The global community is now under siege of the global warming issue. To counter the huge amount of greenhouse gases being released by vehicles all over the world, Car Manufacturers continue to develop ways to cut down the fuel consumption of their production vehicles.

 The American International Automobile Dealers Association’s (AIADA) newsletter recently reported that German carmakers are among the players in the auto industry which have taken a keen interest in producing environment friendly cars. This may be their response to the ongoing debate on the stricter EURO6 emission standards set to be implemented in the year 2015. The steps being taken by German car makers are also a big help in the protection of the environment.

 While according to the German newspaper Deutsche Welle, German car makers have yet to produce a true hybrid. And several car makers from the region expressed their interest on producing mild hybrids in the near future.

 BMW has already announced that they will be teaming up with American car maker Chrysler in developing a mild hybrid transmission system for rear-wheel drive performance cars. This effort by the two car makers will further enhance the hybrid technology being used on cars today.

 Another European car maker which has taken steps to produce environmentally friendly vehicles is Volkswagen Car. The German car maker has presented their lineup of super-efficient, ultra-low emission cars under the BlueMotion line. The company has already announced this technology in 2006 in the famous VW Polo. The technology is named after the color of Volkswagen’s logo. Today, the BlueMotion technology is being planned to be incorporated on other Volkswagen vehicles like the Golf, Passat, and the Touran.

 The Polo BlueMotion is equipped with a specially designed 1.4 liter diesel engine which has an astounding gas mileage rating of 60.3 miles per gallon. The fuel efficient Polo is also a very low emission vehicle with only 102 grams of CO2 released per kilometer. These figures beat the stats by the renowned Toyota Prius. The further enhancement of the BlueMotion technology will only help the car manufacturer like Chrysler Cars, Buick Park Cars, Volkswagen cars, Chevrolet Malibu Cars, Honda Cars, Mercedes-Benz Cars, Mazda Tribute Cars, Lincoln Cars, Mercury Cars, Suzuki Cars, Ford Cars, Jaguar Cars, Hyundai Elantra Cars, Honda Pilot Cars, Hummer Cars, Nissan Frontier Cars, Xterra Cars, Honda Civic Cars, Lexus Cars, Nissan Cars, Toyota  Cars, Acura Cars,etc. produce more and more environment friendly vehicles.

 Aside from the accomplishment of Volkswagen with the BlueMotion technology, they have also announced that they will be working with another German car manufacturer - Porsche. The two famous car maker has announced that they will be working together to produce eco-friendly cars which will be out in the market by the year 2008.

 The partnership between the two forward thinking companies is hoped to bring revolutionary technologies which will help not only the companies but the entire auto industry in their battle against global warming. With Volkswagen leading the way for German car makers, it is only a matter of time before we see them as serious competition to Asian car makers who seemed to have the upper hand in the eco-friendly vehicle market all over the world.

 Toyota and Honda has been leading the way when it comes to producing green cars. The Toyota Prius, the first successful electric hybrid car, is still selling in large quantities. The popularity of the Prius is well documented, aside from being the best selling hybrid car in the U.S., the owners of these cars have created a group to celebrate their concern for nature.

 A website dedicated to hybrid car owners is put up with the cooperation of Toyota. Another hybrid car which has been racking up sales in the U.S. is the Honda Civic Hybrid. The Honda Civic in itself is already famous thanks to its fuel efficiency and good performance in handling and in ride comfort. But with the introduction of the hybrid version, the buyer base of the Asian brand in the U.S. quickly supported the hybrid version.

 The accomplishments of Honda and Toyota are what German car makers are shooting for. With continued developments, German car makers will surely be coming up with hybrid cars as efficient and as reliable as Dodge Rancho shocks.

Almost everyone in this planet will love to own a car. However, not everyone out there can afford to buy a new car for some reasons. The downfall of the current economy is making people to stay very far away from the idea of buying a new car. They often don’t turn their eyes to used cars because of the misconception that used cars won’t be good as the new ones and will require a lot of maintenance. However, the Japanese used cars are something different. They will be as classy as the new ones and also will require the same maintenance that a new car needs. Moreover, you can get used Japan cars for almost half the price you pay for the new one.

Luxurious used car in Japan

The luxurious Benz, Porsche and BMW cars are the current attraction in the Japanese automotive industry. The well-known fact is that the prices of the luxury cars like Porsche makes them well out of reach for some people. Buying used Porsche or used Benz will help every people experience the luxury of these automotive beauties at an affordable price. When it comes to the quality of these used Japan cars, there is nothing to worry about.

You can buy the used Benz and used BMW from Japan with your eyes closed. That’s the degree of trust that you can keep while buying used Japan cars. The reason behind the good condition of the used Japan cars is the strict Government regulations. The Japanese Government insists the car owners to keep their cars in good running condition. Moreover, the excellent road conditions in Japan minimizes the wear and tear of the car parts and keeps then as good as the new ones.

In the case of used Benz and used Porche car, they will be in excellent condition because the first owner of the car will keep his car in top-notch condition. The car owners don’t even like a small scratch in their luxurious cars. Hence all the used cars like Benz, Porsche and BMW will be well maintained by the first owner itself.

How to find Genuine Japanese used car Exporters?

Importing used cars from Japan is very easy today. With the help of online websites, Japanese used car search is just a breeze. However, there are many scams online too. There are some websites who get the advance payment and then disappear. Hence you should make an extensive research about the Japanese used car exporter whom you are dealing with.

The second case is that you will see a sale advertisement with a classy used Porsche’s picture in the website. You make the payment and finally you will get a crap car that’s in salvage condition. To overcome this difficulty you should always look for used Japan car exporters who offer pre-inspection before shipment. There are many genuine used car exporters like Woodstock-cartrading who make a thorough checkup and send the actual photos of the used car through email. When it comes to buying used cars for sale online, you should keep your eyes wide open. Or else you will get spammed.

When you think of a car that is born tough, incredibly masculine and delivers high-performance, actually you are thinking of a muscle car. All these attributes and many such others are known to be a part of the classic muscle car, and those who own one can readily agree with all the above. Since a long time, the muscle cars are thought t be some of the classic examples of the era when American automobile production had reached its peak.

These classic American Exotic Car, with all their sensual aerodynamic design and remarkable suitability for events such as drag racing, have helped them to attain a fame that has earned it a place in the history. Moreover, these cars are regarded as one of the signature vehicle design movements of modern automobile history.

The design of the classic American muscle car is all about power and appearance blended together to produce a stunning vehicle. It is contrary to the conception that classic muscle car emphasized power over appearance. A look at the classic muscle car can stop you in your tracks and a drive will take you to a different world.

And this is why the American muscle cars developed a craze among car enthusiasts. Looking at the design elements of the muscle cars, you will find that these vehicles have bigger engines than conventional cars, and are in fact bigger than the average sports car, and are bounded by the toughness of the frame that other cars can only envy. A typical Muscle car is the one which is made in the years between 1964 to 1973.

Among the most popular models of the American muscle cars are the Dodge Charger, the Chevrolet El Camino, and the Plymouth Road Runner and the Ford Mustang. In addition to these cars the Ford Fairlane 500, Ford car, the Mercury Montego, Chevrolet Camaro, Corvette, Pontiac GTO, Firebird, and Tempest, Olds 442, American Javelin, Plymouth ‘Cuda, and Dodge Challenger and the Charger are some of the highly adored American Muscle cars. Presently, the only Mustang and Corvette have retained their designs whereas the Dodge Charger has restructured as a four door muscle car along with its sibling, the hot Dodge Magnum wagon.

The American muscle cars won the record of topping the popularity charts just after their brief introduction to the market. The market penetrating factor was the popularity the racing trend among the youth, which was the only emerging segment in terms of spending power at that time.

Riding on the racing euphoria, the muscle car manufacturing companies began to design tougher cars that appealed to the sense of aesthetics that the youths had and combined it with technical and performance features that made them suited for street racing.

Meanwhile the implementation of the new designs and technical upgrades resulted in doubling the costs of the car, many companies eventually developed “budget muscle” models that compromised some of the performance and design aspects in favor of reducing costs. This was the right move as of now, both the classic muscle car and budget muscle car designs were accepted into the market and began to drive their way into the American youth’s mind.

You’re looking for classic car insurance quotes online? The truth is, it’s generally much more difficult to get classic car insurance than regular insurance, because of several different difficulties. First of all, classic cars are much harder to value than a regular car.

The money you get for a classic car in the event of an accident or a theft is generally the value you agree upon with the insurance company. Also, a new or used classic car is much more likely to be targeted by car thieves, which puts a much higher risk level on the classic car insurance company.

With that said, it certainly is possible to find classic car insurance quotes online. Here are some tips to help you find the best one before you get started.

The most crucial part of finding the best classic car insurance company for your auto is to look around and be patient. There are certainly numerous companies nowadays that will offer insurance for your classic cars might be classic Ford cars, classic Dodge cars, classic BMW cars, classic Mercedes cars etc.

Keep in mind, many of the big name insurance companies will not even deal in the classic car insurance arena, because of the high risk involved. Therefore, you usually will have to focus on companies that focus exclusively on the classic car insurance area.

Keep this in mind when looking: very likely, you will have to match up with certain criteria before you can obtain classic car insurance. Here are some of the most common: you very often need to be at least 25 years of age, have at least 10 years of driving experience, and a great driving record.

Due to the high risk of the cars involved, many of the companies are quite choosy about who they select to insure. If you don’t match one company’s criteria, however, don’t lose hope. Keep looking, and you will almost certainly find a company you can obtain insurance with, albeit at a higher price.

The best place to start looking is the internet for classic car insurance quotes. Trying to call each company can be somewhat of a hassle, and the internet can instantly provide you with literally hundreds of results at the click of a button.

One final tip: when searching for classic car insurance quotes online, always try to find a company that has many years of experience dealing in the classic car insurance arena. Don’t go with some fly by night company you’ve never heard of before.

In our lives there are many events that we will remember, but one that will remain in your memory for a very long time is your wedding day. It is one of the biggest days of your life and a huge amount of time, thought and effort will go in to it, so much so that many people will spend six months to a year planning and preparing for this one day.

There are a large number of choices to be made regarding so many items, from major things such as what kind of wedding dress the bride will wear, to more minor details such as what flowers men are to have for their button holes. One of the decisions many people leave until last is how the bride is going to be whisked to the church on time and subsequently how the newly married couple are going to be spirited off to the reception.

At times, couples may make compromises on the way they get to and away from the church, but having spent so much time and effort of organising a truly memorable day, leaving wedding transport until the last moment could something you regret at a later date.

More and more people are turning to using classic cars for their special day as there are a number of great advantages. Classic Cars like Toyota, Lambhorghini, Nissan, Bentley cars etc were designed and built by craftsman, they wanted to build cars that were beautiful and had a style and character of their own. In those days cars were very much a luxury item so customers were more demanding and they also personalised the cars to their tastes, this means that cars from the same manufacturer are not the same.

So why use a new or used classic car on your wedding day? In a classic car you aren’t just driven from one place to another, you are chauffeured in a car that was built for comfort with enough room to fit a wedding dress in it comfortably. Sat in a luxurious cabin, being chauffeured in a classic vintage car is an experience unlike any other. It’s not just a form of transport, but something to be enjoyed with loved ones.

When these classic cars were built, superb styling was demanded and expected so they have a look of splendour about them, with lots of highly polished chrome and brass highlighting fine details. This made them stand out in the crowd. It is difficult for people not to notice a bride being driven to her wedding in a classic vintage car. Often, such a sight attracts waves from admirers as she passes by.

Some people may voice concerns about an old cars mechanics, but such a concern is usually unwarranted. Authentic vintage cars were built in a time when engines were very basic with no electronics and all of the mechanics were built the old fashioned way - to last. The running parts of the cars are therefore relatively straightforward to maintain and subsequently reliability is a lot better than people realise.

One thing is certain, on your wedding day you will probably have more photographs taken of you than any other day in your life. A classic car will make a great partner for truly memorable photographs and video of your day.

Few exotic cars for sale can provide you with the character styling and fun factor a classic  car has. Using a classic car will provide you and your guests with beautiful memories that will bring a smile to your face when you reminiscence about your wedding day.

The Camaro Concept embodies the performance and passion that have made first-generation Camaros some of the most sought-after collector cars, updating the formula with a fuel-efficient powertrain, sophisticated chassis and contemporary design execution.Millions of people of all ages fell in love with the Chevrolet Camaro Cars for all of the right reasons.

The long hood, short deck and wide stance of the Camaro Concept leave no doubt that it is a serious performance classic car for sale. Those looks are backed up by a 400-horsepower aluminum small-bock V-8, a six-speed manual transmission, and a sophisticated chassis with four-wheel independent suspension. Like its forebears, the Camaro Concept would be practical enough for everyday use. It features fuel-saving features like Active Fuel Management™ cylinder deactivation technology, yielding highway fuel economy of 30 mpg or better. Its overall size is a comfortable fit for city streets and suburban parking lots, and its back seat provides occasional seating for two adults.

Because of Camaro’s powerful heritage, the GM Design team chose a theme that pays homage to the original Camaro, while being instantly recognizable as an all-new car. The 1969 Camaro, considered by many to be the best first-generation design, was a significant inspiration. But as GM design teams in Warren, Mich., worked on alternatives for the Camaro Concept, they also turned to the latest Corvette and to aircraft like the YF-22, seeking a design that encompasses the spirit that made the 1969 Camaro great, but interprets that spirit in a fresh, exciting way. The prominent front grille and hood bulge hint at the power of the Corvette-inspired V-8 engine. Large wheels and tires, exposed high-performance brakes and prominent fender shapes signal that the Camaro Concept has the handling and braking to go with the powertrain.

The cockpit of the Camaro nestles between sharply defined fender forms, a design element inspired by fighter planes and the new Chevrolet Corvette Car. And like any high-performance vehicle, the clean, purposeful design is integral to the aesthetic.The design incorporates what the vehicle needs to perform to its optimum level.The same purposeful design is reflected in the interior of the Camaro Concept. The gauges and splash of orange trim hint at classic first-generation Camaros, but the overall design and execution reflect the no-nonsense functionality that drivers expect from a high-performance Chevrolet sports car.

The Camaro Concept features the latest generation of GM’s legendary small-block V-8. The 6.0-liter LS2 engine features an aluminum block and heads for light weight, and Active Fuel Management™, which shuts off four cylinders to save fuel when the engine is lightly loaded. This concept version of the LS2 is rated at 400 horsepower, yet it could also deliver more than 30 mpg at highway speeds.

The Camaro Concept’s six-speed manual transmission provides a wide spread of ratios for aggressive acceleration off the line, confident passing and merging and efficient highway cruising.

Modern sports cars are about more than just straight-line speed, so the Camaro Concept features a sophisticated rear-wheel drive chassis. Its independent front and rear suspension features progressive-rate springs and gas-pressurized dampers. Four-wheel vented disc brakes with 14-inch rotors provide confident stopping under all conditions.

Enhancing both the performance and appearance of the Camaro Concept are unique five-spoke cast alloy wheels, 21 inches in the front and 22 inches in the rear.

One of the most profitable company in the automotive world is known as Ford. This is an American multinational corporation which is considered the third largest automaker based on sales. Ford divisions and subsidiaries include: Jaguar, Land Rover, Lincoln, Mercury and Volvo Cars. Aston Martin was also part of the Premiere Automotive Group which is a division of the Ford Motors Company until 2007 when it was purchased by a British consortium for GBP 479 million.

Ford is also one of the companies which introduced several innovations to the automotive industry, one of them is the production assembly line which is not only used in car manufacturing but in fields such as technology, construction, etc. At some point the Ford Motor Company considered suing other car companies because they used the assembly line in their production. Ford decided not to go through with the lawsuit because they realized it was vital to creation and expansion of the industry as a whole.

Due to such innovations, Ford’s factories became extremely efficient which was of benefit to employees who were getting paid very well, and yet the production costs were relatively low, this later became known as Fordism.

Today, this company takes great pride in their vehicles which have been accepted worldwide for their quality levels. Cars models such as Ford Mustang created a great buzz in the automotive community ever since it’s first generation. Contemporary Mustangs have increased the passion of many car enthusiast who have created many customization packages which are referred to as MODs. Changes and upgrades to headlights, bumper, decal additions, tail, rims, tires, paint all contribute to the way these cars are perceived.

This company has also diversified its portfolio by not only focusing in sport and exotic cars but in vehicles which run using alternative fuels to keep the environment clean. These new or used exotic cars for sale use CNG (Compressed Natural Gas), electricity as well as a combination of Ethanol and Gasoline. Currently there seems to be significant efforts aimed towards the production and distribution of E85 (Ethanol 85%) fuels so it will be interesting to know what kind of fuels future Ford vehicles will use.

For a good half-century now, the hobby of hot-rodding typically meant taking a cheap car, taking out any body part that didn’t matter (i.e. roofs, hoods, bumpers, fenders, seats, and other such nonsense), modifying the engine and/or dropping in a bigger one for greater performance (often protruding upwards from the hood), and fattening up the tires for extra traction.

The term is still as accurate as ever. In fact, not even the cars in question have necessarily changed: one very typical image of a Hot Rod is a Muscle Car straight from the 1960s (the so-called muscle car golden age), restored to all its glory and then some. It’s not uncommon to take the great ancestors of cars we know today (Mustang, GTO) or ones forgotten by all but a few (Plymouth Barracuda), and send the output of its V8 soaring to 600 horsepower and above. Hot rods can be just as much about customizing as weight-saving (think of flaming paintjobs), and price isn’t necessarily an object: one notable Barracuda (”Hemi Cuda” in hot rod speak) on the cover of a major-name Hot Rod Magazine had every body panel and interior item customized to its owner’s desire. For $340,000.

As for hot rods’ relation to American culture, the link is quite strong. Nearly all hot rods are American and almost always rear-wheel-drive. In our culture, quarter-mile times make the man. Enthusiasts who spend as much time in the present as the past also pay close attention to modern-day production cars like the new Mustang, and the upcoming 2009 Chevy Camaro and Dodge Challenger are currently headline news.

Of course, no rule ever said it had to be a car, per se. Muscular + American seems to add up to enough; Jeep’s Grand Cherokee SRT-8 seems to be a hot commodity, no doubt due to the street cred of its 425-horsepower modern-day Hemi V8. Even the new Chevy Tahoe gets attention. If hot rods are to be defined as speed on the cheap, count on it being a part of our culture as long as Planet Earth has fuel.

Dodge muscle cars were winners at America’s dragstrips well before they took their place among the country’s fastest and wildest street-going supercars.

 Chrysler’s excitement division was a force in the Super Stock drag wars of the early 1960s, and the company’s advertisements of the time bragged of the exploits of its factory-sponsored Ramchargers team. The source of these bragging rights was a lineup of remarkably powerful engines. For 1960, Dodge’s hot D500 option could be teamed with 361- or 383-cid V-8s crowned with an outrageous ram induction intake manifold that balanced dual four-barrel carburetors outboard of the valve covers. Even hotter were the race-ready 1962 “Max Wedge” dual-quad 413s at 410 bhp, and the 1963 and 1964 426-cid wedges at 425 bhp.

 But Dodge is better known for its role in bringing Chrysler’s incredible 426 Hemi V-8 to the masses. The Hemi was introduced as a racing engine in 1964. A street version followed in 1966 and helped put Dodge’s new Charger and Coronet on the muscle map. As hyped as it was, the Hemi was by no means the full Dodge muscle car story in the late ’60s.

 Its hot-car offerings expanded quickly to include the 440-cid V-8-powered 1967 Coronet R/T and Charger R/T midsize cars. Dodge had dabbled in the compact-muscle market with trim Dart, which boasted a 235-bhp, 273-cid V-8 GT version as early as 1965.

Dodge’s hottest small-block V-8, a 340-cid mill underrated at 275 bhp, was introduced in the Dart GTS for 1968. By then, Dodge’s mainstay 335-bhp 383-cid V-8 was available in the Dart, and some enterprising hot rodders — both inside and outside the factory ranks — were even fitting the compacts with 440 and Hemi power.

 Dodge showrooms in 1968 also included the low-price, high profile Coronet-based Super Bee, the division’s answer to the Plymouth Road Runner. But the glamour boy of the lineup was the newly restyled Charger. Its “coke-bottle” styling won raves from press and public and reached an extreme in the 1969 Charger Daytona, with its long nose and sky-high rear wing needed to qualify the setup for NASCAR racing.

 Dodge finally joined the pony car ranks for 1970 with the Dodge Challenger. This handsome coupe and convertible got the full muscle-car treatment. It was offered with every performance engine in the corporate arsenal: 340 four-barrel, 340 Six Pack (three two-barrel carbs), 383 Magnum, 440 Magnum, 440 Six Pack, and 426 Hemi V-8s. A full palette of bright colors, bold stripes, hood scoops, and tail spoilers helped advertised Challenger’s performance potential.

The Hemi lasted through 1971, by which time toughening emissions laws and rising insurance rates were killing off every American automaker’s high-compression performance engines. Fast Dodges were available for a few more years, but when the Challenger was put to rest in 1974, Dodge performance went into a slumber that wouldn’t be lifted until 1992. That’s when the Viper signaled a reawakening of Dodge’s muscle car spirit, a reawakening that would lead eventually to the resurrection of the Challenger itself.

Ford was the first of the Big Three American car makers to introduce a car that would bring them back to a time when they were one of the leaders in the automotive world. Chrysler has announced that they plan to be the next and GM has unveiled plans for a retro vehicle as well. Ford had initially done this retro thing via the Ford Thunderbird but that was not considered a “muscle car” back in the muscle car era. Chrysler has brought back the Charger name but it looks nothing like the Dodge Charger of the late 60’s and early 70’s. GM brought back the GTO name but once again, it looked nothing like the previous GTO’s.

Ford was the first to bring a car back that actually looks like a past model in the Mustang. The new Mustangs resemble a pervious Mustang from the muscle car era. Chrysler followed suit with their announcement of bringing back the Challenger, which in my opinion looks more like the Challenger than the Mustang does. Not wanting to be left out, GM has announced they plan to bring back the Camaro. Their Camaro very much resembles the 69 Camaro which was and still is a very popular body style amongst Camaro enthusiasts. I still think the Challenger most resembles its intended target.

Ford has done a decent job pricing their Mustang. You can get a nicely equipped Mustang GT hardtop for right around $30,000. This is reasonably priced in today’s market. The other two have not gotten theirs to the showroom yet so there is no way to know about pricing but they face a challenge that Ford does not have. Chrysler has the Viper and the Ram SRT-10 that also qualify in the performance market. They cannot price the Challenger too closely to those models because people would probably spend the extra money for the higher performance of the ten cylinder vehicles. GM is faced with a similar dilemma because of the Corvette. The Corvette was just restyled and is even higher performing compared to the previous model. Their Z06 model now boasts an impressive 505 HP. All the reviews I have read on the new model rave about this car. Clearly GM needs to price the new Camaro properly when and if they actually do produce it. The name will not be enough to sell it for a long period of time. Once the initial excitement dies down it will be a flop if not priced directly.

What is interesting to me is now that the Big Three are losing market share and business is clearly not what it once was they are not only changing many of their vehicles but they are attempting to get back into their glory days. For example, Ford did away with their very popular Taurus model and replaced it with the Ford 500. Chrysler introduced a whole new styling within the last couple of years. GM is now coming out with cars that more resemble the Toyota car models. There are some people that are big into muscle cars and the new Mustang, Challenger, and Camaros have come up in some conversations. None of them have said they would even consider the $30,000 or more price tag that these cars will have once they hit the showroom floors. For $30,000 someone could buy a Camry, or the Maxima. The Maxima is a very high performing vehicle that also comes with the added reliability.