Remarkable Headlights-Corvette

Chevrolet Corvette has made a good track record, producing high quality sports car. It has been around for a long time and still continues to be one of the leading brands. Over the years it has developed upon its looks and its style and added modern electronic aids to driving. It's got powerful engines in three different models; the 6.2 liter, 430 hp; the 7.0 liter, 505 hp; and 6.2 liter, 638 hp engines. It also has six speed manual or optional six speed automatic transmission models that gives enough options to sports car enthusiast, satisfying their impeccable tastes. A configuration for a removable roof or convertible body gives an even further attraction.

The Corvette is so designed that it allows the driver to work in an efficient and comfortable environment. An ample space for luggage if you travel with your friends or family, excellent acceleration performance which can attain 60 mph in 6 seconds, and a high quality three-type suspension to choose from that of which is capable of providing a stable, jerk-free ride.

The designers and manufacturers have devoted a lot of their time and attention to offer a reliable and comfortable car, they have bestowed the same care and attention to Chevrolet Corvette headlights. The manufacturers cannot take any risk in the design of headlights as they are an important safety feature. They are also so highly visible that have to be conspicuously attractive so as to stand out amongst others in the market. If they are not sufficiently bright or do not cast their beam in the desired direction, the driver will be badly handicapped and his ability to take timely action will be reduced. Corvette headlights have bright sources of light and better class of reflectors along with its lenses to provide bright light on the road in the right areas. Their housings are designed to add to their ornamental value. Therefore when it is time to replace your corvette headlights you take the time and choose from the latest Corvette headlights that give great performance with eye catching style.

Housings are made of different high quality materials and in variety of colors available in the market to give wider choice for the buyers. Taking into account all aspects a Corvette car with Corvette headlights will give you, a comfortable and the safest ride in town.

A Good, Smart Car - Overall

Those who have followed the development of Daimler's tiny and trendy microcar, the Smart, have surely wondered about this vehicle's safety. Now they need wonder no more. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) have already crash tested the Ssmart Fortwo and found it performed so well it earned the Institute's best ratings for front and side crash protection. Plus, its rear crash worthiness was rated as "acceptable," the Institute's second-highest rating.

Driving the smart fortwo in the US, serves as a clear reminder of just how different the Smart really is. Like the VW New Beetle and Mini Cooper before it, the smart elicits looks but unlike other cars, which reinvigorated an existing vehicle segment through nostalgia-laden styling, the smart is so small and so new that, it's unlike anything else on the road. The car is unbelievably maneuverable, able to slip past obstacles, and make turns that simply are impossible in larger cars. Driving the Smart requires readjusting one's spatial expectations. So for those who do most of their driving in the city, the smart will have immediate appeal.

Efficiency is another area where 'small' has a distinct advantage. Relying only on the principle of small displacement and low mass, the Smart fortwo delivers 33 mpg in the city and 40 mpg on the highway, according to last year's EPA standards. Some experts recommends premium 91 octane fuel to maximize power and efficiency, though it will get by on regular. On the plus-side, low exhaust emissions earn the Fortwo an Ultra Low Emission Vehicle (ULEV) classification.

Safety may be a harder sell because of this car's tiny size in the area of much larger vehicles, but that job should be easier now because of the Smart's very favorable crash test ratings from the IIHS. The key to this crashworthiness is the Smart's so-called tridion safety cell, which is so central to this car's identity that its distinctive silver C-shape dominates the exterior design. The cell distributes the impact of a crash over the car's body and protects the occupants inside. The compact design of the smart also offers certain advantages. The rear-mounted engine is designed to break away and slide underneath the passenger compartment in the event of a rear impact, absorbing energy and reducing the rebound inherent in such a stiff structure. Furthermore, the short wheelbase means the likelihood of hitting an energy-absorbing axle in a side-impact is higher, while the high sitting position means better protection in side and frontal impacts. Playing supporting roles to the structure are two full-size front airbags and two side airbags, plus ABS and a standard electronic stability program that includes traction control.

Ultimately, buyers will purchase smart cars at one of almost 100 "smart centers" located in major urban centers around the country, about a third of these stand-alone facilities with the rest "store-in-store" operations within existing Mercedes-Benz dealerships.

Nuts Magazine's Car Of The Year's choice is Ford Focus RS

The Ford Focus RS is still out to impress critics and competitors with another major title awarded as Nuts magazine Car of the Year 2009.

This latest prize joins the Scottish ’sporting’ Car of the Year 2009 award presented last month and is about to accelerate orders for Ford’s definitive hot hatch. More than 2,000 orders have been placed, from a total UK production of around 4,000 vehicles.

A fan of the Ford Focus RS, Nuts magazine Deputy Editor, Adam Ralph, said: “Our readers felt the Focus RS represented all that a young bloke looked for in a new car – it’s affordable, a real head turner and ridiculously good fun to drive.”

On hearing the news, Ford’s Team RS chief engineer, Dirk Densing said: “The Focus RS project set out to deliver optimal high-performance road car technology together with the practicality expected of a Focus. We feel we have achieved this and are delighted that Nuts readers agree.“

Gearing Up Your Car For The Cold Season

As cold weather approaches and Americans are busy installing storm windows and adjusting their clocks back, experts advise we prepare our cars for the cold months ahead. “An ounce of prevention can result in trouble-free driving through autumn and winter,” explains The Car Doctor, Vice President of Training/R&D at Precision Tune Auto Care, and offers the following autumn car care tips.

·IGNITION/TUNE-UP: Vehicles are harder to start in cold weather and require a greater amount of energy from the ignition system. Make sure you get a diagnostic check up.

·COOLING SYSTEM: The car doctor says fall is the time to empty and flush the cooling system, replenishing it with the proper mixture of coolant/antifreeze and water, depending on climate.

·BELTS AND HOSES: To inspect belts and hoses, simply look at them. If the belts appear to be cracked or worn, it's time to replace them. Through inspection, drivers can eliminate costly repairs resulting from their failure on the highway. Hoses need replacing when they get soft or start to bulge. Hoses can be tricky in that they wear from the inside, so limiting your inspection to just a look can over-look a potential wear issue. A trained certified professional can provide a thorough inspection and based on wear, mileage or time, recommend the appropriate service action.

·LUBRICATION SYSTEM: Change oil every 3,000 to 5,000 miles, or as recommended by your car’s manufacturer. A multi-viscosity oil is best for most driving conditions. Your owner’s manual will specify the type and weight of oil to use for cold weather driving.

·AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FLUID: Check transmission fluid frequently in the winter, especially if you have an automatic transmission. If the fluid on the dipstick is brown instead of light pink or red, it may indicate the need for a transmission fluid service.

·TIRES: Make sure tires are properly inflated as recommended in your owner’s manual. Check for wear and adequate tread depth, since tires provide critical traction in slippery weather.

·BRAKES: Fall brake inspection is necessary to assure proper pad thickness on shoes and disk-braked pads. Don’t forget to inspect the Parking Brake cables and mechanisms. Frozen cables can cause severe brake wear. Also, it’s important to check brake fluid level at monthly intervals, advises Burrows.

·WINDSHIELD WIPERS/WASHERS: Inspect and replace cracked or brittle wiper blades, reminds Burrows. If needed, add antifreeze washer solution to the spray reservoir to prepare for slush-covered windshields. Proper vision while driving during snowstorms is a matter of safety.

Do What's Best for a Great Trade-In Value

Initially, one should understand that Dealer's impression of your car is going to have great influence on the price you get for it. You must be aware that most Dealers do not have the time to get your vehicle to an extensive mechanical check while you wait. However, they want to get back and close the deal with you. So, they will look on it as carefully as they can do fairly, quickly, and of definitely, they'll have to do a tedt drive as well. Their primary objective is to make sure that the vehicle does not have any major problems.

They'll then come up with a number based on similar vehicles sold recently at Dealer Auctions and cut that a bit to cover themselves in case they find a somehat significant problem later (or several minor ones). And unfortunately, many will offer you a lower price simply to see how informed you are and to test what they can get away with.

A Seller's Mindset

To get the most for your trade-in, right off the bat you need to change your mindset. You need to think in terms of being a 'seller'. The Dealership is selling a car to you. And in return, you are selling a car to them. I've always been surprised by how dirty people's trade-ins are. And not just dirty outside, but extremely messy and cluttered inside as well and with trunks loaded with items from years gone by, including empty oil containers and various car parts.

I think many people feel it's best to bring in something that's dirty and messy so they can say they weren't planning to make a car purchase. I believe they think they are conveying the message that since they weren't planning on buying today, that they better be getting a great deal. On numerous occasions, I've even seen this strategy passed around as advice, even on the internet.

Well, it's not a very good approach and it's not very good advice. First of all, Dealers are quite clever and are fully aware of this tactic. Remember, they sell cars every day and have seen it all over and over again. Secondly, and more important, a dirty, smelly, neglected looking car makes the Dealer think it's very likely the owners didn't take very good care of it or have in maintained regularly. This isn't good for the price they'll likely offer.

Instead, you want the vehicle you're trading-in to get the same positive response from the Dealer that the Dealer's car had on you. Now perhaps this isn't always possible because you may be trading in a real clunker. Well, all the more reason to put it in its best light.

Do a Car clean-up

You may even want to have it detailed. You want the vehicle to be washed and waxed. You should shampoo the carpet and floor mats. And you defintely want to use odor neutralizers or ionizers. This is especially true for a smoker's car.

We all know how important 'first impression' is. A shiny and clean car immediately strikes the Dealer as a nice surprise and he'll begin to entertain the idea that you actually cared about the car-a strong indication that you likely maintained the car properly as well.

The glove compartment should be neat and tidy (also the center console compartment if you have one). All you want in the glove box is a neat pile (or a sealed plastic baggie is even better) including the Owner's Manual, your registration and any other vehicle related documents.

If you've had work done on the car, include those maintenance records as well. If you have any small care products, such as touch-up paint or leather cleaner or conditioner, they should be kept here as well.

Post-check possibilities

After the Dealer has assured himself that your car doesn't have any major problems and seems to be in decent shape, he'll look for signs to indicate if you're the type of person that has been having it properly maintained. He'll look for small things such as uneven wear on the tires (neglecting a possible balancing or alignment job) or oil that is dirty and overdue for a change.

So, put on new wiper blades, top off fluids, change the oil and air filter if needed, check the tires and even have a tune-up done. The Dealer is going to notice these things. This will increase your credibility as being someone who takes care of their car and, by now, the respect factor from the Dealer is definitely on the rise.

Be Honest

Tell the Dealer about a minor problem. It might be a few scratches on the side of the car. It might be a burnt out interior light bulb. It might be a loose screw holding the fender ... or slightly corroded battery cables... or whatever. Find something minor and point it out.

Again, this is building up your credibility and the Dealer is thinking, "Geez, if this is all he's worried about, I bet this car is in good condition".

However, if you do have some sort of major problem, disclose it upfront. The Dealer's going to find it anyway. And because there's been so many other positives about the trade-in, and you've already won lots of credibility and respect points, it's less likely the Dealer will kill you for it price-wise, and will simply deduct his cost of the repair (less than what you'd pay).

Pro-active thinking

Those are steps that you can take to increase your vehicle's value. However, there's an easier overall approach.. take good care of your vehicle from the moment you purchase it and keep all of the records.

Realize that one day you are going to trade it in or sell it and simply follow its recommended maintenance schedule. I don't think anything impresses a Dealer more when an owner has done all the above.

By doing these things, you'll be far ahead of the typical trade-in customer. By adopting the mindset of a 'seller' and preparing your vehicle to look and drive its best, you'll be adding to its value. The closer a vehicle is to being 'lot ready, the more value it has to the Dealer.