Archive for July, 2009

Compare the Costs: Buying a Used Car vs a New Car

Buy new or used?  That’s probably the first question that crosses a potential car buyer’s mind.  When money’s tight and the economy forces everyone to rethink both major and minor decisions, putting money on a significant purchase such as a car should be considered carefully.  If you still cannot decide

You avoid paying for the depreciation
Depreciation is a major issue when buying new cars.  A brand new vehicle will lose a significant percentage of its market value the moment you drive it off the retailer’s lot.  From there, it will continue to lose value for about three years.  For most first-time owners of new cars, the drop in value can be surprising in an unpleasant way.  Try selling a one-year-old car and you’ll see what a huge chunk of value gets shaved off.

If you wish to avoid paying for depreciation, a used car is far better than a new car in this department.  You leave it to the original owner to shoulder depreciation and you get to enjoy the use of the vehicle thereafter.

You can buy excellent cars cheaper than $10,000
Ten thousand dollars will probably buy you a brand new car — a nice, small, compact car that even your kid brother or young son could drive with little effort.  Great if you’re looking for a car this small and if you don’t mind the most basic (read: incomplete) features.  

If you choose to buy used, however, there’s no need to spend thousands of dollars on a purchase.  If budget is a big consideration, then a used car will be a better choice than a new car.  As long as you choose wisely, a new car can give you so much more in terms of savings over its usable years.

You have a choice in terms of brand, make and model
Hundreds of thousands of cars enter the used car market each year.  That should give you a few hundred choices that will fit your needs and whatever specifications you might require.  The number of cars made available through dealerships, auctions and private sellers also give you a wide range of choices in terms of mileage.  It’s even possible you’ll find a low-mileage car at a very affordable price.

You can find a used car that has great investment value AND excellent working features
Cars are not exactly investments unless you count their contribution to a business.  In most cases, the purchase of a car if often chalked up as expense.  There are also expenses that are often associated with brand new cars that may not be an issue with used cars.  Used cars, for example, do not require the high insurance premium that you’ll have to pay for if you choose a new car.  That’s a significant amount of savings in terms of dollars every year.

You get the car of your dreams at huge savings
Another reason why a used car is better than a new car is that it gives you access to some high-end cars without requiring you to spend a lot.  If brand names such as Mercedes, Audi and Chevrolet seem the epitome of hard-to-afford cars, you can still own one (or a few) of these cars without having a fat bank account.

If you are still undecided as to which of the wide variety of Birmingham Used Cars to buy, get confused more by visiting Car Sale Hub. Just kidding! Car Sale Hub shows you where to get only the best used cars in your area.

Reminiscing ‘porsche Pete’

He was known simply as “Porsche Pete”, a character created on a website intended for Porsche automobiles specifically the Boxster. The man behind it was Charles “Chuck” Hammersmith of Burlington.

In July 1, Hammersmith died at the age of 53. He pioneered the PPBB.com Web site, or Porsche Pete’s Boxster Board, one of the first Internet message boards on the subject, and the most active devoted to the Boxster, Porsche’s best-selling car. The website might also have an insight on Porsche 944 parts.

While Hammersmith had been charmed by Boxsters since before he could drive, friends from his message board say that the car particularly interested him because it was the first Porsche made available to a wider audience. Before his first Boxster, the fanatic owned three 911s.

Porsche fans organized the Blue Ridge Boxster Summit in Blowing Rock, where PPBB.com users have met for the last nine years. That’s because of Hammersmith’s site.

Karl Folkens, a South Carolina resident and PPBB.com administrator, said that the biggest thrill for many who attended the first and subsequent summits, was meeting “Porsche Pete” in person. He continued that one got the sense he’s a pistol-pulling kind of guy form the website, but in person one would find he’s very mild mannered.

Kim, Hammersmith’s daughter, said that her dad was never the spotlight dominant, and would have been surprised by all the appreciation he received since his death began to spread. Thousands of posts are on the Web site, highlighting Hammersmith through memories and photos.

Kim, who has an appreciation for Porsche herself and toured a factory while visiting Germany a few years ago, continued they didn’t realize how big an impact the site made for the past 10 years. The daughter added her dad never really wanted to take credit for anything he did.

Hammersmith wasn’t able to make it to the 9th annual gathering last month, where Boxster friends spent four days driving along the 400-mile Blue Ridge Parkway’s winding mountain roads.

Gordon Mckeehan, parts manager at Porsche dealer Suncoast Motorsports, said the honor was his and the other employees, to sell Hamersmith his last Boxster in 2003.

Cecil Thorpe, one of the site’s administrators said that since the opening of the website, Porsche owners and other self-designated “car geeks” have posted millions of messages on the message board.

Thorpe said the discussions on the board are monitored by Porsche’s corporate headquarters to learn what owners like and don’t like about the vehicle.

The loss was especially difficult for Robert Granger, Hammersmith’s co-host from Texas.

In an email, Granger implied that Chuck’s philosophy has always been really so special.

Aside from meeting Hammersmith at Boxster gatherings, Granger had met Hammersmith’s daughters, and was especially amazed by the father’s love for them. He said that other than a true Boxster fanatic, Chuck’s real pride and joy were his two girls, Kim and Sarah. He added Chuck never missed a chance to brag on them.

Rain Stockton is an engineer by profession. He is a motorsports fanatic, especially F1 and NASCAR. He seldom fails to attend major car racing events. A frustrated race car driver, he spends some of his free time working in one of the largest automotive shops in Indianapolis.

Car Rental Glossary

Car rental can sometimes be a little confusing with lots of phrases being thrown around. To help you out, we have put together a glossary which will hopefully help with your next car rental booking.

Additional Driver: Additional to the main driver, registered and listed on the Rental Agreement. May be an extra charge for an additional driver, depending on the supplier.

Additional Liability Insurance (ALI): Provides additional protection for bodily injury or death plus property damage.

Airport Fee: Charge applied by airport authorities for terminal and off terminal locations. In most cases, this charge is also applied to additional charges, such as one way fees, fuel option, child seat rental etc which are not included in the daily rate and are paid at the counter.

Collision Damage Waiver (CDW): Covers the rental vehicle in the event of accidental damage to the rental vehicle other than by theft or attempted theft. An excess usually applies and the amount will vary depending on the pick up country and/or vehicle type.

Excess Reduction (ER): Optional charge offered by the car rental company to reduce or waive the insurance excess in the event of an insurance claim against damage or theft.

Gazetted Roads: A sealed or unsealed road regularly maintained by a local, state or government body or council.

Insurance Excess: The amount the client is responsible for in the event the rental vehicle is damaged (whether the driver is at fault or not) or stolen.

Loss Damage Waiver (LDW): Covers the rental vehicle in the event of accidental damage and theft. An excess usually applies and the amount will vary depending on the pick up country and/or vehicle type.

One Way Fee: This fee is imposed to cover the costs of returning the vehicle back to the originating location. In Australia & USA, charges may apply between cities within the same State and renting between States. Some countries charge for one way fees between airport and downtown locations within the same city.

Personal Accident Insurance (PAI): Covers the driver and additional passengers of the rental vehicle for personal and physical injuries incurred in an accident.

Premium Location Surcharge/Location Service Charge: Charge applied by car rental companies at selected downtown and railway locations. This additional item also includes the Airport Fee. In most cases, this charge is also applied to additional charges, such as one way fees, fuel option, child seat rental etc which are not included in the daily rate and are paid at the counter.

Rental Period: Your car rental period starts when you pick up the rental car and ends when you drop it off.  Rental periods are based on 24 hours periods from the time of pick up – so, for example, from 9am on a Friday to 9am the following day is charged as a one day rental.

Sealed Road: A road sealed with a hard material such as tar, bitumen or concrete.

Security Deposit: Amount frozen on the client’s credit card at time of collection. The amount frozen is usually the full insurance excess amount. However, if an insurance excess is not applicable or the full excess is not frozen then an amount may still be frozen for incidentals such as fuel bond, optional charges, loss of keys etc.

Senior Driver Surcharge: Surcharge payable by senior drivers over &/or between a specific age.

Theft Protection (TP): Covers the rental vehicle in the event of theft, attempted theft or vandalism. An excess usually applies and the amount will vary depending on the pick up country and/or vehicle type.

Third Party: Provides coverage against bodily injury to persons other than the driver of the rented car and property damage to anything other than the rental vehicle and contents of same.

Vehicle Licensing Fee/Vehicle Road Registration Fee: Government imposed levy for each rental car in the car provider’s fleet. Charge to partially recover the vehicle registration costs.

Young Driver Surcharge: Surcharge payable by young drivers under a specific age.

Designer Watches: Sexy Like A Lamborghini

Tonino Lamborghini Designer Watches are upscale timepieces for the fashion-conscious who want the aurora of speed and precision surrounding the famous Italian carmaker’s label. These wristwatches offer a sense of luxury and masculinity unmatched by many other fashionable accessories on the market. What else could compare to Tonino Lamborghini Designer Watches for refined aggressiveness and technical sophistication? There are many mens watches available for purchase, but very few have the sex appeal offered at this price range, which can often run for around a thousand dollars American. These sports watches exist in a variety of elegant styles as mens watches as well as women, with genuine Swiss movements that complement their Italian designs exceptionally well.

Tonino Lamborghini Designer Watches are arguably best exemplified by the Spyder and Corsa III models of sophisticated chronographs that impart the sense of racecar dashboards while being built for comfort. The water-resistant Spyder features an inverted triangular subdial on a black carbon fiber face, with a red leather wristband coupled to stainless steel casing, all solidly bound by a logo-engraved buckle for style and luxury. The Corsa line of elegant timepieces bring the same aura of technical precision and high-class sophistication to the ladies, with rose gold watch faces, bracelets, and mother-of-pearl dials. Refined yet aggressive, these aren’t just mens watches they are also for women who aren’t afraid to be noticed.

Whatever the line, Tonino Lamborghini Designer Watches are available with sapphire or mineral crystals, with elegant luxurious packaging that are keepsakes in themselves. Many models offer jeweled bezels, including diamonds. The Lamborghini name is synonymous with quality and luxury, and these watches are inspired by the very colors and designs of the label’s premium sports cars.

And it is with sports cars that Lamborghini first became world famous. Thus it is with the company’s famous sports cars that these designer watches trace their lineage. Founded by Ferruccio Lamborghini, a gifted mechanic who turned his own homely city car into a Mille Miglia contender through his own skills, Automobil Lamborghini started out making tractors for the local farming community of Cento, Italy, from military surplus hardware left over from World War II. With a successful business came the opportunity to realize his childhood fascination with fast cars, but in time even his prized Ferrari disappointed Ferruccio. After his complaints to the company were scorned, he undertook to produce a better car himself, and the rest is history, glorious history. And it is this proud history of do-it-yourself pluck and smarts that make Lamborghini watches such bestsellers, too.

Article written by Paul Wise, after extensive research on Designer Watches. If you are in the market for Mens Watches, Paul recommends visiting WatchesInTime.com. They offer a great selection and wonderful service.

Lamborghini Kit Car Fantasy Kit-Cars-Lamborghini

Roaring of that sports car can not let you sleep It’s high power engine always gives you an adrenaline rush. The distinctive body shape of those cars make you forget about everything else?? Yes then we are surely talking about sports cars. Lamborghini is the queen of them all. But it is not possible for everyone to own it. Everyone has heard of the concept of replicars, there are a million different ways to alter the look of your car to give it a unique look and enhance its functions. Car body kits are flexible and often accommodate the creative impulses of the owner. There are Lamborghini kits with which you can build your own car. There are several different manufacturers out there who create Lamborghini replica for companies and collectors. The awesomeness also lies under the hood of Lamborghini replica if you can sports a massive V8 Engine.
Lamborghini kit car is a cool and unique way to replacing a more of expensive and possibly out of financial reach dream car and really you don’t have to know rocket science to build Lambo kit car from Lamborghini kit as these are very easy do-it-yourself kits. Why go to the manufacturer when you have it in your hands? These Lamborghini kits work really amazing, and only a sports car lover can use these lambo kit cars as passionately. Most people wait a lifetime to build or own one of these,So whenever I saw one on sale was really exciting,Seeing one of these in person is something truely remarkable.These car command so much attention I really hope you are up for owning one! They can really change your life.I hope you dont let the price scare you away its really cheap doing so the price of entry into this level of living!

When you build your own sports car it not only gives you a sense of pride and accomplishment but it also gives you a much stronger connection to the car and since you are the one that built it you know what it is capable of and not capable of. A manufacturer is the guy who has practice, when you take your time and build one of the Lamborghini replica correctly you can actually end up with a higher quality vehicle than one bought from those automaker because of the time, passion and attention to detail that you put into it.

This concept can also fool a lot of people, you must be aware of every tool and kit you are using. You must search for expertise in this field, additionally the place where you buy your kits from should be rich in knowledge and must be able to provide you an online support all the time.
So what are you waiting for? just start building your way to an astonishing ride and if you are looking for Lamborghini kit car you can check here.

Lamborghini Kit Car:
lamborghini kit car

Hi my friends call me V im a writer.

Different Car Loans in Australia

Ever wondered what the difference is between secured car loans and personal unsecured car loans and how that difference affects your finance and the car loan payments.  Basically the difference is small in terms of the car loan details themselves, but is bigger when the true cost of each is taken into account.

Understanding secured and unsecured car loans in detail can be useful in saving money but, let’s first have a look at the a range of workings that determine the cost of your loan and of your monthly repayments. The cost of the car finance package is the total you repay less the amount borrowed. Hence, let’s say you are repaying $20,000 at 12% interest rate over 36 months; you will repay at the rate of $664.29 per month.  That would total a repayment of $23,914.44, and the cost of the loan would be $3,914.44 plus any set-up or administration fees.  A finance calculator will enable you to work this out for yourself.

An another to a car loans would be car hire purchase (HP), where you hire the car over the repayment period and get the title to the vehicle with your final payment. Until then the car belongs to the HP company.

However, most finances are either secured or unsecured, and not all finance companies offer unsecured or personal loans so let’s look at secured car finance first. A secured car loan is one whereby the lender offers the loan with the car as security.  If you fail to make payments, the lender can sell the car to recoup their money.  It is possible to get a secured car loan on older motor vehicles, often 7 years, but the car finance term or loan term may be requested to be shorter than the standard 5 yearsor not at all by using your home or some other form of security. These however are not strictly classed as a car loan. normally the car is used as security over the loan.

If you prefer you can request no deposit car finance and have all on-road costs added to the amount financed. Options like registration , insurance to protect you against disability,death or unemploymentand comprehensive auto insurance as part of the financing deal.  Loan protection insurance makes sure that the loan is paid off in the event of your death during the loan period, and car insuranceis needed to make sure that the car is in good condition should it be needed to repay the finance in the event of you defaulting on your payments.

This might all sound like doom and gloom, but these are conditions you see with most secured car loans, not only car loans. Secured car loans terms are from 1-7years, and the interest rate will be lower than that for an unsecured car finance where the loan company charges extra to compensate for their added risk. As with any loan, a deposit will result in lower payments, or a shorter term, whichever you prefer.

Balloon payments could be an option on your finance package, which is like a deposit in reverse, payable at the end of the period.  This is popular by those whose income will increase over the period, and they will be in a better financial position to pay a lump sum in 3 – 5 years time. This  too  results in either a lower monthly repayment or a shorter repayment term.

If you are purchasing a used car, your car finance interest rates can be priced very differentlyaccording to the finance company and the age of your car. Many will charge higher loan rates, and the current credit problem has changed the outlook of many lenders to unsecured car loans in particular. Many no longer offer unsecured car finance due to the increased risk in the current economic climate.

However, they are still available, and some car loan brokers can ensure you get the best unsecured car loan available. In addition to the car loans interest rates, you should also evaluate the fees charged, since they can involve a considerable outlay for you before you get the loan.

The most important differences between secured and unsecured auto loans, therefore, can be summarized as:

Secured car finance are cheaper to repay, with usually lower rates.

Car loans that are secured must have full comprehensive car insurnance, while unsecured financing does not.

Both loans could require deathinsurance cover for the finance, but secured car finance packages are more likely to.

You can sometimes include insurance, registration and other expenses in the secured loan, but with an unsecured car financing you must include the the expenses on top of the amount borrowed.

Fees for unsecured car finance can be very much higher than for secured car finance.

Not all loan companies will offer unsecured auto loans.

There few doubts that if your vehicle is young enough to be given a loan with the car as colateral, then that should be your option.  You might be able to arrange a secured loan for an older automobile with your house as security, but you will have to make sure to maintain the payments since lenders are becoming unsympathetic in the current economic crissis.

Car Loans finance Ezi is a website in Australia providing car loans Finance Ezi information online. Use their car loan calculator to get car loan rates repayments.

Ferrari Formula One

Ferrari formula one racing is the best in the formula one world. Ferrari fans around the world watch Formula one every week. What makes Formula one so special? It’s hard to say. But Formula one gains more and more interest in public.

Scuderia Ferrari is a division of the Ferrari automobile company, which is concerned with racing. Scuderia means “stable” in Italian and Ferrari is after the name of Enzo Ferrari, the founder of the brand. Scuderia was formed in the year 1929 and consisted of 40 racecar drivers including Enzo at that time.

Ferrari achieved great success in the Le Mans Races. The team made its debut into Formula One at the Italian Grand Prix with the model 125F1. Since then the team has been involved in the Formula One Racing and is one of the best racing teams in Formula One history.

Few of the finest drivers such as Niki Lauda, Phil Hill, Lorenzo Bandini and Michele Alboreto have contributed towards the success of the Ferrari Formula One team over the years. Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen are the current contracted drivers for the team. Both the drivers have been signed for three years contract after the retirement of “Michael Schumacher”. Michael Schumacher was the one of the best race drivers in the history of world racing.

Marlboro was a major sponsor for the Ferrari team since 1984. They backed the team till 2005, but had to withdraw, as tobacco sponsorship was made illegal in the European Union. Acer was one of the sponsors for the company till late 2008. Acer also sold laptops with Ferrari badges. Vodafone was also one of the sponsors till 2005, however they too withdrew in favor of the McLaren team.

Many others played the part of sponsors for the Ferrari racing team. FIAT is a major sponsor of the team including others such as Bridgestone, AMD, and Martini. Ferrari also saw sponsorship from the Gulf, such as Mubadla, an investment company of Abu Dhabi and Etihad Airways.

The Ferrari racing team has achieved great success over the years particularly in the Formula One racing championships. The team and its drivers have won the “Mille Miglia”‘ 8 times, the “Targa Florio” 7 times and the “24 Hour Le Mans”, 9 times. Formula One achievements for the team are still marked distinctly.

Most Constructors Championship: 15, Most Drivers Championship: 15, Most wins (all time): 208, Most wins (season): 15, Most podiums (all): 617, Most podiums (season): 29, Most points (all): 4,887.27, Most points (season): 262, Most pole positions (all): 201, Most pole positions (season): 262, Most fastest laps (season): 262, Most fastest laps (all): 215, Highest winning percentage: 26%

The Ferrari team also managed to lead over Ford as the most successful F1 engine manufacturer with 182 wins compared to Ford’s 176 wins.

With years of hardship and trial, the Ferrari team still continues to dominate the Formula One racing world with its unmatchable endurance. The team has witnessed a massive fan following over the years. Italian fans for the team are known as “tifosi”. Recently, the Ferrari Formula one team saw its first win of the year 2008 at the Malaysian Grand Prix.

Visit us at Ferrari. Please make sure to visit our page about Formula one