The sentimental valur of the first car

Everyone has had a "first car". This is the title of the car that everyone gets when they first get their liscence and then the car. A person can get their car in so many different ways. When it comes time for someone to get a new car it is a very sentimental subject. The first car is always the car that gives an everlasting memory on the owner.

When a person turns sixteen this is the age that comes with the ultimate responsibility of driving. Of course every parent dreads this day when their child gets their liscence because it signifies that they are growing up and therefore have to try and start being responsible. When you go to get your liscence you have to take a written and actual driving test in order to aquire it. The driving test consists of six hours on the road and thrity hours of classtime work. The written test is a multiple choice, true false test with various questions and then sixteen blank signs that you have to identify. If you pass all of these tests then it is time to get your polaroid taken and provide all the legal documentation in order to get it all put together and processed. You then recieve the shiny plastic gift of freedom to the open asphalt.

Now after a person gets their liscence it then comes time to get the first car. This can be obtained in so many different ways. These ways include: purchasing one by yourself, getting a loan, recieving a car as present for your sixteenth birthday, or fixing one up and keeping it. There are so many possibilities. At first some people may not like and/or appreciate their automobile but after countless times of one-on-one time with the ride they begin to appreciate it and even love it.

After several pricless times in my "first car" which I still own and operate, my 2001 Jeep Wrangeler, I will never get rid of it. I remeber one specific time last winter when our high school was closed because of a barrage of snow that night. The next day I had a few of my close friends and we had a good time. We first went four wheeling in the snow, then we drove through a snow ice, water puddle;we then got the idea of a lifetime. Since I own and have a Jeep Wrangler with four-wheel drive we decided to see what "Jeepy" was made of. We have taken her through the mud before but never has she ventured into such uncharted atmosphere. We then proceeded to take a romp through the snow/ice with my beast of an automobile! The picture of this speaks a thousnad words.

I love my car and I will never get rid of it. If it breaks down and is no longer capable of being operated I will build a seperate garage type of shelter for it where I will put it on display for everyone to look at and be jealous of. My car is my thrid love behind my girlfriend and mom. Everyone loves their first car and it is the car that is always remebered and reminisced upon.

10 best cars of 2009

This is an interesting list I found of the 10 best cars to come out of the 2009 production class.
1. 2009 BMW 3 Series/M3.

I personally have driven the new 335xi which packs a twin-turbo inline 6 engine and over 300hp. It is ridiculously fast, but not as fast as the 414hp V-8 M3.

2. 2009 Cadillac CTS/CTS-V.

Cadillac redesigned their mid-size sedan for 2009. The CTS-V in particular received a major makeover with the addition of a 556hp supercharged V-8.

3. 2009 Chevrolet Corvette.

After the amount of work that Chevy put into the new corvette it definitely deserved a spot on this list. The over 600hp engine and impeccable styling has acquired the attention of several of the big names in cars and a spot on the top 10 for 2009 was allocated for the ZR-1.

4. 2009 Honda Accord.

Honda did major work and was able to give their seemingly flat lined Accord a pulse. Honda doesn't have a great rep of creating styling that is actually attractive, but the Accord broke that mold. It was a wise decision to release a coupe because that also helps to get away from Honda's monotone reputation.

5. 2009 Honda Fit.

I can admit that I was never a big fan of the Honda Fit but I can say that with the redesigned body, I would drive it. The sloping nose of the hood gives is a much sportier look and the fact that it gets 35+ mpg doesn't hurt.

6. 2009 Infiniti G37.

The new G37 is a perfect choice for someone looking for a luxury sedan, but not interested in paying for a BMW 5 or 7 series. A small horsepower increase is really the only difference between this year and last year, but this car makes the list because of how functional it is compared to the price.

7. 2009 Jaguar XF.

2009 was a good year for sedans as the 09 Jaguar XF fills number seven. This sport sedan features either a 4.2 liter V-8 or a supercharged 4.2 liter V-8. The XF, like the new Porsche Panamera, incorporates styling from previous models in Jaguars fleet. The XF shows heritage from sporty coupes as well as elegent sedans.

8. 2009 Mazda MX-5 Miata.

The Miata has always been a staple in Mazda's lineup of cars. The Miata makes it to this list beause of the fun factor. At $22,000 it is not at all exspensive and when all options are included it barely breaks $30,000. The Miata is a quick little car that is inexspensize to maintain, cheap to fill up, and has a convertable top. It may not be a chick magnet, but I guarentee you will enjoy the Miata.

9. 2009 Porsche Boxter/Cayman.

The 2009 Cayman and Boxter make this list because of the consistancy the Porsche produces them. It would be impossible to drive either of these cars and not eonjoy yourself. They set the standard that they have set for years as Porsche has staked its claim in the automotive world.

10. 2009 VW GTI.

If this were my list, the GTI would have been up a little farther. I personally love the feeling of feeling the 2.0 liter turbocharged engine pull u forward while shifing with perfectly calibrated manual transmission. The GTI is always a solid choice for a fun and reliable car.

2010 Porsche Panamera

Porsche plans to expand the type of vehicles they offer by releasing the four-door Panamera. The sedan is a unique combination of styling from both the coupes and SUV's that Porsche makes. The Panamera clearly incorporates concepts from the new caymen, one of Porsche's sport coupes. Information is still pretty limited on this car but I can give you some performance specs. There will be differant modles available, ranging from a 300hp V-6, to a turbocharged 500hp V-8. There will also be a hybrid version available in the future. The idea behind the Panamera is to give buyers an alternative style to the full size luxery sedans that are already out there. Between Audi, Mercedes, and BMW, there styles and bodys for there fleets of sedans is pretty static. The Panamera brings a whole other style to the table which will likely hold up well against the syles of yesterday.

More to come once interior pictures are released.

The X1 Prototype

Many of the so called "electric cars" of today are not really electric. After a certain number of miles the electricity runs out and a gasoline engine takes over. While that may slow our rate of polluting the Earth, it still does not fix our problem. We need cars that do not use gasoline whatsoever like the Tesla Roadster and the X1 Prototype. "The X1 Prototype?" you ask. Yes, the X1 Prototype. The X1 Prototype is all electric. It runs on a lithium Ion battery like the ones in your cellphone, laptop, or Ipod. By plugging it into a standard 120 V source outlet the X1 will be fully charged in about 2.5 hours! Did I mention that this just happens to be my new favorite car? I love how it can smoke many of the gasoline cars available today like the Ferrari 360 Modena and the Porsche Carrera GT. This video shows the X1 beating both of these cars in a simple drag race. See if you can hear the X1:



So who makes this car? A company by the name of Wrightspeed, Inc. created this one-of-a-kind electric prototype but only for proof-of-concept. This car will never be put into production but will inspire the design of the future X1 production model that will be available to customers worldwide. But for now let's just skip the talk and get into some numbers shall we. Below is a list of "numbers" or timed speeds of a variety of time intervals such as 0-60, 0-100, etc, taken from the Wrightspeed, Inc. website.

0-30 mph: 1.35 sec
0-60 mph: 3.07 sec in 117 ft
0-100 mph: 6.87 sec
0-100-0 mph: 11.2 sec
Lateral g: 1.3
Braking g: 1.2

Now before Wrightspeed designed this vehicle they set certain standards they wanted to meet such as weight, speed, etc. They were only off by a tiny margin in all of their set categories. The set weight was 1500 lbs and the actual is 1536 lbs and the 0-60 time was only off by 0.07 secs! That is very impressive. And if you are wondering how all this adds up to in miles per gallon then why don't you try 170 mpg on for size!!!

Since the X1 is still in its early stages there isn't much information about it. But I am going to leave you with a few videos that I think speak for themselves. Enjoy!

Click here for video from the Planet Green Channel

Media and Auto Sales: Harmoiusly coping together

Movies, television programs, radio broadcasts, and the media in general have prompted and promoted the sale and advertisement of automobiles ever since the two have been harmoniously incorporated together. Throughout time when a new movie comes out there is almost always a certain type of car, truck, or vehicle that is in the majority of the scenes. In television, one out of every seven commercials is a car advertisement or some sort of commercial that is selling or showing a certain automobile. Through radio broadcasts or in songs, the majority of the time, there is some reference to a car or some sort of vehicle. Through the use of media automobile sales and advertisements are used and shared, and this has spiked the sales and distribution of sales and production. Advertisement and car corporations have a substantial agreement and relationship that benefits both of them in a very helpful and beneficial way.

In movies there is always that car or truck that you see a celebrity riding in or driving and a person’s first thought is, wow that is a nice ride and that I one of my dream cars. There a select few movies where one can think off the top of their head and bring into thought what is meant by this statement, these include: The movies “Gone in 60 Seconds”, “Bad Boys II”, “Transformers” and “Transporter”. In the blockbuster hit “Gone in 60 Seconds” the car that is the most plausible and best example for what I am talking about is the GT Shelby 500 Mustang, also named and known as Eleanor in the movie. This car is used in the movie as one of the last automobiles that Nicolas Cage must steal in order to fulfill his mission. He uses his shifty driving skills to evade police cars and in one scene jump a distance of about 100 feet in the car to avoid being caught and sent to prison. In “Bad Boys II” the car in this movie of prominence is the 2006 Ferrari. This sleek car is driven by Will Smith and is used in a police chase as well. “Transformers” uses the very sexy and sleek 2008 Camaro. This is my personal favorite because it has all the things I look for in a car; speed, maneuverability, luxury, and a sporty look. Now in “Transporter” the car in this movie is the 2006 Audi V8, this car is driven by possibly the best driver and evades all who try to stop it. Audi saw an increase in sales by 7.5% after this movie was released for view.

Not only movie production has given birth to this line of sales of automobiles but also the use of television as a means to try and sell cars has been very effective. One out of every seven commercials on television is a commercial that advertises some sort of automobile. During the super bowl, a car company can spend anywhere from the range of $500,000-$5,000,000 for a car commercial, based on the length and consistency of the commercial. Based on ratings and statistics, ever since commercials for car dealerships have been on and established and recurrent, car sales have remained constant when they are not increasing. There is even a television show where celebrities, sports stars, and artists show case their homes and cars or “rides” which they have been called sometimes. In this show there are at least three cars or trucks or SUV’s or a combination of the three categories being showcased and shown off. The basketball super star Shaquille O’Neal is probably the best example of having the most cars, which he collects. He has seven sports cars including a Ferrari, Bentley, Benz, Lambargini, Viper, Chrysler, and Porsche. He also possesses three trucks and one SUV.

Now through the use and help of music auto sales and advertisement have been very helpful and coexistent. Probably the most prominent and substantial sales in automobiles comes form different genres and categories of music with different brands of cars. Truck sales are most usually incorporated through the help and use of country music. The best example of this can be shown from the song “Before he cheats” by Carrie Underwood. In this song she describes what she did to her ex-boyfriends 4 wheel drive red pick up truck. This sparked a little fuel into Dodge because that was the brand of truck that was used in the music video. Now for cars of luxury and sport, mostly every genre of music can relate to these. Certain categories and brands of cars, however, go with certain types and brands of music. For example when a person thinks of hip hop or rap the brands Mercedes Benz, Cadillac, Ferrari, and Bentley, and Mustang come into thought first off. This is not a stereotype either. IN rap music videos it has been shown that there is atleast one car that is shown in the video, the majority of those being Cadillac. In the music video, “Pimp Juice” by Nelly the car that is the main topic of the song, and what the song was written after is that of a 1973 Cadillac Deville.

Slideshow of The Fastest

I was looking on YouTube for some cool videos and I found an interesting one that someone put together. It is basicly a slide show of the Top 10 Fastest Cars in the world. I have never even seen more than half of them. It is probably because they cost a fortune and the most unpractical cars in the universe. Although, I wouldn't mind having a fleet of these cars. They are exotic looking and they are some of the best looking cars around. They even look fast. I'm pretty sure that a car that has 1000 horse power should be on the list. How much power can you really fit under these hoods? They seem to be packed with power and get you from point A to point B in the littlest time possible. If you are planning on using this power, I hope you have your own race track or a way to clear the roads. I guess you don't need to use all the power but is definitely more fun to use. Quoting Ricky Bobby as a child from Taladega Nights, "I want to go fast, I want to go fast". Enjoy finding out where these cars are made and which is the Fastest car in the world. For more information on these cars check out my previous post, "Top 10 Fastest Cars". Enjoy.

Feds consider bailout for "Big 3": UPDATE

As an update to the post I wrote yesterday about the plan for the Federal Government to bailout the three largest automakers, something interesting was revealed today. As it turns out, all three CEO's of GM, Ford, and Chrysler flew to Washington yesterday to plead their case in private jets. Rick Wagoner, the CEO of GM, flew in a 36 million dollar jet to our nations capitol to ask for 10-12 billion of our taxpayers money... And you wonder where their money problems come from...