Archive for November, 2009
The Jaguar XK120
Author: admin
The Jaguar XK120 was first revealed to the public at the London Motor Show in 1948, and it reinvented the world of sports cars by providing a car with elegant curves, a fantastic chassis, and a remarkable price. It became the fastest production car at the time of launch, and was rivalled only by the V12 Ferrari which was 4 times the price.
This proved to be an unbeatable combination, and became a milestone for Jaguar whilst reviving the motor industry with much fanfare after the war. Interestingly, the XK120 was only really designed as test bed with which to show off the XK engine, but with orders flooding in Jaguar wasted no time and put the car into full production. Several versions were eventually released, with the Roadster version being a hit amongst Hollywood stars like Clark Gable. It is still a design classic today, and in 1999 the car featured in the box office hit Cruel Intentions, driven by Ryan Phillippe & Reese Witherspoon.
The XK120 was the creation of Sir William Lyons, aka “Mr. Jaguar”, and was powered by the 3442cc power plant dubbed the XK engine, generating 160bhp, and the XK120 is so named as its top speed tipped 120mph. As expected it was a success on the track and was driven by some of motor sports biggest legends such as Stirling Moss and Ian Appleyard, and helped Jaguar win the Le Mans title on several occasions.
The Overview of Mazda MPV
Author: admin
Have you noticed all of the fine cars across the world? One car that we just have to tell you about is the Mazda MPV. You see, it seems as if there are many car enthusiasts out there and they just have to have a piece of these hot wheels. In 1989, a revolution occurred in the wonderful word of automation; the rough weather, rough road friendly minivan arrived in America. Established players could only stand by and watch while the Mazda MPV had everyone applauding.
Design was at the heart of its innovation; its compact size coupled with customary flap doors as opposed to the sliding doors featured in competitor drives set this machine apart. It was powered by an optional V6 engineer four-cylinder with rear wheel drive being standard. Competition responded aggressively with improved maneuverability, versatility and engine power and the Mazda MPV faltered, loosing all its initial fire and promise.
In 2000, a second edition machine was released. This new seven passenger, minivan with front-wheel drive was still smaller than its competition boasting an array of new family friendly features.
The second-generation machines that entered the new millennium set out to prove that size did matter; the new front wheel drive, seven-seat minivan was still more compact than the competition while boasting new features.
Flexible multi configurable seating designs and a first in class roll down window mechanism in sliding doors were bold innovations reminiscent of its early spirit. Maneuverability, flexibility and design were the driving forces of this machine.
The second row passenger seats came with an innovative slide feature offering bench configuration. Another convenience feature was presented in the form of a fold down mechanism in the third row seats, which could also be rotated round to face the rear of the minivan when the tailgate was open. The seating system did however have one drawback, cargo space. The lack of it was a disadvantage in its positioning as the perfect family carrier.
While the improvements were many and significant with features like keyless entry, convenient slide open doors, CD entertainment systems, cruise control, individually heated mirrors and passenger seat air conditioning this new installment of the MPV continued to disappoint the key performance area of engine power. In the years that followed numerous steps were taken to improve the power of the vehicle however this remained an area in which competition was stronger. The power upgrades in 2002 included a 3. 0liter 200HP V6 and automatic five-speed transmission, 17inch alloys, upgraded break systems, improved suspension tuning and power side-slide door mechanisms. Then again in 2003 a family entertainment theater system by way of a DVD player was introduced as an optional feature. The Mazda MPV had found its niche; versatile space management, entertainment and space efficient design features keeps it relevant to the family market.
The 2009 Ford Edge – The High-end Crossover SUV
Author: admin
The 2009 Ford Edge is a high-end crossover SUV manufactured by the Ford motor company, based on the Ford CD3 platform shared with the old generation Mazda6 and is marketed in a ever so slightly adapted form as the Lincoln MKX. The platform is shared with others, including the Mazda CX-9 crossover, the Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan, and the Lincoln sedans.
The Edge attempts to bridge the gap that exists between minivans, such as the now discontinued Freestar, and the more truck-like SUVs, for example the Explorer. Ford officially places the Edge lower down than the Taurus in the crossover Sports utility vehicle lineup, despite not being noticeable smaller.
The 2009 Ford Edge is the latest model in the Edge range and that attempts to live up to the demand for a spacious, yet stylish, car. This five-passenger utility vehicle has several interesting features. Ford insists that this is much more than just a car, suggesting that it is a cross between a minivan and a truck.
The 2009 Ford Edge is powered by a 3. 5 liter V6 engine that churns out approximately 265 horsepower with a six speed automatic transition. Front wheel drive is standard although all-wheel drive is available. This model has safety feature that include front impact, front seat-mounted, side-impact and front/rear curtain airbags, four wheel anti-lock brakes, AdvanceTrac electronic stability control, and a tire-pressure monitoring system as standard.
The Edge series made its public debut at the 2006 North American International Auto Show in January 2006, with production starting in the October 2006 as a 2007 model, with the first ones reaching dealerships just before December 25, 2006, because of a brief delay in production due to issues with the supplier. The 2009 Ford Edge implements Ford’s front end design with a three bar chrome grille.
The 2009 Ford Edge has a fuel economy that is rated at 15 to 16 miles per gallon in the city, and 22 to 24 miles per gallon on the highway. As mentioned above, the Edge is available in both all-wheel drive and front-wheel drive and uses Ford’s front end design with its distinctive three-bar chrome grille. Although the 2007 series was introduced with the three trim levels of SE, SEL, and SEL Plus, the 2009 series has dispensed with the SEL Plus version.
Standard accompaniments on all versions of the 2009 Ford Edge includes air conditioning; lumbar support on the driver’s seat; cruise control; power windows, door locks and mirrors; a remote keyless entry; tilt and telescopic steering wheel; and P235/65R17 tires with alloy wheels. The safety equipment on the car includes standard front airbags as well as front side-impact airbags and side curtain airbags. There are anti-lock brakes, a innovative system to monitor tire-pressure and an electronic stability control.