Archive for February, 2009

Looking for a New Car Loan? Then Look Beyond the Car Yard!

Last weekend I was out looking to buy a new car – a Holden Calais 60th anniversary edition in fact. I had been to a few dealerships and finally made a decision to buy. The salesman asked whether I had pre-arranged a new car loan. I hadn’t done so and as a result I was ushered into the office and bombarded with a whole heap of numbers relating to a proposed new car loan. What I couldn’t understand was how instead of telling me an interest rate the dealer focused on the monthly installment and making sure I was happy with that. He juggled around with the residual value so that the new car loan amount was reduced when I indicated that I would struggle with the new car loan payments he first calculated. It’s funny how when you are considering a new car loan all you want is..to take delivery!! You don’t often take the time to run the numbers and actually establish just what interest you are paying. I decided to contact my mortgage broker – he had looked after me when I had recently applied for a cheap home loan and at the time had said he could also help with a new car loan if I was ever in the market. I am always astounded at the level of knowledge of my mortgage broker. He has his finger on the pulse – not just with mortgage finance but also with new car finance. He knows who is in the market, what their terms and conditions are, who is offering the best rate… why a new car loan with Lender A might be better than a new car loan with Lender B even though the monthly installment due with Lender B is lower than the new car loan repayment with Lender A. What really surprised me was threat my mortgage broker was also able to source me the identical car at a lower price. It seems that some mortgage brokers and lease brokers have arrangements in place with car dealerships whereby they can get the car cheaper. This is apparently because car dealerships often have a bonus structure operating and if a certain volume of cars are sold within a month then the bonus kicks in from the manufacturer. If say a car dealer needs to sell 30 cars in the month and coming in to the end of that month he is sitting at 28 cars then the bonus amount he will lose if he does not reach his volume target will be significantly higher than the amount by which he could discount the sale price to you. This guy is not worrying about the new car loan he just wants to ensure the target is reached. He’ll worry about the new car loan once he has secured the deal with you. As a random buyer you are not aware of these statistics but where a mortgage broker or lease broker deals with new car finance they will often know where the car dealership’s sales are at and whether the timing might be right to negotiate a good deal. I ended up a very happy chappie because I obtained a new car at a lower price with a new car loan that really suited me well.

Last weekend I was out looking to buy a new car – a Holden Calais 60th anniversary edition in fact. I had been to a few dealerships and finally made a decision to buy. The salesman asked whether I had pre-arranged a new car loan. I hadn’t done so and as a result I was ushered into the office and bombarded with a whole heap of numbers relating to a proposed new car loan. What I couldn’t understand was how instead of telling me an interest rate the dealer focused on the monthly installment and making sure I was happy with that. He juggled around with the residual value so that the new car loan amount was reduced when I indicated that I would struggle with the new car loan payments he first calculated. It’s funny how when you are considering a new car loan all you want is..to take delivery!! You don’t often take the time to run the numbers and actually establish just what interest you are paying. I decided to contact my mortgage broker – he had looked after me when I had recently applied for a cheap home loan and at the time had said he could also help with a new car loan if I was ever in the market. I am always astounded at the level of knowledge of my mortgage broker. He has his finger on the pulse – not just with mortgage finance but also with new car finance. He knows who is in the market, what their terms and conditions are, who is offering the best rate… why a new car loan with Lender A might be better than a new car loan with Lender B even though the monthly installment due with Lender B is lower than the new car loan repayment with Lender A. What really surprised me was threat my mortgage broker was also able to source me the identical car at a lower price. It seems that some mortgage brokers and lease brokers have arrangements in place with car dealerships whereby they can get the car cheaper. This is apparently because car dealerships often have a bonus structure operating and if a certain volume of cars are sold within a month then the bonus kicks in from the manufacturer. If say a car dealer needs to sell 30 cars in the month and coming in to the end of that month he is sitting at 28 cars then the bonus amount he will lose if he does not reach his volume target will be significantly higher than the amount by which he could discount the sale price to you. This guy is not worrying about the new car loan he just wants to ensure the target is reached. He’ll worry about the new car loan once he has secured the deal with you. As a random buyer you are not aware of these statistics but where a mortgage broker or lease broker deals with new car finance they will often know where the car dealership’s sales are at and whether the timing might be right to negotiate a good deal. I ended up a very happy chappie because I obtained a new car at a lower price with a new car loan that really suited me well.

Mark Bona is the managing director of My Choice Finance, the company is a mortgage broker offering new car finance and new car loan.

Car Rental & the Environment

With the environment such a hot topic around the world and especially in the transport industry, there are companies that are embracing new environmentally friendly technology. Hybrid Cars and ever increasingly fuel efficient diesel cars are becoming more available to mainstream motorists. I used to work for a corporate travel company and many of the major corporations were requesting the inclusion of Hybrid cars in their contracts. This was more to do with increasing business opportunities by being seen to be green as opposed to wanting to be green!

The question arises when people travel and want to maintain their commitment to the green cause. Car Rental companies will be the ones providing these vehicles… or will they?

I have chosen (for the Australia traveller) major car companies that you can book ‘green cars’ with. Working for DriveAway Holidays here in Australia, the most common request is for diesel cars. This is driven out of cost concerns and also the occasional environmental concern. (Shouldn’t it be the other way around??)

First off the rank is Avis Rental Cars.

In Australia, the group L car will give you a Toyota Hybrid. This car is the favorite for the car rental companies due to it being built by Toyota.

In the UK, there doesn’t appear to be any green cars, although there may be diesel cars on fleet, Avis don’t make them easy to find.

In the USA, like Australia, the Toyota Hybrid under group XG is available.

Second off the cab rank is Hertz Rental Cars.

In Australia, like Avis, the Toyota Hybrid is the car of choice. Book a group G and you will get this car.

In the UK, Hertz has a range of fuel efficient diesels on fleet but no hybrids. This seems to be a common factor in the UK. Being an expat, I know that Toyota car prices in the UK are reasonably expensive compared to other european manufactured vehicles

In the USA, Hertz has a range of Hybrids, although on some of the cars, I couldn’t tell if they were Hybrid or not.

Now, all credit to Hertz as they do promote their green cars as part of their Green Fleet. Avis don’t appear to market their green cars in any way, which is a shame.

Third on the cab rank is Europcar Rental Cars.

Again, unlike Hertz, they appear not to promote their green fleet. Looking at their Australia Fleet guide, they have the regular passenger vehicles such as Small, Medium, Large, Prestige, Minivans, Sport, 4WD. Europcar list the green car as part of there regular fleet, however, it does have it’s unique identifier (IHAR) in Australia.

In the UK, Europcar doesn’t appear to have any green offerings. Maybe it’s something you can request at pick up. Personally, if I could book a green car over the internet, I would do so with a company that offered that service.

In the USA, I chose LAX as Europcar have a limited presence. There were no cars I could find that looked green.

To Europcar’s defence, in other parts of Europe where they are particularly strong, one is able to guarantee a diesel for an extra few euros per day.

In this brief look, Hertz appears to be the only car rental company that is actively promoting green cars. Avis & Europcar seem to be a bit hap hazard in their approach to a green fleet. Whilst it may be a case of logistics and a supply issue, there is no reason why they couldn’t promote their green cars.
I am sure that in 12 months time, the situation will be that every car rental company will be actively marketing green cars. The consumer can currently offset their CO2 emissions in the various transport sectors and I am sure that the car rental industry will follow suit in the near future.

The Environment is a marketers dream and I do think that some of the car rental companies have missed the boat so far. Hopefully their marketing departments will wake up and smell the cleaner air..

Bmw — All Car History Volume 16

BMW is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of quality cars and motorbikes and is the parent company of the MINI and Rolls-Royce car brands. The acronym BMW stands for “Bayerische Motoren Werke” – or “Bavarian Motor Works” in English.

BMW models are categorised based on what “Series” the car model is, for example, the 3 Series. BMW has a long history in motor racing, having been involved in motorsport since the creation of the first BMW motorcycle.

 

BMW HISTORY

BMW was founded in 1913 to make aircraft engines, shifting to motorbike production in 1923 and cars in 1929. Its factories were damaged during WWII and machine tools were confiscated by the Allies. BMW gradually recovered and in 1967 bought company Hans Glas GmbH, one of whose plants was to become the largest BMW factory.

BMW bought the Rover Group in 1994, selling MG, Rover & Land Rover in 2000 but retaining the rights to build the new MINI, launched in 2001.

 

BMW FACTS

Type: Public company Founded: 1913 Headquarters: Munich, Germany Key People: Dr. Norbert Reithofer, Chairman Industry: Automotive Products: Automobiles, Motorcycles Subsidiaries: MINI, Rolls-Royce

 

FEATURED MODELS

BMW 3 SERIES - a compact executive car made since 1975, the BMW 3 Series has been produced over five different generations and many different bodystyles. It is BMW’s best selling car BMW 5 SERIES – a mid-size luxury car made since 1972, the BMW 5 Series is now in its fifth generation and is made in both saloon and touring body styles BMW M3 - a high performance version of the compact BMW 3-Series BMW M5 – a high-performance version of the BMW 5-Series made by BMW Motorsport BMW X3 - a compact luxury SUV advertised by BMW as an SAV, or ‘Sport Activity Vehicle’ based on the BMW 3-Series platform BMW X5 - a mid-sized luxury SUV sold by BMW since 1999, featuring four-wheel

 

DID YOU KNOW?

In 1956, the BMW 507 sports car was introduced but only a total of 252 were built. Most of the work was carried out by hand and the cars were individually customised to meet each buyer’s wishes The BMW Z3 was introduced in 1996 shortly after being featured in the James Bond film “GoldenEye” In the 1990s BMW returned to making aircraft engines in a joint venture with Rolls Royce PLC In 1992, BMW outsold Mercedes for the first time in Europe In 2001, BMW introduced a BMW Films website, showing its sporty models being driven to extremes, but took the website offline in October 2005. The short films were directed by the likes of Guy Ritchie

 

 

 

 

Enzo Ferrari The Ultimate Supercar

It goes without saying that almost everyone knows what a Ferrari is. It’s red, it’s fast and it’s certainly a luxury not everyone can have. Every kid, boys and girls, wants to grow up to own a Ferrari. Many man work and toil just to save up enough money to get them a decent Ferrari. But how it all did started?

The founder for Ferrari is Enzo Ferrari. Born on the 18th February 1898 in Modena, Italy, Ezno did not have a very formal education because he was not particularly interested in his studies. He was very determined in racing cars. He took up racing when he was 19 but did not have huge success.

He then left the tracks and secured a job at Alfa Romeo. He took the job as a car racer with them and found bigger success than he did previously. After racing for Alfa Romeo for more or less 20 years, he left the company to set up his own company, the Auto-Avio Construzini to subsequently build his own racing cars under his own name, Ferrari. The rest as they say is history.

The Enzo Ferrari was the Ferrari that was named exactly after its owner. This Ferrari was built in the year 2003 and it was built using some of the Formula 1 technologies. These technologies include F1-style carbon-ceramic brake discs, carbon-fiber body, and sequential shift transmission. To build a car with the best performance, the designers of this Enzo Ferrari also went as far as to use banned Formula 1 technology which is the active and integrated aerodynamics.

The Enzo Ferrari has the largest engine as compared with the other Ferraris. Despite that fact, the Enzio Ferrari was made with inspirations from the racing tracks. With this reason, the frame of Enzio Ferrari was made out of carbon fiber and aluminum honeycomb panels.

This frame will then form a rigid tub for the Enzo Ferrari. In the middle of the frame is where the new large engine F140 is at. The all new F140 is actually a twelve cylinder engine. This particularly large engine is attached to the alloy sub-frame at two points. The purpose of this design is to prevent the vibrations from escaping into the passenger compartment.

As mentioned about the inspirations from the Formula 1, this Enzo Ferrari uses an electro hydraulic system that automatically activates the clutch and the gear changes. This is actually a semi-automatic gearbox and it helps the driver of the Enzo Ferrari to change their gears in 150 milliseconds. The driver may also achieve gear changes in 90 milliseconds if he is driving the Enzo Ferrari in sport mode.

The uniqueness of this Enzo Ferrari also lies with the embedded electronic system that they used on the sport car. These embedded electronic systems are included to ensure the comfort of the driver while driving the Enzo Ferrari. The designers included a central computer that can synchronize the engine, the suspension, and the transmissions. Inside the Enzo Ferrari, the designers also included the aerodynamic subsystem to optimize the performance and also the wellbeing of the driver.

Like the founder of the Ferrari, the Enzo Ferrari is truly a unique car of its own. There are those that are similar but they can never compete with the quality and the performance of the Enzo Ferrari. It is no wonder why people still want to own a Ferrari to this day.

The ultimate supercar the Ferrari Enzo. View hot Ferrari Pictures and more.

Cars For Sale ? Repossessed Used Cars ? Collection Of New And Used Japanese Cars

Repossessed Used Cars:

Every day thousands of Americans fail to abide by certain law or default on their car payments, which in turn cause the law enforcement agencies to seize and repossess their cars and other properties. Most of these used cars for sale/properties are repossessed from individuals or institutions with large amounts of debt and bank loans with they are unable or refuse to pay, the cars and property may also be repossessed from criminals or individuals involved in tax evasion. For this reason cars seized in these kinds of situations are quickly auctioned on non-profit basis to enable the banks and financial institutions cover losses and to minimize the cost of storage and maintenance.

Collection of new and used Japanese cars for sale:

Once these cars are repossessed by either the banks, police, IRS, customs, DEA, lending institutions etc, they are the brought together in a car auction this is usually a huge collection of all kinds of vehicles including used and new Japanese cars. These cars are then sold at highly discounted prices of up to 95% off, all this cars have clean records, low miles and in perfect condition. These is therefore a closely guarded recourse only used by car dealerships, realtors and exporters to buy and sell cars and homes due to the highly discounted prices and great car deals offered.

Car models at auction for sale:

Some of the car models at the auction are: Suzuki, GMC, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota, Honda, Mercury, Volkswagen, HUMMER, MINI, Volvo, Hyundai, Mitsubishi, Ferrari, Land Rover, Saab, Chrysler, Lexus, Saturn, Dodge, Lincoln, Subaru, Ford, Mazda, Acura, Infiniti, Nissan, Audi, Isuzu, Oldsmobile, BMW, Jaguar, Plymouth, Buick, Jeep, Pontiac, Cadillac, Kia, Porsche, Chevrolet, and many other models direct from Japan.

Largest variety collection of new and used Japanese cars for sale:

If you need to buy a car or would like to start a car dealership you are now in the right place, here you will be able to join Best car deals blog you will get instant access to one of the largest and the best automobile/homes auction that will save you a lot of money due to great discounts and very good irresistible deals. This is simply the perfect way for any individual be it a car dealer a realtor an exporter or even a student to get the best discounts possible.

Used cars auto auction:

Once you become a member of the auction you will get instant access to thousands of repossessed new and used cars for sale including luxury homes and other seized property, you will also get an opportunity to shop at local and online auctions all over the U.S (every U.S State). You can now become that lucky buyer and drive away with the car or home of your dreams since the site has implemented an awesome system for its members to utilize. The repossessed cars are kept in a warehouse, the homes repossessed and auctioned off in a hurry. These auctions sometimes have a few people attending and therefore the repossessed cars are sold at discounted prices.

Benefits of joining automobile auction networks:

Most people have a mentality that used cars are always in bad shape, once you become a member you will be surprised to find out that some of the repossessed cars are in brand new condition with their warranty still on them and you can also get background information of any vehicle you wish to buy, the auto auction will provide you with detailed information of any property to intend to buy plus money back guarantee incase of defaults.

Repossessed property auctions offer multiple benefits among buyers because they are being offered at low starting price and this makes it possible for you to save big money. Buyers can expect a wide range of vehicles to choose from and the quality of any vehicle is not compromised by the price. It is possible for you to find the car you have always wanted including rare models available at a price you can easily afford.

Cars for sale auction will offer you quality cars in a lot of ways, There are no pieces of junk, you will be amazed at how unbelievably good and well maintained these cars are being sold at a price that even teens can afford.

You also get full access to easy online bidding, seized car listings, dealer car auctions, bank repo vehicles, police repo vehicles, other government auctions, browse online listings or buy offline, From basic to luxury cars for sale and homes and save thousands of dollars.

In the past, only car dealers and realtors with special licenses could access these auctions, but now because of the internet, things have changed, big business has saturated the market in turn making it impossible for many of these repossessed cars and homes auction centers to get the word out. These auction centers and online Auctions need you to attend and buy because of the enormous expense to store these thousands of vehicles and homes. This is the absolute best way of attaining the car or home of your dreams for a fraction of what it would cost you otherwise. Visit best car deals blog now and become a member for you to benefit on this great discounts. (cars for sale 2009).

FOR THE BEST DEALS ON CARS VISIT: http://bestcardealers.blogspot.com

Racing Series for Ferrari Owners

If you bought a Ferrari, you likely made that purchase for investment reasons, you tell yourself. And that is likely true, but what is also true is that you bought it because you love to drive a sports car fast, it cannot be denied. If this describes your relationship to your Ferrari, and if you have had some race training and experience, then you might be ready to participate in the North American Ferrari Challenge Series for non-professional racers who are Ferrari owners competing in racing Ferrari cars against each other.

Ferrari selects a different model vehicle to feature each year of the Ferrari series. For this year, F430 Challenge with a booming 479 hp is the car of choice. The rules stipulate that the drivers compete for fun and in a sense of “fair play.” It is not a jumping-off point for the aspiring race car driver; instead, it is an end unto itself. The Ferrari Challenge Series is sanctioned by the Grand American Road Racing Association.

The series will also be host to the Ferrari Shell Historic Challenge. Vintage Ferrari racing is the hook that draws avid fans to the track to see these lovely vehicles. These races are open to unmodified Ferraris as well as race Maseratis built before the 1980s. They are also open to vintage Alfa Romeos that team Scuderia Ferrari raced during the pre-World War II years.

Several of the races in the series will also showcase Formula One vehicles under private ownership and the FXX, a special 800 horsepower prototype. On the same weekends of the Challenge series, Ferrari owners can participate in Ferrari Driving Clinics. Expert instruction is available to help you get the most out of your sports car, and you will spend time in workshops along with time behind the wheel of your Ferrari, with instructors providing tips to help improve your skills and get the most out of your vehicle.

These Challenge races for Ferrari owners are held all over North America. Florida, Virginia, California, and Montreal will provide race tracks that will host the events. They included the Homestead-Miami Speedway, the Infineon Raceway, the Virginia International Raceway, and Le Circuit earlier this season. Upcoming races will be held at the California Speedway and Laguna Seca in August. The Challenge series culminates in a World Finals, to be held in Italy in October. The best owners from Italy, Europe and North America bring their Ferraris together to compete for the glory of becoming the overall champion of all the series.

The North American Ferrari Challenge Series is open to the public, and they are allowed to visit the paddock area to look at all of the assembled Ferraris and take pictures.

Jonathon Blocker is a Ferrari aficionado who is intimate with the history and variety of Ferrari cars. Mr. Blocker writes articles sharing his expertise on the Ferrari family, both new and collectible.

A Guide To Basic Car Maintenance

Contrary to popular belief, a good car maintenance routine does not start and end with biweekly visits to the car wash and a trip to Jiffy Lube every 3,000 miles or so. Instead, you should have a more hands on approach to basic car maintenance. You should regularly monitor everything from fluid levels to belts and hoses, basic car maintenance kind of stuff that you can easily do on your own without having to pay a mechanic a lot of money.


Did you know that you should check your oil every single time you fill up your gas tank? Not many people do, and instead opt to only have their mechanic perform this very basic car maintenance every few thousand miles. The reason why it is so crucial to do so frequently is because of how important a proper oil level is to the smooth operation of your vehicle. If the oil is too low or too dirty, the performance of your car will suffer. Basic car maintenance really revolves around oil inspection.


Another part of basic car maintenance is keeping your windshield wipers and fluid in tip top condition. Some windshield washer fluids go a little further than average car maintenance requires, dissipating a chemical that help the wipers work more effectively by dispersing water.


It costs about the same as regular windshield washer fluid, so you should definitely look into getting some the next time you find yourself in need. Also, you want to make sure that you never put plain water in the windshield washer reservoir, as it would be counterproductive to the keeping up the overall car maintenance. Unlike water, the fluid is specially formulated not to freeze and crack the plastic reservoir when it gets cold outside.


Replacing windshield wiper blades are one of the easiest components of basic car maintenance, from start to finish the whole job should take you less than 10 minutes. This should be done at least once a year, as old windshield wiper blades tend to get brittle and cracked, which can then scratch your windshield when in use.


Keeping the proper tire pressure is also a relatively easy, yet very important, part of basic car maintenance. When your tires are properly inflated, you get much better gas mileage, and the likelihood of blowing out a tire while driving is decreased. So, always keep a pressure gauge in your vehicle!

For more tips and information on car maintenance, please visit our website.