D&C Honda website review

When talking about cars, several of my friends are die hard Honda fans. And it is not difficult to see why. According to the latest Auto Pulse survey conducted by the Consumer Reports National Research Center, the Honda brand was ranked highly by American consumers (the second best in the US). Their cars are well known for their styling, reliability, fuel economy, safety and best of all, their resale value. They are also the favourite for people who are into modding and a huge industry exists to support them.

Anyway if you are a resident of Paramus, NJ and thinking of buying a car, do take a look at D&C Honda of Tenafly, a premier Paramus Honda dealer. They offer the latest Honda as well as used vehicles. Their site lists hundreds of Honda models ranging from the best selling Honda Civic to the popular Honda CR-V SUV.

What really stuck me were their amazing benefits and as far as I know, no other Honda dealer can match them in that respect. This includes:
10 Day money back guarantee on used vehicles,
48 Hour money back guarantee on new Vehicles and
10 Day best price guarantee.

The home page is really informative though my wife thought that it looked a bit too busy. If I was a customer looking to buy a car, I would really appreciate any information I could get my hands on before actually going down to the dealership. That’s why I really liked their interactive chat feature where you could chat with a sales person live online. Another feature that makes this website different is their user friendly online loan calculator. I also liked the fact that using the search facility on the site brings up results with images of the car – and they are not blurry small resolution images you get in some car site. Other car dealers can learn a thing or two form D&C Honda.

One way to gauge a dealer is to hear from previous customers and it was interesting to know that D&C Honda now part of DealerRater.com where you can read the experiences of customers at the dealership. They were rated 4.6/5 (on a 24 Month rating) when I last checked and that is definitely not bad.

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Electric cars tested in the UK

The CABLED (Coventry and Birmingham Low Emission Vehicle Demonstrators) consortium is currently testing a total of 340 electric cars across the UK. This includes the  Mitsubishi i-MiEV, Jaguar Land Rover's _e electric/diesel hybrid, LTI’s TX4E taxis, Mercedes Benz/Smart FourTwo electric drive, Tata Indica Vista EV and the hydrogen-powered Microcab.

The Microcab

The test  seeks to find out how how practical these electric cars under real life conditions would be - this include how they are used and charging information. Recharging points will be provided by Birmingham and Coventry City Councils and Eon. Birmingham University’s hydrogen refuelling station will also be available.

Researchers from Aston University will be analysing the data generated.

Interestingly out of the total cars that will be tested for a year, 110 will be based in Birmingham and Coventry. 25 Mitsubishi i-MiEV cars were passed to test drivers in the West Midlands with the rest will be given to lucky drivers, specially selected by Coventry University researchers. Hope I am one of them.

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Mitsubishi's New Compact Crossover named

Mitsubishi's new compact crossover will be called the RVR.

Fitted with a new 1.8L MIVEC petrol engine and a lightweight compact body, the vehicle will be approximately 4.3 meters in length.

The car will be released globally sequentially starting Japan next spring.

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Saroukh el-Jamahiriya (Libyan Rocket) 2009

Here is the 2009 version of Muammar Gaddafis "Saroukh el-Jamahiriya (Libyan Rocket)" a car which made its debut in 1999, exactly 10 years ago.

The “Libyan Rocket”, as the prototype is called, is described as an “elegant sedan” 17 feet long, more than six feet wide, with a 3-liter, V-6 gasoline engine.

According to the BBC and Fox News, it also has airbags, an unspecified ‘electronic defense system’, and a collapsible bumper.

The car can go hundreds of miles on a flat tire, a feature that could come in handy while driving in the vast Libyan desert. Other safety features include a device to cut off the fuel supply to avoid a fire in case of accident.

Domenico Morali, CEO of Tesco TS SpA, an automotive design company based in Turin, Italy, said Qaddafi joined in discussions about the car’s styling and asked for an original car using Libyan materials including marble, leather and fabric.

The car was unveiled in Tripoli at the end of an African Union summit.

According to the BBC, construction of a factory to produce the car was to have began in October 2009 in Tripoli. (ANI)

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Mitsubishi i-MiEV wins Award

i MiEV (white) and the i MiEV SPORT AIR (blue) concepts

The "MiEV OS" integrated vehicle control system installed in Mitsubishi Motors' new-generation electric vehicle i-MiEV, has been selected by as the winner of the "2009 Japan Automotive Hall of Fame Car Technology of the Year" award by The Japan Automotive Hall of Fame, a non-profit organization.

Go here for more details

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The funny G-wiz

When I saw the G-Wiz for the very first time, it brought a smile to my lips. This is apparently quite different from my friend's reactions when they first laid eyes on this unusually shaped car.  UGLY was the term they used to describe it.

The first time I saw this car was in London and the reason I found the car amusing was not the shape which does look funny but because there were two of these cars parked in a single parking space. I only learnt later that these cars are pure electric cars and built by an Indian company based in Bangalore called the Reva Electric Car Company. It is sold under the G-Wiz brand name in the UK by GoinGreen and costs about £7500 which makes it one of the cheapest green cars.

Their latest model, the G-Wiz L-ion is the world's first commercially produced lithium-ion powered electric vehicle.

The car is meant for urban driving and seats two adults and two kids. It is said to have a range of around 80 Kms per charge using lead acid batteries or 120 Kms on lithium ion batteries.

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Being well groomed will take you places

How often have we heard the saying "the first impression is the last impression". Well, a survey commissioned by Gillette and conducted by Harris Interactive, confirms that it is true.

One of the most critical grooming cue for making a good first impression was having a clean-shaven face. Other no nos include body odour or sweat stains. Also make sure you wear good fitting, nicely pressed and and appropriate clothing as well.

Apparently it's not just the first impression that matters. Being well groomed may very well help you in your career and get the sports car of your dreams. I am not joking. According to the survey, most HR professionals agreed that well-groomed employees do better in the corporate race as compared to those who don't take care of how they look.

So if you are one of those who never bothered to look in the mirror while going to work, you should be worried. Especially in these bad economic times.

However, hope is on the way. You may not only keep your job but get that Ferrari as well. Gillette has launched Gillette Career Advantage on their website and you can get expert advice from career expert Mark Jeffries and GQ style correspondent, Brett Fahlgren.


Brett Fahlgren

On the site, you can take the Gillette career quiz and find out what HR professionals really think.

For more information of what Gillette has to offer for you and to read the survey findings, visit the Gillette Resource Center. Loads of other useful resources as well.

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Tata secures loan to develop electric cars

The Tata Motors European Technical Centre (TMETC), which is based in the University of Warwick Campus has secured a £10 million loan from British Government to produce a four seater electric car. Tata Motors will pump in a further £25 million.

The car which is based on the Tata Indica Vista is expected to go into production by the end of this year.


The Tata Indica Vista

TMETC was set up in the UK in 2005 as a 100% subsidiary of Tata Motors. The centre is engaged in design engineering and the development of products for the automotive industry.

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Two new Minis unvieled

Two new MINI's were unveiled today - the MINI Coupé and a twin. They will be built at the BMW factory in Cowley, near Oxford.

Watch their crazy launch video:



Both cars will be at the IAA - International Motor Show from September 17th onwards.

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McLaren MP4-12C unveiled

Formula One team McLaren has unveiled a road car - the McLaren MP4-12C. This car will be built near their group's headquarters in Woking in Surrey. According to McLaren, the factories should employ some 800 people and produce 4,000 cars per year.



The cars will cost approximately £125,000 and £175,000. I don't really agree with McLaren chairman Ron Dennis, when he says that it is an "affordable sports car". I guess it is cheaper than the Ferrari and Porsches. According to news reports, the MP4-12C powered by a 3.8 litre V8 twin turbo engine can accelerate to 60mph from rest in just 3.4 seconds.

The sexy looking car features gull-wing doors.

Their McLaren Automative website is still under construction.

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Official photos of the new Honda Accord Crosstour

These are the first official photos of the new Honda Accord Crosstour. The car is based on the award-winning Honda Accord.

The car features a bold front grille, a longer, wider stance and a versatile, spacious cargo area.



The Crosstour will be going on sale later this fall.

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Mini turns 50

The Mini celebrates its 50th birthday today. The iconic car was first unveiled to the public in August 26 1959.

Here is the official Mini birthday-song "That´s Entertainment", a Paul Weller and The Jam classic. It's performed by Twisted Wheel.

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The Revo (off road champion)

The South African built Revo is a perfect example of true innovation at it's finest.
It was built by, Achim Bergmann of Thompson Racing, for the Motorite Racing team.

The car is of a space frame construction with a fiberglass body. Tubing is 4130 cro-moly and uses a LS2 6l V8 engine coupled to a Sadev SC90 six speed sequential.

Shocks are American Radflo with secondary pistons in the coil-overs and an external bypass shock per corner. Wheel travel 300mm all round. A Works Bell Paddle Shifter NEO Universal is used to trigger up and down shifts controlled by a Motec M800.

A custom made dust seal was used to seal the paddle shifter from the extreme dust and moisture conditions encountered in off road racing. Up shift cuts ignition and pneumatically selects gear, down shift activates a pneumatic clutch, blips throttle and selects gear.. works very well.

This is Africa's first serious attempt at four-wheel drive Class A Special Vehicle. Power comes from an American built 500hp 6-litre engine and is delivered to all four BF Goodrich tyres via a 6-speed gearbox. Despite a serious air restrictor fitted to keep it in line with the other Class A entries it pulls strongly.

With so much torque on hand, ratios can be kept short but top speed is slightly limited when compared to some of the past competitors. A top speed of just over 180km/h is calculated, which might appear slow but trust me when you doing that off road and approaching a metre deep rut it is insanely fast.

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Nigerian Armoured Vehicle

Nigerian Armoured Vehicle

A Nigerian made armoured car was on Thursday launched by President in this month of August 2009 at the eagle square in Abuja.

It is the first home made armoured car, with most of the materials used in its production sourced locally, while others were imported.

It was built by two Nigerian brothers who recently relocated from the United States of America. The brothers; Victor and Johnson Obasa, came back home to use their talent to boost security and also create employment in the country.

The brothers are based in Ekiti State and the duo own a company named Mobile Truck Technology where they nurtured and built the first Nigerian armoured car.

According to Johnson Obasa, the local production of the armoured car would help in upgrading the nation's security status. "It will promote up to 50 percent security in the country, it is something to protect the armoured personnel in their line of duty and it can work anywhere. It is designed to help the nation's security; we also did it to create employment," he said.

Also, Victor Obasa in a conversation with the press stated that they were in a better position to create this kind of cars since they are in Nigeria and understand the Nigerian terrain.

He added that they were willing to do it for the government at almost half the price of importing it. "We would do it for Nigerians for almost half the price they get it outside," he said.

The truck which was tested with different kinds of ammunition, from a far range had little or no mark left on it, but from a close range left peripheral marks.

On how they created such a truck with products from Nigeria, Johnson said: "It's been a little bit of up and down's. When we encountered some challenges, the Senate president encouraged us and at the end of the day we were able to put this together."

The other brother Victor pledged that they would produce a vehicle carrier that would meet international standard at a reasonable price.

The Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Adamu Aliero who represented the president at the launch said it was commendable that Nigerians with talents will come home and contribute to the nation's development.

He disclosed that the President had directed the Inspector General of Police to meet the fabricators on what they required to produce the vehicle to specification.

He also called on Nigerians within and outside the country with such talents to come out and contribute to the development of their country.

"This is also to call on other Nigerians with similar talents to also come back home and join us to contribute their own quota to the country and for other Nigerians with this kind of talent to put it to use," Mr. Aliero said.

Present at the event to inspect the vehicle were top police officers and the Minister for science amd Technology, Al-Hassan Zaku who said the ministry would send a team of engineers to the base where the truck was fabricated to further examine the product.

"We will examine it thoroughly and work with the police to ensure that it is properly produced to the standard they want," he said.

courtesy of Elizabeth Archibong

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Cairo car.

Here is the work of the Technical and Vocational Institute at the Arab Academy (for Science and Technology and Maritime Transport) in Alexandria Egypt.

This is Egypt's first electric car project, entitled the Cairo car.

Serious research to develop and create localized technology towards producing a fine example of Egyptian ingenuity. This research is based on reverse engineering as well as self innovation to help achieve a national goal of a purely made in Egypt quality product. Its a 4 seater, and the platform has being successfully been tested. No details on the possibility of the Cairo car reaching production.

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The Harper sports car

The Harper sports car. (South Africa)

The companies vision for building this car is as follows.

To produce a stylish, safe, fast, comfortable, fun, low maintenance sports car to be enjoyed on public roads and on the race track.

A one-make series will encourage owners to test their driver skills as cars will be placed against like for like engines. The key is: "Drive it to the track, Race it, Drive it home".

The specifications are as follows.

Power Plant

Engine: Mid mounted 4AGE 20 Valve 1600cc Toyota
Gearbox: Toyota 5/6 speed
Brakes: Toyota (disc all round with adjustable limiting valve for rear brakes)
Total Weight: 650kg

Power Output 120kw (160hp)
Engine Management: Gotech MFI
Performance Exhaust: TNT High performance branch and silencer
Construction: Mild steel space frame with composite non-stressed fibre glass bodywork

Although owners can choose from a range of transverse engines/gearbox, (eg; Honda VTEC, Nissan SR20DET, VW/Audi 20 Valve turbo etc), we recommend the Toyota 4AGE 20 valve engine for it's performance, reliability, low cost and availability.

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The MENARA

The MENARA is MOROCCO'S answer to the executive sports car. Entirely made and built in Morocco to very high standards.

The MENARA is a harmonious mix of technology and classic automotive design.

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The new Bentley Mulsanne unveiled

On their 90th anniversary, Bentley Motors unveiled their new flagship grand tourer - the Mulsanne on the 16th of August at the 2009 Pebble Beach Concours D’Elegance in Monterey, California.

Not much info apart from that it will be powered by a 6.75 litre V8 engine.

According to Dr. Franz-Josef Paefgen, Chairman and Chief Executive of Bentley Motors:

"The challenge we set our engineers was to create a new grand Bentley that would stand as the pinnacle of British luxury motoring, offering the world’s most exclusive driving experience. They have responded to this challenge with real passion and the result is a luxury grand tourer that sets new standards in terms of comfort, effortless performance and hand-crafted refinement – the very qualities for which Bentley is renowned."

Chassis number one was sold at auction by Gooding and Company for US$500,000 at the event.

The Bentley Mulsanne will go on sale from mid 2010 and will also be displayed at the forthcoming IAA Frankfurt Motor Show (15-27th September, 2009).



Link: The official Bently Mulsanne site

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New Audi R8 in Ferrari territory

I don't know about you but I found this Audi ad really funny.

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Nissan Leaf unveiled

Nissan unveiled their much awaited electric car called the Leaf yesterday. In their words, it is the "World's THE WORLD'S first electric car designed for affordability and real-world requirements".

The hatchback will be launched in late 2010. It comfortably seats five adults and has a range of more than 160km (100 miles).


In case you are wondering about the name,

The "LEAF" name is a significant statement about the car itself. Just as leaves purify the air in nature, so Nissan LEAF purifies mobility by taking emissions out of the driving experience.

The car is powered by laminated compact lithium-ion batteries, which generate power output of over 90kW, while its electric motor delivers 80kW/280Nm.

or more information about the car, check out their press release.

However, they failed to actually say how much the car will actually cost.

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Ferrari 458 Italia

Ferrari has officially unveiled their latest car - the Ferrari 458 Italia. With styling byPininfarina, this mid-engined V8 car replaces the Ferrari F430.

According to their press release, the two-seater458 has lower fuel consumption than the F430 but with a higher overall displacement and power. The car has a seven-speed dual clutch gearbox and accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in just 3.4 seconds. It has a top speed of 202 mph. For now all I have got are some pics and the press release. The car will be unveiled to the public at the next Frankfurt Motor Show.


For more information go to the Ferrari site.

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Jaguar to cut jobs and more auto news

Jaguar has just announced that it may cut up to 300 jobs at its Halewood plant on Merseyside. This follows news that they will end production of the Jaguar X-Type.

More info here

Earlier Aston Martin had also announced that about 95 workers in Gaydon in Warwickshire would lose their jobs .

More news here

In another news, Toyota may build a hybrid version of the Auris hatchback here in the UK.

Read more here

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Can Tesla survive?

Tesla motors, the US based makers of electric cars, recently received $465 million as part of the Department of Energy's $25 billion advanced technology loan fund. This fund seeks to create green jobs and reduce the US dependency on foreign fuel.

However, I am not quite sure whether Tesla can survive the current crisis that has hit the US automakers quite hard. One reason is that they only have two models in the stable, viz., the Model S and the Roadster. Unlike the Toyota Prius or the Honda Hybrid cars, Tesla's models are pure electric cars.

They are also targeted at a niche market - people who like sporty cars. So they are going up against some big names like Porsche, Ferrari, Lotus, etc.

Having said that, maybe being small and nimble may actually serve the company well. Plus, a number of people who can afford the fast, flashy cars are turning their backs on the gas guzzlers as being seen as "Green" becomes fashionable. They have already "delivered slightly more than 500 Roadsters". The Model S sedan is also due to come out in 2011.

Model S

This interesting BusinessWeek article asks "Can Tesla Become a Real Automaker?"

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The Riversimple Urban car launced in London

The Riversimple Urban car was launched in London yesterday.

The two-seater car is powered by hydrogen fuel cells and was developed with Oxford University and Cranfield University. It features gull wing doors as well.

The car is expected to go into production by 2013.

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Avoiding motorway congestion

If you are someone who lives in the UK and regularly travel on the motorway, I can understand how frustrating it can be when you discover that there are mile long jams caused by some repair work or an accident. Even if you don't travel up and down the motorway regularly and venture on to the motor ways occasionally, you might want to check out the following sites below:

1. Frixo, a road / motorway traffic reporting site which is updated every 3 minutes via feeds from various sources.

2, My Way, a joint initiative between RAC and Expedia, which provides alternative routes to some of the UK's worst congestion hotspots.

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Citroen C1 Ev'ie - UK's first 4-seater electric car

UK's first 4 seater family car was launched last weekend. The Citroen C1 Ev'ie was developed and built by the Electric Car Corporation.

It is available in 3 or 5 doors versions. According to their site, the car has a top speed of 60 mph with a range of 60- 75 miles on a full charge. Charging from domestic 13 amp socket overnight takes 6 hours.

The cars cost £16,850.

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LDV files for administration

Birmingham based van maker LDV applied for administration. 800 jobs at its Birmingham factory and another 1,200 in various dealerships are at stake.

However, the interesting news is that Malaysian investor Westar is said to be in advanced talks to take control of the company. If that happens, it will become the second British automobile company to be taken over by the Malaysians. The first was Lotus which was taken over by Proton in 1996.

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Useful law firm site

You don't expect a law firm site to show how auto accidents can be avoided - I mean more accidents mean more business for them I guess. However, found out that the Majlessi Law Firm - Legal Metro site has a extensive collection of videos of various car accident crash tests and shows how to avoid them.

Art Majlessi is a well known personal injury lawyer based in Los Angeles with over over 10 years practice and he heads the Majlessi Law Firm. According to their web site, the firm has helped thousands of their clients recover millions of dollars in injury cases. I was quite impressed after watching the video testimonials of some of their past clients.

You can also read up on the latest law updates including some of the latest law cases on their blog. One article which is a must read is "Nine Things You Must Do When You Are Involved in an Auto Accident".

This is one of the most informative sites I have come across recently and they have so many resources including articles on the site which anyone can access totally free of charge. Even though I hope that none of my readers (or myself for that matter) would never be involved in a major accident (touch wood), I feel that we should definitely be aware of the various types of accidents and common injury risk factors including including whiplash.

Do go over and check out the site.

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Cool MINI Cabrio ad.

Check out this crazy Mini Cabrio ad:



The second clip shows how it was made

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2009 Barnard Racer Prototype

2009 Barnard Racer Prototype
(South Africa)


It's been over 50 years since South Africa has produced a home-bred supercar. This is excluding the Shelby Cobras and Noble cars assembled in that country but basically originating from elsewhere. A chap by the name of Chris Barnard wants to change all that by introducing a car he simply calls the Barnard.

The Barnard is powered by a twin-turbo Porsche V8 engine with a power rating of 617bhp (460kW). It should deliver a sub-4 second 0 - 60mph time and a theoretical top speed of over 240mph (386km/h). Only the driver really holds those horses back because the Barnard is missing some equipment namely power steering, ABS brakes and traction control. Even the windows require manual manpower to operate. It's a contrast to the cockpit which is inspired by one of Barnard's other interests, aviation.

Built on a monocoque chassis that's made from lightweight hi-tech steels like Domex and Docol, the car is more race road car than anything else. It's designed to accommodate buyers' interests and can be personalised to a great extent, depending on budgets offered. The engine itself can be uprated to suit the buyer's desires.

"This is a car which has been built with the objective of breaking barriers, and no expense has been spared to make it into what I believe is the most single-minded performance machine yet from South Africa," Barnard said.

To help keep it on the road are things like a rear diffuser, a flat undertray and cutouts on the front wheel arches that generate larges doses of downforce.

Customer deliveries of the Barnard will begin in the middle of the year at a cost of about R1.1 million (about US$110,000) a pop.

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