Muscle Cars that are stars in Movies.

Car chases have always been a good highlight in a lot of movies. Asides from great actors and spectacular special effects, the fasts cars featured in a movie always gives its viewers the adrenaline rush whenever you watch an excellent car chase scene. Numerous movies today focus around cars as a tool to enhance the story, some of these movies even use the car as one of the main character.

Successful car movies always have a great car chase scene and is coupled with a fancy fast cars in it. Fast cars comes in different forms and shape but nothing says speed and power it better than a muscle car.

For the past few years a lot of Box office hits on car chase movies have muscle cars featured in it. The classics and latest models have made tremendous success in the film industry. Bringing audiences to the cinemas giving them a taste of speed and adrenaline at the comfort of your seat. Actors play a big role in a good movie but a fast and powerful car is the core of every successful Car chase movie.

Here are some of the muscle cars featured in recent films:


Gone in 60 seconds (2000) - The movie starred Nicholas Cage as "memphis", a former master car thief forced to return to his former trade and steal fifty specified cars for crime boss Raymond Vincent Calitri.

Although there were fifty cars featured in the film, the main car chase centered on the Pepper Gray 1967 Shelby GT-500 Mustang nicknamed "Eleanor"


The Fast and The Furious(2001) & Fast & Furious (2009) - In both film Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) drove a Dodge Charger R/T 1970.

The Dukes of Hazzard (2005) - Even though the movie didn't receive any good reviews it still featured a great class 1969 Dodge Charger "The General Lee".

Gran Torino(2008) & Starsky and Hutch (2004) - For the film Gran Torino Clint Eastwood had a 1972 Gran Torino Sport which was the focal point of the story & In the movie Starsky and Hutch the duo drove a 1975 Ford Gran Torino.

Knight Rider(2008) - KITT is portrayed as a black 2008 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500KR

Transformers - The autobot Bumble bee was depicted as a 1977 Chevrolet Camaro at the beginning of the movie and a 2010 Chevrolet Camaro on the later parts of the movie.

A New Lease on Life - Worry-Free Mobility

Vehicle leasing is no longer some kind of "new math" or eccentric idea. It has been completely mainstreamed and is a common practice in the U.S., Canada and even Europe (although we're way ahead here in North America). Businesses first popularized the notion of leasing as a way to know, in advance, some of the costs of transportation for their particular activities.

Companies both big and small now routinely lease both cars and trucks, in addition to construction equipment and other special vehicles. In fact, the economic reasons in favor of leasing are voluminous and well known, and there are no more arguments to defeat, especially for corporate accountants. Now even individuals, and not just wealthy ones, recognize the economic advantages of leasing over buying. But it is not just good for your wallet. It can be good for your attitude, as well.

Psychological benefits, too
There are other advantages beyond cost savings, of course, including psychological benefits. Leasing in general, and particularly leasing with a reputable firm with a well-known commitment to customer service, is a good way to reduce frustration, stress and strain in one's life. A study done in the 1990s rated "car troubles" (accidents, engine failures, flat tires, etc.) as among the top five "stressors" for American adults 26-45 years of age, right up there with job insecurity and crying babies.

Even if you take life at a more peaceful pace, and live in a more relaxed region (the country? the mountains? the beach?) where residents are less wedded to the "rat race" lifestyle, it is still very much the case that car troubles are a source of great anxiety for many people. With car leasing, especially the way it is done at the best firms, those stresses and strains of ownership are gone. You are protected from the problems, no matter what kind they are, whether it's a fan belt or a cracked windshield. Not your problem!

Leading with high-tech
You will have complete peace of mind with any of the modern, well-regarded, tech-savvy leasing forms now dotting the North American landscape. All repair and maintenance work, inside and out, will be done with the latest computerized color-matching, Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) parts and factory-authorized procedures. In addition, your personal needs will be attended to, from arranging rental car services to coordinating your insurance photos and claims reports. With a leading lease firm by your side, you are never left alone to deal with problems.

When it comes down to choosing a leasing firm, make sure you compare apples to apples and don't just go for the lowest monthly payment. A $375 payment (about average) with a so-so leasing firm is not as good a value as a $400 payment with a top-notch company that will take care of you like family. To know how firms treat their customers, make sure to ask for referrals and check all the consumer complaint sites on the Internet.

Your aim is to find a firm that will work out a fair payment, not dramatically higher than the competition, and then solve all the vehicle problems for you so that you can maintain the stress-free lifestyle of which your car lease is now an integral part. Economically, car leasing makes sense, and has for years. Psychologically, though, it makes even better sense. Leave your stress and worry behind you and take advantage of (excuse the obvious pun) a new lease on life!

Title Controversy Swirls Around GM Collection Cars

If you follow the collector car auction scene, you've by no doubt heard about the big broo-ha-ha surrounding title and paperwork issues that threatened to suspend the sale of as many of 80 cars out of the General Motors Collection. The whole thing came to a quick boil around 4:00 PM EST on Thursday. Bad information and poor reporting immediately followed. Fortunately, I had a front row seat as one of the broadcast commentators for SPEED TV. First, a little background, then what happened.

Contrary to popular rumor, General Motors has been selling off vehicles from it's events and shows collection for several years. These are NOT the 350 or so family jewels that make up the core of the company's Heritage Collection. I believe those to be safe from anything short of a complete liquidation of the company, which is not likely to happen by government mandate or otherwise. More accurately, the vehicles on offer here are cars, trucks, design studies, engineering mules, tuner toys, pace cars, old SEMA show cars, the first Olds Cutlass Ciera, the last built previous generation Saturn VUE, and such that have lived their purpose and are no longer needed.

It costs a lot of money to store and maintain all this hardware, and GM needs to simplify. About 250 such vehicles were sold at Barrett-Jackson's sale in January of 2009, and by any measure, the process was successful. Another 100 plus vehicles were consigned to the Palm Beach sale taking place currently; As I write this, two days are in the books, with the third and final day of the sale taking place today (Saturday).

For the rest of the story click here >>

BMW Z4

The BMW Z4 is all new for 2010, and the updated roadster will be ready for production later this spring. BMW gave the Z4 sleeker sheet metal, a folding hard top, and upgraded powertrains, but the biggest change could be to its price tag. Buyers looking for a new Z4 can expect to plunk down $46,575. That's a big jump from the base $36,700 of the 2008 Z4, which packed less power and less road presence. The 46 large is also exactly the same price as the Z4's nemesis; the Porsche Boxster. The 2010 model will net you a 258-horsepower inline six capable of hitting 60 mph in 5.8 seconds. The base Bimmer will also come standard with leatherette seating surfaces (upgrading to Kansas leather tacks on another $1,250).

The 306-horsepower, twin-turbo Z4 sDrive35i will cost a whole lot more, with a starting price of $52,475, including destination and handling. The 2008 Z4 M was a bit cheaper at $50,400 and carried more power, but the 2010 car's higher torque numbers make for an equally-quick droptop, as evidenced by its 5.1 second 0-60 time with the dual-clutch gear box.

Self-Repairing Car Paint

In another case of Nature to the Rescue, scientists have come up with a polyurethane coating that repairs itself in the sun. The secret ingredient: chitosan, which comes from the shells of crustaceans and is also used for water filtration, blood clotting and as a diet aid. The common principle appears to be that it as a binding agent, i.e. it wants to hold certain things together.

If your car is scratched and it has the chitosan-injected coating, when put in the sun the chitosan "bonds with other materials in the substance, eventually smoothing the scratch" in less than an hour. No muss, no fuss, no messy clean up. However, the magic only works once -- the coating can't repair itself in the same place twice. Researchers also haven't yet studied how wide a scratch can be before it cannot heal itself.

Nevertheless, self-repairing paint powered by the sun is still a terrific development, especially for those folks with shiny black cars on which even tiny scratches seem to scream for attention. No word on when or if it will ever be available, but the team behind it has a patent pending and is thinking about the business opportunity.

[Source: Autoblog]

Best Car Lease Deals for Feb 2009

Several good car lease deals were available in February despite the fact that many car-makers have pulled back on their end-of-year clearance programs. Our favorite lease program in the fall was Volkswagen's "Sign Then Drive" event, which offered low lease rates and $0 due at signing on VW's most popular models.

As a general rule, you're more likely to find attractive leases on a car-maker's more sought-after models - and that's good news for most buyers.

It may seem strange that dealers offer more attractive lease deals on their better-selling models, but there is a good reason. If you're a dealer, offering a lease is a risk. The dealer bets that when the lease is up and a customer returns the vehicle, it will still be worth a lot of money and the dealer can resell it for a total net profit. But if the car depreciates fast, which is more likely on poor-selling models, the dealer or car-maker could lose money because it can't sell the off-lease car for much money. This is partly why Chrysler disbanded its leasing program in July of last year - its cars depreciated so fast that leasing became a money-loser.

So who is still offering great lease programs now?

Volkswagen. Despite ending the Sign Then Drive program, Volkswagen is still offering good lease terms. Three of its fuel-efficient, small cars - Jetta, New Beetle and Rabbit - can each be yours for $199/mo + $1,999 at signing for a 36-month lease. When VW offered no-money-down leases under the Sign Then Drive event, these cars leased for $269/mo. So even though the current program requires you to cough up $1,999 up front, you actually save several hundred dollars in total lease costs because of the lower monthly payments, compared to the no-money-down offer.

Lincoln. If you're looking for a little more luxury or an American nameplate, Lincoln is offering a no money down deal through the end of March. Available on both the Lincoln MKX and MKS, the deal is no down payment (after cash back) no first month's payment and no cash due at signing. The lease rates for the deal are $529 per month for 39 months on the MKS and $99 per month for 39 months on the MKX. Taxes, title and tags are extra, but in this market you may be able to negotiate that.

Toyota. Toyota runs all of its specials by region. Lease offers in Florida could vary greatly from offers in Chicago, so you need to check with local Toyota dealers to see what they'll offer you. See below for the best deals.

Honda. Honda has several great national lease offers running through early March, as shown below. There may be even better regional offers, so be sure to contact local Honda dealers for the best deals.

Hyundai. If you buy or lease a new Hyundai before Feb 28, the newly announce Hyundai Assurance Program will allow you to return the car to Hyundai with no further financial obligation if you lose your job. While gimmicky, this is a great way to get some worst-case scenario protection from a company that is still offering decent lease rates. There are stipulations, so be sure to check out the Hyundai Assurance program's website for more details.

Nissan. A few good lease offers remain, and Nissan is one of the few carmakers offering solid lease terms on SUVs - with special deals on both the Rogue and Murano.

Source: http://usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/cars-trucks/Car-Lease-Deals/

Just three questions to ask on car leasing vs. buying

1. Have you crunched the numbers?

Not sure whether you want to commit to the car for a long term? Break out the calculator. Use BankingMyWay's (Mainstreet's partner site) lease vs. buy calculator to crunch the numbers for you. If keeping your monthly payments down is most important to you, know that the short-term monthly cost of leasing is usually less than the cost of buying. (On average, monthly lease payments are 30% to 60% lower than loan payments for the same car, same down payment, etc.). This holds true even when compared to 0% or low-interest loans. Plus, in an ownership arrangement, auto dealers will likely require more money down than with a lease deal.

2. How important is ownership to you?

When you buy a new car, you pay for everything, including its upfront value, plus finance charges, plus fees. In return you get equity, which is essentially the car’s resale value, or what you can expect to get back if you sell it or trade it in. And when you finish making payments, you’ll be free and clear. But is a long-term equity deal a good one? After all, the longer you own and drive a vehicle, the less equity you have. When you’re leasing, you’re only buying the time you will use the car, meaning the amount it will depreciate in the time that you drive it. That keeps monthly payments down, but leaves you with no equity at the end of your contract.

3. What about repairs?

When you lease a car, you’re not really the owner. But when it comes to car maintenance and repairs, not being the owner can be a good thing. By and large, any type of repair will be covered under your manufacturer's warranty. (And your car’s always almost brand new, so the risk of something going really wrong is rather low.) Car owners, on the other hand, have a vested interest in car care and maintenance. That can include keeping on top of oil changes and brake pads replacements as well as keeping the body scratch- and dent-free. Leasers as a rule find themselves less concerned with the details, since it’s not going to be their problem down the road.

Also, when leasing, be aware of additional fees (including security deposits and any lease-end charges) so they don’t take you by surprise. Expect to make your first monthly payment when you sign your contract.

When it comes to buying or leasing a car, there is no right answer. Buying and leasing both have their pros and cons, so the key is to look hard at your own situation and preferences before you sign a contract.

Before Shopping for your Car Lease

Before you shop for a car lease, there is critical information that you should gather concerning the feature and terms that you'd want to consider before signing any car lease agreement. The checklist below will aid you in gathering such information.

Many vehicle leasing terms and conditions are completely negotiable, so you can often tailor fit a lease to your driving habits and financial needs.However, it's vital that you understand all the lease provisions before signing, because once signed the contract terms are final and non-negotiable. Researching leases and gathering information from automotive manufacturer's publications, newspaper/magazine articles, the Internet, advertisements, consumer publications, automotive dealers, and Manchester vehicle leasing agents will help you negotiate and secure the best lease for your needs.

Have you selected a vehicle? _______________

If so, which make/model/options _____________________________________________

* Consumer guides, automotive publications, and Internet sites are excellent sources of information that can help you choose the right vehicle.

What amount can you afford to pay up front? $________

What can you afford to pay each month? $________

What can you afford to pay at lease-end? $________

* Consider beginning, middle, and end-of-lease costs, not just the monthly payment.

How many years or months do you anticipate keeping the vehicle? __________(years/months)

How many years or months do you typically keep a vehicle? __________ (years/months)

* The lease should fit your needs and business requirements. Don't sign a lease with a term longer than you intend to keep the vehicle, because you may have to pay a substantial early termination charge. The earlier you terminate the lease, the greater the penalty may be.

How many miles do you typically drive each year? __________

* Be realistic--underestimating the mileage that you put on a vehicle could cost you greatly at the end of your lease contract. Consult the odometer on your current vehicle to determine your estimated yearly mileage.

Do you want a lease with an optional end-of-contract purchase option? ________

* You may want the option to purchase the vehicle at the end of the car/van leasing period. Keep in mind, however, that the purchase option terms within the lease may modify other terms in the lease.

What is your current automobile insurance coverage for:

1. Bodily injury, property damage $________

2. Liability $________

3. Collision and comprehensive $________

What are your insurance deductibles for:

1. Collision $________

2. Comprehensive $________

* Your lease may require you to carry a higher level of insurance than you currently carry.

Car that runs on water

People from all over are starting to notice DIY hydrogen generators for cars. They are turning to such alternatives because of the obvious increase in gas prices and to help cut cost when spending for their automobiles. Spending for gasoline being the number cost in car maintenance, many people have realized that running a water powered car can be a great option for their pockets. Moreover, it is not very difficult to convert your car engine and make your own DIY hydrogen generator for cars. Cars run on water easily help you save and improve your fuel economy by almost 50 percent.

The Good Side

There are several good benefits when you run a car on water.

1. Using a water powered car is cheaper than your existing gasoline or diesel engines.
2. The DIY hydrogen generator for the cars is easy to construct and install into your existing cars. All of the parts necessary can be obtained at your own local shop or hardware stores. Most of these parts are very common, inexpensive items. You don't need to order them and spend a lot of time looking for specialists who can offer you the services and the car parts.
3. Water powered car engines burn cleaner fuels compared to other cars. It also gives out less harmful carbon dioxide emissions. Because of this efficiency, you will notice that your water fuel also contributes to your cars performance, making it more efficient.
4. Cars run on water have engines that receive less wear and tear, in contrast to regular cars engines running on gasoline or diesel. This greatly helps extend your engine's running life and lessens the carbon buildup, cutting down costs for automobile repairs and maintenance.

How It Works

A DIY hydrogen generator or HHO generator for cars is simply a homemade hydrogen generator that you can easily put together yourself. You can also install it in your car and the parts you need are affordable and easy to find. Hydrogen generators operate using electricity to break down the water molecules to create hydrogen and oxygen atoms. This then creates what we call HHO gas or sometimes referred to as Brown's gas. So when this HHO gas mixes with regular gasoline and the air mixture inside your car's engine, the resulting mixture burns with more efficiency and power thus giving you more mileage for your automobiles.

Auto leasing moves up a gear

Canadian auto dealers are reporting their highest level of lease transactions since July, suggesting the possibility automakers are inching back into leasing after pulling back last summer.

Retailers surveyed said 22% of the deals they struck with customers on new cars during the first 11 days in January were leases, according to data released yesterday by J. D. Power & Associates.

Leases dropped down to 17% of Canadian transactions in November after representing more than 40% of the market for several years.

"It's possible we're seeing some loosening up of the [credit] situation, illustrated by a move back to lease," J. D. Power analyst Tom Libby said yesterday on a conference call discussing the Canadian auto market.

Automaker captive finance companies like Chrysler Financial are also slowly clawing back their share of the retail auto finance business in Canada, Mr. Libby said.

General Motors Corp. and Chrysler LLC pulled back on subsidized leasing in July after credit market pressures and declining residual values for trucks and SUVs in particular made car leasing less profitable for them.

The two automakers told their dealers to steer their customers to finance or cash transactions instead.

Chrysler has blamed its inability to secure lease funding in the capital markets as one reason for its double-digit sales decline in November and December.

"We need that lease funding available in the marketplace to allow consumers to be able to purchase vehicles," Reid Bigland, Chrysler Canada president, said in an interview.

The U. S. Treasury aimed yesterday to help Chrysler do just that, approving a US$1.5-billion loan to Chrysler Financial so it can extend new loans to car buyers. GMAC LLC, the auto lender tied to GM, became a bank holding company and won US$6-billion in support from Washington last month.

The Canadian government pledged similar help in December but has yet to say how it will do so.

J. D. Power is forecasting new vehicle sales of between 1.4 million and 1.6 million units in Canada this year. The annual sales rate in 2008's fourth quarter was 1.48 million units.

"Any recovery is likely to be quite slow," said J. D. Power economist Robert Schnorbus. "There is still lots of risk, lots of uncertainty.

nvanpraet@nationalpost.com

Source: Financial Post

Car Lease Takeover

Car lease takeover is basically assuming someone else's leased car under the same terms that were originally agreed upon. Assuming someone else's car lease is good if you will only need the car for a short period of time. Since a part of the lease period is already used up, car lease takeover or car lease assumption is usually good for about 1 to 2 years.

A takeover car lease seems to be a win-win situation both for the original lessee and the takeover lessee. The new lessee must make sure that he can handle the monthly payments since leasing companies will not grant a lease to anyone who has a bad credit. If the new lessee fails to meet payments, the company may (or will) hold the original lessee responsible.

When taking over a car lease, it is very important to check for wear and tear. You should take a mechanic at the dealers and must check the current condition of the car; each and every component. If you, as a takeover lessee, miss anything - you will be responsible for the repair and the maintenance. If there are excess in wear-and-tear, you can deposit a claim amount and the original lessee will get the amount refunded. Also, you should ask the original lessee the records (a.k.a receipts) of all the maintenance and repair works done to the car.

Mileage is always an issue in car leasing since a lessee is only given a limited annual mileage. Before assuming over the car lease, the new lessee must check how many miles are left and if it is good enough since an excess in mileage will mean an additional charge at the end of the term. In order to secure more protection, the takeover lessee must take an added insurance for the vehicle. Check whether gap insurance is in effect, as it would protect the vehicle from accidents and thefts.

BMW uses Internet Protocol underhood

There's a variety of flavors of in-car networking standards that corral the large number of embedded computers and nodes present in the modern automobile. BMW Research and Technology, an R&D division of BMW, has found Internet Protocol up to the tasks that the other standards currently perform. BMW engineers used a standard PC and connected it up to the expected gear -- ECUs, engine and chassis control systems, even a multimedia server for the entertainment system. The reasoning behind using IP versus the more specialized protocols is to anticipate future needs and requirements, as well as reducing costs. Costs drop because fewer specialized components are needed, and the new version of IPv6 is even better than the more than fine performance from IPv4. It's a little spooky to think that your fly-by-wire throttle could be trying to chat with the engine using the same technology that we use to send instant messages, but IP proved itself capable enough even for critical safety functions. The research is ongoing, but BMW's work bodes well for adding functionality and decreasing costs. Adding aftermarket goodies should be fairly painless and service shops will also have an easier time of it by going with a more universal language. Imagine surfing the web with iDrive, though. Blech.

Source: AutoBlog