Archive for November, 2009
Car Designations Explained: The European Influence
Theres nothing like using the motherlands terminology to make your car sound like its got more class. Of course youll never drive an Aston Martin Black Pudding but harking back to the gentlemanly days can give a marque some extra kudos.
Shootingbrake or shootingbreak depending on which country youre in
In the 1800s and through to the early 1900s a brake was a type of opentopped horsedrawn carriage of any size designed for hunting. It was designed to carry the driver and a gamekeeper at the front and several sportsmen with guns in the back. Dogs guns and game were carried alongside in racks. While this sounds like it could have morphed into a mafiastyle limo its more commonly used to describe a station wagon or estatetype of car.
Aston Martin is particularly fond of the term DB5 DB6 Virage Vantage Lagonda and DBS all had the term applied and its been resurrected recently by Audi for a couple of concept cars. Ferrari Porsche Volvo Bentley and even Lamborghini have produced concepts or production cars. Although anyone trying to shoot a pheasant while hanging out of the side of a Lamborghini would need heatguided missiles.
Many of the concepts started to look like stylistic hearses. www.shootingbrake.com has a number of images.
Drophead coupe or drophead coup
Basically its a convertible or cabriolet in British English. The name applies to both cars with a retractable hardtop roof or a soft folding top. The concept behind a convertible was that you could convert your opentopped car into one that had a roof. British manufacturers tend to use the designation with Aston Martin DB2/4 Drophead Coupe Bentley Arnage Drophead Coupe and Daimler DoubleSix 50 Sport Corsica Drophead Coupe. RollsRoyce released its 2008 Phantom Drophead Coupe at the January 2007 Detroit North American International Auto Show.
Fixed head coupe
Its the opposite of a drophead coupe. A coupe with a fixed roof the term was mainly used by British manufacturers such as Jaguar e.g. XK150 EType well as RollsRoyce e.g. Corniche Aston Martin e.g. DB3S TVR e.g. Tasmin 280i and Bentley e.g. Mark VI Park Ward.
GT
Standing for Grand Tourer or Gran Turismo in Italian GT means its a high performance car with the comforts required for long distance driving. Theyre usually larger and heavier than sports cars and mostly have their engine at the front. While outright power and acceleration of GT cars can match some sports cars softer suspension and a heavier body often means on the track theyre left in the dust. Examples include pretty much the whole Aston Martin range Ferrari 599 GTB Jaguar XJS Maserati GranTurismo and the Mercedes SLR McLaren. The Porsche Carrera GT is not really a GT car more of a supercar or hypercar.
So as long as it sells cars car manufacturers will continue to evoke the images of a halcyon yesteryear.
See more articles at Car and SUV
About the writer: Darren Cottingham motoring journalist and editor of Car and SUV a website specialising in new car reviews road tests and news.
Car Buying Strategy That Works
A car is a major purchase. This is the reason why you should make sure that you will get the best deal possible when buying a car. Some people make the mistake of simply going to any car dealer and allow themselves to be talked to buying a car.
Car shoppers must remember that these agents will say almost anything just to be able to make a sale. So when you are shopping for a car do not feel pressured into buying one. What people must know is that they can employ an effective car buying strategy for them to get the best price and the best deal when buying a vehicle.
The best car buying strategy is to employ the proper timing when buying a car. Unknown to many there is a right month day and even time to buy a car. When you go to a dealer at the right time you will sure come out with a good deal on a car.
No other car buying strategy has produced more desirable results than the use of proper timing. When buying a car therefore patience is the key. If you are patient enough to time your purchase properly you will surely be rewarded with a great price and deal on a car.
When it comes to the ideal month the best time to visit a car dealer is between August and November because it is during these months when new models of cars are unveiled. Wouldn’t it be a bummer if you will buy a car one day then several weeks or days after you will learn that the manufacturer has come out with a newer model of the car you have just bought.
When it comes to days of the week the best time to go to a dealer is during the middle of the week. Avoid going to a car dealer during weekends because that’s when most people go out to buy cars. If you will go to a dealer during weekdays you can be sure that you will get dedicated attention from the dealer.
Remember the best car buying strategy is employ the right timing.
Want the insider’s edge on your next car purchase? Get inside the dealer’s playbook of persuasion with these car buying tips from Taking The House Edge.
About the writer: Stenno Chau is currently working on a website offering people free ebooks on guide tips information about anything related to daily life. Visit his blog for more information http://urebookinfo.com
Carbon Fiber Hoods For Use On Your Car
Carbon fiber hoods are popular these days and it’s no surprise. Carbon has a lot of different uses because the molecule can bond with itself a lot of different ways. One way is called graphite which is used for pencil lead.
If pounded into long thin ribbons graphite starts to bond itself to other graphite forming much stronger graphite fibers. People then use these fibers to bind to epoxy or resin to make a super strong and light material that can be used on anything from sporting equipment to carbon fiber hoods to parts for space ships.
Using carbon fiber to reinforce car parts has several advantages especially in a racing scenario. Diamonds are made from carbon and it’s nearly equivalent to coating your car in diamond. It doesn’t buckle under stress from heat it won’t give in to pressure and all this in a very lightweight form. Many people find that a carbon fiber hood is the best use of the material since hoods have to take a lot of heat but are also very large and shouldn’t be heavy.
The facts on this are that a hood can be about a quarter of your entire car’s body. Carbon fiber hoods can cut down the weight of your car by up to 60. The ability of carbon fiber hoods to stand up to heat is also important. A properly vented carbon fiber hood can help keep your engine as much as 25 cooler. These improvements are nice for everyday driving but also fantastic news for racers.
Carbon fiber parts are also very customizable because of their current popularity. There are a lot of manufacturers making them so it’s possible to get anything you want made from carbon fiber in any color you need. Because there are so many people making them though it’s best to ensure that the parts you buy are always A grade not B or C. A grade parts are top quality while the others have run into some errors along the manufacturing lines.
There is a lot to take into consideration when choosing car parts but the addition of carbon fiber hoods to a racing vehicle is a nobrainer. There are advantages on every level from performance to customizability. While you have to look out when purchasing any carbon fiber parts finding the right dealer is doable. Carbon fiber is the result of decades of science and is the preferred material for going to space. Imagine where carbon fiber hoods could take you.
About the writer:nbsp;nbsp;Andy’s Auto Sport Carbon Fiber Hoods: The leading resource for Quality Carbon Fiber Hoods. For expert Advice Tips and Quality parts it’s all here:http://www.andysautosport.com/carbon_fiber_hoods.html
