It is a high performance mid engine car with low emission drive technology and is ultra efficient. The good thing about this car is the fact that it has a combination of the high- tech racing features and the electro mobility which makes it offer a wide range of qualities.

This 918 Spyder is among the three models of Porsche with hybrid drive in their making and were launched in 2010 in Geneva. The car combines Porsche’s intelligent performance technology, the high tech in the motorsport and the design which is modern that makes it truly the car of this century.

The car has a good energy reservoir that enables it to really run very fast. So if you are sporty, this is the way to go.

The new tattoo-style painting, which is a masterpiece of well-known airbrush artist Knud Tiroch, is going to answer many questions that are not asked usually including how it looks like if spent too much time with it on beach at Venice.

The full work over to this vehicle has been given by Novitec with its double superchargers that will offer it 707hp that is a lot more than F430 Evoluzione and that seems quite exceptional with TuNero version and with its adjustable suspension and requisite 20” wheels.

Some nice changes have also been introduced in the interior that adds daytime strip lights aside from front splitter, Novitec body kit and lots of other modifications.

With all these mods, the custom will be able to hit 60 in 3.5 seconds and it will be at 216mph at its top speed. According to Unique Sports Car, only 11 models of it to be introduced that really seems to make it a great choice for those who know that there is no accounting for taste. So, we can guess that will be offered only to some selected ones.

Source: AutoBlog

During the past few decades a large number of sports cars have been produced by various automakers and car transport companies in almost every part of the world and it is, indeed, somewhat tough to decide what are the best sports cars of all time. Here is a list of 15 best sports cars of all the time. The list has been developed considering the power, innovative design and fastness of these cars. Let’s have a look what my 15 best ever picks have in them.

1. Ferrari 250 GTO

Many are of the view that the 250GTO was the best Ferrari ever produced; this exceptional sporty was launched in 1962. Design-wise it was a compact berlinetta and Giotto Bizzarrini was behind its concept. When it comes to performance, with its V12 3-liter engine it could produce 302hp and covered 0-60mph in just 6.1seconds.

Photo by Alex Windust

2. AC Cobra 427

It was Carroll Shelby who dreamed that car and AC, the British automaker was brought this dream into concrete form, but he was Shelby who named it Cobra. One interesting fact about the car was that it got its parts and accessories from different cars. The 427 was available with a 7-liter engine and could produce 425hp with 0-60mph acceleration of 4.2seconds.

Photo by Lalogo.fr

3. Subaru Impreza STi

It was in 1993 when Subaru launched its Impreza that was a nice compact car indeed and got tremendous success in rally championship. In 1994 these guys came up with STi version with loads of improvements. The car had somewhat an immortal design of blue frame and gold colored wheels.

Photo by Stuart Axe

4. Porsche 911 GT3

The Porsche 911 got fifth position in a poll voted for the car of the century. The car was launched in 1963. Its GT3 version has been developed with light materials and it was available with 3.6-liter engine capable of 381 bhp and it could cover 0-60mph in just 4.0 seconds.

Photo by marknauta.nl

5. Pagani Zonda C12 S 7.3

It was in 1999 when Italian car maker Pagani started the production of their Zonda, only 10 units of this car are shipped each year. Carbon fiber is widely used material in various body parts of the Zonda and its C12 S version houses a 7.3-liter powerhouse.

Photo by ducthinhngo

6. Nissan Skyline GT-R (R33)

In Japan the Nissan Skyline is a well-known name for motor racing as well as street cars, because of its exceptional dominance, the vehicle was named as Godzilla. It’s GT-R version houses different racing accessories that became widely popular after its appearance in Gran Turismo. It housed the same 2.6liter engine that could be seen in the R32.

Photo by God_speed

7. Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VIII

This exceptional Mitsubishi has several titles under her belt in the World Rally Championship. Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VIII carries the same look that we have seen in its first generation and it features a 2-liter engine that is capable of producing 400hp and it accelerates 0-60mph in 3.5 second.

Photo by eplusm

8. Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato

Back in 1960, the DB4 GT was introduced by Aston Martin, a great overhauling was done of the Zagato model that featured a rounded long hood and it could accelerate 0-60mph in 6.1 sec.

Photo by jane_sanders

9. BMW M3 GTR

A racing prototype of BMW M3 GTR was created during 2001, it qualified as Gran Turismo car, but BMW also preferred to develop its street version. It has a clean design and features a 4-liter V 8cylinder engine that can produce 444bhp.

Photo by roberto_blank

10. Jaguar E-type Series 1

This was the vehicle that really revolutionized the development of sports cars with its flat floors, two seats and external hood.

Photo by The Electrician

11. Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren

This is quite well-known as the fastest transmission car in the world and it has a nice crash structure, carbon fiber and impressive body panels. Mercedes SLR McLaren houses a SOHC V8 5.4-liter supercharged engine that is capable to produce 616bhp.

Photo wikimedia.org

12. Lamborghini Diablo

An Italian automaker introduced this car in 1990, and many celebrities played an important role in its popularity as they acquired that vehicle. It houses a 5.7-liter engine that is capable to produce 492 bhp.

Photo by Stephen Hayes

13. Dodge Viper GTS

There are a considerable number of people who have been dreaming about this nice car, its two white stripes serve as its trademark and it covers 0-60mph in 4.0 seconds.

Photo by TGIGreeny

14. Bugatti Veyron

The other included in the list are classic, Bugatti Veyron has exception, but somewhat more than a classic that houses an 8-liter 16 cylinder engine and that can produce 987hp. It covers 0-60mph in 2.46 seconds.

Photo by █ αĹ7ãŶèŖ █

15. Chevrolet Corvette 1968 L88

1968 Chevrolet Corvette L88 has a nice aggressive and robust look. This great beast can consume 7-liter and produces 460 hp in return.  With its impressive looks and exceptional, It’s indeed, a ruler in the world of sports car today.

Photo by Martin Thornhill

]]> http://www.autoscraze.com/15-ever-best-sports-cars.html/feed 15 http://www.autoscraze.com/got-to-see-bmw-art-cars.html http://www.autoscraze.com/got-to-see-bmw-art-cars.html#comments Sat, 14 Feb 2009 19:46:39 +0000 admin http://www.autoscraze.com/?p=803 The famous art cars by BMW will be available on display until February 24th. These art cars will be featured at The Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

Beauties at display will include Frank Stella’s graph-paper 3.0 CSL, Roy Lichtenstein’s 1977 Group 5 320i with its wild wing and body work, Robert Rauschenberg’s 1986 6-series and the 1979 Group 4 M1 that Andy Warhol painted with a brush.

These three legends raced with elegance having their new paint treatment, at the Le Mans. The Robert Rauschenberg’s 1986 6-series was not exactly a sports car. It has a more of a conventional look with a strained body work.

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These cars will be displayed at different places for a limited time. They will be shifted from their first display point to the other. First, all four of these will adorn the entrance of the museum.

The cars will be parked at the BP Entrance to museum on Wilshire Boulevard where they can be seen for free.

From Los Angeles the cars will be moved to Grand Central Station. People will enjoy watching them from March 24 to April 26.

From there, the cars will be going for next tour to Mexico, where they will be moving around in three cities for display.

As far as BMW’s art cars are concerned, they are 16 in number. BMW intends to have 17 and is looking for an artist to do the job. We look forward to the art car display. Let us see what sort of response BMW art cars get!

The expected net loss of Nissan Motor Co. is 265 billion Yen i.e. $2.9 billion for the fiscal year across March. Nissan is facing a yearly loss for the first time in the past 9 years. Carlos Ghosn, Chief Executive Nissan said, “The global auto industry is in turmoil, and Nissan is no exceptional.”

In an effort to subside the loss impact, Nissan is expelling a large number of employees. By March 2010, Nissan will reduce the number of employees from 235,000 to 215,000. The board directors too will not enjoy their bonus for the year, ending in March.

Reduction in salaries has also been announced as:

• Board of Directors’ salaries: 10% reduction
• Corporate Officers’ salaries: 10% reduction
• Managers’ salaries: 5% reduction

The March and Z line of sports car’s compact financial report for the Oct-Dec quarter shows the net loss as 83.2 billion Yen. It is in contrast to the previous year’s same quarter profit earning which was 132.2 billion Yen.

Nissan began recording its quarterly financial statistics in 2003. Since then, it is the first quarterly loss that the company has recorded.

The other Japanese automotives are also recording big loses. Toyota is also amongst the automotive giants which are showing up with record loses in previous so many years.

Now there are some reports that show these guys are also considering buying the business of Dodge Viper as well.

However, it is not clear yet whether these guys include in the three bidders that Chryslers has announced publicly.

“We have been planning to buy Viper,” says Mike Shields who has controlling interests in different auto companies in Michigan.

Power-Tec, Control-Tec, Cyltec and Arrow Racing Engines all are part of their group. The used the name of MJ Acquisitions to purchase street-performance car of Saleen Inc. in the previous month.

Since last October, Chrysler has been considering selling out its Viper sports car business. This Viper operation was powered by a V10 600-hp and it was conducted in at their Detroit factory.

It can’t be said with certainly that whether MJ Acquisition is among the three bidders of that Chrysler has talked about or not. On the other hand, Chrysler refused to comment on these three potential bidders and about the exact timetable of that deal.

David Elshoff, a Chrysler spokesperson says in this connection that “it’s not a right thing to disclose the names of three bidders, and I am not going to do it right now.”

This gives us all a chance to see what magnificence we will see in Mercedes -Benz SLC.

It is said to be the successor of SLR McLaren sports car. SLC has also a long hood bent downwards, giving it a road touching profile. With a wide and big front grill, looks like a car coming out of central casting.

The pictured car is clad in plastic tapes, so nothing can be said with complete surety. Yet its code name is known as C 197.

It looks like it will be a top ranking car in Mercedes, coming with a divine elegance.

Experts are expecting that the car is coming with AMG V8 power and the strength may fall in between 580 hp to 600 hp with a capacity of 6.2 liters. As far as speed is concerned, it is speculated that SLC will have a top speed of 196 mph top speed and 0 mph to 62 mph within 3.8 seconds.

The Mercedes-Benz SLC concept car is expected to be seen at Frankfurt motor show fall 2009.

These SLRs are built in coordination with McLaren as a joint venture. This partnership is going to end soon this year and Mercedes has come up with SLCs to replace the SLRs from McLaren.

With rear driving wheel the car is expected to be a success.

It was in 1999, when the two-seater was unveiled as 2000 model and it was come forward as one of the most favorite sport cars for those auto enthusiasts who wanted to have some polished manual transmission with tight chassis.

Then in 2008, the CR S2000 was added another model that seemed quite inspired from the club racer trim.

During the last ten years, it’s more than 111,000 units were sold worldwide in which 64,000 units were sold only in the US.

The S200 sports car was developed as limited version to tribute Honda on its 50th anniversary and after its nice success its production was continued on regular basis.

Honda has already canceled its supercar program the NSX in its effort to deal with the economic downturn and focus on its initial business.

The reports related to the S2000 death emerged in the media earlier this month with the rumors that Honda is also considering shelving its V8, rear-drive and drop top version.