Jaguar XK receives ‘Most Stylish’ award

The Jaguar XK coupe has scooped the ‘Most Stylish’ honour at the first CarBuyer Awards. The award which was presented at the Geneva Motor Show by Motoring and Digital Editor Dan Strong, was collected by Adrian Hallmark, Global Brand Director, Jaguar Cars and Ian Callum, Design Director, Jaguar Cars.

Motoring and Digital Editor, Dan Strong commented: “From its E-type inspired nose to its muscular rear end, the Jaguar XK is everything a British sportscar should be. It is beautiful to look at and extremely well proportioned. But that’s not the only reason for our accolade. The stunning Coupe is blessed with one of the most evocative badges in the world of motoring. If you want to turn heads, look no further.”

The latest Jaguar XK for sale which was styled by a team led by Ian Callum, combines elegant, cohesive styling with advanced aluminium construction and effortless performance to create a coupe that continues to outperform its market.

Ian Callum, on receiving the award commented: “This is a tremendous achievement for the XK in a category with such strong competition. Jaguar continues to be about the creation of fast, beautiful cars – we’re honoured that CarBuyer should see fit to recognise the XK with such an Award.” Read the rest of this entry »

2007 Mitsubishi Outlander Ls 4wd Sets Its Identity

Because some people think of SUVs, like the Montero, while others think of the Lancer Evolution high-performance rally replica whenever the name Mitsubishi is heard, the company has set its identity with its second-generation 2007 Outlander.

Mitsubishi has merged an SUV with a rally car. The new Outlander has its four-wheel drive system, which is meant more for traction and cornering on pavement than traditional four-wheeling. Though the mid-size, middle-class crossover field is already crowded due to its competitiveness, the 2007 Mitsubishi Outlander LS 4WD stands out with its sporty abilities. Its poise comes in handy for safety and security on slipperier surfaces as well, whether they are dirt or gravel roads or snow. Read the rest of this entry »

Subaru Legacy Chases Impreza’s Footsteps

Subaru is proud to deliver its horizontally opposed engines which are similar to that of Porsche. The engine is incorporated in the latest model of Subaru Legacy, a midsize car introduced by the automaker in the year 1989. The redesigned Legacy made it more Subaru than before.

The first Legacy was equipped with a 2.0 L engine with all-wheel drive. In Japan, Subaru Legacy is famed for its agility and affordability. In fact, the affordability factor of the vehicle extends as well to 1996 Subaru Legacy Outback accessories, which are engineered to augment quality, performance and style. The accessories, which include sunshade, oil filter, car cover, wheel dust shields and others, are tested to suit and perform according to the standards set by the automotive industry. Read the rest of this entry »

Make Car Donations For Charity

One way of getting rid of an old car is to donate it to a local charity. Some well-known places that accept cars as donations are the Salvation Army, Goodwill and Trees for the Future. However, this list is in no way exhaustive so always check with your local charities, however big or small.

Once donated to charity, cars are treated one of two ways:

1) Charities can sell the cars for whatever monetary value they can get. It this case, they can sell them to a dealership or opt to for direct sale to prospective buyers.

2) The charity also has the option of keeping them. These cars are then used to transport persons or equipments. In the event that the charity promises not to sell the car, it is required that this intent be disclosed to the donor (you). They may subsequently face penalties from the IRS if they do sell it. Read the rest of this entry »

Mitsubishi Truck Parts: Quality Components for Over a Century

When you say the word Mitsubishi, it can mean a lot of things. After all, the Mitsubishi is a brand that is used by a lot of companies. Mitsubishi, in fact, is actually a Japanese conglomerate that consists of many and varied autonomous companies and businesses which share the Mitsubishi brand and trademark. And aside from the Mitsubishi trademark, these companies have a common legacy and tradition of excellence which dates back as far as the 19th century.

The first Mitsubishi Company was a shipping firm founded by Yataro Iwasaki in 1873, with the name Mitsubishi Shokai. Later, Mitsubishi expanded to include coal mining, shipbuilding, banking, insurance, warehousing and trade, and had a diverse array of products ranging from paper, steel, electrical parts, automobiles, and even aircraft. Read the rest of this entry »

Astra optimises Police time

The Vauxhall Astra has become a firm favourite with UK Police forces. Vauxhall has now introduced new technology to help officers use their time more efficiently and help prevent crime as well respond more quickly. Launched at Milbrook last week was a new Vauxhall Astra fitted with a Panasonic Toughbook CF-19, market-leading, rotating screen, convertible notebook, which sets a benchmark in rugged mobile computing. The custom Astra is aimed at field-based professionals who need access to WiFi and 3G broadband. Dick Ellam, Vauxhall Special Vehicles Manager, said: “The Astra has long-since been a trusted model within the police, which is why we have opted to make this feature available. Toughbook rugged mobile computers are already in use by several police services across the country, and are proving to be a revolutionary resource to police; at a time when spending cuts are rife, a device that enables the force to save time and money will be invaluable.” This new technology is highly valuable to the Police force because historically logging a crime report was a lengthy process and would usually start with a home visit.

The officer would then have to take notes in a notebook and then write up a crime report. Typically, the report would then be faxed back to the office to a crime input team who would then have to type it up. The Toughbook fits into a docking station, which is mounted in the glove box of the Vauxhall Astra. The Toughbook can be easily removed and this allows the laptop screen to be viewed in both upright and downward positions. A similar laptop system can be added to a Vauxhall Zafira in Camberley as it too has become a favourite amongst the UK Police force. Read the rest of this entry »

I Had to Sell My Subaru When the Maintenance Costs Rose

Back in 2000 when I was looking for my first car, I decided to buy my Subaru because it was neat and compact, with a small engine and low running costs. I was just out of university, struggling along in my first job, and the second-hand three-door little car was the best I could manage at the time.

Although I’ve since moved on from that job and am now paid a respectable salary, out of some bizarre kind of loyalty to my first car – which, in all fairness, has never caused me any great problems – I refused to sell my Subaru and kept it as its value depreciated and it became less and less practical. But since it continued to run, I also reasoned that there was no reason to look for a new car, employing the maxim, ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.’ I don’t do many long journeys so didn’t feel justified in shelling out for a new car, with all the the associated financial and environmental costs. I figured I’d just run it into the ground and hold onto it for as long as I could. Read the rest of this entry »

Acura ZDX: From Prototype to Production

Among the many new cars and concept vehicles that were rolled out at the 2009 New York International Auto Show, the Acura ZDX created some of the most buzz. What Acura calls a four-door sports coupe, visitors to the show have named it one of the most impressive looking new vehicles among scores introduced, a true game changer for the Acura brand.

The ZDX was designed to include rousing styling, contemporaneous luxury and fastidious refinement. Featuring aesthetic curves, an aggressively raked roofline and conspicuous fender flares, the ZDX embodies the design traits found in a coupe, sedan and sport utility vehicle. Read the rest of this entry »

How to Recycle Auto Parts

Recycling can never be a bad thing; whether for the betterment of the environment or simply just for making money, recycling your old auto parts is always and will always be a great idea. Many methods exists for recycling auto parts but it is important to know that none of them involve illegal dumping. Illegal dumping includes leaving the parts in secluded areas to rot or leaving them in the rubbish pile with the expectation that the government solid waste management will collect them. Since auto parts have ownership (demonstrated with the title of ownership of the vehicle they were once attached to) then your local garbage collector is not allowed to remove them as waste.

Most popular methods of recycling auto parts

Sell parts to a used car or salvage dealer

Used car or salvage dealers relish auto parts because they add to the sustainability of their business. To sell the parts to an auto salvage or used car dealer, you will need to transfer the title of ownership so that the new owners are reflected on it. Read the rest of this entry »

Honda and Acura

Despite its relatively smalal scale of operations when put alongside Toyota, Honda continues to be Japan’s most interesting auto maker, Asia’s response to the European techno-house of Audi. Its IMA, for example, is a truly practical petrol-electric car, and the NSX continues to be the best supercar that no body has heard of. In between these comes an everyman range of cars, from the simple elegance of its Jazz city car through to the Volvo-rivalling Accord Tourer.

There is also 1.0 litre insight, a strange-looking little hybrid car that, since the introduction of IMA, has fallen out favor. A neat two-seater sports car that feels distinctly European in execution. Honda has some really interesting products in the pipeline, which promises sparkling performance allied to outstanding economy. ACCORD/TSX Offered in both sedan and Touring (estate) variants, the sculpted Accord is a far more substantially-sized car than it looks at first glance; this is particularly the case with the stylish Touring version. Read the rest of this entry »