honda odyssey 2011: October 2009

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Alphard 2009

Alphard 2009 Pictures....................................

By:Bintang

Monday, October 26, 2009

Honda CR-Z Hybrid Sports Coupe

Staying in line with the ever popular green movement, Honda introduces its first ever hybrid sports coupe concept slated to hit stores late 2010. With photos and press just starting to hit the Internet this car looks to be the first vehicle available in the American market with the soul of a sports car and the carbon footprint of a prius! Honda has been long known for its technological innovations and extreme quality and this new design is no exception. You don't have to take my word for it though. Honda recently added a CR-Z page to its website in anticipation of this years later release. "Premiering at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show, the latest CR-Z concept provided a glimpse at Honda's first sporty hybrid coupe, which will be formally unveiled in production form at Detroit's North American International Auto Show in January 2010. The 2-seat CR-Z combines futuristic styling, driving enjoyment and the latest in Honda hybrid technology. As striking as the car's sleek lines are, it's the environmental performance under the hood that sets it apart. Due to hit the streets in the second half of 2010, the CR-Z is that place in the universe where sport and efficiency meet." If the production model looks anything like these photos we all have something to be really excited about! Finally a vehicle that gear heads and the environmentally conscious can both love. Most importantly though, as a dealer, we are looking for your feedback. Do you think there is a place in the market for a hybrid sports car? With so many choices available to todays consumer and more and more hybrid models becoming available is this something that the sports car minded customer may consider when making a new vehicle purchase? As always, we look forward to your feedback!

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Ferrari 2009

Ferrari 2009 Pictures

By:Bintang

Sport Car Rental

If you've always wanted to drive an exotic car then have you ever considered sport car rental? This is a service that lets you take your pick of some of the hottest cars available, helping you to enjoy sitting at the wheel whether you're at home or on holiday.

The great news is that there are a number of rental companies across the country offering the very service you're after. If you don't have much money then you could choose a company that offers daily rental deals, allowing you to take an exciting trip in style. Or, you could use this kind of service for that extra special vacation. Just about everyone will notice your vehicle and you'll fell like king for a day!

The best place to find your rental car is the internet. Not all rental services will offer these vehicles, so search according to the specific sports vehicle you are after. If you take time to do this ahead of the time you'll need the car, then you could also be in for some great savings. And, since sports cars are inevitably more expensive than standard vehicles, this could be a welcome surprise.

Choosing sport car rental means you'll be driving in luxury - but this luxury will come at a cost. Whilst this will cost a lot more than standard rental, it'll also give you a feeling that you'll just never forget. On top of that, choosing the right rental company means you'll get a service that goes out of their way to make sure you're happy.

Source : http://ezinearticles.com/?Sport-Car-Rental&id=2753324

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

BMW - The Best and Worst Car Models For 2009

BMW is synonymous with status, especially in for those Yuppie people still around.

BMW vehicles are widely known for their resale value and performance but when it comes to the company's environmental commitment, offering one hybrid in the US and only recycling at their factories is not enough. They need to go a little further and start offering more hybrids in the US.

The BMW website is also the most confusing of all vehicle manufacturer websites and we found it quite hard to even find out what their environmental commitment is. In any event, we looked at their SUV line-up for 2009 and picked the best and worst models.

2009 BMW X5 - The Best

This all-wheel drive SUV model offered by BMW scored an almost perfect 10 with consumers.

With three models, two of which have a 3.0 liter, 6 cylinder engine and one with a 4.8 liter, 8 cylinder engine, this SUV boasts 16 to 21 miles per gallon fuel efficiency depending on model. With a hefty price tag at $47,500 to $56,200, it's what BMW people expect to pay for a quality BMW SUV.

In 2009 this model is also offered with a diesel engine. Customers say this vehicle is "rewarding to drive," and towing capacity is 6,000 pounds no matter what size engine option you choose. There is almost no wind noise and seat comfort is great, except the third seat, which customers say is basically useless. The limits of that third seat don't seem to bother BMW lovers and the interior is delicious and includes a back-up camera and rear-seat entertainment.

As BMW fans will tell you, this manufacturer does know how to put together a vehicle.

2009 BMW X3 - The Worst

This all-wheel drive SUV comes in one model, the xDrive30i and has a 3.0 liter, 6 cylinder engine and a 19 miles per gallon fuel efficiency. BMW fans say this vehicle falls short on the interior and is hardly more versatile than their 3 Series sedan, especially for carrying people and cargo. The ride of the BMW X3 is considered to be stiff and there are way too many buttons on the dash making the audio and HVAC systems a little confusing. For an SUV, it doesn't boast much capacity either.

Summing Up BMW

BMW is more interested in what their customers want than what the environment wants and only offer one hybrid, the BMW 5 Series sedan that if equipped with all you want is a hefty $60,000.

But as we said, BMW is more of a status vehicle and if you want to own one, be prepared to pay for that status and luxury. They are well made vehicles, but when choosing the BMW that is right for you, don't forget to purchase a BMW extended warranty to help with resale and trade-in value as well as the expensive repairs needed once the manufacturer's warranty runs out.

Source : http://ezinearticles.com/?BMW---The-Best-and-Worst-Car-Models-For-2009&id=1983971

2009 Honda S2000 Road Test - A True Sports Car For the Driving Purist

The best definition of a real sports car came from the late John Timanus, a successful racer in the '50s and '60s and long-time technical director of the Sports Car Club of America: "A sports car is a four-wheeled motorcycle." That's the Honda S2000.

As with a motorcycle, a real sports car makes the driver feel as if he is the car: Superman, cape flapping in the breeze. Like a motorcycle, a real sports car needs a skilled pilot for top performance. A real sports car is light: The S2000's curb weight is almost 900 pounds less than that of a Sprint Cup racer. A real sports car has a manual transmission. A convertible top, while not crucial, earns extra points. A real sports car doesn't necessarily have the most horsepower: A well-driven real sports car can be quicker up a mountain road than a pretender driven by one who believes bigger and more makes up for ineptness. The S2000 exceeds all the expectations of a real sports car. And one more: A real sports car allows you to imagine you're driving a real racecar.

Long ago, I tested Comptech Racing's Reynard 95I-Honda Indy car. Driving the 2009 S2000 put me back in that carbon-fiber tub. The S2000's digital dash is a near copy of that racer's. The driver's compartment of an S2000 is tight. You needn't be as short or trim as an Indy car driver, though the big of butt will find the S2000 cramped. Like an Indy car, an S2000 requires skilled foot coordination to get it in motion from rest. Stalls are inevitable.

Like an Indy car, the S2000's 237-horsepower 2.2-liter four-cylinder engine doesn't make a lot of torque at low engine speeds and doesn't reach its peak of 162 pound-feet until 6,800 rpm. Once either the Indy car or the S2000 smells the sweet spot of the torque band, their engines begin revving like crazy. At maximum acceleration, there's little point in putting your right hand back on the steering wheel between shifts of the S2000's six-speed transmission.

On dry public roads, it's difficult to get the S2000's sticky Bridgestone Potenza RE050s anywhere close to their limit. But a light rain prompted me to relive my Indy car experience. Like a knucklehead, I switched off the S2000's stability control and launched from a stop at an assertive 4,000 rpm. There was only a hint of wheelspin as the digital lines of the tachometer raced across the top of the dash. As the tach line turned red I pulled back on the precise, short-throw shifter without lifting fully off the gas. The rear tires lit up exactly like those on the Reynard-Honda when I was rough on the throttle. Fortunately, the S2000's Torsen limited-slip differential helped prevent the rear from stepping out.

I repeated this on the two-three upshift and was rewarded with a bit more wheelspin. The S2000 then told me the same thing as the CART car: "Be more gentle or you're going to make a fool of yourself." Having matured slightly over 14 years, I figured I didn't need to run the S2000 to the redline in third. In the rain. On a public road. Instead, I entered the upcoming off-camber left-hander a hair faster than was prudent. Okay, fast enough to earn chrome wrist jewelry from the police, and was rewarded by a slight and easily catchable tail slide. When the rear settled down, it required every bit of my scarce willpower to keep from going back to wide-open throttle. Old habits die hard.

The first edition of the S2000 appeared in 1999 as a 2000 model. Its 2.0-liter engine suffered from an overly high torque peak. To get maximum drag-race-style acceleration required a drag-car style launch. The driver held the gas and clutch pedals to the floor and, with the engine bouncing against its 9,000-rpm rev limiter, sidestepped the clutch. That early S2000 would then spin its tires about a rotation and a half until the engine bogged below the torque peak. Then it came to life. It wasn't easy on the equipment, but to quote the philosopher Tina Turner, we never ever do nothing nice and easy...we always do it nice and rough. With the new 2.2-liter engine, a best-time launch is accomplished at a more reasonable 4,500 rpm or so.

The S2000 is a spectacular-and real-sports car that would have been a cult legend had it appeared in 1969 or 1979 or even 1989. Unfortunately for it, the S2000 debuted when we were infatuated with three-ton station wagon (also known as SUVs). Still, this is a real sports car.

Source : http://ezinearticles.com/?2009-Honda-S2000-Road-Test---A-True-Sports-Car-For-the-Driving-Purist&id=2589352

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Car Review - 2009 Audi TT

When I think of German engineers I always get a picture in my head of a group of stuffy, lab coat wearing, clipboard holding, over-analytical nerds. Regardless of the fact of if this is true or not, I love your cars. So with this in mind, this time I will be driving a vehicle that has been an icon for over 10 years. Today, it's the Audi TT.

Now, I absolutely love Audi, therefore being able to drive the TT is an absolute treat to me. First off, let's take a look as the design. Although it doesn't look terribly different as you can imagine, there are some slight changes, such as the bi-xenon headlights with Audi's trademark LED daytime running lights (which are useless, but looks awesome), and larger air intakes in the front. Wider door sills and an a aggressive rear bumper incorporates the two twin exhaust outlets in the back.

The interior is well, small. I mean Audi added two seats for the back but there's no way anyone can fit properly back there unless they didn't have legs. As for the front, there is plenty of room..... for your legs. As for the rest, it comes with a nice aluminum trim, sturdy but soft leather seats, and a overall modern looking design. All of the controls are within your reach and easy to operate, except the navigation system, which I had a bit of a problem with. However, it comes with Audi's Multi-Media Interface (MMI) which gives you in display audio controls, and adds several steps to simple tasks like changing the radio station. MMI might appeal to the geeks of the world, but using buttons works better in the long run. The we have the steering wheel, which if you notice is flat on the bottom. The reason for this is without it, it would be extremely difficult to get in and out due to the tight fit.

Under the hood, the one I'm driving today comes with the 3.2-liter V6 engine that outputs 250hp and 236 ft.-lb. of torque. Fuel economy starts at 17-mpg city and 24-mpg, which isn't that bad actually. Other versions that are available is the 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine which outputs 200hp and 207 ft.-lb. of torque, and the top of the line TTS which has a slightly more tuned V6 engine which gives you 265hp. It also comes with Audi's variable adaptive suspension keeps the front-wheel-drive TT on the road.

Now, let's talk about how this handles when being drove. In the city is wonderful. The sport suspension is stiff, but not overdone to the point where your ass will feel like you went through a round of boxing with Danny Jacobs. It's also is very quiet surprisingly and able to accelerate well when needed. Onto the highway it takes off very nicely. Although not incredibly fast, it accelerates more than well enough to leave the people trying to follow you. Plus the sound from that 3.2-liter V6 engine is just fantastic. Now, the U.S. has a governor on these vehicles which limit them to 130mph. Although I didn't get that fast, I got close enough to start making people think I was being chased by the cops (about 120mph). Pulling off the highway and onto the country roads, it handles well under high speeds around corners. It must come with the fact when Audi designed this vehicle, they made it so it's very well balanced in the front and the rear. Along with Audi's adaptive suspension it just excellent anywhere you go.

So, overall I'll have to give this car a thumbs up in my book. However, if I were to say what my main disappointment is, it's the engine. I was expecting a little more from Audi's superior engines, especially from a V6. Why couldn't they turbocharged that decently and give it a good 300hp, along with the TTS having even more?

The one I drove today has a price tag of $37,200, but the lineup of the Audi TT's come between $35,200 - $46,540. My opinion, get one because it's a lot of fun to drive.

Source : http://ezinearticles.com/?Car-Review---2009-Audi-TT&id=3062447

Car Review - 2009 Dodge Challenger SRT8

I'll be honest with you, I'm not really a muscle car fan by any means. So, when I was asked to do a review on the Dodge Challenger SRT8, I wasn't terribly excited as a schoolboy seeing his first porn film. However, when I finally got this vehicle on the road I have to say I am impressed by the power this thing has under the hood.

Like most of the muscle cars today, the Dodge Challenger went with a more retro-style look like the Ford Mustang and the Chevy Camaro did. It's big, heavy and overall not very streamline like I normally like in cars. However we are talking about a muscle car, so things like that don't really matter as much with these. However, from the bold nose to the wonderful bodylines it really looks great. Then you add the graphics, a rear spoiler, and larger wheels and tires it looks even better.

Inside the Challenger has a very sporty and modern look compared to your 1970's editions. It has the gauges in a 4 pod setup and is very easy to read, even for the old geezers who want something to replace their old beat up car from way back when. The stitched leather bucket seats are very comfortable and look great as you can expect. There is even rear seats, but there isn't really a ton of room, and don't expect to be able to get back there from the drivers side because the seat doesn't move to do that.

Under the hood is the 6.1L Hemi V8 that roars out a impressive 425hp and 420lb.ft. torque. It also has a six speed manual transmission and a limited slip differential. All that power, and it still gets 14 mpg in the city and 22 on the highway. Very impressive for a muscle car.

Taking it on the road through the city, I have to admit it's quite comfortable. You barely feel any bumps in the road and the engine is not overly loud by any means. It also has driven in quite a lot of attention from a lot of people, which surprised me quite a bit. One guy even came up to me when I was getting off the cell phone in a parking lot and talked about his old 1974 Dodge Challenger that he still has in his garage at home and how the engine doesn't run in it anymore. Kind of a neat conversation in the middle of a review.

I then proceeded to the highway and that's when I saw what this car can really do! I could not believe how fast this car accelerates and how great the HEMI engine sounds. I didn't want to stop going faster, but ended up doing that when I saw a cop sitting in the median (maybe their reading these reviews now). I then got on the off-ramp and proceeded to the country roads. Overall again it's very comfortable, until I tried cornering at a high speed. I have to say, that is my only complaint. It's got a lot of over-steer going around corners that I thought the back-end would slide out and put me into a ditch. I know muscle cars do have this problem, but you'd think they would have fixed that with the SRT8 model.

So, overall I have to say I like this car a lot. It looks great, has great power and handles overall pretty well. The starting price on 2009 Dodge Challenger SRT8 is $42,645. If you're not looking for something this powerful, they have 5 other models available that has a price range of $22,945 - $34,405 on the SE and R/T models.

Source : http://ezinearticles.com/?Car-Review---2009-Dodge-Challenger-SRT8&id=3062439